Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24862448›Full record

ArticleJournal of hepatology2014

Telomerase activated thymidine analogue pro-drug is a new molecule targeting hepatocellular carcinoma.

Mirko Tarocchi, Simone Polvani, Anna Julie Peired, Giada Marroncini, Massimo Calamante, Elisabetta Ceni, Daniela Rhodes, Tommaso Mello, Giuseppe Pieraccini, Alessandro Quattrone and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of hepatology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Mirko TarocchiDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Simone PolvaniDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Anna Julie PeiredDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Giada MarronciniDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Massimo CalamanteProtEra S.r.l., University Scientific Campus, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; ICCOM-CNR Florence, Italy.
Elisabetta CeniDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Daniela RhodesMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
Tommaso MelloDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Giuseppe PieracciniMass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Alessandro QuattroneMagnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Italy.
Claudio LuchinatMagnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Giotto Biotech S.r.l., University Scientific Campus, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
Andrea GalliDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.galli@unifi.it.
University of Florence · ITGiotto Biotech (Italy) · ITInstitute for the Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds · ITInteruniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance · ITMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Although hepatectomy and transplantation have significantly improved survival, there is no effective chemotherapeutic treatment for HCC and its prognosis remains poor. Sustained activation of telomerase is essential for the growth and progression of HCC, suggesting that telomerase is a rational target for HCC therapy. Therefore, we developed a thymidine analogue pro-drug, acycloguanosyl-5'-thymidyltriphosphate (ACV-TP-T), which is specifically activated by telomerase in HCC cells and investigated its anti-tumour efficacy.

methodsFirst, we verified in vitro whether ACV-TP-T was a telomerase substrate. Second, we evaluated proliferation and apoptosis in murine (Hepa1-6) and human (Hep3B, HuH7, HepG2) hepatic cancer cells treated with ACV-TP-T. Next, we tested the in vivo treatment efficacy in HBV transgenic mice that spontaneously develop hepatic tumours, and in a syngeneic orthotopic murine model where HCC cells were implanted directly in the liver.

resultsIn vitro characterization provided direct evidence that the pro-drug was actively metabolized in liver cancer cells by telomerase to release the active form of acyclovir. Alterations in cell cycle and apoptosis were observed following in vitro treatment with ACV-TP-T. In the transgenic and orthotopic mouse models, treatment with ACV-TP-T reduced tumour growth, increased apoptosis, and reduced the proliferation of tumour cells.

conclusionsACV-TP-T is activated by telomerase in HCC cells and releases active acyclovir that reduces proliferation and induces apoptosis in human and murine liver cancer cells. This pro-drug holds a great promise for the treatment of HCC.

Indexed as

AcyclovirAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsApoptosisCarcinoma, HepatocellularCell Line, TumorGuanosineHepatitis B virusHep G2 CellsHumansLiver NeoplasmsLiver Neoplasms, ExperimentalMiceMice, TransgenicProdrugsTelomeraseacycloguanosyl 5'-thymidyltriphosphateAcyclovirAntineoplastic AgentsGuanosineProdrugsTelomeraseThymine NucleotidesAcyclovirCancer therapyHepatocellular carcinomahTERTTelomerase

Identifiers

PMID24862448
PMCPMC4309885
OpenAlexW2058865427

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.