Patent Grant
10973823
The present disclosure generally relates to an anti-cancer combined pharmaceutical, and in particular, to an anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound and the application thereof.
Halofuginone (HF) is a type of alkaloid, and is a derivative of the active ingredient of the Chinese herb, i.e. febrifugine. The molecular formula of HF is C16H17BrCIN3O3.HBr, existing as white or light grey crystalline powder, with an odorless smell and a bitter taste. Studies on HF began from as early as 1975. HF has been used as a broad-spectrum anticoccidial drug for quite a long time. In recent years, with studies on HF going deeper and deeper, HF has been found to be able to promote wound healing and inhibit tissue fibrosis. HF has also been found to exhibit excellent performance in anti-tumor pre-clinical studies, showing significant inhibitory effect on many cancer models, such as liver cancer, sarcoma, brain cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Artemisinin (ATS), dihydroartemisinin (DAT), artesunate (ASU), or artemether (ATM), etc. are sesquiterpene lactone pharmaceuticals and the compound thereof containing peroxy groups, which are extracted from the stem and leaf of the plant Artemisia annua. In recent years, studies have found that Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone pharmaceuticals and the compound thereof exhibit good anti-cancer activity. There are probably two application modes when specifically using sesquiterpene lactone pharmaceuticals and the compound thereof as anti-cancer drugs: one mode is the single use of sesquiterpene lactone pharmaceuticals and the compound thereof as an anti-tumor drug, and the other mode is the combined use of the sesquiterpene lactone pharmaceuticals and the compound thereof, serving as a sensitizer, with other anti-tumor therapeutic drugs.
To provide an anti-cancer combined pharmaceutical with low toxicity and good anti-cancer activity, the present disclosure provides an anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound. The active ingredients of the combined pharmaceutical consist of halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound.
The Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compounds are a derivative of ATS and all sesquiterpene lactones extracted from Artemisia annua.
The Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone is one of ATS, DAT, ASU, or ATM.
The most preferable embodiment is the combination of ATS and HF.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for treating cancer.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for treating colon cancer.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for treating breast cancer.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for treating liver cancer.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for treating gastric cancer.
Use of the anti-cancer composition comprising halofuginone and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound for the manufacture of a medicament for melanoma.
The beneficial effects of the present disclosure are: the combination of HF and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound, such as ATS, DAT, ASU, or ATM, etc., has significant synergistic effects, wherein the activity of the combination pharmaceutical of HF and ATS is comparable with, or even higher than that of the anti-cancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU).
Human colon cancer cell line HCT-116 was seeded on a 96-well plate, with 100 μl of cell suspension in each well. The culture medium was DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM glutamate. 24 hours after cell seeding, the 96-well plate was added with HF, ATS, DAT, ASU, ATM, the combination of HF and ATS, the combination of HF and DAT, the combination of HF and ATM, the combination of HF and ASU, respectively, and the culture medium in the control group was not added with any drug. 24 hours after adding the compound, the cell survival rate was assessed using the MTT assay, and the combination index (CI) of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was calculated using the Calcusyn software. The results are shown in Table 1.
Tumor cell survival rate=the OD value of the experimental group/the OD value of the control group×100%
Breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was seeded on a 96-well plate, with 100 μl of cell suspension in each well. The culture medium was DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM glutamate. 24 hours after cell seeding, the 96-well plate was added with HF, ATS, DAT, ASU, ATM, the combination of HF and ATS, the combination of HF and DAT, the combination of HF and ATM, and the combination of HF and ASU, respectively, and the culture medium of the control group was not added with any drug. 24 hours after adding the compound, the cell survival rate was assessed using the MTT assay, and the combination index (CI) of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was calculated using the Calcusyn software. The results are shown in Table 2.
Liver cancer cell line HepG2 was seeded on a 96-well plate, with 100 μl of cell suspension in each well. The culture medium was DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM glutamate. 24 hours after cell seeding, the 96-well plate was added with HF, ATS, DAT, ASU, ATM, the combination of HF and ATS, the combination of HF and DAT, the combination of HF and ATM, and the combination of HF and ASU, respectively, and the culture medium of the control group was not added with any drug. 24 hours after adding the compound, the cell survival rate was assessed using the MTT assay, and the combination index (CI) of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was calculated using the Calcusyn software. The results are shown in Table 3.
Gastric cancer cell line MGC803 was seeded on a 96-well plate, with 100 μl of cell suspension in each well. The culture medium was DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM glutamate. 24 hours after cell seeding, the 96-well plate was added with HF, ATS, DAT, ASU, ATM, the combination of HF and ATS, the combination of HF and DAT, the combination of HF and ATM, and the combination of HF and ASU, respectively, and the culture medium of the control group was not added with any drug. 24 hours after adding the compound, the cell survival rate was assessed using the MTT assay, and the combination index (CI) of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was calculated using the Calcusyn software. The results are shown in Table 4.
Melanoma cell line A375 was seeded on a 96-well plate, with 100 μl of cell suspension in each well. The culture medium was DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM glutamate. 24 hours after cell seeding, the 96-well plate was added with HF, ATS, DAT, ASU, ATM, the combination of HF and ATS, the combination of HF and DAT, the combination of HF and ATM, and the combination of HF and ASU, respectively, and the culture medium of the control group was not added with any drug. 24 hours after adding the compound, the cell survival rate was assessed using the MTT assay, and the combination index (CI) of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was calculated using the Calcusyn software. The results are shown in Table 5.
