Riluzole synergizes with paclitaxel to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
Authors: Speyer, Cecilia L.; Bukhsh, Miriam A.; Jafry, Waris S.; Sexton, Rachael E.; Bandyopadhyay, Sudeshna; Gorski, David H.
Abstract
One in eight women will develop breast cancer, 15-20% of whom will have triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer with no current targeted therapy. We have demonstrated that riluzole, an FDA-approved drug for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inhibits growth of TNBC. In this study, we explore potential synergism between riluzole and paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat TNBC, in regulating TNBC proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. TNBC cells were treated with paclitaxel and/or riluzole and synergistic effects on cell proliferation were quantified via MTT assay and CompuSyn analysis. Apoptosis was observed morphologically and by measuring cleaved PARP/caspase three products. Microarray analysis was performed using MDA-MB-231 cells to examine cell cycle genes regulated by riluzole and any enhanced effects on paclitaxel-mediated cell cycle arrest, determined by FACS analysis. These results were confirmed in vivo using a MDA-MB-231 xenograft model. Strong enhanced or synergistic effects of riluzole on paclitaxel regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis was demonstrated in all TNBC cells tested as well as in the xenograft model. The MDA-MB-231, SUM149, and SUM229 cells, which are resistant to paclitaxel treatment, demonstrated the strongest synergistic or enhanced effect. Key protein kinases were shown to be upregulated in this study by riluzole as well as downstream cell cycle genes regulated by these kinases. All TNBC cells tested responded synergistically to riluzole and paclitaxel strongly suggesting the usefulness of this combinatorial treatment strategy in TNBC, especially for patients whose tumors are relatively resistant to paclitaxel.
Engineered Multivalency Enhances Affibody-Based HER3 Inhibition and Downregulation in Cancer Cells
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
Authors: Schardt, John S.; Oubaid, Jinan M.; Williams, Sonya C.; Howard, James L.; Aloimonos, Chloe M.; Bookstaver, Michelle L.; Lamichhane, Tek N.; Sokic, Sonja; Liyasova, Mariya S.; O'Neill, Maura; Andresson, Thorkell; Hussain, Arif; Lipkowitz, Stanley; Jay, Steven M.
Abstract
The receptor tyrosine kinase HER3-has emerged as a therapeutic target in ovarian, prostate, breast, lung, and other cancers due to its ability to potently.activate the PI3K/Akt pathway, especially via dimerization with HER2, as well as for its role in mediating drug resistance. Enhanced efficacy of HER3-targeted therapeutics would therefore benefit a wide range of patients. This study evaluated the potential of multivalent presentation, through protein engineering, to enhance the effectiveness of HER3-targeted affibodies as alternatives to monoclonal antibody therapeutics. Assessment of multivalent affibodies on a variety of cancer cell, lines revealed their broad ability to improve inhibition of Neuregulin (NRG)-induced HER3 and Akt phosphorylation compared to monovalent analogues. Engineered multivalency also promoted enhanced cancer cell growth inhibition by affibodies as single agents and as part of combination therapy approaches. Mechanistic investigations revealed that engineered multivalency enhanced affibody-mediated HER3 downregulation in multiple cancer cell types. Overall, these-rusults highlight the promise of engineered multivalency as a generaL strategy for enhanced efficacy of HER3-targeted therapeutics against a variety of cancers.