harmine and Squamous-Cell-Carcinoma-of-Head-and-Neck

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with low survival, and the current aggressive therapies result in high morbidity. Nutraceuticals are dietary compounds with few side effects. However, limited antitumor efficacy has restricted their application for cancer therapy. Here, we examine combining nutraceuticals, establishing a combination therapy that is more potent than any singular component, and delineate the mechanism of action. Three formulations were tested: GZ17-S (combined plant extracts from Arum palaestinum, Peganum harmala and Curcuma longa); GZ17-05.00 (16 synthetic components of GZ17-S); and GZ17-6.02 (3 synthetic components of GZ17S; curcumin, harmine and isovanillin). We tested the formulations on HNSCC proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, macrophage viability and infiltration into the tumor and tumor apoptosis. GZ17-6.02, the most effective formulation, significantly reduced in vitro assessments of HNSCC progression. When combined with cisplatin, GZ17-6.02 enhanced anti-proliferative effects. Molecular signaling cascades inhibited by GZ17-6.02 include EGFR, ERK1/2, and AKT, and molecular docking analyses demonstrate GZ17-6.02 components bind at distinct binding sites. GZ17-6.02 significantly inhibited growth of HNSCC cell line, patient-derived xenografts, and murine syngeneic tumors in vivo (P < 0.001). We demonstrate GZ17-6.02 as a highly effective plant extract combination and pave the way for future clinical application in HNSCC.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Apoptosis; Arum; Benzaldehydes; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cisplatin; Combined Modality Therapy; Curcuma; Curcumin; Dietary Supplements; ErbB Receptors; Harmine; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Mice; Mice, Nude; Molecular Docking Simulation; Peganum; Plant Extracts; Signal Transduction; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Despite advances in clinical management, 5-year survival rate in patients with late-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not improved significantly over the past decade. Targeted therapies have emerged as one of the most promising approaches to treat several malignancies. Though tyrosine phosphorylation accounts for a minority of total phosphorylation, it is critical for activation of signaling pathways and plays a significant role in driving cancers. To identify activated tyrosine kinase signaling pathways in HNSCC, we compared the phosphotyrosine profiles of a panel of HNSCC cell lines to a normal oral keratinocyte cell line. Dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) was one of the kinases hyperphosphorylated at Tyr-321 in all HNSCC cell lines. Inhibition of DYRK1A resulted in an increased apoptosis and decrease in invasion and colony formation ability of HNSCC cell lines. Further, administration of the small molecular inhibitor against DYRK1A in mice bearing HNSCC xenograft tumors induced regression of tumor growth. Immunohistochemical labeling of DYRK1A in primary tumor tissues using tissue microarrays revealed strong to moderate staining of DYRK1A in 97.5% (39/40) of HNSCC tissues analyzed. Taken together our results suggest that DYRK1A could be a novel therapeutic target in HNSCC.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; bcl-X Protein; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Caspase 9; Cell Line; Cell Movement; Dyrk Kinases; Female; Forkhead Box Protein O3; Harmine; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Mice; Mice, Nude; Phosphorylation; Phosphotyrosine; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering; Small Molecule Libraries; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tissue Array Analysis; Transplantation, Heterologous