Targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) of cancer cells with natural compounds derived from Panax ginseng and other plants

Design, synthesis, and biological investigations of new pyrazole derivatives as VEGFR2/CDK-2 inhibitors targeting liver cancer

New Series of N-Manniche bases 3,4 (a-c) and 5,6 (a-b) were synthesized through the reaction of benzaldehyde and amine with 3-methyl-4-(aryldiazenyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-ol derivatives 2(a-c), they were fully characterized by FT-IR, (1H, 13C) NMR data in addition to their mass spectra. The Structural Activity Relationship of the target compounds were examined for their cytotoxicity. Some newly synthesized compounds showed promising antiproliferation properties when tested against HepG2 cancer cells. Compounds 4a, 5a, and 6b showed potent cytotoxicity against HepG2 with IC50 values of 4.4, 3.46 and 2.52 µM compared to Sorafenib (IC50 = 2.051 µM) and Roscovitine (IC50 = 4.18 µM). Furthermore, they were safe against the THLE2 cells with higher IC50 values. Compound 6b exhibited promising dual VEGFR2/CDK-2 inhibition activities; it had an IC50 value of 0.2 μM with VEGFR2 inhibition of 93.2%, and it had an IC50 value of 0.458 μM with CDK-2 inhibition of 88.7%. In comparison to the untreated control group (0.95%), compounds 5a (38.32%) and 6b (42.9%) considerably increased the cell population in total apoptosis. In addition, compounds 5a and 6b arrested the cell population at G0-G1 and S phases, respectively. Molecular docking experiments confirmed the virtual binding mechanism of the most active drugs, which were found to have good binding affinities with both receptor active sites.

Kaempferol Synergistically Enhances Cisplatin-induced Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Colon Cancer Cells

Colon cancer remains a significant global health concern, necessitating the continuous exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. Cisplatin is a first-line chemotherapy medication that is frequently used to treat patients for a variety of malignancies, including colon cancer. However, a major obstacle to its clinical usefulness is acquired resistance. This research investigates the synergistic effects of kaempferol, a natural flavonoid with known anti-cancer properties, in combination with cisplatin, in colon cancer cells. Our study employed colon cancer cell lines to evaluate the individual and combined cytotoxic effects of kaempferol and cisplatin. The results demonstrated a notable enhancement in the cytotoxicity of colon cancer cells when treated with a combination of kaempferol and cisplatin compared to individual treatments. This synergistic effect was further characterized by an increase in apoptosis, as evidenced by morphological changes and biochemical markers of apoptosis and cell cycle. The investigations revealed that the combined treatment led to the modulation of key apoptotic pathways, including the upregulation of pro-apoptotic factors and downregulation of anti-apoptotic factors. Additionally, the synergistic effect was associated with the inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of cell cycle arrest. The findings of this study suggest that the combination of kaempferol and cisplatin holds promise as a potent therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment, potentially enhancing the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy while minimizing adverse effects. Further in-depth investigations, including in vivo studies, are warranted to validate these findings and explore the translational potential of this synergistic approach in clinical settings.