scholarly journals Differentiating Neuroblastoma: A Systematic Review of the Retinoic Acid, Its Derivatives, and Synergistic Interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Nadiya Bayeva ◽  
Erin Coll ◽  
Olga Piskareva

A neuroblastoma (NB) is a solid paediatric tumour arising from undifferentiated neuronal cells. Despite the recent advances in disease management and treatment, it remains one of the leading causes of childhood cancer deaths, thereby necessitating the development of new therapeutic agents and regimens. Retinoic acid (RA), a vitamin A derivative, is a promising agent that can induce differentiation in NB cells. Its isoform, 13-cis RA or isotretinoin, is used in NB therapy; however, its effectiveness is limited to treating a minimal residual disease as maintenance therapy. As such, research focuses on RA derivatives that might increase the anti-NB action or explores the potential synergy between RA and other classes of drugs, such as cellular processes mediators, epigenetic modifiers, and immune modulators. This review summarises the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical data of RA, its derivatives, and synergising compounds, thereby establishing the most promising RA derivatives and combinations of RA for further investigation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 699-710
Author(s):  
Irasema Mendieta ◽  
Gabriel Rodríguez-Gómez ◽  
Bertha Rueda-Zarazúa ◽  
Julia Rodríguez-Castelán ◽  
Winniberg Álvarez-León ◽  
...  

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid childhood tumor, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is used as a treatment to decrease minimal residual disease. Molecular iodine (I2) induces differentiation and/or apoptosis in several neoplastic cells through activation of PPARγ nuclear receptors. Here, we analyzed whether the coadministration of I2 and ATRA increases the efficacy of NB treatment. ATRA-sensitive (SH-SY5Y), partially-sensitive (SK-N-BE(2)), and non-sensitive (SK-N-AS) NB cells were used to analyze the effect of I2 and ATRA in vitro and in xenografts (Foxn1 nu/nu mice), exploring actions on cellular viability, differentiation, and molecular responses. In the SH-SY5Y cells, 200 μM I2 caused a 100-fold (0.01 µM) reduction in the antiproliferative dose of ATRA and promoted neurite extension and neural marker expression (tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and tyrosine kinase receptor alpha (Trk-A)). In SK-N-AS, the I2 supplement sensitized these cells to 0.1 μM ATRA, increasing the ATRA-receptor (RARα) and PPARγ expression, and decreasing the Survivin expression. The I2 supplement increased the mitochondrial membrane potential in SK-N-AS suggesting the participation of mitochondrial-mediated mechanisms involved in the sensibilization to ATRA. In vivo, oral I2 supplementation (0.025%) synergized the antitumor effect of ATRA (1.5 mg/kg BW) and prevented side effects (body weight loss and diarrhea episodes). The immunohistochemical analysis showed that I2 supplementation decreased the intratumoral vasculature (CD34). We suggest that the I2 + ATRA combination should be studied in preclinical and clinical trials to evaluate its potential adjuvant effect in addition to conventional treatments.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1202
Author(s):  
Bojjibabu Chidipi ◽  
Syed Islamuddin Shah ◽  
Michelle Reiser ◽  
Manasa Kanithi ◽  
Amanda Garces ◽  
...  

In the heart, mitochondrial homeostasis is critical for sustaining normal function and optimal responses to metabolic and environmental stressors. Mitochondrial fusion and fission are thought to be necessary for maintaining a robust population of mitochondria, and disruptions in mitochondrial fission and/or fusion can lead to cellular dysfunction. The dynamin-related protein (DRP1) is an important mediator of mitochondrial fission. In this study, we investigated the direct effects of the micronutrient retinoid all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the mitochondrial structure in vivo and in vitro using Western blot, confocal, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as mitochondrial network quantification using stochastic modeling. Our results showed that ATRA increases DRP1 protein levels, increases the localization of DRP1 to mitochondria in isolated mitochondrial preparations. Our results also suggested that ATRA remodels the mitochondrial ultrastructure where the mitochondrial area and perimeter were decreased and the circularity was increased. Microscopically, mitochondrial network remodeling is driven by an increased rate of fission over fusion events in ATRA, as suggested by our numerical modeling. In conclusion, ATRA results in a pharmacologically mediated increase in the DRP1 protein. It also results in the modulation of cardiac mitochondria by promoting fission events, altering the mitochondrial network, and modifying the ultrastructure of mitochondria in the heart.


Author(s):  
Juan Ramón Zapata-Morales ◽  
Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro ◽  
Gloria Sarahí Muñoz-Martínez ◽  
María Mayela Martínez-Rodríguez ◽  
Mónica Esther Nambo-Arcos ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Ji Gang ◽  
Hye Na Kim ◽  
Yao-Te Hsieh ◽  
Yongsheng Ruan ◽  
Heather A. Ogana ◽  
...  

Abstract Resistance to multimodal chemotherapy continues to limit the prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This occurs in part through a process called adhesion-mediated drug resistance, which depends on ALL cell adhesion to the stroma through adhesion molecules, including integrins. Integrin α6 has been implicated in minimal residual disease in ALL and in the migration of ALL cells to the central nervous system. However, it has not been evaluated in the context of chemotherapeutic resistance. Here, we show that the anti-human α6-blocking Ab P5G10 induces apoptosis in primary ALL cells in vitro and sensitizes primary ALL cells to chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibition in vitro and in vivo. We further analyzed the underlying mechanism of α6-associated apoptosis using a conditional knockout model of α6 in murine BCR-ABL1+ B-cell ALL cells and showed that α6-deficient ALL cells underwent apoptosis. In vivo deletion of α6 in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment was more effective in eradicating ALL than treatment with a TKI (nilotinib) alone. Proteomic analysis revealed that α6 deletion in murine ALL was associated with changes in Src signaling, including the upregulation of phosphorylated Lyn (pTyr507) and Fyn (pTyr530). Thus, our data support α6 as a novel therapeutic target for ALL.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 2694-2700 ◽  
Author(s):  
DR Rill ◽  
RC Moen ◽  
M Buschle ◽  
C Bartholomew ◽  
NK Foreman ◽  
...  

