Thymoquinone inhibits the proliferation and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by disrupting the AKT/GSK-3β/Wnt signaling pathway via PTEN upregulation

The molecular characteristics could supplement the staging system of pT2/T3N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a translational study based on a cohort with over 20 years of follow-up

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to construct a model based on 23 enrolled molecules to evaluate prognoses of pT2/3N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with up to 20 years of follow-up.

METHODS

The lasso-Cox model was used to identify the candidate molecule. A nomogram was conducted to develop the survival model (molecular score, MS) based on the molecular features. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used in this study. The concordance index (C-index) was measured to compare the predicted ability between different models. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

A total of 226 patients and 23 proteins were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified into high-risk (MS-H) and low-risk (MS-L) groups based on the MS score of 227. The survival curves showed that the MS-L cohort had better 5-year and 10-year survival rates than the MS-H group (5-year OS: 51.0% vs. 8.0%; 10-year OS: 45.0% vs. 5.0%, all p < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariable analysis confirmed MS as an independent prognostic factor after eliminating the confounding factors (Hazard ratio 3.220, p < 0.001). The pT classification was confirmed to differentiate ESCC patients' prognosis (Log-rank: p = 0.029). However, the combination of pT and MS could classify survival curves evidently (overall p < 0.001), which showed that the prognostic prediction efficiency was improved significantly by the combination of the pT and MS than by the classical pT classification (C-index: 0.656 vs. 0.539, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested an MS for significant clinical stratification of T2/3N0M0 ESCC patients to screen out subgroups with poor prognoses. Besides, the combination of pT staging and MS could predict survival more accurately for this cohort than the pT staging system alone.

Multifunctional nanoparticle-mediated combining therapy for human diseases

Combining existing drug therapy is essential in developing new therapeutic agents in disease prevention and treatment. In preclinical investigations, combined effect of certain known drugs has been well established in treating extensive human diseases. Attributed to synergistic effects by targeting various disease pathways and advantages, such as reduced administration dose, decreased toxicity, and alleviated drug resistance, combinatorial treatment is now being pursued by delivering therapeutic agents to combat major clinical illnesses, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, myocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Combinatorial therapy involves combining or co-delivering two or more drugs for treating a specific disease. Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery systems, i.e., liposomal NPs, polymeric NPs and nanocrystals, are of great interest in combinatorial therapy for a wide range of disorders due to targeted drug delivery, extended drug release, and higher drug stability to avoid rapid clearance at infected areas. This review summarizes various targets of diseases, preclinical or clinically approved drug combinations and the development of multifunctional NPs for combining therapy and emphasizes combinatorial therapeutic strategies based on drug delivery for treating severe clinical diseases. Ultimately, we discuss the challenging of developing NP-codelivery and translation and provide potential approaches to address the limitations. This review offers a comprehensive overview for recent cutting-edge and challenging in developing NP-mediated combination therapy for human diseases.

Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 inhibitor strictinin exhibits anti-cancer properties against highly aggressive androgen-independent prostate cancer

Aim

It is important to identify anti-cancer compounds that can inhibit specific molecular targets to eradicate androgen-receptor negative (ARneg), androgen-independent (AI) prostate cancer, which is an aggressive form of prostate cancer with limited treatment options. The goal of this study was to selectively target prostate cancer cells that have high levels of oncogenic protein Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) by using strictinin, a small molecule ROR1 inhibitor.

Methods

The methods performed in this study include western blots, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) proliferation assays, phosphatidylserine apoptosis assays, apoptosis flow cytometry (Annexin V, caspase 3/7), migration scratch assays, Boyden chamber invasion assays, and cell cycle flow cytometry.

Results

Strictinin was most lethal against PC3 [half-maximal drug inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 277.2 µmol/L], an ARneg-AI cell type that expresses the highest levels of ROR1. Strictinin inhibited ROR1 expression, downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT)-glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3β) pro-survival signaling, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers in PC3 cells. Additionally, strictinin decreased PC3 cell migration and invasion, while increasing S-phase cell cycle arrest. In ARneg-AI DU145 cells, strictinin inhibited ROR1 expression and modulated downstream AKT-GSK3β signaling. Furthermore, strictinin exhibited anti-migratory, anti-invasive, but minimal pro-apoptotic effects in DU145 cells likely due to DU145 having less ROR1 expression in comparison to PC3 cells. Throughout the study, strictinin minimally impacted the phenotype of normal prostatic epithelial cells RWPE-1 (IC50 of 658.5 µmol/L). Strictinin was further identified as synergistic with docetaxel [combination index (CI) = 0.311] and the combination therapy was found to reduce the IC50 of strictinin to 38.71 µmol/L in PC3 cells.

Conclusions

ROR1 is an emerging molecular target that can be utilized for treating prostate cancer. The data from this study establishes strictinin as a potential therapeutic agent that targets ARneg-AI prostate cancer with elevated ROR1 expression to reduce the migration, invasion, cell cycle progression, and survival of prostate cancer.

Thymoquinone, a Novel Multi-Strike Inhibitor of Pro-Tumorigenic Breast Cancer (BC) Markers: CALR, NLRP3 Pathway and sPD-L1 in PBMCs of HR+ and TNBC Patients

Breast cancer (BC) is not only a mass of malignant cells but also a systemic inflammatory disease. BC pro-tumorigenic inflammation has been shown to promote immune evasion and provoke BC progression. The NOD-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is activated when pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) sense danger signals such as calreticulin (CALR) from damaged/dying cells, leading to the secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). CALR is a novel BC biological marker, and its high levels are associated with advanced tumors. NLRP3 expression is strongly correlated with an elevated proliferative index Ki67, BC progression, metastasis, and recurrence in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and triple-negative BC (TNBC). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) secrete high levels of IL-1β promoting endocrine resistance in HR+ BC. Recently, an immunosuppressive soluble form of programmed death ligand 1 (sPD-L1) has been identified as a novel prognostic biomarker in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Interestingly, IL-1β induces sPD-L1 release. BC Patients with elevated IL-1β and sPD-L1 levels show significantly short progression-free survival. For the first time, this study aims to investigate the inhibitory impact of thymoquinone (TQ) on CALR, the NLRP3 pathway and sPD-L1 in HR+ and TNBC. Blood samples were collected from 45 patients with BC. The effect of differing TQ concentrations for different durations on the expression of CALR, NLRP3 complex components and IL-1β as well as the protein levels of sPD-L1 and IL-1β were investigated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and TAMs of TNBC and HR+ BC patients, respectively. The findings showed that TQ significantly downregulated the expression of CALR, NLRP3 components and IL-1β together with the protein levels of secreted IL-1β and sPD-L1. The current findings demonstrated novel immunomodulatory effects of TQ, highlighting its potential role not only as an excellent adjuvant but also as a possible immunotherapeutic agent in HR+ and TNBC patients.

Thymoquinone induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) is often diagnosed in the advanced stages with a poor prognosis. Thymoquinone (TQ) is known for its antitumor activity; however, the specific mechanism in GC remains unknown. In our study, TQ inhibited GC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and autophagy in a concentration-dependent manner. Transmission electron microscopy showed increased autophagosome formation in GC cells treated with TQ. Meanwhile, the LC3B puncta and LC3BII protein levels were significantly increased in GC cells, while p62 expression was significantly decreased. The autophagy inhibitor, Bafilomycin A1 enhanced TQ-inhibited proliferation and TQ-induced apoptosis, suggesting that TQ-induced autophagy has a protective effect on GC cells. Furthermore, TQ decreased the phosphorylation levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). The PI3K agonist partially rescued TQ-induced autophagy and apoptosis. Finally, in vivo experiments showed that TQ could inhibit tumor growth and promote apoptosis and autophagy. This study provides new insights into the specific mechanism for the anti-GC effect of TQ. TQ inhibits the proliferation of GC cells and induces apoptosis and protective autophagy by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. The results suggest that the combination of TQ and autophagy inhibitors might be a potential chemotherapeutic strategy for GC.

John M. Anticancer effects of thymoquinone in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A scoping review

Objective

Thymoquinone (TQ), the active constituent of Nigella sativa, has been shown to have anticancer effects in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This review aims to outline the properties of TQ, the known drivers in HNSCC formation, and summarize the anticancer effects of TQ in SCC.

Data Sources

Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar) were queried for the key words "thymoquinone squamous cell carcinoma."

Review Methods

Publications that were not original research and publications that did not have full-text available for review were excluded.

Results

Sixteen research articles met the inclusion criteria. Our review demonstrates that TQ-induced cytotoxicity is associated with increased expression and activity of the tumor suppressor p53, proapoptotic proteins Bax and caspases, as well as decreased expression and activity of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mdm2. Additionally, TQ modulates cell-survival pathways such as the PI3k/Akt pathway. TQ synergizes with therapeutics including cisplatin and radiation. Early TQ administration may prevent carcinogenesis via upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, and TQ administration in the presence of cancer can result in disease mitigation via induction of oxidative stress.

Conclusion

TQ acts as an upregulator of proapoptotic pathways and downregulator of antiapoptotic pathways, modulates the oxidative stress balance in tumor development, and works synergistically alongside other chemotherapeutics to increase cytotoxicity. TQ has the potential to prevent carcinogenesis in patients who are at high-risk for SCC and adjuvant treatment for SCC patients undergoing conventional treatments. Future studies should aim to identify specific populations in which TQ's effects would be the most beneficial.

Level of Evidence

Not available.

