Quercetin acts via the G3BP1/YWHAZ axis to inhibit glycolysis and proliferation in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Therapeutic effects of quercetin in oral cancer therapy: a systematic review of preclinical evidence focused on oxidative damage, apoptosis and anti-metastasis

OBJECTIVE

Oral malignancies are among the common head and neck cancers. Various therapeutic modalities are used for targeting oral cancers. It was shown that quercetin (a flavonoid) has an anti-cancer effect on different cancers. In the current study, the anti-cancer potentials of quercetin against oral cancer cells were summarized.

METHODS

The current systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guideline for the identification of relevant studies in various electronic databases up to April 2023. After reviewing and screening 193 articles, 18 were chosen for this study based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

It was shown that quercetin significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation, cell viability, tumor volume, invasion, metastasis and migration. This anti-cancer agent induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in the cancer cells. Quercetin treatment could also induce some biochemical alterations in the cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

According to the results, it can be mentioned that quercetin administration has an anti-cancer effect against oral cancer cells. This agent exerts its anticancer effects via reduced cell viability and different mechanisms, including induce oxidative damage, apoptosis, and reduced invasion and metastasis. However, suggesting the use of quercetin as a therapeutic agent of oral cancer patients requires further clinical studies due to its poor absorption rates, and the exact molecular mechanisms are still not well understood.

Application of stress granule core element G3BP1 in various diseases: A review

Ras-GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) is a core component and crucial regulatory switch in stress granules (SGs). When the concentration of free RNA within cells increases, it can trigger RNA-dependent liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with G3BP1 as the core, thereby forming SGs that affect cell survival or death. In addition, G3BP1 interacts with various host proteins to regulate the expression of SGs. As a multifunctional binding protein, G3BP1 has diverse biological functions, influencing cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and RNA metabolism and serving as a crucial regulator in signaling pathways such as Rac1-PAK1, TSC-mTORC1, NF-κB, and STAT3. Therefore, it plays a significant role in the regulation of neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial hypertrophy, and congenital immunity, and is involved in the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. G3BP1 is an important antiviral factor that interacts with viral proteins, and regulates SG assembly to exert antiviral effects. This article focuses on the recent discoveries and progress of G3BP1 in biology, including its structure and function, regulation of SG formation and dissolution, and its relationships with non-neoplastic diseases, tumors, and viruses.

Immunometabolic rewiring in macrophages for periodontitis treatment via nanoquercetin-mediated leverage of glycolysis and OXPHOS

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by a dysregulated immune microenvironment, posing formidable challenges for effective treatment. The disease is characterized by an altered glucose metabolism in macrophages, specifically an increase in aerobic glycolysis, which is linked to heightened inflammatory responses. This suggests that targeting macrophage metabolism could offer a new therapeutic avenue. In this study, we developed an immunometabolic intervention using quercetin (Q) encapsulated in bioadhesive mesoporous polydopamine (Q@MPDA) to treat periodontitis. Our results demonstrated that Q@MPDA could reprogram inflammatory macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype (i.e., from-M1-to-M2 repolarization). In a murine periodontitis model, locally administered Q@MPDA reduced the presence of inflammatory macrophages, and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the periodontium. Consequently, it alleviated periodontitis symptoms, reduced alveolar bone loss, and promoted tissue repair. Furthermore, our study revealed that Q@MPDA could inhibit the glycolysis of inflammatory macrophages while enhancing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), facilitating the shift from M1 to M2 macrophage subtype. Our findings suggest that Q@MPDA is a promising treatment for periodontitis via immunometabolic rewiring.

Quercetin induces ferroptosis by inactivating mTOR/S6KP70 pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Although recent studies increasingly suggest the potential anti-cancer effect of quercetin, the exact underlying mechanism remains poorly demonstrated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (oSCC). Therefore, our research explored the impacts of quercetin on the ferroptosis and mTOR/S6KP70 axis in oSCC cell lines. After treating oSCC cells with quercetin or indicated compounds and transfection with SLC7A11- or S6KP70-overexpressing plasmid, cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. The level of ferroptosis in oSCC cells was assessed by measuring ROS and GSH levels. The activation of mTOR/S6KP70 axis was assessed by Western blotting. Quercetin promoted ferroptosis in an mTOR/S6KP70-dependent manner to inhibit tumor growth in oSCC cells. Mechanistically, we revealed that quercetin induced lipid peroxidation and reduced GSH levels by repressing SLC7A11 expression in oSCC cells. Specifically, the effects of quercetin on ferroptosis and mTOR and S6KP70 phosphorylation were partially blocked by both mTOR agonist and S6KP70 overexpression. Moreover, mTOR inhibitor promoted ferroptosis in quercetin-treated oSCC cells. Our findings showed that ferroptosis may be a new anti-tumor mechanism of quercetin. Additionally, we identified that quercetin can target mTOR/S6KP70 cascade to inhibit the growth of oSCC cells.

Quercetin in Oncology: A Phytochemical with Immense Therapeutic Potential

Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with various pharmacological actions such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and antiviral activities. Looking at these enormous potentials, researchers have explored how they can be used to manage numerous cancers. It's been studied for cancer management due to its anti-angiogenesis, anti-metastatic, and antiproliferative mechanisms. Despite having these proven pharmacological activities, the clinical use of quercetin is limited due to its first-- pass metabolism, poor solubility, and bioavailability. To address these shortcomings, researchers have fabricated various nanocarriers-based formulations to fight cancer. The present review overshadows the pharmacological potential, mechanisms, and application of nanoformulations against different cancers. Teaser: Explore the potential of Quercetin, a natural flavonoid with diverse pharmacological activities, and its nanoformulations in managing various cancers.

Unlocking the power of nanomedicine: the future of nutraceuticals in oncology treatment

Cancer, an intricate and multifaceted disease, is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that can lead to serious health complications and ultimately death. Conventional therapeutic strategies mainly target rapidly dividing cancer cells, but often indiscriminately harm healthy cells in the process. As a result, there is a growing interest in exploring novel therapies that are both effective and less toxic to normal cells. Herbs have long been used as natural remedies for various diseases and conditions. Some herbal compounds exhibit potent anti-cancer properties, making them potential candidates for nutraceutical-based treatments. However, despite their promising efficacy, there are considerable limitations in utilizing herbal preparations due to their poor solubility, low bioavailability, rapid metabolism and excretion, as well as potential interference with other medications. Nanotechnology offers a unique platform to overcome these challenges by encapsulating herbal compounds within nanoparticles. This approach not only increases solubility and stability but also enhances the cellular uptake of nutraceuticals, allowing for controlled and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents directly at tumor sites. By harnessing the power of nanotechnology-enabled therapy, this new frontier in cancer treatment presents an opportunity to minimize toxicity while maximizing efficacy. In conclusion, this manuscript provides compelling evidence for integrating nanotechnology with nutraceuticals derived from herbal sources to optimize cancer therapy outcomes. We explore the roadblocks associated with traditional herbal treatments and demonstrate how nanotechnology can help circumvent these issues, paving the way for safer and more effective cancer interventions in future oncological practice.