Latest Publications

@article{kauerova_ring-substituted_2020,

title = {Ring-Substituted 1-Hydroxynaphthalene-2-Carboxanilides Inhibit Proliferation and Trigger Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis.},

author = {Tereza Kauerová and Tomáš Goněc and Josef Jampílek and Susanne Hafner and Ann-Kathrin Gaiser and Tatiana Syrovets and Radek Fedr and Karel Souček and Peter Kollar},

doi = {10.3390/ijms21103416},

issn = {1422-0067},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-05-01},

journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},

volume = {21},

number = {10},

abstract = {Ring-substituted 1-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides were previously investigated for their antimycobacterial properties. In our study, we have shown their antiproliferative and cell death-inducing effects in cancer cell lines. Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by WST-1 assay and a dye exclusion test, respectively. Cell cycle distribution, phosphatidylserine externalization, levels of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (RONS), mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and release of cytochrome c were estimated by flow cytometry. Levels of regulatory proteins were determined by Western blotting. Our data suggest that the ability to inhibit the proliferation of THP-1 or MCF-7 cells might be referred to meta- or para-substituted derivatives with electron-withdrawing groups -F, -Br, or -CF(3) at anilide moiety. This effect was accompanied by accumulation of cells in G1 phase. Compound 10 also induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells in association with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and production of mitochondrial superoxide. Our study provides a new insight into the action of salicylanilide derivatives, hydroxynaphthalene carboxamides, in cancer cells. Thus, their structure merits further investigation as a model moiety of new small-molecule compounds with potential anticancer properties.},

note = {Place: Switzerland},

keywords = {Anilides/chemistry/*pharmacology, Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry/pharmacology, antiproliferative effect, Apoptosis, Apoptosis/*drug effects, Cell Cycle, Cell Cycle/drug effects, Cell Proliferation/*drug effects, Cell Survival/drug effects, Humans, hydroxynaphthalene carboxamides, MCF-7 Cells, Membrane Potential, Mitochondria/*drug effects/metabolism, Mitochondrial/drug effects, Molecular Structure, Naphthols/*chemistry, Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism, salicylanilides, Salicylanilides/chemistry/pharmacology, Structure-Activity Relationship, Superoxides/metabolism, THP-1 Cells},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{boudny_novel_2019,

title = {Novel CHK1 inhibitor MU380 exhibits significant single-agent activity in TP53-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.},

author = {Miroslav Boudny and Jana Zemanova and Prashant Khirsariya and Marek Borsky and Jan Verner and Jana Cerna and Alexandra Oltova and Vaclav Seda and Marek Mraz and Josef Jaros and Zuzana Jaskova and Michaela Spunarova and Yvona Brychtova and Karel Soucek and Stanislav Drapela and Marie Kasparkova and Jiri Mayer and Kamil Paruch and Martin Trbusek},

doi = {10.3324/haematol.2018.203430},

issn = {1592-8721 0390-6078},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-12-01},

journal = {Haematologica},

volume = {104},

number = {12},

pages = {2443–2455},

abstract = {Introduction of small-molecule inhibitors of B-cell receptor signaling and BCL2 protein significantly improves therapeutic options in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, some patients suffer from adverse effects mandating treatment discontinuation, and cases with TP53 defects more frequently experience early progression of the disease. Development of alternative therapeutic approaches is, therefore, of critical importance. Here we report details of the anti-chronic lymphocytic leukemia single-agent activity of MU380, our recently identified potent, selective, and metabolically robust inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1. We also describe a newly developed enantioselective synthesis of MU380, which allows preparation of gram quantities of the substance. Checkpoint kinase 1 is a master regulator of replication operating primarily in intra-S and G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoints. Initially tested in leukemia and lymphoma cell lines, MU380 significantly potentiated efficacy of gemcitabine, a clinically used inducer of replication stress. Moreover, MU380 manifested substantial single-agent activity in both TP53-wild type and TP53-mutated leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia-derived cell lines MEC-1, MEC-2 (both TP53-mut), and OSU-CLL (TP53-wt) the inhibitor impaired cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis. In primary clinical samples, MU380 used as a single-agent noticeably reduced the viability of unstimulated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells as well as those induced to proliferate by anti-CD40/IL-4 stimuli. In both cases, effects were comparable in samples harboring p53 pathway dysfunction (TP53 mutations or ATM mutations) and TP53-wt/ATM-wt cells. Lastly, MU380 also exhibited significant in vivo activity in a xenotransplant mouse model (immunodeficient strain NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) ) where it efficiently suppressed growth of subcutaneous tumors generated from MEC-1 cells.},

note = {Place: Italy},

keywords = {*Drug Synergism, *Mutation, Animals, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/pharmacology, Apoptosis, B-Cell/*drug therapy/genetics/pathology, Biomarkers, Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation, Checkpoint Kinase 1/*antagonists & inhibitors, Chronic, Cultured, Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology, Drug resistance, Female, gemcitabine, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Inbred NOD, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Mice, Neoplasm/drug effects, Neoplastic/*drug effects, Piperidines/*pharmacology, Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology, Pyrazoles/*pharmacology, Pyrimidines/*pharmacology, SCID, Tumor Cells, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/*genetics, Tumor/genetics, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{steinmetz_oncogene_2014,

title = {The oncogene EVI1 enhances transcriptional and biological responses of human myeloid cells to all-trans retinoic acid.},

author = {Birgit Steinmetz and Hubert Hackl and Eva Slabáková and Ilse Schwarzinger and Monika Smějová and Andreas Spittler and Itziar Arbesu and Medhat Shehata and Karel Souček and Rotraud Wieser},

