Exosome-mediated microRNA-497 delivery for anti-cancer therapy in a microfluidic 3D lung cancer model

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of death from cancer worldwide. The delivery and controlled regulation of miRNAs via exosomes is known as a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of cancer. In this study, human cell-derived exosomes were used as delivery vehicles for miRNAs, and we investigated their anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects on NSCLCs that were cultured in 2D and 3D microfluidic devices. We demonstrated that exosomes that contained miRNA-497 (miR-497) effectively suppressed tumor growth and the expression of their associated genes, i.e., yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF), cyclin E1 (CCNE1), and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), in A549 cells. Also, the level of VEGF-A-mediated angiogenic sprouting was decreased drastically in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured in a microfluidic device. To mimic the in vivo-like tumor microenvironment of NSCLC, A549 cells were co-cultured with HUVECs in a single device, and miR-497-loaded exosomes were delivered to both types of cells. As a result, both the tube formation of endothelial cells and the migration of tumor decreased dramatically compared to the control. This indicated that miR-497 has synergistic inhibitory effects that target tumor growth and angiogenesis, so exosome-mediated miRNA therapeutics combined with the microfluidic technology could be a predictive, cost-efficient translational tool for the development of targeted cancer therapy.

Anti-melanogenic effects of extracellular vesicles derived from plant leaves and stems in mouse melanoma cells and human healthy skin

Consumer interest in cosmetic industry products that produce whitening effects has increased demand for agents that decrease melanin production. Many such anti-melanogenic agents are associated with side effects, such as contact dermatitis and high toxicity, and also exhibit poor skin penetration. Considerable recent research has focused on plant-derived products as alternatives to chemotherapeutic agents that possess fewer side effects. In the current study, we investigated the anti-melanogenic effects of extracellular vesicles (EVs) extracted from leaves and stems of Dendropanax morbifera. Using spectrophotometric and biochemical approaches, we found that leaf-derived extracellular vesicles (LEVs) and stem-derived extracellular vesicles (SEVs) reduced melanin content and tyrosinase (TYR) activity in the B16BL6 mouse melanoma cell line in a concentration-dependent manner. An electron microscopy analysis further confirmed that LEVs and SEVs induce a concentration-dependent decrease in melanin content in melanoma cells. Both LEVs and SEVs exerted a greater whitening effect on melanoma cells than arbutin, used as a positive control, with LEVs producing the greater effect. Notably, neither LEVs nor SEVs induced significant cytotoxicity. We also examined the effects of plant-derived EVs on the expression of tyrosinase-related proteins (TRPs) in melanoma cells. LEVs inhibited expression of melanogenesis-related genes and proteins, including microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), TYR, TRP-1 and TRP-2. In a human epidermis model, LEVs exerted a stronger inhibitory effect on melanin production than arbutin. Collectively, our data suggest that LEVs from D. morbifera may be a novel candidate natural substance for use as an anti-melanogenic agent in cosmeceutical formulations.

Microfluidic three-dimensional cell culture of stem cells for high-throughput analysis

Although the recent advances in stem cell engineering have gained a great deal of attention due to their high potential in clinical research, the applicability of stem cells for preclinical screening in the drug discovery process is still challenging due to difficulties in controlling the stem cell microenvironment and the limited availability of high-throughput systems. Recently, researchers have been actively developing and evaluating three-dimensional (3D) cell culture-based platforms using microfluidic technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip and organoid-on-a-chip platforms, and they have achieved promising breakthroughs in stem cell engineering. In this review, we start with a comprehensive discussion on the importance of microfluidic 3D cell culture techniques in stem cell research and their technical strategies in the field of drug discovery. In a subsequent section, we discuss microfluidic 3D cell culture techniques for high-throughput analysis for use in stem cell research. In addition, some potential and practical applications of organ-on-a-chip or organoid-on-a-chip platforms using stem cells as drug screening and disease models are highlighted.

Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in a 3D In Vitro Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Harmful materials in the blood are prevented from entering the healthy brain by a highly selective blood-brain barrier (BBB), and impairment of barrier function has been associated with a variety of neurological diseases. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), BBB breakdown has been shown to occur even before cognitive decline and brain pathology. To investigate the role of the cerebral vasculature in AD, a physiologically relevant 3D human neural cell culture microfluidic model is developed having a brain endothelial cell monolayer with a BBB-like phenotype. This model is shown to recapitulate several key aspects of BBB dysfunction observed in AD patients: increased BBB permeability, decreased expression of claudin-1, claudin-5, and VE-cadherin, increased expression of matrix-metalloproteinase-2 and reactive oxygen species, and deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides at the vascular endothelium. Thus, it provides a well-controlled platform for investigating BBB function as well as for screening of new drugs that need to pass the BBB to gain access to neural tissues.

Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of constituents isolated from the fruits of Ziziphus jujuba var. inermis Rehder

Three new sesquilignans, zijusesquilignans A-C (1-3), together with fifteen known compounds (4-18), were isolated from fruits of Ziziphus jujuba var. inermis Rehder (Rhamnaceae). Their chemical structures were established using spectroscopic analyses including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-EIMS, and ECD spectra. These compounds were assessed for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production. Of these compounds, 1-3 and 17 displayed inhibitory effects on NO production, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 18.1 to 66.4 μM. Pretreatment with 1 and 17 significantly suppressed LPS-induced expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in cells. Moreover, compounds 1-3, 7, 9, and 17 exhibited cytotoxic activities against three human tumor cell lines, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 8.4 to 44.9 μM.

Diterpenoids isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza and their anti-inflammatory activity

Four new diterpene-type compounds normiltirone (3) and isosalviamides F-H (14-16) together with twelve known compounds (1, 2, 4-13) were isolated from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Their structures were mainly elucidated from detailed spectroscopic data. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Compound 11 showed a strong inhibitory effect, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 ± 1.2 μM.

Correction to: Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale

The author would like to include conflict of interest statement of the online published article. The correct conflict of interest statement should read as.

Correction to: Anti-inflammatory activity of caffeic acid derivatives isolated from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

The author would like to include conflict of interest statement of the online published article. The correct conflict of interest statement should read as: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Hospital cancer pain management by electronic health record-based automatic screening

OBJECTIVES

A cancer pain clinic (CPC) service is a thorough, comprehensive consultation service for patients with uncontrolled cancer pain. The aim of this study was to determine the success of a new CPC service with enrollment via electronic health record-based automatic screening at 1 cancer center in Korea.

STUDY DESIGN

A case-control study and a satisfaction survey.

METHODS

The intervention group (n = 158) was enrolled in the CPC service, whereas the control group (n = 158), which was matched using propensity scores, did not participate in the service. The pain scores of participants were compared using an independent t test. Thirty-nine patients and 20 physicians completed a self-administered survey on instructions for pain-relief medications, effective usage of long-acting and short-acting opioids, perceptions of or barriers to CPC services, knowledge of opioid use, and overall satisfaction.

RESULTS

Although the baseline pain score of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P = .013), the difference in the decrease of pain between the groups was significant at days 1 (P = .001) and 2 (P = .039). Although the difference in pain scores disappeared on day 3, total pain score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (P = .012). When comparing pain relief events (<4 points on a 0-10 numeric rating scale that measured pain daily), the intervention group experienced more relief events than did controls (P = .017). Patients were satisfied with their physicians giving clear instructions and considering their opinions about pain-relief medications. The oncology residents expressed satisfaction with the management of patients with opioid-naïve or intractable pain.

CONCLUSIONS

The new CPC service seems to provide effective pain relief and users seem to be highly satisfied with it. These results support the importance of an integrated and specialized approach to cancer-related pain management.

Trichosanhemiketal A and B: Two 13,14-seco-13,14-epoxyporiferastanes from the root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim

Of the 32 Trichosanthes species in China, T. kirilowii Maxim. is the most renowned species used in traditional Chinese medicine and has diverse pharmacological properties. However, most of the phytochemical studies of T. kirilowii have focused on the fruits and seeds. In our investigation of the chemical constituents of T. kirilowii roots, two previously undescribed sterols [trichosanhemiketal A and B (1 and 2)], together with 13 known compounds, were isolated and their structures were elucidated. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first isolation of compounds with a 13,14-seco-13,14-epoxyporiferastane (1-2) skeleton from the Cucurbitaceae family. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was determined through an analysis of their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Of the compounds, 4, 5, 6, and 8 showed significant inhibitory activities, with IC₅₀ values of 8.5, 15.1, 25.4, and 28.5 µM, respectively. In addition, compound 4 inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in a concentration-dependent manner.

28-Noroleanane-derived spirocyclic triterpenoids and iridoid glucosides from the roots of Phlomoides umbrosa (Turcz.) Kamelin & Makhm with their cytotoxic effects

Four undescribed 23,24-O-isopropylidene-19(18 → 17)-abeo-28-noroleanane-derived spirocyclic triterpenoids and an undescribed 28-noroleanane-derived spirocyclic triterpenoid, together with five known 28-noroleanane-derived spirocyclic triterpenoids, were isolated and identified. In addition, three undescribed iridoid glucosides and four known ones were also identified. All the isolates were identified using spectroscopic techniques, and the absolute configurations of 28-noroleanane-derived spirocyclic triterpenoids were determined by CD method for the first time. Additionally, the alkaline hydrolysis method and HPLC analysis were applied to confirm the moieties of the iridoid glucosides. The fraction and isolates were evaluated for cytotoxic activity on cervical cancer (Hela), human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines. Among them, phlomisu E possessed an aldehyde group showed the most potent cytotoxic effect with IC₅₀ value less than 10 μM.

Hydrogel-incorporating unit in a well: 3D cell culture for high-throughput analysis

The microfluidic 3D cell culture system has been an attractive model because it mimics the tissue and disease model, thereby expanding our ability to control the local cellular microenvironment. However, these systems still have limited value as quantitative assay tools due to the difficulties associated with the manipulation and maintenance of microfluidic cells, and their lack of compatibility with the high-throughput screening (HTS) analysis system. In this study, we suggest a microchannel-free, 3D cell culture system that has a hydrogel-incorporating unit integrated with a multi-well plate (24- to 96-well plate), which can provide better reproducibility in biological experiments. This plate was devised considering the design constraints imposed by various cell biology applications as well as by high-throughput analysis where the physical dimensions of the micro-features in the hydrogel-incorporating units were altered. We also demonstrated that the developed plate is potentially applicable to a variety of quantitative biochemical assays for qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and microplate-reader-based assays, such as ELISA, viability assay, and high content-screening (HCS) as well as the co-culture for biological studies. Human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) that produce pathogenic Aβ species for modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD) were three-dimensionally cultured, and the efficacy of the inhibitors of Aβ production was assessed by ELISA in order to demonstrate the performance of this plate.

Endophytic and endolichenic fungal diversity in maritime Antarctica based on cultured material and their evolutionary position among Dikarya

Fungal endophytes comprise one of the most ubiquitous groups of plant symbionts. They live asymptomatically within vascular plants, bryophytes and also in close association with algal photobionts inside lichen thalli. While endophytic diversity in land plants has been well studied, their diversity in lichens and bryophytes are poorly understood. Here, we compare the endolichenic and endophytic fungal communities isolated from lichens and bryophytes in the Barton Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. A total of 93 fungal isolates were collected from lichens and bryophytes. In order to determine their identities and evolutionary relationships, DNA sequences of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear ribosomal small subunit (nuSSU), nuclear large subunit (nuLSU), and mitochondrial SSU (mtSSU) rDNA were obtained and protein coding markers of the two largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1 and RPB2) were generated. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses revealed that most of the fungal isolates were distributed in the following six classes in the phylum Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Lecanoromycetes, Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycetes and Sordariomycetes. For the first time we report the presence of subphylum Mortierellomycotina that may belong to an undescribed order in endophytic fungi. Taken together, our results imply that lichens and bryophytes provide similar niches and harbour a selection of these fungi, indicating generalists within the framework of evolutionary adaptation.

