Targeting pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma with polyamine inhibitors

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Sudhir Kumar Rai - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Fernando Bril - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Heather M. Hatch - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Yiling Xu - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Laura Shelton - , Human Metabolome Technologies, Inc. (Author)
  • Srilaxmi Kalavalapalli - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Arielle Click - , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Author)
  • Douglas Lee - , Omic Insight, Inc. (Author)
  • Chris Beecher - , IROA Technologies (Author)
  • Austin Kirby - , University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (Author)
  • Kimi Kong - , University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (Author)
  • Jose Trevino - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Abhishek Jha - , Elucidata Corporation (Author)
  • Shashank Jatav - , Elucidata Corporation (Author)
  • Kriti Kriti - , Elucidata Corporation (Author)
  • Soumya Luthra - , Elucidata Corporation (Author)
  • Timothy J. Garrett - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Joy Guingab-Cagmat - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Daniel Plant - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Prodip Bose - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Kenneth Cusi - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Robert A. Hromas - , University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (Author)
  • Arthur S. Tischler - , Tufts University (Author)
  • James F. Powers - , Tufts University (Author)
  • Priyanka Gupta - , University of Alabama at Birmingham (Author)
  • James Bibb - , University of Alabama at Birmingham (Author)
  • Felix Beuschlein - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Mercedes Robledo - , Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Author)
  • Bruna Calsina - , Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Author)
  • Henri Timmers - , Radboud University Nijmegen (Author)
  • David Taieb - , Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille (Author)
  • Matthias Kroiss - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Susan Richter - , Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (Author)
  • Katharina Langton - , Department of Internal Medicine III, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Graeme Eisenhofer - , Department of Internal Medicine III (Author)
  • Raymond Bergeron - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Karel Pacak - , National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Author)
  • Sergei G. Tevosian - , University of Florida (Author)
  • Hans K. Ghayee - , University of Florida (Author)

Abstract

Background: Pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas (PGLs) are neuroendocrine tumors that are mostly benign. Metastatic disease does occur in about 10% of cases of PCC and up to 25% of PGL, and for these patients no effective therapies are available. Patients with mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) gene tend to have metastatic disease. We hypothesized that a down-regulation in the active succinate dehydrogenase B subunit should result in notable changes in cellular metabolic profile and could present a vulnerability point for successful pharmacological targeting. Methods: Metabolomic analysis was performed on human hPheo1 cells and shRNA SDHB knockdown hPheo1 (hPheo1 SDHB KD) cells. Additional analysis of 115 human fresh frozen samples was conducted. In vitro studies using N1,N11-diethylnorspermine (DENSPM) and N1,N12- diethylspermine (DESPM) treatments were carried out. DENSPM efficacy was assessed in human cell line derived mouse xenografts. Results: Components of the polyamine pathway were elevated in hPheo1 SDHB KD cells compared to wild-type cells. A similar observation was noted in SDHx PCC/PGLs tissues compared to their non-mutated counterparts. Specifically, spermidine, and spermine were significantly elevated in SDHx-mutated PCC/PGLs, with a similar trend in hPheo1 SDHB KD cells. Polyamine pathway inhibitors DENSPM and DESPM effectively inhibited growth of hPheo1 cells in vitro as well in mouse xenografts. Conclusions: This study demonstrates overactive polyamine pathway in PCC/PGL with SDHB mutations. Treatment with polyamine pathway inhibitors significantly inhibited hPheo1 cell growth and led to growth suppression in xenograft mice treated with DENSPM. These studies strongly implicate the polyamine pathway in PCC/PGL pathophysiology and provide new foundation for exploring the role for polyamine analogue inhibitors in treating metastatic PCC/PGL. Précis: Cell line metabolomics on hPheo1 cells and PCC/PGL tumor tissue indicate that the polyamine pathway is activated. Polyamine inhibitors in vitro and in vivo demonstrate that polyamine inhibitors are promising for malignant PCC/PGL treatment. However, further research is warranted.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number154297
JournalMetabolism: Clinical and Experimental
Volume110
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 32562798
ORCID /0000-0002-3549-2477/work/142244901

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • DENSPM, DESPM, Paraganglioma (PGL), Pheochromocytoma (PCC), Polyamine, SDHB