Abstract Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is widely used as treatment for malignant disease. Although the major cause of treatment failure is relapse, it is unknown if this arises entirely because of residual disease in the patient or whether contaminating cells in the rescuing marrow contribute. Attempts to purge marrow of its putative residual malignant cells may delay hematopoietic reconstitution and are of uncertain efficacy. We now describe how retrovirus-mediated gene transfer may be used to elucidate the source of relapse after ABMT for acute myeloid leukemia and to evaluate the efficacy of purging. Clonogenic myeloid leukemic blast cells in patient marrow can be transduced with the NeoR gene-containing helper-free retrovirus, LNL6, with an efficacy of 0% to 23.5% (mean, 10.5%). Transduced colonies grow in selective media and the presence of the marker gene can be confirmed in individual malignant colonies by polymerase chain reaction. If such malignant cells remain in harvested “remission” marrow, they will therefore be marked after exposure to LNL6. Detection of the marker gene in the malignant cells present at any later relapse would be firm evidence that residual disease contributed to disease recurrence, and would permit rapid subsequent evaluation of purging techniques. The technique also marks normal marrow progenitors from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. These colony-forming cells can be detected in long-term marrow cultures at a frequency of 1% to 18% for up to 10 weeks after exposure to the vector. Animal models and analysis of probability tables both suggest that these levels of marking in vitro are sufficient to provide information about the mechanisms of relapse and the biology of marrow regeneration in vivo. These preclinical data form part of the basis for current clinical studies of gene transfer into marrow before ABMT.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evaggelia S. Arsenou ◽  
Evangelia P. Papadimitriou ◽  
Eleni Kliafa ◽  
Maria Hountala ◽  
Sotiris S. Nikolaropoulos

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R Bassett ◽  
Asifa Akhtar ◽  
Denise P Barlow ◽  
Adrian P Bird ◽  
Neil Brockdorff ◽  
...  

Although a small number of the vast array of animal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have known effects on cellular processes examined in vitro, the extent of their contributions to normal cell processes throughout development, differentiation and disease for the most part remains less clear. Phenotypes arising from deletion of an entire genomic locus cannot be unequivocally attributed either to the loss of the lncRNA per se or to the associated loss of other overlapping DNA regulatory elements. The distinction between cis- or trans-effects is also often problematic. We discuss the advantages and challenges associated with the current techniques for studying the in vivo function of lncRNAs in the light of different models of lncRNA molecular mechanism, and reflect on the design of experiments to mutate lncRNA loci. These considerations should assist in the further investigation of these transcriptional products of the genome.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 3317-3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Barchiesi ◽  
Elisabetta Spreghini ◽  
Monia Maracci ◽  
Annette W. Fothergill ◽  
Isabella Baldassarri ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Candida glabrata has recently emerged as a significant pathogen involved in both superficial and deep-seated infections. In the present study, a checkerboard broth microdilution method was performed to investigate the in vitro activities of voriconazole (VOR) in combination with terbinafine (TRB), amphotericin B (AMB), and flucytosine (5FC) against 20 clinical isolates of C. glabrata. Synergy, defined as a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of ≤0.50, was observed in 75% of VOR-TRB, 10% of VOR-AMB, and 5% of VOR-5FC interactions. None of these combinations yielded antagonistic interactions (FIC index > 4). When synergy was not achieved, there was still a decrease in the MIC of one or both drugs used in the combination. In particular, the MICs were reduced to ≤1.0 μg/ml as a result of the combination for all isolates for which the AMB MIC at the baseline was ≥2.0 μg/ml. By a disk diffusion assay, the halo diameters produced by antifungal agents in combination were greater that those produced by each drug alone. Finally, killing curves showed that VOR-AMB exhibited synergistic interactions, while VOR-5FC sustained fungicidal activities against C. glabrata. These studies demonstrate that the in vitro activity of VOR against this important yeast pathogen can be enhanced upon combination with other drugs that have different modes of action or that target a different step in the ergosterol pathway. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the potential beneficial effects of such combination regimens in vivo.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (2) ◽  
pp. F356-F362 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Kanellis ◽  
Roger Bick ◽  
Gabriela Garcia ◽  
Luan Truong ◽  
Chun Chui Tsao ◽  
...  

In macrophages, changes in intracellular calcium have been associated with activation of cellular processes that regulate cell adhesion and motility and are important for the response of macrophages to antigenic stimuli. The mammalian counterpart of the fish calcium-regulating hormone stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) is expressed in multiple organs including the thymus and spleen, and hence, we hypothesized that it may have a role in modulating the immune/inflammatory response. Using murine macrophage-like (RAW264.7) and human monoblast-like (U937) cells to study chemotaxis in vitro, we found that STC1 attenuated chemokinesis and diminished the chemotactic response to monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α. Consistent with these findings, STC1 blunted the rise in intracellular calcium following MCP-1 stimulation in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo studies suggested differential expression of STC1 in obstructed kidney and localization to macrophages. MCP-1 and STC1 transcripts were both upregulated following ureteric obstruction, suggesting a functional association between the two genes. Our data suggest a role for mammalian STC1 in modulating the immune/inflammatory response.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document