Effective electrochemotherapy with curcumin in MDA-MB-231-human, triple negative breast cancer cells: A global proteomics study

Maps of Membrane Pore Dynamics From Picosecond to Millisecond Pulse Durations

Electroporation occurs when cells are exposed to an electric pulse of sufficient intensity and pulse duration . Many studies have attempted to develop universal scaling laws to predict membrane pore dynamics for pulsed electric fields (PEFs) of different durations; however, the differences in pore dynamics across these parameters makes this difficult both experimentally and numerically. This study uses the asymptotic Smoluchowski equation (ASME) to quantify the number of pores, average pore radius, and fractional pore area (FPA) during exposure to PEFs with durations from hundreds of picoseconds to a millisecond. We highlight pulse parameter regimes that favor increases in pore radius and number and show that the FPA is dominated by the number of pores formed on the cell membrane. Furthermore, the number of pores and the FPA depend almost entirely on for exceeding the charging time of the cell and both and for shorter than the charging time. Finally, the maps of pore number, average radius, and FPA demonstrate that a universal scaling law for pore dynamics across a wide range of pulse durations does not exist, although certain scaling behaviors may be valuable over narrow regimes. Practically, these maps provide a guideline for selecting PEF parameters to achieve desired membrane permeabilization.

Anthracene-Conjugated Steroidal Amphiphiles: Soft Functional Materials Exhibiting Supramolecular Aggregation Induced Enhanced Emission with Potential Applications as Drug Carriers and Fluorescent Bioprobes

Bile salts (BS) are naturally occurring steroidal biosurfactants. The ease of functionalization of BSs has boosted their use as inexpensive building blocks for the fabrication of a broad set of value-added soft functional materials. In the present work, three fluorescent bile acid (FBA) derivatives have been synthesized by conjugating anthracene at the side chain of lithocholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and cholic acid to understand the effect of the nature of the steroid nucleus on their physicochemical properties. In an aqueous medium, the FBAs showed a strong supramolecular aggregation propensity, even in the micromolar concentration range, which is in contrast to their BS analogues that form micelles mostly in the millimolar range. The FBA aggregation leads to a prearranged geometry in the ground state with a favorable orientation of anthracene units for excimer formation on excitation, leading to supramolecular aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE). A detailed investigation reveals the pivotal role of the steroidal skeleton in their aggregation propensity and optical behavior. The FBA assemblies, with ordered structures plus anthracene being a part of their building blocks, are endowed with interesting properties different from those in dilute organic media, which makes them extremely attractive for diverse applications, e.g., as potential drug carriers owing to their ability to serve as efficient hosts for the protective encapsulation of hydrophobic guests; as membrane probes and bioimaging agents due to their efficient membrane permeability and cell-imaging ability; and as system probes because of their remarkable sensitivity toward the aggregation process of natural bile salts in the aqueous medium. Therefore, the present study not only enhances the fundamental understanding of this unique class of amphiphiles but also opens new prospects in tailoring novel self-assembled soft functional materials. Moreover, it offers a benchmark for developing BS-based fluorescent derivatives with unique photophysical characteristics for applications as potential bioprobes.

Tetrahydrocurcumin targets TRIP13 inhibiting the interaction of TRIP13/USP7/c-FLIP to mediate c-FLIP ubiquitination in triple-negative breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a high mortality rate and limited treatment options. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), a major metabolite of curcumin, has potential antitumor activities. However, the antitumor effects and mechanism of THC in TNBC remain elusive.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the mechanism of THC in combating TNBC by targeting TRIP13 to disrupt the interaction of the TRIP13/USP7/c-FLIP complex and mediate c-FLIP ubiquitination both in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

Apoptosis was measured by TUNEL and flow cytometry. Click chemistry-based target fishing, CETSA, DARTS, and SPR were used to identify direct target of THC. Protein interactions was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. The role of USP7 in THC-mediated c-FLIP ubiquitination was evaluated by in vitro deubiquitination assay. Human breast cancer clinical samples were employed to assess the expression of c-FLIP, TRIP13, and USP7. The impact of THC on USP7/TRIP13/c-FLIP was analyzed using co-immunoprecipitation, confocal microscopy, molecular docking and dynamics simulations.

