Evaluation of the antitumor effects of c-Myc-Max heterodimerization inhibitor 100258-F4 in ovarian cancer cells

J Transl Med. 2014 Aug 21:12:226. doi: 10.1186/s12967-014-0226-x.

Abstract

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the most lethal gynecological cancer due to its silent onset and recurrence with resistance to chemotherapy. Overexpression of oncogene c-Myc is one of the most frequently encountered events present in ovarian carcinoma. Disrupting the function of c-Myc and its downstream target genes is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Our objective was to evaluate the potential effects of small-molecule c-Myc inhibitor, 10058-F4, on ovarian carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanisms by which 10058-F4 exerts its actions. Using MTT assay, colony formation, flow cytometry and Annexin V FITC assays, we found that 10058-F4 significantly inhibited cell proliferation of both SKOV3 and Hey ovarian cancer cells in a dose dependent manner through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle G1 arrest. Treatment with 10058-F4 reduced cellular ATP production and ROS levels in SKOV3 and Hey cells. Consistently, primary cultures of ovarian cancer treated with 10058-F4 showed induction of caspase-3 activity and inhibition of cell proliferation in 15 of 18 cases. The response to 10058-F4 was independent the level of c-Myc protein over-expression in primary cultures of ovarian carcinoma. These novel findings suggest that the growth of ovarian cancer cells is dependent upon c-MYC activity and that targeting c-Myc-Max heterodimerization could be a potential therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Multimerization / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • Thiazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Tumor Stem Cell Assay

Substances

  • 5-(4-ethylbenzylidene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • MAX protein, human
  • MYC protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Thiazoles