XIAP downregulation accompanies mebendazole growth inhibition in melanoma xenografts

Mebendazole (MBZ) was identified as a promising therapeutic on the basis of its ability to induce apoptosis in melanoma cell lines through a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2)-dependent mechanism. We now show that in a human xenograft melanoma model, oral MBZ is as effective as the current standard of care temozolomide in reducing tumor growth. Inhibition of melanoma growth in vivo is accompanied by phosphorylation of BCL2 and decreased levels of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP). Reduced expression of XIAP on treatment with MBZ is partially mediated by its proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, exposure of melanoma cells to MBZ promotes the interaction of SMAC/DIABLO with XIAP, thereby alleviating XIAP's inhibition on apoptosis. XIAP expression on exposure to MBZ is indicative of sensitivity to MBZ as MBZ-resistant cells do not show reduced levels of XIAP after treatment. Resistance to MBZ can be reversed partially by siRNA knockdown of cellular levels of XIAP. Our data indicate that MBZ is a promising antimelanoma agent on the basis of its effects on key antiapoptotic proteins

Oxidative DNA Damage Causes Mitochondrial Genomic Instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mitochondria contain their own genome, the integrity of which is required for normal cellular energy metabolism. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by normal mitochondrial respiration can damage cellular macromolecules, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and have been implicated in degenerative diseases, cancer, and aging. We developed strategies to elevate mitochondrial oxidative stress by exposure to antimycin and H(2)O(2) or utilizing mutants lacking mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (sod2Δ). Experiments were conducted with strains compromised in mitochondrial base excision repair (ntg1Δ) and oxidative damage resistance (pif1Δ) in order to delineate the relationship between these pathways. We observed enhanced ROS production, resulting in a direct increase in oxidative mtDNA damage and mutagenesis. Repair-deficient mutants exposed to oxidative stress conditions exhibited profound genomic instability. Elimination of Ntg1p and Pif1p resulted in a synergistic corruption of respiratory competency upon exposure to antimycin and H(2)O(2). Mitochondrial genomic integrity was substantially compromised in ntg1Δ pif1Δ sod2Δ strains, since these cells exhibit a total loss of mtDNA. A stable respiration-defective strain, possessing a normal complement of mtDNA damage resistance pathways, exhibited a complete loss of mtDNA upon exposure to antimycin and H(2)O(2). This loss was preventable by Sod2p overexpression. These results provide direct evidence that oxidative mtDNA damage can be a major contributor to mitochondrial genomic instability and demonstrate cooperation of Ntg1p and Pif1p to resist the introduction of lesions into the mitochondrial genome

Albendazole sensitizes cancer cells to ionizing radiation

Abstract Background Brain metastases afflict approximately half of patients with metastatic melanoma (MM) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and represent the direct cause of death in 60 to 70% of those affected. Standard of care remains ineffective in both types of cancer with the challenge of overcoming the blood brain barrier (BBB) exacerbating the clinical problem. Our purpose is to determine and characterize the potential of albendazole (ABZ) as a cytotoxic and radiosensitizing agent against MM and SCLC cells. Methods Here, ABZ's mechanism of action as a DNA damaging and microtubule disrupting agent is assessed through analysis of histone H2AX phosphorylation and cell cyle progression. The cytotoxicity of ABZ alone and in combination with radiation therapy is determined though clonogenic cell survival assays in a panel of MM and SCLC cell lines. We further establish ABZ's ability to act synergistically as a radio-sensitizer through combination index calculations and apoptotic measurements of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Results ABZ induces DNA damage as measured by increased H2AX phosphorylation. ABZ inhibits the growth of MM and SCLC at clinically achievable plasma concentrations. At these concentrations, ABZ arrests MM and SCLC cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle after 12 hours of treatment. Exploiting the notion that cells in the G2/M phase are the most sensitive to radiation therapy, we show that treatment of MM and SCLC cells treated with ABZ renders them more sensitive to radiation in a synergistic fashion. Additionally, MM and SCLC cells co-treated with ABZ and radiation exhibit increased apoptosis at 72 hours. Conclusions Our study suggests that the orally available antihelminthic ABZ acts as a potent radiosensitizer in MM and SCLC cell lines. Further evaluation of ABZ in combination with radiation as a potential treatment for MM and SCLC brain metastases is warranted.</p