Chrysomycin A Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis of Neuroglioma Cells via the Akt/GSK-3β Signaling Pathway In Vivo and In Vitro

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a major type of primary brain tumor without ideal prognosis and it is therefore necessary to develop a novel compound possessing therapeutic effects. Chrysomycin A (Chr-A) has been reported to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of U251 and U87-MG cells through the Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway, but the mechanism of Chr-A against glioblastoma in vivo and whether Chr-A modulates the apoptosis of neuroglioma cells is unclear. The present study aims to elucidate the potential of Chr-A against glioblastoma in vivo and how Chr-A modulates the apoptosis of neuroglioma cells. Briefly, the anti-glioblastoma activity was assessed in human glioma U87 xenografted hairless mice. Chr-A-related targets were identified via RNA-sequencing. Apoptotic ratio and caspase 3/7 activity of U251 and U87-MG cells were assayed via flow cytometry. Apoptosis-related proteins and possible molecular mechanisms were validated via Western blotting. The results showed that Chr-A treatment significantly inhibits glioblastoma progression in xenografted hairless mice, and enrichment analysis suggested that apoptosis, PI3K-Akt and Wnt signaling pathways were involved in the possible mechanisms. Chr-A increased the apoptotic ratio and the activity of caspase 3/7 in U251 and U87-MG cells. Western blotting revealed that Chr-A disturbed the balance between Bax and Bcl-2, activating a caspase cascade reaction and downregulating the expression of p-Akt and p-GSK-3β, suggesting that Chr-A may contribute to glioblastoma regression modulating in the Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway to promote apoptosis of neuroglioma cells in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, Chr-A may hold therapeutic promise for glioblastoma.

Molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of black cumin (Nigella sativa) and its active constituent, thymoquinone: a review

BACKGROUND

Nigella sativa and its main bioactive ingredient, thymoquinone, exhibit various pharmacological activities, including neuroprotective, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer effects. Many studies have been conducted trying to elucidate the molecular signaling pathways that mediate these diverse pharmacological properties of N. sativa and thymoquinone. Accordingly, the goal of this review is to show the effects of N. sativa and thymoquinone on different cell signaling pathways.

METHODS

The online databases Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant articles using a list of related keywords such as Nigella sativa, black cumin, thymoquinone, black seed, signal transduction, cell signaling, antioxidant, Nrf2, NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, apoptosis, JAK/STAT, AMPK, MAPK, etc. Only articles published in the English language until May 2022 were included in the present review article.

RESULTS

Studies indicate that N. sativa and thymoquinone improve antioxidant enzyme activities, effectively scavenges free radicals, and thus protect cells from oxidative stress. They can also regulate responses to oxidative stress and inflammation via Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways. N. sativa and thymoquinone can inhibit cancer cell proliferation through disruption of the PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating phosphatase and tensin homolog. Thymoquinone can modulate reactive oxygen species levels in tumor cells, arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase as well as affect molecular targets including p53, STAT3 and trigger the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Thymoquinone, by adjusting AMPK, can regulate cellular metabolism and energy hemostasis. Finally, N. sativa and thymoquinone can elevate brain GABA content, and thus it may ameliorate epilepsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the improvement of antioxidant status and prevention of inflammatory process by modulating the Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation through disruption of the PI3K/AKT pathway appear to be the main mechanisms involved in different pharmacological properties of N. sativa and thymoquinone.

Plants as a Source of Anticancer Agents: From Bench to Bedside

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. Conventional anticancer therapies are associated with lack of selectivity and serious side effects. Cancer hallmarks are biological capabilities acquired by cancer cells during neoplastic transformation. Targeting multiple cancer hallmarks is a promising strategy to treat cancer. The diversity in chemical structure and the relatively low toxicity make plant-derived natural products a promising source for the development of new and more effective anticancer therapies that have the capacity to target multiple hallmarks in cancer. In this review, we discussed the anticancer activities of ten natural products extracted from plants. The majority of these products inhibit cancer by targeting multiple cancer hallmarks, and many of these chemicals have reached clinical applications. Studies discussed in this review provide a solid ground for researchers and physicians to design more effective combination anticancer therapies using plant-derived natural products.

Anticancer and Anti-Metastatic Role of Thymoquinone: Regulation of Oncogenic Signaling Cascades by Thymoquinone

Cancer is a life-threatening and multifaceted disease. Pioneering research works in the past three decades have mechanistically disentangled intertwined signaling networks which play contributory roles in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Phenomenal strides have been made in leveraging our scientific knowledge altogether to a new level of maturity. Rapidly accumulating wealth of information has underlined a myriad of transduction cascades which can be pharmaceutically exploited for cancer prevention/inhibition. Natural products serve as a treasure trove and compel interdisciplinary researchers to study the cancer chemopreventive roles of wide-ranging natural products in cell culture and preclinical studies. Experimental research related to thymoquinone has gradually gained momentum because of the extra-ordinary cancer chemopreventive multifunctionalities of thymoquinone. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of different cell signaling cascades reported to be regulated by thymoquinone for cancer chemoprevention. Essentially, thymoquinone efficacy has also been notably studied in animal models, which advocates for a rationale-based transition of thymoquinone from the pre-clinical pipeline to clinical trials.

