The Role of Angiogenesis in Cancer Treatment

The 14-Kilodalton Human Growth Hormone Fragment a Potent Inhibitor of Angiogenesis and Tumor Metastasis

The 14-kilodalton human growth hormone (14 kDa hGH) N-terminal fragment derived from the proteolytic cleavage of its full-length counterpart has been shown to sustain antiangiogenic potentials. This study investigated the antitumoral and antimetastatic effects of 14 kDa hGH on B16-F10 murine melanoma cells. B16-F10 murine melanoma cells transfected with 14 kDa hGH expression vectors showed a significant reduction in cellular proliferation and migration associated with an increase in cell apoptosis in vitro. In vivo, 14 kDa hGH mitigated tumor growth and metastasis of B16-F10 cells and was associated with a significant reduction in tumor angiogenesis. Similarly, 14 kDa hGH expression reduced human brain microvascular endothelial (HBME) cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation abilities and triggered apoptosis in vitro. The antiangiogenic effects of 14 kDa hGH on HBME cells were abolished when we stably downregulated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in vitro. In this study, we showed the potential anticancer role of 14 kDa hGH, its ability to inhibit primary tumor growth and metastasis establishment, and the possible involvement of PAI-1 in promoting its antiangiogenic effects. Therefore, these results suggest that the 14 kDa hGH fragment can be used as a therapeutic molecule to inhibit angiogenesis and cancer progression.

The Effect of Stem Cells and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor on Cancer Angiogenesis

The formation of new vessels from pre-existing vessels is known as angiogenesis. The process is controlled by stimuli and inhibitors. Angiogenesis starts as a result of the unbalance of these factors, where balance has a tendency toward the stimulus. One of the most important factors promoting angiogenesis is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In addition to being involved in vascular regeneration in normal tissues, VEGF also takes part in tumor tissue angiogenesis. These factors affect endothelial cells (ECs) directly as well as differentiate tumor cells from endothelial cells and play an active role in tumor tissue angiogenesis. Angiogenesis partakes in the growth and proliferation of tumor tissue. Because anti-angiogenic treatment is favorable in existing cancer therapies, the potential benefits should be considered. One of these new therapies is cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Research on MSCs remains controversial because much of the earlier research on MSCs has shown their effectiveness, but more recent research has identified harmful effects of these cells. This article reviews the role of stem cells and their secretions in the angiogenesis of tumor tissues.

Inhibitory Potential of Resveratrol in Cancer Metastasis: From Biology to Therapy

Cancer metastasis is a significant challenge in cancer treatment, and most existing drugs are designed to inhibit tumor growth but are often ineffective in treating metastatic cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in grapes, berries, and peanuts, has shown potential in preclinical studies as an anticancer agent to suppress metastasis. However, despite positive results in preclinical studies, little progress has been made in clinical trials. To develop resveratrol as an effective anticancer agent, it is crucial to understand its cellular processes and signaling pathways in tumor metastasis. This review article evaluates the current state and future development strategies of resveratrol to enhance its potency against cancer metastasis within its therapeutic dose. In addition, we critically evaluate the animal models used in preclinical studies for cancer metastasis and discuss novel techniques to accelerate the translation of resveratrol from bench to bedside. The appropriate selection of animal models is vital in determining whether resveratrol can be further developed as an antimetastatic drug in cancer therapy.

Wogonin, as a potent anticancer compound: From chemistry to cellular interactions

Chinese native medicine Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, also referred to as Chinese skullcap or Huang-Qin, is frequently used to treat cancer, viral infections, and seizures. This plant's abundance of flavones (wogonoside) and their related aglycones (wogonin) is responsible for many of its pharmacologic effects. A significant ingredient in S. baicalensis that has been the subject of the most research is wogonin. Numerous preclinical investigations revealed that wogonin suppresses tumor growth by cell cycle arrest, stimulating cell death and preventing metastasis. This review focuses on a complete overview of published reports that suggest chemopreventive action of wogonin and the mechanistic insights behind these neoplastic activities. It also emphasizes the synergistic improvements made by wogonin in chemoprevention. The factual data in this mini-review stimulate additional research on chemistry and toxicological profile of wogonin to confirm its safety issues. This review will encourage researchers to generalize the merits of wogonin to be used as potential compound for cancer treatment.

Chemomodulatory Effect of the Marine-Derived Metabolite "Terrein" on the Anticancer Properties of Gemcitabine in Colorectal Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND

Terrein (Terr) is a bioactive marine secondary metabolite that possesses antiproliferative/cytotoxic properties by interrupting various molecular pathways. Gemcitabine (GCB) is an anticancer drug used to treat several types of tumors such as colorectal cancer; however, it suffers from tumor cell resistance, and therefore, treatment failure.

METHODS

The potential anticancer properties of terrein, its antiproliferative effects, and its chemomodulatory effects on GCB were assessed against various colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT-116, HT-29, and SW620) under normoxic and hypoxic (pO₂ ≤ 1%) conditions. Further analysis via flow cytometry was carried out in addition to quantitative gene expression and ¹HNMR metabolomic analysis.

RESULTS

In normoxia, the effect of the combination treatment (GCB + Terr) was synergistic in HCT-116 and SW620 cell lines. In HT-29, the effect was antagonistic when the cells were treated with (GCB + Terr) under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The combination treatment was found to induce apoptosis in HCT-116 and SW620. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the change in oxygen levels significantly affected extracellular amino acid metabolite profiling.

CONCLUSIONS

Terrein influenced GCB's anti-colorectal cancer properties which are reflected in different aspects such as cytotoxicity, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, autophagy, and intra-tumoral metabolism under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Heparin Biofunctionalized Selenium Nanoparticles as Potential Antiangiogenic-Chemotherapeutic Agents for Targeted Doxorubicin Delivery

Combining antiangiogenic and chemotherapeutic agents has shown promising clinical benefits in cancer cures when the therapeutic intervention takes into account the tissue and molecular targets. Moreover, the risk of induced drug resistance is minimized when multiple pathways are involved in the treatment regimen, yielding a better therapeutic outcome. Nanodrug delivery systems have proven to be a prudent approach to treating complex disease pathologies. As such, combining antiangiogenic and chemotherapeutic drugs within multimodal nanocarriers synergistically augments the clinical efficiency of the drugs. This study reports the combinatorial efficacy of heparin (Hep), selenium NPs (SeNPs), and doxorubicin (Dox) to inhibit tumor growth and progression. Both Se@Hep-NPs and Se@Hep-Dox-NPs with excellent water dispersity having a size and charge in the range of 250 ± 5 and 253 ± 5 nm and -53 ± 0.4 and -48.4 ± 6.4 mV, respectively, showed strong anticancer potential assessed through in vitro assays like cell viability, specificity, colony formation, and wound scratch in MCF7 cells. Strong synergistic interactions among SeNPs, Hep, and Dox in Se@Hep-Dox-NPs render it to be an antiangiogenic and proapoptotic cancer cell death inducers. In vivo imaging highlights the dual-mode attributes of Se@Hep-NPs with desirable passive tumor targeting and biomedical imaging ability when tagged with Cy7.5, while Se@Hep-Dox-NPs significantly reduce the tumor burden and prolong the longevity of subcutaneous EAC-bearing mice. Histopathology studies reveal no signs of toxicity in major organs. Collectively, these results qualify Se@Hep-Dox-NPs as a plausible clinical therapeutic candidate.

Natural Products as New Approaches for Treating Bladder Cancer: From Traditional Medicine to Novel Drug Discovery

Bladder cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease that a tumor develops in the bladder lining and in some cases, the bladder muscle. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are commonly used to treat bladder cancer. However, chemotherapy can cause burning and irritation in the bladder while BCG immunotherapy, which is the main type of intravesical immunotherapy for bladder cancer, can also cause burning in the bladder and flu-like symptoms. Thus, drugs originating from natural products have attracted much attention due to the reports that they have anti-cancer properties with low adverse effects. In this study, eighty-seven papers that dealt with natural products preventing or treating bladder cancer were reviewed. The studies were classified into the following mechanism: 71 papers on cell death, 5 papers on anti-metastasis, 3 papers on anti-angiogenesis, 1 paper on anti-resistance, and 7 papers on clinical trials. Most of the natural products that induced apoptosis up-regulated proteins such as caspase-3 and caspase-9. Regarding anti-metastasis, MMP-2 and MMP-9 are regulated frequently. Regarding anti-angiogenesis, HIF-1α and VEGF-A are down-regulated frequently. Nevertheless, the number of papers regarding anti-resistance and clinical trial are too few, so more studies are needed. In conclusion, this database will be useful for future in vivo studies of the anti-bladder cancer effect of natural products, in the process of selecting materials used for the experiment.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Ligands and Receptors in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy responsible for the largest number of deaths in women worldwide. The risk of developing BC is predisposed by many factors such as age, presence of genetic mutations or body weight. The diagnosis is mostly made relatively late, which is why patients are exposed to radical surgical treatments, long-term chemotherapy and lower survival rates. There are no sufficiently sensitive and specific screening tests; therefore, researchers are still looking for new diagnostic biomarkers that would indicate the appearance of neoplastic changes in the initial stage of neoplasm. The VEGF family of proteins (VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, EG-VEGF, PlGF) and their receptors are significant factors in the pathogenesis of BC. They play a significant role in the process of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions. The usefulness of these proteins as potential diagnostic biomarkers has been initially proven. Moreover, the blockage of VEGF-related pathways seems to be a valid therapeutic target. Recent studies have tried to describe novel strategies, including targeting pericytes, use of miRNAs and extracellular tumor-associated vesicles, immunotherapeutic drugs and nanotechnology. This indicates their possible contribution to the formation of breast cancer and their usefulness as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Inhibiting Angiogenesis by Anti-Cancer Saponins: From Phytochemistry to Cellular Signaling Pathways

Saponins are one of the broadest classes of high-molecular-weight natural compounds, consisting mainly of a non-polar moiety with 27 to 30 carbons and a polar moiety containing sugars attached to the sapogenin structure. Saponins are found in more than 100 plant families as well as found in marine organisms. Saponins have several therapeutic effects, including their administration in the treatment of various cancers. These compounds also reveal noteworthy anti-angiogenesis effects as one of the critical strategies for inhibiting cancer growth and metastasis. In this study, a comprehensive review is performed on electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest. Accordingly, the structural characteristics of triterpenoid/steroid saponins and their anti-cancer effects were highlighted, focusing on their anti-angiogenic effects and related mechanisms. Consequently, the anti-angiogenic effects of saponins, inhibiting the expression of genes related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) are two main anti-angiogenic mechanisms of triterpenoid and steroidal saponins. The inhibition of inflammatory signaling pathways that stimulate angiogenesis, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs), and phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), are other anti-angiogenic mechanisms of saponins. Furthermore, the anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer activity of saponins was closely related to the binding site of the sugar moiety, the type and number of their monosaccharide units, as well as the presence of some functional groups in their aglycone structure. Therefore, saponins are suitable candidates for cancer treatment by inhibiting angiogenesis, for which extensive pre-clinical and comprehensive clinical trial studies are recommended.

The role of hypoxia on prostate cancer progression and metastasis

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men and the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Like any solid tumor, the hypoxic microenvironment of prostatic cancer drives hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) to mediate cell adaptions to hypoxic conditions. HIFs direct different signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NOX, and Wnt/β-Catenin to tumor progression depending on the degree of hypoxia. HIFs regulate cytoskeleton protein expression, promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which occurs when cancer cells lose cell-to-cell adhesions and start invasion and metastasis. Through activating pathways, the hypoxic microenvironment maintains the self-renewal, potency, and anti-apoptotic function of prostate cancer cells and induces tumor metastasis and transformation. These pathways could serve as a potential target for prostate cancer therapy. HIFs increase the expression of androgen receptors on cancer cells maintaining the growth and survival of prostate cancer and the development of its castration resistance. In this review, we elaborate on the role of hypoxia in prostatic cancer pathogenesis and different hypoxia-induced mechanisms.

Natural-Derived COX-2 Inhibitors as Anticancer Drugs: A Review of their Structural Diversity and Mechanism of Action

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key-type enzyme playing a crucial role in cancer development, making it a target of high interest for drug designers. In the last two decades, numerous selective COX-2 inhibitors have been approved for various clinical conditions. However, data from clinical trials propose that the prolonged use of COX-2 inhibitors is associated with life-threatening cardiovascular side effects. The data indicate that a slight structural modification can help develop COX-2 selective inhibitors with comparative efficacy and limited side effects. In this regard, secondary metabolites from natural sources offer great hope for developing novel COX-2 inhibitors with potential anticancer activity. In recent years, various nature-derived organic scaffolds are being explored as leads for developing new COX-2 inhibitors. The current review attempts to highlight the COX-2 inhibition activity of some naturally occurring secondary metabolites, concerning their capacity to inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes and inhibit cancer development, aiming to establish a structure-activity relationship.

The possibility of angiogenesis inhibition in cutaneous melanoma by bevacizumab-loaded lipid-chitosan nanoparticles

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is fastest-growing cancer in white populations with a large majority of dermal cancer death. The activity of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) results in the signaling of a variety of downstream intracellular pathways that ultimately leads to cell activation, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. VEGF inhibitors such as bevacizumab are widely used in chemotherapy with systemic administration, which in many cases is associated with a variety of side effects. Here, we designed and synthesized a lipid-polymer nanoparticle for local administration of bevacizumab. Drug release, dermal absorption, and the effects of synthesized nanoparticles containing bevacizumab on cell proliferation and in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis were investigated. Encapsulating bevacizumab in the synthesized nanoparticles resulted in a significant increase in its dermal absorption compared to free bevacizumab. Also, the suppressor effects of bevacizumab encapsulated in the synthesized nanoparticle on cell proliferation and angiogenesis were significantly more than those of free bevacizumab. Our findings indicate the remarkable effects of lipid-polymer nanoparticles in dermal absorption and in maintaining bevacizumab bioactivity, suggesting therapeutic benefits of local bevacizumab administration for angiogenesis-related disorders such as cutaneous melanoma. Chitosan nanoparticles containing bevacizumab antibody were synthesized by ion exchange method, and finally, these nanoparticles were coated with lipid (Lip-Chi-Bev NPs). In this study, the effect of synthesized nanoparticles on dermal absorption of bevacizumab was evaluated and its potential in inhibiting angiogenesis was evaluated by in vitro and in vivo models.

Advances in the Physico-Chemical, Antimicrobial and Angiogenic Properties of Graphene-Oxide/Cellulose Nanocomposites for Wound Healing

Graphene oxide (GO) and its reduced form (rGO) have recently attracted a fascinating interest due to their physico-chemical properties, which have opened up new and interesting opportunities in a wide range of biomedical applications, such as wound healing. It is worth noting that GO and rGO may offer a convenient access to its ready dispersion within various polymeric matrices (such as cellulose and its derivative forms), owing to their large surface area, based on a carbon skeleton with many functional groups (i.e., hydroxyl, carboxyl, epoxy bridge, and carbonyl moieties). This results in new synergic properties due to the presence of both components (GO or rGO and polymers), acting at different length-scales. Furthermore, they have shown efficient antimicrobial and angiogenic properties, mostly related to the intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are advantageous in wound care management. For this reason, GO or rGO integration in cellulose-based matrixes have allowed for designing highly advanced multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites with tailored properties. The current review aims to discuss a potential relationship between structural and physico-chemical properties (i.e., size, edge density, surface chemistry, hydrophilicity) of the nanocomposites with antimicrobials and angiogenic mechanisms that synergically influence the wound healing phenomenon, by paying particular attention to recent findings of GO or rGO/cellulose nanocomposites. Accordingly, after providing a general overview of cellulose and its derivatives, the production methods used for GO and rGO synthesis, the mechanisms that guide antimicrobial and angiogenic processes of tissue repair, as well as the most recent and remarkable outcomes on GO/cellulose scaffolds in wound healing applications, will be presented.

