Arctigenin inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation, migratory and invasive abilities and epithelial to mesenchymal transition by targeting 4EBP1

PDK1-mediated phosphorylation of USP5 modulates NF-κB signalling to enhance osteosarcoma growth

The overexpression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) has been observed in a number of different cancers, making it a potential target for the treatment of cancer. In this study, we used bioinformatics methods to analyse the immunophenotype of osteosarcoma (OS) and identified PDK1 as a critical factor in the different immune states of the disease. A pan-cancer analysis revealed a robust correlation between PDK1 and the tumour microenvironment. Moreover, our findings corroborate the overexpression of PDK1 in OS, whereby it facilitates tumour development via the NF-κB pathway. From a mechanistic perspective, PDK1 has the capacity to bind and phosphorylate USP5. The phosphorylation of USP5 by PDK1 activates its deubiquitinating activity, leading to the stabilisation of IKKγ protein and subsequent activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway, which ultimately promotes the growth of OS cells. Molecular simulation docking, pull-down assays, and SIP experiments were employed to further identify arctigenin (ATG) as a small molecule inhibitor of PDK1. The findings demonstrated that ATG effectively inhibited the growth of OS cells and tumour xenograft models. Collectively, these results highlight that PDK1 influences NF-κB in OS through the PDK1-USP5-IKKγ axis. Furthermore, the identification of ATG as an effective inhibitor of PDK1 suggests that ATG may serve as a promising lead compound for the treatment of OS.

A review of six bioactive compounds from preclinical studies as potential breast cancer inhibitors

Breast cancer is one of the predominant causes of mortality in women worldwide. Although therapeutics such as surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiotherapy have been used, they are associated with adverse effects or multidrug resistance. The use of natural compounds is a promising strategy, owing to their abundance and medicinal value. This review focuses on six natural compounds, namely cinnamaldehyde, diosmin, taxifolin, phloretin, arctigenin, and eugenol, and details their mechanisms of breast cancer inhibition based on in vitro and in vivo studies. These compounds generally promote apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, hinder metastasis and invasion, and decrease tumor growth. This review reinforces the use of natural compounds as therapeutics for breast cancer from their preclinical studies. These compounds might be promising for drug development due to their abundance, high reliability, and safety.

Management of triple-negative breast cancer by natural compounds through different mechanistic pathways

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most severe form of breast cancer, characterized by the loss of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptors. It is caused by various genetic and epigenetic factors, resulting in poor prognosis. Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, are the leading mechanisms responsible for TNBC progression and metastasis. This review comprehensively covers the various subtypes of TNBC and their epigenetic causes. In addition, the genetic association of TNBC with all significant genes and signaling pathways linked to the progression of this form of cancer has been enlisted. Furthermore, the possible uses of natural compounds through different mechanistic pathways have also been discussed in detail for the successful management of TNBC.

Arctigenin from Forsythia viridissima Fruit Inhibits the Replication of Human Coronavirus

Coronavirus can cause various diseases, from mild symptoms to the recent severe COVID-19. The coronavirus RNA genome is frequently mutated due to its RNA nature, resulting in many pathogenic and drug-resistant variants. Therefore, many medicines should be prepared to respond to the various coronavirus variants. In this report, we demonstrated that Forsythia viridissima fruit ethanol extract (FVFE) effectively reduces coronavirus replication. We attempted to identify the active compounds and found that actigenin from FVFE effectively reduces human coronavirus replication. Arctigenin treatment can reduce coronavirus protein expression and coronavirus-induced cytotoxicity. These results collectively suggest that arctigenin is a potent natural compound that prevents coronavirus replication.

Targeted Delivery of Arctigenin Using Sialic Acid Conjugate-Modified Liposomes for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Arctigenin (ATG) is a broad-spectrum antitumor drug with an excellent inhibitory effect on malignant tumors such as breast cancer, glioblastoma, liver cancer, and colon cancer. However, the clinical application of ATG is limited by its poor water solubility and quick hydrolysis in the liver, intestine, and plasma, which might hinder its application. Sialic acid (SA) recognizes selectin receptors overexpressed on the surface of tumor-associated macrophages. In this study, SA was conjugated with octadecylamine (ODA) to prepare SA-ODA, which was employed to prepare SA functionalized nanoliposomes (SA-Lip) to achieve breast cancer targeting. The formulations were finely optimized using the Box-Behnken design to achieve higher ATG loading. The size, ζ potential, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, and release behavior of ATG@SA-Lip were fully investigated in comparison with conventional ATG@Lip. The ATG@SA-Lip displayed more potent cytotoxicity and higher cellular internalization compared to ATG@Sol and ATG@Lip in both MCF7 and 4T1 cells. Notably, ATG@SA-Lip showed the lowest impact on the immune system. Our study demonstrates that SA-Lip has strong potential as a delivery system for the targeted delivery of ATG.

