Plant natural modulators in breast cancer prevention: status quo and future perspectives reinforced by predictive, preventive, and personalized medical approach

Garlic-derived compounds: Epigenetic modulators and their antitumor effects

Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease that poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the prognosis and survival rate of cancer remain poor due to late diagnosis, drug resistance, and adverse reactions. Therefore, it is very necessary to study the development mechanism of cancer and formulate effective therapeutic interventions. As widely available bioactive substances, natural products have shown obvious anticancer potential, especially by targeting abnormal epigenetic changes. The main active part of garlic is organic sulfur compounds, of which diallyl trisulfide (DATS) content is the highest, accounting for more than 40% of the total composition. The garlic-derived compounds have been recognized as an antioxidant for cancer prevention and treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of the antitumor effect of garlic-derived compounds remains unclear. Recent studies have identified garlic-derived compound DATS that plays critical roles in enhancing CpG demethylation or promoting histone acetylation as an epigenetic inhibitor. Here, we review the therapeutic progress of garlic-derived compounds against cancer through epigenetic pathways.

Salvia officinalis L. exerts oncostatic effects in rodent and in vitro models of breast carcinoma

Introduction: Based on extensive data from oncology research, the use of phytochemicals or plant-based nutraceuticals is considered an innovative tool for cancer management. This research aimed to analyze the oncostatic properties of Salvia officinalis L. [Lamiaceae; Salviae officinalis herba] using animal and in vitro models of breast carcinoma (BC). Methods: The effects of dietary administered S. officinalis in two concentrations (0.1%/SAL 0.1/and 1%/SAL 1/) were assessed in both syngeneic 4T1 mouse and chemically induced rat models of BC. The histopathological and molecular evaluations of rodent carcinoma specimens were performed after the autopsy. Besides, numerous in vitro analyses using two human cancer cell lines were performed. Results and Conclusion: The dominant metabolites found in S. officinalis propylene glycol extract (SPGE) were representatives of phenolics, specifically rosmarinic, protocatechuic, and salicylic acids. Furthermore, the occurrence of triterpenoids ursolic and oleanolic acid was proved in SPGE. In a mouse model, a non-significant tumor volume decrease after S. officinalis treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the mitotic activity index of 4T1 tumors by 37.5% (SAL 0.1) and 31.5% (SAL 1) vs. controls (set as a blank group with not applied salvia in the diet). In addition, salvia at higher doses significantly decreased necrosis/whole tumor area ratio by 46% when compared to control tumor samples. In a rat chemoprevention study, S. officinalis at a higher dose significantly lengthened the latency of tumors by 8.5 days and significantly improved the high/low-grade carcinomas ratio vs. controls in both doses. Analyses of the mechanisms of anticancer activities of S. officinalis included well-validated prognostic, predictive, and diagnostic biomarkers that are applied in both oncology practice and preclinical investigation. Our assessment in vivo revealed numerous significant changes after a comparison of treated vs. untreated cancer cells. In this regard, we found an overexpression in caspase-3, an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and a decrease in MDA, ALDH1, and EpCam expression. In addition, salvia reduced TGF-β serum levels in rats (decrease in IL-6 and TNF-α levels were with borderline significance). Evaluation of epigenetic modifications in rat cancer specimens in vivo revealed a decline in the lysine methylations of H3K4m3 and an increase in lysine acetylation in H4K16ac levels in treated groups. Salvia decreased the relative levels of oncogenic miR21 and tumor-suppressive miR145 (miR210, miR22, miR34a, and miR155 were not significantly altered). The methylation of ATM and PTEN promoters was decreased after S. officinalis treatment (PITX2, RASSF1, and TIMP3 promoters were not altered). Analyzing plasma metabolomics profile in tumor-bearing rats, we found reduced levels of ketoacids derived from BCAAs after salvia treatment. In vitro analyses revealed significant anti-cancer effects of SPGE extract in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines (cytotoxicity, caspase-3/-7, Bcl-2, Annexin V/PI, cell cycle, BrdU, and mitochondrial membrane potential). Our study demonstrates the significant chemopreventive and treatment effects of salvia haulm using animal or in vitro BC models.

COX 2-inhibitors; a thorough and updated survey into combinational therapies in cancers

Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes are pivotal in inflammation and cancer development. COX-2, in particular, has been implicated in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and immune evasion. Recently, COX-2 inhibitors have arisen as potential therapeutic agents in cancer treatment. In addition, combining COX inhibitors with other treatment modalities has demonstrated the potential to improve therapeutic efficacy. This review aims to investigate the effects of COX inhibition, both alone and in combination with other methods, on signaling pathways and carcinogenesis in various cancers. In this study, a literature search of all major academic databases was conducted (PubMed, Scholar google), including the leading research on the mechanisms of COX-2, COX-2 inhibitors, monotherapy with COX-2 inhibitors, and combining COX-2-inhibitors with chemotherapeutic agents in tumors. The study encompasses preclinical and clinical evidence, highlighting the positive findings and the potential implications for clinical practice. According to preclinical studies, multiple signaling pathways implicated in tumor cell proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis can be suppressed by inhibiting COX. In addition, combining COX inhibitors with chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and miRNA-based approaches has enhanced anti-tumor activity. These results suggest that combination therapy has the potential to overcome resistance mechanisms and improve treatment outcomes. However, caution must be exercised when selecting and administering combination regimens. Not all combinations of COX-2 inhibitors with other drugs result in synergistic effects; some may even have unfavorable interactions. Therefore, personalized approaches that consider the specific characteristics of the cancer and the medications involved are crucial for optimizing therapeutic strategies. In conclusion, as monotherapy or combined with other methods, COX inhibition bears promise in modulating signaling pathways and inhibiting carcinogenesis in various cancers. Additional studies and well-designed clinical trials are required to completely elucidate the efficacy of COX inhibition and combination therapy in enhancing cancer treatment outcomes. This narrative review study provides a detailed summary of COX-2 monotherapy and combination targeted therapy in cancer treatment.

