PowerPoint Presentation at the 2024 Tiny Earth Summer Symposium
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a significant role in cancer recurrence and metastasis, as they are resistant to conventional therapies and drive tumor growth. Recent studies have shown that certain classes of antibiotics exhibit inhibitory effects on CSCs, suggesting their potential as CSC inhibitors. Our undergraduate research program focuses on a multidisciplinary screening approach to discover and test novel antibiotics from soil microbes, aiming to identify compounds capable of inhibiting CSCs and advancing anticancer drug development. As a part of our collaborative project, Tiny Earth research students source and prepare candidate antibiotics from soil samples. Undergraduate researchers screen the antibiotic candidates for their ability to inhibit CSCs through the use of tumor-spheroid forming assays. The potential CSC inhibitors are extracted and purified through bioassay guided high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our student-centered project combines the Tiny Earth course undergraduate research experience with mentored undergraduate research experiences to defeat cancer recurrence.
Authors
Patel Y, Maiorano JN, Girard AL, & Shirokawa J.
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer that is responsible for
the majority of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Recurrence and metastasis continue as a
major barriers to the successful treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer stem cells are a
main contributor to cancer recurrence and metastasis thus, a target for lung anticancer therapy.
Evidence that some antibiotics are effective cancer stem cell inhibitors makes the identification
of new antibiotic cancer stem cell inhibitors a key area in lung anticancer drug discovery.
Previously we isolated antibiotic producing bacteria as a part of the Tiny Earth® network and
screened their media supernatants for the ability to inhibit cancer stem cells using a
tumorsphere assay. One supernatant inhibited breast, prostate, and lung cancer stem cells. In
the present study, we find that this antibiotic active supernatant selectively inhibits A549 lung
cancer stem cells over bulk A549 lung cancer cells.
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