Cancer Stem Cells

5-Azacytidine (Azacitidine; 5-AzaC; Ladakamycin) is a nucleoside analogue of cytidine that specifically inhibits DNA methylation. 5-Azacytidine is incorporated into DNA to covalently trap DNA methyltransferases and contributes to reverse epigenetic changes. 5-Azacytidine induces cell autophagy.

Bucladesine (Dibutyryl cAMP; DBcAMP) sodium is a membrane-permeable 3′, 5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analog. Bucladesine selectively activates cAMP dependent protein kinase (PKA) by increasing the intracellular level of cAMP. Bucladesine significantly attenuates MDMA-induced increases in hippocampal mitochondrial ROS formation, mitochondrial outer membrane damage, cytochrome c release, and hippocampal ADP/ATP ratio, thereby improving spatial learning and memory impairments. Bucladesine exhibit anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammation effect. Bucladesine can inhibit cancer cells proliferation, induce apoptosis. Bucladesine can be used for the researches of neurological disease, cancer, inflammation.

Nigericin is an antibiotic derived from Streptomyces hygroscopicus that act as a K⁺/H⁺ ionophore, promoting K⁺/H⁺ exchange across mitochondrial membranes. Nigericin is a NLRP3 activator. Nigericin shows promising anti-cancer activities through decreasing intracellular pH (pHi), and inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signals. Nigericin induces pyroptosis through caspase 1/GSDMD in TNBC.

Verteporfin (CL 318952) is a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy to eliminate the abnormal blood vessels in the eye associated with conditions such as age-related macular degeneration. Verteporfin is a YAP inhibitor which disrupts YAP-TEAD interactions. Verteporfin induces cell apoptosis. Verteporfinis an autophagy inhibitor that blocks autophagy at an early stage by inhibiting autophagosome formation.

SB 202190 is a selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor with IC₅₀s of 50 nM and 100 nM for p38α and p38β2, respectively. SB 202190 binds to the ATP pocket of the active recombinant human p38 kinase with a K_d of 38 nM. SB 202190 has anti-cancer activity and rescued memory deficits. SB202190 induces autophagy.

Hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) is a cationic polymer used routinely to enhance the efficiency of retrovirus vector-mediated gene transfer.

HP-β-CD ((2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin) is a widely used drug delivery vehicle to improve the stability and bioavailability.

AICAR (Acadesine) is an adenosine analog and a AMPK activator. AICAR is also an autophagy, YAP and mitophagy inhibitor. AICAR regulates the glucose and lipid metabolism, and inhibits proinflammatory cytokines and iNOS production. AICAR inhibits autophagy through a mechanism independent of AMPK activity.

XAV-939 is a Tankyrase inhibitor. XAV-939 has inhibitory activity for TNKS1 and TNKS2 with IC₅₀ values of 5 nM and 2 nM, respectively. XAV-939 also is an enhancer of osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs. XAV-939 can be used for the research of conditions associated with activated Wnt signaling, such as cancer, fibrotic diseases and conditions associated with low bone formation.

Pirfenidone (AMR69) is an antifibrotic agent that attenuates CCL2 and CCL12 production in fibrocyte cells. Pirfenidone has growth-inhibitory effect and reduces TGF-β2 protein levels in human glioma cell lines. Pirfenidone also has anti-inflammatory activities.

Everolimus (RAD001) is a Rapamycin (HY-10219) derivative and a potent, selective, orally active, blood-brain barrier-permeable mTOR1 inhibitor. Everolimus binds to FKBP-12 to generate an immunosuppressive complex. Everolimus inhibits tumor cells proliferation and induces cell apoptosis and autophagy. Everolimus has potent immunosuppressive and anticancer activities.

Nigericin sodium salt is an antibiotic derived from Streptomyces hygroscopicus that act as a K⁺/H⁺ ionophore, promoting K⁺/H⁺ exchange across mitochondrial membranes. Nigericin sodium salt is a NLRP3 activator. Nigericin sodium salt shows promising anti-cancer activities through decreasing intracellular pH (pHi), and inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signals. Nigericin sodium salt induces pyroptosis through caspase 1/GSDMD in TNBC.

Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane), a natural phenolic compound, is a p300/CREB-binding protein-specific inhibitor of acetyltransferase, represses the acetylation of histone/nonhistone proteins and histone acetyltransferase-dependent chromatin transcription. Curcumin is a photosensitizer against microorganisms. Curcumin shows inhibitory effects on NF-κB and MAPKs, and has diverse pharmacologic effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activities. Curcumin induces stabilization of Nrf2 protein through Keap1 cysteine modification.

Alpelisib (BYL-719) is an orally active PI3Kα-selective inhibitor that blocks the conversion of PIP2 to PIP3, thereby inhibiting pathways including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MAPK/ERK, Notch and JAK-STAT. Alpelisib also induces apoptosis, G0/G1 phase arrest and senescence; it significantly inhibits the proliferation, self-renewal, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells, reduces cancer stem cell populations and decreases the expression of stem cell markers. Alpelisib not only enhances the sensitivity to Eribulin (HY-13442) and exerts a synergistic effect with Paclitaxel (HY-B0015), but may also induce drug resistance by upregulating the SGK3/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Alpelisib can be applied to research related to breast cancer, gastric cancer and lipomas associated with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

5-BrdU (BrdU) is a nucleoside analog that competes with thymidine for incorporation into DNA. 5-BrdU is commonly used in the detection of proliferating cells.

Valproic acid (VPA) is an orally active HDAC inhibitor, with IC₅₀ in the range of 0.5 and 2 mM. Valproic acid inhibits HDAC1 (IC₅₀, 400 μM), and induces proteasomal degradation of HDAC2. Valproic acid activates Notch1 signaling and inhibits proliferation in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. Valproic acid is used in the epilepsy, bipolar disorder, metabolic disease, HIV infection and prevention of migraine headaches.

LDN193189 (DM-3189) is a potent selective BMP type I receptor (BMP I) inhibitor. LDN193189 efficiently inhibits transcriptional activity of the BMP type I receptors ALK2 and ALK3 with IC₅₀ values of 5 nM and 30 nM, respectively. LDN193189 can be used for the research of bone morphogenetic protein signalling, such as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

PD98059 is a potent and selective MEK inhibitor with an IC₅₀ of 5 µM. PD98059 binds to the inactive form of MEK, thereby preventing the activation of MEK1 (IC₅₀ of 2-7 µM) and MEK2 (IC₅₀ of 50 µM) by upstream kinases. PD98059 is a ERK1/2 signaling inhibitor. PD98059 is a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), and suppresses TCDD binding (IC₅₀ of 4 μM) and AHR transformation (IC₅₀ of 1 μM). PD98059 also inhibits Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus CalmetteGuerin (BCG)-induced autophagy.

Wortmannin (SL-2052; KY-12420) is a potent, selective and irreversible PI3K inhibitor with an IC₅₀ of 3 nM. Wortmannin also blocks autophagy formation, and potently inhibits Polo-like kinase 1 (PlK1) and Plk3 with IC₅₀s of 5.8 and 48 nM, respectively.

Fludarabine (NSC 118218) is a DNA synthesis inhibitor and a fluorinated purine analogue with antineoplastic activity in lymphoproliferative malignancies. Fludarabine inhibits the cytokine-induced activation of STAT1 and STAT1-dependent gene transcription in normal resting or activated lymphocytes.