Various therapeutic strategies have been developed to overcome ovarian cancer.However,the prognoses resulting from these strategies are still unclear.In the present work,we screened 54 small molecule compounds approve...Various therapeutic strategies have been developed to overcome ovarian cancer.However,the prognoses resulting from these strategies are still unclear.In the present work,we screened 54 small molecule compounds approved by the FDA to identify novel agents that could inhibit the viability of human epithelial ovarian cancer cells.Among these,we identified disulfiram(DSF),an old alcohol-abuse drug,as a potential inducer of cell death in ovarian cancer.Mechanistically,DSF treatment significantly reduced the expression of the anti-apoptosis marker Bcell lymphoma/leukemia-2(Bcl-2)and increase the expression of the apoptotic molecules Bcl2 associated X(Bax)and cleaved caspase-3 to promote human epithelial ovarian cancer cell apoptosis.Furthermore,DSF is a newly identified effective copper ionophore,thus the combination of DSF and copper was used to reduce ovarian cancer viability than DSF single treatment.Combination treatment with DSF and copper also led to the reduced expression of ferredoxin 1 and loss of Fe-S cluster proteins(biomarkers of cuproptosis).In vivo,DSF and copper gluconate significantly decreased the tumor volume and increased the survival rate in a murine ovarian cancer xenograft model.Thus,the role of DSF revealed its potential for used as a viable therapeutic agent for the ovarian cancer.展开更多
Cancer is a major global health issue.Effective therapeutic strategies can prolong patients’survival and reduce the costs of treatment.Drug repurposing,which identifies new therapeutic uses for approved drugs,is a pr...Cancer is a major global health issue.Effective therapeutic strategies can prolong patients’survival and reduce the costs of treatment.Drug repurposing,which identifies new therapeutic uses for approved drugs,is a promising approach with the advantages of reducing research costs,shortening development time,and increasing efficiency and safety.Disulfiram(DSF),a Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved drug used to treat chronic alcoholism,has a great potential as an anticancer drug by targeting diverse human malignancies.Several studies show the antitumor effects of DSF,particularly the combination of DSF and copper(DSF/Cu),on a wide range of cancers such as glioblastoma(GBM),breast cancer,liver cancer,pancreatic cancer,and melanoma.In this review,we summarize the antitumor mechanisms of DSF/Cu,including induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and various cell death signaling pathways,and inhibition of proteasome activity,as well as inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)signaling.Furthermore,we highlight the ability of DSF/Cu to target cancer stem cells(CSCs),which provides a new approach to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis.Strikingly,DSF/Cu inhibits several molecular targets associated with drug resistance,and therefore it is becoming a novel option to increase the sensitivity of chemo-resistant and radio-resistant patients.Studies of DSF/Cu may shed light on its improved application to clinical tumor treatment.展开更多
Drug repurposing offers a valuable strategy for identifying new therapeutic applications for existing drugs.Recently,disulfiram(DSF),a drug primarily used for alcohol addiction treatment,has emerged as a potential tre...Drug repurposing offers a valuable strategy for identifying new therapeutic applications for existing drugs.Recently,disulfiram(DSF),a drug primarily used for alcohol addiction treatment,has emerged as a potential treatment for inflammatory diseases by inhibiting pyroptosis,a form of programmed cell death.The therapeutic activity of DSF can be further enhanced by the presence of Cu^(2+),although the underlying mechanism of this enhancement remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the mechanistic basis of Cu^(2+)-induced enhancement and discovered that it is attributed to the formation of a novel copper ethylthiocarbamate(CuET)complex.CuET exhibited significantly stronger anti-pyroptotic activity compared to DSF and employed a distinct mechanism of action.However,despite its potent activity,CuET suffered from poor solubility and limited permeability,as revealed by our druggability studies.To overcome these intrinsic limitations,we developed a scalable method to prepare CuET nanocrystals(CuET NCs)using a metal coordination-driven self-assembly approach.Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that CuET NCs exhibited a 6-fold improvement in bioavailability.Notably,CuET NCs exhibited high biodistribution in the intestine,suggesting their potential application for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs).To evaluate their therapeutic efficacy in vivo,we employed a murine model of DSS-induced colitis and observed that CuET NCs effectively attenuated inflammation and ameliorated colitis symptoms.Our findings highlight the discovery of CuET as a potent anti-pyroptotic agent,and the development of CuET NCs represents a novel approach to enhance the druggability of CuET.展开更多
