Aberrant control of NF-κB in cancer permits transcriptional and phenotypic plasticity, to curtail dependence on host tissue: molecular mode

Coley's Toxin to First Approved Therapeutic Vaccine-A Brief Historical Account in the Progression of Immunobiology-Based Cancer Treatment

Cancer immunobiology is one of the hot topics of discussion amongst researchers today, and immunotherapeutic modalities are among the selected few emerging approaches to cancer treatment that have exhibited a promising outlook. However, immunotherapy is not a new kid on the block; it has been around for centuries. The origin of cancer immunotherapy in modern medicine can be traced back to the initial reports of spontaneous regression of malignant tumors in some patients following an acute febrile infection, at the turn of the twentieth century. This review briefly revisits the historical accounts of immunotherapy, highlighting some of the significant developments in the field of cancer immunobiology, that have been instrumental in bringing back the immunotherapeutic approaches to the forefront of cancer research. Some of the topics covered are: Coley's toxin-the first immunotherapeutic; the genesis of the theory of immune surveillance; the discovery of T lymphocytes and dendritic cells and their roles; the role of tumor antigens; relevance of tumor microenvironment; the anti-tumor (therapeutic) ability of Bacillus Calmette- Guérin; Melacine-the first therapeutic vaccine engineered; theories of immunoediting and immunophenotyping of cancer; and Provenge-the first FDA-approved therapeutic vaccine. In this review, head and neck cancer has been taken as the reference tumor for narrating the progression of cancer immunobiology, particularly for highlighting the advent of immunotherapeutic agents.

Evaluating the impact of Xanthoparmelia conspersa extracts on signaling in HeLa cells and exploring their diverse biological activities

Xanthoparmelia conspersa is rich in specific secondary metabolites but an unexplored lichen species. This work determined the chemical composition and biological activities (anti-microbial, anti-protozoal, and cytotoxic) of its methanolic and hexane extracts. Additionally, we evaluated the potential of these extracts in modulating cancer signaling pathways in HeLa cells. The phytochemical analysis revealed that usnic acid was the predominant constituent in the hexane extract, while stictic acid was in the methanolic one. Among tested cell lines (VERO, FaDu, SCC-25, HeLa), cytotoxic selectivity was detected for X. conspersa hexane extract against the FaDu (SI 7.36) and HeLa (SI 2.19) cells. A noticeably better anti-microbial potential was found for hexane extract, however, the overall anti-microbial activity was relatively weak (28, 21, and 20% inhibition of Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Escherichia coli, respectively). On the contrary, the anti-parasitic action of hexane extract was significant, with an IC50 value of 2.64 µg/mL against Leishmania donovani - amastigote and 7.18 µg/mL against Trypanosoma brucei. The detailed evaluation of the cancer-related signaling pathways in HeLa cells, done by two distinct methodologies (luciferase reporter tests), revealed that especially the hexane extract and usnic acid exhibited selective inhibition of Stat3, Smad, NF-κB, cMYC, and Notch pathways.

Divergent Processing of Cell Stress Signals as the Basis of Cancer Progression: Licensing NFκB on Chromatin

Inflammation is activated by diverse triggers that induce the expression of cytokines and adhesion molecules, which permit a succession of molecules and cells to deliver stimuli and functions that help the immune system clear the primary cause of tissue damage, whether this is an infection, a tumor, or a trauma. During inflammation, short-term changes in the expression and secretion of strong mediators of inflammation occur, while long-term changes occur to specific groups of cells. Long-term changes include cellular transdifferentiation for some types of cells that need to regenerate damaged tissue, as well as death for specific immune cells that can be detrimental to tissue integrity if they remain active beyond the boundaries of essential function. The transcriptional regulator NFκB enables some of the fundamental gene expression changes during inflammation, as well as during tissue development. During recurrence of malignant disease, cell stress-induced alterations enable the growth of cancer cell clones that are substantially resistant to therapeutic intervention and to the immune system. A number of those alterations occur due to significant defects in feedback signal cascades that control the activity of NFκB. Specifically, cell stress contributes to feedback defects as it overrides modules that otherwise control inflammation to protect host tissue. NFκB is involved in both the suppression and promotion of cancer, and the key distinctive feature that determines its net effect remains unclear. This paper aims to provide a clear answer to at least one aspect of this question, namely the mechanism that enables a divergent response of cancer cells to critical inflammatory stimuli and to cell stress in general.

Immunomodulation through Nutrition Should Be a Key Trend in Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

An organism's ability to function properly depends not solely on its diet but also on the intake of nutrients and non-nutritive bioactive compounds that exert immunomodulatory effects. This principle applies both to healthy individuals and, in particular, to those with concomitant chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. However, the current food industry and the widespread use of highly processed foods often lead to nutritional deficiencies. Numerous studies have confirmed the occurrence of immune system dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. This article elucidates the impact of specific nutrients on the immune system function, which maintains homeostasis of the organism, with a particular emphasis on type 2 diabetes. The role of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and selected substances, such as omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10, and alpha-lipoic acid, was taken into consideration, which outlined the minimum range of tests that ought to be performed on patients in order to either directly or indirectly determine the severity of malnutrition in this group of patients.

Natural products reverse cancer multidrug resistance

Cancer stands as a prominent global cause of death. One of the key reasons why clinical tumor chemotherapy fails is multidrug resistance (MDR). In recent decades, accumulated studies have shown how Natural Product-Derived Compounds can reverse tumor MDR. Discovering novel potential modulators to reduce tumor MDR by Natural Product-Derived Compounds has become a popular research area across the globe. Numerous studies mainly focus on natural products including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols and coumarins for their MDR modulatory activity. Natural products reverse MDR by regulating signaling pathways or the relevant expressed protein or gene. Here we perform a deep review of the previous achievements, recent advances in the development of natural products as a treatment for MDR. This review aims to provide some insights for the study of multidrug resistance of natural products.

Cell plasticity modulation by flavonoids in resistant breast carcinoma targeting the nuclear factor kappa B signaling

Cancer cell plasticity plays a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis and is implicated in the multiple cancer defense mechanisms associated with therapy resistance and therapy evasion. Cancer resistance represents one of the significant obstacles in the clinical management of cancer. Some reversal chemosensitizing agents have been developed to resolve this serious clinical problem, but they have not yet been proven applicable in oncological practice. Activated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a frequently observed biomarker in chemoresistant breast cancer (BC). Therefore, it denotes an attractive cellular target to mitigate cancer resistance. We summarize that flavonoids represent an essential class of phytochemicals that act as significant regulators of NF-κB signaling and negatively affect the fundamental cellular processes contributing to acquired cell plasticity and drug resistance. In this regard, flavokawain A, icariin, alpinetin, genistein, wogonin, apigenin, oroxylin A, xanthohumol, EGCG, hesperidin, naringenin, orientin, luteolin, delphinidin, fisetin, norwogonin, curcumin, cardamonin, methyl gallate and catechin-3-O-gallate, ampelopsin, puerarin, hyperoside, baicalein, paratocarpin E, and kaempferol and also synthetic flavonoids such as LFG-500 and 5,3'-dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,4'-pentamethoxyflavone have been reported to specifically interfere with the NF-κB pathway with complex signaling consequences in BC cells and could be potentially crucial in re-sensitizing unresponsive BC cases. The targeting NF-κB by above-mentioned flavonoids includes the modification of tumor microenvironment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, growth factor receptor regulations, and modulations of specific pathways such as PI3K/AKT, MAP kinase/ERK, and Janus kinase/signal transduction in BC cells. Besides that, NF-κB signaling in BC cells modulated by flavonoids has also involved the regulation of ATP-binding cassette transporters, apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle, and changes in the activity of cancer stem cells, oncogenes, or controlling of gene repair. The evaluation of conventional therapies in combination with plasticity-regulating/sensitizing agents offers new opportunities to make significant progress towards a complete cure for cancer.