Nutritional Epigenetics and Phytochemicals in Cancer Formation

Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics are two concepts in the area of nutritional genomics. Epigenetics is a new discipline with significant potential in the prevention and management of certain carcinomas and diseases. Epigenetics consists of DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs, and telomerase activity. Epigenetic-based mechanisms act on the inhibition of cancer cells by modulating enzymes such as DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase, as well as non-coding RNAs. Phytochemicals are natural bioactive components of plant origin that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic effects on various diseases, especially cancer. The epigenetic diet is a nutritional model based on the consumption of various phytochemicals such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate, morin, caffeic acid phenyl ester, apigenin, genistein, curcumin, resveratrol, and sulforaphane. Phytochemicals exert their effects on cancer-based by reducing cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and increasing cell apoptosis. Simultaneously, it has functions such as reducing oncogenes that have effects on cancer etiology and increasing tumor suppressor genes.Key teaching pointsCancer is a chronic disease with a high mortality rate, in which various genetic and environmental factors are involved in its etiology.Protooncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes are among the gene groups that form the basis of cancer and genetic structure.The bidirectional interaction between nutrition and the human genome has been effective in the emergence of the concepts of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.Epigenetic diet is a diet based on the consumption of foods such as soy, grapes, blueberries, turmeric, cruciferous vegetables, and green tea, which induce epigenetic mechanisms that protect against cancer and aging.

Hirsutine, an Emerging Natural Product with Promising Therapeutic Benefits: A Systematic Review

Fruits and vegetables are used not only for nutritional purposes but also as therapeutics to treat various diseases and ailments. These food items are prominent sources of phytochemicals that exhibit chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against several diseases. Hirsutine (HSN) is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid found in various Uncaria species and has a multitude of therapeutic benefits. It is found in foodstuffs such as fish, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy, and some grain products among other things. In addition, it is present in fruits and vegetables including corn, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, bamboo shoots, bananas, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The primary emphasis of this study is to summarize the pharmacological activities and the underlying mechanisms of HSN against different diseases, as well as the biopharmaceutical features. For this, data were collected (up to date as of 1 July 2023) from various reliable and authentic literature by searching different academic search engines, including PubMed, Springer Link, Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Findings indicated that HSN exerts several effects in various preclinical and pharmacological experimental systems. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant activities with beneficial effects in neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Our findings also indicate that HSN exerts promising anticancer potentials via several molecular mechanisms, including apoptotic cell death, induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxic effect, anti-proliferative effect, genotoxic effect, and inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion against various cancers such as lung, breast, and antitumor effects in human T-cell leukemia. Taken all together, findings from this study show that HSN can be a promising therapeutic agent to treat various diseases including cancer.

Underexplored reciprocity between genome-wide methylation status and long non-coding RNA expression reflected in breast cancer research: potential impacts for the disease management in the framework of 3P medicine

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female malignancy reaching a pandemic scale worldwide. A comprehensive interplay between genetic alterations and shifted epigenetic regions synergistically leads to disease development and progression into metastatic BC. DNA and histones methylations, as the most studied epigenetic modifications, represent frequent and early events in the process of carcinogenesis. To this end, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recognized as potent epigenetic modulators in pathomechanisms of BC by contributing to the regulation of DNA, RNA, and histones' methylation. In turn, the methylation status of DNA, RNA, and histones can affect the level of lncRNAs expression demonstrating the reciprocity of mechanisms involved. Furthermore, lncRNAs might undergo methylation in response to actual medical conditions such as tumor development and treated malignancies. The reciprocity between genome-wide methylation status and long non-coding RNA expression levels in BC remains largely unexplored. Since the bio/medical research in the area is, per evidence, strongly fragmented, the relevance of this reciprocity for BC development and progression has not yet been systematically analyzed. Contextually, the article aims at:consolidating the accumulated knowledge on both-the genome-wide methylation status and corresponding lncRNA expression patterns in BC andhighlighting the potential benefits of this consolidated multi-professional approach for advanced BC management. Based on a big data analysis and machine learning for individualized data interpretation, the proposed approach demonstrates a great potential to promote predictive diagnostics and targeted prevention in the cost-effective primary healthcare (sub-optimal health conditions and protection against the health-to-disease transition) as well as advanced treatment algorithms tailored to the individualized patient profiles in secondary BC care (effective protection against metastatic disease). Clinically relevant examples are provided, including mitochondrial health control and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms involved.

Flavonoids attenuate cancer metabolism by modulating Lipid metabolism, amino acids, ketone bodies and redox state mediated by Nrf2

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells is a common hallmark of malignant transformation. The preference for aerobic glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation in tumors is a well-studied phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Importantly, metabolic transformation of cancer cells also involves alterations in signaling cascades contributing to lipid metabolism, amino acid flux and synthesis, and utilization of ketone bodies. Also, redox regulation interacts with metabolic reprogramming during malignant transformation. Flavonoids, widely distributed phytochemicals in plants, exert various beneficial effects on human health through modulating molecular cascades altered in the pathological cancer phenotype. Recent evidence has identified numerous flavonoids as modulators of critical components of cancer metabolism and associated pathways interacting with metabolic cascades such as redox balance. Flavonoids affect lipid metabolism by regulating fatty acid synthase, redox balance by modulating nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activity, or amino acid flux and synthesis by phosphoglycerate mutase 1. Here, we discuss recent preclinical evidence evaluating the impact of flavonoids on cancer metabolism, focusing on lipid and amino acid metabolic cascades, redox balance, and ketone bodies.

Dietary phytochemicals/nutrients as promising protector of breast cancer development: a comprehensive analysis

Genetic change, particularly epigenetic alteration, is one of the imperative factors for sporadic breast cancer development in the worldwide population of women. The DNA methylation process is essential and natural for human cellular renewal and tissue homeostasis, but its dysregulation contributes to many pathological changes, including breast tumorigenesis. Chemopreventive agents mainly protect the abnormal DNA methylation either by hindering the division of pre-malignant cells or looming the DNA damage, which leads to malignancy. The present review article is about understanding the potential role of dietary phytochemicals in breast cancer prevention. Accordingly, a literature search of the published article until August 2021 has been performed. Further, we have investigated the binding affinity of different phytochemicals isolated from diverse dietary sources against the various oncogenic proteins related to breast cancer initiation to understand the common target(s) in breast cancer prevention mechanisms. Various small phytochemicals, especially dietary phytochemicals including sulforaphane, mahanine, resveratrol, linolenic acid, diallyl sulfide, benzyl/phenethyl isothiocyanate, etc. are being investigated as the chemopreventive agent to manage breast cancer development, and some of them have shown promising outcomes in the cited research. In this present review, we discuss the recent advancement in acceptance of such types of potential dietary phytochemicals as a chemopreventive agent against breast cancer development and their inner lining mechanism. The critical clinical trials and cohort studies have also been considered to understand the progress in contemporary perspectives.