Interactions of melatonin with various signaling pathways: implications for cancer therapy

Melatonin is a neuro-hormone with conserved roles in evolution. Initially synthetized as an antioxidant molecule, it has gained prominence as a key molecule in the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Melatonin exerts its effect by binding to cytoplasmic and intra-nuclear receptors, and is able to regulate the expression of key mediators of different signaling pathways. This ability has led scholars to investigate the role of melatonin in reversing the process of carcinogenesis, a process in which many signaling pathways are involved, and regulating these pathways may be of clinical significance. In this review, the role of melatonin in regulating multiple signaling pathways with important roles in cancer progression is discussed, and evidence regarding the beneficence of targeting malignancies with this approach is presented.

Baseline Ang-2 Serum Levels as a Predictive Factor for Survival in NSCLC and SCLC

Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) has been implicated in the development of several types of cancer, including lung malignancy. In the present study, we examined the impact of Ang-2 serum concentration on the development, dissemination, and 5-year overall survival of NSCLC and SCLC. A total of 99 patients with lung cancer were tested. The OS of NSCLC and SCLC patients was estimated using Kaplan−Meier curves and compared through log-rank test. The median serum level of Ang-2 at baseline in both NSCLC and SCLC patients was significantly higher than that of controls (p < 0.0001). The Ang-2 serum concentration was not related to metastasis, neither in NSCLC nor in SCLC cases. The OS was found to be significantly shorter for stage IIIβ NSCLC patients with a high baseline Ang-2 serum concentration (p = 0.012), while Cox regression analysis showed that Ang-2 is a significant independent factor for poor prognosis for stage IIIβ NSCLC (hazard ratio = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.05−8.40, p = 0.04). The concentration of Ang-2 has no impact on the prognosis of SCLC. Ang-2 could be considered as a significant molecular marker that enables the prediction of NSCLC and SCLC development, and is involved in the poor prognosis of stage IIIβ NSCLC.

A homogalacturonan from Lonicera japonica Thunb. disrupts angiogenesis via epidermal growth factor receptor and Delta-like 4 associated signaling

A homogeneous polysaccharide named as LJW2F2 was extracted and purified from the flowers of Lonicera japonica Thunb. Structural characteristic indicated that LJW2F2 was a homogalacturonan composed of α-1,4-D-galacturonic acid with a molecular weight of 7.2 kDa. Previous investigation suggested that homogalacturonan might impede angiogenesis, however the mechanism is still vague. Here we reported that LJW2F2 significantly disrupted capillary-like tube formation of human microvascular endothelia cells (HMEC-1) on matrigel as well as the cells migration. Mechanism study revealed that LJW2F2 might inactivate phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), subsequently suppress Raf, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and extracellular-related kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Moreover, LJW2F2 markedly decreased the expression of Notch1 and Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4). Therefore, our results suggested that LJW2F2 might be a potential angiogenesis inhibitor via disturbing multiple signaling pathways.

Insights on the potential oncogenic impact of long non-coding RNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase antisense RNA 1 in different cancer types; integrating pathway(s) and clinical outcome(s) association

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are becoming more prevalent in the cancer field arena, with functional roles in both oncogenic and onco-suppressive pathways. Despite their widespread aberrant expression in a range of human malignancies, the biological activities of the ncRNAs majority are unknown. All showed the involvement of the lncRNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase antisense RNA 1 (NNT-AS1). Since NNT-AS1 influences cellular proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and metastasis, this lncRNA appears to be linked to deregulating the normal cellular processes driving malignancy. This was observed in breast cancer (BC), gastric cancer (GC), colorectal cancer (CRC), epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The current narrative non-systematic review will discuss "the significance of lncRNAs in cancer", as well as "lncRNAs future potential application(s) as diagnostic or predictive biomarkers", therefore, comprising an opportunity as treatment target(s). The review will have a special emphasis on lncRNA NNT-AS1.

Utility of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Diagnosis, Monitoring and Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer Patients

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. It is characterized by a high mortality rate, which is mainly due to the asymptomatic course of the disease. In light of the high mortality rate and increasing morbidity, new diagnostic methods are being explored to enable earlier detection, better monitoring, and improved prognosis. Such diagnostic methods include the assessment of tumor markers in various biological samples. Among the markers currently being investigated, extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are of particular interest. The objective of this article was to compile the existing knowledge of MMPs in ovarian cancer patients and to describe their potential diagnostic utility. Additionally, this article provides an overview of the symptoms, complications, and risk factors associated with ovarian cancer and the role of MMPs in physiology and pathology. Preliminary results indicate that tissue expression and blood and body fluid levels of MMPs may be different in ovarian cancer patients than in healthy women. The expression and concentration of individual MMPs have been shown to be correlated with cancer stage and disease severity. In addition, the preliminary value of some of these enzymes in predicting prognosis is discussed. However, as the amount of data is limited, more studies are needed to fully evaluate the potential function of individual MMPs in ovarian cancer patients. Based on the knowledge gathered for this article, it seems that MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-13, are tentatively the most useful. A thorough evaluation of their utility as modern biomarkers in ovarian cancer requires further investigation.

Caerin 1.1/1.9 Enhances Antitumour Immunity by Activating the IFN-α Response Signalling Pathway of Tumour Macrophages

Macrophages are one of the essential components of the tumour microenvironment (TME) of many cancers and show complex heterogeneity and functions. More recent research has been focusing on the characterisation of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs). Previously, our study demonstrated that caerin 1.1/1.9 peptides significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy of combined specific immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade in a murine transplantable tumour model (TC-1). In this study, the mice inoculated with TC-1 tumour were immunised differently. The TAMs were isolated using flow cytometry and characterised by cytokine ELISA. The survival rates of mice with different treatments containing caerin 1.1/19 were assessed comparatively, including those with/without macrophage depletion. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of previous studies were integrated to further reveal the functions of TAMs with the treatments containing caerin 1.1/1.9. As a comparison, the TAMs of stage I and II cervical cancer patients were analysed using scRNA-seq analysis. We demonstrate that caerin induced tumour clearance is associated with infiltration of tumours by IL-12 secreting Ly6C+F4/80+ macrophages exhibiting enhanced IFN-α response signalling, renders animals resistant to further tumour challenge, which is lost after macrophage depletion. Our results indicate that caerin 1.1/1.9 treatment has great potential in improving current immunotherapy efficacy.