RESULTS

THC effectively inhibits TNBC cell proliferation and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo without significant toxicity. Mechanistically, THC induces extrinsic apoptosis in TNBC primarily by promoting degradation of c-FLIP, a key negative regulator in the apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, utilizing click chemistry-based target fishing, we identified TRIP13, a component of the highly conserved AAA ATPase family, as a direct target of THC in combating TNBC. Interestingly, contrary to previous drug-target studies, the knockdown of TRIP13 further amplified the antitumor effects of THC. After in-depth investigation, it was revealed that TRIP13 forms a trimeric complex with USP7 and c-FLIP in TNBC cells. THC specifically targets TRIP13 to disrupt the interaction of TRIP13/USP7/c-FLIP, leading to the ubiquitination of c-FLIP, ultimately inducing extrinsic apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings offer new insights into the novel molecular mechanisms of anti-TNBC effects of THC and present a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for TNBC.

New molecular insights into ferroptosis in lung adenocarcinoma progression and pharmacological compounds for targeted therapy

BACKGROUND

The involvement of ferroptosis has been found in many pathological conditions of the lung. The genetic engineering of ferroptosis-related genes may provide a potential target for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

METHODS

Nine ferroptosis regulators and markers were collected from FerrDb and their somatic mutations and expressions were analyzed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD cohort data. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analysis were performed to screen genes significantly associated with ferroptosis. The ferroptosis-related gene signature was constructed using TCGA-LUAD cohort data and was verified using the GSE cohort with pooled data for GSE30219, GSE31210, GSE37745 and GSE50081. Immune microenvironment component and mutation analysis were performed for genes in the ferroptosis-related gene signature.

RESULTS

All nine ferroptosis regulators and markers were differentially expressed between normal LUAD tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues and were related to copy number variation. The expression of 1329 genes were significantly associated with nine ferroptosis regulators and markers in the TCGA-LUAD dataset, five (ALDOA, PLK1, CD47, CENPC and TMOD3) of which were integrated into a ferroptosis-related gene signature to calculate the risk score of LUAD samples, showing a significant correlation with the abundance of immune cell infiltration and the immune score. Molecular docking showed the binding activity of natural active compound quercetin to target proteins ALDOA and CD47, as well as the binding activity of aristolochic acid to PLK1 protein and TMOD3 protein.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, a ferroptosis-related gene signature with predictive value for LUAD prognosis was constructed, in which the gene was a potential therapeutic target for LUAD. Quercetin and aristolochic acid were potential candidates for inhibiting these targets by directly binding to them and showing high affinity and strong stability.

Natural compounds as lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors: potential therapeutics for lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors-related diseases

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a crucial enzyme involved in energy metabolism and present in various cells throughout the body. Its diverse physiological functions encompass glycolysis, and its abnormal activity is associated with numerous diseases. Targeting LDH has emerged as a vital approach in drug discovery, leading to the identification of LDH inhibitors among natural compounds, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids. These compounds demonstrate therapeutic potential against LDH-related diseases, including anti-cancer effects. However, challenges concerning limited bioavailability, poor solubility, and potential toxicity must be addressed. Combining natural compounds with LDH inhibitors has led to promising outcomes in preclinical studies. This review highlights the promise of natural compounds as LDH inhibitors for treating cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Curcuminoids as Anticancer Drugs: Pleiotropic Effects, Potential for Metabolic Reprogramming and Prospects for the Future

The number of published studies on curcuminoids in cancer research, including its lead molecule curcumin and synthetic analogs, has been increasing substantially during the past two decades. Insights on the diversity of inhibitory effects they have produced on a multitude of pathways involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression have been provided. As this wealth of data was obtained in settings of various experimental and clinical data, this review first aimed at presenting a chronology of discoveries and an update on their complex in vivo effects. Secondly, there are many interesting questions linked to their pleiotropic effects. One of them, a growing research topic, relates to their ability to modulate metabolic reprogramming. This review will also cover the use of curcuminoids as chemosensitizing molecules that can be combined with several anticancer drugs to reverse the phenomenon of multidrug resistance. Finally, current investigations in these three complementary research fields raise several important questions that will be put among the prospects for the future research related to the importance of these molecules in cancer research.

