Natural product therapy for N-Myc-overexpressing tumors: AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract increases the levels of tumor suppressor proteins, TAp63, TAp63 and Fbw7 (SCF Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase), inhibits the expression of pro-survival proteins N-Myc, Cyclin-E and Mcl-1, and stalls the progression of N-Myc-overexpressing cancers via down regulation of its target gene, 8/November/2015, 6.26 am

Introduction: What they say

A study from the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; and Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China shows that “Polo-like Kinase-1 Regulates Myc Stabilization and Activates a Feedforward Circuit Promoting Tumor Cell Survival.” This research paper was published in the 3 November 2016 issue of the journal “Molecular cell” [One of the best research journals in General Biology with an I.F of 13.958] by Prof. Guoliang Qing, Dr. Daibiao Xiao, and others.

What we say:

On the foundation of this interesting finding, Dr L Boominathan PhD, Director-cum-chief Scientist of GBMD, reports that: Natural product therapy for N-Myc-overexpressing tumors: AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract increases the levels of tumor suppressor proteins, TAp63, TAp63 and Fbw7 (SCF Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase), inhibits the expression of pro-survival proteins N-Myc, Cyclin-E and Mcl-1, and stalls the progression of N-Myc-overexpressing cancers via down regulation of its target gene

Significance of the study:

Given that: (1) N-Myc is amplified in neuroblastoma (20%), Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (25%), Small cell lung cancer (20%), & neuroendocrine prostate cancer (40%); (2) N-Myc is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, breast cancer and prostate cancer; (3) even intense multimodal treatment saves only less than 50% of neuroblastoma patients; (4) our understanding is incomplete in terms of molecular targets and the oncogenic/malignant pathways involved in N-Myc amplified or overexpressed cancers; (5) cancer causes the highest economic loss compared to all the known causes of death worldwide; and (6) Myc-overexpressed cancer is a common occurance; and it results in considerable economic loss globally, there is an urgent need to find: (i) a cheaper alternative to the existing expensive drugs; (ii) a side-effect-free natural product-based drug; and (iii) a way to effectively treat and stall metastatic progression and relapse of Myc-amplified/overexpressed human cancers.

What is known?

A number of studies suggest that N-Myc is amplified and overexpressed in cancers, as indicated above. However, the mechanistic basis of its deregulation remains largely unclear.

Prof. Qing’s research team has recently shown that: (1) PLK-1 promotes degradation of tumor suppressor protein Fbw7, and thereby, prevents degradation of its substrates such as N-Myc, N-cym, Cyclin-E and Mcl-1; and (2) N-Myc, in turn, in a positive feedback loop, increases the expression of PLK-1. Further, they showed that inhibition of PLK-1 in N-Myc-overexpressing tumors, either alone or together with Bcl-2 antagonists, not only regressed, but also stalled the progression of tumors, possibly, via induction of tumor suppressor Fbw7.

What we said earlier? 

I had shown earlier that Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM): (1) inhibits the expression of co-inhibitory receptor PD-1 on Antigen- Specific T-cells, increases the production of cytokines by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and draining lymph nodes and augments anti-tumor activity; (2) promotes NK cell maturation and function; (3) suppresses the expression of Tripeptidyl Peptidase 1 (TPP1) and inhibits cancer progression; (4) inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition, glycolysis and cancer progression via down regulation of GLUT3 and PDK1; (5) inhibits metastatic adenocarcinoma via down regulation of Lin28; (6)  inhibits the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy; and (7)  extends mammalian life span by down regulating the expression of Insulin receptor substrate-2 and p70 S6 kinase.

What we say: Research findings:

This study suggests a Natural product-based therapy for Myc-overexpressing cancers.

This study suggests, for the first time, a natural product based therapy for N-Myc-overexpressing tumors. AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract, by increasing the expression of its target gene, it may decrease the expression of N-Myc. Thereby, it may: (1) inhibit oncoproteins PLK-1, Cyclin-E, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and N-cym expression; (2) increase tumor suppressors Fbw7, TAp73, and TAp63 levels; and (3) inhibit the progression of N-Myc-overexpressing cancers.

ABM mushroom. AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract inhibits N-Myc-overexpressing tumors via up regulation of tumor suppressor proteins TAp63, TAp63 and Fbw7

Therapeutic opportunity: 

Given that Natural product AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) has a number of favorable pharmacological health benefits, as discussed above, to human health, it may be a  drug candidate of choice to treat Myc-overexpressing tumors. Thus, pharmacological formulations encompassing “AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) or an active compound isolated from it“ may be used to treat N-Myc-overexpressing tumors such as Neuroblastoma and Small cell lung cancer.

Idea Proposed/Formulated (with experimental evidence) by:

Dr L Boominathan Ph.D.

Web: http://genomediscovery.org or http://newbioideas.com

Terms & Conditions apply http://genomediscovery.org/registration/terms-and-conditions/

Citation: Boominathan, L., Natural product therapy for N-Myc-overexpressing tumors: AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract increases the levels of tumor suppressor proteins, TAp63, TAp63 and Fbw7 (SCF Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase), inhibits the expression of pro-survival proteins N-Myc, Cyclin-E and Mcl-1, and stalls the progression of N-Myc-overexpressing cancers via down regulation of its target gene, 8/November/2015, 6.25 am, Genome-2-Bio-Medicine Discovery center (GBMD), http://genomediscovery.org

# Research cooperation

Amount: $500#

Undisclosed information: How AbM (Agaricus blazei Murill) extract increases the expression of tumor suppressors TAp63, TAp63 and Fbw7, while inhibiting the expression of Oncoproteins N-Myc, N-cym, Cyclin-E, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2

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