Design, Synthesis, Molecular Modeling, and Anticancer Evaluation of New VEGFR-2 Inhibitors Based on the Indolin-2-One Scaffold

A new series of indoline-2-one derivatives was designed and synthesized based on the essential pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Anti-proliferative activities were assessed for all derivatives against breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines, using sunitinib as a reference agent. The most potent anti-proliferative derivatives were evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibition activity. The effects of the most potent inhibitor, 17a, on cell cycle, apoptosis, and expression of apoptotic markers (caspase-3&-9, BAX, and Bcl-2) were studied. Molecular modeling studies, such as docking simulations, physicochemical properties prediction, and pharmacokinetic profiling were performed. The results revealed that derivatives 5b, 10e, 10g, 15a, and 17a exhibited potent anticancer activities with IC50 values from 0.74-4.62 µM against MCF-7 cell line (sunitinib IC50 = 4.77 µM) and from 1.13-8.81 µM against HepG2 cell line (sunitinib IC50 = 2.23 µM). Furthermore, these compounds displayed potent VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 0.160, 0.358, 0.087, 0.180, and 0.078 µM, respectively (sunitinib IC50 = 0.139 µM). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated the ability of 17a to induce a cell cycle arrest of the HepG2 cells at the S phase and increase the total apoptosis by 3.5-fold. Moreover, 17a upregulated the expression levels of apoptotic markers caspase-3 and -9 by 6.9-fold and 3.7-fold, respectively. In addition, 17a increased the expression level of BAX by 2.7-fold while decreasing the expression level of Bcl-2 by 1.9-fold. The molecular docking simulations displayed enhanced binding interactions and similar placement as sunitinib inside the active pocket of VEGFR-2. The molecular modeling calculations showed that all the test compounds were in accordance with Lipinski and Veber rules for oral bioavailability and had promising drug-likeness behavior.

Identification of a naturally-occurring canine model for early detection and intervention research in high grade urothelial carcinoma

Background

Early detection and intervention research is expected to improve the outcomes for patients with high grade muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma (InvUC). With limited patients in suitable high-risk study cohorts, relevant animal model research is critical. Experimental animal models often fail to adequately represent human cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of dogs with high breed-associated risk for naturally-occurring InvUC to serve as relevant models for early detection and intervention research. The feasibility of screening and early intervention, and similarities and differences between canine and human tumors, and early and later canine tumors were determined.

Methods

STs (n=120) ≥ 6 years old with no outward evidence of urinary disease were screened at 6-month intervals for 3 years with physical exam, ultrasonography, and urinalysis with sediment exam. Cystoscopic biopsy was performed in dogs with positive screening tests. The pathological, clinical, and molecular characteristics of the "early" cancer detected by screening were determined. Transcriptomic signatures were compared between the early tumors and published findings in human InvUC, and to more advanced "later" canine tumors from STs who had the typical presentation of hematuria and urinary dysfunction. An early intervention trial of an oral cyclooxygenase inhibitor, deracoxib, was conducted in dogs with cancer detected through screening.

Results

Biopsy-confirmed bladder cancer was detected in 32 (27%) of 120 STs including InvUC (n=29, three starting as dysplasia), grade 1 noninvasive cancer (n=2), and carcinoma in situ (n=1). Transcriptomic signatures including druggable targets such as EGFR and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, were very similar between canine and human InvUC, especially within luminal and basal molecular subtypes. Marked transcriptomic differences were noted between early and later canine tumors, particularly within luminal subtype tumors. The deracoxib remission rate (42% CR+PR) compared very favorably to that with single-agent cyclooxygenase inhibitors in more advanced canine InvUC (17-25%), supporting the value of early intervention.

Conclusions

The study defined a novel naturally-occurring animal model to complement experimental models for early detection and intervention research in InvUC. Research incorporating the canine model is expected to lead to improved outcomes for humans, as well as pet dogs, facing bladder cancer.

Ultrasound super-resolution imaging for differential diagnosis of breast masses

OBJECTIVE

Ultrasound imaging has been widely used in breast cancer screening. Recently, ultrasound super-resolution imaging (SRI) has shown the capability to break the diffraction limit to display microvasculature. However, the application of SRI on differential diagnosis of breast masses remains unknown. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility and clinical value of SRI for visualizing microvasculature and differential diagnosis of breast masses.

METHODS

B mode, color-Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images of 46 patients were collected respectively. SRI were generated by localizations of each possible contrast signals. Micro-vessel density (MVD) and microvascular flow rate (MFR) were calculated from SRI and time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI) and area under the curve (AUC) were obtained by quantitative analysis of CEUS images respectively. Pathological results were considered as the gold standard. Independent chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed using these parameters to examine the correlation.

RESULTS

The results showed that SRI technique could be successfully applied on breast masses and display microvasculature at a significantly higher resolution than the conventional CDFI and CEUS images. The results showed that the PI, AUC, MVD and MFR of malignant breast masses were significantly higher than those of benign breast masses, while TTP was significantly lower than that of benign breast masses. Among all five parameters, MVD showed the highest positive correlation with the malignancy of breast masses.

CONCLUSIONS

SRI is able to successfully display the microvasculature of breast masses. Compared with CDFI and CEUS, SRI can provide additional morphological and functional information for breast masses. MVD has a great potential in assisting the differential diagnosis of breast masses as an important imaging marker.

Potential Application of Exosomes in Vaccine Development and Delivery

Exosomes are cell-derived components composed of proteins, lipid, genetic information, cytokines, and growth factors. They play a vital role in immune modulation, cell-cell communication, and response to inflammation. Immune modulation has downstream effects on the regeneration of damaged tissue, promoting survival and repair of damaged resident cells, and promoting the tumor microenvironment via growth factors, antigens, and signaling molecules. On top of carrying biological messengers like mRNAs, miRNAs, fragmented DNA, disease antigens, and proteins, exosomes modulate internal cell environments that promote downstream cell signaling pathways to facilitate different disease progression and induce anti-tumoral effects. In this review, we have summarized how vaccines modulate our immune response in the context of cancer and infectious diseases and the potential of exosomes as vaccine delivery vehicles. Both pre-clinical and clinical studies show that exosomes play a decisive role in processes like angiogenesis, prognosis, tumor growth metastasis, stromal cell activation, intercellular communication, maintaining cellular and systematic homeostasis, and antigen-specific T- and B cell responses. This critical review summarizes the advancement of exosome based vaccine development and delivery, and this comprehensive review can be used as a valuable reference for the broader delivery science community.

Green nanoparticles as multifunctional nanomedicines: Insights into anti-inflammatory effects, growth signaling and apoptosis mechanism in cancer

Recently, green nanotechnology got great attention due to their reliable, sustainable, and eco-friendly synthesis protocols. The green nanoparticles (GNPs) are preferred over chemically synthesized nanoparticles owing to less destructive effects associated with the synthesis procedures as well as therapeutic involvement. In this review, we have discussed the applications of GNPs in inflammation-mediated disorders, with special emphasis on cancer, initiated due to oxidative stress and inflammatory cascade. Real-time mechanism based studies on GNPs have suggested their anticancer effects through inducing apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, tissue invasion metastasis, reduced replicative capabilities in addition to target specific different signaling molecules and cascades involved in the development or progression of cancer. Moreover, the association of GNPs with the inhibition or induction of autophagy for the management of cancer has also been discussed. A large number of studies showed the GNPs have multifunctional biomedical properties of theranostic prominence. Therefore, the development of GNPs with naturally established systems could upsurge their definite applications as biomedicines including target specific destruction of the cancerous cells.

Ultrasound super-resolution imaging for the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules: A pilot study

Objective

Ultrasound imaging provides a fast and safe examination of thyroid nodules. Recently, the introduction of super-resolution imaging technique shows the capability of breaking the Ultrasound diffraction limit in imaging the micro-vessels. The aim of this study was to evaluate its feasibility and value for the differentiation of thyroid nodules.

Methods

In this study, B-mode, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and color Doppler flow imaging examinations were performed on thyroid nodules in 24 patients. Super-resolution imaging was performed to visualize the microvasculature with finer details. Microvascular flow rate (MFR) and micro-vessel density (MVD) within thyroid nodules were computed. The MFR and MVD were used to differentiate the benign and malignant thyroid nodules with pathological results as a gold standard.

Results

Super-resolution imaging (SRI) technique can be successfully applied on human thyroid nodules to visualize the microvasculature with finer details and obtain the useful clinical information MVD and MFR to help differential diagnosis. The results suggested that the mean value of the MFR within benign thyroid nodule was 16.76 ± 6.82 mm/s whereas that within malignant thyroid was 9.86 ± 4.54 mm/s. The mean value of the MVD within benign thyroid was 0.78 while the value for malignant thyroid region was 0.59. MFR and MVD within the benign thyroid nodules were significantly higher than those within the malignant thyroid nodules respectively (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the feasibility of ultrasound super-resolution imaging to show micro-vessels of human thyroid nodules via a clinical ultrasound platform. The important imaging markers, such as MVD and MFR, can be derived from SRI to provide more useful clinical information. It has the potential to be a new tool for aiding differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Dichotomy in Growth and Invasion from Low- to High-Grade Glioma Cellular Variants

Glial dysfunction outraging CNS plasticity and integrity results in one of the most dangerous cancers, namely glioma, featuring little median survival period and high recurrence. The hallmark properties of proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis with the infiltrated macrophages in glioma are expected to be tightly coupled or cross-linked, but not properly related so far. The present study is aimed to find a relationship between this featured quadrangle from lower to higher grades (HG) of post-operative glioma tissues and their invading subsets. Elevated Ki67-associated proliferation in lower grades (LG) was supported with VEGF dependent angiogenic maintenance which found a decrease unlikely in HG. In contrast, MMP 2 and 9-associated invasions augmented high in HG with the dominant presence of CD204+ M2 polarized macrophages and a general increase in global DNMT1-associated methylation. Marked differences found in ECM invading cellular subsets of HG showing high proliferative capacity indicating rationally for recurrence, contrasting the nature of gross tumor tissue of the same grade. Thus in LG, the neoplastic lesion is more inclined to its growth while in higher grade more disposed towards tissue wreckage in support with cellular environmental milieu whereas the cellular variants and subsets of invaded cells showed different trends. Therefore, some operational dichotomy or coupling among cellular variants in glioma is active in determining its low- to high-grade transition and aggressive progression.

Resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors promotes renal cancer progression through MCPIP1 tumor-suppressor downregulation and c-Met activation

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the most commonly used targeted therapeutics in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); however, drug resistance limits their utility and can lead to tumor "flare-up" and progression. In this study, we show that RCC resistance to sunitinib and sorafenib involves different mechanisms and leads to increased malignancy. Sunitinib decreased tumor growth and cell motility along with increased E-cadherin expression and secretion of the proangiogenic cytokines IL6 and IL8, which activated senescence in ccRCC cells and led to VE-cadherin phosphorylation, enhancing tumor angiogenesis. Sorafenib resistance increased the levels of mesenchymal markers and the secretion of MMP9, which cleaved VE-cadherin and disrupted endothelial cell integrity. Both sunitinib resistance and sorafenib resistance led to activation of the c-Met receptor IRAK1 and downregulation of the tumor suppressor MCPIP1, resulting in an increase in the metastasis of resistant cells, possibly due in part to enhanced vascularization of ccRCC. MCPIP1 overexpression partially overcame resistance to these drugs by decreasing micrometastasis and decreasing the expression of factors involved in tumorigenesis. In tumor samples from ccRCC patients, we observed a significant increase in the level of the c-Met receptor, IRAK1 and a decrease in MCPIP1 with respect to normal kidney tissue. Our results indicate separate novel mechanisms for sunitinib and sorafenib resistance, which both lead to MCPIP1 inhibition and ccRCC progression. The presented study suggests caution in the treatment of RCC with TKIs, which may lead to the unintended outcome of tumor progression.

Bioinformatics analysis reveals the potential target of rosiglitazone as an antiangiogenic agent for breast cancer therapy

Background

Several studies have demonstrated the antitumor activity of rosiglitazone (RGZ) in cancer cells, including breast cancer cells. However, the molecular targets of RGZ in the inhibition of angiogenesis in breast cancer cells remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential targets of RGZ in inhibiting breast cancer angiogenesis using bioinformatics-based analysis.

Results

Venn diagram analysis revealed 29 TR proteins. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that TR regulated the adipocytokine, AMPK, and PPAR signaling pathways. Oncoprint analysis showed genetic alterations in FABP4 (14%), ADIPOQ (2.9%), PPARG (2.8%), PPARGC1A (1.5%), CD36 (1.7%), and CREBBP (11%) in patients with breast cancer in a TCGA study. The mRNA levels of FABP4, ADIPOQ, PPARG, CD36, and PPARGC1A were significantly lower in patients with breast cancer than in those without breast cancer. Analysis of gene expression using bc-GenExMiner showed that the mRNA levels of FABP, ADIPOQ, PPARG, CD36, PPARGC1A, and CREBBP were significantly lower in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells than in non-basal-like and non-TNBC cells. In general, the protein levels of these genes were low, except for that of CREBBP. Patients with breast cancer who had low mRNA levels of FABP4, ADIPOQ, PPARG, and PPARGC1A had lower overall survival rates than those with high mRNA levels, which was supported by the overall survival related to DNA methylation. Correlation analysis of immune cell infiltration with TR showed a correlation between TR and immune cell infiltration, highlighting the potential of RGZ for immunotherapy.

Conclusion

This study explored the potential targets of RGZ as antiangiogenic agents in breast cancer therapy and highlighted FABP4, ADIPOQ, PPARG, PPARGC1A, CD36, and CREBBP as potential targets of RGZ. These findings require further validation to explore the potential of RGZ as an antiangiogenic agent.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12863-022-01086-2.

Recent studies have focused on the development of indirect angiogenesis inhibitors.

Bioinformatics-based identification of potential rosiglitazone target genes to inhibit breast cancer angiogenesis.

FABP4, ADIPOQ, PPARG, PPARGC1A, CD36, and CREBBP are potential targets of rosiglitazone.

The Potential of Curcumin-Capped Nanoparticle Synthesis in Cancer Therapy: A Green Synthesis Approach

Cancer nanotherapeutics is an important field of research which utilizes nanomaterials as an approach to cancer therapy. Nano-mediated therapeutic delivery systems overcome the adverse side effects of traditional cancer treatment methods. Nanoparticles (NPs) are considered excellent tumor-targeting vehicles due to their compact and variable size, large surface area, ability to load several genes and drugs, and mediation of increased therapeutic payload uptake. Despite the rapid development of nanotechnology, there is growing concern regarding the possible long-term side effects of NPs on the environment and human health. Green chemistry using plant materials, such as curcumin, is a sustainable alternative to conventional reduction methods and confers dual reducing and capping properties. Curcumin is a bioactive compound isolated from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant, which exhibits various medicinal properties. Curcumin-capped NPs exhibit increased solubility, bioavailability, therapeutic indices, and antitumor properties. This review highlights the potential and antitumor properties of economical, simple, and eco-friendly curcumin-synthesized and capped NPs for the localized delivery of therapeutic genes and drugs to the cancer tumor microenvironment with fewer adverse side effects.