Due to the insufficient Cu^(+)accumulation,Cu^(+)efflux mechanism,and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment(TME)in lung metastasis,the cuproptosis efficacy is limited.Herein,an inhalable nanodevice(CLDCu)is ...Due to the insufficient Cu^(+)accumulation,Cu^(+)efflux mechanism,and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment(TME)in lung metastasis,the cuproptosis efficacy is limited.Herein,an inhalable nanodevice(CLDCu)is constructed to successfully overcome the drawbacks of cuproptosis.CLDCu consists of a Cu^(2+)-chitosan shell and low molecular weight heparin-tocopherol succinate(LMWH-TOS,LT)core with disulfiram(DSF)loading.The prepared CLDCu can be inhaled and accumulate in large amounts in lung lesions(63.6%)with 56.5 times higher than intravenous injection.Within tumor cells,the mild acidity triggers the co-release of DSF and Cu2+,thus generating bis(diethyldithiocarbamate)-copper(CuET)to block Cu^(+)efflux protein ATP7B and forming toxic Cu^(+),leading to enhanced cuproptosis.Meanwhile,the released chitosan cooperates with CLDCu-induced cuproptosis to activate stimulator of interferon genes(STING)pathway,which significantly potentiates dendritic cells(DCs)maturation,as wells as evokes innate and adaptive immunity.In lung metastatic mice model,CLDCu is found to induce cuproptosis and reverse the immunosuppressive TME by inhalation administration.Moreover,CLDCu combined with anti-programmed cell death protein ligand-1 antibody(aPD-L1)provokes stronger antitumor immunity.Therefore,nanomedicine that combines cuproptosis with STING activation is a novel strategy for tumor immunotherapy.展开更多
STING(also known as MITA)is an adaptor protein that mediates cytoplasmic DNA-triggered signaling,and aberrant activation of STING/MITA by cytosolic self-DNA or gain-of-function mutations causes severe inflammation.Her...STING(also known as MITA)is an adaptor protein that mediates cytoplasmic DNA-triggered signaling,and aberrant activation of STING/MITA by cytosolic self-DNA or gain-of-function mutations causes severe inflammation.Here,we show that STING-mediated inflammation and autoimmunity are promoted by RNF115 and alleviated by the RNF115 inhibitor disulfiram(DSF).Knockout of RNF115 or treatment with DSF significantly inhibit systemic inflammation and autoimmune lethality and restore immune cell development in Trex1^(–/–)mice and STING^(N153S/WT) bone marrow chimeric mice.In addition,knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of RNF115 substantially downregulate the expression of IFN-α,IFN-γand proinflammatory cytokines in PBMCs from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)who exhibit high concentrations of dsDNA in peripheral blood.Mechanistically,knockout or inhibition of RNF115 impair the oligomerization and Golgi localization of STING in various types of cells transfected with cGAMP and in organs and cells from Trex1^(–/–)mice.Interestingly,knockout of RNF115 inhibits the activation and Golgi localization of STINGN153S as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells but not in endothelial cells or fibroblasts.Taken together,these findings highlight the RNF115-mediated cell type-specific regulation of STING and STINGN153S and provide potential targeted intervention strategies for STING-related autoimmune diseases.展开更多
基金funded by Guangzhou Scienceand Information Bureau Item of China(Grant No.201904010013)by Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China(Grant No.2018A0303130180).
文摘Various therapeutic strategies have been developed to overcome ovarian cancer.However,the prognoses resulting from these strategies are still unclear.In the present work,we screened 54 small molecule compounds approved by the FDA to identify novel agents that could inhibit the viability of human epithelial ovarian cancer cells.Among these,we identified disulfiram(DSF),an old alcohol-abuse drug,as a potential inducer of cell death in ovarian cancer.Mechanistically,DSF treatment significantly reduced the expression of the anti-apoptosis marker Bcell lymphoma/leukemia-2(Bcl-2)and increase the expression of the apoptotic molecules Bcl2 associated X(Bax)and cleaved caspase-3 to promote human epithelial ovarian cancer cell apoptosis.Furthermore,DSF is a newly identified effective copper ionophore,thus the combination of DSF and copper was used to reduce ovarian cancer viability than DSF single treatment.Combination treatment with DSF and copper also led to the reduced expression of ferredoxin 1 and loss of Fe-S cluster proteins(biomarkers of cuproptosis).In vivo,DSF and copper gluconate significantly decreased the tumor volume and increased the survival rate in a murine ovarian cancer xenograft model.Thus,the role of DSF revealed its potential for used as a viable therapeutic agent for the ovarian cancer.
