Niclosamide suppresses cancer cell growth by inducing Wnt co-receptor LRP6 degradation and inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e29290. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029290. Epub 2011 Dec 16.

Abstract

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is important for tumor initiation and progression. The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-6 (LRP6) is an essential Wnt co-receptor for Wnt/β-catenin signaling and represents a promising anticancer target. Recently, the antihelminthic drug, niclosamide was found to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling, although the mechanism was not well defined. We found that niclosamide was able to suppress LRP6 expression and phosphorylation, block Wnt3A-induced β-catenin accumulation, and inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of niclosamide on LRP6 expression/phosphorylation and Wnt/β-catenin signaling were conformed in human prostate PC-3 and DU145 and breast MDA-MB-231 and T-47D cancer cells. Moreover, we showed that the mechanism by which niclosamide suppressed LRP6 resulted from increased degradation as evident by a shorter half-life. Finally, we demonstrated that niclosamide was able to induce cancer cell apoptosis, and displayed excellent anticancer activity with IC(50) values less than 1 µM for prostate PC-3 and DU145 and breast MDA-MB-231 and T-47D cancer cells. The IC(50) values are comparable to those shown to suppress the activities of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in prostate and breast cancer cells. Our data indicate that niclosamide is a unique small molecule Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor targeting the Wnt co-receptor LRP6 on the cell surface, and that niclosamide has a potential to be developed a novel chemopreventive or therapeutic agent for human prostate and breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-6 / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Niclosamide / pharmacology*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proteolysis / drug effects*
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / drug effects*
  • Wnt3A Protein / pharmacology
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • LRP6 protein, human
  • Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-6
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt3A Protein
  • beta Catenin
  • Niclosamide