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OBJECTIVE Long-term treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) represents an effective cure for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and discontinuation of TKI therapy is now proposed to patient with deep molecular responses. However,evidence demonstrating that TKI are unable to fully eradicate dormant leukemic stem cells (LSC) indicate that new therapeutic strategies are needed to control LSC and to prevent relapse. In this study we investigated the metabolic pathways responsible for CML surviving to imatinib exposure and its potential therapeutic utility to improve the efficacy of TKI against stem-like CML cells. METHODS Using complementary cell-based techniques,metabolism was characterized in a large panel of BCR-ABL+ cell lines as well as primary CD34+ stem-like cells from CML patients exposed to TKI and L-Asparaginases. Colony forming cell (CFC) assay and flow cytometry were used to identify CML progenitor and stem like-cells. Preclinical models of leukemia dormancy were used to test the effect of treatments. RESULTS Although TKI suppressed glycolysis,compensatory glutamine-dependent mitochondrial oxidation supported ATP synthesis and CML cell survival. Glutamine metabolism was inhibited by L-asparaginases such as Kidrolase or Erwinase without inducing predominant CML cell death. However,clinically relevant concentrations of TKI render CML cells susceptible to Kidrolase. The combination of TKI with Lasparaginase reactivates the intinsic apoptotic pathway leading to efficient CML cell death. CONCLUSION Targeting glutamine metabolism with the FDA-approved drug,Kidrolase in combination with TKI that suppress glycolysis represents an effective and widely applicable therapeutic strategy for eradicating stem-like CML cells. View Publication

Wine polyphenols were examined for their capacity to protect the lipid and protein moieties of porcine low density lipoproteins (LDL) during oxidation. The efficiency of resveratrol (3,4',5,trihydroxystilbene) and defined flavonoids was compared to that of a wine extract (WE) containing 0.5 g/g proanthocyanidols. The efficiency of resveratrol for protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was higher than that of flavonoids in copper-induced oxidation and lower in AAPH (radical initiator)-induced oxidation. The LDL receptor activity was evaluated by flow cytometry using LDL labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1). The incubation of CHO-K1 with FITC-LDL oxidized for 16 h reduced the proportion of fluorescent cells from 97% to 4%. At a concentration of 40 microM,resveratrol and flavonoids completely restored the uptake of copper-oxidized LDL and AAPH-oxidized LDL respectively. Total fluorescence could also be obtained with 20 mg/L of WE with both oxidation systems. These data are consistent with previous findings relative to the formation of degradative products from PUFA. They confirm that resveratrol was more effective than flavonoids as a chelator of copper and less effective as a free-radical scavenger. Moreover,they show that WE,which contained monomeric and oligomeric forms of flavonoids and phenolic acids,protected LDL by both mechanisms. View Publication

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Reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen oxide (RNOS) species are produced as by-products of oxidative metabolism. A major function for ROS and RNOS is immunological host defense. Recent evidence indicate that ROS and RNOS may also function as signaling molecules. However,high levels of ROS and RNOS have been considered to potentially damage cellular macromolecules and have been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various chronic diseases. alpha-Lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid exhibit direct free radical scavenging properties and as a redox couple,with a low redox potential of -0.32 V,is a strong reductant. Several studies provided evidence that alpha-lipoic acid supplementation decreases oxidative stress and restores reduced levels of other antioxidants in vivo. However,there is also evidence indicating that alpha-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid may exert prooxidant properties in vitro. alpha-Lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid were shown to promote the mitochondrial permeability transition in permeabilized hepatocytes and isolated rat liver mitochondria. Dihydrolipoic acid also stimulated superoxide anion production in rat liver mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. alpha-Lipoic acid was recently shown to stimulate glucose uptake into 3T3-L1 adipocytes by increasing intracellular oxidant levels and/or facilitating insulin receptor autophosphorylation presumably by oxidation of critical thiol groups present in the insulin receptor beta-subunit. Whether alpha-lipoic acid and/or dihydrolipoic acid-induced oxidative protein modifications contribute to their versatile effects observed in vivo warrants further investigation. View Publication

The antioxidant properties of butein,isolated from Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen,were investigated in this study. Butein inhibited iron-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenate in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50,3.3+/-0.4 microM. It was as potent as alpha-tocopherol in reducing the stable free radical diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with an IC0.200,9.2+/-1.8 microM. It also inhibited the activity of xanthine oxidase with an IC50,5.9+/-0.3 microM. Besides,butein scavenged the peroxyl radical derived from 2,2-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) in aqueous phase,but not that from 2,2-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN) in hexane. Furthermore,butein inhibited copper-catalyzed oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL),as measured by conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) formations,and electrophoretic mobility in a concentration-dependent manner. Spectral analysis revealed that butein was a chelator of ferrous and copper ions. It is proposed that butein serves as a powerful antioxidant against lipid and LDL peroxidation by its versatile free radical scavenging actions and metal ion chelation. View Publication