A comprehensive overview of the complex relationship between epigenetics, bioactive components, cancer, and aging

Among age-related diseases, the incidence of cancer increases significantly due to the overlap of some molecular pathways between cancer and aging. While the genetic influence on the human lifespan is estimated to be about 20-25%, epigenetic changes play an important role in modulating individual health status, aging. Aging and age-related conditions are processes that can be modified by both genetic, environmental factors, including dietary habits. Epigenetics is a new discipline has significant potential to be applied for the prevention, management of certain carcinomas and diseases. Epigenetic modifications may play an important role in disease occurrence and pathogenesis. Some nutritional components can be significantly effective in the prevention of breast, skin, esophagus, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic, lung cancers. It contains minerals, vitamins, and some bioactive components (curcumin, indole 3 carbinol, di-indolylmethane, sulforaphane, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, genistein, resveratrol, pterostilbene, apigenin, etc.) regulatory processes. However, compelling evidence suggests that dietary habits can manipulate the aging process and/or its consequences, have health benefits. Aging processes become complex when combined with the relational role of bioactive nutritional components on gene expression. In this review, the relationship between epigenetic processes caused by DNA methylylation, histone modification, non-coding m-RNA, and telomerase activity, the risk of aging and cancer is discussed.

Alterations of PTEN and SMAD4 methylation in diagnosis of breast cancer: implications of methyl II PCR assay

Background

Diagnosis of breast cancer is more complicated due to lack of minimal invasive biomarker with sufficient precision. DNA methylation is a promising marker for cancer diagnosis. In this study, authors evaluated methylation patterns for PTEN and SMAD4 in blood samples using EpiTect Methyl II QPCR assay quantitative PCR technology.

Results

Methylation status for PTEN and SMAD4 were statistically significant as breast cancer patients reported hypermethylation compared to benign and control groups (77.1 ± 17.9 vs. 24.9 ± 4.5 and 15.1 ± 1.4 and 70.1 ± 14.4 vs. 28.2 ± 0.61 and 29.5 ± 3.6, respectively). ROC curve analysis revealed that both PTEN (AUC = 0.992) and SMAD4 (AUC = 0.853) had good discriminative power for differentiating BC from all non-cancer individuals (benign and healthy combined) compared to routine tumor markers CEA (AUC = 0.538) and CA15.3 (AUC = 0.686). High PTEN methylation degree was associated with late stages (84.2 ± 17.4), positive lymph node (84.2 ± 18.5), positive ER (81.3 ± 19.7), positive PgR (79.5 ± 19.1), and positive HER2 (80.7 ± 19.0) vs. 67.4 ± 13.8, 70.6 ± 14.8, 72.8 ± 14.9, 72.5 ± 14.7, and 70.2 ± 13.5 in early stages, negative lymph node, negative ER, negative PgR, and negative HER2, respectively. Similar results were obtained regarding SMAD4 methylation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for methylated PTEN were 100%, 95%, 99.1%, 100%, and 95%, respectively when differentiated BC from all-non cancer controls. Interestingly, PTEN could distinguish early BC stages with good sensitivity 84.4%, 51.4%, 69.1%, 72%, and 70%, respectively.

Conclusion

Methylation status of PTEN and SMAD4 is a promising blood marker for early detection of breast cancer. Future studies are needed for their role as prognostic markers.

Inhibitory effect and mechanism of action (MOA) of hirsutine on the proliferation of T-cell leukemia Jurkat clone E6-1 cells

Background

The bark of Uncaria rhynchophylla has been traditionally used to treat convulsion, bleeding, hypertension, auto-immune conditions, cancer, and other diseases. The main focus of this research is done for the purpose of exploring the antitumor activity and mechanism of action (MOA) for hirsutine isolated from U. rhynchophylla.

Methods

Jurkat clone E6-1 cells were treated using 10, 25 and 50 μM for 48 h. Inhibition of cell proliferation due to hirsutine treatment was evaluated by CCK8 assay. Flow cytometry was applied to ascertain Jurkat cell cycle progression and apoptosis after treatment with 10, 25 and 50 μM hirsutine for 48 h. The expression and level of the apoptosis-related genes and proteins was analyzed by Real-time Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting method, respectively.

Results

CCK8 analyses revealed that hirsutine could significantly inhibit the proliferation of Jurkat clone E6-1 cells, in a concentration and time-dependent fashion. Flow cytometry assays revealed that hirsutine could drive apoptotic death and G0/G1 phase arrest in Jurkat cells. Apoptotic cells frequencies were 4.99 ± 0.51%, 13.69 ± 2.00% and 40.21 ± 15.19%, and respective cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 accounted for 34.85 ± 1.81%, 42.83 ± 0.70% and 49.12 ± 4.07%. Simultaneously, compared with the control group, Western blot assays indicated that the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax, cleaved-caspase3, cleaved-caspase9 and Cyto c proteins, as well as the down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein which guards against cell death, might be correlated with cell death induction and inhibition of cell proliferation. QPCR analyses indicated that hirsutine could diminish BCL2 expression and, at the same time, improve Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 mRNA levels, thus reiterating a putative correlation of hirsutine treatment in vitro with apoptosis induction and inhibition of cell proliferation (p-value < 0.05). Excessive hirsutine damages the ultrastructure in mitochondria, leading to the release of Cyt c from the mitochondria to cytoplasm in Jurkat clone E6-1 cells, thereby inducing the activated caspase cascade apoptosis process through a mitochondria-mediated pathway.

Conclusion

An important bioactive constituent-hirsutine-appears to have antitumor effects in human T-cell leukemia, thus enlightening the use of phytomedicines as a novel source for tumor therapy. It is speculated that hirsutine may induce apoptosis of Jurkat Clone E6-1 cells through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Premenopausal breast cancer is a health challenge: nutritional habits show potential to prevent this disease

Background:

The incidence of breast cancer had increased around the world. More premenopausal women suffer from this condition with great economic and social impact. The objective of this study is to establish possible associations between lifestyle and the presence of breast cancer in premenopausal women.