基金supported by grants from the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Project of University of South China(Nos.X202110555528,S202210555245,and X202210555136)
文摘Cancer is a major global health issue.Effective therapeutic strategies can prolong patients’survival and reduce the costs of treatment.Drug repurposing,which identifies new therapeutic uses for approved drugs,is a promising approach with the advantages of reducing research costs,shortening development time,and increasing efficiency and safety.Disulfiram(DSF),a Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved drug used to treat chronic alcoholism,has a great potential as an anticancer drug by targeting diverse human malignancies.Several studies show the antitumor effects of DSF,particularly the combination of DSF and copper(DSF/Cu),on a wide range of cancers such as glioblastoma(GBM),breast cancer,liver cancer,pancreatic cancer,and melanoma.In this review,we summarize the antitumor mechanisms of DSF/Cu,including induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and various cell death signaling pathways,and inhibition of proteasome activity,as well as inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)signaling.Furthermore,we highlight the ability of DSF/Cu to target cancer stem cells(CSCs),which provides a new approach to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis.Strikingly,DSF/Cu inhibits several molecular targets associated with drug resistance,and therefore it is becoming a novel option to increase the sensitivity of chemo-resistant and radio-resistant patients.Studies of DSF/Cu may shed light on its improved application to clinical tumor treatment.
文摘双硫仑作为一种治疗慢性酒精中毒的药物在临床中广泛使用。近年来,研究者提出了双硫仑治疗癌症的具体机制,如抑制乙醛脱氢酶(acetaldehyde dehydrogenase,ALDH)的活性、提高细胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)的浓度、抑制核因子kappa-B(nuclear factor kappa-B,NF-κB)的活性,促进与核蛋白定位蛋白4(nuclear protein localization protein 4,NPL4)的结合、抑制FROUNT蛋白等,并在多种癌症模型中证明了双硫仑的抗癌活性。抗肾小球基底膜型肾小球肾炎是急进性肾小球肾炎中的一种类型,该病一旦被确诊,就需要第一时间给予治疗,尽量帮助患者缓解症状、改善预后。研究表明,双硫仑可通过抑制C-C趋化因子受体2型/C-C趋化因子受体5型(C-C chemokine receptor type 2/C-C chemokine receptor type 5,CCR-2/CCR-5)和FROUNT蛋白之间的相互作用来抑制巨噬细胞的迁移、聚集、活化来缓解抗肾小球基底膜型肾小球肾炎,这表明双硫仑对该类患者具有潜在的治疗价值。本文简要回顾了双硫仑最新研究中阐明的相关作用分子机制,展望了未来双硫仑作为新的药物治疗抗肾小球基底膜型肾小球肾炎的前景。
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFC2500802)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82071986,82073799,81771827,82272207,and 82202398)+3 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province China(Nos.2021JJ20084 and 2021JJ20090)the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province(2021RC3020,China)the Central South University Graduate Students Independent Exploration and Innovation Project(No.2021zzts0984,China)the Wisdom Accumulation and Talent Cultivation Project of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University(China).
