The antitumor effect of tanshinone IIA on anti-proliferation and decreasing VEGF/VEGFR2 expression on the human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell line

Identification and Quantification of Extracellular Vesicles: Comparison of SDS-PAGE Analysis and Biosensor Analysis with QCM and IDT Chips

This study presents and compares two methods for identifying the types of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from different cell lines. Through SDS-PAGE analysis, we discovered that the ratio of CD63 to CD81 in different EVs is consistent and distinct, making it a reliable characteristic for recognizing EVs secreted by cancer cells. However, the electrophoresis and imaging processes may introduce errors in the concentration values, especially at lower concentrations, rendering this method potentially less effective. An alternative approach involves the use of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and electroanalytical interdigitated electrode (IDT) biosensors for EV type identification and quantification. The QCM frequency shift caused by EVs is directly proportional to their concentration, while electroanalysis relies on measuring the curvature of the I-V curve as a distinguishing feature, which is also proportional to EV concentration. Linear regression lines for the QCM frequency shift and the electroanalysis curvature of various EV types are plotted separately, enabling the estimation of the corresponding concentration for an unknown EV type on the graphs. By intersecting the results from both biosensors, the unknown EV type can be identified. The biosensor analysis method proves to be an effective means of analyzing both the type and concentration of EVs from different cell lines.

Tanshinone IIA induces ER stress and JNK activation to inhibit tumor growth and enhance anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains at the forefront of new cancer cases, and there is an urgent need to find new treatments or improve the efficacy of existing therapies. In addition to the application in the field of cerebrovascular diseases, recent studies have revealed that tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) has anticancer activity in a variety of cancers.

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential anticancer mechanism of Tan IIA and its impact on immunotherapy in NSCLC.

METHODS

Cytotoxicity and colony formation assays were used to detect the Tan IIA inhibitory effect on NSCLC cells. This research clarified the mechanisms of Tan IIA in anti-tumor and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) regulation by using flow cytometry, transient transfection, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. Besides, IHC was also used to analyze the nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFAT2) expression in NSCLC clinical samples. Two animal models including xenograft mouse model and Lewis lung cancer model were used for evaluating tumor suppressive efficacy of Tan IIA. We also tested the efficacy of Tan IIA combined with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors in Lewis lung cancer model.

RESULTS

Tan IIA exhibited good NSCLC inhibitory effect which was accompanied by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and increasing Ca2+ levels. Moreover, Tan IIA could suppress the NFAT2/ Myc proto oncogene protein (c-Myc) signaling, and it also was able to control the Jun Proto-Oncogene(c-Jun)/PD-L1 axis in NSCLC cells through the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. High NFAT2 levels were potential factors for poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Finally, animal experiments data showed a stronger immune activation phenotype, when we performed treatment of Tan IIA combined with PD-1 monoclonal antibody.

CONCLUSION

The findings of our research suggested a novel mechanism for Tan IIA to inhibit NSCLC, which could exert anti-cancer effects through the JNK/NFAT2/c-Myc pathway. Furthermore, Tan IIA could regulate tumor PD-L1 levels and has the potential to improve the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of tanshinone IIA derivatives as NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors

Natural product structures have long provided valuable pharmacophores and even candidates for drug discovery. Tanshinone scaffold showed moderately inhibitory activity in NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway. Herein, we designed a series of derivatives on different regions of Tanshinone IIA (TNA) scaffold. The biological evaluation identified compound T10, a scaffold hybrid of TNA and salicylic acid, as a potent NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor. Mechanistically, T10 inhibits the production of ROS and prevents NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1β production. In addition, treatment with T10 significantly attenuated inflammatory response in DSS-induced peritonitis. Our work describes a potential tanshinone-based derivative, which needs to be further structurally optimized as NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors for treating inflammatory disorders.

Tanshinone IIA attenuates osteoarthritis via inhibiting aberrant angiogenesis in subchondral bone

Excessive angiogenesis in subchondral bone is a pathological feature of osteoarthritis (OA). Tanshinone IIA (TIIA), an active compound found in Salvia miltiorrhiza, demonstrates significant anti-angiogenic properties. However, the effect of TIIA on abnormal subchondral angiogenesis in OA is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of TIIA in modulating subchondral bone angiogenesis during OA and assess its therapeutic potential in OA. Our findings demonstrate that TIIA attenuated articular cartilage degeneration, normalized subchondral bone remodeling, and effectively suppressed aberrant angiogenesis within subchondral bone in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA mice. Additionally, the angiogenesis capacity of primary CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells was observed to be significantly reduced after treatment with TIIA in vitro. Mechanically, TIIA diminished the proportion of hypertrophic chondrocytes, ultimately leading to a substantial reduction in the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). The supernatant of hypertrophic chondrocytes promoted the tube formation of CD31hiEMCNhi endothelial cells, whereas TIIA inhibited this process. Furthermore, TIIA effectively suppressed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) along with its downstream MAPK pathway in CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells. In conclusion, our data indicated that TIIA could effectively inhibit the abnormal angiogenesis in subchondral bone during the progression of OA by suppressing the VEGFA/VEFGR2/MAPK pathway. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of the abnormal angiogenesis in OA and offer a promising therapeutic target for OA treatment.

Medicarpin suppresses lung cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo by inducing cell apoptosis

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgery, chemoradiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are considered dominant treatment strategies for LC in the clinic. However, drug resistance and meta-stasis are two major challenges in cancer therapies. Medicarpin (MED) is an isoflavone compound isolated from alfalfa, which is usually used in traditional medicine. This study was de sig ned to evaluate the anti-LC effect and reveal the underlying mechanisms of MED in vivo and in vitro. We found that MED could significantly inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest of A549 and H157 cell lines. Basically, MED induced cell apoptosis of LC cells by upregu lating the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and Bak1, leading to the cleavage of caspase-3 (Casp3). Moreover, MED inhibited the proliferation of LC cells via downregulating the expression of proliferative protein Bid. Overall, MED inhibited LC cell growth in vitro and in vivo via suppressing cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis, suggesting the therapeutic potential of MED in treating LC.

Research Progress on the Synergistic Anti-Tumor Effect of Natural Anti-Tumor Components of Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined with Chemotherapy Drugs

The application of chemotherapy drugs in tumor treatment has a long history, but the lack of selectivity of drugs often leads to serious side effects during chemotherapy. The natural anti-tumor ingredients derived from Chinese herbal medicine are attracting increased attention due to their diverse anti-tumor effects, abundant resources, and minimal side effects. An effective anti-tumor strategy may lie in the combination of these naturally derived anti-tumor ingredients with conventional chemotherapy drugs. This approach could potentially inhibit tumor growth and the development of drug resistance in tumor cells while reducing the adverse effects of chemotherapy drugs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the combined therapy strategies integrating natural anti-tumor components from Chinese herbal medicine with chemotherapy drugs in current research. We primarily summarize various compounds in Chinese herbal medicine exhibiting natural anti-tumor activities and the relevant mechanisms in synergistic anti-tumor combination therapy. The focus of this paper is on underlining that this integrative approach, combining natural anti-tumor components of Chinese herbal medicine with chemotherapy drugs, presents a novel cancer treatment methodology, thereby providing new insights for future oncological research.

Berberrubine is a novel and selective IMPDH2 inhibitor that impairs the growth of colorectal cancer

Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) catalyzes the rate-limiting reaction in the de novo synthesis pathway of guanine nucleotides that is highly required for cancer cell outgrowth. Herein, we found that IMPDH isoform 2 (IMPDH2) is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and is correlated with poor patient prognosis. Via structure-based virtual screening, we identified berberrubine, a critical ingredient of the medical plant Coptis chinensis, as a novel, selective, and competitive inhibitor of IMPDH2, which demonstrated over 15-fold selectivity to IMPDH2 than IMPDH1. Besides, we also confirmed the interaction between berberrubine and IMPDH2. Of note, berberrubine treatment significantly impairs the growth of human CRC cells in a dose-dependent manner, which can be rescued by supplementing with guanosine. Furthermore, oral administration of berberrubine remarkably reduced tumor volume and weight in a human cell line-derived xenograft model. Importantly, the anti-cancer activity of berberrubine was also confirmed by using the azoxymethane (AOM) / dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced spontaneous CRC mouse model. Taken together, our study highlights that berberrubine acts as a novel IMPDH2 inhibitor, suppressing the growth of CRC in vitro and in vivo, providing a fresh perspective for its potential application in the treatment of CRC.

Natural Compounds of Salvia L. Genus and Molecular Mechanism of Their Biological Activity

The study of medicinal plants is important, as they are the natural reserve of potent biologically active compounds. With wide use in traditional medicine and the inclusion of several species (as parts and as a whole plant) in pharmacopeia, species from the genus Salvia L. are known for the broad spectrum of their biological activities. Studies suggest that these plants possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiangiogenic, hepatoprotective, cognitive and memory-enhancing effects. Phenolic acids, terpenoids and flavonoids are important phytochemicals, which are primarily responsible for the medicinal activity of Salvia L. This review collects and summarizes currently available data on the pharmacological properties of sage, outlining its principal physiologically active components, and it explores the molecular mechanism of their biological activity. Particular attention was given to the species commonly found in Kazakhstan, especially to Salvia trautvetteri Regel, which is native to this country.

Pyroptosis and inflammasomes in cancer and inflammation

Nonprogrammed cell death (NPCD) and programmed cell death (PCD) are two types of cell death. Cell death is significantly linked to tumor development, medication resistance, cancer recurrence, and metastatic dissemination. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of cell death is essential for the treatment of cancer. Pyroptosis is a kind of PCD distinct from autophagy and apoptosis in terms of the structure and function of cells. The defining features of pyroptosis include the release of an inflammatory cascade reaction and the expulsion of lysosomes, inflammatory mediators, and other cellular substances from within the cell. Additionally, it displays variations in osmotic pressure both within and outside the cell. Pyroptosis, as evidenced by a growing body of research, is critical for controlling the development of inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this paper, we reviewed the current level of knowledge on the mechanism of pyroptosis and inflammasomes and their connection to cancer and inflammatory diseases. This article presents a theoretical framework for investigating the potential of therapeutic targets in cancer and inflammatory diseases, overcoming medication resistance, establishing nanomedicines associated with pyroptosis, and developing risk prediction models in refractory cancer. Given the link between pyroptosis and the emergence of cancer and inflammatory diseases, pyroptosis-targeted treatments may be a cutting-edge treatment strategy.

Evaluation of Anticancer and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Some Synthetic Rearranged Abietanes

Synthesis of the rearranged abietane diterpenes pygmaeocins C and D, viridoquinone, saprorthoquinone, and 1-deoxyviroxocine has been successfully achieved. The anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of selected orthoquinonic compounds 5, 7, 13, and 19, as well as pygmaeocin C (17), were evaluated for the first time. The antitumor properties were assessed using three cancer cell lines: HT29 colon cancer cells, Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and B16-F10 murine melanoma cells. Compounds 5 and 13 showed the highest cytotoxicity in HT29 cells (IC50 = 6.69 ± 1.2 µg/mL and IC50 = 2.7 ± 0.8 µg/mL, respectively). Cytometric studies showed that this growth inhibition involved phase S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction, possibly through the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Morphological apoptotic changes, including nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation, were also observed. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds was evaluated on the basis of their ability to inhibit nitric oxide production on the lipopolysaccharide activated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. Although all compounds showed high anti-inflammatory activity, with percentages between 40 and 100%, the highest anti-inflammatory potential was obtained by pygmaeocin B (5) (IC50NO = 33.0 ± 0.8 ng/mL). Our results suggest that due to their dual roles, this type of compound could represent a new strategy, contributing to the development of novel anticancer agents.

Tanshinone IIA targeting cell signaling pathways: a plausible paradigm for cancer therapy

Natural compounds originating from plants offer a wide range of pharmacological potential and have traditionally been used to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), a bioactive molecule found in the roots of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been shown to have remarkable anticancer properties through several mechanisms, such as inhibition of tumor cell growth and proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and angiogenesis, as well as induction of apoptosis and autophagy. It has demonstrated excellent anticancer efficacy against cell lines from breast, cervical, colorectal, gastric, lung, and prostate cancer by modulating multiple signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, IGF-1R, and Bcl-2-Caspase pathways. This review focuses on the role of Tan IIA in the treatment of various cancers, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Tanshinone-I for the treatment of uterine fibroids: Molecular docking, simulation, and density functional theory investigations

Uterine fibroids (UF), most prevalent gynecological disorder, require surgery when symptomatic. It is estimated that between 25 and 35 percent of women wait until the symptoms have worsened like extended heavy menstrual bleeding and severe pelvic pain. These UF may be reduced in size through various methods such as medical or surgical intervention. Progesterone (prog) is a crucial hormone that restores the endometrium and controls uterine function. In the current study, 28 plant-based molecules are identified from previous literature and docked onto the prog receptors with 1E3K and 2OVH. Tanshinone-I has shown the best docking score against both proteins. The synthetic prog inhibitor Norethindrone Acetate is used as a standard to evaluate the docking outcomes. The best compound, tanshinone-I, was analyzed using molecular modeling and DFT. The RMSD for the 1E3K protein-ligand complex ranged from 0.10 to 0.42 Å, with an average of 0.21 Å and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.06, while the RMSD for the 2OVH protein-ligand complex ranged from 0.08 to 0.42 Å, with an average of 0.20 Å and a SD of 0.06 showing stable interaction. In principal component analysis, the observed eigen values of HPR-Tanshinone-I fluctuate between -1.11 to 1.48 and -1.07 to 1.25 for PC1 and PC2, respectively (1E3K), and the prog-tanshinone-I complex shows eigen values of -38.88 to -31.32 and -31.32 to 35.87 for PC1 and PC2, respectively (2OVH), which shows Tanshinone-I forms a stable protein-ligand complex with 1E3K in comparison to 2OVH. The Free Energy Landscape (FEL) analysis shows the Gibbs free energy in the range of 0 to 8 kJ/mol for Tanshinone-I with 1E3K and 0 to 14 kJ/mol for Tanshinone-I with the 2OVH complex. The DFT calculation reveals ΔE value of 2.8070 eV shows tanshinone-I as a stable compound. 1E3K modulates the prog pathway, it may have either an agonistic or antagonistic effect on hPRs. Tanshinone-I can cause ROS, apoptosis, autophagy (p62 accumulation), up-regulation of inositol requiring protein-1, enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), and suppression of MMPs. Bcl-2 expression can change LC3I to LC3II and cause apoptosis through Beclin-1 expression.

The effectiveness of blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) in lung cancer progression-a comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) are a class of herbs that have the effect of dilating blood vessels and dispersing stagnation. Modern pharmaceutical research has demonstrated that they are capable of improving hemodynamics and micro-flow, resist thrombosis and promote blood flow. BAST contain numerous active ingredients, which can theoretically regulate multiple targets at the same time and have a wide range of pharmacological effects in the treatment of diseases including human cancers. Clinically, BAST have minimal side effects and can be used in combination with Western medicine to improve patients' quality of life, lessen adverse effects and minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis of cancers.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

We aimed to summarize the research progression of BAST on lung cancer in the past five years and present a prospect for the future. Particularly, this review further analyzes the effects and molecular mechanisms that BAST inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant studies about BSAT were collected from PubMed and Web of science.

RESULTS

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are highly susceptible to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that BAST, a class of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the function of opening veins and dispersing blood stasis, significantly improve hemodynamics and microcirculation, prevent thrombosis and promote blood flow, and thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. In the current review, we analyzed 51 active ingredients extracted from BAST. It was found that BAST and their active ingredients contribute to the prevention of invasion and metastasis of lung cancer through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of EMT process, specific signaling pathway and metastasis-related genes, tumor blood vessel formation, immune microenvironment and inflammatory response of tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

BSAT and its active ingredients have showed promising anticancer activity and significantly inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. A growing number of studies have realized their potential clinical significance in the therapy of lung cancer, which will provide substantial evidences for the development of new TCM for lung cancer therapy.

New advances in the research of clinical treatment and novel anticancer agents in tumor angiogenesis

In 1971, Folkman proposed that tumors could be limited to very small sizes by blocking angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the generation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, considered to be one of the important processes in tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenesis is a complex process regulated by various factors and involves many secreted factors and signaling pathways. Angiogenesis is important in the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the tumor during tumor development. Therefore, inhibition of angiogenesis has become an important strategy in the clinical management of many solid tumors. Combination therapies of angiogenesis inhibitors with radiotherapy and chemotherapy are often used in clinical practice. In this article, we will review common targets against angiogenesis, the most common and up-to-date anti-angiogenic drugs and clinical treatments in recent years, including active ingredients from chemical and herbal medicines.

Salviae miltiorrhiza against human lung cancer: A review of its mechanism (Review)

Lung cancer is one of the commonest malignant tumors in the world today, causing millions of mortalities every year. New methods to treat lung cancer are urgently needed. Salviae miltiorrhiza Bunge is a common Chinese medicine, often used for promoting blood circulation. In the past 20 years, Salviae miltiorrhiza has made significant progress in the treatment of lung cancer and is considered to be one of the most promising methods to fight against the disease. A great amount of research has shown that the mechanism of Salviae miltiorrhiza against human lung cancer mainly includes inhibiting the proliferation of lung cancer cells, promoting lung cancer cell apoptosis, inducing cell autophagy, regulating immunity and resisting angiogenesis. Research has shown that Salviae miltiorrhiza has certain effects on the resistance to chemotherapy drugs. The present review discussed the status and prospects of Salviae miltiorrhiza against human lung cancer.

Targeting Cancer Stem Cells as the Key Driver of Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Resistance

The emerging concept of cancer stem cells (CSCs) as the key driver behind carcinogenesis, progression, and diversity has displaced the prior model of a tumor composed of cells with similar subsequently acquired mutations and an equivalent capacity for renewal, invasion, and metastasis. This significant change has shifted the research focus toward targeting CSCs to eradicate cancer. CSCs may be characterized using cell surface markers. They are defined by their capacity to self-renew and differentiate, resist conventional therapies, and generate new tumors following repeated transplantation in xenografted mice. CSCs' functional capabilities are governed by various intracellular and extracellular variables such as pluripotency-related transcription factors, internal signaling pathways, and external stimuli. Numerous natural compounds and synthetic chemicals have been investigated for their ability to disrupt these regulatory components and inhibit stemness and terminal differentiation in CSCs, hence achieving clinical implications. However, no cancer treatment focuses on the biological consequences of these drugs on CSCs, and their functions have been established. This article provides a biomedical discussion of cancer at the time along with an overview of CSCs and their origin, features, characterization, isolation techniques, signaling pathways, and novel targeted therapeutic approaches. Additionally, we highlighted the factors endorsed as controlling or helping to promote stemness in CSCs. Our objective was to encourage future studies on these prospective treatments to develop a framework for their application as single or combined therapeutics to eradicate various forms of cancer.

Immune Exosomes Loading Self-Assembled Nanomicelles Traverse the Blood-Brain Barrier for Chemo-immunotherapy against Glioblastoma

Effective drug delivery and prevention of postoperative recurrence are significant challenges for current glioblastoma (GBM) treatment. Poor drug delivery is mainly due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and postoperative recurrence is primarily due to the resistance of GBM cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and the presence of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Herein, a biomimetic nanodrug delivery platform based on endogenous exosomes that could efficiently target the brain without targeting modifications and co-deliver pure drug nanomicelles and immune adjuvants for safe and efficient chemo-immunotherapy against GBM is prepared. Inspired by the self-assembly technology of small molecules, tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) and glycyrrhizic acid (GL), which are the inhibitors of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), self-assembled to form TanIIA-GL nanomicelles (TGM). Endogenous serum exosomes are selected to coat the pure drug nanomicelles, and the CpG oligonucleotides, agonists of Toll-like receptor 9, are anchored on the exosome membrane to obtain immune exosomes loaded with TCM self-assembled nanomicelles (CpG-EXO/TGM). Our results demonstrate that CpG-EXO/TGM can bind free transferrin in blood, prolong blood circulation, and maintain intact structures when traversing the BBB and targeting GBM cells. In the GBM microenvironment, the strong anti-GBM effect of CpG-EXO/TGM is mainly attributed to two factors: (i) highly efficient uptake by GBM cells and sufficient intracellular release of drugs to induce apoptosis and (ii) stimulation of dendritic cell maturation and induction of tumor-associated macrophages polarization by CpG oligonucleotides to generate anti-GBM immune responses. Further research found that CpG-EXO/TGM can not only produce better efficacy in combination with temozolomide but also prevent a postoperative recurrence.

Perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine to patch up immune checkpoint blockers

In this era of cancer immunotherapy, the response rates of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are still too low and the adverse events may also be significant. Of the ways of patching up such deficits, chemotherapy (ChT), especially if metronomic, seems promising, especially as immunity induced by immunogenic cell death (ICD) may be preserved. However, side effects, e.g., lymphocytopenia and interstitial pneumonitis cannot be ignored; eventually, resistance may also ensue. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), being potent angiogenic factors, promote cancer cells’ purposeful angiogenesis rendering an extremely resistant tumor microenvironment (TME). This highly evasive and extremely resilient TME actually demands multi-agent, multi-target agents as currently in use through traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). With a good track record of 3,000 years, TCM is favored by mainland Chinese cancer patients. Although TCM had been criticized as unscientific and imprecise, recently, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies serve to elucidate the sound scientific basis and validity of TCM. Several TCM preparations having anti-VEGF actions are found; others suppress immune checkpoints. Especially, these herbs’ multi-prong approach appears to be more effective than Western medicine’s primarily monotherapy approach if one wishes to eradicate the very resistant TME. A “bonus” point is that some autoimmune-related adverse side effects of ICBs may also be reduced by TCM. Nevertheless, as the TCM experience is mostly anecdotal, robust clinical trials are mandatory. Moreover, other TCM problems, e.g., herbal batch variations and consistency and uniformity of herbal prescriptions are outstanding. Invariably, TCM prescriptions have daily variations as the practice of “syndrome differentiation” is hailed. Despite experienced TCM practitioners would refuse to give up their time-honored traditional practice, the multi-prong approach is still very attractive for the undue resilience of TME, let alone its good safety profile, ready availability, and eminent affordability. Although the passage is dark, light is now appearing at the end of the tunnel.

Research Status of Mouse Models for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Antitumor Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Mouse Models

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is known as one of the most lethal cancers, causing more than 1 million deaths annually worldwide. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic drugs for NSCLC has become an urgent need. Herein, various mouse models provide great convenience not only for researchers but also for the development of antitumor drug. Meanwhile, TCM, as a valuable and largely untapped resource pool for modern medicine, provides research resources for the treatment of various diseases. Until now, cell-derived xenograft (CDX) model, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model, syngeneic model, orthotopic model, humanized mouse model (HIS), and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) have been reported in TCM evaluation. This review shows the role and current status of kinds of mouse models in antitumor research and summarizes the application progress of TCM including extracts, formulas, and isolated single molecules for NSCLC therapy in various mouse models; more importantly, it provides a theoretical exploration of what kind of mouse models is ideal for TCM efficacy evaluation in future. However, there are still huge challenges and limitations in the development of mouse models specifically for the TCM research, and none of the available models are perfectly matching the characteristics of TCM, which suppress the tumor growth through various mechanisms, especially by regulating immune function. Nevertheless, with fully functional immune system existing in syngeneic model and humanized mouse model (HIS), it is still suggested that these two models are more suitable for development of TCM especially for TCM extracts or formulas. Moreover, continued efforts are needed to generate more reliable mouse models to test TCM formulas in future research.

Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza for Ankylosing Spondylitis: Determining Potential Inflammatory Molecular Targets and Mechanism Using Network Pharmacology

Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (RSM) is widely used for the clinical improvement of inflammatory diseases. However, the actions of RSM in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have not been fully explored. Therefore, this study was designed to use retrospective clinical data mining approach to understand the effects of RSM on AS-related immuno-inflammatory processes, use network pharmacology to predict therapeutic targets of RSM, and to further investigate the pharmacological molecular mechanism in vitro. RSM treatment has a long-term correlation with the improvement of AS-related immuno-inflammatory indicators through computational models. We established protein-protein interaction networks, conducted KEGG analysis to enrich significant TNF pathways, and finally obtained three core targets of RSM in the treatment of AS, namely, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Screening of RSM active ingredients with node degree greater than 20 yielded cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, and previous studies have reported their anti-inflammatory effects. In vitro, both cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA significantly inhibited the expressions of PTGS2, IL-6, and TNF-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in AS patients. In conclusion, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, which are the active components of RSM, may inhibit the activation of TNF signaling pathway in AS patients by downregulating the expression of PTGS2, IL-6, and TNF-α. These findings illustrate that RSM may be a promising therapeutic candidate for AS, but further validation is required.

Synergistic Lethality Effects of Apatinib and Homoharringtonine in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Purpose

The significance of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 in numerous solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been demonstrated, but Apatinib remains largely unexplored. In this study, whether Apatinib combined with homoharringtonine (HHT) kills AML cell lines and its possible mechanisms have been explored.

Methods

AML cell lines were treated with Apatinib and HHT in different concentrations with control, Apatinib alone, HHT alone, and Apatinib combined with HHT. The changes of IC₅₀ were measured by CCK8 assay, and apoptosis rate, cell cycle, and the mitochondrial membrane potential in each group were measured by flow cytometry. Finally, the possible cytotoxicity mechanism was analyzed by Western blotting.

Results

Our results noted that Apatinib combined with HHT remarkably inhibited cell proliferation, reduced the capacity of colony-forming, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in AML cells. Mechanistically, Apatinib and HHT play a role as a suppressor in the expression of VEGFR-2 and the downstream signaling cascades, such as the PI3K, MAPK, and STAT3 pathways.

Conclusion

Our preclinical data demonstrate that Apatinib combined with HHT exerts a better antileukemia effect than Apatinib alone by inhibiting the VEGFR-2 signaling pathway, suggesting the potential role of Apatinib and HHT in the treatment of AML. This study provides clinicians with innovative combination therapies and new therapeutic targets for the treatment of AML.

Global regulatory factor AaLaeA upregulates the production of antitumor substances in the endophytic fungus Alternaria alstroemeria

The global regulatory factor LaeA has been shown to be involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in various fungi. In a previous work, we isolated an endophytic fungus from Artemisia annua, and its extract had a significant inhibitory effect on the A549 cancer cell line. Phylogenetic analysis further identified the strain as Alternaria alstroemeria. Overexpression of AalaeA gene resulted in significantly increased antitumor activity of this strain's extract. The 3-(4, 5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay results showed that the inhibition rate of the AalaeA^OE29 mutant extract on A549 cancer cells was significantly higher than that of the WT extract, as the IC₅₀ decreased from 195.0 to 107.4 μg/ml, and the total apoptosis rate was enhanced. Overexpression of the AalaeA gene significantly increased the contents of myricetin, geraniol, ergosterol, and 18 other antitumor compounds as determined by metabolomic analysis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant changes in 95 genes in the mutant strain, including polyketide synthases, nonribosomal peptide synthases, cytochrome P450s, glycosyltransferases, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferases, and others. These results suggested that AaLaeA mediated the antitumor activity of the metabolites in A. alstroemeria by regulating multiple metabolic pathways.

New application of novel tetrazine derivatives as potent VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors and anti-cancer agents

Background: A novel series of s-tetrazine derivatives was designed as a new scaffold and synthesized efficiently as VEGFR-2 inhibitors for the first time. Methodology & results: The inhibitory activities of the new compounds were tested by MTT assay and enzyme assay, respectively. Western blot assay, cell apoptosis assay and cell migration assay were carried out to study the action mechanism of them. All the synthesized compounds showed evident VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities (IC₅₀ in the range of 88.53-257.55 nM). Compounds 23h, 25d, 26e and 27c showed excellent anti-proliferative activities against the four tested cell lines and were better than sorafenib basically. Conclusion: Compounds with good activities based on this novel scaffold can be screened successfully.

eEF-2K knockdown synergizes with STS treatment to inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the TG2/ERK pathway in A549 cells

Emerging research has suggested the anticancer potential of tanshinone IIA, the bioactive ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza. However, the molecular mechanism of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) antilung cancer effect is not very clear. In this study, our purpose is to investigate the roles of STS and elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2K) in regulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 cells and explore the implicated pathways. We found that STS suppressed A549 cell survival and proliferation in a time- and xdose-dependent manner. Knockdown of eEF-2K and treatment with STS synergistically exerted antiproliferative, -migratory, and -invasive effects on A549 cells. These effects were caused by attenuation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway via inhibition of tissue transglutaminase (TG2). In summary, the inhibition of eEF-2K synergizes with STS treatment, exerting anticancer effects on lung adenocarcinoma cells through the TG2/ERK signaling pathway, which provides a potential therapeutic target for treating lung adenocarcinoma.

