Explore the vast range of titles available.

To determine whether methionine restriction using recombinant methioninase (rMETase) enhances the efficacy of ultra-low-dose cisplatinum against lung cancer cells , and whether combining a methionine-restricted (MR) diet with low-dose cisplatinum can inhibit lung cancer growth with reduced toxicity. Human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells were treated with rMETase and cisplatinum . Cell viability was assessed after 72 hours using the WST-8 reagent. The IC value of rMETase was determined, and synergy was evaluated by combining rMETase at its IC with cisplatinum at its determined IC -IC . For analysis, A549 xenografts were established in nude mice and assigned to four groups: control: standard-dose cisplatinum [6 mg/kg, intraperitoneally ( ), weekly]; low-dose cisplatinum (3 mg/kg, , weekly) + a methionine-restricted (MR) diet; or the MR diet alone. Treatments were administered for two weeks, with tumor size and body weight were monitored. For A549 lung-cancer cells the IC value of rMETase was 0.64 U/ml. Combination treatment with rMETase (IC ) and cisplatinum (IC -IC ) synergistically reduced cell viability compared with either agent alone, even at the IC of cisplatinum. , A549 tumor eradication was observed only in the low-dose cisplatinum + MR diet group. Standard-dose cisplatinum alone and MR-alone showed delayed or limited efficacy. Body-weight loss was minimal in the low-dose cisplatinum + MR group compared with the standard-dose cisplatinum group, indicating reduced systemic toxicity. Methionine restriction enhances the efficacy of ultra-low-dose cisplatinum on lung cancer cells . Low-dose cisplatinum in combination with an MR diet prevented lung-cancer growth in nude mice. The present approach of cancer therapy may help reduce platinum-related toxicity and improve treatment outcomes, suggesting further investigation for clinical translation.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a recalcitrant neoplasm with low chemosensitivity. We recently reported that recombinant methioninase (rMETase) inhibited SS growth in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse model and was more effective when administered in combination with the first-line drug doxorubicin (DOX). Caffeine enhances the efficacy of anticancer drugs by overcoming drug-induced cell-cycle arrest and increasing subsequent apoptosis. Here, we determined the efficacy of oral recombinant methioninase (o-rMETase) in combined with caffeine on an SS-PDOX model. Mice bearing SS-PDOX tumors were randomized into four treatment groups of six: Untreated control; o-rMETase alone; o-rMETase with caffeine; DOX plus o-rMETase with caffeine. Tumor size and body weight were measured during the treatment and plasma L-methionine (MET) levels were measured at the end of treatment. All treatments significantly inhibited SS-PDOX tumor growth. Combining caffeine with o-rMETase was more effective than o-rMETase alone. DOX combined with o-rMETase and caffeine led to regression of SS-PDOX. Plasma MET levels were reduced with o-rMETase treatment. These results suggest that combining o-rMETase and caffeine along with first-line chemotherapy can be highly effective for SS and has clinical potential for this recalcitrant disease.

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent malignant bone tumor. Failure of first-line therapy results in poor prognosis of osteosarcoma. In the present report, we examined the efficacy of the combination of oral recombinant methioninase (o-rMETase) and docetaxel (DOC) on an osteosarcoma patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse model. Osteosarcoma-PDOX models were established by tumor insertion within the tibia of nude mice. The osteosarcoma PDOX models were randomized into four groups (4-5 mice per group): control; o-rMETae alone; DOC alone; o- rMETase combined with DOC. The treatment period was 3 weeks. The combination of o-rMETase and DOC showed significant efficacy compared to the control group (p=0.03). In contrast, there was no significant efficacy of o-rMETase alone or DOC alone (p=0.65, 0.60, respectively). o-rMETase converted an osteosarcoma PDOX from DOC-resistant to -sensitive. This combination therapy may be effective against recalcitrant osteosarcoma and other recalcitrant cancers.

