Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 6500

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Violetta Katarzyna Krajka-Kuźniak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: inflammation; oxidative stress; cell signaling pathway; polyphenols; chemoprevention; cancer metabolism

Prof. Dr. Wanda Baer-Dubowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: chemical carcinogenesis; chemoprevention; epigenetics; new anti-cancer drugs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cell signaling pathways play critical roles in executing and controlling important pro-survival and pro-growth cellular processes and are therefore implicated in the onset of cancer and progression. Several signaling pathways have been identified as genetically altered in cancer, including the Nrf2-ARE pathways, which have been identified as genetically altered in cancer, the Nrf2-ARE pathway, p53-signaling pathway, RTK/RAS/MAP-kinase, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and Notch and Wnt signaling pathways. Therefore, targeting cancer cellular signaling pathways is considered an attractive therapeutic approach.

The development of the first efficient rationally designed anticancer drug, Glivec targeting tyrosine kinase, provided an argument that such an approach is feasible. Moreover, the existing crosstalk between the major signaling pathway and aberration in their activation mechanisms might be an additional therapeutic target.

We hope that this Special Issue will be a creative space for presenting the results of novel studies and ideas on remodeling cancer signaling pathways for treatment strategies.

Original research and review articles in this field are welcomed.

Dr. Violetta Katarzyna Krajka-Kuźniak
Prof. Dr. Wanda Baer-Dubowska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cell signaling and crosstalk (e.g., NF-kB, Nrf2, STAT, Wnt, Notch, MAPK, AKT)
protein kinases
cancer and therapeutic targets
anti-cancer drug resistance
modulation
anti-cancer compounds
inhibitors

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

16 pages, 2746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regulator of Ribosome Synthesis 1 (RRS1) Stabilizes GRP78 and Promotes Breast Cancer Progression

by Wenjing Sun, Junying Song, Qinglan Wu, Lin Deng, Tenglong Zhang, Li Zhang, Yanan Hua, Yi Cao and Lin Hou

Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051051 - 28 Feb 2024

Viewed by 568

Abstract

Regulator of ribosome synthesis 1 (RRS1), a crucial regulatory factor in ribosome biogenesis, exerts a remarkable impact on the progression of breast cancer (BC). However, the exact mechanisms and pathways have not yet been fully elucidated. To investigate the impact of RRS1 on BC growth and metastasis, along with its underlying mechanisms. We discovered that RRS1 is overexpressed in BC tissues and cell lines. This study aims to regulate the level of RRS1 through lentiviral transfection technology to explore its potential function in BC cells. Knockdown of RRS1 resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, whereas overexpression had the opposite effects. We firstly identified the interaction between RRS1 and Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 (GRP78) using Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) combined with mass spectrometry analysis, providing evidences of co-localization and positive regulation between RRS1 and GRP78. We observed that RRS1 inhibited the degradation of GRP78 through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, resulting in the stabilization of GRP78. In addition, our findings suggested that RRS1 promoted BC progression by activating the GRP78-mediated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. In conclusion, this newly discovered RRS1/GRP78 signaling axis provides a molecular and theoretical basis for further exploring the mechanisms of breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 5105 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Antiproliferative Activity of Adiantum pedatum Extract and/or Piceatannol in Phenylhydrazine-Induced Colon Cancer in Male Albino Rats: The miR-145 Expression of the PI-3K/Akt/p53 and Oct4/Sox2/Nanog Pathways

by Tarek Khamis, Abd Al-Aziz Abas Diab, Mansour H. Zahra, Samih Ebrahim El-Dahmy, Basant Ahmed Abd Al-Hameed, Adel Abdelkhalek, Mahmoud A. Said, Hussein Abdellatif, Liana Mihaela Fericean, Ioan Banatean-Dunea, Ahmed Hamed Arisha and Mai S. Attia

Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5543; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145543 - 20 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1484

Abstract

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. Despite advances in medical science, the treatment of colon cancer still poses a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Adiantum pedatum (AP) extract and/or piceatannol on colon cancer induced via phenylhydrazine (PHZ) in terms of the antioxidant and apoptotic pathways and histopathologic changes in the colons of male albino rats. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups: control, AP extract, piceatannol (P), PHZ, PHZ and AP treatments, PHZ and P treatments, PHZ and both AP and P, and PHZ and prophylaxis with both AP and P. The results demonstrated that PHZ induced oxidative damage, apoptosis, and histopathological changes compared to the control group. However, the administration of AP or P or AP + P as therapy or prophylaxis significantly ameliorated these changes and upregulated the colonic mir-145 and mRNA expression of P53 and PDCD-4 while downregulating the colonic mRNA expression of PI3K, AKT, c-Myc, CK-20, SOX-2, OCT-4, and NanoG compared to the PHZ group. These findings suggest that the candidate drugs may exert their anti-cancer effects through multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant and apoptotic activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2805 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cannabidiol and Its Combinations with Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Induce Apoptosis and Inhibit Activation of NF-κB Signaling in Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma

by Violetta Krajka-Kuźniak, Katarzyna Papierska, Maria Narożna, Anna Jelińska and Aleksandra Majchrzak-Celińska

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8779; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248779 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1616

Abstract

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is a rare malignancy with a relatively good prognosis. However, the prognosis remains poor for elderly patients and those with a significant depth of tumor invasion; thus, novel treatment modalities are needed. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of cannabidiol (CBD) and its combination with NSAIDs, diclofenac (DIC) and ibuprofen (IBU) on VSCC cells. In this regard, the MTT test was applied for cytotoxicity analysis. Moreover, the influence of CBD, DIC and IBU, as well as their combinations, on apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were analyzed by flow cytometry. The mechanisms of action of the analyzed compounds, including their impact on NF-κB signaling, p53 and COX-2 expression were evaluated using Western blot. This study shows that CBD and its combinations with NSAIDs are cytotoxic to A431 cells, but they also reduce, in a dose-dependent manner, the viability of immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells, and human umbilical vein cell line, EA.hy926. Moreover, the compounds and their combinations induced apoptosis, diminished the NF-κB signaling activation and reduced COX-2 expression. We conclude that CBD and its combination with DIC or IBU are promising candidates for the adjuvant treatment of high-risk VSCC patients. However, their impact on non-cancerous cells requires careful evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 3104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Resveratrol Analogues as Selective Estrogen Signaling Pathway Modulators: Structure–Activity Relationship

by Paulina Kobylka, Malgorzata Kucinska, Jacek Kujawski, Dawid Lazewski, Marcin Wierzchowski and Marek Murias

Molecules 2022, 27(20), 6973; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27206973 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2164

Abstract

Resveratrol is a plant-derived phytoalexin found in grapes, red wine and many other plants used in Asian folk medicine. It is extensively studied for pleiotropic biological activity. The most crucial are anticancer and chemopreventive properties. Resveratrol has also been reported to be an antioxidant and phytoestrogen. The phytoestrogenic activity of resveratrol was assayed in different in vitro and in vivo models. Although these works brought some, on the first look, conflicting results, it is commonly accepted that resveratrol interacts with estrogen receptors and functions as a mixed agonist/antagonist. It is widely accepted that the hydroxyl groups are crucial for resveratrol’s cytotoxic and antioxidative activity and are responsible for binding estrogen receptors. In this work, we assayed 11 resveratrol analogues, seven barring methoxy groups and six hydroxylated analogues in different combinations at positions 3, 4, 5 and 3′,4′,5′. For this purpose, recombined estrogen receptors and estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells were used. Our study was supported by in silico docking studies. We have shown that, resveratrol and 3,4,4′5′-tetrahydroxystilbene, 3,3′,4,5,5′-pentahydroxystilbene and 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexahydroxystilbene may act as selective estrogen receptor modulators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Targeting Cell Signaling Pathways in Anticancer Drug Design and Development

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI