Expression of transferrin receptor-1 (TFR-1) in canine osteosarcomas

Resveratrol alleviated 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity by attenuating GPX4 dependent ferroptosis

The clinical use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a potent antitumor agent, was limited by severe cardiotoxic effects. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of resveratrol (Res) on 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity and to explore its potential mechanisms.The cardiotoxicity model was intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU at the dose of 30 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. Plasma enzymes activities, cardiac tissues were assessed after treatment with Res for 3 weeks. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) was used as ferroptosis inhibitor. In H9c2 cardiomyocyte cells, cell viability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial activity and cellular Fe²⁺ levels were measured. Western-blot assay was performed to evaluate the protein level of ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. In the mice model, Res reduced 5-FU-induced cardiomyocyte injury (ferroptosis, myofibrillar loss and vacuolization). In addition, increased serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malonaldehyde (MDA) and Fe²⁺ activity and decreased activities of glutathione (GSH) were observed in 5-FU group. These changes were prevented by treatment with Res. In H9c2 cardiomyocyte cells, Res increased the cell viability and attenuated cell ferroptosis as measured by DCFH-DA, TMRE and Calcein AM staining. In addition, 5-FU induced a reduction in GPX4, FTH1, Nrf2 and NQO1 and activation of TfR and P53 compared with the control group. However, Res effectively inhibited the changes in ferroptosis associated proteins in vitro and in vivo. Res possessed the cardioprotective potential against 5-FU induced cardiotoxicity. Moreover, Res attenuates 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity via inhibiting GPX4 dependent ferroptosis.

Nano-based targeted drug delivery for lung cancer: therapeutic avenues and challenges

Most anticancer drugs often fail in clinical trials due to poor solubility, poor bioavailability, lack of targeted delivery and several off-target effects. Polymeric nanoparticles such as poly(lactide), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), ALB-loading paclitaxel (Abraxane^® ABI-007), lomustine-loaded chitosan, gelatin (decorated with EGF receptor-targeted biotinylated EGF) and so on offer controlled and sustained drug-release properties, biocompatibility and promising anticancer effects. EGF, folic acid, transferrin, sigma and urokinase plasminogen activator receptors-targeting nano preparations improve bioavailability and accumulate drugs on the lung tumor cell surface. However, route of administration, size, pharmacokinetic properties, immune clearance and so on hamper nanomedicines' clinical uses. This review focuses on the benefits, avenues and challenges of nanoparticle-based drug-delivery systems for lung cancer treatment.

Anticancer activity of an Artemisia annua L. hydroalcoholic extract on canine osteosarcoma cell lines

Since ancient times, Artemisia annua (A. annua) has been used as a medicinal plant in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, recent studies have investigated the cytotoxic effects of A. annua extracts towards cancer cells. The leading aim of the present research is to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of an hydroalcoholic extract of A. annua on two canine osteosarcoma (OSA) cell lines, OSCA-8 and OSCA-40, focusing on the possible involvement of ferroptosis. The quantitative determination of artemisinin concentration in the extract, culture medium and OSA cells was carried out through the use of an instrumental analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled with spectrophotometric detection and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-MS/MS). OSCA-8 and OSCA-40 were exposed to different dilutions of the extract for the EC₅₀ calculation then the uptake of artemisinin by the cells, the effects on the cell cycle, the intracellular iron level, the cellular morphology and the lipid oxidation state were evaluated. A concentration of artemisinin of 63.8 ± 3.4 μg/mL was detected in the extract. A dose-dependent cytotoxic effect was evidenced. In OSCA-40 alterations of the cell cycle and a significantly higher intracellular iron content were observed. In both cell lines the treatment with the extract was associated with lipid peroxidation and with the appearance of a "ballooning" phenotype suggesting the activation of ferroptosis. In conclusion the A. annua idroalcoholic extract utilized in this study showed anticancer activity on canine OSA cell lines that could be useful in treating drug resistant canine OSAs.

Cytotoxicity of an Innovative Pressurised Cyclic Solid-Liquid (PCSL) Extract from Artemisia annua

Therapeutic treatments with Artemisia annua have a long-established tradition in various diseases due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-malaria and anti-cancer effects. However, in relation to the latter, virtually all reports focused on toxic effects of A. annua extracts were obtained mostly through conventional maceration methods. In the present study, an innovative extraction procedure from A. annua, based on pressurised cyclic solid–liquid (PCSL) extraction, resulted in the production of a new phytocomplex with enhanced anti-cancer properties. This extraction procedure generated a pressure gradient due to compressions and following decompressions, allowing to directly perform the extraction without any maceration. The toxic effects of A. annua PCSL extract were tested on different cells, including three cancer cell lines. The results of this study clearly indicate that the exposure of human, murine and canine cancer cells to serial dilutions of PCSL extract resulted in higher toxicity and stronger propensity to induce apoptosis than that detected by subjecting the same cells to Artemisia extracts obtained through canonical extraction by maceration. Collected data suggest that PCSL extract of A. annua could be a promising and economic new therapeutic tool to treat human and animal tumours.

Enhanced Cellular Uptake of H-Chain Human Ferritin Containing Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) capped with biocompatible layers have functional optical, chemical, and biological properties as theranostic agents in biomedicine. The ferritin protein containing in situ synthesized AuNPs has been successfully used as an effective and completely biocompatible nanocarrier for AuNPs in human cell lines and animal experiments in vivo. Ferritin can be uptaken by different cell types through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Despite these advantages, few efforts have been made to evaluate the toxicity and cellular internalization of AuNP-containing ferritin nanocages. In this work, we study the potential of human heavy-chain (H) and light-chain (L) ferritin homopolymers as nanoreactors to synthesize AuNPs and their cytotoxicity and cellular uptake in different cell lines. The results show very low toxicity of ferritin-encapsulated AuNPs on different human cell lines and demonstrate that efficient cellular ferritin uptake depends on the specific H or L protein chains forming the ferritin protein cage and the presence or absence of metallic cargo. Cargo-devoid apoferritin is poorly internalized in all cell lines, and the highest ferritin uptake was achieved with AuNP-loaded H-ferritin homopolymers in transferrin-receptor-rich cell lines, showing more than seven times more uptake than apoferritin.

Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Artemisinin in Cancer Treatment

The major problems with cancer therapy are drug-induced side effects. There is an urgent need for safe anti-tumor drugs. Artemisinin is a Chinese herbal remedy for malaria with efficacy and safety. However, several studies reported that artemisinin causes neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in animal models. Recently, nanostructured drug delivery systems have been designed to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. Artemisinin has been reported to show anticancer properties. The anticancer effects of artemisinin appear to be mediated by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting ferroptosis and autophagy, inhibiting cell metastasis. Therefore, the review is to concentrate on mechanisms and molecular targets of artemisinin as anti-tumor agents. We believe these will be important topics in realizing the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as potent anticancer agents.

Progress in Delivery of siRNA-Based Therapeutics Employing Nano-Vehicles for Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for a high number of deaths in males with no available curative treatments. Patients with PCa are commonly diagnosed in advanced stages due to the lack of symptoms in the early stages. Recently, the research focus was directed toward gene editing in cancer therapy. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) intervention is considered as a powerful tool for gene silencing (knockdown), enabling the suppression of oncogene factors in cancer. This strategy is applied to the treatment of various cancers including PCa. The siRNA can inhibit proliferation and invasion of PCa cells and is able to promote the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the off-target effects of siRNA therapy remarkably reduce its efficacy in PCa therapy. To date, various carriers were designed to improve the delivery of siRNA and, among them, nanoparticles are of importance. Nanoparticles enable the targeted delivery of siRNAs and enhance their potential in the downregulation of target genes of interest. Additionally, nanoparticles can provide a platform for the co-delivery of siRNAs and anti-tumor drugs, resulting in decreased growth and migration of PCa cells. The efficacy, specificity, and delivery of siRNAs are comprehensively discussed in this review to direct further studies toward using siRNAs and their nanoscale-delivery systems in PCa therapy and perhaps other cancer types.

Expression of transferrin receptor-1 (TFR-1) in canine osteosarcomas

Due to high rates of proliferation and DNA synthesis, neoplastic cells have higher requirements of iron than normal cells. For that reason, neoplastic cells have remodelled iron metabolism pathways, over‐expressing genes encoding for iron uptake proteins, among which Transferrin Receptor‐1 (TFR‐1). Accumulating evidence has proven that overexpression of TFR‐1 and high Iron concentration, are both widespread condition of cancer cells, both essential to tumour onset and progression. We studied TFR‐1 and PCNA immunohistochemical expression in fifteen (15) Canine osteoblastic osteosarcomas (COS). After immunohistochemical staining, counting of TFR‐1 positive cells by two independent observers showed that 85%–95% of neoplastic cells were strongly labelled at cytoplasmic level by anti‐TFR‐1 antibody in all examined COS. Furthermore, 70%–80% of neoplastic cells were positively labelled at the nuclear level by PCNA. Surprisingly, about 100% of intratumour vascular endothelial cells were also positive, whereas extratumour vascular endothelial cells were negative. The latter is an interesting finding, as TFR‐1 is usually not expressed in normal vasculature, with the exception of normal brain vascular endothelium, where it allows transport of transferrin, and thus iron, into tissues, suggesting a similar function here to support cancer growth. The early results presented highlight the relevance of TFR‐1 expression in canine OS, suggesting therapies involving both TFR‐1 and Iron metabolisms in dogs with osteosarcoma should be developed.