Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Lung Cancer: An Update Regarding Potential Drugs and Natural Products

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and has a high mortality rate. Due to its high incidence, the clinical management of the disease remains a major challenge. Several reports have documented a relationship between the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT)/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and lung cancer. The recognition of this pathway as a notable therapeutic target in lung cancer is mainly due to its central involvement in the initiation and progression of the disease. Interest in using natural and synthetic medications to target these signaling pathways has increased in recent years, with promising results in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in tumor development. In addition to the signaling pathway, we highlighted the therapeutic potential of recently developed PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors based on preclinical and clinical trials.     

Identifying ligand-binding specificity of the oligopeptide receptor OppA from Bifidobacterium longum KACC91563 by structure-based molecular modeling

As a ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter the OppA receptor plays key roles in protecting the host organism and transporting nutrients across the intestine by the oligopeptide transporter from symbiotic bacteria and directs maturation of the host immune system. Among lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum KACC91563, isolated from fecal samples of healthy Korean neonates, has the capability to alleviate food allergy effects. Operating as a peptide importer, the extracellular OppA receptor from gram-positive B. longum KACC91563 translocates nutrients, specifically peptides, from the outside environment of the intestinal tract to the inside of symbiotic cells. In the present study we attempt to explicate the relationship between the substrate’s specificity from the OppA importer and the probiotic effects of B. longum KACC91563 in the host intestine. It was first identified in this study the specialized structure–function relationship from the OppA importer of B. longum KACC91563 with its structural and functional determinants. This could provide insights into substrate specificity of unique immunological properties and a key switch for the substrate’s metabolism to reprogramming immune responses in the host intestine by structure-based molecular modeling. The probiotic effects of oligopeptide substrate (such as a proline-rich peptide containing at least one branched residue of leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and its metabolism for the OppA from B. longum KACC91563 are attributed to enhancement of the epithelial barrier by several different strain specific pathways to prevent the strong adhesion of pathogens.     

Application of Response Surface Methodology To Formulation Optimization of Rapamycin Loaded Magnetic Fe3O4/Carboxymethylchitosan Nanoparticles

In this paper, a new drug delivery system was designed using magnetic Fe₃O₄/carboxymethylchitosan nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/CMCS NPs) as carrier and rapamycin (Rapa) as the antitumor drug. The process and formulation variables of Fe₃O₄/CMCS-Rapa NPs were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) with a three-level, three-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD). The independent variables were the mass ratio of Fe₃O₄/CMCS: Rapa, W/O phase ratio and stirring rate; dependent variables were drug loading content and entrapment efficiency. Mathematical equations and response surface plots were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. The optimized formulation was characterized by TEM, FT-IR, and in vitro drug release. Results for mean particle size, drug loading content, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release of Fe₃O₄/CMCS-Rapa were found to be of 30 ± 2 nm, 6.32% ± 3.36%, 62.9% ± 2.30%, and 65.35% ± 2.46% at pH 7.4 after 70 h, respectively; also, they possess magnetism with a saturation magnetization of 67.1 emu/g, negligible coercivity and remanence at room temperature. Also the effect of magnetic targeted nanoparticles on the proliferation of human hepatoma cell line HepG2 in vitro was investigated. The results from MTT assays showed that the Fe₃O₄/CMCS-Rapa nanoparticles could effectively inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells, which displayed time or concentration-dependent manner. All these results indicated that the nanoparticles had the potential to be used as a novel drug carrier system.     

聚(乳酸-羟基乙酸)共聚物涂层的释药性能

以乙酸乙酯为溶剂,配制聚(乳酸-羟基乙酸)共聚物(PLGA)雷帕霉素溶液,利用滴涂法在316L不锈钢表面制备PLGA载药涂层。于37℃磷酸盐缓冲液(PBS)中进行体外动态药物释放,并用紫外-可见分光光度计测定药物释放量。结果表明:PLGA涂层中PLGA分子量越小,羟基乙酸(GA)含量越高,药物释放越快;药物释放量与滴涂量呈线性关系,药物释放率与滴涂量的倒数呈线性关系;涂层中药物含量增加,其释放量也随之增加,而药物释放率先增加后降低。     

PI3K/mTOR抑制剂的合成及生物活性

以NVP-BEZ235为先导化合物,设计合成了10个磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶/哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(PI3K/mTOR)抑制剂;目标化合物的结构经核磁共振波谱(NMR)和液相色谱-质谱(LC-MS)分析确证.采用噻唑蓝(MTT)比色法在人急性单核细胞白血病细胞株(MV4-11)、人乳腺癌细胞株(BT474)和人前列腺癌细胞株(PC-3)中测定了目标化合物的抗肿瘤活性,并对其构效关系进行了初步的讨论.结果表明,化合物11(FP-189)对MV4-11细胞株表现出较强的抑制活性(IC_(50)=22.5 nmol/L),且具有良好的溶解性,可以作为白血病治疗的候选药物进行下一步开发.     