Electroporation Enhances the Anticancer Effects of Novel Cu(II) and Fe(II) Complexes in Chemotherapy-Resistant Glioblastoma Cancer Cells

Schiff base ligand (L) was obtained by condensation reaction between 4-aminopyrimidin-2(1H)-one (cytosine) with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The synthesized Schiff base was used for complexation with Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions used by a molar (2 : 1 mmol ration) in methanol solvent. The structural features of ligand, Cu(II), and Fe(II) metal complexes were determined by standard spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, elemental analysis, proton and carbon NMR spectra, UV/VIS, and mass spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, thermal analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction). The synthesized compounds (Schiff base and its metal complexes) were screened in terms of their anti-proliferative activities in U118 and T98G human glioblastoma cell lines alone or in combination with electroporation (EP). Moreover, the human HDF (human dermal fibroblast) cell lines was used to check the bio-compatibility of the compounds. Anti-proliferative activities of all compounds were ascertained using an MTT assay. The complexes exhibited a good anti-proliferative effect on U118 and T98G glioblastoma cell lines. In addition, these compounds had a negligible cytotoxic effect on the fibroblast HDF cell lines. The use of compounds in combination with EP significantly decreased the IC₅₀ values compared to the use of compounds alone (p<0.05). These results show that newly synthesized Cu(II) and Fe(II) complexes can be developed for use in the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant U118 and T98G glioblastoma cells and that treatment with lower doses can be provided when used in combination with EP.

Multifaceted Pharmacological Potentials of Curcumin, Genistein, and Tanshinone IIA through Proteomic Approaches: An In-Depth Review

Phytochemicals possess various intriguing pharmacological properties against diverse pathological conditions. Extensive studies are on-going to understand the structural/functional properties of phytochemicals as well as the molecular mechanisms of their therapeutic function against various disease conditions. Phytochemicals such as curcumin (Cur), genistein (Gen), and tanshinone-IIA (Tan IIA) have multifaceted therapeutic potentials and various efforts are in progress to understand the molecular dynamics of their function with different tools and technologies. Cur is an active lipophilic polyphenol with pleiotropic function, and it has been shown to possess various intriguing properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anticancer, and anti-genotoxic properties besides others beneficial properties. Similarly, Gen (an isoflavone) exhibits a wide range of vital functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic activities etc. In addition, Tan IIA, a lipophilic compound, possesses antioxidant, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer activities, and so on. Over the last few decades, the field of proteomics has garnered great momentum mainly attributed to the recent advancement in mass spectrometry (MS) techniques. It is envisaged that the proteomics technology has considerably contributed to the biomedical research endeavors lately. Interestingly, they have also been explored as a reliable approach to understand the molecular intricacies related to phytochemical-based therapeutic interventions. The present review provides an overview of the proteomics studies performed to unravel the underlying molecular intricacies of various phytochemicals such as Cur, Gen, and Tan IIA. This in-depth study will help the researchers in better understanding of the pharmacological potential of the phytochemicals at the proteomics level. Certainly, this review will be highly instrumental in catalyzing the translational shift from phytochemical-based biomedical research to clinical practice in the near future.

Prostate cancer-associated urinary proteomes differ before and after prostatectomy

BACKGROUND

A wide range of disorders can be detected in the urine. Tumor-modifying proteins in the urine may serve as a diagnostic tool for cancer patients and the alterations in their profiles may indicate efficacies of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.

METHODS

We focused on urinary proteomes of patients with prostate cancer and identified tumor-modifying proteins in the samples before and after prostatectomy. Protein array analysis was conducted to evaluate a differential profile of tumor-promoting cytokines, while mass spectrometry-based global proteomics was conducted to identify tumor-suppressing proteins.

RESULTS

The result revealed striking differences by prostatectomy. Notably, the urine from the post-prostatectomy significantly decreased the tumorigenic behaviors of prostate tumor cells as well as breast cancer cells. We observed that angiogenin, a stimulator of blood vessel formation, was reduced in the post-prostatectomy urine. By contrast, the levels of three cell-membrane proteins such as prostasin (PRSS8), nectin 2 (PVRL2), and nidogen 1 (NID1) were elevated and they acted as extracellular tumor-suppressing proteins. These three proteins, given extracellularly, downregulated tumorigenic genes such as Runx2, Snail, and transforming growth factor beta and induced apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the role of NID1 differed depending on the location, and intracellular NID1 was tumorigenic and reduced the percent survival.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that prostatectomy remarkably altered the profile of urinary proteomes, and the post-prostatectomy urine provided tumor-suppressive proteomes. The result sheds novel light on the dynamic nature of the urinary proteomes and a unique strategy for predicting tumor suppressors.

Curcumin Loaded Nanocarriers with Varying Charges Augmented with Electroporation Designed for Colon Cancer Therapy

(1) Background: The size and surface charge are the most significant parameters of nanocarriers that determine their efficiency and potential application. The poor cell uptake of encapsulated drugs is the main limitation in anticancer treatment. The well-defined properties of nanocarriers will enable to target specific tissue and deliver an active cargo. (2) Methods: In the current study, poly(D,L -lactide) (PLA) nanocarriers loaded with curcumin (CUR) and differing surface charge were evaluated for transport efficacy in combination with electroporation (EP) in dependence on the type of cells. The obtained CUR-loaded nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 195 to 334 nm (derived from dynamic light scattering (DLS)) were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) (morphology and shape) and Doppler electrophoresis (ζ-potential) as well as UV-vis spectroscopy (CUR encapsulation efficiency (about 90%) and photobleaching rate). The drug delivery properties of the obtained PLA nanocarriers enhanced by electroporation were assessed in human colon cancer cells (LoVo), excitable normal rat muscle cells (L6), and free of voltage-gated ion channels cells (CHO-K1). CLSM studies, viability, and ROS release were performed to determine the biological effects of nanocarriers. (3) Results: The highest photodynamic activity indicated anionic nanocarriers (1a) stabilized by C₁₂(COONa)₂ surfactant. Nanocarriers were cytotoxic for LoVo cells and less cytotoxic for normal cells. ROS release increased in cancer cells with the increasing electric field intensity, irradiation, and time after EP. Muscle L6 cells were less sensitive to electric pulses. (4) Conclusions: EP stimulation for CUR-PLA nanocarriers transport was considered to improve the regulated and more effective delivery of nanosystems differing in surface charge.

Pharmacological Mechanisms and Clinical Applications of Curcumin: Update

Curcumin, a well-known hydrophobic polyphenol extracted from the rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), has attracted great interest in the last ten years due to its multiple pharmacological activities. A growing body of evidence has manifested that curcumin has extensive pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxygenation, lipid regulation, antiviral, and anticancer with hypotoxicity and minor adverse reactions. However, the disadvantages of low bioavailability, short half-life in plasma, low drug concentration in blood, and poor oral absorption severely limited the clinical application of curcumin. Pharmaceutical researchers have carried out plenty of dosage form transformations to improve the druggability of curcumin and have achieved remarkable results. Therefore, the objective of this review summarizes the pharmacological research progress, problems in clinical application and the improvement methods of curcumin's druggability. By reviewing the latest research progress of curcumin, we believe that curcumin has a broad clinical application prospect for its wide range of pharmacological activities with few side effects. The deficiencies of lower bioavailability of curcumin could be improved by dosage form transformation. However, curcumin in the clinical application still requires further study regarding the underlying mechanism and clinical trial verification.

New Promising Therapeutic Avenues of Curcumin in Brain Diseases

Curcumin, the dietary polyphenol isolated from Curcuma longa (turmeric), is commonly used as an herb and spice worldwide. Because of its bio-pharmacological effects curcumin is also called "spice of life", in fact it is recognized that curcumin possesses important proprieties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiproliferative, anti-tumoral, and anti-aging. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Diseases, Parkinson's Diseases, and Multiple Sclerosis are a group of diseases characterized by a progressive loss of brain structure and function due to neuronal death; at present there is no effective treatment to cure these diseases. The protective effect of curcumin against some neurodegenerative diseases has been proven by in vivo and in vitro studies. The current review highlights the latest findings on the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, its bioavailability, its mechanism of action and its possible application for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Immunometabolism modulation, a new trick of edible and medicinal plants in cancer treatment

The edible and medicinal plants (EMPs) are becoming an abundant source for cancer prevention and treatment since the natural and healthy trend for modern human beings. Currently, there are more than one hundred species of EMPs widely used and listed by the national health commission of China, and most of them indicate immune or metabolic regulation potential in cancer treatment with numerous studies over the past two decades. In the present review, we focused on the metabolic influence in immunocytes and tumor microenvironment, including immune response, immunosuppressive factors and cancer cells, discussing the immunometabolic potential of EMPs in cancer treatment. There are more than five hundred references collected and analyzed through retrieving pharmacological studies deposited in PubMed by medical subject headings and the corresponding names derived from pharmacopoeia of China as a sole criterion. Finally, the immunometabolism modulation of EMPs was sketch out implying an immunometabolic control in cancer treatment.