Global regulatory factor VeA upregulates the production of antitumor substances in endophytic Fusarium solani

A number of studies have demonstrated that endophytic fungi have the potential to produce antitumor active substances with novel structures and significant activities. In our previous studies, we isolated a Fusarium strain from the stem of the medicinal plant Nothapodytes pittosporoides (Oliv.). In this study, we identified this strain as Fusarium solani and found that its crude extract has significant antitumor activity against human alveolar adenocarcinoma cells (A549). We overexpressed the global regulatory factor VeA in F. solani (VeA^OE), resulting in a significant increase in antitumor activity. The MTT assay results showed that the inhibition rate of the VeA^OE mutant extract on A549 cancer cells was significantly higher than that of the WT extract, as the IC₅₀ decreased from 369.22 to 285.89 μg/mL, and the apoptosis ratio was significantly increased by approximately 4.86-fold. In VeA^OE, accumulation of alkaloids, terpenoids, carboxylic acid derivatives, phenols and flavonoid metabolites with potential antitumor activity was significantly increased compared with WT based on metabolomic analysis. Additionally, transcriptome analysis found that the expression patterns of 48 genes related to antitumor activity were significantly changed in VeA^OE, mainly involving glycosyl hydrolases, the Zn(2)-Cys(6) class, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, 3-isopropylmalate dehydratase, and polyketide synthases. These results suggested that VeA mediated the antitumor activity of the metabolites in F. solani HB1-J1 by regulating multiple metabolic pathways.

Tanshinone IIA-regulation of IL-6 antagonizes PM2 .5 -induced proliferation of human bronchial epithelial cells via a STAT3/miR-21 reciprocal loop

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5 ), a component of atmospheric particulate matter, leads to changes in gene expression and cellular functions. Epidemiological evidence confirms that PM_2.5 has a positive correlation with lung injury. However, the molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood, and preventive methods are needed. In the present study, with human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells in culture, we showed that low concentrations of PM_2.5 resulted in acceleration of the G1/S transition and cell proliferation. Consistent with these effects, expression of the pro-inflammatory factor interleukin-6 (IL-6) was elevated in HBE cells exposed to PM_2.5 . Accordingly, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was activated, which down-regulated expression of cyclin D1. In addition, PM_2.5 exposure led to higher levels of miR-21, and there was a reciprocal loop between miR-21 and STAT3. For HBE cells, tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) reversed the PM_2.5 -induced cell cycle alteration and cell proliferation, and reduced the expression of cytokines (IL-6, STAT3, and miR-21). These results show that, for HBE cells, Tan IIA attenuates the PM_2.5 -induced G1/S alteration and cell proliferation, and indicate that it has potential clinical application for PM_2.5 -induced respiratory injuries.

Co-Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis and Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment: A Perspective in Ethnopharmacology

Tumor angiogenesis is one of the most important processes of cancer deterioration via nurturing an immunosuppressive tumor environment (TME). Targeting tumor angiogenesis has been widely accepted as a cancer intervention approach, which is also synergistically associated with immune therapy. However, drug resistance is the biggest challenge of anti-angiogenesis therapy, which affects the outcomes of anti-angiogeneic agents, and even combined with immunotherapy. Here, emerging targets and representative candidate molecules from ethnopharmacology (including traditional Chinese medicine, TCM) have been focused, and they have been proved to regulate tumor angiogenesis. Further investigations on derivatives and delivery systems of these molecules will provide a comprehensive landscape in preclinical studies. More importantly, the molecule library of ethnopharmacology meets the viability for targeting angiogenesis and TME simultaneously, which is attributed to the pleiotropy of pro-angiogenic factors (such as VEGF) toward cancer cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells. We primarily shed light on the potentiality of ethnopharmacology against tumor angiogenesis, particularly TCM. More research studies concerning the crosstalk between angiogenesis and TME remodeling from the perspective of botanical medicine are awaited.

Activation of CNR1/PI3K/AKT Pathway by Tanshinone IIA Protects Hippocampal Neurons and Ameliorates Sleep Deprivation-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Rats

Sleep deprivation is commonplace in modern society, Short periods of continuous sleep deprivation (SD) may negatively affect brain and behavioral function and may lead to vehicle accidents and medical errors. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is an important lipid-soluble component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which could exert neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of neuroprotective effect of Tan IIA on acute sleep deprivation-induced cognitive dysfunction in rats. Tan IIA ameliorated behavioral abnormalities in sleep deprived rats, enhanced behavioral performance in WMW and NOR experiments, increased hippocampal dendritic spine density, and attenuated atrophic loss of hippocampal neurons. Tan IIA enhanced the expression of CB1, PI3K, AKT, STAT3 in rat hippocampus and down-regulated the expression ratio of Bax to Bcl-2. These effects were inhibited by cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist (AM251). In conclusion, Tan IIA can play a neuroprotective role by activating the CNR1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to antagonize apoptosis in the hippocampus and improve sleep deprivation-induced spatial recognition and learning memory dysfunction in rats. Our study suggests that Tan IIA may be a candidate for the prevention of sleep deprivation-induced dysfunction in spatial recognition and learning memory.

Tanshinone IIA: New Perspective on the Anti-Tumor Mechanism of A Traditional Natural Medicine

The search for natural and efficacious antineoplastic drugs, with minimal toxicity and side effects, is an important part of antitumor drug research and development. Tanshinone IIA is the most evaluated lipophilic active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Tanshinone IIA is a path-breaking traditional drug applied in cardiovascular treatment. It has also been found that tanshinone IIA plays an important role in the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems, as well as in other tumor diseases. Tanshinone IIA significantly inhibits the proliferation of several types of tumors, blocks the cell cycle, induces apoptosis and autophagic death, in addition to inhibiting cell migration and invasion. Among these, the regulation of tumor-cell apoptosis signaling pathways is the key breakthrough point in several modes of antitumor therapy. The PI3K/AKT/MTOR signaling pathway and the JNK pathway are the key pathways for tanshinone IIA to induce tumor cell apoptosis. In addition to glycolysis, reactive oxygen species and signal transduction all play an active role with the participation of tanshinone IIA. Endogenous apoptosis is considered the main mechanism of tumor apoptosis induced by tanshinone IIA. Multiple pathways and targets play a role in the process of endogenous apoptosis. Tanshinone IIA can protect chemotherapy drugs, which is mainly reflected in the protection of the side effects of chemotherapy drugs, such as neurotoxicity and inhibition of the hematopoietic system. Tanshinone IIA also has a certain regulatory effect on tumor angiogenesis, which is mainly manifested in the control of hypoxia. Our findings indicated that tanshinone IIA is an effective treatment agent in the cardiovascular field and plays a significant role in antitumor therapeutics. This paper reviews the pharmacological potential and inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA on cancer. It is greatly anticipated that tanshinone IIA will be employed as an adjuvant in the treatment of various cancers.

A novel hybrid scan approach enabling the ion-mobility separation and the alternate data-dependent and data-independent acquisitions (HDDIDDA): Its combination with off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography for comprehensively characterizing the multicomponents from Compound Danshen Dripping Pill

Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA)-based MSⁿ strategies are extensively applied in metabolites characterization. DDA gives accurate MSⁿ information, but receives low coverage, while DIA covers the entire mass range, but the precursor-product ions matching often yields false positives. Currently available MS scan approaches rarely integrate DIA and DDA within a duty circle. Utilizing a Vion™ IM-QTOF (ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight) mass spectrometer, we report a novel hybrid scan approach, namely HDDIDDA, which involves three scan events: 1) IM-enabled full scan (MS¹), 2) high-definition MS^E (HDMS^E) of all precursor ions (MS²); and 3) high-definition DDA (HDDDA) of top N precursors (MS²). As a proof-of-concept, the HDDIDDA approach combined with off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) was applied to characterize the multiple ingredients from a reputable Chinese patent medicine, Compound Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP) used for treating the cardiovascular diseases. An off-line 2D-LC system by configuring an XBridge Amide column and an HSS T3 column showed a measurable orthogonality of 0.92 and enhanced the separation of co-eluting components. A fit-for-purpose HDDIDDA methodology was developed in the negative mode to characterize saponins and salvianolic acids, while tanshinones in the positive mode. Computational workflows to efficiently process the acquired HDMS^E and HDDDA data were established, and the searching of an in-house CDDP library (recording 712 compounds) eventually characterized 403 components from CDDP, indicating approximate 12-fold improvement compared with the previous report. The HDDIDDA approach can measure collision cross section of each component, and merges the merits of DIA and DDA in MS² data acquisition.