doi = {10.4161/15384101.2014.946869},

issn = {1551-4005 1538-4101},

year  = {2014},

date = {2014-01-01},

journal = {Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)},

volume = {13},

number = {18},

pages = {2931–2943},

abstract = {The product of the ecotropic virus integration site 1 (EVI1) gene, whose overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in myeloid leukemias and some epithelial tumors, regulates gene transcription both through direct DNA binding and through modulation of the activity of other sequence specific transcription factors. Previous results from our laboratory have shown that EVI1 influenced transcription regulation in response to the myeloid differentiation inducing agent, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), in a dual manner: it enhanced ATRA induced transcription of the RARβ gene, but repressed the ATRA induction of the EVI1 gene itself. In the present study, we asked whether EVI1 would modulate the ATRA regulation of a larger number of genes, as well as biological responses to this agent, in human myeloid cells. U937 and HL-60 cells ectopically expressing EVI1 through retroviral transduction were subjected to microarray based gene expression analysis, and to assays measuring cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. These experiments showed that EVI1 modulated the ATRA response of several dozens of genes, and in fact reinforced it in the vast majority of cases. A particularly strong synergy between EVI1 and ATRA was observed for GDF15, which codes for a member of the TGF-β superfamily of cytokines. In line with the gene expression results, EVI1 enhanced cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis in response to ATRA, and knockdown of GDF15 counteracted some of these effects. The potential clinical implications of these findings are discussed.},

note = {Place: United States},

keywords = {*Oncogenes, acute myeloid leukemia, acute promyelocytic leukemia, all-trans retinoic acid, AML, APL, Apoptosis, Apoptosis/drug effects, Ar, ATRA, ATRA regulation, Cell Cycle, Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects, Cell Differentiation/drug effects, dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO, DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/*metabolism, Down-Regulation/drug effects, Em, Epithelial Cells/drug effects/metabolism, Er, EVI1, EVI1 modulation, EVI1 regulation, false discovery rate, FBS, FC, FDR, fetal bovine serum, fold change, GDF15, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Knockdown Techniques, Genetic/*drug effects, GFP, green fluorescent protein, Growth Differentiation Factor 15/genetics/metabolism, HL-60 Cells, Humans, mcoEvi1, MDS, MDS1 and EVI1 Complex Locus Protein, murine codon optimized Evi1, myelodysplastic syndrome, Myeloid Cells/drug effects/*metabolism, myeloid differentiation, penicillin streptomycin glutamine, Proto-Oncogenes/genetics, PSG, RAR, RARE, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Reproducibility of Results, retinoic acid receptor, retinoic acid response element, SE, standard error, Transcription, Transcription Factors/genetics/*metabolism, Tretinoin/*pharmacology},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{stika_mk-886_2006,

title = {MK-886 enhances tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced differentiation and apoptosis.},

author = {Jirí Stika and Jan Vondrácek and Jirina Hofmanová and Vladimír Simek and Alois Kozubík},

doi = {10.1016/j.canlet.2005.06.012},

issn = {0304-3835},

year  = {2006},

date = {2006-06-01},

journal = {Cancer letters},

volume = {237},

number = {2},

pages = {263–271},

abstract = {We investigated the role of the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced differentiation of human leukemic HL-60 cells using MK-886, an inhibitor of 5-LOX activating protein. MK-886 augmented cell cycle arrest and differentiation induced by TNF-alpha; however, both effects were probably 5-LOX-independent, because a general LOX inhibitor, NDGA, had no effect. Apoptosis was significantly elevated after combined TNF-alpha and MK-886 treatment, which could be partially associated with changes of Mcl-1 protein expression. NF-kappaB signalling or activation of JNKs were not modulated by MK-886. Thus, in addition to apoptosis, MK-886 can enhance TNF-alpha-induced differentiation.},

note = {Place: Ireland},

keywords = {*Apoptosis, Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase/metabolism, Cell Cycle, Cell Differentiation, Cell Line, Cell Survival, HL-60 Cells, Humans, Indoles/*pharmacology, Lipoxygenase Inhibitors/*pharmacology, Signal Transduction, Time Factors, Tumor, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*metabolism},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nemajerova_trichostatin_2003,

title = {Trichostatin A suppresses transformation by the v-myb oncogene in BM2 cells.},

author = {Alice Nemajerová and Jan Smarda and Pierre Jurdic and Lukás Kubala and Karel Soucek and Jana Smardová},

doi = {10.1089/152581603321628368},

issn = {1525-8165},

year  = {2003},

date = {2003-04-01},

journal = {Journal of hematotherapy & stem cell research},

volume = {12},

number = {2},

pages = {225–235},

abstract = {BM2 cells are chicken monoblasts transformed by the v-myb oncogene of avian myeloblastosis virus. The constitutively high v-myb expression interferes with the terminal differentiation of BM2 cells, but these cells can be induced to differentiate into macrophage-like cells by phorbol esters. Histone acetylation plays an important role in regulation of transcription and is particularly relevant to the regulation and pathology of hematopoiesis. In the present study, we examined the contribution of elevated histone acetylation to the differentiation of BM2 cells. Inhibition of the activity of endogenous histone deacetylases by trichostatin A (TSA) resulted in histone hyperacetylation causing cell cycle arrest and differentiation of BM2 cells into macrophage polykaryons. TSA did not affect the level of v-Myb protein in BM2 cells, but it downregulated its transcription activation capability. This suggests that chromatin remodeling can be significantly engaged in regulation of proliferation and differentiation of leukemic cells.},

note = {Place: United States},

keywords = {Acetylation, Animals, Cell Cycle, Cell Differentiation, Cell Line, Cell Transformation, Chickens, Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/physiology, Genes, Histone Deacetylases/drug effects, Histones/metabolism/physiology, Hydroxamic Acids/*pharmacology, Macrophages/cytology, myb/drug effects/*physiology, Transformed, Viral/*drug effects},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}