Naturally derived indole alkaloids targeting regulated cell death (RCD) for cancer therapy: from molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets

Regulated cell death (RCD) is a critical and active process that is controlled by specific signal transduction pathways and can be regulated by genetic signals or drug interventions. Meanwhile, RCD is closely related to the occurrence and therapy of multiple human cancers. Generally, RCD subroutines are the key signals of tumorigenesis, which are contributed to our better understanding of cancer pathogenesis and therapeutics. Indole alkaloids derived from natural sources are well defined for their outstanding biological and pharmacological properties, like vincristine, vinblastine, staurosporine, indirubin, and 3,3′-diindolylmethane, which are currently used in the clinic or under clinical assessment. Moreover, such compounds play a significant role in discovering novel anticancer agents. Thus, here we systemically summarized recent advances in indole alkaloids as anticancer agents by targeting different RCD subroutines, including the classical apoptosis and autophagic cell death signaling pathways as well as the crucial signaling pathways of other RCD subroutines, such as ferroptosis, mitotic catastrophe, necroptosis, and anoikis, in cancer. Moreover, we further discussed the cross talk between different RCD subroutines mediated by indole alkaloids and the combined strategies of multiple agents (e.g., 3,10-dibromofascaplysin combined with olaparib) to exhibit therapeutic potential against various cancers by regulating RCD subroutines. In short, the information provided in this review on the regulation of cell death by indole alkaloids against different targets is expected to be beneficial for the design of novel molecules with greater targeting and biological properties, thereby facilitating the development of new strategies for cancer therapy.

Anti-PTK7 Monoclonal Antibodies Inhibit Angiogenesis by Suppressing PTK7 Function

Simple Summary

PTK7 is a catalytically defective receptor protein tyrosine kinase. We previously demonstrated that PTK7 enhances angiogenesis by interacting with KDR, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor important for angiogenesis, and activating it through oligomerization. To control angiogenesis by inhibiting PTK7 function, we developed anti-PTK7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The selected PTK7 mAbs reduced VEGF-induced angiogenic phenotypes of endothelial cells and angiogenesis ex vivo and in vivo. The PTK7 mAbs also inhibited VEGF-induced KDR activation in endothelial cells and its downstream signaling and PTK7–KDR interaction. Our results show that the PTK7 mAbs inhibit angiogenesis by blocking PTK7 function. Therefore, PTK7 mAbs could be applied as therapeutics to control angiogenesis-associated diseases such as metastatic cancers.

Abstract

PTK7, a catalytically defective receptor protein tyrosine kinase, promotes angiogenesis by activating KDR through direct interaction and induction of KDR oligomerization. This study developed anti-PTK7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to regulate angiogenesis by inhibiting PTK7 function. The effect of anti-PTK7 mAbs on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenic phenotypes in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) was examined. Analysis of mAb binding with PTK7 deletion mutants revealed that mAb-43 and mAb-52 recognize immunoglobulin (Ig) domain 2 of PTK7, whereas mAb-32 and mAb-50 recognize Ig domains 6–7. Anti-PTK7 mAbs inhibited VEGF-induced adhesion and wound healing in HUVECs. mAb-32, mAb-43, and mAb-52 dose-dependently mitigated VEGF-induced migration and invasion in HUVECs without exerting cytotoxic effects. Additionally, mAb-32, mAb-43, and mAb-52 inhibited capillary-like tube formation in HUVECs, and mAb-32 and mAb-43 suppressed angiogenesis ex vivo (aortic ring assay) and in vivo (Matrigel plug assay). Furthermore, mAb-32 and mAb-43 downregulated VEGF-induced KDR activation and downstream signaling and inhibited PTK7–KDR interaction in PTK7-overexpressing and KDR-overexpressing HEK293 cells. Thus, anti-PTK7 mAbs inhibit angiogenic phenotypes by blocking PTK7–KDR interaction. These findings indicate that anti-PTK7 mAbs that neutralize PTK7 function can alleviate impaired angiogenesis-associated pathological conditions, such as cancer metastasis.

Emerging Trends in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Recent advances in cancer immunology have enabled the discovery of promising immunotherapies for various malignancies that have shifted the cancer treatment paradigm. The innovative research and clinical advancements of immunotherapy approaches have prolonged the survival of patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic cancers. Since the U.S. FDA approved the first immune checkpoint inhibitor in 2011, the field of cancer immunotherapy has grown exponentially. Multiple therapeutic approaches or agents to manipulate different aspects of the immune system are currently in development. These include cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapies (such as CAR-T or NK cell therapy), monoclonal antibodies, cytokine therapies, oncolytic viruses, and inhibitors targeting immune checkpoints that have demonstrated promising clinical efficacy. Multiple immunotherapeutic approaches have been approved for specific cancer treatments, while others are currently in preclinical and clinical trial stages. Given the success of immunotherapy, there has been a tremendous thrust to improve the clinical efficacy of various agents and strategies implemented so far. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the development and clinical implementation of various immunotherapy approaches currently being used to treat cancer. We also highlight the latest developments, emerging trends, limitations, and future promises of cancer immunotherapy.

Heat shock proteins: Biological functions, pathological roles, and therapeutic opportunities

The heat shock proteins (HSPs) are ubiquitous and conserved protein families in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and they maintain cellular proteostasis and protect cells from stresses. HSP protein families are classified based on their molecular weights, mainly including large HSPs, HSP90, HSP70, HSP60, HSP40, and small HSPs. They function as molecular chaperons in cells and work as an integrated network, participating in the folding of newly synthesized polypeptides, refolding metastable proteins, protein complex assembly, dissociating protein aggregate dissociation, and the degradation of misfolded proteins. In addition to their chaperone functions, they also play important roles in cell signaling transduction, cell cycle, and apoptosis regulation. Therefore, malfunction of HSPs is related with many diseases, including cancers, neurodegeneration, and other diseases. In this review, we describe the current understandings about the molecular mechanisms of the major HSP families including HSP90/HSP70/HSP60/HSP110 and small HSPs, how the HSPs keep the protein proteostasis and response to stresses, and we also discuss their roles in diseases and the recent exploration of HSP related therapy and diagnosis to modulate diseases. These research advances offer new prospects of HSPs as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

The Role of Periostin in Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis in Tumors

Simple Summary

Cancers are common diseases that affect people of all ages worldwide. For this reason, continuous attempts are being made to improve current therapeutic options. The formation of metastases significantly decreases patient survival. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that are involved in this process seems to be crucial for effective cancer therapy. Cancer dissemination occurs mainly through blood and lymphatic vessels. As a result, many scientists have conducted a number of studies on the formation of new vessels. Many studies have shown that proangiogenic factors and the extracellular matrix protein, i.e., periostin, may be important in tumor angio- and lymphangiogenesis, thus contributing to metastasis formation and worsening of the prognosis.

Abstract

Periostin (POSTN) is a protein that is part of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and which significantly affects the control of intracellular signaling pathways (PI3K-AKT, FAK) through binding integrin receptors (αvβ3, αvβ5, α6β4). In addition, increased POSTN expression enhances the expression of VEGF family growth factors and promotes Erk phosphorylation. As a result, this glycoprotein controls the Erk/VEGF pathway. Therefore, it plays a crucial role in the formation of new blood and lymphatic vessels, which may be significant in the process of metastasis. Moreover, POSTN is involved in the proliferation, progression, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells. Its increased expression has been detected in many cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung carcinoma and glioblastoma. Many studies have shown that this protein may be an independent prognostic and predictive factor in many cancers, which may influence the choice of optimal therapy.

Molecular subtypes, clinical significance, and tumor immune landscape of angiogenesis-related genes in ovarian cancer

Angiogenesis is a physiological process, where new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels through the mechanism called sprouting. It plays a significant role in supporting tumor growth and is expected to provide novel therapeutic ideas for treating tumors that are resistant to conventional therapies. We investigated the expression pattern of angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) in ovarian cancer (OV) from public databases, in which the patients could be classified into two differential ARG clusters. It was observed that patients in ARGcluster B would have a better prognosis but lower immune cell infiltration levels in the tumor microenvironment. Then ARG score was computed based on differentially expressed genes via cox analysis, which exhibited a strong correlation to copy number variation, immunophenoscore, tumor mutation load, and chemosensitivity. In addition, according to the median risk score, patients were separated into two risk subgroups, of which the low-risk group had a better prognosis, increased immunogenicity, and stronger immunotherapy efficacy. Furthermore, we constructed a prognostic nomogram and demonstrated its predictive value. These findings help us better understand the role of ARGs in OV and offer new perspectives for clinical prognosis and personalized treatment.

