Negative regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 signalling cascade by lupeol inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Lupeol: A dietary and medicinal triterpene with therapeutic potential

Lupeol, a triterpene derived from various plants, has emerged as a potent dietary supplement with extensive therapeutic potential. This review offers a comprehensive examination of lupeol's applications across diverse health conditions. By meticulously analyzing current scientific literature, we have synthesized findings that underscore lupeol's impact on cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological diseases, dermatological conditions, nephrological issues, and cardiovascular health. The review delves into molecular studies that reveal lupeol's ability to modulate disease pathways and alleviate symptoms, positioning it as a promising therapeutic agent. Moreover, we discuss the potential role of lupeol in clinical practice and public health strategies, emphasizing its substantial benefits as a natural compound. This thorough analysis serves as a critical resource for researchers, providing insights into the multifaceted therapeutic properties of lupeol and its potential to significantly enhance health outcomes.

Cooperative STAT3-NFkB signaling modulates mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic profiling in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant health challenge and is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of many cancer types, including HCC and it involves alterations in various metabolic or nutrient-sensing pathways within liver cells to facilitate the rapid growth and progression of tumours. However, the role of STAT3-NFκB in metabolic reprogramming is still not clear.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) administered animals showed decreased body weight and elevated level of serum enzymes. Also, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed ultrastructural alterations. Increased phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3), phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B (p-NFκβ), dynamin related protein 1 (Drp-1) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) expression enhance the carcinogenicity as revealed in immunohistochemistry (IHC). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) concentration of IL-6 was found to be elevated in time dependent manner both in blood serum and liver tissue. Moreover, immunoblot analysis showed increased level of p-STAT3, p-NFκβ and IL-6 stimulated the upregulation of mitophagy proteins such as Drp-1, Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK-1). Meanwhile, downregulation of Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and cleaved caspase 3 suppresses apoptosis and enhanced expression of AFP supports tumorigenesis. The mRNA level of STAT3 and Drp-1 was also found to be significantly increased. Furthermore, we performed high-field 800 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based tissue and serum metabolomics analysis to identify metabolic signatures associated with the progression of liver cancer. The metabolomics findings revealed aberrant metabolic alterations in liver tissue and serum of 75th and 105th days of intervention groups in comparison to control, 15th and 45th days of intervention groups. Tissue metabolomics analysis revealed the accumulation of succinate in the liver tissue samples, whereas, serum metabolomics analysis revealed significantly decreased circulatory levels of ketone bodies (such as 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, acetone, etc.) and membrane metabolites suggesting activated ketolysis in advanced stages of liver cancer.

CONCLUSION

STAT3-NFκβ signaling axis has a significant role in mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic alterations in the development of HCC.

Natural bioactive compounds and STAT3 against hepatocellular carcinoma: An update

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging and very fatal liver cancer. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway is a crucial regulator of tumor development and are ubiquitously active in HCC. Therefore, targeting STAT3 has emerged as a promising approach for preventing and treating HCC. Various natural bioactive compounds (NBCs) have been proven to target STAT3 and have the potential to prevent and treat HCC as STAT3 inhibitors. Numerous kinds of STAT3 inhibitors have been identified, including small molecule inhibitors, peptide inhibitors, and oligonucleotide inhibitors. Due to the undesirable side effects of the conventional therapeutic drugs against HCC, the focus is shifted to NBCs derived from plants and other natural sources. NBCs can be broadly classified into the categories of terpenes, alkaloids, carotenoids, and phenols. Most of the compounds belong to the family of terpenes, which prevent tumorigenesis by inhibiting STAT3 nuclear translocation. Further, through STAT3 inhibition, terpenes downregulate matrix metalloprotease 2 (MMP2), matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), modulating metastasis. Terpenes also suppress the anti-apoptotic proteins and cell cycle markers. This review provides comprehensive information related to STAT3 abrogation by NBCs in HCC with in vitro and in vivo evidences.

CVD phenotyping in oncologic disorders: cardio-miRNAs as a potential target to improve individual outcomes in revers cardio-oncology

