Inhibition of cell invasion and MMP production by a nutrient mixture in malignant liposarcoma cell line SW-872

Clinical significance of the tail-like pattern in soft-tissue sarcomas on magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND

An infiltrating abnormal signal around soft-tissue tumors along the fascial, neurovascular, or musculature plane on magnetic resonance imaging (T2-weighted, gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted, or short-tau inversion recovery) is recognized as the "tail-like pattern". The tail-like pattern was intensively analyzed in myxofibrosarcoma, but not in other sarcomas. We aimed to answer some key questions about the tail-like pattern such as its incidence and effect on oncological outcomes.

METHODS

The presence of the tail-like pattern in 114 soft-tissue sarcomas was evaluated on T2-weighted images or gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images, or both. We analyzed the incidence of the tail-like pattern in all cases and in specific histological subtypes. We also assessed the clinical backgrounds of the presence of the tail-like pattern and its impact on achieving adequate surgical margins and oncological outcomes, including local recurrence and overall survival.

RESULTS

The tail-like pattern was detected in 50% of cases. The tail-like pattern was most common in myxofibrosarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, and less common in low-grade sarcomas. Trans-compartmental invasion of the tumor and high-grade malignancy were common clinical backgrounds for the presence of the tail-like pattern. The presence of the tail-like pattern significantly inhibits the achievement of preoperatively planned surgical margins despite planning the margins outside the tail-like pattern area. The tail-like pattern was an independent risk factor for local recurrence. The pattern was not an independent risk factor for worse overall survival, although it was a risk factor in univariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

The tail-like pattern is clinically significant in myxofibrosarcomas and other sarcomas with respect to the preoperative evaluation of malignancy by magnetic resonance imaging, and negatively affects successful resection and oncological outcomes. A more sophisticated modality for the evaluation and clinical management of the tail-like pattern is needed in the future.

Can EGCG Alleviate Symptoms of Down Syndrome by Altering Proteolytic Activity?

Down syndrome (DS), also known as "trisomy 21", is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. Silencing these extra genes is beyond existing technology and seems to be impractical. A number of pharmacologic options have been proposed to change the quality of life and lifespan of individuals with DS. It was reported that treatment with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) improves cognitive performance in animal models and in humans, suggesting that EGCG may alleviate symptoms of DS. Traditionally, EGCG has been associated with the ability to reduce dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase 1A activity, which is overexpressed in trisomy 21. Based on the data available in the literature, we propose an additional way in which EGCG might affect trisomy 21-namely by modifying the proteolytic activity of the enzymes involved. It is known that, in Down syndrome, the nerve growth factor (NGF) metabolic pathway is altered: first by downregulating tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) that activates plasminogen to plasmin, an enzyme converting proNGF to mature NGF; secondly, overexpression of metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) further degrades NGF, lowering the amount of mature NGF. EGCG inhibits MMP-9, thus protecting NGF. Urokinase (uPA) and tPA are activators of plasminogen, and uPA is inhibited by EGCG, but regardless of their structural similarity tPA is not inhibited. In this review, we describe mechanisms of proteolytic enzymes (MMP-9 and plasminogen activation system), their role in Down syndrome, their inhibition by EGCG, possible degradation of this polyphenol and the ability of EGCG and its degradation products to cross the blood-brain barrier. We conclude that known data accumulated so far provide promising evidence of MMP-9 inhibition by EGCG in the brain, which could slow down the abnormal degradation of NGF.

Formulation and characterization of EGCG for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer

In the United States, the annual incidence of bladder cancer is approximately 70,000 new cases, with a mortality rate of approximately 15,000/year. The most common subtype (70%) of bladder cancer is superficial, namely hte non-muscle invasive disease form limited to the urothelium. The rate of progression and recurrence is up to 40 and 70%, respectively. Urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder is typically treated with transurethral resection. The cancerous cells can float onto the adjacent epithelium, increasing the risk of recurrence. The standard of care is to offer adjuvant intravesical agents to reduce the risk of progression and recurrence. Current intravesical treatments are costly and are associated with special biohazard handling protocols. Patients are treated with intravesical therapy with bacillus Calmetter-Guerin (BCG) bacterium, or mitomycin C (MMC) following resection, both of which can cause moderate to severe side-effects which are rarely life-threatening. We previously examined the efficacy of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)in comparison with MMC to prevent tumor cell implantation/growth in an animal model of superficial bladder cancer. Experiments revile that EGCG is slightly more effective than MMC at decreasing tumor cell implantation and consequent cancer growth in a bladder. This treatment requires the stringent sterile requirement of EGCG. EGCG can be unstable when sterilized at high temperatures. Thus, we evaluated two low temperature sterilization methods, such as ionizing radiation or the filtration method followed by freeze-drying. Both methods ensure the sterility of the sample; however, infrared and HPLC analysis revealed a slightly better stability of irradiated EGCG over the filtration method. The concentration of stable free radicals following irradiation was low, which are unlikely to exert any damaging effects to EGCG. Therefore, we consider that radiation will be the preferred method of EGCG sterilization, and that this may prove useful for the effective use of EGCG in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Sesquiterpene lactones downregulate G2/M cell cycle regulator proteins and affect the invasive potential of human soft tissue sarcoma cells

