title: CAPE Analogs Induce Growth Arrest and Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells.
abstract: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death amongst women worldwide. As a result, many have turned their attention to new alternative approaches to treat this disease. Caffeic acid phenylethyl ester (CAPE), a well-known active compound from bee propolis, has been previously identified as a strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticancer molecule. In fact, CAPE is well documented as inducing cell death by inhibiting NFκB and by inducing pro-apoptotic pathways (i.e., p53). With the objective of developing stronger anticancer compounds, we studied 18 recently described CAPE derivatives for their ability to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines. Five of the said compounds, including CAPE, were selected and subsequently characterised for their anticancer mechanism of action. We validated that CAPE is a potent inducer of caspase-dependent apoptosis. Interestingly, some newly synthesized CAPE derivatives also showed greater cell death activity than the lead CAPE structure. Similarly to CAPE, analog compounds elicited p53 activation. Interestingly, one compound in particular, analog 10, induced apoptosis in a p53-mutated cell line. These results suggest that our new CAPE analog compounds may display the capacity to induce breast cancer apoptosis in a p53-dependent and/or independent manner. These CAPE analogs could thus provide new therapeutic approaches for patients with varying genotypic signatures (such as p53 mutations) in a more specific and targeted fashion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. eab7744@UMoncton.ca.|Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, Moncton, NB E1C 8X3, Canada. eab7744@UMoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Annie-Pier
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Beauregard
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. ejh8189@umoncton.ca.|Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, Moncton, NB E1C 8X3, Canada. ejh8189@umoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harquail
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. lassalleclaux.gregoire@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lassalle-Claux
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. mehdi.b1994@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belbraouet
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. jacques.jean-francois@umoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jean-Francois
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. mohamed.touaibia@umoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touaibia
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada. gilles.robichaud@umoncton.ca.|Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, Moncton, NB E1C 8X3, Canada. gilles.robichaud@umoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Gilles A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Robichaud
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009154:Mutation; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D010851:Picrates / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002109:Caffeic Acids; D005609:Free Radicals; D010851:Picrates; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D008156:Luciferases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; C055494:caffeic acid phenethyl ester; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol
keywords: CAPE; NFκB; apoptosis; breast cancer; caspase; p53