Targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling pathways with Dietary Phytocompounds and repurposed drug combinations for overcoming drug resistance in various cancers

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial step in metastasis formation. It enhances the ability of cancer cells' to self-renew and initiate tumors, while also increasing resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy. Among the signaling pathways a few signaling pathways such as Notch, TGF-beta, and Wnt-beta catenin are critically involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) acquisition. Therefore, regulating EMT is a key strategy for controlling malignant cell behavior. This is done by interconnecting other signaling pathways in many cancer types. Although there is extensive preclinical evidence regarding EMT's function in the development of cancer, there is still a deficiency in clinical translation at the therapeutic level. Thus, there is a need for medications that are both highly effective and with low cytotoxic for modulating EMT transitions at ground level. Thus, this led to the study of the evaluation and efficiency of phytochemicals found in dietary sources of fruits and vegetables and also the combination of small molecular repurposed drugs that can enhance the effectiveness of traditional cancer treatments. This review summarises major EMT-associated pathways and their cross talks with their mechanistic insights and the role of different dietary phytochemicals (curcumin, ginger, fennel, black pepper, and clove) and their natural analogs and also repurposed drugs (metformin, statin, chloroquine, and vitamin D) which are commonly used in regulating EMT in various preclinical studies. This review also investigates the concept of low-toxicity and broad spectrum ("The Halifax Project") approach which can help for site targeting of several key pathways and their mechanism. We also discuss the mechanisms of action, models for our dietary phytochemicals, and repurposed drugs and their combinations used to identify potential anti-EMT activities. Additionally, we also analyzed existing literature and proposed new directions for accelerating the discovery of novel drug candidates that are safe to administer.

Agriculture waste valorisation as a source of antioxidant phenolic compounds within a circular and sustainable bioeconomy

Agro-food industrial waste is currently being accumulated, pushing scientists to find recovery strategies to obtain bioactive compounds within a circular bioeconomy. Target phenolic compounds have shown market potential by means of optimization extraction techniques.

Resveratrol represses estrogen-induced mammary carcinogenesis through NRF2-UGT1A8-estrogen metabolic axis activation

Estrogen plays a pivotal role in the pathological development of breast cancer. Resveratrol has chemo-preventive effects against breast cancer, whereas, the mechanism of antitumor activities of resveratrol remains unanswered. In this study, we showed that estrogen homeostasis profile was disturbed in both breast cancer patients and in experimental breast cancer model rats, with carcinogenic catechol estrogens significantly accumulated in the mammary tissues. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A8 (UGT1A8) is an important phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes which involved in the metabolism of catechol estrogens. Here we found that the mammary nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) - UGT1A8 signaling was down-regulated in breast cancer rats, whereas treatment with resveratrol could upregulate the expression of NRF2 and UGT1A8, accelerate metabolic elimination of catechol estrogens, inhibit estrogen-induced DNA damage and suppress the pathological development of breast cancer. In addition, luciferase reporter assay suggested that resveratrol activated the expression of UGT1A8 by up-regulating the transcriptional activity of NRF2. Small-interfering RNA-mediated silencing of NRF2 abolished resveratrol-mediated preventive effects indicated that the antitumor effect of resveratrol is based on NRF2-UGT1A8-estrogen metabolism axis. Taken together, we established the resveratrol regulating potential on estrogen homeostasis based on NRF2-UGT1A8 signaling pathway, and also provided a novel link between estrogen glucuronidation metabolism and breast cancer pathological development.

Response to comment on "Cancer chemoprevention: Evidence of a nonlinear dose response for the protective effects of resveratrol in humans and mice"

Low-dose resveratrol did not have the opposite effect on intestinal adenoma development when given in a standard diet instead of a high-fat diet, although we agree on the need for more information on the interaction of diet-derived compounds such as resveratrol and other lifestyle, metabolic and hormonal factors.