Tailoring Potential Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Luminal Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer worldwide, mainly affecting the epithelial cells from the mammary glands. When it expresses the estrogen receptor (ER), the tumor is called luminal BC, which is eligible for endocrine therapy with hormone signaling blockade. Hormone therapy is essential for the survival of patients, but therapeutic resistance has been shown to be worrying, significantly compromising the prognosis. In this context, the need to explore new compounds emerges, especially compounds of plant origin, since they are biologically active and particularly promising. Natural products are being continuously screened for treating cancer due to their chemical diversity, reduced toxicity, lower side effects, and low price. This review summarizes natural compounds for the treatment of luminal BC, emphasizing the activities of these compounds in ER-positive cells. Moreover, their potential as an alternative to endocrine resistance is explored, opening new opportunities for the design of optimized therapies.

Targeting PI3K/Akt signaling in prostate cancer therapy

Urological cancers have obtained much attention in recent years due to their mortality and morbidity. The most common and malignant tumor of urological cancers is prostate cancer that imposes high socioeconomic costs on public life and androgen-deprivation therapy, surgery, and combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are employed in its treatment. PI3K/Akt signaling is an oncogenic pathway responsible for migration, proliferation and drug resistance in various cancers. In the present review, the role of PI3K/Akt signaling in prostate cancer progression is highlighted. The activation of PI3K/Akt signaling occurs in prostate cancer, while PTEN as inhibitor of PI3K/Akt shows down-regulation. Stimulation of PI3K/Akt signaling promotes survival of prostate tumor cells and prevents apoptosis. The cell cycle progression and proliferation rate of prostate tumor cells increase by PI3K/Akt signaling induction. PI3K/Akt signaling stimulates EMT and enhances metastasis of prostate tumor cells. Silencing PI3K/Akt signaling impairs growth and metastasis of prostate tumor cells. Activation of PI3K/Akt signaling mediates drug resistance and reduces radio-sensitivity of prostate tumor cells. Anti-tumor compounds suppress PI3K/Akt signaling in impairing prostate tumor progression. Furthermore, upstream regulators such as miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs regulate PI3K/Akt signaling and it has clinical implications for prostate cancer patients.

Arctigenin Suppresses the Proliferation and Metastasis, and Induces Apoptosis and Cycle Arrest of Osteosarcoma Cells by inhibiting HMOX1 Expression

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor, with highly proliferative and metastatic properties. Previous studies have reported that arctigenin (Arc), a bioactive lignin compound, showed excellent anti-tumor activities in a variety of human cancers. However, its role in osteosarcoma has not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of Arc on osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle.

METHODS

Effects of Arc on osteosarcoma cell proliferation were detected by MTT and colony formation assay. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to assess the cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the capability of migration and invasion. qRT-PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the changes in mRNA and protein levels.

RESULTS

Arc could significantly suppress the proliferation, colony formation, and induce cell apoptosis and S phase cycle arrest of MG63 and U-2 OS cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we also observed an inhibitory effect of Arc treatment on osteosarcoma cell invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). HMOX1, encoding enzyme heme oxygenase-1, was predicted to be a candidate target of Arc using STITCH. Arc treatment significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of HMOX1. Furthermore, overexpression of HMOX1 could partly reverse the inhibitory effects of Arc on osteosarcoma cell malignant phenotypes.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that Arc inhibits the proliferation, metastasis and promotes cell apoptosis and cycle arrest of osteosarcoma cells by downregulating HMOX1 expression.

Heterogeneity and dynamic of EMT through the plasticity of ribosome and mRNA translation

Growing evidence exposes translation and its translational machinery as key players in establishing and maintaining physiological and pathological biological processes. Examining translation may not only provide new biological insight but also identify novel innovative therapeutic targets in several fields of biology, including that of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is currently considered as a dynamic and reversible transdifferentiation process sustaining the transition from an epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, known to be mainly driven by transcriptional reprogramming. However, it seems that the characterization of EMT plasticity is challenging, relying exclusively on transcriptomic and epigenetic approaches. Indeed, heterogeneity in EMT programs was reported to depend on the biological context. Here, by reviewing the involvement of translational control, translational machinery and ribosome biogenesis characterizing the different types of EMT, from embryonic and adult physiological to pathological contexts, we discuss the added value of integrating translational control and its machinery to depict the heterogeneity and dynamics of EMT programs.