PPARα activation can help prevent and treat non-small cell lung cancer
Nataliya Skrypnyk1, Xiwu Chen, Wen Hu
1Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Cancer Biology, and Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University; Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee; and Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Abstract:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not amenable to surgical resection has a high mortality rate, due to the ineffectiveness and toxicity of chemotherapy. Thus, there remains an urgent need of efficacious drugs that can combat this disease. In this study, we show that targeting the formation of proangiogenic epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EET) by the cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases (Cyp2c) represents a new and safe mechanism to treat NSCLC growth and progression. In the transgenic murine K-Ras model and human orthotopic models of NSCLC, we found that Cyp2c44 could be downregulated by activating the transcription factor PPARα with the ligands bezafibrate and Wyeth-14,643. Notably, both treatments reduced primary and metastatic NSCLC growth, tumor angiogenesis, endothelial Cyp2c44 expression, and circulating EET levels. These beneficial effects were independent of the time of administration, whether before or after the onset of primary NSCLC, and they persisted after drug withdrawal, suggesting the benefits were durable. Our findings suggest that strategies to downregulate Cyp2c expression and/or its enzymatic activity may provide a safer and effective strategy to treat NSCLC. Moreover, as bezafibrate is a well-tolerated clinically approved drug used for managing lipidemia, our findings provide an immediate cue for clinical studies to evaluate the utility of PPARα ligands as safe agents for the treatment of lung cancer in humans.
Insights
Targeting epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) formation via cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases (Cyp2c) offers a novel treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Activating PPARα with bezafibrate safely reduced NSCLC growth and angiogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) poses a significant mortality risk, particularly when inoperable, due to limitations in current chemotherapy.
- There is a critical need for novel, effective, and safe therapeutic strategies against NSCLC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate targeting the synthesis of proangiogenic epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) by cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases (Cyp2c) as a therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.
- To evaluate the efficacy of activating the transcription factor PPARα using ligands like bezafibrate and Wyeth-14,643 in preclinical NSCLC models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized transgenic murine K-Ras and human orthotopic models of NSCLC.
- Administered PPARα activators (bezafibrate, Wyeth-14,643) to downregulate Cyp2c44 expression.
- Assessed primary and metastatic tumor growth, angiogenesis, endothelial Cyp2c44 expression, and circulating EET levels.
Main Results:
- PPARα activation by bezafibrate and Wyeth-14,643 effectively downregulated Cyp2c44.
- Treatments significantly reduced primary and metastatic NSCLC growth and tumor angiogenesis.
- Beneficial effects on tumor growth and angiogenesis were durable, persisting after drug withdrawal and independent of treatment timing.
Conclusions:
- Downregulating Cyp2c expression or activity presents a promising, safe, and effective therapeutic avenue for NSCLC.
- Bezafibrate, a clinically approved drug for lipidemia, offers a potential agent for clinical trials in human lung cancer treatment due to its safety and efficacy profile.
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