Methods:

The study population was composed of 330 premenopausal patients younger than 55 years with breast disease, cared between 2013 and 2017 at the University Hospital Mayor Méderi. Two comparison groups were formed. Patients with a tumor diagnosed as malignant considering cases and control group of patients with a tumor diagnosed as benign. With factors associated significantly in the bivariate analysis (P < .10), the hierarchically organized multiple regression model controlled by the confounding variables was constructed. The logistic regression model was adjusted by the age variable, to avoid residual confounder.

Results:

The population included 330 premenopausal women with benign and malignant breast disease: 134 cases and 196 controls. From the multivariate analysis, it was identified that the whole-grain consumption was inversely associated with presence of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.579; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.339, 0.991; P = .046). On the other hand, consumption of fish was associated with the presence of breast malignancy (OR = 2.560; 95% CI: 1.200, 5.460; P = .015).

Conclusions:

Considering the epigenetic and multiomics individual profiles in the development of premenopausal breast cancer and its social and economic impact can be useful in development of modern clinical strategies with crucial interventions at the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention levels for this disease.

Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) Demonstrates Oncostatic Activity in the Therapeutic and Preventive Model of Breast Carcinoma

Comprehensive scientific data provide evidence that isolated phytochemicals or whole plant foods may beneficially modify carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncostatic activities of Rhus coriaria L. (sumac) using animal models (rat and mouse), and cell lines of breast carcinoma. R. coriaria (as a powder) was administered through the diet at two concentrations (low dose: 0.1% (w/w) and high dose: 1 % (w/w)) for the duration of the experiment in a syngeneic 4T1 mouse and chemically-induced rat mammary carcinoma models. After autopsy, histopathological and molecular analyses of tumor samples in rodents were performed. Moreover, in vitro analyses using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were conducted. The dominant metabolites present in tested R. coriaria methanolic extract were glycosides of gallic acid (possible gallotannins). In the mouse model, R. coriaria at a higher dose (1%) significantly decreased tumor volume by 27% when compared to controls. In addition, treated tumors showed significant dose-dependent decrease in mitotic activity index by 36.5% and 51% in comparison with the control group. In the chemoprevention study using rats, R. coriaria at a higher dose significantly reduced the tumor incidence by 20% and in lower dose non-significantly reduced tumor frequency by 29% when compared to controls. Evaluations of the mechanism of oncostatic action using valid clinical markers demonstrated several positive alterations in rat tumor cells after the treatment with R. coriaria. In this regard, histopathological analysis of treated tumor specimens showed robust dose-dependent decrease in the ratio of high-/low-grade carcinomas by 66% and 73% compared to controls. In treated rat carcinomas, we found significant caspase-3, Bax, and Bax/Bcl-2 expression increases; on the other side, a significant down-regulation of Bcl-2, Ki67, CD24, ALDH1, and EpCam expressions and MDA levels. When compared to control specimens, evaluation of epigenetic alterations in rat tumor cells in vivo showed significant dose-dependent decrease in lysine methylation status of H3K4m3 and H3K9m3 and dose-dependent increase in lysine acetylation in H4K16ac levels (H4K20m3 was not changed) in treated groups. However, only in lower dose of sumac were significant decreases in the expression of oncogenic miR210 and increase of tumor-suppressive miR145 (miR21, miR22, and miR155 were not changed) observed. Finally, only in lower sumac dose, significant decreases in methylation status of three out of five gene promoters-ATM, PTEN, and TIMP3 (PITX2 and RASSF1 promoters were not changed). In vitro evaluations using methanolic extract of R. coriaria showed significant anticancer efficacy in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells (using Resazurin, cell cycle, annexin V/PI, caspase-3/7, Bcl-2, PARP, and mitochondrial membrane potential analyses). In conclusion, sumac demonstrated significant oncostatic activities in rodent models of breast carcinoma that were validated by mechanistic studies in vivo and in vitro.

Chemopreventive Potential of Caryophyllane Sesquiterpenes: An Overview of Preliminary Evidence

Chemoprevention is referred to as a strategy to inhibit, suppress, or reverse tumor development and progression in healthy people along with high-risk subjects and oncologic patients through using pharmacological or natural substances. Numerous phytochemicals have been widely described in the literature to possess chemopreventive properties, although their clinical usefulness remains to be defined. Among them, caryophyllane sesquiterpenes are natural compounds widely occurring in nature kingdoms, especially in plants, fungi, and marine environments. Several structures, characterized by a common caryophyllane skeleton with further rearrangements, have been identified, but those isolated from plant essential oils, including β-caryophyllene, β-caryophyllene oxide, α-humulene, and isocaryophyllene, have attracted the greatest pharmacological attention. Emerging evidence has outlined a complex polypharmacological profile of caryophyllane sesquiterpenes characterized by blocking, suppressing, chemosensitizing, and cytoprotective properties, which suggests a possible usefulness of these natural substances in cancer chemoprevention for both preventive and adjuvant purposes. In the present review, the scientific knowledge about the chemopreventive properties of caryophyllane sesquiterpenes and the mechanisms involved have been collected and discussed; moreover, possible structure-activity relationships have been highlighted. Although further high-quality studies are required, the promising preclinical findings and the safe pharmacological profile encourage further studies to define a clinical usefulness of caryophyllane sesquiterpenes in primary, secondary, or tertiary chemoprevention.

The role of plant-derived natural substances as immunomodulatory agents in carcinogenesis

The role of immune system in carcinogenesis represents fundamental events associated with cancer eradication; however, tumor evolution is connected with various mechanisms of tumor evasion and progression of cancer. Based on recent evidence, phytochemicals are directly associated with immunomodulation of the innate and adaptive immunity via different mechanisms of action including stimulation and amplification of immune cells, humoral compartments, and associated molecules. This comprehensive study focuses on immunomodulating potential of phytochemicals (mixture in plants or separately such as individual phytochemical) and their impact on regulation of immune response during cancer development, immune tolerance, and immune escape. Clinical application of phytochemicals as modulators of host immunity against cancer may represent perspective approach in anticancer therapy.