With the increase of aging population and prevalence of obesity, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer has also presented an increasing tendency. These two different diseases, which share some common risk factors. Relevant studies in the field of reversing Cardio-Oncology have shown that the phenotype of CVD has a significant adverse effect on tumor prognosis, which is mainly manifested by a positive correlation between CVD and malignant progression of concomitant tumors. This distal crosstalk and the link between different diseases makes us aware of the importance of diagnosis, prediction, management and personalized treatment of systemic diseases. The circulatory system bridges the interaction between CVD and cancer, which suggests that we need to fully consider the systemic and holistic characteristics of these two diseases in the process of clinical treatment. The circulating exosome-miRNAs has been intrinsically associated with CVD -related regulation, which has become one of the focuses on clinical and basic research (as biomarker). The changes in the expression profiles of cardiovascular disease-associated miRNAs (Cardio-miRNAs) may adversely affect concomitant tumors. In this article, we sorted and screened CVD and tumor-related miRNA data based on literature, then summarized their commonalities and characteristics (several important pathways), and further discussed the conclusions of Cardio-Oncology related experimental studies. We take a holistic approach to considering CVD as a risk factor for tumor malignancy, which provides an in-depth analysis of the various regulatory mechanisms or pathways involved in the dual attribute miRNAs (Cardio-/Onco-miRNAs). These mechanisms will be key to revealing the systemic effects of CVD on tumors and highlight the holistic nature of different diseases. Therefore, the Cardio-miRNAs should be given great attention from researchers in the field of CVD and tumors, which might become new targets for tumor treatment. Meanwhile, based on the principles of precision medicine (such as the predictive preventive personalized medicine, 3PM) and reverse Cardio-oncology to better improve individual outcomes, we should consider developing personalized medicine and systemic therapy for cancer from the perspective of protecting cardiovascular function.

Hexane fraction of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica root extract induces apoptosis of human lung cancer cells by inactivating Src/STAT3 pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effect of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica (AT) root extract on human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and the mechanism involved in such effect. Among three fractions of AT root extract, hexane fraction (HAT) significantly decreased the proliferation of NSCLC cells. Besides, HAT treatment dose-dependently inhibited colony formation of NSCLC cells. These effects were associated with apoptosis induction evidenced by increased chromatin condensation, accumulation of sub-G1 DNA content and annexin V-positive cells, and enhanced expression of apoptotic proteins, including cleaved-caspases and cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Notably, phosphorylation levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and Src were decreased by HAT. Transfection with STAT3 or Src for constitutive activation reversed the anti-proliferative effect of HAT on H1299 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that HAT-induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells is mediated by inhibition of Src/STAT3 pathway.

Role of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the deadliest cancer in human malignancies. It is the most common and severe type of primary liver cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a new kind of RNA and epigenetic factors, play a crucial role in tumorigenesis and the progression of HCC. LncRNAs are capable of promoting the autophagy, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells by targeting and modulating the expression of downstream genes in signaling pathways related to cancer; these transcripts modify the activity and expression of various tumor suppressors and oncogenes. LncRNAs could act as biomarkers for treatment approaches such as immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery to effectively treat HCC patients. Improved knowledge regarding the aetiology of HCC may result from an advanced understanding of lncRNAs. Enhanced oxidative stress in the mitochondrial and Endoplasmic reticulum leads to the activation of unfolded protein response pathway that plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. The mutual regulation between LncRNAs and Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cancer and simultaneous activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway determines the fate of tumor cells in HCC. Mitochondria-associated lncRNAs work as essential components of several gene regulatory networks; abnormal regulation of mitochondria-associated lncRNAs may lead to oncogenesis, which provides further insight into the understanding of tumorigenesis and therapeutic strategies.

Therapeutic advancements in targeting BCL-2 family proteins by epigenetic regulators, natural, and synthetic agents in cancer

Cancer is amongst the deadliest and most disruptive disorders, having a much higher death rate than other diseases worldwide. Human cancer rates continue to rise, thereby posing the most significant concerns for medical health professionals. In the last two decades, researchers have gone past several milestones in tackling cancer while gaining insight into the role of apoptosis in cancer or targeting various biomarker tools for prognosis and diagnosis. Apoptosis which is still a topic full of complexities, can be controlled considerably by B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and its family members. Therefore, targeting proteins of this family to prevent tumorigenesis, is essential to focus on the pharmacological features of the anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic members, which will help to develop and manage this disorder. This review deals with the advancements of various epigenetic regulators to target BCL-2 family proteins, including the mechanism of several microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Similarly, a rise in natural and synthetic molecules' research over the last two decades has allowed us to acquire insights into understanding and managing the transcriptional alterations that have led to apoptosis and treating various neoplastic diseases. Furthermore, several inhibitors targeting anti-apoptotic proteins and inducers or activators targeting pro-apoptotic proteins in preclinical and clinical stages have been summarized. Overall, agonistic and antagonistic mechanisms of BCL-2 family proteins conciliated by epigenetic regulators, natural and synthetic agents have proven to be an excellent choice in developing cancer therapeutics.

L-Fucose inhibits the progression of cholangiocarcinoma by causing microRNA-200b overexpression

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant biliary tract tumor with an extremely poor prognosis. There is an urgent demand to explore novel therapeutic strategies. L-fucose has been confirmed to participate in anti-inflammation and antitumor activities. However, the effect of L-fucose on the progression of CCA has not been well investigated. This study aimed to determine whether L-fucose induced the inhibition of CCA and its possible mechanism.