CRISPR-based therapeutic targeting of signaling pathways in breast cancer

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of death for women worldwide, and new treatment strategies are needed. There are innumerable anomalous genes that are responsible for the multi-factorial carcinogenesis pathway. Although several disease-causing mutations have been detected, therapy frequently focuses on attenuating the manifestation of the disease rather than harmonizing the mutation in the target area. The advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has revolutionized genome editing, allowing for precise and efficient manipulation of gene expression. The purpose of this review paper is to summarize recent progress in the use of CRISPR-based approaches to target key signaling pathways associated with breast cancer progression. The first section introduces basic concepts of CRISPR technology, focusing on its application in genome editing and transcriptional regulation followed by an overview of aspects involving complex signaling pathways in breast cancer such as P13K/AKT/mTOR, EPK/MAPK and Wnt/β catenin. An extensive literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar is performed for information retrieval. Further, the role of CRISPR-based interventions in regulating gene expression revealed, altered pathway activity and potential therapeutic consequences are discussed. This review will be a valuable addition to providing comprehensive knowledge of CRISPR-Cas-mediated therapeutic targeting in breast cancer.

OGG1 as an Epigenetic Reader Affects NFκB: What This Means for Cancer

8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1), which was initially identified as the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the DNA base excision repair pathway, is now also recognized as a modulator of gene expression. What is important for cancer is that OGG1 acts as a modulator of NFκB-driven gene expression. Specifically, oxidant stress in the cell transiently halts enzymatic activity of substrate-bound OGG1. The stalled OGG1 facilitates DNA binding of transactivators, such as NFκB to their cognate sites, enabling the expression of cytokines and chemokines, with ensuing recruitment of inflammatory cells. Recently, we highlighted chief aspects of OGG1 involvement in regulation of gene expression, which hold significance in lung cancer development. However, OGG1 has also been implicated in the molecular underpinning of acute myeloid leukemia. This review analyzes and discusses how these cells adapt through redox-modulated intricate connections, via interaction of OGG1 with NFκB, which provides malignant cells with alternative molecular pathways to transform their microenvironment, enabling adjustment, promoting cell proliferation, metastasis, and evading killing by therapeutic agents.

Photodynamic Therapy and Immunological View in Gastrointestinal Tumors

Gastrointestinal cancers are a specific group of oncological diseases in which the location and nature of growth are of key importance for clinical symptoms and prognosis. At the same time, as research shows, they pose a serious threat to a patient's life, especially at an advanced stage of development. The type of therapy used depends on the anatomical location of the cancer, its type, and the degree of progression. One of the modern forms of therapy used to treat gastrointestinal cancers is PDT, which has been approved for the treatment of esophageal cancer in the United States. Despite the increasingly rapid clinical use of this treatment method, the exact immunological mechanisms it induces in cancer cells has not yet been fully elucidated. This article presents a review of the current understanding of the mode of action of photodynamic therapy on cells of various gastrointestinal cancers with an emphasis on colorectal cancer. The types of cell death induced by PDT include apoptosis, necrosis, and pyroptosis. Anticancer effects are also a result of the destruction of tumor vasculature and activation of the immune system. Many reports exist that concern the mechanism of apoptosis induction, of which the mitochondrial pathway is most often emphasized. Photodynamic therapy may also have a beneficial effect on such aspects of cancer as the ability to develop metastases or contribute to reducing resistance to known pharmacological agents.

Alleviation of DSS-induced colitis via bovine colostrum-derived extracellular vesicles with microRNA let-7a-5p is mediated by regulating Akkermansia and -hydroxybutyrate in gut environments

IMPORTANCE

Even though studying on the possible involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in host-microbe interactions, how these relationships mediate host physiology has not clarified yet. Our current findings provide insights into the encouraging benefits of dietary source-derived EVs and microRNAs (miRNAs) on organic acid production and ultimately stimulating gut microbiome for human health, suggesting that supplementation of dietary colostrum EVs and miRNAs is a novel preventive strategy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Identification of DUSP4/6 overexpression as a potential rheostat to NRAS-induced hepatocarcinogenesis

BACKGROUND

Upregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) is mutated in a small percentage of HCC and is hitherto considered insufficient for hepatocarcinogenesis. We aimed to characterize the process of N-Ras-dependent carcinogenesis in the liver and to identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities.

METHODS

NRAS V12 plasmid was delivered into the mouse liver via hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HTVI). The resulting tumours, preneoplastic lesions, and normal tissue were characterized by NanoString® gene expression analysis, Western Blot, and Immunohistochemistry (IHC). The results were further confirmed by in vitro analyses of HCC cell lines.

RESULTS

HTVI with NRAS V12 plasmid resulted in the gradual formation of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions in the liver three months post-injection. These lesions mostly showed characteristics of HCC, with some exceptions of spindle cell/ cholangiocellular differentiation. Progressive upregulation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signalling was detectable in the lesions by Western Blot and IHC. NanoString® gene expression analysis of preneoplastic and tumorous tissue revealed a gradual overexpression of the cancer stem cell marker CD133 and Dual Specificity Phosphatases 4 and 6 (DUSP4/6). In vitro, transfection of HCC cell lines with NRAS V12 plasmid resulted in a coherent upregulation of DUSP4 and DUSP6. Paradoxically, this upregulation in PLC/PRF/5 cells was accompanied by a downregulation of phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (pERK), suggesting an overshooting compensation. Silencing of DUSP4 and DUSP6 increased proliferation in HCC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to prior assumptions, the G12V NRAS mutant form is sufficient to elicit hepatocarcinogenesis in the mouse. Furthermore, the upregulation of the MAPK cascade was paralleled by the overexpression of DUSP4, DUSP6, and CD133 in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, DUSP4 and DUSP6 might fine-tune the excessive MAPK activation, a mechanism that can potentially be harnessed therapeutically.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Genes as Prospective Actionable Targets in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

It has been previously shown that the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family member ALDH1A1 has a significant association with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient risk group classification and that AML cells lacking ALDH1A1 expression can be readily killed via chemotherapy. In the past, however, a redundancy between the activities of subgroup members of the ALDH family has hampered the search for conclusive evidence to address the role of specific ALDH genes. Here, we describe the bioinformatics evaluation of all nineteen member genes of the ALDH family as prospective actionable targets for the development of methods aimed to improve AML treatment. We implicate ALDH1A1 in the development of recurrent AML, and we show that from the nineteen members of the ALDH family, ALDH1A1 and ALDH2 have the strongest association with AML patient risk group classification. Furthermore, we discover that the sum of the expression values for RNA from the genes, ALDH1A1 and ALDH2, has a stronger association with AML patient risk group classification and survival than either one gene alone does. In conclusion, we identify ALDH1A1 and ALDH2 as prospective actionable targets for the treatment of AML in high-risk patients. Substances that inhibit both enzymatic activities constitute potentially effective pharmaceutics.

The multifaceted role of MUC1 in tumor therapy resistance

Tumor therapeutic resistances are frequently linked to the recurrence and poor prognosis of cancers and have been a key bottleneck in clinical tumor treatment. Mucin1 (MUC1), a heterodimeric transmembrane glycoprotein, exhibits abnormally overexpression in a variety of human tumors and has been confirmed to be related to the formation of therapeutic resistance. In this review, the multifaceted roles of MUC1 in tumor therapy resistance are summarized from aspects of pan-cancer principles shared among therapies and individual mechanisms dependent on different therapies. Concretely, the common mechanisms of therapy resistance across cancers include interfering with gene expression, promoting genome instability, modifying tumor microenvironment, enhancing cancer heterogeneity and stemness, and activating evasion and metastasis. Moreover, the individual mechanisms of therapy resistance in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biotherapy are introduced. Last but not least, MUC1-involved therapy resistance in different types of cancers and MUC1-related clinical trials are summarized.

The Molecular Context of Oxidant Stress Response in Cancer Establishes ALDH1A1 as a Critical Target: What This Means for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The protein family of aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) encompasses nineteen members. The ALDH1 subfamily consists of enzymes with similar activity, having the capacity to neutralize lipid peroxidation products and to generate retinoic acid; however, only ALDH1A1 emerges as a significant risk factor in acute myeloid leukemia. Not only is the gene ALDH1A1 on average significantly overexpressed in the poor prognosis group at the RNA level, but its protein product, ALDH1A1 protects acute myeloid leukemia cells from lipid peroxidation byproducts. This capacity to protect cells can be ascribed to the stability of the enzyme under conditions of oxidant stress. The capacity to protect cells is evident both in vitro, as well as in mouse xenografts of those cells, shielding cells effectively from a number of potent antineoplastic agents. However, the role of ALDH1A1 in acute myeloid leukemia has been unclear in the past due to evidence that normal cells often have higher aldehyde dehydrogenase activity than leukemic cells. This being true, ALDH1A1 RNA expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis. It is hence imperative that ALDH1A1 is methodically targeted, particularly for the acute myeloid leukemia patients of the poor prognosis risk group that overexpress ALDH1A1 RNA.

A Triphenylphosphonium-Functionalized Delivery System for an ATM Kinase Inhibitor That Ameliorates Doxorubicin Resistance in Breast Carcinoma Mammospheres

The enzyme ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase is a pluripotent signaling mediator which activates cellular responses to genotoxic and metabolic stress. It has been shown that ATM enables the growth of mammalian adenocarcinoma stem cells, and therefore the potential benefits in cancer chemotherapy of a number of ATM inhibitors, such as KU-55933 (KU), are currently being investigated. We assayed the effects of utilizing a triphenylphosphonium-functionalized nanocarrier delivery system for KU on breast cancer cells grown either as a monolayer or in three-dimensional mammospheres. We observed that the encapsulated KU was effective against chemotherapy-resistant mammospheres of breast cancer cells, while having comparably lower cytotoxicity against adherent cells grown as monolayers. We also noted that the encapsulated KU sensitized the mammospheres to the anthracycline drug doxorubicin significantly, while having only a weak effect on adherent breast cancer cells. Our results suggest that triphenylphosphonium-functionalized drug delivery systems that contain encapsulated KU, or compounds with a similar impact, are a useful addition to chemotherapeutic treatment schemes that target proliferating cancers.

Chemopreventive Activity of Ellagitannins from Acer pseudosieboldianum (Pax) Komarov Leaves on Prostate Cancer Cells

Several studies have shown that compounds from Acer pseudosieboldianum (Pax) Komarov leaves (APL) display potent anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer among older men, and DNA methylation is associated with PCa progression. This study aimed to investigate the chemopreventive activities of the compounds which were isolated from APL on prostate cancer cells and elucidate the mechanisms of these compounds in relation to DNA methylation. One novel ellagitannin [komaniin (14)] and thirteen other known compounds, including glucose derivatives [ethyl-β-D-glucopyranose (3) and (4R)-p-menth-1-ene-7,8-diol 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4)], one phenylpropanoid [junipetrioloside A (5)], three phenolic acid derivatives [ellagic acid-4-β-D-xylopyranoside (1), 4-O-galloyl-quinic acid (2), and gallic acid (8)], two flavonoids [quercetin (11) and kaempferol (12)], and five hydrolysable tannins [geraniin (6), punicafolin (7), granatin B (9), 1,2,3,4,6-penta-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (10), and mallotusinic acid (13)] were isolated from APL. The hydrolyzable tannins (6, 7, 9, 10, 13, and 14) showed potent anti-PCa proliferative and apoptosis-promoting activities. Among the compounds, the ellagitannins in the dehydrohexahydroxydiphenoyl (DHHDP) group (6, 9, 13, and 14), the novel compound 14 showed the most potent inhibitory activity on DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1, 3a and 3b) and glutathione S-transferase P1 methyl removing and re-expression activities. Thus, our results suggested that the ellagitannins (6, 9, 13, and 14) isolated from APL could be a promising treatment option for PCa.

Pulsatilla vulgaris Inhibits Cancer Proliferation in Signaling Pathways of 12 Reporter Genes

This study aimed to examine if methanolic extracts of Pulsatilla vulgaris Mill. can inhibit HeLa cell proliferation through the modulation of cancer-related signaling pathways. The cytotoxicity and chemical composition of P. vulgaris leaves and root extracts were also determined. Research showed that root extract of P. vulgaris inhibited 12 signaling pathways in a cervical cancer cell line and the most potent activation inhibition was observed for MYC, Notch, Wnt, E2F, Ets, Stat3, Smad, Hdghog, AP-1, and NF-κB, at a concentration of 40 µg/mL. The methanolic extracts of P. vulgaris enhanced apoptotic death and deregulated cellular proliferation, differentiation, and progression toward the neoplastic phenotype by altering key signaling molecules required for cell cycle progression. This is the first study to report the influence of P. vulgaris on cancer signaling pathways. Additionally, our detailed phytochemical analysis of the methanolic extracts of P. vulgaris gives a conclusion that compounds, which strongly suppressed the growth and proliferation of HeLa cancer cells were mainly triterpenoid saponins accompanied by phenolic acids.

The multifaceted role of micronuclei in tumour progression: A whole organism perspective

Within most tumour types, cancerous cells exist in a state of aneuploidy, an incorrect chromosome number or structure. Additionally, tumour cells frequently exhibit chromosomal instability; the ongoing loss or gain of whole or parts of chromosomes during cell division. Chromosomal instability results in a high rate of chromosome segregation defects, and a constantly changing genomic landscape. A second consequence of recurrent chromosome segregation defects is the exclusion of mis-segregated chromatin from the newly reforming nucleus. Chromosomes, or chromosome fragments that are not incorporated into the main nucleus are often packaged into extranuclear structures called micronuclei. While the initial impact of micronucleus formation is an imbalance or loss of genetic material in the resulting daughter cells, several other downstream consequences are now known to result from this process. In this review, we discuss the further consequences of micronucleus formation, including how structural changes to the micronuclear envelope, and the rupturing of micronuclear membranes can contribute to metastasis, immune cell activation and overall, tumour progression.

NF-κB: A Druggable Target in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that relies on highly heterogeneous cytogenetic alterations. Although in the last few years new agents have been developed for AML treatment, the overall survival prospects for AML patients are still gloomy and new therapeutic options are still urgently needed. Constitutive NF-κB activation has been reported in around 40% of AML patients, where it sustains AML cell survival and chemoresistance. Given the central role of NF-κB in AML, targeting the NF-κB pathway represents an attractive strategy to treat AML. This review focuses on current knowledge of NF-κB's roles in AML pathogenesis and summarizes the main therapeutic approaches used to treat NF-κB-driven AML.

High Expression of PDK4 Could Play a Potentially Protective Role by Attenuating Oxidative Stress after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), a key enzyme on the mitochondrial outer membrane, has been found to decrease activity notably in early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It has been demonstrated that PDH is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis. Hence, in this study, we aimed to determine the cause of the decreased PDH activity and explore the potential role of PDH in EBI. We investigated the expression changes of PDH and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) in vivo and in vitro. Then, we explored the possible effects of PDH and ROS after SAH. The results showed that early overexpression of PDK4 promoted the phosphorylation of PDH, inhibited PDH activity, and may play a protective role after SAH in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we investigated the levels of PDK4 and pyruvate, which accumulated due to decreased PDH activity, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 34 patients with SAH. Statistical analysis revealed that PDK4 and pyruvate expression was elevated in the CSF of SAH patients compared with that of controls, and this high expression correlated with the degree of neurological impairment and long-term outcome. Taken together, the results show that PDK4 has the potential to serve as a new therapeutic target and biomarker for assisting in the diagnosis of SAH severity and prediction of recovery.

Withania somnifera - a magic plant targeting multiple pathways in cancer related inflammation

BACKGROUND

Deregulated inflammatory responses are known to play a pivotal role in cancer initiation and progression. Tumor microenvironment is associated with the presence of a diverse array of inflammatory reactions, which further help tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance. Withania somnifera is known to curb proliferation of cancer cells and lower inflammatory responses.

PURPOSE

In order to minimize the inflammation, cancer treatments often include immunomodulatory drugs. However, given the side effects of both of the cytotoxic cancer drugs and synthetic immunomodulatory agents, there is a need to develop novel anti-inflammatory agents for improved cancer therapy. A number of reports indicate that bioactive phytochemicals derived from W. somnifera exhibit anti-inflammatory capabilities in cancer. A deeper look into the underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in W. somnifera mediated anti inflammation is lacking, which is essential to fully understand the potential of this magical plant in cancer. Therefore, in the present review we are summarizing various reports, which describe mechanistic understanding of W. somnifera in cancer related inflammation.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

In order to gather information on the molecular pathways affected by W. somnifera in cancer related inflammation, 'PubMed' and 'Science Direct' databases were searched using keywords Withania, cancer inflammation, and Withaferin A. Selected literature was analyzed to cover the role of inflammation in cancer, usage and side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs, W. somnifera as an immunomodulatory agent in cancer, molecular pathways modulated by W. somnifera in various preclinical models, and clinical trials using W. somnifera as an anti-inflammatory agent.

RESULTS

Upon literature survey we found that both W. somnifera extracts and Withaferin-A, exhibit anti inflammatory activities in various preclinical cancer models. W. somnifera modulates a number of signaling pathways such as NF-kB, JAK-STAT and AP1 to reduce cancer related inflammation. Anti inflammatory properties of W. somnifera might be effective in the treatment of drug resistance in cancers. Based on its promising effects against cancer associated inflammation in preclinical studies, W. somnifera derived products are being tested in clinical trials.

CONCLUSION

Several preclinical studies demonstrated anti-inflammatory potential of W. somnifera in a variety of cancers. While a few clinical trials are investigating the role of W. somnifera in various diseases, focused studies on its role in cancer related inflammation are lacking. Additionally, its anti-inflammatory effects offer targeting of senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which is speculated to play a critical role in chemoresistance. Apart from targeting cancer cell proliferation, anti-inflammatory effects of Withania provide double advantage in cancer management. Therefore, clinical trials to target cancer related inflammation using W. somnifera as a drug, should be performed to validate its advantages in cancer therapy.

Dynamical robustness of complex networks subject to long-range connectivity

In spite of a few attempts in understanding the dynamical robustness of complex networks, this extremely important subject of research is still in its dawn as compared to the other dynamical processes on networks. We hereby consider the concept of long-range interactions among the dynamical units of complex networks and demonstrate for the first time that such a characteristic can have noteworthy impacts on the dynamical robustness of networked systems, regardless of the underlying network topology. We present a comprehensive analysis of this phenomenon on top of diverse network architectures. Such dynamical damages being able to substantially affect the network performance, determining mechanisms that boost the robustness of networks becomes a fundamental question. In this work, we put forward a prescription based upon self-feedback that can efficiently resurrect global rhythmicity of complex networks composed of active and inactive dynamical units, and thus can enhance the network robustness. We have been able to delineate the whole proposition analytically while dealing with all d -path adjacency matrices, having an excellent agreement with the numerical results. For the numerical computations, we examine scale-free networks, Watts–Strogatz small-world model and also Erdös–Rényi random network, along with Landau–Stuart oscillators for casting the local dynamics.

The role of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) overexpression in the prognosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma

Prostatic adenocarcinoma is the second-most common cancer in men and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Its incidence increases with age; 75% of patients are 65 years and older. The aim of the study was to assess epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) expression in prostatic adenocarcinoma as a poor prognostic marker and its correlation to some pathological parameters. The formalin-fixed, paraffin-surrounded tissue blocks were retrospectively collected from 40 men diagnosed with prostate carcinoma. All cases were collected from Al Hilla Teaching Hospital and some private labs between October 2018 - November 2020, with ages ranging from 30-89 years. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 22, frequency and percentage were used for categorical data, and Chi-square was used to evaluate connotation between variables. P-value ≤0.05 was significant. The blocks were sectioned for EMA immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal mouse anti-human EMA protein. EMA protein overexpression was detected in 75% (n=30/40) of prostatic adenocarcinoma cases. EMA expression showed no correlation with the patient's age (P=0.09) and a positive correlation with the cancer grade (P=0.003). In prostatic adenocarcinoma patients, EMA could be seen as a potential prognostic predictor for disease progression.

Lower RNA expression of ALDH1A1 distinguishes the favorable risk group in acute myeloid leukemia

The expression and activity of enzymes that belong to the aldehyde dehydrogenases is a characteristic of both normal and malignant stem cells. ALDH1A1 is an enzyme critical in cancer stem cells. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), ALDH1A1 protects leukemia-initiating cells from a number of antineoplastic agents, which include inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases. Furthermore, ALDH1A1 proves vital for the establishment of human AML xenografts in mice. We review here important studies characterizing the role of ALDH1A1 in AML and its potential as a therapeutic target. We also analyze datasets from leading studies, and show that decreased ALDH1A1 RNA expression consistently characterizes the AML patient risk group with a favorable prognosis, while there is a consistent association of high ALDH1A1 RNA expression with high risk and poor overall survival. Our review and analysis reinforces the notion to employ both novel as well as existing inhibitors of the ALDH1A1 protein against AML.

Adipocyte-Cancer Cell Interactions in the Bone Microenvironment

When compared to adipocytes in other anatomical sites, the interaction of bone marrow resident adipocytes with the other cells in their microenvironment is less well understood. Bone marrow adipocytes originate from a resident, self-renewing population of multipotent bone marrow stromal cells which can also give rise to other lineages such as osteoblasts. The differentiation fate of these mesenchymal progenitors can be influenced to favour adipogenesis by several factors, including the administration of thiazolidinediones and increased age. Experimental data suggests that increases in bone marrow adipose tissue volume may make bone both more attractive to metastasis and conducive to cancer cell growth. Bone marrow adipocytes are known to secrete a variety of lipids, cytokines and bioactive signaling molecules known as adipokines, which have been implicated as mediators of the interaction between adipocytes and cancer cells. Recent studies have provided new insight into the impact of bone marrow adipose tissue volume expansion in regard to supporting and exacerbating the effects of bone metastasis from solid tumors, focusing on prostate, breast and lung cancer and blood cancers, focusing on multiple myeloma. In this mini-review, recent research developments pertaining to the role of factors which increase bone marrow adipose tissue volume, as well as the role of adipocyte secreted factors, in the progression of bone metastatic prostate and breast cancer are assessed. In particular, recent findings regarding the complex cross-talk between adipocytes and metastatic cells of both lung and prostate cancer are highlighted.

Biology, Significance and Immune Signaling of Mucin 1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Mucin 1 (MUC 1) is a highly glycosylated tumor-associated antigen (TAA) overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This protein plays a critical role in various immune-mediated signaling pathways at its transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, leading to immune evasion and metastasis in HCC. HCC cells maintain an immune-suppressive environment with the help of immunesuppressive tumor-associated antigens, resulting in a metastatic spread of the disease. The development of intense immunotherapeutic strategies to target tumor-associated antigen is critical to overcoming the progression of HCC. MUC 1 remains the most recognized tumor-associated antigen since its discovery over 30 years ago. A few promising immunotherapies targeting MUC 1 are currently under clinical trials, including CAR-T and CAR-pNK-mediated therapies. This review highlights the biosynthesis, significance, and clinical implication of MUC 1 as an immune target in HCC.

Anti-PD-1 therapy using cemiplimab for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in HIV patient: A case report

This is a case of a 60-year-old man living with HIV who presented with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. After workup, medical and surgical treatment, and disease recurrence, he achieved a complete response with no unexpected toxicities after immunotherapy with cemiplimab.

Effects of radiofrequency radiation on colorectal cancer cell proliferation and inflammation

Objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on apoptosis, proliferation, stress response, and inflammation markers in colorectal cancer cells.

Methods

We tested the effects of intermittent exposure to RFR at different frequencies on two different colorectal cancer cell lines; HCT-116 and DLD-1. Protein levels were subsequently analyzed by ELISA.

Results

RFR led to a decrease in P53, p-P53, p-P38, and p-IkB levels in HCT-116 cells, while leading to an increase in BAD, p-BAD, p-STAT3,NF-κB levels. Two thousand one hundred Megahertz of RFR altered the P53, BAD, and NF-ΚB expression in HCT-116 cells. P53, p-P53, BAD, p-BAD, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, p-P38, p-SAPK/JNK, p-STAT3, and p-IkB levels increased after exposure to RFR at 900 and 2,100 MHz in DLD-1 cells. Unlike HCT-116 cells, 1,800 MHz of RFR was reported to have no effect on DLD1 cells.

Conclusions

RFR increased apoptosis and inflammatory response in HCT116 cells, while lowering the active P38 and active P53 levels, which are indicators of poor prognosis in several cancers. Genetic differences, such as P53 mutation (DLD-1), are critical to the cell response to RFR, which explains the reason why scientific studies on the effects of RFR yield contradictory results.

Beta-glucans is a potential inhibitor of ovarian cancer: based on molecular and biological aspects

Ovarian cancer is a lethal type of cancer which is initiated in the ovaries and affects 1 out of every 75 women. Due to the high number of deaths (almost 152,000) related to this cancer, it seems that novel effiecient therapeutic methods are required in this field. Beta-glucans are a type of glucose linear polymers which have proven to have a lot of advantageous activities. Recently, investigations have declared that these polysaccharides have the potential to be used as anti-cancer drugs. These agents are able to affect several mechanisms such as inflammation and apoptosis and that is how cancers are prone to be affected by them. In this review, we attempt to investigate the role of beta-glucans on ovarian cancer. We hope that this paper might give novel insights in the field of ovarian cancer treatment.

Repositioning of Antiparasitic Drugs for Tumor Treatment

Drug repositioning is a strategy for identifying new antitumor drugs; this strategy allows existing and approved clinical drugs to be innovatively repurposed to treat tumors. Based on the similarities between parasitic diseases and cancer, recent studies aimed to investigate the efficacy of existing antiparasitic drugs in cancer. In this review, we selected two antihelminthic drugs (macrolides and benzimidazoles) and two antiprotozoal drugs (artemisinin and its derivatives, and quinolines) and summarized the research progresses made to date on the role of these drugs in cancer. Overall, these drugs regulate tumor growth via multiple targets, pathways, and modes of action. These antiparasitic drugs are good candidates for comprehensive, in-depth analyses of tumor occurrence and development. In-depth studies may improve the current tumor diagnoses and treatment regimens. However, for clinical application, current investigations are still insufficient, warranting more comprehensive analyses.