Circ_0000144 acts as a miR-1178-3p decoy to promote cell malignancy and angiogenesis by increasing YWHAH expression in papillary thyroid cancer

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid cancer. Circular RNA hsa_circ_0000144 (circ_0000144) is related to the progression of thyroid cancer. However, the mechanism by which circ_0000144 accelerates PTC progression is still unclear. Circ_0000144 and YWHAH were upregulated in PTC tissues and cells, while miR-1178-3p had an opposite result. Circ_0000144 silencing constrained PTC cell growth in vitro and in vivo and induced apoptosis and repressed migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of PTC cells in vitro. Circ_0000144 acted as a molecular sponge for miR-1178-3p, which targeted YWHAH. MiR-1178-3p inhibitor reversed circ_0000144 silencing-mediated influence on PTC cell malignancy and angiogenesis. Furthermore, YWHAH overexpression overturned miR-1178-3p mimic-mediated influence on malignant behaviors and angiogenesis of PTC cells. Notably, circ_0000144 regulated YWHAH expression by adsorbing miR-1178-3p. Circ_0000144 promoted cell malignancy and angiogenesis by regulating the miR-1178-3p/YWHAH axis in PTC, offering a novel mechanism for the malignancy and angiogenesis of PTC cells.

Inhibition of circ_0000144 repressed malignant behaviors and angiogenesis of PTC cells in vitro.

Knockdown of circ_0000144 constrained PTC cell proliferation in vivo.

Circ_0000144 acted as a miR-1178-3p sponge.

YWHAH acted as a downstream target for miR-1178-3p.

A novel and easy to prepare azo-based bioreductive linker and its application in hypoxia-sensitive cationic liposomal doxorubicin: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo studies in mice bearing C26 tumor

This study designed and synthesized a cost-effective azo-based hypoxia-sensitive linker (AHSL) using commercially accessible, inexpensive raw materials and simple methods to apply in cationic nanoliposomes. Then, AHSL was post-inserted into the cationic liposome (Cat-lip), and PEG-Azo-Cat-lip was prepared and characterized using DLS. The decrease in the zeta-potential of formulation from + 18.4 mV for Cat-lip to + 6.1 mV and the increase in the size of the PEG-Azo-Cat-lip indicated the successful post insertion of AHSL into the liposomes. The Doxorubicin (Dox) release study showed that PEGylation results in a more stable PEG-Azo-Cat-lip than the Cat-lip. The increased cytotoxicity of the PEG-Azo-Cat-lip in the hypoxic condition also indicated the cleavage of the AHSL in the hypoxic environment. In vivo biodistribution using animal imaging has shown higher tumor accumulation of the MPEG-Azo-Cat-lip than Cat-lip during the 120 h of the study. The results of anti-tumor activities and biosafety of the formulations also showed the higher efficiency of the MPEG-Azo-Cat-lip compared with the Cat-lip. The results of this study indicated the antitumor efficacy of this hypoxia-sensitive which merits further investigation.

The novel transcriptomic signature of angiogenesis predicts clinical outcome, tumor microenvironment and treatment response for prostate adenocarcinoma

Angiogenesis plays the critical roles in promoting tumor progression, aggressiveness, and metastasis. Although few studies have revealed some angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) could serve as prognosis-related biomarkers for the prostate cancer (PCa), the integrated role of ARGs has not been systematically studied. The RNA-sequencing data and clinical information of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as discovery dataset. Twenty-three ARGs in total were identified to be correlated with prognosis of PRAD by the univariate Cox regression analysis, and a 19-ARG signature was further developed with significant correlation with the disease-free survival (DFS) of PRAD by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression with tenfold cross-validation. The signature stratified PRAD patients into high- and low-ARGs signature score groups, and those with high ARGs signature score were associated with significantly poorer outcomes (median DFS: 62.71 months vs unreached, p < 0.0001). The predicting ability of ARGs signature was subsequently validated in two independent cohorts of GSE40272 & PRAD_MSKCC. Notably, the 19-ARG signature outperformed the typical clinical features or each involved ARG in predicting the DFS of PRAD. Furthermore, a prognostic nomogram was constructed with three independent prognostic factors, including the ARGs signature, T stage and Gleason score. The predicted results from the nomogram (C-index = 0.799, 95%CI = 0.744-0.854) matched well with the observed outcomes, which was verified by the calibration curves. The values of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for DFS at 1-, 3-, 5-year for the nomogram were 0.82, 0.83, and 0.83, respectively, indicating the performance of nomogram model is of reasonably high accuracy and robustness. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated the potential targets of E2F targets, G2M checkpoint pathways, and cell cycle pathways to suppress the PRAD progression. Of note, the high-risk PRAD patients were more sensitive to immune therapies, but Treg might hinder benefits from immunotherapies. Additionally, this established tool also could predict response to neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and some chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, and docetaxel, etc. The novel ARGs signature, with prognostic significance, can further promote the application of targeted therapies in different stratifications of PCa patients.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Anti-Neoplastic Agents: New Insight into Anticancer Mechanisms of Stem Cells and Exosomes

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as adult multipotent cells, possess considerable regenerative and anti-neoplastic effects, from inducing apoptosis in the cancer cells to reducing multidrug resistance that bring them up as an appropriate alternative for cancer treatment. These cells can alter the behavior of cancer cells, the condition of the tumor microenvironment, and the activity of immune cells that result in tumor regression. It has been observed that during inflammatory conditions, a well-known feature of the tumor microenvironment, the MSCs produce and release some molecules called "antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)" with demonstrated anti-neoplastic effects. These peptides have remarkable targeted anticancer effects by attaching to the negatively charged membrane of neoplastic cells, disrupting the membrane, and interfering with intracellular pathways. Therefore, AMPs could be considered as a part of the wide-ranging anti-neoplastic effects of MSCs. This review focuses on the possible anti-neoplastic effects of MSCs-derived AMPs and their mechanisms. It also discusses preconditioning approaches and using exosomes to enhance AMP production and delivery from MSCs to cancer cells. Besides, the clinical administration of MSCs-derived AMPs, along with their challenges in clinical practice, were debated.

Physiologically relevant curcuminoids inhibit angiogenesis via VEGFR2 in human aortic endothelial cells

Angiogenesis is a complex process encompassing endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. While numerous studies describe that curcumin exerts antitumor properties (e.g., targeting angiogenesis), information regarding other dietary curcuminoids such as demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BisDMC) is scant. In this study, we evaluated the antiangiogenic activities of these three curcuminoids at physiological concentrations (0.1-5 μM) on endothelial cell migration and tubulogenesis and the underlying associated mechanisms on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Results showed that the individual compounds and a representative mixture inhibited the tubulogenic and migration capacity of endothelial cells dose-dependently, while sparing cell viability. Notably, DMC and BisDMC at 0.1 and 1 μM showed higher capacity than curcumin inhibiting tubulogenesis. These compounds also reduced phosphorylation of the VEGFR2 and the downstream ERK and Akt pathways in VEGF₁₆₅-stimulated cells. In silico analysis showed that curcuminoids could bind the VEGFR2 antagonizing the VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. These findings suggest that physiologically concentrations of curcuminoids might counteract pro-angiogenic stimuli relevant to tumorigenic processes.