Methionine addiction is a general and fundamental hallmark of cancer due to the excess use of methionine for transmethylation reactions, termed the \"Hoffman Effect\". Methionine addiction has been shown to be a highly-effective target for cancer therapy by methionine restriction with oral recombinant methioninase (o-rMETase) in preclinical studies, including patient- derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse models of cancer. A clinical study of o-rMETase as a supplement showed a 70% reduction of PSA levels in a patient with bone-metastatic prostate cancer. In the present study, two advanced prostate-cancer patients took o-rMETase as a supplement for approximately one month. One of the patients taking o-rMETase showed a 38% reduction of PSA levels and the second patient showed a 20% PSA reduction. o-rMETase shows promise for treating patients with advanced prostate cancer.

An excessive requirement for methionine (MET), termed MET dependence, appears to be a general metabolic defect in cancer and has been shown to be a very effective therapeutic target. MET restriction (MR) has inhibited the growth of all major cancer types by selectively arresting cancer cells in the late-S/G2 phase, when they also become highly sensitive to cytotoxic agents. Recombinant methioninase (rMETase) has been developed to effect MR. The present review describes the efficacy of rMETase on patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models of recalcitrant cancer, including the surprising result that rMETase administrated orally can be highly effective.

Background/Aim: Methionine restriction selectively arrests cancer cells during the S-phase of the cell cycle. We hypothesized that DNA damage may occur in S-phase in cancer cells during methionine restriction. To determine if this occurs, we used MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) pancreatic cancer cells, which report GFP fluorescence in real time after DNA-damage response (DDR) in these cells. We also determined whether a chemotherapy drug in combination with methionine restriction increases the rate of DNA damage. Materials and Methods: MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells were used for in vitro experiments. The 25% and 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC25 and IC50, respectively) of recombinant methioninase (rMETase) and paclitaxel on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP pancreatic cancer cells were determined. Cell viability and DDR with rMETase alone, paclitaxel alone, and their combination were measured in MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells. Results: The IC25 of rMETase on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells was 1.66 U/ml. The IC25 for paclitaxel on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells was 3.31 nM. The combination of rMETase and paclitaxel synergistically reduced the viability of MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells. The IC50 of paclitacel on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells was 5.1 nM. The IC50 of rMETase on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells was 2.3 U/ml. The combination of rMETase (IC50) plus paclitaxel (IC50) on MiaPaCa-2Tet-On 53BP1-GFP cells also caused more DNA damage than either agent alone. Conclusion: The present study suggests the synergy of methionine restriction and chemotherapy is due, at least in part, to DNA damage of cancer cells.

