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DNA topoisomerases are essential to modulate DNA topology during various cellular genetic processes. The expression and distinct prognostic value of topoisomerase isoforms in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well established. In the current study, we have examined the mRNA expression of topoisomerase isoforms by using Oncomine analysis and investigated their prognostic value via the Kaplan–Meier plotter database in NSCLC patients. Our analysis indicated that the expression level of topoisomerases in lung cancer was higher compared with normal tissues. Especially, high expression of two topoisomerase isoforms, TOP2A and TOP3A, was found to be correlated to worse overall survival (OS) in all NSCLC and lung adenocarcinoma (Ade) patients, but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. In a contrast, high expression of isoforms TOP1 and TOP2B indicated better OS in all NSCLC and Ade, but not in SCC patients. Meanwhile, high expression of TOP1MT and TOP3B was not correlated with OS in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, we also demonstrated a relationship between topoisomerase isoforms and the clinicopathological features for the NSCLC patients, such as grades, clinical stages, lymph node status, smoking status, gender, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These results support that TOP2A and TOP3A are associated with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. In addition, our study also shows that TOP1 and TOP2B contribute to favorable prognosis in NSCLC patients. The exact prognostic significance of TOP1MT and TOP3B need to be further elucidated. Comprehensive evaluation of expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms will be a benefit for the better understanding of heterogeneity and complexity in the molecular biology of NSCLC, paving a way for more accurate prediction of prognosis and discovery of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients.

Mitochondria are double membrane-enveloped organelles that play a central role in cellular metabolism, calcium homeostasis, redox signaling and cell fates. They function as main generators of ATP, metabolites for the construction of macromolecules and reactive oxygen species. In many cancer cells, mitochondria seem dysfunctional, manifested by a shift of energy metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to active glycolysis and an increase in reactive oxygen species generation. These metabolic changes are often associated with upregulation of NAD(P)H oxidase. Importantly, the metabolic reprogramming in a cancer cell is mechanistically linked to oncogenic signals. Targeting mitochondria as a cancer therapeutic strategy has attracted much attention in the recent years and multiple review articles in this area have been published. This article attempts to provide an update on recent progress in identification of mitochondria-associated molecules as potential anticancer targets and the respective targeting compounds.

Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 gene (FLT3/ITD) represents an unfavorable genetic change in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with poor prognosis. Metabolic alterations have been involved in tumor progression and attracted interest as a target for therapeutic intervention. However, few studies analyzed the adaptations of cellular metabolism in the context of FLT3/ITD mutation. Here, we report that FLT3/ITD causes a significant increase in aerobic glycolysis through AKT-mediated upregulation of mitochondrial hexokinase (HK2), and renders the leukemia cells highly dependent on glycolysis and sensitive to pharmacological inhibition of glycolytic activity. Inhibition of glycolysis preferentially causes severe ATP depletion and massive cell death in FLT3/ITD leukemia cells. Glycolytic inhibitors significantly enhances the cytotoxicity induced by FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Importantly, such combination provides substantial therapeutic benefit in a murine model bearing FLT3/ITD leukemia. Our study suggests that FLT3/ITD mutation promotes Warburg effect, and such metabolic alteration can be exploited to develop effective therapeutic strategy for treatment of AML with FLT3/ITD mutation via metabolic intervention.

Mitochondria play a key role in ATP generation, redox homeostasis and regulation of apoptosis. Due to the essential role of mitochondria in metabolism and cell survival, targeting mitochondria in cancer cells is considered as an attractive therapeutic strategy. However, metabolic flexibility in cancer cells may enable the upregulation of compensatory pathways, such as glycolysis to support cancer cell survival when mitochondrial metabolism is inhibited. Thus, compounds capable of both targeting mitochondria and inhibiting glycolysis may be particularly useful to overcome such drug-resistant mechanism. This review provides an update on recent development in the field of targeting mitochondria and novel compounds that impact mitochondria, glycolysis or both. Key challenges in this research area and potential solutions are also discussed.