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain cancer,and despite treatment advances,patient prognosis remains poor. During routine animal studies,we serendipitously observed that fenbendazole,a benzimidazole antihelminthic used to treat pinworm infection,inhibited brain tumor engraftment. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments with benzimidazoles identified mebendazole as the more promising drug for GBM therapy. In GBM cell lines,mebendazole displayed cytotoxicity,with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 µM. Mebendazole disrupted microtubule formation in GBM cells,and in vitro activity was correlated with reduced tubulin polymerization. Subsequently,we showed that mebendazole significantly extended mean survival up to 63% in syngeneic and xenograft orthotopic mouse glioma models. Mebendazole has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for parasitic infections,has a long track-record of safe human use,and was effective in our animal models with doses documented as safe in humans. Our findings indicate that mebendazole is a possible novel anti-brain tumor therapeutic that could be further tested in clinical trials. View Publication

The immunosuppressive effects of microcolin A,a lipopeptide extracted from the marine blue green alga Lyngbya majuscula were investigated. Microcolin A suppressed concanavalin A (IC50 = 5.8 nM),phytohemagglutinin (IC50 = 12.5 nM) and lipopolysaccharide (IC50 = 8.0 nM) induced proliferation of murine splenocytes. Mixed lymphocyte reaction (IC50 = 5.0 nM),anti-IgM (mu-chain specific) (IC50 = 10.0 nM),and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus ionomycin (IC50 = 5.8 nM) stimulation of murine splenocytes were all similarly suppressed by microcolin A. The inhibitory activity of microcolin A was time-dependent and reversible and was not associated with a reduction in cell viability. Moreover,microcolin A not only inhibited IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression by concanavalin A activated splenocytes,but also suppressed in vitro antibody responsiveness to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. These results indicate that microcolin A is a potent immunosuppressive and antiproliferative agent. View Publication

BackgroundHIV-1-associated neurocognitive impairment (HIV-1-NCI) is marked by ongoing and chronic neuroinflammation with loss and decline in neuronal function even when antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) successfully suppresses viral replication. Microglia,the primary reservoirs of HIV-1 in the central nervous system (CNS),play a significant role in maintaining this neuroinflammatory state. However,understanding how chronic neuroinflammation is generated and sustained by HIV-1,or impacted by ART,is difficult due to limited access to human CNS tissue.MethodsWe generated an in vitro model of admixed hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) derived microglia embedded into embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived Brain Organoids (BO). Microglia were infected with HIV-1 prior to co-culture. Infected microglia were co-cultured with brain organoids BOs to infiltrate the BOs and establish a model for HIV-1 infection,“HIV-1 M-BO”. HIV-1 M-BOs were treated with ART for variable directions. HIV-1 infection was monitored with p24 ELISA and by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Inflammation was measured by cytokine or p-NF-kB levels using multiplex ELISA,flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.ResultsHIV-1 infected microglia could be co-cultured with BOs to create a model for “brain” HIV-1 infection. Although HIV-1 infected microglia were the initial source of pro-inflammatory cytokines,astrocytes,neurons and neural stem cells also had increased p-NF-kB levels,along with elevated CCL2 levels in the supernatant of HIV-1 M-BOs compared to Uninfected M-BOs. ART suppressed the virus to levels below the limit of detection but did not decrease neuroinflammation.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that HIV-1 infected microglia are pro-inflammatory. Although ART significantly suppressed HIV-1 levels,neuronal inflammation persisted in ART-treated HIV-1 M-BOs. Together,these findings indicate that HIV-1 infection of microglia infiltrated into BOs provides a robust in vitro model to understand the impact of HIV-1 and ART on neuroinflammation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-025-03375-w. View Publication

