Protoflavones in melanoma therapy: Prooxidant and pro-senescence effect of protoapigenone and its synthetic alkyl derivative in A375 cells
LIFE SCIENCES
Authors: Csekes, Erika; Vagvolgyi, Mate; Hunyadi, Attila; Rackova, Lucia
Abstract
Aims: In our study, the anticancer effects of a semisynthetic p-quinol, protoapigenone 1'-O-butyl ether (PABut), were tested in human melanoma A375 cells also in comparison with natural congener, protoapigenone (PA). Main methods: The cytotoxic effect of PABut and PA was determined using MTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis was used to evaluate the influence of the compounds tested on ROS generation and cell cycle distribution in A375 cells. Moreover, apoptosis was evaluated by AO/EB dual staining as well as by flow cytometry. Markers of senescence were quantified by spectrofluorimetry and by Western blot analysis. Key findings: Both PABut and PA showed significant cytotoxicity against melanoma A375 cells at sub-micro-molar concentrations. Both protoflavones induced comparable cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase. However, a more profound upregulation of intracellular ROS levels was found following PABut treatment. An increased apoptosis in the cells following 48 h treatment with both protoflavones tested was also confirmed. Both compounds tested remarkably upregulated p21 protein levels in A375 cells. Unlike PA, PABut significantly decreased protein levels of NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase SirT1 and beta-actin accompanied by mild significant upregulation of mitochondrial SOD2 and senescence markers, p16 protein and SA-beta-Gal activity. However, a significant upregulation of p53 only following PA treatment was found. Significance: These results suggest that PABut and PA confer high chemotherapeutic potential in melanoma cells and are suitable for further testing. Furthermore, modification of protoapigenone with 1'-O-butyl ether moiety can be associated with improved senescence-inducing effect and, thus, enhanced chemotherapeutic potency of PABut compared to the unmodified natural protoflavone.
Neurologic autoimmunity and immune checkpoint inhibitors
NEUROLOGY
Authors: Sechi, Elia; Markovic, Svetomir N.; McKeon, Andrew; Dubey, Divyanshu; Liewluck, Teerin; Lennon, Vanda A.; Lopez-Chiriboga, A. Sebastian; Klein, Christopher J.; Mauermann, Michelle; Pittock, Sean J.; Flanagan, Eoin P.; Zekeridou, Anastasia
Abstract
Objective To describe neural autoantibody profiles and outcomes in patients with neurologic autoimmunity associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) cancer immunotherapy. Methods In this retrospective descriptive study, 63 patients with ICI-related neurologic autoimmunity were included: 39 seen at the Mayo Clinic Neurology Department (clinical cohort) and 24 whose serum/CSF was referred to the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory for autoantibody testing. Serum/CSF samples were tested for neural-specific autoantibodies. Predictors of unfavorable outcome (residual adverse event severity grade =3) were explored (logistic regression). Results Median age at neurologic symptom onset was 65 years (range 31-86); 40% were female. Neurologic manifestations were CNS-restricted (n = 26), neuromuscular (n = 30), combined (n = 5), or isolated retinopathy (n = 2). Neural-specific autoantibodies were common in patients with CNS involvement (7/13 [54%] in the unbiased clinical cohort) and included known or unidentified neural-restricted specificities. Only 11/31 patients with CNS manifestations had neuroendocrine malignancies typically associated with paraneoplastic autoimmunity. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)-predictive antibodies were seen in 3 patients with non-neuroendocrine tumors (neuronal intermediate filament immunoglobulin G [IgG] and antineuronal nuclear antibody 1 with melanoma; amphiphysin IgG with non-SCLC). A median of 10 months from onset (range, 0.5-46), 14/39 in the clinical cohort (36%) had unfavorable outcomes; their characteristics were age >= 70 years, female, CNS involvement, lung cancer, higher initial severity grade, and lack of systemic autoimmunity. By multivariate analysis, only age remained independently associated with poor outcome (p = 0.01). Four of 5 patients with preexistent neurologic autoimmunity experienced irreversible worsening after ICI. Conclusions Neural-specific autoantibodies are not uncommon in patients with ICI-related CNS neurologic autoimmunity. Outcomes mostly depend on the pre-ICI treatment characteristics and clinical phenotype.