In Silico Identification and In Vitro and In Vivo Validation of Anti-Psychotic Drug Fluspirilene as a Potential CDK2 Inhibitor and a Candidate Anti-Cancer Drug

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 6;10(7):e0132072. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132072. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Surgical resection and conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy ultimately fail due to tumor recurrence and HCC's resistance. The development of novel therapies against HCC is thus urgently required. The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathways are important and well-established targets for cancer treatment. In particular, CDK2 is a key factor regulating the cell cycle G1 to S transition and a hallmark for cancers. In this study, we utilized our free and open-source protein-ligand docking software, idock, prospectively to identify potential CDK2 inhibitors from 4,311 FDA-approved small molecule drugs using a repurposing strategy and an ensemble docking methodology. Sorted by average idock score, nine compounds were purchased and tested in vitro. Among them, the anti-psychotic drug fluspirilene exhibited the highest anti-proliferative effect in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and Huh7 cells. We demonstrated for the first time that fluspirilene treatment significantly increased the percentage of cells in G1 phase, and decreased the expressions of CDK2, cyclin E and Rb, as well as the phosphorylations of CDK2 on Thr160 and Rb on Ser795. We also examined the anti-cancer effect of fluspirilene in vivo in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with human hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells. Our results showed that oral fluspirilene treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth. Fluspirilene (15 mg/kg) exhibited strong anti-tumor activity, comparable to that of the leading cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (10 mg/kg). Moreover, the cocktail treatment with fluspirilene and 5-fluorouracil exhibited the highest therapeutic effect. These results suggested for the first time that fluspirilene is a potential CDK2 inhibitor and a candidate anti-cancer drug for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma. In view of the fact that fluspirilene has a long history of safe human use, our discovery of fluspirilene as a potential anti-HCC drug may present an immediately applicable clinical therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / enzymology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fluspirilene / pharmacology*
  • G1 Phase / drug effects
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Liver Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Docking Simulation*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • S Phase / drug effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Fluspirilene
  • CDK2 protein, human
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the Hsiang-fu Kung academician workstation of Kunming Medical University, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 81272549, Key Lab project of Shenzhen (ZDSY20130329101130496) from China, the Direct Grant from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the GRF Grant (Project References 414413, 772910, and 470911) from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.