DEPTO R蛋白的表达纯化条件及与mTOR-TRD2亚结构域的相互作用

测试并优化了哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(m TOR)的FAT结构域及其亚结构域TRD2和DEPTOR蛋白在大肠杆菌中的表达条件,获得了TRD2和DEPTOR蛋白成功表达并大量纯化的条件.结果表明,麦芽糖结合蛋白(MBP)融合m TOR的TRD2亚结构域可以在菌株BL21(DE3)中大量表达.DEPTOR-G270P突变比野生型DEPTOR在BL21(DE3)中的表达量提高约5倍,且该突变并不影响DEPTOR自身的二级结构.通过凝胶过滤实验发现,m TOR的TRD2亚结构域和DEPTOR之间可能存在相互作用.     

Determination of sirolimus in rabbit arteries using liquid chromatography separation and tandem mass spectrometric detection

Sirolimus, an effective immunosuppressive agent, is used for drug eluting stents. During stent development, an analytical method for the determination of sirolimus in tissue needs to be established. Normally, tissue samples are homogenized and then analyzed against the calibration standards prepared in a tissue homogenate. This approach provides insufficient control of the homogenization process. In this paper, tissue quality control samples were introduced for the optimization of the homogenization process during method development, but also allowance for the performance evaluation of the entire analytical process. In addition, a new approach using rabbit blood as a homogenization medium was developed to stabilize sirolimus in rabbit tissue homogenates. Calibration standards and quality controls were prepared by spiking different sirolimus working solutions into rabbit blood. Homogenization quality control samples were prepared by injecting other sirolimus working solutions into empty test tubes and pre-cut arteries within pre-defined masses. A high-throughput homogenization procedure was optimized based on the specific chemical properties of sirolimus. The linear dynamic range was between 49.9 pg/mL and 31.9 ng/mL to accommodate the expected artery homogenate concentrations. Additionally, quality controls in rabbit blood were also used in the extraction to support the calibration standards. The accuracy and precision of the quality controls in rabbit blood reflect the extraction performance and the accuracy and precision of the homogenization tissue quality controls reflect the overall performance of the method. The mean bias was between -4.5 and 0.2% for all levels of quality controls in the blood and between 4.8 and 14.9% for all levels of the homogenization tissue quality controls. The CVs of all concentration levels were < or =5.3% for the quality controls in blood and < or =9.2% for the homogenization tissue quality controls. The method was successfully applied to determine the concentration of sirolimus in the rabbit arteries.     

6,6′-((Methylazanedyl)bis(methylene))bis(2,4-dimethylphenol) Induces Autophagic Associated Cell Death through mTOR-Mediated Autophagy in Lung Cancer

Autophagy is the multistep mechanism for the elimination of damaged organelles and misfolded proteins. This mechanism is preceded and may induce other program cell deaths such as apoptosis. This study unraveled the potential pharmacological effect of 24MD in inducing the autophagy of lung cancer cells. Results showed that 24MD was concomitant with autophagy induction, indicating by autophagosome staining and the induction of ATG5, ATG7 and ubiquitinated protein, p62 expression after 12-h treatment. LC3-I was strongly conversed to LC3-II, and p62 was downregulated after 24-h treatment. The apoptosis-inducing activity was found after 48-h treatment as indicated by annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining and the activation of caspase-3. From a mechanistic perspective, 24-h treatment of 24MD at 60 μM substantially downregulated p-mTOR. Meanwhile, p-PI3K and p-Akt were also suppressed by 24MD at concentrations of 80 and 100 μM, respectively. We further confirmed m-TOR-mediated autophagic activity by comparing the effect of 24MD with rapamycin, a potent standard mTOR1 inhibitor through Western blot and immunofluorescence assays. Although 24MD could not suppress p-mTOR as much as rapamycin, the combination of rapamycin and 24MD could increase the mTOR suppressive activity and LC3 activation. Changing the substituent groups (R groups) from dimethylphenol to ethylphenol in EMD or changing methylazanedyl to cyclohexylazanedyl in 24CD could only induce apoptosis activity but not autophagic inducing activity. We identified 24MD as a novel compound targeting autophagic cell death by affecting mTOR-mediated autophagy.