A new EGFR inhibitor induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Mar 9;354(2):409-13. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.12.214. Epub 2007 Jan 9.

Abstract

The use of agents targeting EGFR represents a new frontier in colon cancer therapy. Among these, mAbs and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors seemed to be the most promising. However they have demonstrated scarce utility in therapy, the former being effective only at toxic doses, the latter resulting inefficient in colon cancer. This paper presents studies on a new EGFR inhibitor, FR18, a molecule containing the same naphthoquinone core as shikonin, an agent with great anti-tumor potential. In HT29, a human colon carcinoma cell line, flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, and Western blot analysis, confocal spectral microscopy have demonstrated that FR18 is active at concentrations as low as 10 nM, inhibits EGF binding to EGFR while leaving unperturbed the receptor kinase activity. At concentration ranging from 30 nM to 5 microM, it activates apoptosis. FR18 seems therefore to have possible therapeutic applications in colon cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Naphthoquinones / chemistry*
  • Naphthoquinones / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology

Substances

  • FR18 compound
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • shikonin
  • ErbB Receptors