Anticancer Effect of Tanshinones on Female Breast Cancer and Gynecological Cancer

Female breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer are the most common tumors and the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide in women. Drugs derived from natural plants play important roles in malignant tumor therapy. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a commonly used Chinese herb which has been used in the treatment of liver diseases and cardiovascular diseases because of its positive effect of promoting blood circulation, increasing oxidative stress, and removing blood stasis. Recently, studies have found that fat-soluble components of Salvia miltiorrhiza such as tanshinone II, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, and dihydrotanshinone I displayed good antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro for gynecological cancer by different molecular mechanisms. In this study, the latest research progress on the antitumor effect and mechanism of tanshinone compounds in breast cancer and gynecological cancer was reviewed to provide references for the research and clinical application of these compounds (tanshinone II, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, and dihydrotanshinone I).

Tanshinone IIA derivatives induced S-phase arrest through stabilizing c-myc G-quadruplex DNA to regulate ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

Herein, a derivate from tanshinone IIA, 1,6,6-trimethyl-11-phenyl-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6H-furo[2',3':1,2]phenanthro[3,4-d]imidazole (TA25), has been synthesized and investigated as potential inhibitor against the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. MTT assay and cell colony formation assay results showed that TA25 exhibits acceptable inhibitory effect against the proliferation of lung cancer A549 cells, and the value of IC₅₀ was about 17.9 μM. This result was further confirmed by the inhibition of TA25 against the growth of xenograft lung cancer cells on zebrafish bearing tumor (A549 lung cancer cells). The results of wound-healing assay and FITC-gelatin invasion assay displayed that TA25 could inhibit the migration and invasion of lung cancer A549 cells. Moreover, the studies on the binding properties of TA25 interact with c-myc G-quadruplex DNA suggested that TA25 can bind in the G-quarter plane formed from G7, G11, G16 and G20 with c-myc G-quadruplex DNA through π-π stacking. Further study of the potential anti-cancer mechanism indicated that TA25 can induce S-phase arrest in lung cancer A549 cells, and this phenomenon resulted from the promotion of the production of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in A549 cells under the action of TA25. Further research revealed that TA25 could inhibit the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway and increase the expression of p53 protein. Overall, TA25 can be developed into a promising inhibitor against the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells and has potential clinical application in the near future.

Tanshinone IIA Shows Higher Antiproliferative Activities than Sinapic Acid in 4 Cancer Cell Lines and Simultaneously Induces Apoptosis and Necroptosis in Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) and sinapic acid (SA) are 2 components separately isolated from 2 Asian medicinal plants, Hydnophytum formicarum Jack and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. The antitumor activities of them were worth exploring, therefore, we examined their antitumor activities in A549, HCT116, HeLa, and Colo320 cancer cell lines by means of WST-1 assay. The results show that Tan IIA exerted far higher (IC50 from 1.0 ± 0.0 to 166.3 ± 24.0 µg/mL) antiproliferative activities than SA (IC50 from 2236.3 ± 484.1 to >10 000.0 µg/mL). Of the 4 cell lines, A549 cells were the most sensitive to Tan IIA; thus, we used Western blotting to explore the cytotoxic mechanisms of Tan IIA in A549 cells and found that they rely on simultaneous induction of apoptosis and necroptosis in the cells. Apoptosis was hallmarked by the induction of cleaved caspase-3 by Tan IIA and necroptosis by the necroptotic marker proteins cyclophilin A and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), as well as increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities. The necroptotic effect was confirmed by the necroptosis inhibitor necrostatin-1 (Nec-1), which eliminated these effects and restored cell survival rates. The levels of cyclophilin A decreased in response to the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, and those of cleaved caspase-3 decreased in response to Nec-1. Conclusively, Tan IIA has the potential to prevent lung cancer and the mechanism seems to be apoptosis and necroptosis, of which the relationship is mutually interdependent. This is the first report of Tan IIA eliciting necroptosis in A549 cells. Tan IIA may be used for necroptosis-based cancer therapy, especially to overcome apoptosis resistance.

Natural Products with Activity against Lung Cancer: A Review Focusing on the Tumor Microenvironment

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Despite the undeniable progress in lung cancer research made over the past decade, it is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and continues to challenge scientists and researchers engaged in searching for therapeutics and drugs. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is recognized as one of the major hallmarks of epithelial cancers, including the majority of lung cancers, and is associated with tumorigenesis, progression, invasion, and metastasis. Targeting of the TME has received increasing attention in recent years. Natural products have historically made substantial contributions to pharmacotherapy, especially for cancer. In this review, we emphasize the role of the TME and summarize the experimental proof demonstrating the antitumor effects and underlying mechanisms of natural products that target the TME. We also review the effects of natural products used in combination with anticancer agents. Moreover, we highlight nanotechnology and other materials used to enhance the effects of natural products. Overall, our hope is that this review of these natural products will encourage more thoughts and ideas on therapeutic development to benefit lung cancer patients.

Synthesis and 4D-QSAR Studies of Alanine Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives as Aminopeptidase N Inhibitors

BACKGROUND

As a target for anticancer treatment, aminopeptidase N (APN) shows its overexpression on diverse malignant tumor cells and associates with cancer invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was the design, synthesis and biological activity evaluation of alanine hydroxamic acid derivatives as APN inhibitors, and investigation of the binding mode of inhibitors in the APN active site.

METHODS

Alanine hydroxamic acid derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-cancer activity using CCK-8 assay. Molecular docking and 4D-QSAR studies were carried out to suggest the mechanism of biological activity.

RESULTS

Compared with Bestatin, compound 9b showed the best APN inhibition activity. The putative binding mode of 9b in the APN active site was also discussed. Moreover, the robust and reliable 4D-QSAR model exhibited the following statistics: R² = 0.9352, q² _LOO = 0.8484, q² _LNO =0.7920, R² _Pred = 0.8739.

CONCLUSION

Newly synthesized compounds exerted acceptable anticancer activity and further investigation of the current scaffold would be beneficial.

PEG-poly(amino acid)s/EpCAM aptamer multifunctional nanoparticles arrest the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer

Tanshinone II-A (TSIIA) is a derivative of a phenanthrene-quinone extracted from a TCM herb, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and has been widely adopted in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). It is known that TSIIA can lead to the apoptosis and differentiation of certain cell lines and it suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of tumors. However, its poor water solubility and low bioavailability when taken orally have prevented this drug being utilized effectively in the body. A nanoparticle (NP) drug carrier system is a technology that can effectively improve drug utilization and targeting ability. In this study, a new NP drug carrier system is reported: EpCAM targeting TSIIA-encapsulated poly(amino acid)s NPs (EpCAM-TSIIA-NPs). The results show that this new targeted NP drug carrier system has higher cytotoxicity, better water solubility and better targeting ability, and can effectively suppress the proliferation and metastasis of tumors. In addition, the invasion and metastasis mechanism of colorectal cancer (CRC) under β-catenin nuclear meditation suppressed by EpCAM-TSIIA-NPs is also discussed. It is found that the immune-targeted type EpCAM-TSIIA-NPs could effectively enhance the expression of APC and axin when compared to normal NPs. It could improve the stability of β-catenin destruction complex and suppress the occurrence and progression of tumors by stopping the nuclear activities of β-catenin.

Tanshinone IIA sensitizes TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma through inducing the expression of death receptors (and suppressing STAT3 activation)

OBJECTIVE

This work was designed to explore whether the combination of Tanshinone IIA (T-IIA) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has a direct anti-cancer effect in glioblastoma (GBM) and the possible mechanisms.

METHODS

GBM cells (U-87 and U-251 MG) were treated with T-IIA or/and TRAIL, or the expression of death receptors (DRs), DR4 and DR5, was suppressed in GBM cells. The activity of GBM cells was determined by MTT, and the apoptosis was assessed by Hoechst33342 staining and flow cytometry. The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3/8/9, phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 as well as DR4 and DR5 in GBM cells were assessed by Western blotting. A nude mouse xenograft model was constructed to evaluate the effects of T-IIA and TRAIL cotreatment on tumor growth and apoptosis in vivo.

RESULTS

After T-IIA treatment, GBM cells resumed the sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis dependent on inhibition of p-STAT3 and activation of DR4, DR5 and caspases. DR4 or/and DR5 knockdown significantly abated the co-effect of T-IIA and TRAIL on GBM cell apoptosis and proliferation. Furthermore, T-IIA and TRAIL cotreatment markedly inhibited the growth of transplanted tumor and activated U87 cell apoptosis in nude mice.

CONCLUSION

T-IIA increases TRAIL-induced apoptosis by downregulating STAT3 and upregulating DR4 and DR5, indicating T-IIA therapy as a novel treatment strategy for TRAIL-resistant GBM.

SUMOylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is the main target of antiangiogenesis therapy against this disease. However, there is limited evidence regarding its regulatory mechanism. Thus, elucidating the underlying mechanism of regulation of VEGFR2 is of great value to antiangiogenesis therapy. The colocalization of VEGFR2 and small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO1) was detected through confocal microscopy. We examined the level of VEGFR2 SUMOylation in cells and rat tissues, and its effects on the angiogenesis signaling pathway (immunoprecipitation and western blotting), as well as the proliferation (Cell Counting Kit-8 assay) and migratory ability (cell scratch and Transwell assays) of NSCLC cells. Apoptosis was evaluated through Hoechst staining. VEGFR2 and SUMO1 are colocalized in the cytoplasm. VEGFR2 can be SUMOylated through combination with SUMO1 in cells and rat tissues, and the level of VEGFR2 SUMOylation in NSCLC is higher than that observed in healthy cells and tissues. Cell proliferation, migration, and the protein levels of phosphorylated-VEGFR2/phosphorylated-Akt/phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-VEGFR2/p-Akt/p-ERK1/2) were significantly increased in NSCLC cells transfected with VEGFR2 K1270R versus those reported in cells transfected with VEGFR2 (wild-type). The levels of p-VEGFR2/p-Akt/p-ERK1/2 protein were significantly decreased in cells transfected with sentrin-specific protease 1-targeting small interfering RNA (siSENP1) versus those recorded in nontransfected controls. VEGFR2 SUMOylation may play an important role in antiangiogenesis therapy of NSCLC. The level of VEGFR2 SUMOylation may be a prognostic marker in patients with NSCLC.

Perspectives and controversies regarding the use of natural products for the treatment of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality both in men and women and accounts for 18.4% of all cancer‐related deaths. Although advanced therapy methods have been developed, the prognosis of lung cancer patients remains extremely poor. Over the past few decades, clinicians and researchers have found that chemical compounds extracted from natural products may be useful for treating lung cancer. Drug formulations derived from natural compounds, such as paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and camptothecin, have been successfully used as chemotherapeutics for lung cancer. In recent years, hundreds of new natural compounds that can be used to treat lung cancer have been found through basic and sub‐clinical research. However, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of drugs that have been used in a clinical setting. The probable reasons may include low solubility, limited absorption, unfavorable metabolism, and severe side effects. In this review, we present a summary of the natural compounds that have been proven to be effective for the treatment of lung cancer, as well as an understanding of the mechanisms underlying their pharmacological effects. We have also highlighted current controversies and have attempted to provide solutions for the clinical translation of these compounds.

Dihydrotanshinone I Is Effective against Drug-Resistant Helicobacter pylori In Vitro and In Vivo

Helicobacter pylori is a major global pathogen and has been implicated in gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric carcinoma. The efficacy of the extensive therapy of H. pylori infection with antibiotics is compromised by the development of drug resistance and toxicity toward human gut microbiota, which urgently demands novel and selective antibacterial strategies. The present study was mainly performed to assess the in vitro and in vivo effects of a natural herbal compound, dihydrotanshinone I (DHT), against standard and clinical H. pylori strains. DHT demonstrated effective antibacterial activity against H. pylori in vitro (MIC_50/90, 0.25/0.5 μg/ml), with no development of resistance during continuous serial passaging. Time-kill curves showed strong time-dependent bactericidal activity for DHT. Also, DHT eliminated preformed biofilms and killed biofilm-encased H. pylori cells more efficiently than the conventional antibiotic metronidazole. In mouse models of multidrug-resistant H. pylori infection, dual therapy with DHT and omeprazole showed in vivo killing efficacy superior to that of the standard triple-therapy approach. Moreover, DHT treatment induces negligible toxicity against normal tissues and exhibits a relatively good safety index. These results suggest that DHT could be suitable for use as an anti-H. pylori agent in combination with a proton pump inhibitor to eradicate multidrug-resistant H. pylori.

Tanshinone IIA: A Review of its Anticancer Effects

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a pharmacologically lipophilic active constituent isolated from the roots and rhizomes of the Chinese medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen). Tan IIA is currently used in China and other neighboring countries to treat patients with cardiovascular system, diabetes, apoplexy, arthritis, sepsis, and other diseases. Recently, it was reported that tan IIA could have a wide range of antitumor effects on several human tumor cell lines, but the research of the mechanism of tan IIA is relatively scattered in cancer. This review aimed to summarize the recent advances in the anticancer effects of tan IIA and to provide a novel perspective on clinical use of tan IIA.

Tanshinone IIA suppresses ovarian cancer growth through inhibiting malignant properties and angiogenesis

Background

In Chinese herbal medicine, Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) is one of the main compounds extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Tan-IIA has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth of various tumors. However, the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of the antitumor effect of Tan-IIA have yet to be fully illuminated.

Methods

A2780 and ID-8 were treated with 0, 1.2, 2.4, 4.8, or 9.6 µg/mL Tan-IIA for 24 hours. Cell counting Kit-8 assay and EdU staining were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and flow cytometry were performed to analyze apoptosis. Western blot was carried out to determine the protein levels. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis. The levels of mRNA expression were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The anti-tumor effect of Tan-IIA was observed in a tumor-bearing mouse model.

Results

Tan-IIA inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner by inducing G2/M phase arrest. It also down-regulated B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and up-regulated Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in ovarian cancer cells to induce apoptosis, and suppressed cell migration by inhibiting focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation. Tan-IIA significantly reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) mRNA expression in ovarian cancer cells. In vivo, Tan-IIA significantly inhibited tumor growth by inducing apoptosis and promoting anti-angiogenesis.