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a rare group of malignant tumors that frequently exhibit chemotherapeutic resistance and increased metastatic potential. Many studies have demonstrated the great potential of plant-derived agents in the treatment of various malignant entities. The present study investigates the effects of the sesquiterpene lactones costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone on cell cycle, MMP expression, and invasive potential of three human STS cell lines of various origins. Both compounds reduced cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Dehydrocostus lactone significantly inhibited cell proliferation, arrested the cells at the G2/M interface and caused a decrease in the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK2 and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27^Kip1. In addition, accumulation of cells at the G2/M phase transition interface resulted in a significant decrease in cdc2 (CDK1) together with cyclin B1. Costunolide had no effect on the cell cycle. Based on the fact that STS tend to form daughter cell nests and metastasize, the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play a crucial role in extracellular matrix degradation and metastasis, were investigated by Luminex® technology and real-time RT-PCR. In the presence of costunolide, MMP-2 and -9 levels were significantly increased in SW-982 and TE-671 cells. Dehydrocostus lactone treatment significantly reduced MMP-2 and -9 expression in TE-671 cells, but increased MMP-9 level in SW-982 cells. In addition, the invasion potential was significantly reduced after treatment with both sesquiterpene lactones as investigated by the HTS FluoroBlock™ insert system.

Integrin α6(high) cell population functions as an initiator in tumorigenesis and relapse of human liposarcoma

The relapse and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy are main problems in the treatment of human liposarcoma. It is important to find a functional marker existing in the liposarcoma cells for targeting. In this article, we established a new sub-cell line SW872-S cells with high tumorigenicity from human liposarcoma SW872 cells by repeated inoculation approach. The characteristic of the sub-cell line is linked to the high levels of integrin α6 on the surface. The integrin α6(high) cells show much higher tumor initiation and self-renewal potential in vivo than integrin α6(low) cells do. Targeting integrin α6 with its specific short interfering RNA and antibody significantly inhibits the cell adhesion to laminin and the tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Interestingly, integrin α6 marks almost all of the surgical biopsy specimens of patients with liposarcoma relapse. Moreover, integrin α6 is found to coexpress with CD13, which might contribute to the antiapoptosis ability of integrin α6(high) cells. Consistently, integrin α6(high) cells are more sensitive to the CD13 inhibitor bestatin, and 61% of 23 other human tumor cell lines also contain integrin α6(high) CD13(high) subgroup. These results provide evidence, for the first time, to our knowledge, that integrin α6 and CD13 can serve as functional markers of the tumor-initiation subcell population in human liposarcoma as well as other cancers for therapeutic targeting.

Components of an anticancer diet: dietary recommendations, restrictions and supplements of the Bill Henderson Protocol

The use of complementary and alternative medicines including dietary supplements, herbals and special diets to prevent or treat disease continues to be popular. The following paper provides a description of an alternative dietary approach to the self-management and treatment of cancer, the Bill Henderson Protocol (BHP). This diet encourages daily intake of raw foods, a combination of cottage cheese and flaxseed oil and a number of supplements. Some foods and food groups are restricted (e.g., gluten, meat, dairy). Early background theory that contributed to the protocol’s development is presented as is a summary of relevant evidence concerning the anti-cancer fighting properties of the individual components. Supplement intake is considered in relation to daily recommended intakes. Challenges and risks to protocol adherence are discussed. As with many complementary and alternative interventions, clear evidence of this dietary protocol’s safety and efficacy is lacking. Consumers of this protocol may require guidance on the ability of this protocol to meet their individual nutritional needs.

A macrophage cell model for selective metalloproteinase inhibitor design

The desire to inhibit zinc-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has, over the course of the last 30 years, led to the development of a plethora of MMP inhibitors that bind directly to the active-site metal. With one exception, all of these drugs have failed in clinical trials, due to many factors, including an apparent lack of specificity for MMPs. To address the question of whether these inhibitors are selective for MMPs in a biological setting, a cell-based screening method is presented to compare the relative activities of zinc, heme iron, and non-heme iron enzymes in the presence of these compounds using the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. We screened nine different zinc-binding groups (ZBGs), four established MMP inhibitors (MMPis), and two novel MMP inhibitors developed in our laboratory to determine their selectivities against five different metalloenzymes. Using this model, we identified two nitrogen donor compounds--2,2'-dipyridylamine (DPA) and triazacyclononane (TACN)--as the most selective ZBGs for zinc metalloenzyme inhibitor development. We also demonstrated that the model could predict known nonspecific interactions of some of the most commonly used MMPis, and could also give cross-reactivity information for newly developed MMPis. This work demonstrates the utility of cell-based assays in both the design and the screening of novel metalloenzyme inhibitors.