Nanocargos designed with synthetic and natural polymers for ovarian cancer management

Ovarian cancer cells usually spread in the peritoneal region, and if chemotherapeutic drugs can be given in these regions with proximity, then the anticancer property of the chemotherapeutic drugs can enhance. However, chemotherapeutic drug administrations are hindered by local toxicity. In the drug delivery system, microparticles or nanoparticles are administered in a controlled manner. Microparticles stay in a close vicinity while nanoparticles are smaller and can move evenly in the peritoneum. Intravenous administration of the drug evenly distributes the medicine in the target places and if the composition of the drug has nanoparticles it will have more specificity and will have easy access to the cancer cells and tumors. Among the different types of nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles were proven as most efficient in drug delivery. Polymeric nanoparticles are seen to be combined with many other molecules like metals, non-metals, lipids, and proteins, which helps in the increase of cellular uptake. The efficiency of different types of polymeric nanoparticles used in delivering the load for management of ovarian cancer will be discussed in this mini-review.

A concise review on miRNAs as regulators of colon cancer stem cells and associated signalling pathways

Despite recent therapy advances and a better understanding of colon cancer biology, it remains one of the major causes of death. The cancer stem cells, associated with the progression, metastasis, and recurrence of colon cancer, play a major role in promoting the development of tumour and are found to be chemo resistant. The stroma of the tumour, which makes up the bulk of the tumour mass, is composed of the tumour microenvironment. With the advent of theranostic and the development of personalised medicine, miRNAs are becoming increasingly important in the context of colon malignancies. A holistic understanding of the regulatory roles of miRNAs in cancer cells and cancer stem cells will allow us to design effective strategies to regulate miRNAs, which could lead to improved clinical translation and creating a potent colon cancer treatment strategy. In this review paper, we briefly discuss the history of miRNA as well as the mechanisms of miRNA and cancer stem cells that contribute to the tumour growth, apoptosis, and advancement of colon cancer. The usefulness of miRNA in colorectal cancer theranostic is further concisely reviewed. We conclude by holding a stance in addressing the prospects and possibilities for miRNA by the disclosure of recent theranostic approaches aimed at eradicating cancer stem cells and enhancing overall cancer treatment outcomes.

Development and validation of the multi-dimensional metamemory skills (MDMS) scale for students in an Indian sample

Metamemory refers to an individual's awareness and understanding of their memory processes. It affects various aspects of learning, including the effective use of cognitive abilities, memory monitoring, and strategy development. The majority of valid scales for assessing students' metamemory are unidimensional. This study aims to develop and validate a multidimensional metamemory scale specifically for students. A 48-item multidimensional metamemory skills (MDMS) scale was developed with six dimensions: Factual memory knowledge, Memory monitoring, Memory self-efficacy, Memory strategies, Memory-related affect, and Memory-related behavior. The reliability of the scale was established using test-retest and split-half reliability, and internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha. The scale was validated using exploratory factor analysis on 647 college students from India. The confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on 200 college students, which revealed a good fit for the data. Additionally, validity was established through face, content, concurrent and divergent validity. The scale's multidimensional nature enables a thorough assessment of students' metamemory skills. Additionally, the scale can be used in educational and research settings, assisting in planning interventions to improve metamemory skills in students.

Potential Applications of Nanoparticles in Improving the Outcome of Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer is managed using conventional therapies, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of both. Each of these therapies has its own limitations, such as the indiscriminate killing of normal as well as cancer cells, the solubility of the chemotherapeutic drugs, rapid clearance of the drugs from circulation before reaching the tumor site, the resistance of cancer cells to radiation, and over-sensitization of normal cells to radiation. Other treatment modalities include gene therapy, immunological checkpoint inhibitors, drug repurposing, and in situ cryo-immune engineering (ICIE) strategy. Nanotechnology has come to the rescue to overcome many shortfalls of conventional therapies. Some of the nano-formulated chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as nanoparticles and nanostructures with surface modifications, have been used for effective cancer cell killing and radio sensitization, respectively. Nano-enabled drug delivery systems act as cargo to deliver the sensitizer molecules specifically to the tumor cells, thereby enabling the radiation therapy to be more effective. In this review, we have discussed the different conventional chemotherapies and radiation therapies used for inhibiting lung cancer. We have also discussed the improvement in chemotherapy and radiation sensitization using nanoparticles.

Role of Interleukins in Inflammation-Mediated Tumor Immune Microenvironment Modulation in Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

INTRODUCTION

Tumor cells invade and spread through a procedure termed as epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition (EMT). EMT is triggered by any alterations in the genes that encode the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, the enzymes that break down the ECM, and the activation of the genes that causes the epithelial cell to change into a mesenchymal type. The transcription factors NF-κB, Smads, STAT3, Snail, Zeb, and Twist are activated by inflammatory cytokines, for instance, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Tumor Growth Factors, Interleukin-1, Interleukin-8, and Interleukin-6, which promotes EMT.

MATERIALS

The current piece of work has been reviewed from the literature works published in last 10 years on the role interleukins in inflammation-mediated tumor immune microenvironment modulation in colorectal cancer pathogenesis utilizing the databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct.

RESULTS

Recent studies have demonstrated that pathological situations, such as epithelial malignancies, exhibit EMT characteristics, such as the downregulation of epithelial markers and the overexpression of mesenchymal markers. Several growing evidence have also proved its existence in the human colon during the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. Most often, persistent inflammation is thought to be one factor contributing to the initiation of human cancers, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, according to epidemiologic and clinical research, people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have a greater probability of developing CRC.

CONCLUSION

A substantial amount of data points to the involvement of the NF-κB system, SMAD/STAT3 signaling cascade, microRNAs, and the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase/Snail/Slug in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-mediated development of colorectal malignancies. As a result, EMT is reported to play an active task in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, and therapeutic interventions targeting the inflammation-mediated EMT might serve as a novel strategy for treating CRC. The illustration depicts the relationship between interleukins and their receptors as a driver of CRC development and the potential therapeutic targets.