[Development of "Patient Friendly Formulations" to Counter the Side Effects of Cancer Chemotherapy]

Clinical investigation of use of Episil® oral solution in oral mucositis during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Objective

Episil® is a bio adhesive barrier-forming oral liquid gel that has been used in recent years to relieve pain of oral mucositis (OM) with radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical effects of Episil® on OM in these patients.

Study design

Between June 2018 and May 2020, 65 patients with HNC were treated with RT or CRT at our hospital.

Results

The median total RT dose was 50 Gy (range, 30-70 Gy) and the completion rate was 63/65 (97%). The median time to OM resolution was 47 (6-90) days and was significantly longer (53 [27-90] days) when the total RT dose was ≥51 Gy (P < 0.001). Episil® was used in 26 patients. Among them, 10 discontinued its use due to ineffective pain relief, usage difficulties, and taste intolerance. The median duration of use was 30 days and was significantly longer (34.5 days) (P < 0.001) when patients experienced pain relief at treatment initiation.

Conclusion

Although Episil® has been shown to be effective in improving the pain of OM caused by RT for HNC patients, and medical professionals are required to give careful attention to each patient.

Design and Synthesis of 2-(5-Phenylindol-3-yl)benzimidazole Derivatives with Antiproliferative Effects towards Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Activation of ROS-Mediated Mitochondria Dysfunction

Benzimidazole derivatives are widely studied because of their broad-spectrum biological activity, such as antitumor properties and excellent fluorescence performance. Herein, two types of 2-(5-phenylindol-3-yl)benzimidazole derivatives (1 a-1 h and 2 a-2 e) were rationally designed and synthesized. When these compounds were investigated in vitro anti-screening assays, we found that all of them possessed antitumor effect, in particular compound 1 b, which showed an outstanding antiproliferative effect on MDA-MB-231 cells (IC₅₀ ≈2.6 μm). A study of the drug action mechanisms in cells showed that the antitumor activity of the compounds is proportional to their lipophilicity and cellular uptake; the tested compounds all entered the lysosome of MDA-MB-231 cells and caused changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and then caused mitochondrial damage. Apparent differences in the ROS levels for each compound suggest that the lethality of these compounds towards MDA-MB-231 cells is closely related to the ROS levels. Taken together, this study not only provides a theoretical basis for 2-(5-phenylindol-3-yl)benzimidazole anticarcinogens but also offers new thinking on the rational design of next-generation antitumor benzimidazole derivatives.