Repurposing Artesunate to Combat Progression and Metastasis via Targeting Circulating Tumor Cells

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are key drivers of metastasis and therapy resistance.
• Artesunate (AS), an artemisinin derivative, exhibits anticancer properties, affecting markers like JUNB, PD-L1, and Vimentin (VIM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Artesunate (AS) against various cancer cell lines, including patient-derived CTCs.
• To assess AS's impact on CTC viability, aggressive phenotypes, and survival mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized TetherChip technology for AS effect evaluation.
• Employed MTT assay for cell viability, immunofluorescence staining, and the VyCAP platform for CTC characterization and quantification.

Main Results:

• AS significantly reduced cancer cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with higher efficacy than 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).
• In small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, AS decreased CTC counts, eliminated aggressive phenotypes, and increased apoptotic CTCs.
• AS impaired microtentacles, hindering CTC reattachment and invasiveness.

Conclusions:

• Artesunate (AS) effectively targets metastasis-competent and anoikis-resistant tumor cells.
• AS demonstrates potential as an anti-metastatic therapeutic agent.
• Further investigation of AS in precision oncology is warranted.