Reduced expression of HSP27 following HAD-B treatment is associated with Her2 downregulation in NIH:OVCAR-3 human ovarian cancer cells

Inhibitory Effects of HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) Combined With Afatinib on H1975 Lung Cancer Cell-Bearing Mice

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive non–small cell lung cancer is cared for mainly by target therapeutics in the clinical treatment at present. We investigated the antitumor effect of HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) combined with afatinib on H1975 (L858R/T790M double mutation) lung cancer cells. The combined treatment of HAD-B1 with afatinib inhibited the proliferation of H1975 cells in a dose-dependent manner compared with the treatment of afatinib or HAD-B1 alone. The combined treatment group significantly induced early apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of the cells compared with afatinib- or HAD-B1-treated control group. Profile analysis of cell cycle proteins in H1975 cells treated with the combination of HAD-B1 and afatinib using InnoPharmaScreen antibody microarray showed downregulation of pERK1/2 and upregulation of p16 in the cells. In vivo tumor growth assay in xenograft animal model of human H1975 lung cancer cells revealed that the mean tumor volume in the group treated with the combination of HAD-B1 and afatinib showed a significant reduction compared with the control groups.

Panax notoginseng Inhibits Tumor Growth through Activating Macrophage to M1 Polarization

Among the herbal ingredients of HangAmDan-B, a medicinal formula that redirects macrophages to become tumoricidal effectors, we found that Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen is the active component responsible for its macrophage-mediated antitumor activity. The water extracted roots of P. notoginseng (PN) did not affect the viability of RAW264.7 murine macrophage-like cells and murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells up to a concentration of 100[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL. However, the transfer of culture media from PN-treated RAW264.7 cells suppressed the growth of LLC cells. The expression of classically activated (M1) markers, such as interleukin (IL)-1[Formula: see text], monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-[Formula: see text], and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), was increased by PN treatment. The expression of alternatively activated (M2) markers including CD206, IL-10, and [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-acetylhexosaminidases (YM-1) was reduced by PN treatment in the presence of IL-4. Flow cytometry also revealed that PN drives M1 activation of RAW264.7 cells. The transfer of culture media from PN-treated RAW264.7 cells induced the apoptosis of LLC cells as measured by flow cytometry using Annexin-V staining and western blot analysis for caspase cascade-related proteins. In addition, the results from in vivo tumor allograft model demonstrated that PN reduced both tumor volume and weight. The activation of macrophages toward an M1 phenotype was confirmed in the tumor allograft tumor model. These results collectively show that PN can serve as a potent anticancer agent through reeducation of macrophages toward an M1 phenotype.

Inhibition of lung cancer growth by HangAmDan-B is mediated by macrophage activation to M1 subtype

Re-education of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward antitumor effectors may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the successful treatment of cancer. HangAmDan-B (HAD-B), a herbal formula, has been used for stimulating immune function and activation of vital energy to cancer patients in traditional Korean Medicine. Previous studies have reported the anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of HAD-B; however, evidence on the immunomodulatory action of HAD-B was not demonstrated. In the present study, immunocompetent mice were used to demonstrate the suppression of the in vivo growth of allograft Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells, by HAD-B. In addition, HAD-B inhibited the in vitro growth of LLC cells by driving macrophages toward M1 polarization, but not through direct inhibition of tumor cell growth. Furthermore, culture media transfer of HAD-B-treated macrophages induced apoptosis of LLC cells. Results of the present study suggest that the antitumor effect of HAD-B may be explained by stimulating the antitumor function of macrophages. Considering the importance of re-educating TAMs in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, the present study may confer another option for anti-cancer therapeutic strategy, using herbal medicines such as HAD-B.