METHODS

The anti-growth activity was determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assays, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (FITC/PI) assay, and cell cycle analysis. The anti-metastasis activity was determined by wound healing, transwell, and invasion assays. The anti-angiogenesis activity was determined by tube formation and transwell assays. MicroRNAs that may be involved in the L-fucose-induced CCA inhibition was analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The preclinical therapeutic efficacy was mainly estimated by ultrasound in xenograft nude mouse models. Differences were analyzed via Student's t test or one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

L-Fucose induced apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, inhibited cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition of CCA cells, and additionally inhibited tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner, leading to a decrease in cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, L-fucose induced microRNA-200b (miR-200b) upregulation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAPK7) downregulation was found to be targeted by miR-200b, with decreased cell proliferation and metastasis. Additionally, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 was found to be downregulated after L-fucose treatment. Finally, in vivo experiments in CCA xenograft models also confirmed the antitumor properties of L-fucose.

CONCLUSION

L-Fucose inhibited the progression of CCA via the miR-200b/MAPK7 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathways.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.)-Derived Phytochemicals Target Multiple Signaling Pathways to Confer Oncopreventive and Oncotherapeutic Effects

Cancer is a highly lethal disease, and its incidence has rapidly increased worldwide over the past few decades. Although chemotherapeutics and surgery are widely used in clinical settings, they are often insufficient to provide the cure for cancer patients. Hence, more effective treatment options are highly needed. Although licorice has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times, the knowledge about molecular mechanisms behind its diverse bioactivities is still rather new. In this review article, different anticancer properties (antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects) of various bioactive constituents of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) are thoroughly described. Multiple licorice constituents have been shown to bind to and inhibit the activities of various cellular targets, including B-cell lymphoma 2, cyclin-dependent kinase 2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinases, mammalian target of rapamycin, nuclear factor-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, vascular endothelial growth factor, and matrix metalloproteinase-3, resulting in reduced carcinogenesis in several in vitro and in vivo models with no evident toxicity. Emerging evidence is bringing forth licorice as an anticancer agent as well as bottlenecks in its potential clinical application. It is expected that overcoming toxicity-related obstacles by using novel nanotechnological methods might importantly facilitate the use of anticancer properties of licorice-derived phytochemicals in the future. Therefore, anticancer studies with licorice components must be continued. Overall, licorice could be a natural alternative to the present medication for eradicating new emergent illnesses while having just minor side effects.

Unraveling the Potential Role of NEDD4-like E3 Ligases in Cancer

Cancer is a deadly disease worldwide, with an anticipated 19.3 million new cases and 10.0 million deaths occurring in 2020 according to GLOBOCAN 2020. It is well established that carcinogenesis and cancer development are strongly linked to genetic changes and post-translational modifications (PTMs). An important PTM process, ubiquitination, regulates every aspect of cellular activity, and the crucial enzymes in the ubiquitination process are E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3s) that affect substrate specificity and must therefore be carefully regulated. A surfeit of studies suggests that, among the E3 ubiquitin ligases, neuronal precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4)/NEDD4-like E3 ligases show key functions in cellular processes by controlling subsequent protein degradation and substrate ubiquitination. In addition, it was demonstrated that NEDD4 mainly acts as an oncogene in various cancers, but also plays a tumor-suppressive role in some cancers. In this review, to comprehend the proper function of NEDD4 in cancer development, we summarize its function, both its tumor-suppressive and oncogenic role, in multiple types of malignancies. Moreover, we briefly explain the role of NEDD4 in carcinogenesis and progression, including cell survival, cell proliferation, autophagy, cell migration, invasion, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), chemoresistance, and multiple signaling pathways. In addition, we briefly explain the significance of NEDD4 as a possible target for cancer treatment. Therefore, we conclude that targeting NEDD4 as a therapeutic method for treating human tumors could be a practical possibility.

Withanolide modulates the potential crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy in different colorectal cancer cell lines

Withaferin A (WFA), a withanolide, is isolated from plants of Withania somnifera (L.) Dual (Solanaceae), known as Indian ginseng, Indian winter cherry or Ashwagandha. It has been reported to exert multifaceted anti-neoplastic effects. Here, we analyzed the impact of WFA on apoptosis and autophagy activation in different human colorectal cancer cell lines. We observed that WFA exposure caused an increased aggregation of cells in the subG1 arrest in cell cycle, and increased the number of late apoptotic cells. WFA also induced the apoptosis via PARP and caspase-3 cleavage accompanied with suppression of levels of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. The influence of WFA on autophagy was validated by acridine orange, MDC staining, and immunocytochemistry of LC3. It was found that 24 h treatment of WFA increased the acridine and MDC stained autophagosome with induced the LC3 and other autophagy markers Atg7 and beclin-1 activation. We used Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 blocker, and 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor, to confirm whether these effects were specific to apoptosis and autophagy, and observed the recovery of both these processes upon exposure to WFA. Moreover, the activation of β-catenin protein was attenuated by WFA. Interestingly, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-promoted β-catenin knockdown augmented the WFA-induced active form of p-GSK-3β, and stimulated autophagy and apoptosis through PARP and LC3 activation. These findings suggested that WFA could stimulate activation of both apoptosis and autophagy process via modulating β-catenin pathway.

