A potential role for aspirin in the prevention and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

Synthesis, crystal structure and in vitro anti-proliferative activity of 2-[(4-acetyl-phen-yl)carbamo-yl]phenyl acetate

2-[(4-Acetyl-phen-yl)carbamo-yl]phenyl acetate, C17H15NO4, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. In the structure, N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions form chains of mol-ecules aligned along the [101] direction. The chains are linked by π-π and C-H⋯π inter-actions, forming a three dimensional network. The compound has been screened for in vitro anti-proliferative activity revealing considerable activity.

Current Therapeutics in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an orphan, cholestatic liver disease that is characterized by inflammatory biliary strictures with variable progression to end-stage liver disease. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Chronic biliary inflammation is likely driven by immune dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and environmental exposures resulting in gut-liver crosstalk and bile acid metabolism disturbances. There is no proven medical therapy that alters disease progression in PSC, with the commonly prescribed ursodeoxycholic acid being shown to improve liver biochemistry at low-moderate doses (15-23 mg/kg/day) but not alter transplant-free survival or liver-related outcomes. Liver transplantation is the only option for patients who develop end-stage liver disease or refractory complications of PSC. Immunosuppressive and antifibrotic agents have not proven to be effective, but there is promise for manipulation of the gut microbiome with fecal microbiota transplantation and antibiotics. Bile acid manipulation via alternate synthetic bile acids such as norursodeoxycholic acid, or interaction at a transcriptional level via nuclear receptor agonists and fibrates have shown potential in phase II trials in PSC with several leading to larger phase III trials. In view of the enhanced malignancy risk, statins, and aspirin show potential for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer and cholangiocarcinoma in PSC patients. For patients who develop clinically relevant strictures with cholestatic symptoms and worsening liver function, balloon dilatation is safer compared with biliary stent insertion with equivalent clinical efficacy.

Aspirin promotes RSL3-induced ferroptosis by suppressing mTOR/SREBP-1/SCD1-mediated lipogenesis in PIK3CA-mutant colorectal cancer

Ferroptosis, a new form of regulated cell death triggered by the iron-dependent peroxidation of phospholipids, is associated with cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis, and various signaling pathways related to cancer. Aspirin is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and has been reported to show therapeutic benefit in cancers harboring oncogenic PIK3CA, which encodes the catalytic p110α subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). In this study, we found that aspirin sensitized cancer cells harboring oncogenic activation of PIK3CA to ferroptosis induction. Mechanistically, aspirin inhibited protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, suppressed downstream sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) expression, and attenuated stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1)-mediated lipogenesis of monounsaturated fatty acids, thus promoting RSL3-induced ferroptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Moreover, genetic ablation of SREBP-1 or SCD1 conferred cancer cells greater sensitivity to ferroptosis induction. Conversely, ectopic expression of SREBP-1 or SCD1 restored ferroptosis resistance in CRC cells and abolished the effect of aspirin on RSL3-induced cytotoxicity. Additionally, the synergistic effects of aspirin and RSL3 were confirmed in a xenograft mouse model. The combined use of aspirin and RSL3 resulted in significant tumor suppression. Our work demonstrated that aspirin enhanced the cytotoxic effect of RSL3 in PIK3CA-mutant cancers, and the combination of aspirin and ferroptosis inducer displayed promising therapeutic effects in cancer treatment.

Effects of aspirin and statin use on venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and survival in patients with endometrial cancer

INTRODUCTION

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and statins are commonly used to manage and prevent cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have suggested the benefits of aspirin or statin use in venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis and survival outcome improvement in women with endometrial cancer.

AREAS COVERED

In this study, we reviewed the effects of aspirin or statin use on VTE prophylaxis and survival outcome in women with endometrial cancer.

EXPERT OPINION

Among women with endometrial cancer, aspirin use exerted a modest effect on VTE prophylaxis, whereas statin use was associated with a decreased prevalence of VTE, especially in women with obesity and type II cancer, compared with those in non-users. Aspirin use improved cause-specific survival in women with endometrial cancer, aged less than 60 years, who were obese and presented with type I cancer. Statin use was associated with better cause-specific survival in women with type II cancer. The combination of aspirin and statins may be the most effective strategy in improving on VTE prophylaxis and survival outcomes in obese women with type II cancer. Targeting of the appropriate population with endometrial cancer may enhance the efficacy of aspirin or statins on VTE prophylaxis and survival outcomes in women with endometrial cancer.

Tegaserod Maleate Inhibits Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Proliferation by Suppressing the Peroxisome Pathway

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) are the two major types of esophageal cancer (EC). ESCC accounts for 90% of EC. Recurrence after primary treatment is the main reason for poor survival. Therefore, recurrence prevention is a promising strategy for extending the 5-year survival rate. Here, we found tegaserod maleate could inhibit ESCC proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Proteomics analysis revealed that tegaserod maleate suppressed the peroxisome signaling pathway, in which the key molecules peroxisome membrane protein 11B (PEX11B) and peroxisome membrane protein 13 (PEX13) were downregulated. The immunofluorescence, catalase activity assay, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) confirmed that downregulation of these proteins was related to impaired peroxisome function. Furthermore, we found that PEX11B and PEX13 were highly expressed in ESCC, and knockout of PEX11B and PEX13 further demonstrated the antitumor effect of tegaserod maleate. Importantly, tegaserod maleate repressed ESCC tumor growth in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model in vivo. Our findings conclusively demonstrated that tegaserod maleate inhibits the proliferation of ESCC by suppressing the peroxisome pathway.