Probing Synergistic Targets by Natural Compounds for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Metal Ion Reduction, Chelation, and Cytotoxicity of Selected Bicyclic Monoterpenes and Their Binary Mixtures

Background/Objectives: Bicyclic monoterpenes are one of the most common groups of secondary plant metabolites found in Nature. Their wide spectrum of biological activity can be used in the prevention and in the treatment of various diseases, including so-called 'diseases of civilization'. Their potential for synergistic interactions may influence the biological activities of more complex mixtures. Methods: This study investigated the ability of selected bicyclic monoterpenes and their binary mixtures to reduce Fe(III) and Cu(II) and chelate Fe(II) and assessed their cytotoxic activity against BJ and HepG2 cell lines. Results: The obtained results did not reveal synergistic interactions towards the biological activities, but binary mixtures proved to be safe in relation to the tested cell lines. Among the tested single monoterpenes, the most effective were 3-carene and β-pinene, with the latter exhibiting the greatest ability to decrease cell viability (CC50 for BJ and HepG2 cells was about 1.08 and 1.85 mM, respectively). Conclusions: The results revealed that both single compounds and binary mixtures demonstrate the ability to reduce selected metal ions and chelate Fe(II) ions. Synergistic interactions were not observed, but an increase in the activity of selected binary mixtures was recorded. Based on cell culture experiments, the monoterpenes and their binary mixtures can be considered safe at a concentration lower than 1 mM and close to 0.313 mM, respectively.

New Progress in Zebrafish Liver Tumor Models: Techniques and Applications in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research

Liver tumors represent a serious clinical health problem that threatens human life. Previous studies have demonstrated that the pathogenesis of liver tumors is complex and influenced by various factors, highlighting limitations in both basic pathological research and clinical treatment. Traditional research methods often begin with the discovery of phenomena and gradually progress to the development of animal models and human trials. Among these, liver tumor animal models play a critical role in advancing related research. The zebrafish liver closely resembles the human liver in structure, function, and regenerative capacity. Additionally, the high transparency and rapid development of zebrafish embryos and larvae make them ideal model organisms for studying liver tumors. This review systematically summarizes recent methods for constructing zebrafish liver tumor models, including transplantation, transgenesis, induction, and gene knockout. Furthermore, the present paper explores the applications of these models in the study of liver cancer pathogenesis, metastasis, the tumor microenvironment, drug screening, and other related areas. By comparing the advantages and limitations of various models and integrating their distinct characteristics, this review provides insights for developing a novel liver tumor model that better aligns with clinical needs. This approach will offer valuable reference information for further in-depth studies of the pathological mechanisms of liver tumors and the development of new therapeutic drugs or strategies.

Mitoepigenetics pathways and natural compounds: a dual approach to combatting hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading liver cancer that significantly impacts global life expectancy and remains challenging to treat due to often late diagnoses. Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis is still poor, especially in advanced stages. Studies have pointed out that investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC, including mitochondrial dysfunction and epigenetic regulators, are potentially important targets for diagnosis and therapy. Mitoepigenetics, or the epigenetic modifications of mitochondrial DNA, have drawn wide attention for their role in HCC progression. Besides, molecular biomarkers such as mitochondrial DNA alterations and non-coding RNAs showed early diagnosis and prognosis potential. Additionally, natural compounds like alkaloids, resveratrol, curcumin, and flavonoids show promise in HCC show promise in modulating mitochondrial and epigenetic pathways involved in cancer-related processes. This review discusses how mitochondrial dysfunction and epigenetic modifications, especially mitoepigenetics, influence HCC and delves into the potential of natural products as new adjuvant treatments against HCC.