Roles of PTEN inactivation and PD-1/PD-L1 activation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common type of esophageal cancer in China and developing countries. The purpose of this review is to summarize the roles of inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and activation of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) upon binding to its ligand (PD-L1) in the promotion of ESCC. Studies of ESCC performed in vitro and in vivo indicated that PTEN and PD-L1 function in the regulation of cell proliferation, invasion, and migration; the epithelial-mesenchymal transition; resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy; and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Certain genetic variants of PTEN are related to susceptibility to ESCC, and PTEN and PD-L1 also function in ESCC progression and affect the prognosis of patients with ESCC. There is also evidence that the expression of PD-L1 and PTEN are associated with the progression of certain other cancers. Future studies should further examine the relationship of PD-L1 and PTEN and their possible interactions in ESCC.

Recent Findings on Thymoquinone and Its Applications as a Nanocarrier for the Treatment of Cancer and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cancer causes a considerable amount of mortality in the world, while arthritis is an immunological dysregulation with multifactorial pathogenesis including genetic and environmental defects. Both conditions have inflammation as a part of their pathogenesis. Resistance to anticancer and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) happens frequently through the generation of energy-dependent transporters, which lead to the expulsion of cellular drug contents. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a bioactive molecule with anticancer as well as anti-inflammatory activities via the downregulation of several chemokines and cytokines. Nevertheless, the pharmacological importance and therapeutic feasibility of thymoquinone are underutilized due to intrinsic pharmacokinetics, including short half-life, inadequate biological stability, poor aqueous solubility, and low bioavailability. Owing to these pharmacokinetic limitations of TQ, nanoformulations have gained remarkable attention in recent years. Therefore, this compilation intends to critically analyze recent advancements in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer delivery of TQ. This literature search revealed that nanocarriers exhibit potential results in achieving targetability, maximizing drug internalization, as well as enhancing the anti-inflammatory and anticancer efficacy of TQ. Additionally, TQ-NPs (thymoquinone nanoparticles) as a therapeutic payload modulated autophagy as well as enhanced the potential of other drugs when given in combination. Moreover, nanoformulations improved pharmacokinetics, drug deposition, using EPR (enhanced permeability and retention) and receptor-mediated delivery, and enhanced anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. TQ's potential to reduce metal toxicity, its clinical trials and patents have also been discussed.

Function of p21 and its therapeutic effects in esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth most common type of cancer worldwide and ranks sixth among the causes of cancer-related mortality. Due to the high mortality rate and poor treatment efficacy for EC, millions of individuals succumb to this disease; thus, the identification of novel treatment targets is of utmost importance and urgency. In recent years, there have been advances if therapies targeting cell cycle regulators. p21 is a type of cell cycle regulator that plays a dual role in tumor cells, as it can not only regulate the cell cycle, induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation, but can also protect cells from apoptosis. It has been found that p21 often exerts a tumor-suppressive effect on EC, which provides a basis for its use as a treatment target for EC. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to review the function of p21 and its potential value as a therapeutic target for EC.

MAGOH/MAGOHB Inhibits the Tumorigenesis of Gastric Cancer via Inactivation of b-RAF/MEK/ERK Signaling

Background

Gastric cancer is one of the most malignant tumors all over the world. It has been reported that proteins play key roles during the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. To identify novel potential targets for gastric cancer, differential expressed proteins between gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues were analyzed with proteomics and bioinformatics tool.

Methods

The differentially expressed proteins between gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues were analyzed by Omicsbean (multi-omics data analysis tool). Cell viability was tested by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure cell apoptosis and cycle. Transwell assay was used to test cell migration and invasion. Gene and protein expressions were detected by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively.

Results

MAGOH and MAGOHB were found to be notably upregulated in gastric cancer tissues compared with that in normal tissues. Knockdown of MAGOH significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells via inducing the cell apoptosis. In addition, MAGOH knockdown induced G2 phase arrest in gastric cancer cells. Moreover, MAGOH knockdown notably inhibited migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Importantly, double knockdown of MAGOH and MAGOHB exhibited much better anti-tumor effects on gastric cancer compared with alone treatment. Finally, double knockdown of MAGOH and MAGOHB mediated the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via regulation of RAF/MEK/ERK signaling.

Conclusion

MAGOH knockdown inhibited the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via mediation of b-RAF/MEK/ERK signaling, and double knockdown of MAGOH and MAGOHB exhibited much better anti-tumor effects. This finding might provide us a new strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer.