Gambogenic Acid Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Colorectal Cancer via the Aurora A Pathway

Coptisine inhibits esophageal carcinoma growth by modulating pyroptosis via inhibition of HGF/c-Met signaling

Esophageal carcinoma is a highly prevalent malignancy worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which the natural compound coptisine affects pyroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The expression of c-Met in ESCC patients was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarrays. Natural drugs that bind to c-Met were identified by screening and molecular docking. The effect of coptisine on the proliferation of ESCC cells was detected by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of mRNAs related to pyroptosis and miR-21 after coptisine treatment were assessed via real-time quantitative PCR. The effect of pyroptosis was evaluated by reactive oxygen species level detection and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The expression of proteins related to pyroptosis and the HGF/c-Met pathway was detected by western blotting. A xenograft tumor model was established, and the inhibitory effect of coptisine was evaluated by observing tumor growth. The results showed that the highly expressed protein c-Met in esophageal cancer could bind with coptisine. Coptisine inhibited c-Met phosphorylation and proliferation in ESCC cells. Furthermore, coptisine inhibited the expression of downstream proteins of the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway and induced ROS generation. Tumor xenograft experiments demonstrated that coptisine effectively inhibited tumor growth by reducing the levels of pyroptosis-associated proteins. In conclusion, these findings indicate that inhibition of the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway suppresses pyroptosis to enhance the antitumor effect of coptisine in ESCC and support the potential use of coptisine for EC treatment.

Modulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Insights from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) play critical roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and drug resistance. Persistent activation of the ER stress system enhances the survival capacities of malignant tumor cells, including increased proliferation, invasion, and resistance to treatment. Dysregulation of ER function and the resultant stress is a common cellular response to cancer therapies and may lead to cancer cell death. Currently, growing evidence suggests that Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), either as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatments, offers significant advantages in preventing cancer, inhibiting tumor growth, reducing surgical complications, improving drug sensitivity, and mitigating drug-induced damage. Some of these natural products have even entered clinical trials as primary or complementary anticancer agents. In this review, we summarize the anticancer effects of TCM monomers/natural products on the gastrointestinal (GI) tumors and explore their mechanisms through ER stress modulation. We believe that ongoing laboratory research and the clinical development of TCM-based cancer therapies hold considerable potential for advancing future cancer treatments.

Phytochemical-mediated modulation of autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress as a cancer therapeutic approach

Autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are conserved processes that generally promote survival, but can induce cell death when physiological thresholds are crossed. The pro-survival aspects of these processes are exploited by cancer cells for tumor development and progression. Therefore, anticancer drugs targeting autophagy or ER stress to induce cell death and/or block the pro-survival aspects are being investigated extensively. Consistently, several phytochemicals have been reported to exert their anticancer effects by modulating autophagy and/or ER stress. Various phytochemicals (e.g., celastrol, curcumin, emodin, resveratrol, among others) activate the unfolded protein response to induce ER stress-mediated apoptosis through different pathways. Similarly, various phytochemicals induce autophagy through different mechanisms (namely mechanistic target of Rapamycin [mTOR] inhibition). However, phytochemical-induced autophagy can function either as a cytoprotective mechanism or as programmed cell death type II. Interestingly, at times, the same phytochemical (e.g., 6-gingerol, emodin, shikonin, among others) can induce cytoprotective autophagy or programmed cell death type II depending on cellular contexts, such as cancer type. Although there is well-documented mechanistic interplay between autophagy and ER stress, only a one-way modulation was noted with some phytochemicals (carnosol, capsaicin, cryptotanshinone, guangsangon E, kaempferol, and δ-tocotrienol): ER stress-dependent autophagy. Plant extracts are sources of potent phytochemicals and while numerous phytochemicals have been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies, the search for novel phytochemicals with anticancer effects is ongoing from plant extracts used in traditional medicine (e.g., Origanum majorana). Nonetheless, the clinical translation of phytochemicals, a promising avenue for cancer therapeutics, is hindered by several limitations that need to be addressed in future studies.

Targeted variant prevalence of FBXW7 gene mutation in colorectal carcinoma propagation. The first systematic review and meta-analysis

FBXW7 is a tumour suppressor gene that functions as E3-ubiquitin-ligase, targeting numerous oncoproteins for degradation, i.e., Cyclin-E, c-Myc, and Notch. FBXW7 performs a pivotal role in regulating cell cycle progression. FBXW7 mutation is frequently implicated in various cancers.

Methodology

A systematic review and meta-analysis done on several studies using "Preferred Reporting Items for Systemmatic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)" criteria and registered with PROSPERO (registration-number-CRD42023388845). The preliminary search comprises 1182 articles; however, 58 studies were subsequently chosen after eliminating non-eligible studies. To explore the prevalence of FBXW7 mutation among colorectal cancer patients, data were analysed using "OpenMeta Analyst and comprehensive meta-analysis-3.0 (CMA-3.0)" software.