文摘Drug repurposing offers a valuable strategy for identifying new therapeutic applications for existing drugs.Recently,disulfiram(DSF),a drug primarily used for alcohol addiction treatment,has emerged as a potential treatment for inflammatory diseases by inhibiting pyroptosis,a form of programmed cell death.The therapeutic activity of DSF can be further enhanced by the presence of Cu^(2+),although the underlying mechanism of this enhancement remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the mechanistic basis of Cu^(2+)-induced enhancement and discovered that it is attributed to the formation of a novel copper ethylthiocarbamate(CuET)complex.CuET exhibited significantly stronger anti-pyroptotic activity compared to DSF and employed a distinct mechanism of action.However,despite its potent activity,CuET suffered from poor solubility and limited permeability,as revealed by our druggability studies.To overcome these intrinsic limitations,we developed a scalable method to prepare CuET nanocrystals(CuET NCs)using a metal coordination-driven self-assembly approach.Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that CuET NCs exhibited a 6-fold improvement in bioavailability.Notably,CuET NCs exhibited high biodistribution in the intestine,suggesting their potential application for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs).To evaluate their therapeutic efficacy in vivo,we employed a murine model of DSS-induced colitis and observed that CuET NCs effectively attenuated inflammation and ameliorated colitis symptoms.Our findings highlight the discovery of CuET as a potent anti-pyroptotic agent,and the development of CuET NCs represents a novel approach to enhance the druggability of CuET.
基金funded by the Key R&D Programs of Shandong Province,China(Grant Nos.2018CXGC1411 and 2021CXGC010514).
文摘Due to the insufficient Cu^(+)accumulation,Cu^(+)efflux mechanism,and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment(TME)in lung metastasis,the cuproptosis efficacy is limited.Herein,an inhalable nanodevice(CLDCu)is constructed to successfully overcome the drawbacks of cuproptosis.CLDCu consists of a Cu^(2+)-chitosan shell and low molecular weight heparin-tocopherol succinate(LMWH-TOS,LT)core with disulfiram(DSF)loading.The prepared CLDCu can be inhaled and accumulate in large amounts in lung lesions(63.6%)with 56.5 times higher than intravenous injection.Within tumor cells,the mild acidity triggers the co-release of DSF and Cu2+,thus generating bis(diethyldithiocarbamate)-copper(CuET)to block Cu^(+)efflux protein ATP7B and forming toxic Cu^(+),leading to enhanced cuproptosis.Meanwhile,the released chitosan cooperates with CLDCu-induced cuproptosis to activate stimulator of interferon genes(STING)pathway,which significantly potentiates dendritic cells(DCs)maturation,as wells as evokes innate and adaptive immunity.In lung metastatic mice model,CLDCu is found to induce cuproptosis and reverse the immunosuppressive TME by inhalation administration.Moreover,CLDCu combined with anti-programmed cell death protein ligand-1 antibody(aPD-L1)provokes stronger antitumor immunity.Therefore,nanomedicine that combines cuproptosis with STING activation is a novel strategy for tumor immunotherapy.
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2022YFC3401500 and 2023YFC2306100)the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31930040,32070900,82000670,32270951,32200710,and 823B1006)+3 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant Nos.2042022kf1187,2042022kf1123 and 2042022dx0003)the Major Scientific and Technological Project of Hubei Province(Grant No.2022ACA005)the Translational Medicine and Interdisciplinary Research Joint Found of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University(Grant.No.ZNJC202218)the Non-Profit Central Research Institute Fund of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(Grant No.2020PT320-004).
文摘STING(also known as MITA)is an adaptor protein that mediates cytoplasmic DNA-triggered signaling,and aberrant activation of STING/MITA by cytosolic self-DNA or gain-of-function mutations causes severe inflammation.Here,we show that STING-mediated inflammation and autoimmunity are promoted by RNF115 and alleviated by the RNF115 inhibitor disulfiram(DSF).Knockout of RNF115 or treatment with DSF significantly inhibit systemic inflammation and autoimmune lethality and restore immune cell development in Trex1^(–/–)mice and STING^(N153S/WT) bone marrow chimeric mice.In addition,knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of RNF115 substantially downregulate the expression of IFN-α,IFN-γand proinflammatory cytokines in PBMCs from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)who exhibit high concentrations of dsDNA in peripheral blood.Mechanistically,knockout or inhibition of RNF115 impair the oligomerization and Golgi localization of STING in various types of cells transfected with cGAMP and in organs and cells from Trex1^(–/–)mice.Interestingly,knockout of RNF115 inhibits the activation and Golgi localization of STINGN153S as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells but not in endothelial cells or fibroblasts.Taken together,these findings highlight the RNF115-mediated cell type-specific regulation of STING and STINGN153S and provide potential targeted intervention strategies for STING-related autoimmune diseases.
