Gemcitabine potentiates anti-tumor effect of resveratrol on pancreatic cancer via down-regulation of VEGF-B

Enhancing the Bioavailability of Resveratrol: Combine It, Derivatize It, or Encapsulate It?

Overcoming the limited bioavailability and extensive metabolism of effective in vitro drugs remains a challenge that limits the translation of promising drugs into clinical trials. Resveratrol, despite its well-reported therapeutic benefits, is not metabolically stable and thus has not been utilized as an effective clinical drug. This is because it needs to be consumed in large amounts to overcome the burdens of bioavailability and conversion into less effective metabolites. Herein, we summarize the more relevant approaches to modify resveratrol, aiming to increase its biological and therapeutic efficacy. We discuss combination therapies, derivatization, and the use of resveratrol nanoparticles. Interestingly, the combination of resveratrol with established chemotherapeutic drugs has shown promising therapeutic effects on colon cancer (with oxaliplatin), liver cancer (with cisplatin, 5-FU), and gastric cancer (with doxorubicin). On the other hand, derivatizing resveratrol, including hydroxylation, amination, amidation, imidation, methoxylation, prenylation, halogenation, glycosylation, and oligomerization, differentially modifies its bioavailability and could be used for preferential therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, the encapsulation of resveratrol allows its trapping within different forms of shells for targeted therapy. Depending on the nanoparticle used, it can enhance its solubility and absorption, increasing its bioavailability and efficacy. These include polymers, metals, solid lipids, and other nanoparticles that have shown promising preclinical results, adding more "hype" to the research on resveratrol. This review provides a platform to compare the different approaches to allow directed research into better treatment options with resveratrol.

Agrimoniin is a dual inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways that inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation

Molecular-targeted therapy has shown its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer, while single-targeted drug often cannot provide long-term benefit because of drug resistance. Fortunately, multitarget combination therapy can reverse drug resistance and achieve better efficacy. The typical treatment characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine monomer on tumor are multiple targets, with small side effects, low toxicity, and so forth. Agrimoniin has been reported to be effective on some cancers, while the mechanism still needs to be clarified. In this study, we used 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, and western blot experiments to confirm that agrimoniin can significantly inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell PANC-1 by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In addition, by using SC79, LY294002 (the agonist or inhibitor of AKT pathway), and U0126 (the inhibitor of ERK pathway), we found that agrimoniin inhibited cell proliferation by simultaneously inhibiting AKT and ERK pathways. Moreover, agrimoniin could significantly increase the inhibitory effect of LY294002 and U0126 on pancreatic cancer cells. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments also supported the above results. In general, agrimoniin is a double-target inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways in pancreatic cancer cells; it is expected to be used as a resistance reversal agent of targeted drugs or a synergistic drug of the inhibitor of AKT pathway or ERK pathway.

Emerging current trends and research focus related to pancreatic cancer metabolism: A bibliometric and visualized analysis

Background

As a malignant digestive system tumor, pancreatic cancer has unique metabolic characteristics. In recent years, the study of pancreatic cancer metabolism is in full swing, which provides a new direction for the treatment of pancreatic cancer patients. However, there is no systematic report of pancreatic cancer metabolism. In this paper, bibliometrics and visualization methods were used to analyze the number of publications, countries/regions, authors, institutions, journals, co-cited references, and keywords of pancreatic cancer metabolism articles, to summarize the research trends and predict research hotspots.

Methods

We searched, screened and downloaded articles on pancreatic cancer metabolism through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Using CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix Package to analyze publications, countries/regions, authors, institutions, journals, co-cited references, and keywords of pancreatic cancer metabolism to identify research trends and predict research hotspots.

Results

According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 5,255 articles were retrieved during the period 1943-2022. The number of publications on pancreatic cancer metabolism is increasing year by year. The United States (n=1602, 30.49%), China (n=1074, 20.44%), and Italy (n=313, 5.96%) are the three countries with the largest number of publications and citations, and there is close cooperation between countries. LI J (n=55) is the most prolific author. FUDAN UNIV (n=348) is the most published institution. CANCERS (n=118), PLOS ONE (n=93), and CANCER RESEARCH (n=80) are the most popular journals in this field. "Nutriment-deficient environment", "cancer chemoprevention" and "targeting cancer stem cell" are the main areas of focus. "immunotherapy", "ferroptosis" and "targeted therapy" are hot keywords in recent years. Taking pancreatic cancer metabolism as an entry point to study the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mainly focuses on curcumin and resveratrol, lack of broader and deeper research on TCM.

Conclusions

The number of publications on pancreatic cancer metabolism has generally increased, and scholars have generally paid more attention to this field. "immunotherapy", "ferroptosis" and "targeted therapy" are the current research hotspots. The in-depth study of pancreatic cancer metabolism will provide new ideas for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Tumor microenvironment and cellular senescence: Understanding therapeutic resistance and harnessing strategies

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major contributor to cancer malignancy including development of therapeutic resistance, a process mediated in part through intercellular crosstalk. Besides diverse soluble factors responsible for pro-survival pathway activation, immune evasion and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling further promote cancer resistance. Importantly, therapy-induced senescence (TIS) of cells in the TME is frequently observed in anticancer regimens, an off-target effect that can generate profound impacts on disease progression. By conferring the resistance and fueling the repopulation of remaining cancerous cells, TIS is responsible for tumor relapse and distant metastasis in posttreatment stage. This pathological trajectory can be substantially driven by the pro-inflammatory feature of senescent cells, termed as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Targeting strategies to selectively and efficiently remove senescent cells before they exert non-autonomous but largely deleterious effects, are emerging as an effective solution to prevent drug resistance acquired from a treatment-remodeled TME. In this review, we summarize the TME composition and key activities that affect tissue homeostasis and support treatment resistance. Promising opportunities that allow TME-manipulation and senescent cell-targeting (senotherapy) are discussed, with translational pipelines to overcome therapeutic barriers in clinical oncology projected.

Neurotoxicity and Structure-Activity Relationships of Resveratrol and its two Natural Analogs, 4,4′-Dihydroxystilbene and Pinosylvin

Resveratrol (RES) and its two natural analogues, 4,4′-dihydroxystilbene (DHS) and pinosylvin (PIN), are very important polyphenols and have attracted considerable pharmaceutical interest because of their diverse biological activities. However, their adverse effects on motor nerves and glioma cells have not been properly assessed. Herein, we surveyed the toxicity and analyzed the structure-activity relationship of these three polyphenols using transgenic zebrafish ( Danio rerio) and U87. Results indicated that, in zebrafish embryos, both DHS (1 and 10 μg/mL) with hydroxyl groups at the 4 and 4′ positions, and PIN (1 and 10 μg/mL) with hydroxyl groups at the 3 and 5 positions inhibited motor neuron growth more effectively than RES (1 and 10 μg/mL) with hydroxyl groups at the 3, 4′, and 5 positions, although their appearance is normal. Both the DHS- (10 μg/mL) and PIN (10 μg/mL) -treated groups significantly reduced the swimming distance of zebrafish compared with the RES (10 μg/mL) -treated group. In addition, DHS with the hydroxyl groups at the 4 and 4′ positions (0.002, 0.02, 0.2, 2, and 20 μM) inhibited U87 cell aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner; PIN with the hydroxyl groups at the 3 and 5 positions (0.002, 0.02, 0.2, 2, and 20 μM) promoted U87 cell aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner, while RES with three hydroxyl groups promoted U87 cell aggregation at concentrations from 0.2 to 2 μM. Taken together, DHS and PIN are more neurotoxic than RES. The position and number of hydroxyl groups significantly affected the ability of the polyphenols to aggregate into tumors in the U87 cell.

Resveratrol Treats UVB-Induced Photoaging by Anti-MMP Expression, through Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Antiapoptotic Properties, and Treats Photoaging by Upregulating VEGF-B Expression

UVB exposure is one of the primary factors responsible for the development of photoaging, and the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism involved in the photoprotective properties of resveratrol (RES) in UVB-induced photoaging. Photoaging models of Hacat cells and ICR mice were established by UVB irradiation. The effect of RES on cell viability was then assessed using the MTT assay. The effect of RES on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected through a fluorescent probe assay. The effect of RES on oxidized glutathione (GSSH) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in photoaging Hacat cells, were measured separately, using kits. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the effect of RES on IL-6 secretion. The effect of VEGF-B on RES photoprotection was examined through the RT-qPCR method, after silencing VEGF-B through siRNA transfection. For animal experiments, the relative water content of the skin of ICR mice was determined using the Corneometer CM825 skin moisture tester. Starting from the third week of the study, the back skin of photoaging ICR mice was photographed weekly using the TIVI700 camera, and the depth of skin wrinkles in photoaging ICR mice was also analyzed. The thickness of the epidermis in photoaging ICR mice was assessed by the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining method. The content of collagen fibers in the skin dermis of photoaging ICR mice was measured by the Masson trichrome staining method. The content of collagen III in the dermis of the skin in photoaging ICR mice was measured through immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques. The effect of RES on the mRNA expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-9, HO-1, GPX-4, IL-6, TNF-α, VEGF-B, caspase9, and caspase3 in photoaging Hacat cells, and that of MMP-3, Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, SOD1, GPX-4, caspase9, caspase3, and IL-6 in the skin of photoaging ICR mice, was measured by RT-qPCR. The effects of RES on caspase3, Nrf2 (intranuclear), COX-2, P-ERK1/2, ERK1/2, P-P38MAPK, and P38MAPK in photoaging Hacat cells, and on MMP-9, caspase3, COX-2, P-JNK, P-ERK1/2, and P-P38MAPK protein expression in the skin of photoaging ICR mice, were assayed by the WB method. The results of this study, therefore, show that RES has a protective effect against UVB-induced photoaging in both Hacat cells and ICR mice. Its mechanism of action may include reducing the expression of MMPs and the secretion of collagen and inflammatory factors by inhibiting the ROS-mediated MAPK and COX-2 signaling pathways, balancing oxidative stress in the skin of Hacat cells and ICR mice by promoting the Nrf2 signaling pathway, inducing antiapoptotic effects by inhibiting caspase activation, and exerting antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects by targeting the VEGF-B, demonstrating its photoprotective effects against UVB irradiation-induced photoaging.

Nanoscale Au@SiO2-drug/VEGF as an in vivo probe for osteosarcoma diagnosis and therapy

Osteosarcoma is a common primary bone malignancy, with a 5-year survival rate of only 20–30% in patients undergoing surgical treatment. Thus, it is important to identify novel methods for diagnosing and treating osteosarcoma, which was the aim of the present study. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was used as the tumor-targeting protein to synthesize a multifunctional core-shell nanostructure, Au@SiO₂-drug/VEGF, in which the drug can be indocyanine green (ICG; as an optical tracer) or doxorubicin (DOX; as a chemotherapeutic agent). With VEGF as the osteosarcoma-targeting protein, Au exhibited optimal photothermal transformation performance, while SiO₂ served as the carrier for the drug. Au@SiO₂-ICG/VEGF nanoparticles (NPs) were evaluated for imaging and for the monitoring of drug accumulation in a tumor region in mice. Once the optimal drug accumulation was achieved, combined treatment of osteosarcoma (chemotherapy and photothermal therapy) was assessed. In the perioperative period associated with minimal invasive embolization of osteosarcoma, photothermal therapy and chemotherapy were applied for osteosarcoma diagnosis using Au@SiO₂-DOX/VEGF NPs. Taken together, the results of the present study provide a promising strategy for tumor detection prior to surgical treatment to improve the survival outcome of patients with osteosarcoma.

Resveratrol as Chemosensitizer Agent: State of Art and Future Perspectives

Resistance to chemotherapy still remains a major challenge in the clinic, impairing the quality of life and survival rate of patients. The identification of unconventional chemosensitizing agents is therefore an interesting aspect of cancer research. Resveratrol has emerged in the last decades as a fascinating molecule, able to modulate several cancer-related molecular mechanisms, suggesting a possible application as an adjuvant in cancer management. This review goes deep into the existing literature concerning the possible chemosensitizing effect of resveratrol associated with the most conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Despite the promising effects observed in different cancer types in in vitro studies, the clinical translation still presents strong limitations due to the low bioavailability of resveratrol. Recently, efforts have been moved in the field of drug delivery to identifying possible strategies/formulations useful for a more effective administration. Despite the necessity of a huge implementation in this research area, resveratrol appears as a promising molecule able to sensitize resistant tumors to drugs, suggesting its potential use in therapy-refractory cancer patients.