Implications of flavonoids as potential modulators of cancer neovascularity

PURPOSE

The formation of new blood vessels from previous ones, angiogenesis, is critical in tissue repair, expansion or remodeling in physiological processes and in various pathologies including cancer. Despite that, the development of anti-angiogenic drugs has great potential as the treatment of cancer faces many problems such as development of the resistance to treatment or an improperly selected therapy approach. An evaluation of predictive markers in personalized medicine could significantly improve treatment outcomes in many patients.

METHODS

This comprehensive review emphasizes the anticancer potential of flavonoids mediated by their anti-angiogenic efficacy evaluated in current preclinical and clinical cancer research.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Flavonoids are important groups of phytochemicals present in common diet. Flavonoids show significant anticancer effects. The anti-angiogenic effects of flavonoids are currently a widely discussed topic of preclinical cancer research. Flavonoids are able to regulate the process of tumor angiogenesis through modulation of signaling molecules such as VEGF, MMPs, ILs, HIF or others. However, the evaluation of the anti-angiogenic potential of flavonoids within the clinical studies is not frequently discussed and is still of significant scientific interest.

Role of natural products in breast cancer related symptomology: Targeting chronic inflammation

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. There have been many advancements in the treatment of breast cancer leading to an increased population of patients living with this disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that cancer diagnosis and aftermath experienced stress could not only affect the quality of life of cancer patients, but it could also influence their disease outcome. The magnitude of stress experienced by breast cancer patients is often compared to the post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms suggested to be mediated by the chronic inflammation including NF-κB, AKt, p53 and other inflammatory pathways. Here, we describe the symptomology of PTSD-like symptoms in breast cancer patients and argue that they may in fact be caused by or maintained through aspects of chronic inflammation mediated by the pro-inflammatory markers. Evidence exists that natural products that might attenuate or lessen the effects of chronic inflammation abound in the diet. We summarize some possible agents that might abate the genesis of symptoms experienced by breast cancer patients while mitigating the effect of inflammation.

Carotenoids in Cancer Apoptosis-The Road from Bench to Bedside and Back

An incidence and mortality of cancer are rapidly growing worldwide, especially due to heterogeneous character of the disease that is associated with irreversible impairment of cellular homeostasis and function. Targeting apoptosis, one of cancer hallmarks, represents a potent cancer treatment strategy. Carotenoids are phytochemicals represented by carotenes, xanthophylls, and derived compounds such as apocarotenoids that demonstrate a broad spectrum of anti-cancer effects involving pro-apoptotic signaling through extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. As demonstrated in preclinical oncology research, the apoptotic modulation is performed at post-genomic levels. Further, carotenoids demonstrate additive/synergistic action in combination with conventional oncostatic agents. In addition, a sensitization of tumor cells to anti-cancer conventional treatment can be achieved by carotenoids. The disadvantage of anti-cancer application of carotenoids is associated with their low solubility and, therefore, poor bioavailability. However, this deficiency can be improved by using nanotechnological approaches, solid dispersions, microemulsions or biofortification that significantly increase the anti-cancer and pro-apoptotic efficacy of carotenoids. Only limited number of studies dealing with apoptotic potential of carotenoids has been published in clinical sphere. Pro-apoptotic effects of carotenoids should be beneficial for individuals at high risk of cancer development. The article considers the utility of carotenoids in the framework of 3P medicine.

Liquid Biopsy is Instrumental for 3PM Dimensional Solutions in Cancer Management

One in every four deaths is due to cancer in Europe. In view of its increasing incidence, cancer became the leading cause of death and disease burden in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the UK. Without essential improvements in cancer prevention, an additional 775,000 cases of annual incidence have been prognosed until 2040. Between 1995 and 2018, the direct costs of cancer doubled from EUR 52 billion to EUR 103 billion in Europe, and per capita health spending on cancer increased by 86% from EUR 105 to EUR 195 in general, whereby Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, and France spend the most on cancer care compared to other European countries. In view of the consequent severe socio-economic burden on society, the paradigm change from a reactive to a predictive, preventive, and personalized medical approach in the overall cancer management is essential. Concepts of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM) demonstrate a great potential to revise the above presented trends and to implement cost-effective healthcare that benefits the patient and society as a whole. At any stage, application of early and predictive diagnostics, targeted prevention, and personalization of medical services are basic pillars making 3PM particularly attractive for the patients as well as ethical and cost-effective healthcare. Optimal 3PM approach requires novel instruments such as well-designed liquid biopsy application. This review article highlights current achievements and details liquid biopsy approaches specifically in cancer management. 3PM-relevant expert recommendations are provided.

Natural Products Impacting DNA Methyltransferases and Histone Deacetylases

Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression and chromatin structure without change in a DNA sequence. Several epigenetic modifications and respective regulators have been reported. These include DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone post-translational modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Emerging evidence has revealed that epigenetic dysregulations are involved in a wide range of diseases including cancers. Therefore, the reversible nature of epigenetic modifications concerning activation or inhibition of enzymes involved could be promising targets and useful tools for the elucidation of cellular and biological phenomena. In this review, emphasis is laid on natural products that inhibit DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) making them promising candidates for the development of lead structures for anticancer-drugs targeting epigenetic modifications. However, most of the natural products targeting HDAC and/or DNMT lack isoform selectivity, which is important for determining their potential use as therapeutic agents. Nevertheless, the structures presented in this review offer the well-founded basis that screening and chemical modifications of natural products will in future provide not only leads to the identification of more specific inhibitors with fewer side effects, but also important features for the elucidation of HDAC and DNMT function with respect to cancer treatment.

Genoprotective activities of plant natural substances in cancer and chemopreventive strategies in the context of 3P medicine

Severe durable changes may occur to the DNA structure caused by exogenous and endogenous risk factors initiating the process of carcinogenesis. By evidence, a large portion of malignancies have been demonstrated as being preventable. Moreover, the targeted prevention of cancer onset is possible, due to unique properties of plant bioactive compounds. Although genoprotective effects of phytochemicals have been well documented, there is an evident lack of articles which would systematically present the spectrum of anticancer effects by phytochemicals, plant extracts, and plant-derived diet applicable to stratified patient groups at the level of targeted primary (cancer development) and secondary (cancer progression and metastatic disease) prevention. Consequently, clinical implementation of knowledge accumulated in the area is still highly restricted. To stimulate coherent co-development of the dedicated plant bioactive compound investigation on one hand and comprehensive cancer preventive strategies on the other hand, the current paper highlights and deeply analyses relevant evidence available in the area. Key molecular mechanisms are presented to detail genoprotective and anticancer activities of plants and phytochemicals. Clinical implementation is discussed. Based on the presented evidence, advanced chemopreventive strategies in the context of 3P medicine are considered.

Antitumor potential of dark sweet cherry sweet (Prunus avium) phenolics in suppressing xenograft tumor growth of MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells

This study investigated in vivo the antitumor activity of dark sweet cherry (DSC) whole extracted phenolics (WE) and fractions enriched in anthocyanins (ACN) or proanthocyanidins (PCA) in athymic mice xenografted with MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. Mice were gavaged with WE, ACN or PCA extracts (150 mg/kg body weight/day) for 36 days. Results showed that tumor growth was suppressed at similar levels by WE, ACN and PCA compared to control group (C) without signs of toxicity or significant changes in mRNA oncogenic biomarkers in tumors or mRNA invasive biomarker in distant organs. Tumor protein analyses showed that WE, ACN and PCA induced at similar levels the stress-regulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation, known to be linked to apoptosis induction. However, ACN showed enhanced antitumor activity through down-regulation of total oncogenic and stress-related Akt, STAT3, p38, JNK and NF-kB proteins. In addition, immunohistochemistry analysis of Ki-67 revealed inhibition of tumor cell proliferation with potency WE ≥ ACN ≥ PCA. Differential quantitative proteomic high-resolution nano-HPLC tandem mass spectrometry analysis of tumors from ACN and C groups revealed the identity of 66 proteins associated with poor breast cancer prognosis that were expressed only in C group (61 proteins) or differentially up-regulated (P<.05) in C group (5 proteins). These findings revealed ACN-targeted proteins associated to tumor growth and invasion and the potential of DSC ACN for breast cancer treatment. Results lead to a follow-up study with highly immunodeficient mice/invasive cell line subtype and advanced tumor development to validate the anti-invasive activity of DSC anthocyanins.

Rho GTPases in Gynecologic Cancers: In-Depth Analysis toward the Paradigm Change from Reactive to Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medical Approach Benefiting the Patient and Healthcare

Rho guanosine triphospatases (GTPases) resemble a conserved family of GTP-binding proteins regulating actin cytoskeleton dynamics and several signaling pathways central for the cell. Rho GTPases create a so-called Ras-superfamily of GTPases subdivided into subgroups comprising at least 20 members. Rho GTPases play a key regulatory role in gene expression, cell cycle control and proliferation, epithelial cell polarity, cell migration, survival, and apoptosis, among others. They also have tissue-related functions including angiogenesis being involved in inflammatory and wound healing processes. Contextually, any abnormality in the Rho GTPase function may result in severe consequences at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Rho GTPases also play a key role in tumorigenesis and metastatic disease. Corresponding mechanisms include a number of targets such as kinases and scaffold/adaptor-like proteins initiating GTPases-related signaling cascades. The accumulated evidence demonstrates the oncogenic relevance of Rho GTPases for several solid malignancies including breast, liver, bladder, melanoma, testicular, lung, central nervous system (CNS), head and neck, cervical, and ovarian cancers. Furthermore, Rho GTPases play a crucial role in the development of radio- and chemoresistance e.g. under cisplatin-based cancer treatment. This article provides an in-depth overview on the role of Rho GTPases in gynecological cancers, highlights relevant signaling pathways and pathomechanisms, and sheds light on their involvement in tumor progression, metastatic spread, and radio/chemo resistance. In addition, insights into a spectrum of novel biomarkers and innovative approaches based on the paradigm shift from reactive to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine are provided.

Cancer Chemoprevention Using Nanotechnology-Based Approaches

Cancer research in pursuit of better diagnostic and treatment modalities has seen great advances in recent years. However, the incidence rate of cancer is still very high. Almost 40% of women and men are diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Such high incidence has not only resulted in high mortality but also severely compromised patient lifestyles, and added a great socioeconomic burden. In view of this, chemoprevention has gained wide attention as a method to reduce cancer incidence and its relapse after treatment. Among various stems of chemoprevention research, nanotechnology-based chemoprevention approaches have established their potential to offer better efficacy and safety. This review summarizes recent advances in nanotechnology-based chemoprevention strategies for various cancers with emphasis on lung and bronchial cancer, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer and highlights the unmet needs in this developing field towards successful clinical translation.

Chemopreventive and Therapeutic Efficacy of Cinnamomum zeylanicum L. Bark in Experimental Breast Carcinoma: Mechanistic In Vivo and In Vitro Analyses

