Combination of DN604 with gemcitabine led to cell apoptosis and cell motility inhibition via p38 MAPK signaling pathway in NSCLC

New anti-cancer explorations based on metal ions

Due to the urgent demand for more anti-cancer methods, the new applications of metal ions in cancer have attracted increasing attention. Especially the three kinds of the new mode of cell death, including ferroptosis, calcicoptosis, and cuproptosis, are of great concern. Meanwhile, many metal ions have been found to induce cell death through different approaches, such as interfering with osmotic pressure, triggering biocatalysis, activating immune pathways, and generating the prooxidant effect. Therefore, varieties of new strategies based on the above approaches have been studied and applied for anti-cancer applications. Moreover, many contrast agents based on metal ions have gradually become the core components of the bioimaging technologies, such as MRI, CT, and fluorescence imaging, which exhibit guiding significance for cancer diagnosis. Besides, the new nano-theranostic platforms based on metal ions have experimentally shown efficient response to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, which realizes simultaneous cancer therapy and diagnosis through a more controlled nano-system. However, most metal-based agents have still been in the early stages, and controlled clinical trials are necessary to confirm or not the current expectations. This article will focus on these new explorations based on metal ions, hoping to provide some theoretical support for more anti-cancer ideas.

Ivermectin and gemcitabine combination treatment induces apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells via mitochondrial dysfunction

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer characterized by high mortality and poor prognosis, with a survival rate of less than 5 years in advanced stages. Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, exerts antitumor effects in various cancer types. This is the first study to evaluate the anticancer effects of the combination of ivermectin and gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. We found that the ivermectin–gemcitabine combination treatment suppressed pancreatic cancer more effectively than gemcitabine alone treatment. The ivermectin–gemcitabine combination inhibited cell proliferation via G1 arrest of the cell cycle, as evidenced by the downregulation of cyclin D1 expression and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3) signaling pathway. Ivermectin–gemcitabine increased cell apoptosis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction via the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential. This combination treatment also decreased the oxygen consumption rate and inhibited mitophagy, which is important for cancer cell death. Moreover, in vivo experiments confirmed that the ivermectin–gemcitabine group had significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to the gemcitabine alone group. These results indicate that ivermectin exerts synergistic effects with gemcitabine, preventing pancreatic cancer progression, and could be a potential antitumor drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.