The Power of Kinetic Inertness in Improving Platinum Anticancer Therapy by Circumventing Resistance and Ameliorating Nephrotoxicity

Even in the modern era of precision medicine and immunotherapy, chemotherapy with platinum (Pt) drugs remains among the most commonly prescribed medications against a variety of cancers. Unfortunately, the broad applicability of these blockbuster Pt drugs is severely limited by intrinsic and/or acquired resistance, and high systemic toxicity. Considering the strong interconnection between kinetic lability and undesired shortcomings of clinical Pt drugs, we rationally designed kinetically inert organometallic Pt based anticancer agents with a novel mechanism of action. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrated that the development of a remarkably efficacious but kinetically inert Pt anticancer agent is feasible. Along with exerting promising antitumor efficacy in Pt-sensitive as well as Pt-resistant tumors in vivo, our best candidate has the ability to mitigate the nephrotoxicity issue associated with cisplatin. In addition to demonstrating, for the first time, the power of kinetic inertness in improving the therapeutic benefits of Pt based anticancer therapy, we describe the detailed mechanism of action of our best kinetically inert antitumor agent. This study will certainly pave the way for designing the next generation of anticancer drugs for effective treatment of various cancers.     

铂类抗癌药物-纳米金载药体系的研究进展

铂类抗癌药物凭借着独特的作用机制,已成为临床治疗中应用广泛的抗癌药物之一。但由于存在较为严重的毒副作用、耐药性等问题,限制了其在临床上的使用。为了改善它的这些不足,更大限度提高药物的生物利用度并尽量减少其副作用,使用靶向给药体系改变铂类药物体内递送方式受到了广泛关注。其中铂药-纳米金载药体系因其较大的载药量、易于修饰改造、癌细胞高通透性和滞留效应、无免疫原性等显著的特点而受到研究者们的重视,本文主要介绍近十年来铂类抗癌药物-纳米金载药体系的研究进展。     

Rational design of multi-targeting ruthenium- and platinum-based anticancer complexes

Platinum-based anticancer drugs, including cisplatin and its analogues, have played important roles in the clinical treatment of solid tumors over the past 38 years. However, poor selectivity, high toxicity and intrinsic or acquired drug resistance profoundly limit their application, which encourages the development of novel transition metal-based anticancer agents with different mechanisms of action. To this end, transition metal complexes that can simultaneously act on more than one target, termed as single-molecule multi-targeting complexes, have attracted increasing attention because of their enhanced efficacy and diminished chance of drug resistance. In this review, we systematically discuss the recent progress in the development of platinum- and ruthenium-based anticancer agents, in particular the rational design of platinum and ruthenium complexes with multi-targeting features.     

Internalization of Ineffective Platinum Complex in Nanocapsules Renders It Cytotoxic

Anticancer therapy by platinum complexes, based on nanocarrier‐based delivery, may offer a new approach to improve the efficacy and tolerability of the platinum family of anticancer drugs. The original rules for the design of new anticancer platinum drugs were affected by the fact that, although cisplatin (cis‐[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂) was an anticancer drug, its isomer transplatin was not cytotoxic. For the first time, it is demonstrated that simple encapsulation of an inactive platinum compound in phospholipid bilayers transforms it into an efficient cytotoxic agent. Notably, the encapsulation of transplatin makes it possible to overcome the resistance mechanisms operating in cancer cells treated with cisplatin and prevents inactivation of transplatin in the extracellular environment. It is also shown that transplatin delivered to the cells in nanocapsules, in contrast to free (nonencapsulated) complex, forms cytotoxic cross‐links on DNA.     

Overcoming Cancer Resistance to Platinum Drugs by Inhibiting Cholesterol Metabolism

Drug resistance is a serious challenge for platinum anticancer drugs. Platinum complexes may get over the drug resistance via a distinct mechanism of action. Cholesterol is a key factor contributing to the drug resistance. Inhibiting cellular cholesterol synthesis and uptake provides an alternative strategy for cancer treatment. Platinum(IV) complexes FP and DFP with fenofibric acid as axial ligand(s) were designed to combat the drug resistance through regulating cholesterol metabolism besides damaging DNA. In addition to producing reactive oxygen species and active platinum(II) species to damage DNA, FP and DFP inhibited cellular cholesterol accumulation, promoted cholesterol efflux, upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), induced caspase-1 activation and gasdermin D (GSDMD) cleavage, thus leading to both apoptosis and pyroptosis in cancer cells. The reduction of cholesterol significantly relieved the drug resistance of cancer cells. The double-acting mechanism gave the complexes strong anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo, particularly against cisplatin-resistant cancer cells.     