In reference to the method in the Soriano A F et al., Synergistic effects of new chemopreventive agents and conventional cytotoxic agents against human lung cancer cell lines, Cancer Res, 1999, 59 (24): 6178-6184, the inhibitory effect investigation on colon cancer cell HCT-116 shows that the CIs of the combination of HF and ATS were was 0.55-0.7. Such synergistic effect exhibited a decreasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration, regarded as moderate synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and DAT were 0.75, 0.61, and 0.81 respectively, regarded as moderate and low synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ASU were 0.62-0.77. Such synergistic effect exhibited a decreasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration, regarded as moderate synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ATM were 0.50-0.78, regarded as moderate synergistic effect. The inhibitory effect investigation on breast cancer cell MCF-7 shows that the CIs of the combination of HF and ATS were 0.37-0.86. Such synergistic effect exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration. The CIs of the combination of HF and DAT were 0.84, 0.77, and 0.71 respectively, regarded as low synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ASU were 0.91, 0.76, and 0.71, respectively, having synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ATM were 0.88, 0.77, and 0.77 respectively, having moderate synergistic effect. The inhibitory effect investigation on liver cancer cell HepG2 shows that the CIs of combination of HF and ATS were 0.08-0.18. Such synergistic effect exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration. The combined pharmaceutical of HF and artemisinin can be regarded as strong synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and DAT were 0.45-0.22, regarded as high and strong synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ASU were 0.62, 0.55, and 0.48, respectively, regarded as high synergy. The CIs of the combination of HF and ATM were 0.67, 0.38, and 0.39, respectively, having moderate synergistic effect. The inhibitory effect investigation on gastric cancer cell MGC803 shows that the CIs of the combination of HF and ATS were 0.20-0.42. Such synergistic effect exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration. The combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS can be regarded as high synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and DAT were 0.75-0.38. Such synergistic effect exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration, regarded as moderate and high synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ASU 0.62-0.21, the synergistic effect of which exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration, regarded as moderate and high synergistic effect, and can be understood as high and strong synergy. The CIs of the combination of HF and ATM were 0.79, 0.57, and 0.41, respectively, regarded as moderate synergistic effect. The inhibitory effect investigation on melanoma cell A375 shows that the CIs of the combination of HF and ATS were 0.20-0.42. Such synergistic effect exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration. The combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS can be regarded as high synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and DAT were 0.74-0.31, the synergistic effect of which exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the pharmaceutical concentration, regarded as moderate and low synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ASU were 0.62, 0.80, and 0.21, respectively, regarded as moderate and low synergistic effect. The CIs of the combination of HF and ATM were 0.89, 0.57, and 0.42, respectively, having synergistic effect.
It can be seen from the aforementioned inhibitory results of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and an Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compound on the 5 cancer cell lines, that the activity of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS and derivatives thereof is significantly higher than that of the HF alone and Artemisia annua sesquiterpene lactone compounds alone. Wherein, the activity of the combined pharmaceutical of ATS and HF is the most significant.
The combination of ATS and HF, ATS alone and HF alone were subjected to animal experiments, with 5-FU as a control drug. The colon cancer cells HCT-116 were inoculated under the skin of female nude mice. Each mouse was inoculated with 1×106 cells. Pharmaceuticals were administrated after 5 days when the tumor volume reached about 100 mm3. The dose of HF was 5 μg/kg, the dose of ATS was 50 mg/kg, the dose of the combined pharmaceutical of HF and ATS was the sum of the doses of HF and ATS, and the dose of 5-FU was 10 mg/kg. Each group was administered intraperitoneally once a day. After 15 days, the tumors were excised (
The combination of HF and ATS with different mass ratios were subjected to animal experiments according to the aforementioned method, wherein the first group was administered with 100 μg/kg HF and 20 mg/kg ATS, and the second group was administered with 2 μg/kg HF and 100 mg/kg ATS. Results show that the activities of the combinations of ATS and HF with different mass ratios were comparable with the efficacy of 5-FU. The efficacies of the combinations of ATS and HF with different mass ratios were still higher than that of ATS or HF alone.
In summary, the combination of ATS and HF has significant therapeutic effect on colon cancer. The activity of the combination of ATS and HF is comparable with the efficacy of 5-FU. Within the range of 0.1:20 to 0.002:100 of HF and ATS (the mass ratio of HF:ATS is 1:2×102-5×105), the HF and ATS has good synergistic effect, and can be used as an effective combined pharmaceutical.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201610006000.1 | Jan 2016 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2016/100329 | 9/27/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/118114 | 7/13/2017 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6028075 | Pines | Feb 2000 | A |
| Entry |
|---|
| Buommino et al., “Artemisinin reduces human melanoma cell migration by down-regulating aVβ3 integrin and reducing metalloproteinase 2 production”, Investigational New Drugs, vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 412-418 (2009). |
| Huang, Boxian. “Control of Chicken Coccidiosis and Prescription Drug Screening” Agriculture, China Master's Theses Full-Text Database, No. 5, May 15, 2011 (May 15, 2011), D050-167, particularly pp. 19 and 28. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190388424 A1 | Dec 2019 | US |