Results

This meta-analysis involves 13,974 respondents; most were males 7825/13,974, (56.0 %). Overall prevalence of FBXW7 mutations was 10.3 %, (95%CI: 8.6-12.4), I2 = 90.5 %, (P < 0.001). The occurrence of FBXW7 mutations was highest in Russia [19.0 %, (95%CI: 9.8-33.7)] and Taiwan [18.8 %, (95%CI: 8.7-35.9)], P-values< 0.05 while the least prevalence was reported in Netherland (4 %) and Italy (5 %), both P-values< 0.001. Overall prevalence of FBXW7 abberation was greatest amongst male gender: "53.9 %, (95%CI: 8.3-62.0 %)", Tumour location (colon): 59.8 %, (95%CI: 53.9-65), tumour site (left): 61.6 %, (95%CI: 53.8-68.9), Tumour-grade (Moderate): 65.9 %, (95%CI: 54.9-75.4 %), and Tumour late-stage: 67.9 %, (95%CI: 49.7-84.3 %), all P-values< 0.001. When stratified according to study-period, an increasing trend was noted from 2018 till present with the highest mutation rate recorded in 2022 (15.3 %).

Conclusion

Overall prevalence of FBXW7 mutations was 10.3 % with male gender, left side, and late-stage being most mutated, and these outcomes conform with severally published articles on FBXW7 mutation.

Unveiling Gambogenic Acid as a Promising Antitumor Compound: A Review

Gambogenic acid is a derivative of gambogic acid, a polyprenylated xanthone isolated from Garcinia hanburyi. Compared with the more widely studied gambogic acid, gambogenic acid has demonstrated advantages such as a more potent antitumor effect and less systemic toxicity than gambogic acid according to early investigations. Therefore, the present review summarizes the effectiveness and mechanisms of gambogenic acid in different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, drug delivery systems to improve the bioavailability of gambogenic acid and its pharmacokinetic profile are included. Gambogenic acid has been applied to treat a wide range of cancers, such as lung, liver, colorectal, breast, gastric, bladder, and prostate cancers. Gambogenic acid exerts its antitumor effects as a novel class of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitors. It prevents cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and necroptosis and controlling the cell cycle as well as autophagy. Gambogenic acid also hinders tumor cell invasion and metastasis by downregulating metastasis-related proteins. Moreover, gambogenic acid increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy and has shown effects on multidrug resistance in malignancy. This review adds insights for the prevention and treatment of cancers using gambogenic acid.

Gambogenic acid inhibits proliferation and ferroptosis by targeting the miR-1291/FOXA2 and AMPKα/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis in colorectal cancer

The present study aims to investigate the mechanism of the nature compound gambogenic acid (GNA) on the apoptosis and ferroptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC). The effect of GNA on the proliferation of CRC cell lines were detected by MTT and clonogenic assay. The xenograft tumor model was established, and the inhibition effect of GNA were evaluated by observing the tumor growth. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of HCT116 was observed by using the ER tracker. The TargrtScan database was used to predict the miRNA binding sites. The level of miRNA with GNA treatment was explored by real-time quantitative PCR. The effect of ferroptosis were evaluated by detect the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular ferrous iron (Fe2+ ), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), subunit solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase (GPX)4, transferrin, and ferritin by Western blot. GNA isolated from gamboge can inhibit the growth and proliferation of CRC cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. GNA activated ER stress by upregulating miR-1291, and miR-1291 targeted the forkhead box protein A2 (FOXA2). GNA also induced ROS production and mediated the Fenton reaction by activating transferrin to increase Fe2+ , thus inducing ferroptosis. In addition, GNA could induce ferroptosis through the depletion of GSH and GPX4. Furthermore, GNA treatment regulated iron metabolism by activating AMPKα/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling. In conclusion, GNA activated ER stress via miR-1291 and induced ferroptosis in CRC cells and might be a new inducer of ferroptosis, which can expand the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs.

Increasing Stress to Induce Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer via the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR)

High rates of cell proliferation and protein synthesis in pancreatic cancer are among many factors leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. To restore cellular homeostasis, the unfolded protein response (UPR) activates as an adaptive mechanism through either the IRE1α, PERK, or ATF6 pathways to reduce the translational load and process unfolded proteins, thus enabling tumor cells to proliferate. Under severe and prolonged ER stress, however, the UPR may promote adaptation, senescence, or apoptosis under these same pathways if homeostasis is not restored. In this review, we present evidence that high levels of ER stress and UPR activation are present in pancreatic cancer. We detail the mechanisms by which compounds activate one or many of the three arms of the UPR and effectuate downstream apoptosis and examine available data on the pre-clinical and clinical-phase ER stress inducers with the potential for anti-tumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer. Finally, we hypothesize a potential new approach to targeting pancreatic cancer by increasing levels of ER stress and UPR activation to incite apoptotic cell death.

Traditional Chinese medicine suppressed cancer progression by targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress responses: A review

Cancer has a high morbidity and mortality; therefore, it poses a major global health concern. Imbalance in endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis can induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). ERS has been shown to play both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive roles in various cancer types by activating a series of adaptive responses to promote tumor cell survival and inducing ERS-related apoptotic pathways to promote tumor cell death, inhibit tumor growth and suppress tumor invasion. Because multiple roles of ERS in tumors continue to be reported, many studies have attempted to target ERS in cancer therapy. The therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments on tumors have been widely recognized. TCM treatments can enhance the sensitivity of tumor radiotherapy, delay tumor recurrence and improve patients' quality of life. However, there are relatively few reports exploring the antitumor effects of TCM from the perspective of ERS. This review addresses the progress of TCM intervention in tumors via ERS with a view to providing a new direction for tumor treatment.