A Rhenium Isonitrile Complex Induces Unfolded Protein Response-Mediated Apoptosis in Cancer Cells

Complexes of the element Re have recently been shown to possess promising anticancer activity through mechanisms of action that are distinct from the conventional metal-based drug cisplatin. In this study, we report our investigations on the anticancer activity of the complex [Re(CO)₃(dmphen)(p-tol-ICN)]⁺ (TRIP) in which dmphen=2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and p-tol-ICN=para-tolyl isonitrile. TRIP was synthesized by literature methods and exhaustively characterized. This compound exhibited potent in vitro anticancer activity in a wide variety of cell lines. Flow cytometry and immunostaining experiments indicated that TRIP induces intrinsic apoptosis. Comprehensive biological mechanistic studies demonstrated that this compound triggers the accumulation of misfolded proteins, which causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, the unfolded protein response, and apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, TRIP induced hyperphosphorylation of eIF2α, translation inhibition, mitochondrial fission, and expression of proapoptotic ATF4 and CHOP. These results establish TRIP as a promising anticancer agent based on its potent cytotoxic activity and ability to induce ER stress.     

抗癌药物的先驱——顺铂

顺铂在人类抗癌历程中发挥着里程碑式的作用,本文重点介绍顺铂的作用机理、致毒机理和细胞对其产生耐药性的机理,并由此指出铂类药物所存在的缺陷以及发展方向。     

A Photoactivatable Platinum(IV) Complex Targeting Genomic DNA and Histone Deacetylases

We report toxic effects of a photoactivatable platinum(IV) complex conjugated with suberoyl‐bis‐hydroxamic acid in tumor cells. The conjugate exerts, after photoactivation, two functions: activity as both a platinum(II) anticancer drug and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in cancer cells. This approach relies on the use of a Pt^IV pro‐drug, acting by two independent mechanisms of biological action in a cooperative manner, which can be selectively photoactivated to a cytotoxic species in and around a tumor, thereby increasing selectivity towards cancer cells. These results suggest that this strategy is a valuable route to design new platinum agents with higher efficacy for photodynamic anticancer chemotherapy.     

An Antitumor Bis(N‐Heterocyclic Carbene)Platinum(II) Complex That Engages Asparagine Synthetase as an Anticancer Target

New anticancer platinum(II) compounds with distinctive modes of action are appealing alternatives to combat the drug resistance and improve the efficacy of clinically used platinum chemotherapy. Herein, we describe a rare example of an antitumor Pt^II complex targeting a tumor‐associated protein, rather than DNA, under cellular conditions. Complex [(bis‐NHC)Pt(bt)]PF₆ ( 1 a ; Hbt=1‐(3‐hydroxybenzo[b]thiophen‐2‐yl)ethanone) overcomes cisplatin resistance in cancer cells and displays significant tumor growth inhibition in mice with higher tolerable doses compared to cisplatin. The cellular Pt species shows little association with DNA, and localizes in the cytoplasm as revealed by nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry. An unbiased thermal proteome profiling experiment identified asparagine synthetase (ASNS) as a molecular target of 1 a . Accordingly, 1 a treatment reduced the cellular asparagine levels and inhibited cancer cell proliferation, which could be reversed by asparagine supplementation. A bis‐NHC‐ligated Pt species generated from the hydrolysis of 1 a forms adducts with thiols and appears to target an active‐site cysteine of ASNS.     

CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF SUEFATOAQUO-2, 3-DIMETHYL-2, 3-BUTYLDIAMINEPLATINUM

[PtDMBA(SO4)H2O]H2O crystals belong to the orthorhombic system,a=11.073(3),b=9.672(2),c=21.156(7)A,space group C2cb,z=8.The diffraction data (Moka) were collected with Nicolet R3 four-circle di-ffractometer.The structure was determined by heavy atom method and refined by the least square program,R=0.0716.In the systematic study of anticancer action of a series of platinum compounds,our Coordination Chemistry Research Institute has synthesized PtDMBASO4 2H2O(where DMBA=2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butyldiamino) and found it has antitumor activity against L-1210 in mice.In order to study the relationship between the structure and the anticancer effects of the platinum compounds,the crystal structure of the compound has been determined.     

A Telomerase‐Responsive DNA Icosahedron for Precise Delivery of Platinum Nanodrugs to Cisplatin‐Resistant Cancer

A telomerase‐responsive DNA icosahedron was designed to precisely release caged platinum nanodrugs into cisplatin‐resistance tumor cells for effective therapy. This DNA icosahedron was constructed from two pyramidal DNA cages connected with telomerase primers and telomeric repeats, and platinum nanodrugs were then encapsulated into the DNA structure. In the presence of telomerase, the primers are extended, leading to inner‐chain substitution of the DNA icosahedron and subsequent release of the caged nanodrugs. This DNA icosahedron can precisely release caged nanodrugs in response to telomerase in tumor cells, giving enhanced anticancer efficacy in drug‐resistant carcinoma and with reduced toxicity to normal tissues. We speculate that this precisely designed, well controlled DNA cage could be generalized to diverse anticancer drugs.     

Anticancer platinum‐based complexes with non‐classical structures

Although classical platinum drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin play a vitally important role in cancer treatment, nonselective distribution of platinum drugs in normal and tumor cells can induce serious gastrointestinal reaction, nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, neurotoxicity and cross resistance, limiting their applications. Over the past few years, a great number of platinum complexes of non‐classical structures have been extensively investigated and evaluated in vitro and in vivo, some of them exhibiting considerable activity. In this review, platinum‐based complexes with non‐classical structures which have anticancer potential are described and several representative examples are discussed with their mechanism of action.     

卟啉介导抗癌药物研究

卟啉是一类具有特别生物功能的化合物，对于增殖异常的组织具有一定的亲和 力．利用这一特性，合成了四—对羟基苯卟啉(Zn^Ⅱ)甲氨蝶呤衍生物，并使用红 外、紫外、质谱、核磁和元素分析等手段对该化合物进行了表征．做了该化合物在 细胞水平上抗艾氏腹水型肿瘤实验，其IC50值为0.28μg/mL。同时在小鼠体内做了 抗艾氏腹水型肿瘤实验，抑瘤率为75．82％．初步实验表明，该化合物具有良好的 抗癌体内外活性及较小的毒副作用．从配位化学的角度提出了该化合物具有良好的 抗癌作用的可能机理．     

Exploring Ovarian Cancer Cell Resistance to Rhenium Anticancer Complexes

Rhenium tricarbonyl complexes have been recently investigated as novel anticancer agents. However, little is understood about their mechanisms of action, as well as the means by which cancer cells respond to chronic exposure to these compounds. To gain a deeper mechanistic insight into these rhenium anticancer agents, we developed and characterized an ovarian cancer cell line that is resistant to a previously studied compound [Re(CO)₃(dmphen)(ptolICN)]⁺, where dmphen=2,9‐dimethyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline and ptolICN=para‐tolyl isonitrile, called TRIP. This TRIP‐resistant ovarian cancer cell line, A2780TR, was found to be 9 times less sensitive to TRIP compared to the wild‐type A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. Furthermore, the cytotoxicities of established drugs and other rhenium anticancer agents in the TRIP‐resistant cell line were determined. Notably, the drug taxol was found to exhibit a 184‐fold decrease in activity in the A2780TR cell line, suggesting that mechanisms of resistance towards TRIP and this drug are similar. Accordingly, expression levels of the ATP‐binding cassette transporter P‐glycoprotein, an efflux transporter known to detoxify taxol, were found to be elevated in the A2780TR cell line. Additionally, a gene expression analysis using the National Cancer Institute 60 cell line panel identified the MT1E gene to be overexpressed in cells that are less sensitive to TRIP. Because this gene encodes for metallothioneins, this result suggests that detoxification by this class of proteins is another mechanism for resistance to TRIP. The importance of this gene in the A2780TR cell line was assessed, confirming that its expression is elevated in this cell line as well. As the first study to investigate and identify the cancer cell resistance pathways in response to a rhenium complex, this report highlights important similarities and differences in the resistance responses of ovarian cancer cells to TRIP and conventional drugs.     

金属抗癌药物设计的新策略和新趋势*

金属药物有许多其它药物无法比拟的独特性质,以顺铂为代表的铂类抗癌药物在癌症临床化疗中发挥了巨大作用。但是铂类药物的毒副作用严重限制了它们的实际疗效和适用范围,因此需要继续研究具有不同作用机理的新型金属抗癌药物,以改良或补充现有铂类药物的性能。本文重点介绍了近年来设计金属抗癌药物的一些新策略,包括改变铂类药物与DNA的作用模式、改进铂类药物对肿瘤的靶向性、研发非铂类金属抗癌药物和寻找DNA以外的作用靶标等。这些内容体现了该领域的最新发展趋势,为从事金属抗癌药物开发研究的科技人员提供了有益的参考信息。     

Platinum drug adduct formation in the nucleosome core alters nucleosome mobility but not positioning

Nucleosome positioning and reorganization regulate DNA site exposure in chromatin. Platinum anticancer agents form DNA adducts that disrupt nuclear activities, triggering apoptosis. Mechanistic insight would aid in the development of improved therapies to circumvent drug toxicity and resistance. We show that platinum adducts formed by reaction of cisplatin or oxaliplatin with the nucleosome core inhibit histone octamer-DNA sliding but do not cause significant alteration of positioning. Thus, adduct formation reinforces positional preferences intrinsic to the DNA sequence, which indicates that modulation of platinum drug site selectivity by histone octamer association may relate to nucleosome-specific properties of DNA. This sheds light on platinum drug-mediated inhibition of chromatin remodeling in vivo and suggests that adducts can shield their own repair and interfere with genomic activities by directly altering nucleosome dynamics.     

抗肿瘤多核铂配合物的研究

多核铂配合物作为非经典铂抗肿瘤药物,其抗肿瘤机制与现有铂类抗肿瘤药物不同,因而在克服现有铂类抗肿瘤药物耐药性方面有着巨大的潜力。本文综述了多核铂类抗肿瘤药物的研究进展,以连接铂原子的桥配体结构的不同,可分为六大类:以烷基二胺及其衍生物为桥的多核铂配合物、以含氮杂环为桥的多核铂配合物、以羧酸根为桥的多核铂配合物、以卤素离子为桥的多核铂配合物、以含硫配体为桥的多核铂配合物及以其他配体为桥的多核铂配合物。本文还介绍了这几类多核铂配合物的抗肿瘤机理及在克服顺铂耐药性机理方面的研究进展。     

In silico model for P-glycoprotein substrate prediction: insights from molecular dynamics and in vitro studies

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a plasma membrane efflux transporter belonging to ATP-binding cassette superfamily, responsible for multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Over-expression of P-gp in cancer cells limits the efficacy of many anticancer drugs. A clear understanding of P-gp substrate binding will be advantageous in early drug discovery process. However, substrate poly-specificity of P-gp is a limiting factor in rational drug design. In this investigation, we report a dynamic trans-membrane model of P-gp that accurately identified the substrate binding residues of known anticancer agents. The study included homology modeling of human P-gp based on the crystal structure of C. elegans P-gp, molecular docking, molecular dynamics analyses and binding free energy calculations. The model was further utilized to speculate substrate propensity of in-house anticancer compounds. The model demonstrated promising results with one anticancer compound (NSC745689). As per our observations, the molecule could be a potential lead for anticancer agents devoid of P-gp mediated multiple drug resistance. The in silico results were further validated experimentally using Caco-2 cell lines studies, where NSC745689 exhibited poor permeability (P _app 1.03 ± 0.16 × 10^?6 cm/s) and low efflux ratio of 0.26.     

超分子抗癌药物双环铂的结构研究

铂类抗癌药物在水中的溶解度和稳定性直接与药物的活性和毒性有关.几十年来,为了改进药物的效能和降低药物的毒性,做了大量的研究.超分子铂类化合物可能具有与众不同的物理化学性质,我们成功设计和合成了一个新型的超分子抗癌药物-双环铂,己证实双环铂对人类的恶性肿瘤有好的治疗效果.用X射线单晶衍射法测定了双环铂的晶体结构,又用电喷雾离子化质谱研究了它在水溶液中的状态.根据实验结果提出了双环铂在水溶液中的结构模型,解释了双环铂在水中好的稳定性和溶解度.