Comprehensive oncology research suggests an important role of phytochemicals or whole plant foods in the modulation of signaling pathways associated with anticancer action. The goal of this study is to assess the anticancer activities of Cinnamomum zeylanicum L. using rat, mouse, and cell line breast carcinoma models. C. zeylanicum (as bark powder) was administered in the diet at two concentrations of 0.1% (w/w) and 1% (w/w) during the whole experiment in chemically induced rat mammary carcinomas and a syngeneic 4T1 mouse model. After autopsy, histopathological and molecular evaluations of mammary gland tumors in rodents were carried out. Moreover, in vitro analyses using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were performed. The dominant metabolites present in the tested C. zeylanicum essential oil (with relative content over 1%) were cinnamaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde dimethyl acetal, cinnamyl acetate, eugenol, linalool, eucalyptol, limonene, o-cymol, and α-terpineol. The natural mixture of mentioned molecules demonstrated significant anticancer effects in our study. In the mouse model, C. zeylanicum at a higher dose (1%) significantly decreased tumor volume by 44% when compared to controls. In addition, treated tumors showed a significant dose-dependent decrease in mitotic activity index by 29% (0.1%) and 45.5% (1%) in comparison with the control group. In rats, C. zeylanicum in both doses significantly reduced the tumor incidence by 15.5% and non-significantly suppressed tumor frequency by more than 30% when compared to controls. An evaluation of the mechanism of anticancer action using valid oncological markers showed several positive changes after treatment with C. zeylanicum. Histopathological analysis of treated rat tumor specimens showed a significant decrease in the ratio of high-/low-grade carcinomas compared to controls. In treated rat carcinomas, we found caspase-3 and Bax expression increase. On the other hand, we observed a decrease in Bcl-2, Ki67, VEGF, and CD24 expressions and MDA levels. Assessment of epigenetic changes in rat tumor cells in vivo showed a significant decrease in lysine methylation status of H3K4m3 and H3K9m3 in the high-dose treated group, a dose-dependent increase in H4K16ac levels (H4K20m3 was not changed), down-regulations of miR21 and miR155 in low-dose cinnamon groups (miR22 and miR34a were not modulated), and significant reduction of the methylation status of two out of five gene promoters-ATM and TIMP3 (PITX2, RASSF1, PTEN promoters were not changed). In vitro study confirmed results of animal studies, in that the essential oil of C. zeylanicum displayed significant anticancer efficacy in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells (using MTS, BrdU, cell cycle, annexin V/PI, caspase-3/7, Bcl-2, PARP, and mitochondrial membrane potential analyses). As a conclusion, C. zeylanicum L. showed chemopreventive and therapeutic activities in animal breast carcinoma models that were also significantly confirmed by mechanistic evaluations in vitro and in vivo.

Label-free quantitative identification of abnormally ubiquitinated proteins as useful biomarkers for human lung squamous cell carcinomas

BACKGROUND

Ubiquitination is an important molecular event in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), which currently is mainly studied in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma cell models but lacking of ubiquitination studies on LSCC tissues. Here, we presented the ubiquitinated protein profiles of LSCC tissues to explore ubiquitination-involved molecular network alterations and identify abnormally ubiquitinated proteins as useful biomarkers for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) in LSCC.

METHODS

Anti-ubiquitin antibody-based enrichment coupled with LC-MS/MS was used to identify differentially ubiquitinated proteins (DUPs) between LSCC and control tissues, followed by integrative omics analyses to identify abnormally ubiquitinated protein biomarkers for LSCC.

RESULTS

Totally, 400 DUPs with 654 ubiquitination sites were identified,, and motifs A-X (1/2/3)-K* were prone to be ubiquitinated in LSCC tissues. Those DUPs were involved in multiple molecular network systems, including the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), cell metabolism, cell adhesion, and signal transduction. Totally, 44 hub molecules were revealed by protein-protein interaction network analysis, followed by survival analysis in TCGA database (494 LSCC patients and 20,530 genes) to obtain 18 prognosis-related mRNAs, of which the highly expressed mRNAs VIM and IGF1R were correlated with poorer prognosis, while the highly expressed mRNA ABCC1 was correlated with better prognosis. VIM-encoded protein vimentin and ABCC1-encoded protein MRP1 were increased in LSCC, which were all associated with poor prognosis. Proteasome-inhibited experiments demonstrated that vimentin and MRP1 were degraded through UPS. Quantitative ubiquitinomics found ubiquitination level was decreased in vimentin and increased in MRP1 in LSCC. These findings showed that the increased vimentin in LSCC might be derived from its decreased ubiquitination level and that the increased MRP1 in LSCC might be derived from its protein synthesis > degradation. GSEA and co-expression gene analyses revealed that VIM and MRP1 were involved in multiple crucial biological processes and pathways. Further, TRIM2 and NEDD4L were predicted as E3 ligases to regulate ubiquitination of vimentin and MRP1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

These findings revealed ubiquitinomic variations and molecular network alterations in LSCC, which is in combination with multiomics analysis to identify ubiquitination-related biomarkers for in-depth insight into the molecular mechanism and therapeutic targets and for prediction, diagnosis, and prognostic assessment of LSCC.

Dietary phytochemicals as the potential protectors against carcinogenesis and their role in cancer chemoprevention

Health-threatening consequences of carcinogen exposure are mediated via occurrence of electrophiles or reactive oxygen species. As a result, the accumulation of biomolecular damage leads to the cancer initiation, promotion or progression. Accordingly, there is an association between lifestyle factors including inappropriate diet or carcinogen formation during food processing, mainstream, second or third-hand tobacco smoke and other environmental or occupational carcinogens and malignant transformation. Nevertheless, increasing evidence supports the protective effects of naturally occurring phytochemicals against carcinogen exposure as well as carcinogenesis in general. Isolated phytochemicals or their mixtures present in the whole plant food demonstrate efficacy against malignancy induced by carcinogens widely spread in our environment. Phytochemicals also minimize the generation of carcinogenic substances during the processing of meat and meat products. Based on numerous data, selected phytochemicals or plant foods should be highly recommended to become a stable and regular part of the diet as the protectors against carcinogenesis.

Anticancer Potential of Lichens' Secondary Metabolites

Lichens produce different classes of phenolic compounds, including anthraquinones, xanthones, dibenzofuranes, depsides and depsidones. Many of them have revealed effective biological activities such as antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotics, antifungal, and anticancer. Although no clinical study has been conducted yet, there are number of in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrating anticancer effects of lichen metabolites. The main goal of our work was to review most recent published papers dealing with anticancer activities of secondary metabolites of lichens and point out to their perspective clinical use in cancer management.

Fluctuations of Histone Chemical Modifications in Breast, Prostate, and Colorectal Cancer: An Implication of Phytochemicals as Defenders of Chromatin Equilibrium

Natural substances of plant origin exert health beneficiary efficacy due to the content of various phytochemicals. Significant anticancer abilities of natural compounds are mediated via various processes such as regulation of a cell's epigenome. The potential antineoplastic activity of plant natural substances mediated by their action on posttranslational histone modifications (PHMs) is currently a highly evaluated area of cancer research. PHMs play an important role in maintaining chromatin structure and regulating gene expression. Aberrations in PHMs are directly linked to the process of carcinogenesis in cancer such as breast (BC), prostate (PC), and colorectal (CRC) cancer, common malignant diseases in terms of incidence and mortality among both men and women. This review summarizes the effects of plant phytochemicals (isolated or mixtures) on cancer-associated PHMs (mainly modulation of acetylation and methylation) resulting in alterations of chromatin structure that are related to the regulation of transcription activity of specific oncogenes, which are crucial in the development of BC, PC, and CRC. Significant effectiveness of natural compounds in the modulation of aberrant PHMs were confirmed by a number of in vitro or in vivo studies in preclinical cancer research. However, evidence concerning PHMs-modulating abilities of plant-based natural substances in clinical trials is insufficient.