Conclusions

The results of this study shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms for the antitumor effect of Tan-IIA.

ISL Induces Apoptosis and Autophagy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Downregulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in vivo and in vitro

Aims

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a flavonoid from Glycyrrhiza glabra, has previously been reported to have anti-tumor effects in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanisms whereby ISL exerts its anticancer effects remain poorly understood in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Purpose

In the present study, we investigated the anticancer efficacy and associated mechanisms of ISL in HCC MHCC97-H and SMMC7721 cells.

Results

We found that ISL inhibited cell viability and proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner in liver cancer lines. Furthermore, ISL could activate autophagy in HCC cells, and the autophagy inhibitor HCQ enhances ISL-induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Additionally, ISL induced apoptosis and autophagy through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Most importantly, in a xenograft tumor model in nude mice, data showed that the administration of ISL decreased tumor growth and concurrently promoted the expression of LC3-II and cleaved-caspase-3. Interestingly, we found that ISL inhibits mTOR by docking onto the ATP-binding pocket of mTOR (ie, it competes with ATP). We thus suggest that mTOR is a potential target for ISL inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma development, which could be of interest for future investigations.

Conclusion

Taken together, the results reveal that ISL effectively inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC through autophagy induction in vivo and in vitro, probably via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. ISL may be a potential therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combination of Tanshinone IIA and Cisplatin Inhibits Esophageal Cancer by Downregulating NF-κB/COX-2/VEGF Pathway

Cisplatin (DDP) represents one of the common drugs used for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but side effects associated with DDP and drug resistance lead to the failure of treatment. This study aimed to understand whether tanshinone IIA (tan IIA) and DDP could generate a synergistic antitumor effect on ESCC cells. Tan IIA and DDP are demonstrated to restrain ESCC cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent mode. Tan IIA and DDP at a ratio of 2:1 present a synergistic effect on ESCC cells. The combination suppresses cell migration and invasion abilities, arrests the cell cycle, and causes apoptosis in HK and K180 cells. Molecular docking indicates that tan IIA and DDP could be docked into active sites with the tested proteins. In all treated groups, the expression levels of E-cadherin, β-catenin, Bax, cleaved caspase-9, P21, P27, and c-Fos were upregulated, and the expression levels of fibronectin, vimentin, Bcl-2, cyclin D1, p-Akt, p-ERK, p-JNK, P38, COX-2, VEGF, IL-6, NF-κB, and c-Jun proteins were downregulated. Among these, the combination induced the most significant difference. Our results suggest that tan IIA could be a novel treatment for combination therapy for ESCC.

Discovery of the anti-angiogenesis effect of eltrombopag in breast cancer through targeting of HuR protein

HuR (human antigen R), an mRNA-binding protein responsible for poor prognosis in nearly all kinds of malignancies, is a potential anti-tumor target for drug development. While screening HuR inhibitors with a fluorescence polarization (FP) based high-throughput screening (HTS) system, the clinically used drug eltrombopag was identified. Activity of eltrombopag on molecular level was verified with FP, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), simulation docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Further, we showed that eltrombopag inhibited in vitro cell proliferation of multiple cancer cell lines and macrophages, and the in vivo anti-tumor activity was also demonstrated in a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model. The in vivo data showed that eltrombopag was efficient in reducing microvessels in tumor tissues. We then confirmed the HuR-dependent anti-angiogenesis effect of eltrombopag in 4T1 cells and RAW264.7 macrophages with qRT-PCR, HuR-overexpression and HuR-silencing assays, RNA stability assays, RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. Finally, we analyzed the in vitro anti-angiogenesis effect of eltrombopag on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) mediated by macrophages with cell scratch assay and in vitro Matrigel angiogenesis assay. With these data, we revealed the HuR-dependent anti-angiogenesis effect of eltrombopag in breast tumor, suggesting that the existing drug eltrombopag may be used as an anti-cancer drug.

An overview of the anti-cancer actions of Tanshinones, derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen)

Tanshinone is a herbal medicinal compound described in Chinese medicine, extracted from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen). This family of compounds, including Tanshinone IIA and Tanshinone I, have shown remarkable potential as anti-cancer molecules, especially against breast, cervical, colorectal, gastric, lung, and prostate cancer cell lines, as well as leukaemia, melanoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma among others. Recent data has indicated that Tanshinones can modulate multiple molecular pathways such as PI3K/Akt, MAPK and JAK/STAT3, and exert their pharmacological effects against different malignancies. In addition, preclinical and clinical data, together with the safety profile of Tanshinones, encourage further applications of these compounds in cancer therapeutics. In this review article, the effect of Tanshinones on different cancers, challenges in their pharmacological development, and opportunities to harness their clinical potential have been documented.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ): a nexus between hypoxia and cancer

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors. As transcription factors, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are the master regulators of the hypoxic microenvironment; their target genes function in tumorigenesis and tumor development. Intriguingly, both yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralog transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) play fundamental roles in the malignant progression of hypoxic tumors. As downstream effectors of the mammalian Hippo pathway, YAP and/or TAZ (YAP/TAZ) are phosphorylated and sequestered in the cytoplasm by the large tumor suppressor kinase 1/2 (LATS1/2)-MOB kinase activator 1 (MOB1) complex, which restricts the transcriptional activity of YAP/TAZ. However, dephosphorylated YAP/TAZ have the ability to translocate to the nucleus where they induce transcription of target genes, most of which are closely related to cancer. Herein we review the tumor-related signaling crosstalk between YAP/TAZ and hypoxia, describe current agents and therapeutic strategies targeting the hypoxia–YAP/TAZ axis, and highlight questions that might have a potential impact in the future.

Natural compound Tan-I enhances the efficacy of Paclitaxel chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

Background

Paclitaxel is a widely used clinical first line chemotherapy drug for ovarian carcinoma. Tanshinone I (Tan-I) is one of the vital fat-soluble components, which derived from Chinese herbal medicine, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Herein, we evaluated whether Tan-I could enhance the efficacy of ovarian cancer to chemotherapy of Paclitaxel.

Methods

Ovarian cancer cells A2780 and ID-8 were exposed with Tan-I (4.8 µg/mL), Paclitaxel (0.1 µg/mL), or Tan-I combination with Paclitaxel for 24 hours. The cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK8 and EdU staining. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by the TUNEL assay and flow cytometry. The protein levels were determined by western blot. Cell migration was analyzed by Transwell and wound healing. Cell senescence was analyzed by senescence-associated b-galactosidase staining. Antitumor activity was analyzed by a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model of human ovarian cancer in nude mice. The protein expression and apoptosis level of tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining.

Results

Tan-I treatment significantly elevated the Paclitaxel-cause reduction of A2780 and ID-8 cell proliferation and cell migration. Tan-I combination with Paclitaxel promotes apoptosis of cancer cells by promoting Bax expression and Bcl-2 expression. Besides, Tan-I treatment can notably increase Paclitaxel-inducing cell senescence by promoting DNA damage and senescence-associated proteins such as p21 and p16. Furthermore, the result of the transplanted tumor model indicated that Tan-I combination with Paclitaxel could inhibit tumor growth in vivo by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis.

Conclusions

Natural compound Tan-I enhances the efficacy of ovarian cancer to Paclitaxel chemotherapy. The results will help to supply the potential clinical use of ovarian carcinoma cells.