Disulfiram induces copper-dependent stimulation of reactive oxygen species and activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in melanoma

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer. The current standard of care produces response rates of less than 20%, underscoring the critical need for identification of new effective, nontoxic therapies. Disulfiram (DSF) was identified using a drug screen as one of the several compounds that preferentially decreased proliferation in multiple melanoma subtypes compared with benign melanocytes. DSF, a member of the dithiocarbamate family, is a copper (Cu) chelator, and Cu has been shown previously to enhance DSF-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis in cancer cells. Here, we report that in the presence of free Cu, DSF inhibits cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis in a panel of cell lines representing primary and metastatic nodular and superficial spreading melanoma. Both decreased cellular proliferation and increased apoptosis were seen at 50-500nmol/l DSF concentrations that are achievable through oral dosing of the medication. In the presence of Cu, DSF caused activation of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis as measured by caspase-8 cleavage. The addition of Z-IETD-FMK, a selective caspase-8 inhibitor, was protective against DSF-Cu-induced apoptosis. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to DSF-Cu treatment preceded the induction of apoptosis. Both ROS production and apoptosis were prevented by coincubation of N-acetyl cysteine, a free radical scavenger. Our study shows that DSF might be used to target both nodular and superficial spreading melanoma through ROS production and activation of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Melanoma Res 20:11-20 (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Safe and Timely Delivery of Essential Surgical Care for Skin Cancer in a Pandemic

Many surgical practices closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We implemented operational changes to safely continue treating patients with cutaneous tumors during the pandemic. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of pandemic-based operational changes on safety, access, and treatment. Here, we report results from a retrospective study from a single academic office-based surgical practice that provided treatment to patients with skin cancer between November 2019 and September 2020. Time to treatment, tumor area, and upstaging after treatment were compared among patients seen “pre-pandemic” (November 2019 to March 2020), during the “pause” (March 2020 to June 2020), and in the “reopening” (June 2020 to September 2020). One-way ANOVA or Fisher Exact analyses were performed, and p p ≤ 0.002), and the average Mohs post-operative defect size remained unchanged throughout the study period (p = 0.75). Consistent with the prioritization of higher-risk tumors in the pandemic peak, a significant reduction in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma tumors was noted during the pause (p = 0.01), and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma tumors were upstaged more frequently after treatment (p < 0.001). Our findings demonstrate that practice modifications can permit essential surgical care to be delivered safely to patients with high-risk skin cancers during a pandemic

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Due to Oxidative Mitochondrial DNA Damage Is Reduced through Cooperative Actions of Diverse Proteins

The mitochondrial genome is a significant target of exogenous and endogenous genotoxic agents; however, the determinants that govern this susceptibility and the pathways available to resist mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage are not well characterized. Here we report that oxidative mtDNA damage is elevated in strains lacking Ntg1p, providing the first direct functional evidence that this mitochondrion-localized, base excision repair enzyme functions to protect mtDNA. However, ntg1 null strains did not exhibit a mitochondrial respiration-deficient (petite) phenotype, suggesting that mtDNA damage is negotiated by the cooperative actions of multiple damage resistance pathways. Null mutations in ABF2 or PIF1, two genes implicated in mtDNA maintenance and recombination, exhibit a synthetic-petite phenotype in combination with ntg1 null mutations that is accompanied by enhanced mtDNA point mutagenesis in the corresponding double-mutant strains. This phenotype was partially rescued by malonic acid, indicating that reactive oxygen species generated by the electron transport chain contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction in abf2Δ strains. In contrast, when two other genes involved in mtDNA recombination, CCE1 and NUC1, were inactivated a strong synthetic-petite phenotype was not observed, suggesting that the effects mediated by Abf2p and Pif1p are due to novel activities of these proteins other than recombination. These results document the existence of recombination-independent mechanisms in addition to base excision repair to cope with oxidative mtDNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Such systems are likely relevant to those operating in human cells where mtDNA recombination is less prevalent, validating yeast as a model system in which to study these important issues