Oncosis-like cell death is induced by berberine through ERK1/2-mediated impairment of mitochondrial aerobic respiration in gliomas

Potential of Natural Products in the Treatment of Glioma: Focus on Molecular Mechanisms

Despite the waning of traditional treatments for glioma due to possible long-term issues, the healing possibilities of substances derived from nature have been reignited in the scientific community. These natural substances, commonly found in fruits and vegetables, are considered potential alternatives to pharmaceuticals, as they have been shown in prior research to impact pathways surrounding cancer progression, metastases, invasion, and resistance. This review will explore the supposed molecular mechanisms of different natural components, such as berberine, curcumin, coffee, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, quercetin, tanshinone, silymarin, coumarin, and lycopene, concerning glioma treatment. While the benefits of a balanced diet containing these compounds are widely recognized, there is considerable scope for investigating the efficacy of these natural products in treating glioma.

A Cyclometalated Ruthenium(II) Complex Induces Oncosis for Synergistic Activation of Innate and Adaptive Immunity

An optimal cancer chemotherapy regimen should effectively address the drug resistance of tumors while eliciting antitumor-immune responses. Research has shown that non-apoptotic cell death, such as pyroptosis and ferroptosis, can enhance the immune response. Despite this, there has been limited investigation and reporting on the mechanisms of oncosis and its correlation with immune response. Herein, we designed and synthesized a Ru(II) complex that targeted the nucleus and mitochondria to induce cell oncosis. Briefly, the Ru(II) complex disrupts the nucleus and mitochondria DNA, which active polyADP-ribose polymerase 1, accompanied by ATP consumption and porimin activation. Concurrently, mitochondrial damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress result in the release of Ca2+ ions and increased expression of Calpain 1. Subsequently, specific pore proteins porimin and Calpain 1 promote cristae destruction or vacuolation, ultimately leading to cell membrane rupture. The analysis of RNA sequencing demonstrates that the Ru(II) complex can initiate the oncosis-associated pathway and activate both innate and adaptive immunity. In vivo experiments have confirmed that oncosis promotes dendritic cell maturation and awakens adaptive cytotoxic T lymphocytes but also activates the innate immune by inducing the polarization of macrophages towards an M1 phenotype.

Arnicolide D induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated oncosis via ATF4 and CHOP in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can trigger various cell death mechanisms beyond apoptosis, providing promise in cancer treatment. Oncosis, characterized by cellular swelling and increased membrane permeability, represents a non-apoptotic form of cell death. In our study, we discovered that Arnicolide D (AD), a natural sesquiterpene lactone compound, induces ER stress-mediated oncosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and this process is reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent. Furthermore, we identified the activation of the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway during ER stress as a pivotal factor in AD-induced oncosis. Notably, the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) was found to effectively reverse AD-induced oncosis, suggesting ATF4 and CHOP may hold crucial roles in the induction of oncosis by AD. These proteins play a vital part in promoting protein synthesis during ER stress, ultimately leading to cell death. Subsequent studies, in where we individually or simultaneously knocked down ATF4 and CHOP in HCC cells, provided further confirmation of their indispensable roles in AD-induced oncosis. Moreover, additional animal experiments not only substantiated AD's ability to inhibit HCC tumor growth but also solidified the essential role of ER stress-mediated and ROS-dependent oncosis in AD's therapeutic potential. In summary, our research findings strongly indicate that AD holds promise as a therapeutic agent for HCC by its ability to induce oncosis.

Dual Role of Vitamin C-Encapsulated Liposomal Berberine in Effective Colon Anticancer Immunotherapy

The aim of the study was to achieve effective colon anticancer immunotherapy using the alkaloid berberine. In the presented paper we attempt to develop a formulation of berberine loaded into liposomal carriers using the vitamin C gradient method, characterized by efficient drug encapsulation, high stability during long-term storage, low drug release in human plasma with specific cytotoxicity towards colon cancer cells. Liposomal berberine was responsible for the induction of oxidative stress, the presence of Ca2+ ions in the cytosol, the reduction of Δψm, and ATP depletion with a simultaneous lack of caspase activity. Moreover, treatment with liposomal berberine led to CRT exposure on the surface of cancer cells, extracellular ATP, and HMGB1 release. The above-described mechanism of action was most likely associated with ICD induction, contributing to the increased number of phagocytic cancer cells. We have shown that cancer cells treated with liposomal berberine were phagocytosed more frequently by macrophages compared to the untreated cancer cells. What is more, we have shown that macrophage pre-treatment with liposomal berberine led to a 3-fold change in the number of phagocytosed SW620 cancer cells. The obtained results provide new insights into the role of berberine in maintaining the immune response against colorectal cancer.

Regulated necrosis pathways: a potential target for ischemic stroke

Globally, ischemic stroke causes millions of deaths per year. The outcomes of ischemic stroke are largely determined by the amount of ischemia-related and reperfusion-related neuronal death in the infarct region. In the infarct region, cell injuries follow either the regulated pathway involving precise signaling cascades, such as apoptosis and autophagy, or the nonregulated pathway, which is uncontrolled by any molecularly defined effector mechanisms such as necrosis. However, numerous studies have recently found that a certain type of necrosis can be regulated and potentially modified by drugs and is nonapoptotic; this type of necrosis is referred to as regulated necrosis. Depending on the signaling pathway, various elements of regulated necrosis contribute to the development of ischemic stroke, such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, pathanatos, mitochondrial permeability transition pore-mediated necrosis and oncosis. In this review, we aim to summarize the underlying molecular mechanisms of regulated necrosis in ischemic stroke and explore the crosstalk and interplay among the diverse types of regulated necrosis. We believe that targeting these regulated necrosis pathways both pharmacologically and genetically in ischemia-induced neuronal death and protection could be an efficient strategy to increase neuronal survival and regeneration in ischemic stroke.

Current understanding and future prospects on Berberine for anticancer therapy

Berberine (BBR) is a potential plant metabolite and has remarkable anticancer properties. Many kinds of research are being focused on the cytotoxic activity of berberine in in vitro and in vivo studies. A variety of molecular targets which lead to the anticancer effect of berberine ranges from p-53 activation, Cyclin B expression for arresting cell cycles; protein kinase B (AKT), MAP kinase and IKB kinase for antiproliferative activity; effect on beclin-1 involved in autophagy; reduced expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2 for the inhibition of invasion and metastasis etc. Berberine also interferes with transcription factor-1 (AP-1) activity responsible for the expression of oncogenes and neoplastic transformation of the cell. It also leads to the inhibition of various enzymes which are directly or indirectly involved in carcinogenesis like N acetyl transferase, Cyclo-oxygenase-2, Telomerase and Topoisomerase. In addition to these actions, Berberine plays a role in, the regulation of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines in preventing cancer formation. Berberine anticancer properties are demonstrated due to the interaction of berberine with micro-RNA. The summarized information presented in this review article may help and lead the researchers, scientists/industry persons to use berberine as a promising candidate against cancer.

Advances in mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway-related drugs in glioblastoma treatment

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). It is a leading cause of death among patients with intracranial malignant tumors. GBM exhibits intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity, leading to drug resistance and eventual tumor recurrence. Conventional treatments for GBM include maximum surgical resection of glioma tissue, temozolomide administration, and radiotherapy, but these methods do not effectively halt cancer progression. Therefore, development of novel methods for the treatment of GBM and identification of new therapeutic targets are urgently required. In recent years, studies have shown that drugs related to mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways can promote the death of glioblastoma cells by inducing mitochondrial damage, impairing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, and depleting large amounts of ATP. Some studies have also shown that modern nano-drug delivery technology targeting mitochondria can achieve better drug release and deeper tissue penetration, suggesting that mitochondria could be a new target for intervention and therapy. The combination of drugs targeting mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy pathways with nanotechnology is a promising novel approach for treating GBM.This article reviews the current status of drug therapy for GBM, drugs targeting mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, the potential of mitochondria as a new target for GBM treatment, the latest developments pertaining to GBM treatment, and promising directions for future research.