STAT3-EMT axis in tumors: modulation of cancer metastasis, stemness and therapy response

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism is responsible for metastasis of tumor cells and their spread to various organs and tissues of body, providing undesirable prognosis. In addition to migration, EMT increases stemness and mediates therapy resistance. Hence, pathways involved in EMT regulation should be highlighted. STAT3 is an oncogenic pathway that can elevate growth rate and migratory ability of cancer cells and induce drug resistance. The inhibition of STAT3 signaling impairs cancer progression and promotes chemotherapy-mediated cell death. Present review focuses on STAT3 and EMT interaction in modulating cancer migration. First of all, STAT3 is an upstream mediator of EMT and is able to induce EMT-mediated metastasis in brain tumors, thoracic cancers and gastrointestinal cancers. Therefore, STAT3 inhibition significantly suppresses cancer metastasis and improves prognosis of patients. EMT regulators such as ZEB1/2 proteins, TGF-β, Twist, Snail and Slug are affected by STAT3 signaling to stimulate cancer migration and invasion. Different molecular pathways such as miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs modulate STAT3/EMT axis. Furthermore, we discuss how STAT3 and EMT interaction affects therapy response of cancer cells. Finally, we demonstrate targeting STAT3/EMT axis by anti-tumor agents and clinical application of this axis for improving patient prognosis.

Fangchinoline targets epithelial-mesenchymal transition process by modulating activation of multiple cell-signaling pathways

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process, which can promote the transition of tumor cells into other organs by weakening the cell-cell junctions. Tumor cell invasion and metastasis arising because of EMT can determine the prognosis of cancer. EMT can be induced by several growth factors including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which can exert their effects by affecting several cell-signaling pathways. Fangchinoline (FCN), a kind of bisbenzylisoquinoline, belongs to the family Menispermaceae. FCN can display substantial antitumor effects against various malignant cell lines but its possible impact on EMT has not been explored. We examined the potential impact of FCN in affecting the activation of EMT in human colon cancer cells. We evaluated the influence of FCN on EMT in colon cancer cells by using Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays. The cellular invasion and migration were observed by Boyden chamber and wound healing assays. Thereafter, the effect of the drug on proliferation and invasion was also evaluated by real-time cell analysis. FCN suppressed the levels of TGF-β-induced mesenchymal markers, such as fibronectin, vimentin, MMP-9, MMP-2, N-cadherin, Twist, and Snail. However, FCN markedly enhanced the expression of epithelial markers such as occludin and E-cadherin. These results imply that FCN can potentially inhibit tumor metastasis through abrogating EMT. In addition, FCN downregulated c-Met/PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin cell signaling pathways and mitigated tumor migration as well as invasion. Overall, our study suggests a potential novel role of FCN as an antimetastatic agent against human colon cancer cells.

The Interaction Between Autophagy and JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Tumors

Tumor is one of the important factors affecting human life and health in today’s world, and scientists have studied it extensively and deeply, among which autophagy and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway are two important research directions. The JAK/STAT3 axis is a classical intracellular signaling pathway that assumes a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and vascular neogenesis, and its abnormal cell signaling and regulation are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. Therefore, the JAK/STAT3 pathway in tumor cells and various stromal cells in their microenvironment is often considered as an effective target for tumor therapy. Autophagy is a process that degrades cytoplasmic proteins and organelles through the lysosomal pathway. It is a fundamental metabolic mechanism for intracellular degradation. The mechanism of action of autophagy is complex and may play different roles at various stages of tumor development. Altered STAT3 expression has been found to be accompanied by the abnormal autophagy activity in many oncological studies, and the two may play a synergistic or antagonistic role in promoting or inhibiting the occurrence and development of tumors. This article reviews the recent advances in autophagy and its interaction with JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors.

NF-κB as a regulator of cancer metastasis and therapy response: A focus on epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Metastasis of tumor cells is a complex challenge and significantly diminishes the overall survival and prognosis of cancer patients. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a well-known mechanism responsible for the invasiveness of tumor cells. A number of molecular pathways can regulate the EMT mechanism in cancer cells and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) is one of them. The nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 can induce the transcription of several genes involved in EMT induction. The present review describes NF-κB and EMT interaction in cancer cells and their association in cancer progression. Due to the oncogenic role NF-κB signaling, its activation enhances metastasis of tumor cells via EMT induction. This has been confirmed in various cancers including brain, breast, lung and gastric cancers, among others. The ZEB1/2, transforming growth factor-β, and Slug as inducers of EMT undergo upregulation by NF-κB to promote metastasis of tumor cells. After EMT induction driven by NF-κB, a significant decrease occurs in E-cadherin levels, while N-cadherin and vimentin levels undergo an increase. The noncoding RNAs can potentially also function as upstream mediators and modulate NF-κB/EMT axis in cancers. Moreover, NF-κB/EMT axis is involved in mediating drug resistance in tumor cells. Thus, suppressing NF-κB/EMT axis can also promote the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents.