Evodiamine inhibits EPRS expression to regulate glutamate metabolism and proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

The effects of evodiamine (EVO) on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are not yet understood. Based on our earlier findings, we hypothesized that evodiamine may affect OSCC cell proliferation and glutamate metabolism by modulating the expression of EPRS (glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase 1). From GEPIA, we obtained EPRS expression data in patients with OSCC as well as survival prognosis data. An animal model using Cal27 cells in BALB/c nude mice was established. The expression of EPRS was assessed by immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and quantitative PCR. Glutamate measurements were performed to evaluate the impact of evodiamine on glutamate metabolism of Cal27 and SAS tumor cells. transient transfection techniques were used to knock down and modulate EPRS in these cells. EPRS is expressed at higher levels in OSCC than in normal tissues, and it predicts poor prognosis in patients. In a nude mouse xenograft model, evodiamine inhibited tumor growth and the expression of EPRS. Evodiamine impacted cell proliferation, glutamine metabolism, and EPRS expression on Cal27 and SAS cell lines. In EPRS knockdown cell lines, both cell proliferation and glutamine metabolism are suppressed. EPRS's overexpression partially restores evodiamine's inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and glutamine metabolism. This study provides crucial experimental evidence supporting the potential therapeutic application of evodiamine in treating OSCC. Evodiamine exhibits promising anti-tumor effects by targeting EPRS to regulate glutamate metabolism.

Design, synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of the combination of evodiamine and erlotinib linked by indolequinone

Compared with single-targeted therapy, the design and synthesis of heterozygous molecules is still a significant challenge for the discovery of antitumor drugs. Quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) is a potential target for selective cancer therapy due to its overexpression in many cancer cells and its unique bioredox properties. Based on the principle of combinatorial drug design, we successfully synthesized a new hybrid molecules 13 with an indolequinone structure. We found that the synthesized compounds exhibited much higher cytotoxicity against the tested cancer cells than free drugs. Further mechanism studies confirmed that compound 13 induced cell apoptosis was achieved by regulating p53-dependent mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase.

Potential of Compounds Originating from the Nature to Act in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy by Targeting the Tumor Immunosuppressive Microenvironment: A Review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent subtype of liver cancer, is the second main reason for cancer-related deaths worldwide. In recent decades, sufficient evidence supported that immunotherapy was a safe and effective treatment option for HCC. However, tolerance and frequent recurrence and metastasis occurred in patients after immunotherapy due to the complicated crosstalk in the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) in HCC. Therefore, elucidating the TIME in HCC and finding novel modulators to target TIME for attenuating immune suppression is critical to optimize immunotherapy. Recently, studies have shown the potentially immunoregulatory activities of natural compounds, characterized by multiple targets and pathways and low toxicity. In this review, we concluded the unique role of TIME in HCC. Moreover, we summarized evidence that supports the hypothesis of natural compounds to target TIME to improve immunotherapy. Furthermore, we discussed the comprehensive mechanisms of these natural compounds in the immunotherapy of HCC. Accordingly, we present a well-grounded review of the naturally occurring compounds in cancer immunotherapy, expecting to shed new light on discovering novel anti-HCC immunomodulatory drugs from natural sources.

Zebrafish Xenotransplantation Models for Studying Gene Function and Drug Treatment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Zebrafish is a promising model organism for human disease including hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Recently, zebrafish has emerged also as a host for xenograft studies of liver cancer cell lines and patient derived tumors of HCC. Zebrafish embryos enable drug screening and gene function studies of xenografted cells via ease of microinjection and visualization of tumor growth and metastasis.

OBJECTIVES

In this review, we aimed to overview zebrafish HCC and liver cancer xenotransplantation studies focusing on 'gene functional analysis' and 'drug/chemical screening'.

METHODS

Herein, a comprehensive literature search was performed for liver and HCC xenografts in zebrafish on PubMed using different key words and filters for molecular modifications or drug exposure.

RESULTS

Our literature search revealed around 250 studies which were filtered and summarized in a table (Table 1) revealing comprehensive collection of experimental and technical details on microinjection, injected cell lines, molecular modifications of injected cells, types and doses of drug treatments as well as biological assessments.

CONCLUSION

This review provides a platform for HCC and liver xenografts and highlights studies performed to understand gene functionality and drug efficacy in vivo in zebrafish.