Pharmacotherapeutic values of berberine: A Chinese herbal medicine for the human cancer management

Berberine (BBR), a traditional Chinese phytomedicine extracted from various parts of Berberis plants, is an isoquinoline alkaloid used for centuries to treat diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and so forth. It has recently received immense attention worldwide to treat cancer due to its potent pro-apoptotic, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties. BBR efficiently induces tumor apoptosis, replicative quiescence and abrogates cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor neovascularization, and metastasis by modulating diverse molecular and cell signaling pathways. Furthermore, BBR could also reverse drug resistance, make tumor cells sensitive to current cancer treatment and significantly minimize the harmful side effects of cytotoxic therapies. This review comprehensively analyzed the pharmacological effects of BBR against the development, growth, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance in wide varieties of cancer. Also, it critically discusses the significant limitations behind the development of BBR into pharmaceuticals to treat cancer and the future research directions to overcome these limitations.

Potent anticancer activity of a novel iridium metallodrug via oncosis

Oncosis (from Greek ónkos, meaning "swelling") is a non-apoptotic cell death process related to energy depletion. In contrast to apoptosis, which is the main form of cell death induced by anticancer drugs, oncosis has been relatively less explored but holds potential to overcome drug resistance phenomena. In this study, we report a novel rationally designed mitochondria-targeted iridium(III) complex (OncoIr3) with advantageous properties as a bioimaging agent. OncoIr3 exhibited potent anticancer activity in vitro against cancer cells and displayed low toxicity to normal dividing cells. Flow cytometry and fluorescence-based assays confirmed an apoptosis-independent mechanism involving energy depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular swelling that matched with the oncotic process. Furthermore, a Caenorhabditis elegans tumoral model was developed to test this compound in vivo, which allowed us to prove a strong oncosis-derived antitumor activity in animals (with a 41% reduction of tumor area). Indeed, OncoIr3 was non-toxic to the nematodes and extended their mean lifespan by 18%. Altogether, these findings might shed new light on the development of anticancer metallodrugs with non-conventional modes of action such as oncosis, which could be of particular interest for the treatment of apoptosis-resistant cancers.

Berberine and folic acid co-modified pH-sensitive cascade-targeted PTX-liposomes coated with Tween 80 for treating glioma

Chemotherapy is a conventional treatment for glioma, but its efficacy is greatly limited due to low blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and lack of specificity. Herein, intelligent and tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive folic acid (FA) derivatives and mitochondria-targeting berberine (BBR) derivatives co-modified liposome coated with Tween 80 loading paclitaxel (PTX-Tween 80-BBR + FA-Lip) was constructed. Specifically speaking, liposomes modified by FA can be effectively target ed to glioma cells. BBR, due to its delocalized positive electricity and lipophilicity, can be attracted by mitochondrial membrane potential and concentrate on mitochondria to achieve mitochondrial targeting and induce cell apoptosis. By simultaneously modifying the liposome with FA and BBR to deliver drugs, leads to a good therapeutic effect of glioma through FA-based glioma targeting and BBR-based mitochondrial targeting. In addition, the surface of the liposome was coated with Tween 80 to further improve BBB penetration. All results exhibited that PTX-Tween 80-BBR + FA-Lip can observably improve the chemotherapy therapeutic efficacy through the highly specific tumor targeting and mitochondrial targeting, which can provide new ideas and methods for the targeted therapy of glioma.

Non-apoptotic cell death-based cancer therapy: Molecular mechanism, pharmacological modulators, and nanomedicine

As an emerging cancer therapeutic target, non-apoptotic cell death such as ferroptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis, etc., has revealed significant potential in cancer treatment for bypassing apoptosis to enhance the undermined therapeutic efficacy triggered by apoptosis resistance. A variety of anticancer drugs, synthesized compounds and natural products have been proven recently to induce non-apoptotic cell death and exhibit excellent anti-tumor effects. Moreover, the convergence of nanotechnology with functional materials and biomedicine science has provided tremendous opportunities to construct non-apoptotic cell death-based nanomedicine for innovative cancer therapy. Nanocarriers are not only employed in targeted delivery of non-apoptotic inducers, but also used as therapeutic components to induce non-apoptotic cell death to achieve efficient tumor treatment. This review first introduces the main characteristics, the mechanism and various pharmacological modulators of different non-apoptotic cell death forms, including ferroptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, paraptosis, lysosomal-dependent cell death, and oncosis. Second, we comprehensively review the latest progresses of nanomedicine that induces various forms of non-apoptotic cell death and focus on the nanomedicine targeting different pathways and components. Furthermore, the combination therapies of non-apoptotic cell death with photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and other modalities are summarized. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives in this regard are also discussed.

Apoptotic Features in Non-Apoptotic Processes

Apoptosis is the most thoroughly studied type of regulated cell death. Certain events, such as externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) into the outer leaflet of plasma membrane, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, caspase cascade activation, DNA fragmentation and blebbing, are widely considered to be hallmarks of apoptosis as well as being traditionally viewed as irreversible. This review shows that under particular circumstances these events can also participate in physiological processes not associated with initiation of apoptosis, such as cell differentiation, division, and motility, as well as non-apoptotic types of cell death. Moreover, these events may often be reversible. This review focuses on three processes: phosphatidylserine externalization, blebbing, and activation of apoptotic caspases. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and DNA fragmentation are not discussed.

Therapeutic Efficacies of Berberine against Neurological Disorders: An Update of Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms

Neurological disorders are ranked as the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide, underscoring an urgent necessity to develop novel pharmacotherapies. Berberine (BBR) is a well-known phytochemical isolated from a number of medicinal herbs. BBR has attracted much interest for its broad range of pharmacological actions in treating and/or managing neurological disorders. The discoveries in basic and clinical studies of the effects of BBR on neurological disorders in the last decade have provided novel evidence to support the potential therapeutical efficacies of BBR in treating neurological diseases. In this review, we summarized the pharmacological properties and therapeutic applications of BBR against neurological disorders in the last decade. We also emphasized the major pathways modulated by BBR, which provides firm evidence for BBR as a promising drug candidate for neurological disorders.

Anticancer mechanisms of Berberine: a good choice for glioblastoma multiforme therapy

The most typical malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), seems to have a grim outcome, despite the intensive multi-modality interventions. Literature suggests that biologically active phytomolecules may exert anticancer properties by regulating several signaling pathways. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, has various pharmacological applications to combat severe diseases like cancer. Mechanistically, Berberine inhibits cell proliferation and invasion, suppresses tumor angiogenesis, and induces cell apoptosis. The effect of the antitumoral effect of Berberine in GBM is increasingly recognized. This review sheds new light on the regulatory signaling mechanisms of Berberine in various cancer, proposing its potential role as a therapeutic agent for GBM. ‎.

Research progress on the pharmacological effects of berberine targeting mitochondria

Berberine is a natural active ingredient extracted from the rhizome of Rhizoma Coptidis, which interacts with multiple intracellular targets and exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities. Previous studies have preliminarily confirmed that the regulation of mitochondrial activity is related to various pharmacological actions of berberine, such as regulating blood sugar and lipid and inhibiting tumor progression. However, the mechanism of berberine's regulation of mitochondrial activity remains to be further studied. This paper summarizes the molecular mechanism of the mitochondrial quality control system and briefly reviews the targets of berberine in regulating mitochondrial activity. It is proposed that berberine mainly regulates glycolipid metabolism by regulating mitochondrial respiratory chain function, promotes tumor cell apoptosis by regulating mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, and protects cardiac function by promoting mitophagy to alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction. It reveals the mechanism of berberine's pharmacological effects from the perspective of mitochondria and provides a scientific basis for the application of berberine in the clinical treatment of diseases.

Update and New Insights on Future Cancer Drug Candidates From Plant-Based Alkaloids

Cancer is a complex multifactorial disease that results from alterations in many physiological and biochemical functions. Over the last few decades, it has become clear that cancer cells can acquire multidrug resistance to conventional anticancer drugs, resulting in tumor relapse. Thus, there is a continuous need to discover new and effective anticancer drugs. Natural products from plants have served as a primary source of cancer drugs and continue to provide new plant-derived anticancer drugs. The present review describes plant-based alkaloids, which have been reported as active or potentially active in cancer treatment within the past 4 years (2017-2020), both in preclinical research and/or in clinical trials. In addition, recent insights into the possible molecular mechanism of action of alkaloid prodrugs naturally present in plants are also highlighted.

Therapeutic Potential of Berberine in the Treatment of Glioma: Insights into Its Regulatory Mechanisms

Glioma is known as one of the most common primary intracranial tumors accounting for four-fifths of malignant brain tumors. There are several biological pathways that play a synergistic, pathophysiological role in glioma, including apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, and cell cycle arrest. According to previous rese arches, the drugs used in the treatment of glioma have been associated with significant limitations. Therefore, improved and/or new therapeutic platforms are required. In this regard, multiple flavonoids and alkaloids have been extensively studied in the treatment of glioma. Berberine is a protoberberine alkaloid with wide range of pharmacological activities, applicable to various pathological conditions. Few studies have reported beneficial roles of berberine in glioma. Berberine exerts its pharmacological functions in glioma by controlling different molecular and cellular pathways. We reviewed the existing knowledge supporting the use of berberine in the treatment of glioma and its effects on molecular and cellular mechanisms.

Berberine alleviates lipid metabolism disorders via inhibition of mitochondrial complex I in gut and liver

This study is to investigate the relationship between berberine (BBR) and mitochondrial complex I in lipid metabolism. BBR reversed high-fat diet-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance in mice. Fatty acid consumption, β-oxidation and lipogenesis were attenuated in liver after BBR treatment which may be through reduction in SCD1, FABP1, CD36 and CPT1A. BBR promoted fecal lipid excretion, which may result from the reduction in intestinal CD36 and SCD1. Moreover, BBR inhibited mitochondrial complex I-dependent oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis of liver and gut, but no impact on activities of complex II, III and IV. BBR ameliorated mitochondrial swelling, facilitated mitochondrial fusion, and reduced mtDNA and citrate synthase activity. BBR decreased the abundance and diversity of gut microbiome. However, no change in metabolism of recipient mice was observed after fecal microbiota transplantation from BBR treated mice. In primary hepatocytes, BBR and AMPK activator A769662 normalized oleic acid-induced lipid deposition. Although both the agents activated AMPK, BBR decreased oxygen consumption whereas A769662 increased it. Collectively, these findings indicated that BBR repressed complex I in gut and liver and consequently inhibited lipid metabolism which led to alleviation of obesity and fatty liver. This process was independent of intestinal bacteria.

Natural Products Targeting the Mitochondria in Cancers

There are abundant sources of anticancer drugs in nature that have a broad prospect in anticancer drug discovery. Natural compounds, with biological activities extracted from plants and marine and microbial metabolites, have significant antitumor effects, but their mechanisms are various. In addition to providing energy to cells, mitochondria are involved in processes, such as cell differentiation, cell signaling, and cell apoptosis, and they have the ability to regulate cell growth and cell cycle. Summing up recent data on how natural products regulate mitochondria is valuable for the development of anticancer drugs. This review focuses on natural products that have shown antitumor effects via regulating mitochondria. The search was done in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, over a 5-year period, between 2015 and 2020, with a keyword search that focused on natural products, natural compounds, phytomedicine, Chinese medicine, antitumor, and mitochondria. Many natural products have been studied to have antitumor effects on different cells and can be further processed into useful drugs to treat cancer. In the process of searching for valuable new drugs, natural products such as terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, coumarins, and quinones cover the broad space.

Berberine Inhibits Cell Proliferation by Interfering with Wild-Type and Mutant P53 in Human Glioma Cells

Introduction

Glioma is the most common malignant brain tumor. TP53 is the most common mutant gene in human cancer. Wild-type p53 (wtp53) is a tumor suppressor protein whereas mutant p53 (mutp53) is an oncoprotein that promotes tumor cell proliferation. Our aim was to examine the inhibitory effects of berberine on the proliferation of human glioma cells via regulation of wtp53, mutp53, and their downstream molecules.

Methods

We selected wtp53 cells (U87 cells) and mutp53 cells (U251 cells termed p53 R273H) to examine the inhibitory effects of berberine on human glioma cells. We used the CCK-8 kit to detect the toxic effect of berberine. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of berberine. Clone formation test was used to test the inhibitory effect of berberine on the proliferation of glioma cells. Western blot was used to detect the changes of related proteins such as p53, p-p53, p21 and cyclin D1. Lentivirus transduction was used to transduce wild-type p53 into U251 cells to further examine the effect of berberine. The nude mouse subcutaneous tumor model was used to detect the effect of berberine on inhibiting the proliferation of glioma cells in vivo.

Results

Berberine promoted the phosphorylation of wtp53, increased the expression of p21 protein, reduced cyclin D1 content, and caused G1 phase arrest in U87 cells. Berberine also reduced mutp53 content and caused G2 phase arrest in U251 cells with a concurrent decrease in p21, cyclin D1, and cyclin B1 content. Transduction with wtp53 enhanced the effects on cell cycle arrest. Further, berberine significantly inhibited glioma growth in vivo mouse tumor model.

Discussion

Glioma is a group of heterogeneous brain tumors with unique biological and clinical characteristics. Berberine can inhibit glioma cells through a variety of ways. Our research indicated that berberine inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells by interfering with wtp53 and mutp53. This indicates that berberine could be used as a potential drug to treat wild-type and mutant p53 glioma.

Low-Dose Berberine Attenuates the Anti-Breast Cancer Activity of Chemotherapeutic Agents via Induction of Autophagy and Antioxidation

Berberine (BBR), a major active component of Rhizoma coptidis, is one of the most promising agents for breast cancer adjuvant therapy. It is well accepted that BBR could exhibit remarkable anticancer efficacy with few side effects, and when treated with chemotherapeutic agents in combination, BBR could enhance the chemosensitivity of cancer cells. Our previous study reported that low-dose BBR (LDB) induced hormetic effect and attenuated the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we confirmed that LDB could promote cancer cell proliferation and antagonize the anti-breast cancer activities of chemotherapeutic agents. And the mechanisms were proved to be induction of autophagy and antioxidation by LDB. Our results showed that LDB could mildly induce reactive oxygen species, raise the level of autophagy by promoting the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, and promote antioxidant enzymes expression through activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in breast cancer cells. These findings revealed a potential negative impact of BBR on its adjuvant anti-breast cancer therapy, providing guidance for a safe and effective use of naturally originated medicines in the clinic.

Recent Advances in Characterizing Natural Products that Regulate Autophagy

Autophagy, an intricate response to nutrient deprivation, pathogen infection, Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-stress and drugs, is crucial for the homeostatic maintenance in living cells. This highly regulated, multistep process has been involved in several diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, especially in cancer. It can function as either a promoter or a suppressor in cancer, which underlines the potential utility as a therapeutic target. In recent years, increasing evidence has suggested that many natural products could modulate autophagy through diverse signaling pathways, either inducing or inhibiting. In this review, we briefly introduce autophagy and systematically describe several classes of natural products that implicated autophagy modulation. These compounds are of great interest for their potential activity against many types of cancer, such as ovarian, breast, cervical, pancreatic, and so on, hoping to provide valuable information for the development of cancer treatments based on autophagy.

Cell death in the gut epithelium and implications for chronic inflammation

The intestinal epithelium has one of the highest rates of cellular turnover in a process that is tightly regulated. As the transit-amplifying progenitors of the intestinal epithelium generate ~300 cells per crypt every day, regulated cell death and sloughing at the apical surface keeps the overall cell number in check. An aberrant increase in the rate of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) death underlies instances of extensive epithelial erosion, which is characteristic of several intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and infectious colitis. Emerging evidence points to a crucial role of necroptosis, autophagy and pyroptosis as important modes of programmed cell death in the intestine in addition to apoptosis. The mode of cell death affects tissue restitution responses and ultimately the long-term risks of intestinal fibrosis and colorectal cancer. A vicious cycle of intestinal barrier breach, misregulated cell death and subsequent inflammation is at the heart of chronic inflammatory and infectious gastrointestinal diseases. This Review discusses the underlying molecular and cellular underpinnings that control programmed cell death in IECs, which emerge during intestinal diseases. Translational aspects of cell death modulation for the development of novel therapeutic alternatives for inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer are also discussed.

A review of the chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic properties of the phytochemicals berberine, resveratrol and curcumin, and their influence on cell death via the pathways of apoptosis and autophagy

Phytochemicals are a diverse group of compounds found in a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, and have been reported to possess a number of health benefits. Marketed as supplements by health food retailers, this group of naturally occurring compounds have been investigated for a number of years to determine if they possess any chemopreventative and/or chemotherapeutic benefits. In this comprehensive review, the phytochemicals resveratrol, berberine and curcumin will be discussed, with particular focus being given to their proposed anticancer applications. The purpose of this review is to help clarify whether there is any truth in the claims that are regularly made regarding the efficacy of these compounds. To this end, a number of significant studies that involved the use of these phytochemicals will be identified, discussed and evaluated, to determine if they show promise in the ongoing fight to reduce the incidence rates and severity of various cancers. Specifically, it is the aim of this review to present and discuss key studies performed over the last two decades using these compounds and to evaluate, compare and contrast their effectiveness as chemopreventatives and chemotherapeutics. This should provide the reader with an overarching picture of how these structurally similar phytochemicals might be used in both clinical and nonclinical settings, as a part of the ongoing effort by clinicians, to help to slow down the increasing rate of cancers observed over the last few decades.

WD Repeat Domain 5 Promotes Invasion, Metastasis and Tumor Growth in Glioma Through Up-Regulated Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1 Expression

Background

Glioma is one of the important diseases that threaten human survival in today’s society. WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5) belongs to the components of the lysine methyltransferase complex. WDR5 is involved in gene transcription regulation, cell senescence, cancer and other biological events through methylation modification. However, its expression and function in glioma are still unclear.

Materials and Methods

The expression of WDR5 was observed in glioma cells, and then a glioma cell line SW1783 knocked down WDR5 was established. The effects of the decrease of WDR5 expression on proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of glioma cells were detected, respectively. The downstream regulators of WDR5 were identified by gene expression profiling technology, and the possible molecular mechanisms were identified.

Results

In this study, we found that WDR5 could promote glioma cell’s proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor metastasis. In glioma, especially in metastatic glioma tissues, WDR5 levels were significantly increased, the higher expression level could also cause a significant reduction in overall survival of glioma patients. Second, the ability of cells’ proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor metastasis was significantly reduced in WDR5 knockdown cell lines. We also found a significant change in the expression level of epithelial and mesenchymal markers in WDR5 knockdown cell lines. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of WDR5 could inhibit the expression of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), and knockdown of ZEB1 could inhibit invasion, migration and epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in WDR5 over-expression cell line. We also found that WDR5 may regulate ZEB1’s expression through H3K4me3.

Conclusion

In summary, in this study, we have studied the relationship between WDR5 and glioma, and found that WDR5’s expression is positively correlated with the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, which will help find the potential therapeutic target for glioma patients.

High DPP4 expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with low-grade glioma

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP4) plays a key role in tumor development; however, its role in glioma pathogenesis has not been determined. Here, we aimed to investigate the expression pattern of DPP4 and explore the association between expression and patient prognosis in glioma. DPP4 levels were investigated using qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot in a rat model of glioma and also in patient samples. The relationship between DPP4 levels, WHO pathological grade gliomas, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) status was assessed in patient samples. Our data indicated that DPP4 levels were markedly increased in a rat model of glioma (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) and aslo in patient samples. Furthermore, the elevation of DPP4 levels in the samples obtained from pateints was associated with the pathogical grade of glioma and the IDH1/2 status (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). High DPP4 levels decreased the survival probability of patients with low-grade glioma (LGG). The data from patient samples showed that DPP4 expression increased with the pathological grade. Increased expression of DPP4 could be a promising index for determining the prognosis of glioma.

Repurposing of plant alkaloids for cancer therapy: Pharmacology and toxicology

Drug repurposing (or repositioning) is an emerging concept to use old drugs for new treatment indications. Phytochemicals isolated from medicinal plants have been largely neglected in this context, although their pharmacological activities have been well investigated in the past, and they may have considerable potentials for repositioning. A grand number of plant alkaloids inhibit syngeneic or xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Molecular modes of action in cancer cells include induction of cell cycle arrest, intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, autophagy, inhibition of angiogenesis and glycolysis, stress and anti-inflammatory responses, regulation of immune functions, cellular differentiation, and inhibition of invasion and metastasis. Numerous underlying signaling processes are affected by plant alkaloids. Furthermore, plant alkaloids suppress carcinogenesis, indicating chemopreventive properties. Some plant alkaloids reveal toxicities such as hepato-, nephro- or genotoxicity, which disqualifies them for repositioning purposes. Others even protect from hepatotoxicity or cardiotoxicity of xenobiotics and established anticancer drugs. The present survey of the published literature clearly demonstrates that plant alkaloids have the potential for repositioning in cancer therapy. Exploitation of the chemical diversity of natural alkaloids may enrich the candidate pool of compounds for cancer chemotherapy and -prevention. Their further preclinical and clinical development should follow the same stringent rules as for any other synthetic drug as well. Prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical phase I and II trials should be initiated to unravel the full potential of plant alkaloids for drug repositioning.

A review of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant intracranial tumor. Due to its high morbidity, high mortality, high recurrence rate, and low cure rate, it has brought great difficulty for treatment. Although the current treatment is multimodal, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, it does not significantly improve survival time. The dismal prognosis and inevitable recurrence as well as resistance to chemoradiotherapy may be related to its highly cellular heterogeneity and multiple subclonal populations. Traditional Chinese medicine has its own unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of it. A comprehensive literature search of anti-glioblastoma active ingredients and derivatives from traditional Chinese medicine was carried out in literature published in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Cochrane library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP database. Hence, this article systematically reviews experimental research progress of some traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of glioblastoma from two aspects: strengthening vital qi and eliminating pathogenic qi. Among, strengthening vital qi medicine includes panax ginseng, licorice, lycium barbarum, angelica sinensis; eliminating pathogenic medicine includes salvia miltiorrhiza bunge, scutellaria baicalensis, coptis rhizoma, thunder god vine, and sophora flavescens. We found that the same active ingredient can act on different signaling pathways, such as ginsenoside Rg3 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis via the AKT, MEK signal pathway. Hence, this multi-target, multi-level pathway may bring on a new dawn for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Anticancer effect of berberine based on experimental animal models of various cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have explored the anti-tumor effect of berberine (BBR), but little clinical evidence guides the use of BBR in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to investigate the impact of BBR on various cancers in healthy animals to promote the transformation from bench to bed.

SEARCH METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Springer, and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2000 to October 2018 for relevant articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Only published studies focusing on the relationship between BBR and various cancers in vivo were qualified. Two review authors independently assessed the risk of bias for each study, and any disagreement was resolved by discussion or by involving a third assessor.

RESULTS

A total of 26 studies from 2000 to 2018, focusing on various cancer types, including breast cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung cancer, gastric cancer, neuroepithelial cancer, endometrial carcinoma, esophageal cancer, tongue cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and sarcoma were included. Overall, BBR reduced tumor volume (SMD =3.72, 95% CI: 2.89, 4.56, Z = 8.73, p < 0.00001) and tumor weight (SMD =2.35, 95% CI: 1.51, 3.19, Z = 5.50, p < 0.00001) in a linear The dose-response relationship (Pearson r = - 0.6717, p < 0.0001 in tumor volume analysis; Pearson r = - 0.7704, p < 0.0005 in tumor weight analysis). BBR inhibited angiogenesis in tumor tissues (SMD = 4.29, 95% CI: 2.14, 6.44, Z = 3.92, p < 0.00001), but it had no significant effect on the body weight of experimental animals (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: - 0.70, 0.92, Z = 0.27, p = 0.78). Publication bias was not detected.

CONCLUSION

BBR exerted anti-tumor effects in a variety of tumors in vivo, especially breast cancer and lung cancer, and the evidence was still insufficient in colorectal cancer and gastric cancer.

Chemical modulation of autophagy as an adjunct to chemotherapy in childhood and adolescent brain tumors

Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children and are the most challenging childhood cancer in relation to diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. One potential novel strategy to improve outcomes in cancer involves the manipulation of autophagy, a fundamental process in all cells. In cancer, autophagy can be thought of as having a "Janus"-like duality. On one face, especially in the early phases of cancer formation, autophagy can act as a cellular housekeeper to eliminate damaged organelles and recycle macromolecules, thus acting as tumor suppressor. On the other face, at later stages of tumor progression, autophagy can function as a pro-survival pathway in response to metabolic stresses such as nutrient depravation, hypoxia and indeed to chemotherapy itself, and can support cell growth by supplying much needed energy. In the context of chemotherapy, autophagy may, in some cases, mediate resistance to treatment. We present an overview of the relevance of autophagy in central nervous system tumors including how its chemical modulation can serve as a useful adjunct to chemotherapy, and use this knowledge to consider how targeting of autophagy may be relevant in pediatric brain tumors.