The FK228 and spiruchostatin bicyclic depsipeptide natural products are among the most potent histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors known. Although FK228 is in advanced clinical trials, the complexity of the natural products has precluded mechanistic studies and the discovery of structure-activity relationships. By total synthesis, we have prepared the first depsipeptide analogues. Our results prove that the dehydrobutyrine residue in FK228 is not essential, and other residues can be substituted without loss of HDAC inhibitory activity. Conformational restriction by the macrocyclic scaffold is important, as a linear peptide was inactive. The intramolecular disulfide formed with a cysteine side chain can be removed provided the zinc-binding thiol is protected to ensure good cellular availability. Like the natural products, the analogues are selective against class I isoforms, with nanomolar inhibition of class I HDAC1 and significantly less potency against class II HDAC6.Eukaryotic DNA is packaged together with histone and nonhistone proteins into the higher order structure of chromatin. Chromatin proteins feature extensive posttranslational modification 1 including methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitinylation, sumoylation, and poly-ADPribosylation. These dynamic alterations are believed to constitute a 'histone code' 2 that mediates protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions in chromatin and thereby ultimately regulates gene transcription. Consequently, the modulation of the chromatin histone code offers opportunities for targeting diverse disease states at a higher level of intervention than individual signal transduction pathways. Among the enzymes involved in chromatin remodeling, zinc-dependent histone deacetylases (HDACs a ) are currently at the most advanced stage in drug discovery, with one FDA approval and numerous other compounds in clinical development. These metalloenzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of acetyllysine residues back to lysine. Since the latter, unlike acetyllysine, is protonated at physiological pH, this switch has a dramatic effect on chromatin structure and recruitment of binding partners. Furthermore, reversible lysine acetylation is now recognized 3 as a general posttranslational modification with important functional consequences in nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins unrelated to chromatin, thus increasing the therapeutic importance of this event.HDAC inhibitor design has concentrated 4 on the class I and class II zinc-dependent enzymes, comprising HDACs 1-11 in the human genome. These hydrolases share a highly conserved catalytic domain containing an active site zinc ion, and the majority of inhibitors fall into five broad structural classes (Figure 1): short chain aliphatic carboxylic acids, hydroxamic acids, benzamides, cyclic peptides, and the depsipeptides. HDAC inhibitors are typically substrate mimics of the linear acetyllysine side chain with a zinc-binding group replacing the scissile acetamide and a 'cap' at the other end extending beyond the enzyme substrate-bi...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEVorinostat and romidepsin are histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI), approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). However, the mechanism(s) by which these drugs exert their anti-cancer effects are not fully understood. Since CTCL is associated with immune dysregulation, we investigated whether these HDI modulated cytokine expression in CTCL cells. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHCTCL cell lines and primary CTCL cells were treated in vitro with vorinostat or romidepsin, or with STAT3 pathway inhibitors. Cell cycle parameters and apoptosis were analysed by propidium iodide and annexin V/propidium iodide staining respectively. Cytokine expression was analysed using QRT-PCR and ELISA assays. STAT3 expression/phosphorylation and transcriptional activity were analysed using immunoblotting and transfection/reporter assays respectively. KEY RESULTSVorinostat and romidepsin strongly down-regulated expression of the immunosuppressive cytokine, interleukin (IL)-10, frequently overexpressed in CTCL, at both the RNA and protein level in CTCL cell lines and at the RNA level in primary CTCL cells. Vorinostat and romidepsin also increased expression of IFNG RNA and decreased expression of IL-2 and IL-4 RNA, although to a lesser extent compared to IL-10. Transient exposure to vorinostat was sufficient to suppress IL-10 secretion but was not sufficient to irreversibly commit cells to undergo cell death. STAT3 pathway inhibitors decreased production of IL-10 and vorinostat/romidepsin partially decreased STAT3-dependent transcription without effects on STAT3 expression or phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSThese results demonstrate that HDI modulate cytokine expression in CTCL cells, potentially via effects on STAT3. Immunomodulation may contribute to the clinical activity of HDI in this disease. Abbreviations

Carbazoles have attracted high interest among synthetic chemists due to their unique structural features and potential pharmacological activities. Compared to linear aryliodoniums, cyclic diphenyleneiodoniums are more inert and have not attracted much attention to their application as building blocks. Employing our synthetic strategy, diversified carbazoles can be efficiently obtained from a single cyclic diphenyleneiodonium under mild conditions. The reactions catalyzed by copper(II) acetate have provided a variety of carbazoles in modest to good yields with a broad range of amines including anilines, aliphatic amines and sulfonamides. Moreover, one of the obtained carbazoles has displayed an outstanding ability to protect HT‐22 neuronal cells from the damage induced by neurotoxins glutamate and homocysteic acid.magnified image