Dual mapping of MTHFR C677T (A1298C) and BDNF G196A (Val66Met) polymorphisms in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a loss of distal sensory function in the lower limbs that is accompanied by pain and severe morbidity. The goal of this study was to perform a screening of the MTHFR C677T (A1298C) and BDNF G196A (Val66Met) polymorphisms and determine their possible relationships using biochemical blood tests and clinical presentations of symptoms in Jordanian patients with DPN.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted, and medical records were used to identify and recruit patients with DPN and collect their demographic and clinical characteristics. The total neuropathy score (TNSr) was used to assess the severity of sensory symptoms. In addition, direct sequencing was performed after Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification to screen the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interest.

RESULTS

Ninety patients with DPN participated in the study. The MTHFR-SNP variant (CT) and (TT) genotypes were identified in 39 (43.3%) and 19 (21.1%) patients, respectively. On the other hand, the BDNF-SNP variant (GA) and (AA) genotypes were identified in 22 (24.4%) and 11 (12.2%) patients, respectively. The distributions of the genotype frequencies of the MTHFR-SNP and BDNF-SNP variants statistically differed between patients with DPN and the control group (p < 0.0001, p < 0.002). Moreover, patients carrying variant genotypes of the two analyzed SNPs were more likely to have unsatisfactory HbA1c levels (> 7 mg/dl, p = 0.029) and moderate to severe symptoms (TNSr score 8-24).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that the MTHFR C>T-677 SNP and the BDNF G>A-196 SNP can be used as genetic risk markers for DPN. Assessing patients' genetic-metabolic risk profiles is recommended for providing personalized treatment.

Tissue-specific cancer stem/progenitor cells: Therapeutic implications

Surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation are the standard therapeutic modalities for treating cancer. These approaches are intended to target the more mature and rapidly dividing cancer cells. However, they spare the relatively quiescent and intrinsically resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs) subpopulation residing within the tumor tissue. Thus, a temporary eradication is achieved and the tumor bulk tends to revert supported by CSCs' resistant features. Based on their unique expression profile, the identification, isolation, and selective targeting of CSCs hold great promise for challenging treatment failure and reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. Yet, targeting CSCs is limited mainly by the irrelevance of the utilized cancer models. A new era of targeted and personalized anti-cancer therapies has been developed with cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) as a tool for establishing pre-clinical tumor models. Herein, we discuss the updated and presently available tissue-specific CSC markers in five highly occurring solid tumors. Additionally, we highlight the advantage and relevance of the three-dimensional PDOs culture model as a platform for modeling cancer, evaluating the efficacy of CSC-based therapeutics, and predicting drug response in cancer patients.

MicroRNAs as clinical tools for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men worldwide. Despite the presence of accumulated clinical strategies for PCa management, limited prognostic/sensitive biomarkers are available to follow up on disease occurrence and progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that control gene expression through post-transcriptional regulation of their complementary target messenger RNA (mRNA). MiRNAs modulate fundamental biological processes and play crucial roles in the pathology of various diseases, including PCa. Multiple evidence proved an aberrant miRNA expression profile in PCa, which is actively involved in the carcinogenic process. The robust and pleiotropic impact of miRNAs on PCa suggests them as potential candidates to help more understand the molecular landscape of the disease, which is likely to provide tools for early diagnosis and prognosis as well as additional therapeutic strategies to manage prostate tumors. Here, we emphasize the most consistently reported dysregulated miRNAs and highlight the contribution of their altered downstream targets with PCa hallmarks. Also, we report the potential effectiveness of using miRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers in PCa and the high-throughput profiling technologies that are being used in their detection. Another key aspect to be discussed in this review is the promising implication of miRNAs molecules as therapeutic tools and targets for fighting PCa.

Novel therapeutic diiminoquinone exhibits anticancer effects on human colorectal cancer cells in two-dimensional and three-dimensional in vitro models

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) in CRC, which are spared by many chemotherapeutics, have tumorigenic capacity and are believed to be the reason behind cancer relapse. So far, there have been no effective drugs to target colon CSCs. Diiminoquinone (DIQ) has shown promising effects on targeting colon cancer. However, there is limited research on the effects of DIQ on eradicating CSCs in CRC.

AIM

To investigate the anticancer potential of DIQ on colon CSCs in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models using colonospheres and patient-derived organoids.

METHODS

Various 2D methods have been used to assess the effect and the mechanism of DIQ on HCT116 and HT29 cell lines including cell proliferation and viability assays, migration and invasion assays, immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometry. The potency of DIQ was also assessed in 3D culture using the sphere formation assay and colon cancer patient-derived organoid model.

RESULTS

Our results showed that DIQ significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCT116 and HT29 cell lines. DIQ treatment induced apoptosis along with an accumulation of HCT116 and HT29 cancer cells in the sub-G1 region and an increase in reactive oxygen species in both CRC cell lines. DIQ reduced sphere-forming and self-renewal ability of colon cancer HCT116 and HT29 stem/progenitor cells at sub-toxic doses of 1 μmol/L. Mechanistically, DIQ targets CSCs by downregulating the main components of stem cell-related -catenin, AKT, and ERK oncogenic signaling pathways. Potently, DIQ displayed a highly significant decrease in both the count and the size of the organoids derived from colon cancer patients as compared to control and 5-fluorouracil conditions.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first documentation of the molecular mechanism of the novel anticancer therapeutic DIQ via targeting CSC, a promising compound that needs further investigation.

Drug resistance in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: an update on the status quo

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in men globally. Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of PCa, a significant proportion of patients with high-risk localized disease and all patients with advanced disease at diagnosis will experience progression to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Multiple drugs are now approved as the standard of care treatments for patients with mCRPC that have been shown to prolong survival. Although the majority of patients will respond initially, primary and secondary resistance to these therapies make mCRPC an incurable disease. Several molecular mechanisms underlie the development of mCRPC, with the androgen receptor (AR) axis being the main driver as well as the key drug target. Understanding resistance mechanisms is crucial for discovering novel therapeutic strategies to delay or reverse the progression of the disease. In this review, we address the diverse mechanisms of drug resistance in mCRPC. In addition, we shed light on emerging targeted therapies currently being tested in clinical trials with promising potential to overcome mCRPC-drug resistance.

Pharmacogenetic screening of A1555G and C1494T mitochondrial mutations and the use of ototoxic drugs among Jordanians

OBJECTIVE

Hearing loss may impact an individual's psychosocial behaviors and lead to cognitive decline. The goals of this study were to describe the frequency of nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) among Jordanian patients with regular exposure to ototoxic drugs, perform screening for A1555G and C1494T mitochondrial mutations (12S rRNA gene) and identify predictors of hearing loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in which medical records were reviewed to record the pattern of ototoxic drug use among participants. The pure tone audiometry (PTA) test was used to assess hearing performance. Direct sequencing was performed following PCR amplification to screen for mitochondrial mutations of interest.

RESULTS

One hundred sixty-two patients reported regular use of ototoxic drug(s); sixty-five percent of them suffered from NSHL, mostly of mild-moderate severity. No A1555G or C1494T mutation was detected in any participant. Aspirin (82%) was the most commonly used ototoxic drug, followed by loop diuretics (77%) and aminoglycosides (57%). Advanced age, more comorbidities and more ototoxic drugs taken increased the likelihood of hearing loss (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Hearing loss is prevalent among Jordanian patients treated with ototoxic drugs. Early intervention and management services for this population remain critical needs.

Pharmacogenetic screening of A1555G and C1494T mitochondrial mutations and the use of ototoxic drugs among Jordanians

OBJECTIVE

Hearing loss may impact an individual's psychosocial behaviors and lead to cognitive decline. The goals of this study were to describe the frequency of nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) among Jordanian patients with regular exposure to ototoxic drugs, perform screening for A1555G and C1494T mitochondrial mutations (12S rRNA gene) and identify predictors of hearing loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in which medical records were reviewed to record the pattern of ototoxic drug use among participants. The pure tone audiometry (PTA) test was used to assess hearing performance. Direct sequencing was performed following PCR amplification to screen for mitochondrial mutations of interest.

RESULTS

One hundred sixty-two patients reported regular use of ototoxic drug(s); sixty-five percent of them suffered from NSHL, mostly of mild-moderate severity. No A1555G or C1494T mutation was detected in any participant. Aspirin (82%) was the most commonly used ototoxic drug, followed by loop diuretics (77%) and aminoglycosides (57%). Advanced age, more comorbidities and more ototoxic drugs taken increased the likelihood of hearing loss (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Hearing loss is prevalent among Jordanian patients treated with ototoxic drugs. Early intervention and management services for this population remain critical needs.