Erymet is a new therapy resulting from the encapsulation of a methionine gamma‐lyase (MGL; EC number 4.4.1.11) in red blood cells (RBC). The aim of this study was to evaluate erymet potential efficacy in methionine (Met)‐dependent cancers. We produced a highly purified MGL using a cGMP process, determined the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) properties of erymet in mice, and assessed its efficacy on tumor growth prevention. Cytotoxicity of purified MGL was tested in six cancer cell lines. CD1 mice were injected with single erymet product supplemented or not with vitamin B6 vitamer pyridoxine (PN; a precursor of PLP cofactor). NMRI nude mice were xenografted in the flank with U‐87 MG‐luc2 glioblastoma cells for tumor growth study following five intravenous (IV) injections of erymet with daily PN oral administration. Endpoints included efficacy and event‐free survival (EFS). Finally, a repeated dose toxicity study of erymet combined with PN cofactor was conducted in CD1 mice. Recombinant MGL was cytotoxic on 4/6 cell lines tested. MGL half‐life was increased from <24 h to 9–12 days when encapsulated in RBC. Conversion of PN into PLP by RBC was demonstrated. Combined erymet + PN treatment led to a sustained Met depletion in plasma for several days with a 85% reduction of tumor volume after 45 days following cells implantation, and a significant EFS prolongation for treated mice. Repeated injections in mice exhibited a very good tolerability with only minor impact on clinical state (piloerection, lean aspect) and a slight decrease in hemoglobin and triglyceride concentrations. This study demonstrated that encapsulation of methioninase inside erythrocyte greatly enhanced pharmacokinetics properties of the enzyme and is efficacy against tumor growth. The perspective on these results is the clinical evaluation of the erymet product in patients with Met starvation‐sensitive tumors. Methionine (Met) dependence is a cancer‐specific metabolic defect that is emerging as a target. Methionine gamma‐lyase (MGL), a bacterial Met‐catabolizing enzyme, is a promising strategy for treatment of Met‐dependent cancers despite short‐term Met depletion in vivo. In this study, the authors demonstrated that encapsulation of MGL in erythrocytes strongly improved enzyme half‐life and contributed to provide active cofactor, which overcame MGL pharmacodynamic limitations and resulted in an efficient tumor regression in a xenograft mouse model.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a world-wide crisis without an effective therapy. While most approaches to therapy are using repurposed drugs that were developed for other diseases, it is thought that targeting the biology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, can result in an effective therapeutic treatment. The coronavirus RNA cap structure is methylated by two viral methyltransferases that transfer methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The proper methylation of the virus depends on the level of methionine in the host to form SAM. Herein, we propose to restrict methionine availability by treating the patient with oral recombinant methioninase, aiming to treat Covid-19. By restricting methionine we not only interdict viral replication, which depends on the viral RNA cap methyaltion, but also inhibit the proliferation of the infected cells, which have an increased requirement for methionine. Most importantly, the virally-induced T-cell- and macrophage-mediated cytokine storm, which seems to be a significant cause for Covid-19 deaths, can also be inhibited by restricting methionine, since T-cell and macrophrage activation greatly increases the methionine requirement for these cells. The evidence reviewed here suggests that oral recombinant methioninase could be a promising treatment for coronavirus patients.

PEG–PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) modified with anti-CD133 and tumor-targeting single-chain antibody fragment (scFV–NPs) for systemic delivery of methioninase (METase) and pemetrexed for gastric carcinoma were successfully formulated. The structure characterization and biological functions of METase-pemetrexed-loaded scFV–PEG–PLGA NPs (scFV–METase/pemetrexed–NPs) in vitro were investigated. Functional scFV–PEG–PLGA NPs or PEG–PLGA NPs present low cell cytoxicity in CD133+ SGC7901 cells. scFV–METase/pemetrexed–NPs (scFv–M/P–NP) was more effective in inhibiting tumor growth (including cell growth and migration ability) in CD133 positive expressed gastric cancer cells than METase/pemetrexed-NPs (M/P–NP). Moreover, METase enhanced the inhibitory effect of pemetrexed on thymidylate synthase (TS) synthesis and cell apoptosis. We have demonstrated the application of scFV-targeted PEG–PLGA NPs as a new potential strategy to enhance treatment benefits for gastric carcinoma.

We have recently shown that oral recombinant methionase (o-rMETase) prevents obesity and diabetes onset in mice on a high-fat (HF) diet. The present study aimed to determine if o-rMETase can inhibit the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) onset in mice on a high-fat diet. Male C57BL/6J mice in the control group were fed a normal-fat diet (NFD) (+6.5% fat), and other mice were fed a high-fat (HF) diet (+34.3% fat). Then, the mice on the HF diet were divided into two dietary groups: i) HF+phosphate buffered saline (PBS) group, and ii) HF+o-rMETase group. The fatty change score in the livers of mice treated with HF+PBS increased to an average of 2.6 during the experimental period of 8 weeks. In contrast, the fatty change in the livers of mice on the HF+o-rMETase group had an average score of 0.92 (p=0.04, HF+PBS vs HF+o-rMETase). o-rMETase inhibited the onset of NAFLD as well as prevented obesity and the onset of diabetes on a high-fat diet, offering a possibility of a new paradigm to prevent liver cirrhosis or liver cancer via NAFLD.