The cell of cancer origin provides the most reliable roadmap to its diagnosis, prognosis (biology) and therapy

Interactions between DNA and the acridine intercalator: A computational study

Cancer is a global public health problem characterized by deviations in the mechanisms that control cell proliferation, resulting in mutations and variations in the structure of DNA. The mechanisms of action of chemotherapeutic drugs are related to their interactions and binding with DNA; consequently, the development of antineoplastic agents that target DNA has extensively focused on use of acridine, a heterocyclic molecule that binds to deoxyribonucleic acid via intercalation, a process that modifies DNA and makes replication impossible. In this context, this study aimed to computationally investigate how acridine intercalators interact with DNA by evaluating the mechanism of interactions, binding, and interaction energies using quantum mechanics calculations. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis revealed that acridine has well- distributed negative charges in the center of the molecule, indicative of a dominant electron-rich region. Acridine exhibits well-defined π orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) on the aromatic rings, suggesting that charge transfer occurs within the molecule and may be responsible for the pharmacological activity of the compound. Structural analysis revealed that acridine interacts with DNA mainly through hydrogen bonds between HAcridine… ODNA with bond lengths ranging from 2.370 Å to 3.472 Å. The Binding energy (ΔEBind) showed that acridine interacts with DNA effectively for all complexes and the electronic energy results (E+ZPE) for complexes revealed that the complexes are more stable when the DNA-centered acridine molecule. The Laplacian-analysis topological QTAIM parameter (∇2ρ(r)) and total energy (H(r)) categorized the interactions as being non-covalent in nature. The RGD peak distribution in the NCI analysis reveals the presence of van der Waals interactions, predominantly between the intercalator and DNA. Accordingly, we confirm that acridine/DNA interactions are relevant for understanding how the intercalator acts within nucleic acids.

Inflammatory auxo-action in the stem cell division theory of cancer

Acute inflammation is a beneficial response to the changes caused by pathogens or injuries that can eliminate the source of damage and restore homeostasis in damaged tissues. However, chronic inflammation causes malignant transformation and carcinogenic effects of cells through continuous exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of inflammatory signaling pathways. According to the theory of stem cell division, the essential properties of stem cells, including long life span and self-renewal, make them vulnerable to accumulating genetic changes that can lead to cancer. Inflammation drives quiescent stem cells to enter the cell cycle and perform tissue repair functions. However, as cancer likely originates from DNA mutations that accumulate over time via normal stem cell division, inflammation may promote cancer development, even before the stem cells become cancerous. Numerous studies have reported that the mechanisms of inflammation in cancer formation and metastasis are diverse and complex; however, few studies have reviewed how inflammation affects cancer formation from the stem cell source. Based on the stem cell division theory of cancer, this review summarizes how inflammation affects normal stem cells, cancer stem cells, and cancer cells. We conclude that chronic inflammation leads to persistent stem cells activation, which can accumulate DNA damage and ultimately promote cancer. Additionally, inflammation not only facilitates the progression of stem cells into cancer cells, but also plays a positive role in cancer metastasis.