Targeting NK-1 Receptors to Prevent and Treat Pancreatic Cancer: a New Therapeutic Approach
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Cancers 2015, 7, 1215-1232; doi:10.3390/cancers7030832 cancersOPEN ACCESS ISSN 2072-6694 www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers Review Targeting NK-1 Receptors to Prevent and Treat Pancreatic Cancer: a New Therapeutic Approach Miguel Muñoz 1;* and Rafael Coveñas 2 1 Research Laboratory on Neuropeptides (IBIS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, 41013 Sevilla, Spain 2 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic System (Lab. 14), Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain; E-Mail: [email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-955-012-965; Fax: +34-955-012-921. Academic Editor: Hildegard M. Schuller Received: 19 May 2015 / Accepted: 30 June 2015 / Published: 6 July 2015 Abstract: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer related-deaths in both men and women, and the 1- and 5-year relative survival rates are 25% and 6%, respectively. It is known that smoking, alcoholism and psychological stress are risk factors that can promote PC and increase PC progression. To date, the prevention of PC is crucial because there is no curative treatment. After binding to the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor (a receptor coupled to the stimulatory G-protein Gαs that activates adenylate cyclase), the peptide substance P (SP)—at high concentrations—is involved in many pathophysiological functions, such as depression, smoking, alcoholism, chronic inflammation and cancer. It is known that PC cells and samples express NK-1 receptors; that the NK-1 receptor is overexpressed in PC cells in comparison with non-tumor cells, and that nanomolar concentrations of SP induce PC cell proliferation. By contrast, NK-1 receptor antagonists exert antidepressive, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory effects and anti-alcohol addiction. These antagonists also exert An antitumor action since in vitro they inhibit PC cell proliferation (PC cells death by apoptosis), and in a xenograft PC mouse model they exert both antitumor and anti-angiogenic actions. NK-1 receptor antagonists could be used for the treatment of PC and hence the NK-1 receptor could be a new promising therapeutic target in PC. Cancers 2015, 7 1216 Keywords: substance P; NK-1 receptor antagonist; chronic pancreatitis; inflammation; smoking; alcoholism; depression 1. Introduction Pancreatic cancer (PC), one of the most ominous types of cancer, is the fourth leading cause of cancer related-deaths in both men and women, with less than 5% survival at 5 years after diagnosis. In 2013, the American Cancer Society estimated that there were 45,220 new cases of PC in the United States and 38,460 deaths from the disease. Treatment strategies have not succeeded in significantly extending patient survival, and clinical outcome has not improved substantially over the past 35 years; the overall 5-year survival rate remains dismal, around 5% [1]. Thus, PC continues to be a major unsolved health problem and conventional treatments unfortunately have little impact on the course of the disease. Almost all patients suffering from PC develop metastases, this being the main reason for its lethality [2]. Cytostatic drugs show a low safety profile and severe side effects (e.g., anaemia, leukopenia), because these drugs are not specific against cancer cells. Currently, due to having the worst prognosis, a lack of early diagnostic symptoms, and resistance to conventional chemo- and radiotherapies, PC remains a very complex malignancy. Thus, because there is still a lack of curative therapy there is An urgent need to prevent PC by applying new strategies and/or by improving current therapies [3]. Research into this issue should focus on drugs with fewer side effects than those produced by cytostatic drugs and this can only be achieved if the drug is specific against PC cells. In light of the above, a better understanding of both etiology and early developmental events in PC is vital. The evolution of advanced PC from initial pancreatic injury is a multi-factorial phenomenon involving a series of sequential events. The initial acute infection or tissue damage triggers inflammation, initiating the process of establishing a state of homeostasis in conjunction with innate immunity, aimed at limiting harm to the body. Upon recurrent pancreatic injuries, which may be due to genetic susceptibility, smoking and alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, a pro-inflammatory milieu is induced; comprising several types of immune cells, growth factors, chemokines, cytokines and restructured extracellular matrix; this leads to prolonged inflammatory/chronic conditions [4]. Cells that have sustained DNA damage and/or mutagenic assault exploit the prolonged inflammatory response aiding in the initiation and development of neoplastic/fibrotic events. Many tumor-stromal interactions result in a chaotic environment, where loss of immune surveillance and repair response lead to PC [4]. Thus, the inflammatory process is crucial and a better understanding of the inflammatory markers defining this “injury-inflammation-cancer” pathway could aide in the identification of novel molecular targets for the treatment of PC. For example, during the inflammation process the substance P/neurokinin-1 receptor system is up-regulated and the neurokinin-1 receptor therefore is An important target for the treatment of inflammatory processes (Figure1)[5]. Cancers 2015, 7 1217 Cancers 2015, 7 3 FigureFigure 1. 1. 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This strategy with opensNK-1 up receptor new approaches antagonists for by translational targeting NKresearch.-1 receptors In view could of this, improve the aim the of above this paper pathologies is to review (Figure the involvement 1). This strategy of the SP/NK-1opens up receptor new system in these pathologies and, in particular, in PC. Cancers 2015, 7 1218 2. Substance P and the