Detection of exosome miRNAs using molecular beacons for diagnosing prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males worldwide. However, the biomarker for diagnosing prostate cancer that is used currently has limitations that must be overcome. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that the cancer liquid biopsy can be implemented by using exosome miRNAs. However, the current methods for the detection of exosome miRNAs are time-consuming, expensive, and laborious. Thus, we investigated a novel method for diagnosing prostate cancer that involves the use of molecular beacons for the in situ detection of miRNAs in exosomes from prostate cancer cells. We chose miRNA-375 and miRNA-574-3p as the target miRNAs for prostate cancer, and these markers in exosomes produced by prostate cancer cells including DU145 and PC-3 were successfully detected using molecular beacons. High fluorescent signals were obtained from MB and miRNA hybridization in exosomes in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, exosome miRNAs can be detected even in the presence of human urine, so this method can be applied directly using human urine to perform liquid biopsies for prostate cancer. Overall, the in situ detection of exosome miRNAs using molecular beacons can be developed as a simple, cost effective, and non-invasive liquid biopsy for diagnosing prostate cancer.

Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale

Five new compounds, 9,3'-dimethoxyhierochin A (1), 6-oxo-trans-neocnidilide (2), (±)-(3E)-trans-6-hydroxy-7-methoxydihydroligustilide (3), (±)-cnidiumin (4), and 6-(1-oxopentyl)-salicylic acid methyl ester (5), together with twenty known compounds (6-25), were isolated from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale. The chemical structures of new compounds were established by NMR spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, Mosher's method, and CD spectrum. Their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds 7, 13, and 14 showed inhibitory effects with IC₅₀ values of 5.1, 24.5, and 27.8 μM, respectively. In addition, compounds 7, 13, and 14 reduced LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in a concentration-dependent manner.

Computational insights into β-site amyloid precursor protein enzyme 1 (BACE1) inhibition by tanshinones and salvianolic acids from Salvia miltiorrhiza via molecular docking simulations

The rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza has emerged as a rich source of natural therapeutic agents, and its several compounds are supposed to exhibit favorable effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present work investigate the anti-AD potentials of 12 tanshinones, three salvianolic acids and three caffeic acid derivatives from S. miltiorrhiza via the inhibition of β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). Among the tested compounds, deoxyneocryptotanshinone (1), salvianolic acid A (13) and salvianolic acid C (15) displayed good inhibitory effect on BACE1 with IC₅₀ values of 11.53 ± 1.13, 13.01 ± 0.32 and 9.18 ± 0.03 μM, respectively. Besides this, enzyme kinetic analysis on BACE1 revealed 13, a competitive type inhibitor while 1 and 15 showed mixed-type inhibition. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation displayed negative binding energies (AutoDock 4.2.6 = -10.0 to -7.1 kcal/mol) of 1, 13, and 15 for BACE1, indicating these compounds bound tightly to the active site of the enzyme with low energy and high affinity. The results of the present study clearly demonstrate that S. miltiorrhiza and its constituents have potential anti-AD activity and can be used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of AD.

Cholinesterase inhibitory alkaloids from the rhizomes of Coptis chinensis

Coptis chinensis has been used as a medicinal herb in traditional oriental medicine. In this study, chemical investigation of a water extract of C. chinensis identified two new quaternary protoberberines (1, 2), a new tricyclic amide (3), together with five known compounds. Their chemical structures were elucidated by analysis with 1D and 2D NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy, as well as by comparison with those reported in the literature. Compounds 4, 5, and 7 showed potent inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC₅₀ values of 1.1, 5.6, and 12.9 μM, respectively. Compounds 2 and 4 showed inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC₅₀ values of 11.5 and 27.8 μM, respectively. The kinetic activities were investigated to find out the type of enzyme inhibition involved. The types of AChE inhibition shown by compounds 5 and 7 were noncompetitive; BChE inhibition by compound 2 was also noncompetitive.