Shikonin in breast cancer treatment: a comprehensive review of molecular pathways and innovative strategies

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer is a prevalent disease that has a substantial impact on women's mortality rates. Shikonin, a naphthoquinone derived from Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has demonstrated substantial anticancer effects. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the latest research findings regarding the therapeutic efficacy of shikonin in the context of breast cancer treatment, with a specific emphasis on elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted on shikonin and breast cancer by searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases.

KEY FINDINGS

Shikonin significantly reduces tumor cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis in both in vivo and in vitro across all breast cancer subtypes. Additionally, when combined with other pharmaceutical agents, it exhibits synergistic effects. Shikonin stimulates immunogenic cell death, resulting in apoptosis and necroptosis. The induction of immunogenic cell death by shikonin enhances the immunogenicity of breast cancer cells, leading to its involvement in the development of dendritic cell-based tumor vaccines against breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

Shikonin exhibits potent anti-breast cancer properties and shows significant potential for the advancement of immunotherapeutic approaches against breast cancer, as well as enhancing the efficacy of conventional treatment strategies.

Isolated gastric involvement of recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Although the gastrointestinal tract is one of the most common sites for extranodal lymphoma, gastrointestinal lymphoma is a rare disease that is almost exclusively non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a rare condition of Hodgkin lymphoma relapse after 12 years as isolated gastric involvement caused massive gastrointestinal bleeding in a 34-year-old Iranian woman. According to the result of the upper endoscopy, laparotomy was performed, and a large mass in the upper part of the fundus, alongside the esophagogastric junction, was seen, so gastrectomy was performed.

CONCLUSION

All symptoms and paraclinical findings for gastrointestinal Hodgkin lymphoma are nonspecific. Therefore, the preoperative diagnosis is challenging. It seems that surgery is a suitable diagnostic and therapeutic method in this field.

Anticancer potential of cryptotanshinone on breast cancer treatment; A narrative review

Breast cancer has recently been known as the first lethal malignancy in women worldwide. Despite the existing treatments that have improved the patients’ prognosis, some types of breast cancer are serious challenges to treat. Therefore, efforts are underway to provide more efficient therapy. Cryptotanshinone (CPT) is a liposoluble diterpenoid derivation of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine called Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. It has been considered in the past decades due to its vast therapeutic properties, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrosis. Recently, studies have found that CPT showed a significant anti-breast cancer effect in vivo and in vitro through different physiological and immunological mechanisms. This study summarized the latest research findings on the antitumor effect of CPT in breast cancer. Further, the main molecular mechanisms based on breast cancer types and combination with other drugs were reviewed to provide essential evidence for future longitudinal research and its clinical application in breast cancer treatment.

Recurrent retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipoma: A case report and review of literature

Introduction

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is the most prevalent renal mesenchymal neoplasm that almost always involves kidneys.

Case presentation

We present a rare condition of retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipoma which relapsed after 4 years that caused acute abdominal pain.

Discussion

The liver is the most common site of extrarenal angiomyolipoma. Abdominal pain is the most common complaint of extra-renal angiomyolipoma. Computed tomography angiography is the best way for angiomyolipoma diagnosis and surgery and post-surgery chemotherapy is the way for its treatment.

Conclusion

extrarenal angiomyolipoma is an extremely rare condition that patients should be followed up for over 5 years by appropriate radiologic imaging.

1).

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Angiomyolipoma almost always involves kidneys.

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We present a retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipoma case.

2)

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extra-renal angiomyolipoma is characterized as a benign tumor.

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We present a recurrent retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipoma.

3)

surgery is one of the best ways to both diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipoma.