1.Antiproliferative Activity of Piceamycin by Regulating Alpha-Actinin-4 in Gemcitabine-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Jee-Hyung LEE ; Jin Ho CHOI ; Kyung-Min LEE ; Min Woo LEE ; Ja-Lok KU ; Dong-Chan OH ; Yern-Hyerk SHIN ; Dae Hyun KIM ; In Rae CHO ; Woo Hyun PAIK ; Ji Kon RYU ; Yong-Tae KIM ; Sang Hyub LEE ; Sang Kook LEE
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2024;32(1):123-135
Although gemcitabine-based regimens are widely used as an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, acquired resistance to gemcitabine has become an increasingly common problem. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy to treat gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer is urgently required. Piceamycin has been reported to exhibit antiproliferative activity against various cancer cells; however, its underlying molecular mechanism for anticancer activity in pancreatic cancer cells remains unexplored. Therefore, the present study evaluated the antiproliferation activity of piceamycin in a gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line and patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoids. Piceamycin effectively inhibited the proliferation and suppressed the expression of alpha-actinin-4, a gene that plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis and metastasis of various cancers, in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Long-term exposure to piceamycin induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and caused apoptosis. Piceamycin alsoinhibited the invasion and migration of gemcitabine-resistant cells by modulating focal adhesion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers. Moreover, the combination of piceamycin and gemcitabine exhibited a synergistic antiproliferative activity in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Piceamycin also effectively inhibited patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoid growth and induced apoptosis in the organoids. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that piceamycin may be an effective agent for overcoming gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer.