Aminated Fullerene Abrogates Cancer Cell Migration by Directly Targeting Myosin Heavy Chain 9

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Cancer Biology
• Molecular Therapeutics

Background:

• Functional fullerene derivatives show promise in inhibiting cancer survival and metastasis.
• Lack of identified molecular targets and regulatory mechanisms hinders clinical translation of fullerenes.
• Cancer metastasis, driven by cell migration, presents a critical therapeutic target.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a molecular target for the aminated fullerene derivative (C70-EDA).
• To elucidate the mechanism by which C70-EDA inhibits cancer metastasis.
• To explore fullerene derivatives as potential antineoplastic agents.

Main Methods:

• Pull-down assay and mass spectrometry (MS) screening to identify molecular targets.
• Analysis of omics data from large-scale clinical samples.
• Investigation of C70-EDA binding to myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) and its downstream effects.

Main Results:

• Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) identified as a direct molecular target of C70-EDA.
• MYH9 is overexpressed in various cancers and correlates with poor prognosis.
• C70-EDA binding to MYH9 inhibits cell motility and metastasis-associated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Conclusions:

• MYH9 is a validated antineoplastic target for fullerene-based cancer therapy.
• C70-EDA effectively inhibits cancer cell migration and metastasis by modulating MYH9.
• This study provides a precise molecular target and novel strategies for fullerene applications in oncology.