Enhanced Antiproliferation Potency of Electrical Pulse-Mediated Metformin and Cisplatin Combination Therapy on MDA-MB-231 Cells

We investigated the combined potency of metformin and cisplatin on the MDA-MB-231, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells with the application of electrical pulses. There are no targeted therapies for this subset of breast cancer because of the absence of specific biomarkers. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the mainstream mode of treatment for TNBC, and cisplatin is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drug. While there is a good response initially, TNBC cells develop drug resistance eventually. Thus, there is a need for alternate therapies. Toward this, we studied the antiproliferation characteristics of electrical pulse-mediated combination therapy using metformin, the commonly used Type-2 diabetes drug, along with cisplatin. We used metformin, as it has various anticancer properties caused by repressing energy pathways in a cancer cell. Application of 8 pulses of 1000 V/cm, 100 µs, at 1 Hz frequency, enhanced the drug uptake leading to cell viability as low as 25.86% at 30 µM cisplatin and 5 mM metformin in a 24 h study. Also, the same studies were conducted on MCF10A, a non-cancerous human epithelial cell. It aided in comparing the result for both MDA-MB-231 and MCF10A cell lines while establishing a better understanding of the experimental outcomes. Overall, the various experimental results from colony-forming assay, reactive oxidative analysis, and the intracellular glucose metabolic assay indicate the possibility of the electrical pulses-based cisplatin and metformin drug combination as a potential alternative to TNBC treatment.

Identification of a Hypoxia-Related Molecular Classification and Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironment Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Purpose

The hypoxic tumor microenvironment was reported to be involved in different tumorigenesis mechanisms of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), such as invasion, immune evasion, chemoresistance, and metastasis. However, a systematic analysis of the prognostic prediction models based on multiple hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) has not been established in TNBC before in the literature. We aimed to develop and verify a hypoxia gene signature for prognostic prediction in TNBC patients.

Methods

The RNA sequencing profiles and clinical data of TNBC patients were generated from the TCGA, GSE103091, and METABRIC databases. The TNBC-specific differential HRGs (dHRGs) were obtained from differential expression analysis of hypoxia cultured TNBC cell lines compared with normoxic cell lines from the GEO database. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) method was then performed on the TNBC patients using the dHRGs to explore a novel molecular classification on the basis of the dHRG expression patterns. Prognosis-associated dHRGs were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to establish the prognostic risk score model.

Results

Based on the expressions of 205 dHRGs, all the patients in the TCGA training cohort were categorized into two subgroups, and the patients in Cluster 1 demonstrated worse OS than those in Cluster 2, which was validated in two independent cohorts. Additionally, the effects of somatic copy number variation (SCNV), somatic single nucleotide variation (SSNV), and methylation level on the expressions of dHRGs were also analyzed. Then, we performed Cox regression analyses to construct an HRG-based risk score model (3-gene dHRG signature), which could reliably discriminate the overall survival (OS) of high-risk and low-risk patients in TCGA, GSE103091, METABRIC, and BMCHH (qRT-PCR) cohorts.

Conclusions

In this study, a robust predictive signature was developed for patients with TNBC, indicating that the 3-gene dHRG model might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for TNBC.

Study on the Inhibitory Effect of Curcumin on GBM and Its Potential Mechanism

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). However, current GBM treatments are ineffective, signifying the great importance of exploring new therapeutic targets. Curcumin has been found to be a natural compound with an anticancer potential. However, its targets and mechanisms in GBM are still unclear.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the GBM dataset in the GEO database and intersected with the target genes of curcumin to select potential target genes. Subsequently, survival analysis was performed with the GEPIA database to confirm the effect of target genes on the prognosis of GBM, and functional enrichment analysis was performed using the DAVID database. In vitro, CCK-8 assay was used to screen the appropriate concentration of curcumin; scratch and transwell invasion assays were used to evaluate the effect of curcumin on the migration and invasion abilities of GBM cells. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect changes in target genes and flow cytometry was used to assess the apoptosis level.

Results

A total of 16 target genes of curcumin and GBM were obtained, among which ENO1, MMP2, and PRKD2 significantly affected the prognosis (P < 0.05). We further selected ENO1 for functional enrichment analysis and found that it was enriched in the glycolytic pathway. Meanwhile, in vitro experiments showed that curcumin could inhibit the migration and invasion of U251 cells and promote apoptosis (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

ENO1 could be a possible target for curcumin in the suppression of GBM cells.

Bioinformatics, Molecular Docking and Experiments In Vitro Analyze the Prognostic Value of CXC Chemokines in Breast Cancer

The increasing incidence and mortality rate of Breast cancer (BC) make it a major public health problem around the world. CXC chemokines can mediate the migration of immune cells and regulate apoptosis in tumor. However, the expression and prognostic value of them in BC and their targeted drugs have not been clarified. Therefore, in this study, ONCOMINE, GEPIA2.0, UALCAN, Venny2.1.0, cBioPortal, STRING, Gene MANIA, Pathway Commons, DAVID6.8, Omicshare, Cytoscape3.6.1, TIMER2.0, Drug Bank, TCMSP, RSCBPDB, PubChem, pkCSM, Chem Draw, AutoDockTools-1.5.6 and PyMOL were utilized for analysis. The expression of CXCL1-3, CXCL9-13 between BC and normal tissues was significantly different in all the three databases. And the expression of CXCL1-2, CXCL12-13 was correlated with the stages of BC. But only CXCL1-3 were prone to mutation, and negatively correlated with survival and prognosis of BC patients. Taken together, CXCL1-2 might be therapeutic targets and biomarkers for BC patients. In addition, both of them were associated with immune infiltration. The results of molecular docking showed that Quercetin was most likely to be developed as drugs that interacted directly with CXCL1-2. And GLU29 of CXCL1, ASP-1, PRO-96, TRP-47 and LEU-45 of CXCL2 were the most potential sites, which provided valuable reference for further study of pharmacodynamics and mechanism. In addition, the inhibitory effect of Quercetin on proliferation and promoting apoptosis of BC related cell lines were confirmed in vitro. Western blot and Real-Time PCR confirmed that it increased the expression of CXCL1-2 in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells.

The electrical pulse application enhances intra-cellular localization and potentiates cytotoxicity of curcumin in breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is the most common cancer of women, and fifth leading cause of mortality worldwide. Existing breast cancer regimens are costly and produce severe side effects. This highlights a need for the development of efficient novel therapies, which are cost effective and limit side effects. An electrical pulse (EP)-based chemo therapy, known as electrochemotherapy (ECT) using the natural compound curcumin could be an effective alternative. ECT is a non-surgical modality, which produces excellent anti-tumor efficacy at small drug concentrations due to increased uptake of drugs. In clinics, ECT is shown to be effective in treating advanced, recurrent, and metastatic breast cancers, which are refractory to multiple modalities. ECT with curcumin triggers apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells and could be an effective alternative, due to curcumin's low cost and reduced side-effects. However, there is a lack of studies quantifying the uptake of curcumin in response to EP application. Towards this, we determined the uptake of different curcuminoids (curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin) upon EP application and their impact on cell cytotoxicity. Additionally, we studied the combined effect of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and a curcuminoids (Cur) mixture, based on initial studies suggesting calcium electroporation as a potential inexpensive anti-cancer treatment. Our results indicate EP with Cur increases cellular uptake, cell shrinkage, and cytotoxicity. The EP + Cur resulted in the highest uptake of the bisdemethoxycurcumin. Further, EP also potentiated the cytotoxicity of CaCl₂ and of the Cur and CaCl₂ combination against breast cancer cells and caused apoptosis. Our preliminary data pave the way to further studies on Cur and CaCl₂ combination treating breast cancer.

Anti-Warburg effect by targeting HRD1-PFKP pathway may inhibit breast cancer progression

BACKGROUND

Our previous studies have shown that the E3 ubiquitin ligase of HMG-CoA reductase degradation 1 (HRD1) functions as a tumor suppressor, as overexpression of HRD1 suppressed breast cancer proliferation and invasion. However, its role in breast cancer cell glucose metabolism was unclear. Here, our aim was to uncover the role and molecular mechanisms of HRD1 in regulating aerobic glycolysis in breast cancer.

METHODS

The effect of HRD1 on robic glycolysis in breast cancer cells were assessed. Then the proliferation, colony formation ability, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells were evaluated. The relationship between HRD1 and PFKP was validated by Mass spectrometry analysis, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation. The level of PFKP ubiquitination was measured using ubiquitylation assay. Furthermore, the tumor growth and metastasis in mice xenografts were observed.

RESULTS

We found that upregulation of HRD1 clearly decreased aerobic glycolysis, and subsequently inhibited breast cancer proliferation and invasion. Mass spectrometry analysis results revealed a large HRD1 interactome, which included PFKP (platelet isoform of phosphofructokinase), a critical enzyme involved in the Warburg Effect in breast cancer. Mechanistically, HRD1 interacted and colocalized with PFKP in the cytoplasm, targeted PFKP for ubiquitination and degradation, and ultimately reduced PFKP expression and activity in breast cancer cells. HRD1 inhibited breast cancer growth and metastasis in vivo through a PFKP-dependent way CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a new regulatory role of HRD1 in Warburg effect and provide a key contributor in breast cancer metabolism. Video abstract.

Effects of curcumin on the pharmacokinetics of amlodipine in rats and its potential mechanism

Context: Hyperlipidaemia and hypertension are often treated together with curcumin and amlodipine. It is necessary to investigate the drug-drug interaction between curcumin and amlodipine.Objective: The interaction between curcumin and amlodipine was investigated in rats and with rat liver microsomes.Methods: The pharmacokinetics of amlodipine (1 mg/kg) was investigated in rats with or without curcumin pre-treatment (2 mg/kg), six rats in each group. The metabolic stability of amlodipine was investigated with rat liver microsomes.Results: Curcumin significantly increased the C_max (26.19 ± 2.21 versus 17.80 ± 1.56 μg/L), AUC_(0-t) (507.27 ± 60.23 versus 238.68 ± 45.59 μg·h/L), and t_1/2 (14.69 ± 1.64 versus 11.43 ± 1.20 h) of amlodipine (p < 0.05). The metabolic stability of amlodipine was significantly increased with the half-life time in rat liver microsomes increased from 34.23 ± 3.33 to 44.15 ± 4.12 min, and the intrinsic rate decreased from 40.49 ± 3.26 to 31.39 ± 2.78 μL/min/mg protein.Discussion and conclusions: These results indicated that drug-drug interaction might appear during the co-administration of curcumin and amlodipine. The potential mechanism may be due to the inhibition of CYP3A4 by curcumin. Thus, this interaction should be given special attention in the clinic and needs further experiments to characterize the effect in humans.

Electrochemotherapy Modulates Mammary Tumor Growth in Rats on a Western Diet Supplemented with Curcumin

In the US, every 12 min, six women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one dies. This highlights a critical need for developing alternate therapies using natural compounds, which are cost effective and with less side effects. Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric has been found to suppress initiation, progression, and metastasis of a variety of tumors. Multiple clinical trials highlight the efficacy of curcumin in treating breast cancer and other diseases. Our in vitro studies have demonstrated that the electrical pulse (EP) application can further enhance the effectiveness of curcumin against breast cancer cells in a therapy called electrochemotherapy (ECT). In a direct extension of these results, we studied the effect of ECT coupled with intratumoral curcumin administration (EP+Cur) on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) induced mammary tumors in female Sprague Dawley rats. Beginning at the weaning and throughout the study, rats were fed either western diet (West) or western diet, supplemented with 1% curcumin (W+Cur). Our results showed that EP+Cur treatment led to a reduced growth rate in rats fed with W+Cur diet compared to West diet (57.14% vs. 16.67% in West diet). These results provide a foundation for further studies towards utilizing it in clinical practice.

