A way forward for cancer prevention therapy: personalized risk assessment

Development of a cancer risk model and mobile health application to inform the public about cancer risks and risk factors

OBJECTIVE

To develop and evaluate a mobile health application, the Cancer Risk Calculator (CRC), aimed at improving public health literacy by providing personalized information on cancer risks and preventive measures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CRC was developed through a comprehensive process involving the identification of necessary content, integration of average cancer risks using data from reliable sources, creation of a novel risk model emphasizing modifiable factors, and the application's development for easy access. The application covers 38 cancer types, 18 subtypes, and approximately 790 risk factors, utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and scientific literature.

RESULTS

CRC offers users personalized risk assessments across a broad range of cancers, emphasizing modifiable risk factors to encourage preventive behaviors. It distinguishes itself by covering more cancer types and risk factors than existing tools, with preliminary user feedback indicating its utility in promoting health literacy and lifestyle changes.

DISCUSSION

The CRC application stands out as an innovative tool in health informatics, significantly enhancing public understanding of cancer risks. Its development underscores the potential of digital health technologies to bolster preventive healthcare strategies through improved health literacy.

CONCLUSION

The Cancer Risk Calculator is a pivotal development in mobile health technology, offering comprehensive and personalized insights into cancer risks and prevention. It serves as a valuable resource for public health education, facilitating informed decisions and lifestyle modifications for cancer prevention.

Induction of Ferroptosis by Ophiopogonin-B Through Regulating the Gene Signature AURKA in NSCLC

Ferroptosis is a new type of iron-dependent programmed cell death. In recent years, its role in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has been continuously observed. The relationship between the ferroptosis-related genes and the prognosis of patients with NSCLC needs to be clarified. In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Synthesis database (Gene Expression Omnibus, GEO) were used to build a model of ferroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 101 ferroptosis-related DEGs were screened using R language, and a 12-gene signature was finally established through univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-penalized Cox regression analysis. According to the risk scores, the patients were divided into a high-risk or a low-risk group, with patients in the low-risk group showing better prognosis. AURKA, one of the genes in the 12-gene signature, was found to be highly expressed in tumors. In addition, further study verified AURKA to be a negative regulator of ferroptosis in NSCLC cells. Ophiopogonin B (OP-B) had been reported to induce apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe, and autophagy in NSCLC cells. Herein, proteomic sequencing analysis and OP-B administration revealed the upregulation of AURKA and the downregulation of PHKG2 and SLC7A5 in the 12-gene signature, indicating that OP-B induced ferroptosis in NSCLC. Determination of the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and intracellular iron and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) confirmed the induction of ferroptosis by OP-B in vitro. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination of lung cancer xenotransplantation in nude mice confirmed that OP-B induced ferroptosis in vivo. Further study of the molecular mechanism showed that the ferroptosis effect caused by OP-B can be partially reversed by the overexpression of AURKA. Overall, our study established a new ferroptosis-related risk prediction model for the prognosis of patients with NSCLC, revealed the enrichment pathways of ferroptosis in NSCLC, and discovered the negative regulation of AURKA in ferroptosis. On this basis, we demonstrated that OP-B can induce ferroptosis in NSCLC and clarified the specific molecular mechanism of OP-B inducing ferroptosis by regulating the expression of AURKA.

Genoprotective activities of plant natural substances in cancer and chemopreventive strategies in the context of 3P medicine

Severe durable changes may occur to the DNA structure caused by exogenous and endogenous risk factors initiating the process of carcinogenesis. By evidence, a large portion of malignancies have been demonstrated as being preventable. Moreover, the targeted prevention of cancer onset is possible, due to unique properties of plant bioactive compounds. Although genoprotective effects of phytochemicals have been well documented, there is an evident lack of articles which would systematically present the spectrum of anticancer effects by phytochemicals, plant extracts, and plant-derived diet applicable to stratified patient groups at the level of targeted primary (cancer development) and secondary (cancer progression and metastatic disease) prevention. Consequently, clinical implementation of knowledge accumulated in the area is still highly restricted. To stimulate coherent co-development of the dedicated plant bioactive compound investigation on one hand and comprehensive cancer preventive strategies on the other hand, the current paper highlights and deeply analyses relevant evidence available in the area. Key molecular mechanisms are presented to detail genoprotective and anticancer activities of plants and phytochemicals. Clinical implementation is discussed. Based on the presented evidence, advanced chemopreventive strategies in the context of 3P medicine are considered.