Agent-Based Learning Model for the Obesity Paradox in RCC

A recent study on the immunotherapy treatment of renal cell carcinoma reveals better outcomes in obese patients compared to lean subjects. This enigmatic contradiction has been explained, in the context of the debated obesity paradox, as the effect produced by the cell-cell interaction network on the tumor microenvironment during the immune response. To better understand this hypothesis, we provide a computational framework for the in silico study of the tumor behavior. The starting model of the tumor, based on the cell-cell interaction network, has been described as a multiagent system, whose simulation generates the hypothesized effects on the tumor microenvironment. The medical needs in the immunotherapy design meet the capabilities of a multiagent simulator to reproduce the dynamics of the cell-cell interaction network, meaning a reaction to environmental changes introduced through the experimental data.

Point Mutation Specific Antibodies in B-Cell and T-Cell Lymphomas and Leukemias: Targeting IDH2, KRAS, BRAF and Other Biomarkers RHOA, IRF8, MYD88, ID3, NRAS, SF3B1 and EZH2

B-cell and T-cell lymphomas and leukemias often have distinct genetic mutations that are diagnostically defining or prognostically significant. A subset of these mutations consists of specific point mutations, which can be evaluated using genetic sequencing approaches or point mutation specific antibodies. Here, we describe genes harboring point mutations relevant to B-cell and T-cell malignancies and discuss the current availability of these targeted point mutation specific antibodies. We also evaluate the possibility of generating novel antibodies against known point mutations by computationally assessing for chemical and structural features as well as epitope antigenicity of these targets. Our results not only summarize several genetic mutations and identify existing point mutation specific antibodies relevant to hematologic malignancies, but also reveal potential underdeveloped targets which merit further study.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2,3,4-Triaryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ones as p38 MAPK Inhibitors

A series of azastilbene derivatives, characterized by the presence of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole-5-one system as a linker of the two aromatic rings of stilbenes, have been prepared as novel potential inhibitors of p38 MAPK. Biological assays indicated that some of the synthesized compounds are endowed with good inhibitory activity towards the kinase. Molecular modeling data support the biological results showing that the designed compounds possess a reasonable binding mode in the ATP binding pocket of p38α kinase with a good binding affinity.

VTRNA2-1: Genetic Variation, Heritable Methylation and Disease Association

VTRNA2-1 is a metastable epiallele with accumulating evidence that methylation at this region is heritable, modifiable and associated with disease including risk and progression of cancer. This study investigated the influence of genetic variation and other factors such as age and adult lifestyle on blood DNA methylation in this region. We first sequenced the VTRNA2-1 gene region in multiple-case breast cancer families in which VTRNA2-1 methylation was identified as heritable and associated with breast cancer risk. Methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL) were investigated using a prospective cohort study (4500 participants with genotyping and methylation data). The cis-mQTL analysis (334 variants ± 50 kb of the most heritable CpG site) identified 43 variants associated with VTRNA2-1 methylation (p < 1.5 × 10⁻⁴); however, these explained little of the methylation variation (R² < 0.5% for each of these variants). No genetic variants elsewhere in the genome were found to strongly influence VTRNA2-1 methylation. SNP-based heritability estimates were consistent with the mQTL findings (h² = 0, 95%CI: −0.14 to 0.14). We found no evidence that age, sex, country of birth, smoking, body mass index, alcohol consumption or diet influenced blood DNA methylation at VTRNA2-1. Genetic factors and adult lifestyle play a minimal role in explaining methylation variability at the heritable VTRNA2-1 cluster.

Structured reviews for data and knowledge-driven research

Hypothesis generation is a critical step in research and a cornerstone in the rare disease field. Research is most efficient when those hypotheses are based on the entirety of knowledge known to date. Systematic review articles are commonly used in biomedicine to summarize existing knowledge and contextualize experimental data. But the information contained within review articles is typically only expressed as free-text, which is difficult to use computationally. Researchers struggle to navigate, collect and remix prior knowledge as it is scattered in several silos without seamless integration and access. This lack of a structured information framework hinders research by both experimental and computational scientists. To better organize knowledge and data, we built a structured review article that is specifically focused on NGLY1 Deficiency, an ultra-rare genetic disease first reported in 2012. We represented this structured review as a knowledge graph and then stored this knowledge graph in a Neo4j database to simplify dissemination, querying and visualization of the network. Relative to free-text, this structured review better promotes the principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability (FAIR). In collaboration with domain experts in NGLY1 Deficiency, we demonstrate how this resource can improve the efficiency and comprehensiveness of hypothesis generation. We also developed a read–write interface that allows domain experts to contribute FAIR structured knowledge to this community resource. In contrast to traditional free-text review articles, this structured review exists as a living knowledge graph that is curated by humans and accessible to computational analyses. Finally, we have generalized this workflow into modular and repurposable components that can be applied to other domain areas. This NGLY1 Deficiency-focused network is publicly available at http://ngly1graph.org/.

Availability and implementation

Database URL: http://ngly1graph.org/. Network data files are at: https://github.com/SuLab/ngly1-graph and source code at: https://github.com/SuLab/bioknowledge-reviewer.

Contact

asu@scripps.edu

MDA-9/Syntenin/SDCBP: new insights into a unique multifunctional scaffold protein

Tumor metastasis comprises a series of coordinated events that culminate in dissemination of cancer cells to distant sites within the body representing the greatest challenge impeding effective therapy of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-associated morbidity. Cancer cells exploit multiple genes and pathways to colonize to distant organs. These pathways are integrated and regulated at different levels by cellular- and extracellular-associated factors. Defining the genes and pathways that govern metastasis can provide new targets for therapeutic intervention. Melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 (mda-9) (also known as Syntenin-1 and SDCBP (Syndecan binding protein)) was identified by subtraction hybridization as a novel gene displaying differential temporal expression during differentiation of melanoma. MDA-9/Syntenin is an established Syndecan binding protein that functions as an adaptor protein. Expression of MDA-9/Syntenin is elevated at an RNA and protein level in a wide-range of cancers including melanoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, and prostate, breast and liver cancer. Expression is increased significantly in metastatic cancer cells as compared with non-metastatic cancer cells or normal cells, which make it an attractive target in treating cancer metastasis. In this review, we focus on the role and regulation of mda-9 in cancer progression and metastasis.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms within NFKBIA are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma susceptibility in Chinese Han population

Genes involved in latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) signaling pathways have been suggested to play an important role in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. We investigated potentially functional genetic variants associated with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in genes involved in the LMP1 signaling pathway. Altogether, 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with MAF ≥ 10% were located within the regions of interest of the four genes TRAF3, NFKBIA, CHUK and MAP2K4. From these, 10 SNPs were selected for genotyping based on LD (r² ≥ 0.80) in a hospital-based case-control study of 332 NPC cases and 585 healthy controls from the Chinese Han population. Minor allele carriers of the promoter SNP rs2233409 in NFKBIA, had an increased risk of NPC (AA vs GG: OR 7.14, 95%CI, 1.08-34.18, P = 0.04, dominant model). Based on the results, we concluded that rs2233409 polymorphism in NFKBIA may be moderately associated with the risk of NPC. Further studies with larger independent samples and functional analysis are needed to verify our results.

Ovarian ectopic pregnancy: the role of complex morphopathological assay. Review and case presentation

Ovarian ectopic pregnancy (OEP) represents the rarest type of ectopic pregnancy, accounting for 1-3% of this pathology. The diagnosis of this pathology is challenging due to the non-specific clinical aspects and the ultrasound examination hampered by the lack of visible gestational sac in the presence of hematocele and hemoperitoneum. The purpose of the extended histopathological (HP) examination was to identify particular aspects of the OEP trophoblast and to highlight potential local ovarian modifications which can determine pregnancy fixation at this level. The patient presented local favorable conditions for intraovarian nidation, conditions confirmed by the HP classical examination and by the immunohistochemical evaluation. We identified, using classical Hematoxylin-Eosin, Masson's trichrome and Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)-Hematoxylin, necrotic hemorrhage, accentuated vascular thrombosis and high density lymphoplasmocytary infiltrate. These modifications increased local adhesivity and cell destruction through hypoperfusion. Anti-cluster of differentiation antibodies (CD34, CD38, tryptase) revealed the low number of intravillous vessels and the high number of macrophages and mastocytes involved in the local inflammatory process heighten. We identified the presence of trophoblast tissue in the ovarian structure using anti-cytokeratin AE1∕AE3 (CK AE1∕AE3)/anti-cytokeratin 7 (CK7) antibodies. The anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and anti-vimentin (VIM) antibodies displayed the density of myofibroblasts and intravillous stromal cells and with the aid of anti-progesterone receptor (PR) antibody, we identified the corpus luteum hormonal response in the OEP. The placental villosities present a blocked multiplication process at the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) protein, confirmed by the Ki67 cell proliferation and tumor protein 63 (p63) immunomarkers. Anti-neuron specific enolase (NSE), anti-calretinin and anti-inhibin A antibodies showed the particular aspects of the granulosa and internal theca cells, which may be involved in oocyte release blockage, intraluteal and extraluteal fecundation of the OEP.

Molecular profiling of primary central nervous system lymphomas - predictive and prognostic value?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare but aggressive variant of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The diagnostic gold standard remains the pathologic review of tumor tissue mainly collected though biopsies. The majority of PCNSL are diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Biopsies are invasive procedures, and there have been efforts to develop minimally invasive diagnostic testing using serum and cerebral spinal fluid. This article reviews multiple markers that could potentially serve as future diagnostic tools and predictors of treatment response.

RECENT FINDINGS

Many studies have attempted to classify DLBCL into different subtypes for prognostic purposes using methods such as immunohistochemistry. PCNSL often falls under the activated B-cell-like subgroup, and further genomic sequencing has identified alterations in genes within the B-cell receptor signaling axis at increased frequencies. Two such genes, MYD88 and CD79B, implicate the involvement of the NF-kB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells) pathway, and targeted agents to this pathway are currently being used in the treatment of relapsed/refractory PCNSL.

SUMMARY

Although recent genomic profiling of PCNSL has increased the understanding of drivers in this disease and has also led to the introduction of targeted inhibitors, these markers have not yet been used for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes. Further studies will need to evaluate if they hold great diagnostic potential.

Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract suppresses migration and invasion in human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Many studies have suggested that Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) and its extract are anticancer agents. However, RVS had limited use because it contains urushiol, an allergenic toxin. By improving an existing allergen-removal extraction method, we developed a new allergen-free Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract (RVSE) with higher flavonoid content. In this study, we examined whether RVSE inhibits the ability of AGS gastric cancer cells to migrate and invade.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The flavonoids content of RVSE was analyzed by HPLC. The effects of RVSE on migration and invasion in AGS cells were analyzed by each assay kit. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) protein expression was analyzed by protein antibody array. The Phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 were assayed by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

RVSE treatment with 0-100 μg/mL dose-dependently reduced the ability of AGS cells to migrate and invade. Notably, treatment with RVSE strongly inhibited the expression of MMP-9 and uPA and the phosphorylation of STAT3. In contrast, RVSE treatment dramatically increased the expression of PAI-1. These results indicate that the inhibition of MMP-9 and uPA expression and STAT3 phosphorylation and the stimulation of PAI-1 expression contributed to the decreased migration and invasion of AGS cells treated with RVSE.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that RVSE may be used as a natural herbal agent to reduce gastric cancer metastasis.

Targeting breast cancer stem-like cells using chloroquine encapsulated by a triphenylphosphonium-functionalized hyperbranched polymer

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have garnered increasing attention over the past decade, as they are believed to play a crucial role in tumor progression and drug resistance. Accumulating evidence provides insight into the function of autophagy in maintenance and survival of CSCs. Here, we studied the impact of a mitochondriotropic triphenylphosphonium-functionalized dendrimeric nanocarrier on cultured breast cancer cell lines, grown either as adherent cells or as mammospheres that mimic a stem-like phenotype. The nanocarrier manifested a substantial cytotoxicity both alone as well as after encapsulation of chloroquine, a well-known autophagy inhibitor. The cytotoxic effects of the nanocarrier could be ascribed to interference with mitochondrial function. Importantly, mammospheres were selectively sensitive to encapsulated chloroquine and this depends on the expression of the gene encoding ATM kinase. Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase is an enzyme that functions as an essential signaling mediator that enables growth of cancer stem cells through the regulation of autophagy. We noted that this ATM-dependent sensitivity of mammospheres to encapsulated chloroquine was independent of the status of the tumor suppressor gene p53. Our study suggests that breast cancer stem cells, as they are modeled by mammospheres, are sensitive to encapsulated chloroquine, depending on the expression of the ATM kinase, which is thereby characterized as a potential biomarker for sensitivity to this type of treatment.

Role of HMGB1 signaling in the inflammatory process in diabetic retinopathy

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a key player in retinal inflammation. HMGB1 is a danger associated protein pattern receptor which can sense high glucose as a stressor. Increased HMGB1 levels have been found in patients with late stage diabetic retinopathy. HMGB1 can bind toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), leading to increased inflammation commonly through nuclear factor kappa beta (NFkB). Because diabetic patients have been found to have increased HMGB1 and RAGE levels, as well as polymorphisms of TLR4, a number of investigations have focused on inhibition of these pathways in the diabetic retina. Work in diabetic animal models and cell culture have demonstrated a number of factors that can inhibit HMGB1/TLR4/RAGE signaling. This regulation offers potential new avenues for therapeutic development. This review is focused on HMGB1 signaling and downstream pathways leading to inflammation in the diabetic retina.

Curcumin effect on cancer cells' multidrug resistance: An update

Chemotherapy is one of the main methods for cancer treatment. However, despite many advances in the design of anticancer drugs, their efficiency is limited due to their high toxicity and resistance of cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In order to improve the cancer therapy, it is essential to use the compounds that can overcome drug resistance and increase treatment efficiency. Researchers have studied the effects of natural compounds for the controlling various drug resistance mechanisms. Curcumin is a natural phenolic compound which shows potent anticancer activities in different tumors, alone or as an adjuvant with other antitumor drugs to prevent or inhibit the survival and cancer progression by various mechanisms. The role of curcumin in overcoming drug resistance was followed by reviewing different applications of curcumin in cancer therapy. Afterward, the clinical impacts of curcumin, role of curcumin in decreasing drug resistance in different cancer cells and its mechanisms were discussed. It has been demonstrated that curcumin regulates signaling pathways in cancer cells, reduces the expression of proteins related to drug resistance, and increases the performance of antitumor drugs at various levels. Curcumin reverses multidrug resistance mechanisms and increases sensitivity of resistance cells to chemotherapy. This review mainly focuses on different mechanisms of drug resistance and curcumin as a nontoxic natural substance to eliminate the effects of drug resistance through modulation and controlling cell resistance pathways and eventually suggests curcumin as a potent chemosensitizer in cancers.

Inflammation and tissue homeostasis: the NF-κB system in physiology and malignant progression

Disruption of tissue function activates cellular stress which triggers a number of mechanisms that protect the tissue from further damage. These mechanisms involve a number of homeostatic modules, which are regulated at the level of gene expression by the transactivator NF-κB. This transcription factor shifts between activation and repression of discrete, cell-dependent gene expression clusters. Some of its target genes provide feedback to NF-κB itself, thereby strengthening the inflammatory response of the tissue and later terminating inflammation to facilitate restoration of tissue homeostasis. Disruption of key feedback modules for NF-κB in certain cell types facilitates the survival of clones with genomic aberrations, and protects them from being recognized and eliminated by the immune system, to enable thereby carcinogenesis.

Dissecting pharmacological effects of chloroquine in cancer treatment: interference with inflammatory signaling pathways

Chloroquines are 4-aminoquinoline-based drugs mainly used to treat malaria. At pharmacological concentrations, they have significant effects on tissue homeostasis, targeting diverse signaling pathways in mammalian cells. A key target pathway is autophagy, which regulates macromolecule turnover in the cell. In addition to affecting cellular metabolism and bioenergetic flow equilibrium, autophagy plays a pivotal role at the interface between inflammation and cancer progression. Chloroquines consequently have critical effects in tissue metabolic activity and importantly, in key functions of the immune system. In this article, we will review the work addressing the role of chloroquines in the homeostasis of mammalian tissue, and the potential strengths and weaknesses concerning their use in cancer therapy.

Peruvoside targets apoptosis and autophagy through MAPK Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways in human cancers

AIM

To investigate the cytotoxic effect of Peruvoside and mechanism of action in human cancers.

MAIN METHODS

Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and the cell cycle arrest was identified by FACS. Real-time qPCR and western blotting studies were performed to identify important gene and protein expressions in the different pathways leading to apoptosis. Immunofluorescence was performed to understand protein localization and molecular docking studies were performed to identify protein-ligand interactions.

KEY FINDINGS

Peruvoside showed significant anti-proliferative activities against human breast, lung, and liver cancer cells in dose-dependent manner. The anti-cancer mechanism was further confirmed by DNA damage and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling with Peruvoside treatment resulted in inhibition of cyclin D1 and c-Myc also observed in this study. Furthermore, we identified that Peruvoside can inhibit autophagy by PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and through downregulating MEK1. Moreover, Peruvoside has the ability to modulate the expressions of key proteins from the cell cycle, MAPK, NF-kB, and JAK-STAT signaling. In silico studies revealed that Peruvoside has the ability to interact with crucial proteins from different biochemical signaling pathways.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results demonstrated that Peruvoside has the ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation by modulating the expression of various key proteins involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagic cell death. Clinical data generated from the present study might provide a novel impetus for targeting several human cancers. Conclusively, our findings suggest that the Peruvoside possesses a broad spectrum of anticancer activity in breast, lung, and liver cancers, which provides an impetus for further investigation of the anticancer potentiality of this biomolecule.

The Combination of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis Inhibits Lung Cancer and Cachexia through Its Immunomodulatory Function

Lung cancer and its related cachexia are the leading cause of cancer death in the world. In this study, we report the inhibitory effect of the combined therapy of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis, on tumor growth and cachexia in tumor-bearing mice. Lewis lung carcinoma cells were inoculated into male C57BL/6 and CAnN.Cg-Foxn1^nu nude mice. After tumor inoculation, mice were fed orally by the combination of AM and AS in different doses. In C57BL/6 mice, the combination of AM and AS significantly inhibited the growth of cancer tumor and prevented the loss of body weight and skeletal muscle. It also diminished the formation of free radicals and cytokines, stimulated the differentiation of NK and Tc cells, and rebalanced the ratios of Th/Tc cells, Th1/Th2 cytokines, and M1/M2 tumor-associated macrophages. The herbal combination also downregulated the expression of NFκΒ, STAT3, HIF-1α, and VEGF in tumors. In contrast, the findings were not observed in the nude mice. Therefore, the combination of AM and AS is confirmed to inhibit the progression of lung cancer, cancer cachexia, and cancer inflammation through the immunomodulatory function.

Matrine enhances the efficacy of adriamycin chemotherapy in osteosarcoma cells by the STAT3 pathway

Matrine and adriamycin have been extensively considered to be effective in anticancer therapies. However, the role of matrine in the antitumor activity of adriamycin against human osteosarcoma (OS) remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of matrine in OS chemotherapy of adriamycin. In the study, we found that matrine promoted the inhibitory effect of adriamycin against OS cell proliferation and growth. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that the inhibitory effect of adriamycin against migration and invasion of OS cells was significantly enhanced by matrine. For the underlying mechanism investigation, we showed that adriamycin reduced the protein level of PCNA, MMP-9, phosphorylated STAT3, and survivin, which was further intensified by the application of matrine. These results show that matrine could promote the therapeutic efficacy of adriamycin against human OS.

Overview of recent advances in liposomal nanoparticle-based cancer immunotherapy

The clinical performance of conventional cancer therapy approaches (surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) has been challenged by tumor metastasis and recurrence that is mainly responsible for cancer-caused mortalities. The cancer immunotherapy is being emerged nowadays as a promising therapeutic modality in order to achieve a highly efficient therapeutic performance while circumventing tumor metastasis and relapse. Liposomal nanoparticles (NPs) may serve as an ideal platform for systemic delivery of the immune modulators. In this review, we summarize the cutting-edge progresses in liposomal NPs for cancer immunotherapy, with focus on dendritic cells, T cells, tumor cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages. The review highlights the major challenges and provides a perspective regarding the clinical translation of liposomal nanoparticle-based immunotherapy.