Resistance and Overcoming Resistance in Breast Cancer

The incidence and mortality of breast cancer (BC) have increased in recent years, and BC is the main cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. One of the most significant clinical problems in the treatment of patients with BC is the development of therapeutic resistance. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in drug resistance is critical. The therapeutic decision for the management of patients with BC is based not only on the assessment of prognostic factors but also on the evaluation of clinical and pathological parameters. Although this has been a successful approach, some patients relapse and/or eventually develop resistance to treatment. This review is focused on recent studies on the possible biological and molecular mechanisms involved in both response and resistance to treatment in BC. Additionally, emerging treatments that seek to overcome resistance and reduce side effects are also described. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of treatments used in BC might contribute not only to the enhancement of our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of resistance but also to the optimization of the existing treatment regimens.

High-throughput, Label-Free Quantitative Proteomic Studies of the Anticancer Effects of Electrical Pulses with Turmeric Silver Nanoparticles: an in vitro Model Study

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 15–20% of the over one million new breast cancer cases occurring each year. TNBC is an aggressive cancer phenotype, with low 5-year survival rates, high 3-year recurrence rates, and increased risk of metastasis. A lack of three commonly exploited hormone receptors renders TNBC resistant to endocrine therapies and lends to its critical absence of viable therapeutic targets. This necessitates the development of alternate and effective novel therapeutic strategies for TNBC. Towards this, our current work seeks to develop the technique of Electrical pulse (EP)-mediated Turmeric silver nanoparticles (TurNP) therapy, known as Electrochemotherapy (ECT), to effectively target TNBC cells. This technique involves the efficient delivery of natural bioactive molecules with anti-cancer effects via a biophysical means. In these experiments, the bioactive molecules are turmeric, a dried rhizome of Curcuma longa that has been used for centuries, both as a dietary supplement and as a medicine in Ayurveda (science of life) in the Indian subcontinent and in traditional Chinese medicine. Our results reveal the combined effect of TurNP + EP treatment in reducing MDA-MB-231 cell viability to as low as 9% at 12 h. Showing biological selectivity, this combination treatment has a substantially lower effect on non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial MCF10A cells (67% viability). To gain mechanistic insights into the actions of TurNP-based ECT treatment, we performed high-throughput, label-free quantitative proteomics studies. Proteomics results indicate that TurNP + EP treatment significantly influenced expression of a diverse list of proteins, including receptors, transcription factors, structural proteins, kinases, and metabolic enzymes. This include the downregulation of 25 proteins in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway (such as GRB2, EGFR, EPHA2, GNB1, GNB2, 14–3–3 family, and Integrin family proteins), and 12 proteins (AKR1A1, ALDOA, ALDOC, PGK1, PGM1, PGAM1, ENO1, ENO2, GAPDH, TPI1, LDHA, and LDHB) in the glycolytic pathway with concomitant reduction in metabolite levels (glucose uptake, and intracellular- lactate, glutamine, and glutamate). Compared to TurNP alone, TurNP + EP treatment upregulated 66 endoplasmic reticulum and 193 mitochondrial proteins, enhancing several processes and pathways, including Pyruvate Metabolism, Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which redirected the TNBC metabolism to mitochondria. This switch in the metabolism caused excessive production of H₂O₂ reactive oxygen species (ROS) to inflict cell death in MDA-MB-231 cells, demonstrating the potency of this treatment.

Molecular mechanism of curcumin action in signaling pathways: Review of the latest research

Recently, many studies have been conducted trying to explain the molecular mechanism of curcumin action in various pathological states of the cell and the organism. Curcumin is considered to play a role in the regulation of T-lymphocytes function in the lymphoid tissue of the large intestine, apoptosis of the human papilloma and the activity of the 26S proteasome, and p53 level. Research works have shown that curcumin in tumor can regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytosolic calcium ion level as well as affect other signaling molecules [nuclear factor kappa B (NF-KB), cytokines] triggering endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial stress, and thus contributing to death of cancer cells. Curcumin can also arrest of the cell cycle in the G2/M phase leading to apoptosis and/or reduction in cancer cells proliferation. Moreover, curcumin is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, and thus it may protect the neurons from oxidative stress and inflammation. Finally, curcumin may play a role in cardiological protection and it is possible to use it in the protection of liver and spleen against oxidative and inflammatory injury. Among signaling pathways regulated by curcumin, the most important seem to be those related with regulation of oxidative stress and inhibition of NF-кB activity.