DNA Methylation Status in Cancer Disease: Modulations by Plant-Derived Natural Compounds and Dietary Interventions

The modulation of the activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) represents a crucial epigenetic mechanism affecting gene expressions or DNA repair mechanisms in the cells. Aberrant modifications in the function of DNMTs are a fundamental event and part of the pathogenesis of human cancer. Phytochemicals, which are biosynthesized in plants in the form of secondary metabolites, represent an important source of biomolecules with pleiotropic effects and thus provide a wide range of possible clinical applications. It is well documented that phytochemicals demonstrate significant anticancer properties, and in this regard, rapid development within preclinical research is encouraging. Phytochemicals affect several epigenetic molecular mechanisms, including DNA methylation patterns such as the hypermethylation of tumor-suppressor genes and the global hypomethylation of oncogenes, that are specific cellular signs of cancer development and progression. This review will focus on the latest achievements in using plant-derived compounds and plant-based diets targeting epigenetic regulators and modulators of gene transcription in preclinical and clinical research in order to generate novel anticancer drugs as sensitizers for conventional therapy or compounds suitable for the chemoprevention clinical setting in at-risk individuals. In conclusion, indisputable anticancer activities of dietary phytochemicals linked with proper regulation of DNA methylation status have been described. However, precisely designed and well-controlled clinical studies are needed to confirm their beneficial epigenetic effects after long-term consumption in humans.

The role of dietary phytochemicals in the carcinogenesis via the modulation of miRNA expression

PURPOSE

Phytochemicals are naturally occurring plant-derived compounds and some of them have the potential to serve as anticancer drugs. Based on recent evidence, aberrantly regulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is closely associated with malignancy. MicroRNAs are characterized as small non-coding RNAs functioning as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. Accordingly, miRNAs regulate various target genes, some of which are involved in the process of carcinogenesis.

RESULTS

This comprehensive review emphasizes the anticancer potential of phytochemicals, either isolated or in combination, mediated by miRNAs. The ability to modulate the expression of miRNAs demonstrates their importance as regulators of tumorigenesis. Phytochemicals as anticancer agents targeting miRNAs are widely studied in preclinical in vitro and in vivo research. Unfortunately, their anticancer efficacy in targeting miRNAs is less investigated in clinical research.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant anticancer properties of phytochemicals as regulators of miRNA expression have been proven, but more studies investigating their clinical relevance are needed.

Anticancer Activities of Thymus vulgaris L. in Experimental Breast Carcinoma in Vivo and in Vitro

Naturally-occurring mixtures of phytochemicals present in plant foods are proposed to possess tumor-suppressive activities. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the antitumor effects of Thymus vulgaris L. in in vivo and in vitro mammary carcinoma models. Dried T. vulgaris (as haulm) was continuously administered at two concentrations of 0.1% and 1% in the diet in a chemically-induced rat mammary carcinomas model and a syngeneic 4T1 mouse model. After autopsy, histopathological and molecular analyses of rodent mammary carcinomas were performed. In addition, in vitro evaluations using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were carried out. In mice, T. vulgaris at both doses reduced the volume of 4T1 tumors by 85% (0.1%) and 84% (1%) compared to the control, respectively. Moreover, treated tumors showed a substantial decrease in necrosis/tumor area ratio and mitotic activity index. In the rat model, T. vulgaris (1%) decreased the tumor frequency by 53% compared to the control. Analysis of the mechanisms of anticancer action included well-described and validated diagnostic and prognostic markers that are used in both clinical approach and preclinical research. In this regard, the analyses of treated rat carcinoma cells showed a CD44 and ALDH1A1 expression decrease and Bax expression increase. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and VEGFR-2 expression were decreased in rat carcinomas in both the T. vulgaris treated groups. Regarding the evaluations of epigenetic changes in rat tumors, we found a decrease in the lysine methylation status of H3K4me3 in both treated groups (H3K9m3, H4K20m3, and H4K16ac were not changed); up-regulations of miR22, miR34a, and miR210 expressions (only at higher doses); and significant reductions in the methylation status of four gene promoters—ATM serin/threonine kinase, also known as the NPAT gene (ATM); Ras-association domain family 1, isoform A (RASSF1); phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN); and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) (the paired-like homeodomain transcription factor (PITX2) promoter was not changed). In vitro study revealed the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of essential oils of T. vulgaris in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells (analyses of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS); 5-bromo-20-deoxyuridine (BrdU); cell cycle; annexin V/PI; caspase-3/7; Bcl-2; PARP; and mitochondrial membrane potential). T. vulgaris L. demonstrated significant chemopreventive and therapeutic activities against experimental breast carcinoma.

Nutrigenomics: Epigenetics and cancer prevention: A comprehensive review

Due to change in lifestyle and food habits, people are more at risk of diet-related diseases and cancers. It is also established that dietary modifications significantly reduce the risk of diseases. Nutrigenomics is relatively fresh discipline, but possess an enormous potential that can apply for prevention and management of certain carcinomas and diseases. This review enables us to generate useful information for scientists and health professionals regarding the role of Nutrigenomics in the prevention of diet and lifestyle-related diseases like cancer. It influences health conditions of individuals and susceptibility of disease by defining the metabolic response and gene expression. Epigenetic modifications can perform a significant role in disease occurrence and pathogenesis. DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling are the most common epigenetic mechanisms. Omega 3 fatty acids are the best example of nutrients and gene interaction not involving DNA methylation while certain bioactive food compounds have a proven role in cancer prevention through an epigenetic mechanism. Dietary polyphenols substantially take part in prevention of oral, breast, skin, esophageal, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic and lung cancers. Moreover, minerals and vitamins involve regulatory processes. Zinc, Selenium and folate involve in DNA repairing process have anticancer properties. Consumption of multivitamins prevents methylation of cancer cells.