[HTML][HTML] Non–beta blocker enantiomers of propranolol and atenolol inhibit vasculogenesis in infantile hemangioma

CT Seebauer, MS Graus, L Huang… - The Journal of …, 2022 - Am Soc Clin Investig
CT Seebauer, MS Graus, L Huang, A McCann, J Wylie-Sears, F Fontaine, T Karnezis
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2022Am Soc Clin Investig
Propranolol and atenolol, current therapies for problematic infantile hemangioma (IH), are
composed of R (+) and S (–) enantiomers: the R (+) enantiomer is largely devoid of beta
blocker activity. We investigated the effect of R (+) enantiomers of propranolol and atenolol
on the formation of IH-like blood vessels from hemangioma stem cells (HemSCs) in a murine
xenograft model. Both R (+) enantiomers inhibited HemSC vessel formation in vivo. In vitro,
similar to R (+) propranolol, both atenolol and its R (+) enantiomer inhibited HemSC to …
Propranolol and atenolol, current therapies for problematic infantile hemangioma (IH), are composed of R(+) and S(–) enantiomers: the R(+) enantiomer is largely devoid of beta blocker activity. We investigated the effect of R(+) enantiomers of propranolol and atenolol on the formation of IH-like blood vessels from hemangioma stem cells (HemSCs) in a murine xenograft model. Both R(+) enantiomers inhibited HemSC vessel formation in vivo. In vitro, similar to R(+) propranolol, both atenolol and its R(+) enantiomer inhibited HemSC to endothelial cell differentiation. As our previous work implicated the transcription factor sex-determining region Y (SRY) box transcription factor 18 (SOX18) in propranolol-mediated inhibition of HemSC to endothelial differentiation, we tested in parallel a known SOX18 small-molecule inhibitor (Sm4) and show that this compound inhibited HemSC vessel formation in vivo with efficacy similar to that seen with the R(+) enantiomers. We next examined how R(+) propranolol alters SOX18 transcriptional activity. Using a suite of biochemical, biophysical, and quantitative molecular imaging assays, we show that R(+) propranolol directly interfered with SOX18 target gene trans-activation, disrupted SOX18-chromatin binding dynamics, and reduced SOX18 dimer formation. We propose that the R(+) enantiomers of widely used beta blockers could be repurposed to increase the efficiency of current IH treatment and lower adverse associated side effects.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation