Pharmacological targeting of caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer enhances complex II assembly and elimination of pancreatic cancer cells

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Extrinsic apoptotic network is driven by Death Ligand (DL)-mediated activation of procaspase-8. Recently, we have developed the first-in class small molecule, FLIPinB, which specifically targets the key regulator of extrinsic apoptosis, the protein c-FLIPL, in the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer. We have shown that FLIPinB enhances DL-induced caspase-8 activity and apoptosis. However, the effects of FLIPinB action in combination with other cell death inducers have only just begun to be elucidated. Here, we show that FLIPinB enhances the cell death in pancreatic cancer cells induced by combinatorial treatment with DL, gemcitabine and Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845. Further, we found that these effects are mediated via an increase in the complex II assembly. Collectively, our study shows that targeting the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer in combination with the other drugs in pancreatic cancer cells is a promising direction that may provide a basis for further therapeutic strategies.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number4
Number of pages18
JournalCommunications biology
Volume8
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jan 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC11698904
Scopus 85214033943
ORCID /0000-0001-6874-0548/work/204617746

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Humans, Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy, Caspase 8/metabolism, CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein/metabolism, Cell Line, Tumor, Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives, Apoptosis/drug effects, Gemcitabine, Protein Multimerization/drug effects, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/pharmacology, Pyrimidines, Thiophenes