Approximately 1.0–1.5% of the genome is transcriptionally regulated by hypoxia, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is the transcription factor modulating many of these genes. Cancer cells are able to survive hypoxic environments and hypoxia itself can activate adaptive cellular responses that contribute to tumor progression. Many HIF-1α-mediated biological effects are beneficial for tumor progression, including metabolic shift toward glycolysis, inhibition of fatty acid β-oxidation, production of cellular reacreactive oxygen species and altering expression of tumor suppressor genes. HIF-1 promotes selective mitochondrial autophagy, resisand altering expression of tumor suppressor genes. HIF-1 promotes selective mitochondrial autophagy, resistance to T cell mediated lysis of cancer cells, induction of pluripotent cancer stem cells, epithelial-mesenchymal and epithelialmesenchymal-endothelial transitions beneficial for tumor growth and progression, loss of E-cadherin. HIF-1 also induces production of signal molecules and cytokines by carcinoma-associated fibroblasts and upregulation of certain microRNAs important for cancer progression. This minireview focuses on the HIF-1 promoting role in tumor initiation and progression and HIF-1 targeting. HIF-1 pathway downregulation seems to be promising in future cancer treatment.
New A-ring pyridine fused androstanes in 17a-homo-17-oxa (d-homo lactone), 17α-picolyl or 17()-picolinylidene series were synthesized and validated by X-ray crystallography, HRMS, IR and NMR spectroscopy. Novel compounds ,, and were prepared by treatment of 4-en-3-one or 4-ene-3,6-dione d-modified androstane derivatives with propargylamine catalyzed by Cu(ii), and evaluated for potential anticancer activity using human cancer cell lines and recombinant targets of steroidal anti-cancer drugs. Pyridine fusion to position 3,4 of the A-ring may dramatically enhance affinity of 17α-picolyl compounds for CYP17 while conferring selective antiproliferative activity against PC-3 cells. Similarly, pyridine fusion to the A-ring of steroidal d-homo lactones led to identification of new inhibitors of aldo-keto reductase 1C3, an enzyme targeted in acute myeloid leukemia, breast and prostate cancers. One A-pyridine d-lactone steroid also has selective submicromolar antiproliferative activity against HT-29 colon cancer cells. None of the new derivatives have affinity for estrogen or androgen receptors in a yeast screen, suggesting negligible estrogenicity and androgenicity. Combined, our results suggest that A-ring pyridine fusions have potential in modulating the anticancer activity of steroidal compounds.
In an earlier study we demonstrated that hydroxyapatite nanoparticles coated with chitosan-poly(D,L)-lactide-co-glycolide (HAp/Ch-PLGA) target lungs following their intravenous injection into mice. In this study we utilize an emulsification process and freeze drying to load the composite HAp/Ch-PLGA particles with 17β-hydroxy-17α-picolyl-androst-5-en-3β-yl-acetate (A), a chemotherapeutic derivative of androstane and a novel compound with a selective anticancer activity against lung cancer cells. 1H NMR and 13C NMR techniques confirmed the intact structure of the derivative A following its entrapment within HAp/Ch-PLGA particles. The thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses coupled with mass spectrometry were used to assess the thermal degradation products and properties of A-loaded HAp/Ch-PLGA. The loading efficiency, as indicated by the comparison of enthalpies of phase transitions in pure A and A-loaded HAp/Ch-PLGA, equaled 7.47 wt.%. The release of A from HAp/Ch-PLGA was sustained, neither exhibiting a burst release nor plateauing after three weeks. Atomic force microscopy and particle size distribution analyses were used to confirm that the particles were spherical with a uniform size distribution of d50 = 168 nm. In vitro cytotoxicity testing of A-loaded HAp/Ch-PLGA using MTT and trypan blue dye exclusion assays demonstrated that the particles were cytotoxic to the A549 human lung carcinoma cell line (46±2%), while simultaneously preserving high viability (83±3%) of regular MRC5 human lung fibroblasts and causing no harm to primary mouse lung fibroblasts. In conclusion, composite A-loaded HAp/Ch-PLGA particles could be seen as promising drug delivery platforms for selective cancer therapies, targeting malignant cells for destruction, while having a significantly lesser cytotoxic effect on the healthy cells.
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