Timothy syndrome (TS) is a severe,multisystem disorder characterized by autism,epilepsy,long-QT syndrome and other neuropsychiatric conditions 1 . TS type 1 (TS1) is caused by a gain-of-function variant in the alternatively spliced and developmentally enriched CACNA1C exon 8A,as opposed to its counterpart exon 8. We previously uncovered several phenotypes in neurons derived from patients with TS1,including delayed channel inactivation,prolonged depolarization-induced calcium rise,impaired interneuron migration,activity-dependent dendrite retraction and an unanticipated persistent expression of exon 8A 2 – 6 . We reasoned that switching CACNA1C exon utilization from 8A to 8 would represent a potential therapeutic strategy. Here we developed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to effectively decrease the inclusion of exon 8A in human cells both in vitro and,following transplantation,in vivo. We discovered that the ASO-mediated switch from exon 8A to 8 robustly rescued defects in patient-derived cortical organoids and migration in forebrain assembloids. Leveraging a transplantation platform previously developed 7,we found that a single intrathecal ASO administration rescued calcium changes and in vivo dendrite retraction of patient neurons,suggesting that suppression of CACNA1C exon 8A expression is a potential treatment for TS1. Broadly,these experiments illustrate how a multilevel,in vivo and in vitro stem cell model-based approach can identify strategies to reverse disease-relevant neural pathophysiology. Subject terms: Autism spectrum disorders,Development of the nervous system View Publication

Sinefungin,a naturally occurring antifungal antibiotic nucleoside containing an ornithine residue,linked by a C-C bond to C-5' of adenosine,cures mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei,T. congolense,or T. vivax; the effect of the drug is more pronounced towards T. congolense. Anti-trypanosomal activity of sinefungin could be the result of the inhibition of transmethylation reactions or of polyamine biosynthesis--or both--in parasites. View Publication

The MAPK pathway is one of the most important pathways for novel anticancer drug development. We performed high-throughput screening for compounds that induce expression of p15INK4b,and identified JTP-74057 (GSK1120212),which is being evaluated in ongoing phase I,II and III clinical trials. We characterized its antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. JTP-74057 strongly inhibited MEK1/2 kinase activities,but did not inhibit another 98 kinase activities. Treatment by JTP-74057 resulted in growth inhibition accompanied with upregulation of p15INK4b and/or p27KIP1 in most of the colorectal cancer cell lines tested. Daily oral administration of JTP-74057 for 14 days suppressed tumor growth of HT-29 and COLO205 xenografts in nude mice. Notably,tumor regression was observed only in COLO205 xenografts,and COLO205 was much more sensitive to JTP-74057-induced apoptosis than HT-29 in vitro. Treatment with an Akt inhibitor enhanced the JTP-74057-induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells. Finally,JTP-74057 exhibited an additive or a synergistic effect in combination with the standard-of-care agents,5-fluorouracil,oxaliplatin or SN-38. JTP-74057,a highly specific and potent MEK1/2 inhibitor,exerts favorable antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Sensitivity to JTP-74057-induced apoptosis may be an important factor for the estimation of in vivo efficacy,and sensitivity was enhanced by an Akt inhibitor. These results suggest the usefulness of JTP-74057 in therapeutic applications for colorectal cancer patients. View Publication

In this study,we examined the effects of isoform-specific functional inhibitors of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT),which converts lysophosphatidic acid to phosphatidic acid,on multiple myeloma (MM) cell growth and survival. The LPAAT-beta inhibitors CT-32176,CT-32458,and CT-32615 induced textgreater95% growth inhibition (P textless 0.01) in MM.1S,U266,and RPMI8226 MM cell lines,as well as MM cells from patients (IC(50),50-200 nM). We further characterized this LPAAT-beta inhibitory effect using CT-32615,the most potent inhibitor of MM cell growth. CT-32615 triggered apoptosis in MM cells via caspase-8,caspase-3,caspase-7,and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Neither interleukin 6 nor insulin-like growth factor I inhibited CT-32615-induced apoptosis. Dexamethasone and immunomodulatory derivatives of thalidomide (IMiDs),but not proteasome inhibitor PS-341,augmented MM cell apoptosis triggered by LPAAT-beta inhibitors. CT-32615-induced apoptosis was associated with phosphorylation of p53 and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK); conversely,JNK inhibitor SP600125 and dominant-negative JNK inhibited CT-32615-induced apoptosis. Importantly,CT-32615 inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha-triggered nuclear factor-kappaB activation but did not affect either tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation or interleukin 6-triggered signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 phosphorylation. Finally,although binding of MM cells to bone marrow stromal cells augments MM cell growth and protects against dexamethasone-induced apoptosis,CT-32615 induced apoptosis even of adherent MM cells. Our data therefore demonstrate for the first time that inhibiting LPAAT-beta induces cytotoxicity in MM cells in the bone marrow milieu,providing the framework for clinical trials of these novel agents in MM. View Publication