(-)-Liriopein B Suppresses Breast Cancer Progression via Inhibition of Multiple Kinases

Chem Res Toxicol. 2015 May 18;28(5):897-906. doi: 10.1021/tx500518j. Epub 2015 Apr 21.

Abstract

Numerous breast cancer patients who achieve an initial response to HER-targeted therapy rapidly develop resistance within one year, leading to treatment failure. Observations from clinical samples indicate that such resistance correlates with an increase in Src, EGFR, and PI3K/Akt activities and a decrease in PTEN activity. Furthermore, Akt survival signaling activation is also found in tumors treated by toxic chemotherapeutic agents. Because cotreatment with a PI3K inhibitor is a promising strategy to delay acquired resistance by preventing secondary gene activation, we therefore investigated the effects of a newly identified compound, (-)-Liriopein B (LB), on PI3K/Akt signaling activity in breast cancer cells. Our results showed that nontoxic doses of LB are able to inhibit AKT activation in both luminal-like MCF-7 and basal-like MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Low doses of LB also inhibited cell migration, invasion, and cancer-stem cell sphere formation. Suppression of EGF-induced EGFR and ERK1/2 activation by LB might contribute in part to retardation of cancer progression. Furthermore, LB increases sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to gefitinib in vitro, suggesting that EGFR may not be the only target of LB. Finally, a small scale in vitro kinase assay screen demonstrated that LB has a potent inhibitory effect on multiple kinases, including PI3K, Src, EGFR, Tie2, lck, lyn, RTK5, FGFR1, Abl, and Flt. In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time that the compound LB improves tumor therapeutic efficacy and suggests LB as a promising candidate for studying new leads in the development of kinase inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Breast / drug effects*
  • Breast / metabolism
  • Breast / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liriope Plant / chemistry
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / drug effects
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / isolation & purification
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Plant Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • liriopein B, Liriope platyphylla
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt