Novel drug candidates for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer through global inverse gene-expression profiling

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Vera Van Noort - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, KU Leuven (Author)
  • Sebastian Schölch - , Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Murat Iskar - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg (Author)
  • Georg Zeller - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg (Author)
  • Kristina Ostertag - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Christine Schweitzer - , Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Kristin Werner - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Jürgen Weitz - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Moritz Koch - , Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Peer Bork - , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) (Author)

Abstract

Drug-induced gene-expression profiles that invert disease profiles have recently been illustrated to be a starting point for drug repositioning. In this study, we validate this approach and focus on prediction of novel drugs for colorectal cancer, for which there is a pressing need to find novel antimetastatic compounds. We computationally predicted three novel and still unknown compounds against colorectal cancer: citalopram (an antidepressant), troglitazone (an antidiabetic), and enilconazole (a fungicide). We verified the compounds by in vitro assays of clonogenic survival, proliferation, and migration and in a subcutaneous mouse model. We found evidence that the mode of action of these compounds may be through inhibition of TGFβ signaling. Furthermore, one compound, citalopram, reduced tumor size as well as the number of circulating tumor cells and metastases in an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer. This study proposes citalopram as a potential therapeutic option for patients with colorectal cancer, illustrating the potential of systems pharmacology.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5690-5699
Number of pages10
JournalCancer research
Volume74
Issue number20
Publication statusPublished - 15 Oct 2014
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 25038229

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas