Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Signal Pathways and Targeted Therapies

Semi-synthesized anticancer theobromine derivatives targeting VEGFR-2: in silico and in vitro evaluations

Vascular endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis are all crucially impacted by Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Its expression is significantly boosted throughout pathologic angiogenesis causing the development of tumors. Sothat, inhibition of VEGFR-2 has crucial role in cancer treatment. In this study, novel semisynthetic theobromine derivatives were rationally designed as VEGFR-2 inhibitors and subjected to in vitro testing for their ability to block VEGFR-2 activation. Furthermore, the antiproliferative effects of these derivatives were evaluated. Compound 7 g exhibited the most potent anti-VEGFR-2 activity, with an IC50 value of 0.072 µM, and demonstrated excellent dose-dependent inhibitory activity against both MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 19.35 and 27.89 µM, respectively. Notably, compound 7 g exhibited high selectivity indices of 2.6 and 1.8 against MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, respectively. Compound 7 g induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, promoted apoptosis, and boosted immunomodulation by downregulating TNF-α expression and upregulating IL-2 levels in MCF-7 cells. The molecular docking analysis revealed that compound 7 g could bind effectively to the active site of VEGFR-2, and molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stability of the VEGFR-2/compound 7 g complex. Furthermore, ADME and toxicity profiling indicated the potential suitability of these compounds as drug candidates. In summary, compound 7 g hold promise as a VEGFR-2 inhibitor.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

New insights into the role of chronic inflammation and cytokines in the etiopathogenesis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Although previously considered rare, recent epidemiological studies have revealed that the incidence (3.6/100,000) and prevalence (35/100,000) of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) has increased over the past few decades. Despite the progress in the understanding of GEP-NET molecular biology, there is still little advance in the early diagnosis due to lack of specific tumor markers. As the tumors are mostly detected in their late stage, they are not well controlled by either biotherapy or conventional chemotherapy, and thus represent a significant clinical issue. Chronic inflammation has been implicated in the development of GEP-NETs. This review presents recent findings that link pro-inflammatory cytokines to the molecular basis of GEP-NET tumorigenesis, leading to a more personalized approach to disease management and therapy.