Novel Drugs with High Efficacy against Tumor Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is involved in physiological and pathological processes in the body. Tumor angiogenesis is a key factor associated with tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Therefore, there is great interest in developing antiangiogenic strategies. Hypoxia is the basic initiating factor of tumor angiogenesis, which leads to the increase of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin (Ang), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1), etc. in hypoxic cells. The pathways of VEGF and Ang are considered to be critical steps in tumor angiogenesis. A number of antiangiogenic drugs targeting VEGF/VEGFR (VEGF receptor) or ANG/Tie2, or both, are currently being used for cancer treatment, or are still in various stages of clinical development or preclinical evaluation. This article aims to review the mechanisms of angiogenesis and tumor angiogenesis and to focus on new drugs and strategies for the treatment of antiangiogenesis. However, antitumor angiogenic drugs alone may not be sufficient to eradicate tumors. The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is considered a promising molecular target. The VEGFR system and its downstream signaling molecules depend on the function of HSP90. This article also briefly introduces the role of HSP90 in angiogenesis and some HSP90 inhibitors.

Quercetin Improves the Anti-angiogenic Property of 5-Fluorouracil on the Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells HUVEC Cell Line

Background: Angiogenesis provides the oxygen and nutrients needed for metastasis and tumor growth, so by inhibiting angiogenesis, metastasis to other parts of the body can be prevented at the first steps of cancer. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) as a common chemotherapy drug and Quercetin as a natural compound both have anti-angiogenic properties. Objectives: In the current study improvement of the anti-angiogenic property of 5-FU by combination with quercetin was investigated. Methods: After treating the cells with alone or a combination of drugs the angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) gene expression, migration, and viability of the cells were evaluated using chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, real-time RT-PCR, wound healing and MTT assay, respectively. Results: Treatment with alone 5-FU and Que led to a significant reduction in angiogenesis, VEGFR2 and VEGFR1gene expression, migration, and Cell viability. The reductions were significant in the combination state compared to alone treatment. Conclusions: The results showed that the combination treatment with Que with 5-FU enhances the anti-angiogenic property of 5-FU, so it can be proposed as a potential anti-angiogenic and as a result anti-metastatic treatment for future animal studies.

Co-Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis and Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment: A Perspective in Ethnopharmacology

Tumor angiogenesis is one of the most important processes of cancer deterioration via nurturing an immunosuppressive tumor environment (TME). Targeting tumor angiogenesis has been widely accepted as a cancer intervention approach, which is also synergistically associated with immune therapy. However, drug resistance is the biggest challenge of anti-angiogenesis therapy, which affects the outcomes of anti-angiogeneic agents, and even combined with immunotherapy. Here, emerging targets and representative candidate molecules from ethnopharmacology (including traditional Chinese medicine, TCM) have been focused, and they have been proved to regulate tumor angiogenesis. Further investigations on derivatives and delivery systems of these molecules will provide a comprehensive landscape in preclinical studies. More importantly, the molecule library of ethnopharmacology meets the viability for targeting angiogenesis and TME simultaneously, which is attributed to the pleiotropy of pro-angiogenic factors (such as VEGF) toward cancer cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells. We primarily shed light on the potentiality of ethnopharmacology against tumor angiogenesis, particularly TCM. More research studies concerning the crosstalk between angiogenesis and TME remodeling from the perspective of botanical medicine are awaited.

Biological aspects in controlling angiogenesis: current progress

All living beings continue their life by receiving energy and by excreting waste products. In animals, the arteries are the pathways of these transfers to the cells. Angiogenesis, the formation of the arteries by the development of pre-existed parental blood vessels, is a phenomenon that occurs naturally during puberty due to certain physiological processes such as menstruation, wound healing, or the adaptation of athletes' bodies during exercise. Nonetheless, the same life-giving process also occurs frequently in some patients and, conversely, occurs slowly in some physiological problems, such as cancer and diabetes, so inhibiting angiogenesis has been considered to be one of the important strategies to fight these diseases. Accordingly, in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, the highly controlled process of angiogenesis is very important in tissue repairing. Excessive angiogenesis can promote tumor progression and lack of enough angiogensis can hinder tissue repair. Thereby, both excessive and deficient angiogenesis can be problematic, this review article introduces and describes the types of factors involved in controlling angiogenesis. Considering all of the existing strategies, we will try to lay out the latest knowledge that deals with stimulating/inhibiting the angiogenesis. At the end of the article, owing to the early-reviewed mechanical aspects that overshadow angiogenesis, the strategies of angiogenesis in tissue engineering will be discussed.

A comprehensive insight into the antineoplastic activities and molecular mechanisms of deoxypodophyllotoxin: Recent trends, challenges, and future outlook

Lignans constitute an important group of polyphenols, which have been demonstrated to potently suppress cancer cell proliferation. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that deoxypodophyllotoxin as a natural lignan possesses potent anticancer activities against various types of human cancer. The purpose of current review is to provide the reader with the latest findings in understanding the anticancer effects and molecular mechanisms of deoxypodophyllotoxin. This review comprehensively describes the influence of deoxypodophyllotoxin on signaling cascades and molecular targets implicated in cancer cell proliferation and invasion. A number of various signaling molecules and pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, cell cycle, angiogenesis, vascular disruption, ROS, MMPs, glycolysis, and microtubules as well as NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and MAPK cascades have been reported to be responsible for the anticancer activities of deoxypodophyllotoxin. The results of present review suggest that the cyclolignan deoxypodophyllotoxin can be developed as a novel and potent anticancer agent, especially as an alternative option for treatment of resistant tumors to chemotherapy.

Chemotherapeutics activities of dietary phytoestrogens against prostate cancer: From observational to clinical studies

Prostate cancer remains one of the most frequent and deadliest malignancies in males, where the rate of disease progression is closely associated with the type of dietary intake, specifically Western-style diet. Indeed intake of the Asian diet, which contains abundant phytoestrogens, is inversely correlated with a higher risk of prostate cancer, suggesting a chemoprotective effect of phytoestrogen against cancer progression. Although the role of phytoestrogens in cancer treatment was well documented, their impact on prostate cancer is not well understood. Therefore, the present review discusses the possible chemopreventive effect of phytoestrogens, emphasizing their efficacy at the different stages of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, phytoestrogens provide a cytoprotective effect in conventional chemotherapy and enhance chemosensitivity to tumor cells, which have also been discussed. This compilation provides a solid basis for future research on phytoestrogens as a promising avenue for anticancer drug development and also recommends these beneficiary compounds in the daily diet to manage and prevent prostate cancer.

Optimized Heterologous Expression and Efficient Purification of a New TRAIL-Based Antitumor Fusion Protein SRH-DR5-B with Dual VEGFR2 and DR5 Receptor Specificity

In the last two decades, bifunctional proteins have been created by genetic and protein engineering methods to increase therapeutic effects in various diseases, including cancer. Unlike conventional small molecule or monotargeted drugs, bifunctional proteins have increased biological activity while maintaining low systemic toxicity. The recombinant anti-cancer cytokine TRAIL has shown a limited therapeutic effect in clinical trials. To enhance the efficacy of TRAIL, we designed the HRH–DR5-B fusion protein based on the DR5-selective mutant variant of TRAIL fused to the anti-angiogenic synthetic peptide HRHTKQRHTALH. Initially low expression of HRH–DR5-B was enhanced by the substitution of E. coli-optimized codons with AT-rich codons in the DNA sequence encoding the first 7 amino acid residues of the HRH peptide. However, the HRH–DR5-B degraded during purification to form two adjacent protein bands on the SDS-PAGE gel. The replacement of His by Ser at position P2 immediately after the initiator Met dramatically minimized degradation, allowing more than 20 mg of protein to be obtained from 200 mL of cell culture. The resulting SRH–DR5-B fusion bound the VEGFR2 and DR5 receptors with high affinity and showed increased cytotoxic activity in 3D multicellular tumor spheroids. SRH–DR5-B can be considered as a promising candidate for therapeutic applications.