Molecular pharmacology and therapeutic advances of the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol

BACKGROUND

Plant triterpenoids are major sources of nutraceuticals that provide many health benefits to humans. Lupeol is one of the pentacyclic dietary triterpenoids commonly found in many fruits and vegetables, which is highly investigated for its pharmacological effect and benefit to human health.

PURPOSE

This systematic review critically discussed the potential pharmacological benefits of lupeol and its derivatives as evidenced by various cellular and animal model studies. To gain insight into the pharmacological effects of lupeol, the network pharmacological approach is applied. Pharmacokinetics and recent developments in nanotechnology-based approaches to targeted delivery of lupeol along with its safety use are also discussed.

METHODS

This study is dependent on the systematic and non-exhaustive literature survey for related research articles, papers, and books on the chemistry, pharmacological benefits, pharmacokinetics, and safety of lupeol published between 2011 and 2021. For online materials, the popular academic search engines viz. Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ResearchGate, Springer, as well as official websites were explored with selected keywords.

RESULTS

Lupeol has shown promising benefits in the management of cancer and many other human diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, kidney and liver problems, skin diseases, and neurological disorders. The pharmacological effects of lupeol primarily rely on its capacity to revitalize the cellular antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Network pharmacological approach revealed some prospective molecular targets and pathways and presented some significant information that could help explain the pharmacological effects of lupeol and its derivatives. Despite significant progress in molecular pharmacology, the clinical application of lupeol is limited due to poor bioavailability and insufficient knowledge on its mode of action. Structural modification and nanotechnology-guided targeted delivery of lupeol improve the bioavailability and bioactivity of lupeol.

CONCLUSION

The pentacyclic triterpene lupeol possesses numerous human health-benefiting properties. This review updates current knowledge and critically discusses the pharmacological effects and potential applications of lupeol and its derivatives in human health and diseases. Future studies are needed to evaluate the efficacies of lupeol and its derivatives in the management and pathobiology of human diseases.

Non-coding RNAs and macrophage interaction in tumor progression

The macrophages are abundantly found in TME and their M2 polarization is in favor of tumor malignancy. On the other hand, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) can modulate macrophage polarization in TME to affect cancer progression. The miRNAs can dually induce/suppress M2 polarization of macrophages and by affecting various molecular pathways, they modulate tumor progression and therapy response. The lncRNAs can affect miRNAs via sponging and other molecular pathways to modulate macrophage polarization. A few experiments have also examined role of circRNAs in targeting signaling networks and affecting macrophages. The therapeutic targeting of these ncRNAs can mediate TME remodeling and affect macrophage polarization. Furthermore, exosomal ncRNAs derived from tumor cells or macrophages can modulate polarization and TME remodeling. Suppressing biogenesis and secretion of exosomes can inhibit ncRNA-mediated M2 polarization of macrophages and prevent tumor progression. The ncRNAs, especially exosomal ncRNAs can be considered as non-invasive biomarkers for tumor diagnosis.

Non-coding RNA-based regulation of inflammation

Inflammation is a multifactorial process and various biological mechanisms and pathways participate in its development. The presence of inflammation is involved in pathogenesis of different diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and even, cancer. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise large part of transcribed genome and their critical function in physiological and pathological conditions has been confirmed. The present review focuses on miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs as ncRNAs and their potential functions in inflammation regulation and resolution. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors are regulated by miRNAs via binding to 3'-UTR or indirectly via affecting other pathways such as SIRT1 and NF-κB. LncRNAs display a similar function and they can also affect miRNAs via sponging in regulating levels of cytokines. CircRNAs mainly affect miRNAs and reduce their expression in regulating cytokine levels. Notably, exosomal ncRNAs have shown capacity in inflammation resolution. In addition to pre-clinical studies, clinical trials have examined role of ncRNAs in inflammation-mediated disease pathogenesis and cytokine regulation. The therapeutic targeting of ncRNAs using drugs and nucleic acids have been analyzed to reduce inflammation in disease therapy. Therefore, ncRNAs can serve as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets in inflammation-related diseases in pre-clinical and clinical backgrounds.

3-Formylchromone Counteracts STAT3 Signaling Pathway by Elevating SHP-2 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Simple Summary

STAT3 acts as a potential tumor-promoting transcription factor that gets aberrantly activated in several types of human cancers and plays a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis. STAT3 expression has been correlated with a dismal prognosis and poor survival. In this study, we have demonstrated that 3-formylchromone inhibits the STAT3 signaling in HCC cells by modulating SHP-2 expression. It also effectively diminished the tumor growth and subsequent reduction in metastasis in the HCC mouse model without exhibiting any major side effects.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancers that contribute to a large number of deaths throughout the globe. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a tumorigenic protein that is overactivated in several human malignancies including HCC. In the present report, the effect of 3-formylchromone (3FC) on the STAT3 signaling pathway in the HCC model was investigated. 3FC downregulated the constitutive phosphorylation of STAT3 and non-receptor tyrosine kinases such as JAK1 and JAK2. It also suppressed the transportation of STAT3 to the nucleus and reduced its DNA-binding ability. Pervanadate treatment overrode the 3FC-triggered STAT3 inhibition, and the profiling of cellular phosphatase expression revealed an increase in SHP-2 levels upon 3FC treatment. The siRNA-driven deletion of SHP-2 led to reinstate STAT3 activation. 3FC downmodulated the levels of various oncogenic proteins and decreased CXCL12-driven cell migration and invasion. Interestingly, 3FC did not exhibit any substantial toxicity, whereas it significantly regressed tumor growth in an orthotopic HCC mouse model and abrogated lung metastasis. Overall, 3FC can function as a potent agent that can display antitumor activity by targeting STAT3 signaling in HCC models.

Reiterating the Emergence of Noncoding RNAs as Regulators of the Critical Hallmarks of Gall Bladder Cancer

Gall bladder cancer (GBC) is a rare and one of the most aggressive types of malignancies, often associated with a poor prognosis and survival. It is a highly metastatic cancer and is often not diagnosed at the initial stages, which contributes to a poor survival rate of patients. The poor diagnosis and chemoresistance associated with the disease limit the scope of the currently available surgical and nonsurgical treatment modalities. Thus, there is a need to explore novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers that will help relieve the severity of the disease and lead to advanced therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence has correlated the atypical expression of various noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including circular RNAs (circRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA) with the increased cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration, metastasis, chemoresistance, and decreased apoptosis in GBC. Numerous reports have indicated that the dysregulated expression of ncRNAs is associated with poor prognosis and lower disease-free and overall survival in GBC patients. These reports suggest that ncRNAs might be considered novel diagnostic and prognostic markers for the management of GBC. The present review recapitulates the association of various ncRNAs in the initiation and progression of GBC and the development of novel therapeutic strategies by exploring their functional and regulatory role.

Mast cells: Therapeutic targets for COVID-19 and beyond

Mast cells (MCs) are innate immune cells that widely distribute throughout all tissues and express a variety of cell surface receptors. Upon activation, MCs can rapidly release a diverse array of preformed mediators residing within their secretory granules and newly synthesize a broad spectrum of inflammatory and immunomodulatory mediators. These unique features of MCs enable them to act as sentinels in response to rapid changes within their microenvironment. There is increasing evidence now that MCs play prominent roles in other pathophysiological processes besides allergic inflammation. In this review, we highlight the recent findings on the emerging roles of MCs in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and discuss the potential of MCs as novel therapeutic targets for COVID-19 and other non-allergic inflammatory diseases.

Double-edged roles of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 in cancer and its inhibitors in clinical trials

Phosphorylation is a reversible post-translational modification regulated by phosphorylase and dephosphorylase to mediate important cellular events. Src homology-2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) encoded by PTPN11 is the first identified oncogenic protein in protein tyrosine phosphatases family. Serving as a convergent node, SHP2 is involved in multiple cascade signaling pathways including Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, PI3K-AKT, JAK-STAT and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways. Especially, the double-edged roles of SHP2 based on the substrate specificity in various biological contexts dramatically increase the effect complexity in different SHP2-associated diseases. Evidences suggest that by collaborating with other mutations in associated pathways, dysregulation of SHP2 contributes to the pathogenesis of different cancers, making SHP2 a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. SHP2 can either act as oncogenic factor or tumor suppressor in different diseases, and both the conserved catalytic dephosphorylation mechanism and the unique allosteric regulation mechanism of SHP2 provide opportunities for the development of SHP2 inhibitors and activators. To date, several small-molecule SHP2 inhibitors have advanced into clinical trials for mono- or combined therapy of cancers. Moreover, SHP2 activators and proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC)-based degraders also display therapeutic promise. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the overall structures, regulation mechanisms, double-edged roles of SHP2 in both physiological and carcinogenic pathways, and SHP2 inhibitors in clinical trials. SHP2 activators and degraders are also briefly discussed. This review aims to provide in-depth understanding of the biological roles of SHP2 and highlight therapeutic potential of targeting SHP2.

Potential targeting of Hep3B liver cancer cells by lupeol isolated from Avicennia marina

Medicinal plants are valuable sources of different active constituents that are known to have important pharmacological activities including anticancer effects. Lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpenoid, present in many medicinal plants, has a wide range of biological activities. Although the anticancer activity of lupeol was reported, the published data are inconsistent and the clear mechanism of action has never been assigned. The current study aims at investigating the anticancer specificity and mechanism of lupeol isolated from Avicennia marina, which grows in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. The compound was purified by chromatography and identified by spectroscopy. Compared with a negative control, lupeol caused significant (p < .001) growth inhibitory activity on MCF-7 and Hep3B parental and resistant cells by 45%, 46%, 72%, and 35%, respectively. The mechanism of action of lupeol was further explored by measuring its effect on key players in cancer development and progression, BCL-2 anti-apoptotic and BAX pro-apoptotic proteins. Lupeol significantly (p < .01) downregulated BCL-2 gene expression in parental and resistant Hep3B cells by 33 and 3.5 times, respectively, contributing to the induction of apoptosis in Hep3B cells, whereas it caused no effect on BAX. Furthermore, the immunoblotting analysis revealed that lupeol cleaved the executioner caspase-3 into its active form. Interestingly, lupeol showed no significant effect on the proliferation of monocytes, whereas it caused an increase in the sub-G1 population and a reduction in the apoptosis rates of monocytes at 48 and 72 h, indicative of no immuno-inflammatory responses. Collectively, lupeol can be considered as promising effective and safe anticancer agent, particularly against Hep3B cancer cells.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Signaling Pathways and Prospective Therapeutic Targets

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) consists of a prevalent and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases representing a severe burden to affected individuals and their caretakers. Despite substantial improvement towards understanding of ASD etiology and pathogenesis, as well as increased social awareness and more intensive research, no effective drugs have been successfully developed to resolve the main and most cumbersome ASD symptoms. Hence, finding better treatments, which may act as "disease-modifying" agents, and novel biomarkers for earlier ASD diagnosis and disease stage determination are needed. Diverse mutations of core components and consequent malfunctions of several cell signaling pathways have already been found in ASD by a series of experimental platforms, including genetic associations analyses and studies utilizing pre-clinical animal models and patient samples. These signaling cascades govern a broad range of neurological features such as neuronal development, neurotransmission, metabolism, and homeostasis, as well as immune regulation and inflammation. Here, we review the current knowledge on signaling pathways which are commonly disrupted in ASD and autism-related conditions. As such, we further propose ways to translate these findings into the development of genetic and biochemical clinical tests for early autism detection. Moreover, we highlight some putative druggable targets along these pathways, which, upon further research efforts, may evolve into novel therapeutic interventions for certain ASD conditions. Lastly, we also refer to the crosstalk among these major signaling cascades as well as their putative implications in therapeutics. Based on this collective information, we believe that a timely and accurate modulation of these prominent pathways may shape the neurodevelopment and neuro-immune regulation of homeostatic patterns and, hopefully, rescue some (if not all) ASD phenotypes.

Regulation of Nuclear Factor-KappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway by non-coding RNAs in cancer: Inhibiting or promoting carcinogenesis?

The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway is considered as a potential therapeutic target in cancer therapy. It has been well established that transcription factor NF-κB is involved in regulating physiological and pathological events including inflammation, immune response and differentiation. Increasing evidences suggest that deregulated NF-κB signaling can enhance cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and also mediate radio-as well as chemo-resistance. On the contrary, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been found to modulate NF-κB signaling pathway under different settings. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can dually inhibit/induce NF-κB signaling thereby affecting the growth and migration of cancer cells. Furthermore, the response of cancer cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also be regulated by miRNAs. Regulation of NF-κB by miRNAs may be mediated via binding to 3^/-UTR region. Interestingly, anti-tumor compounds can increase the expression of tumor-suppressor miRNAs in inhibiting NF-κB activation and the progression of cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) can also effectively modulate NF-κB signaling thus affecting tumorigenesis. It is noteworthy that several studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs and circRNAs can affect miRNAs in targeting NF-κB activation. They can act as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) thereby reducing miRNA expression to induce NF-κB activation that can in turn promote cancer progression and malignancy.

Rationalizing the therapeutic potential of apigenin against cancer

BACKGROUND

Despite the remarkable advances made in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer during the past couple of decades, it remains the second largest cause of mortality in the world, killing approximately 9.6 million people annually. The major challenges in the treatment of the advanced stage of this disease are the development of chemoresistance, severe adverse effects of the drugs, and high treatment cost. Therefore, the development of drugs that are safe, efficacious, and cost-effective remains a 'Holy Grail' in cancer research. However, the research over the past four decades shed light on the cancer-preventive and therapeutic potential of natural products and their underlying mechanism of action. Apigenin is one such compound, which is known to be safe and has significant potential in the prevention and therapy of this disease.

AIM

To assess the literature available on the potential of apigenin and its analogs in modulating the key molecular targets leading to the prevention and treatment of different types of cancer.

METHOD

A comprehensive literature search has been carried out on PubMed for obtaining information related to the sources and analogs, chemistry and biosynthesis, physicochemical properties, biological activities, bioavailability and toxicity of apigenin.

KEY FINDINGS

The literature search resulted in many in vitro, in vivo and a few cohort studies that evidenced the effectiveness of apigenin and its analogs in modulating important molecular targets and signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, MAPK/ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, etc., which play a crucial role in the development and progression of cancer. In addition, apigenin was also shown to inhibit chemoresistance and radioresistance and make cancer cells sensitive to these agents. Reports have further revealed the safety of the compound and the adaptation of nanotechnological approaches for improving its bioavailability.

SIGNIFICANCE

Hence, the present review recapitulates the properties of apigenin and its pharmacological activities against different types of cancer, which warrant further investigation in clinical settings.

LDL cholesterol promotes the proliferation of prostate and pancreatic cancer cells by activating the STAT3 pathway

Hypercholesterolemia has been found to be closely linked with a significant increase in both cancer incidence and mortality. However, the exact correlation between serum cholesterol levels and cancer has not been completely deciphered. Here we analyzed the effect of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol on prostate and pancreatic cancer cells. We noted that LDL induced a substantial STAT3 activation and JAK1, JAK2, Src activation in diverse prostate and pancreatic tumor cells. Moreover, LDL promoted cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as upregulated the expression of diverse oncogenic gene products. However, deletion of LDL-activated STAT3 in LNCaP and PANC-1 cells and reduced LDL-induced cell viability. Simvastatin (SV) treatment also alleviated LDL-induced cell viability and migration ability in both the prostate and pancreatic tumor cells. These results demonstrate that LDL-induced STAT3 activation may exert a profound effect on the proliferation and survival of tumor cells.

Lupeol and its derivatives as anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy

Lupeol is a natural triterpenoid that widely exists in edible fruits and vegetables, and medicinal plants. In the last decade, a plethora of studies on the pharmacological activities of lupeol have been conducted and have demonstrated that lupeol possesses an extensive range of pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Pharmacokinetic studies have indicated that absorption of lupeol by animals was rapid despite its nonpolar characteristics, and lupeol belongs to class II BCS (biopharmaceutics classification system) compounds. Moreover, the bioactivities of some isolated or synthesized lupeol derivatives have been investigated, and these results showed that, with modification to C-3 or C-19, some derivatives exhibit stronger activities, e.g., antiprotozoal or anticancer activity. This review aims to summarize the advances in pharmacological and pharmacokinetic studies of lupeol in the last decade with an emphasis on its anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the research progress of lupeol derivatives thus far, to provide researchers with the latest information, point out the limitations of relevant research at the current stage and the aspects that should be strengthened in future research.

Avicennia marina a natural reservoir of phytopharmaceuticals: Curative power and platform of medicines

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. is a historic plant, well-known for many centuries in traditional and folk use medicine. A. marina is an evergreen tree belongs to Acanthaceae family. The plant is the most widespread mangrove in the tropical and subtropical regions of Indo-West-Pacific area. Current scientific data confirmed the medicinal values of A. marina. The pharmacological activity of the plant is attributed to the presence of several phytochemical classes.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the link between the traditional use of the plant and the scientific data accumulated over time including both the phytochemical analysis and therapeutic activities. Additionally, to evaluate the usage of obtained data for further development of the plant and its products in the pharmaceutical market.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data related to traditional medicine, therapeutic uses, phytochemical analysis and market availability of A. marina and its products from different geographical regions were collected. The collected data was compared and the research gaps were identified in order to highlight areas that can be employed to improve plant-based research and development.

RESULTS

Although the wide geographical distribution of the plant, its historic traditional use, richness of phytochemicals and diverse pharmacological activities, the utilization of these data has never been exploited for human health and several gaps were identified. These gaps include the lack of phyto-geographical comparison of the plant, the lack of proper mapping of traditional use to the scientific data and inadequate exploration of plant phytochemicals by researchers.

CONCLUSIONS

A. marina is an old tree that has evolved over centuries and adapted diverse climates. It contains a pool of potential phytochemicals that can be employed for the discovery of drugs after careful studies. Scientists are required to invest money and time to explore these renewable and natural sources of drugs and design drug formulations to overcome current difficult to treat health issues and fight against the era of drug resistant.

Pharmacological significance of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway in tumorigenesis

The understanding of the impact of the non-canonical NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) pathway in several human diseases including autoimmune, inflammatory and cancers has been on the rise. This pathway induces the expression of several important genes involved in diverse biological processes. Though progress has been made in understanding the activation, regulation and biological functions of the non-canonical NF-κB signaling mechanism, no specific drug has been approved to target NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK), the key signaling molecule in this pathway. The inhibition of NIK can serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for various ailments, especially for the treatment of different types of human cancers. There are other targetable downstream molecules in this pathway as well. This review highlights the possible role of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway in normal physiology as well as in different cancers and discusses about various pharmacological strategies to modulate the activation of this pathway.

Koebner phenomenon leading to the formation of new psoriatic lesions: evidences and mechanisms

Koebner phenomenon refers to the emergence of new psoriatic lesions in the healthy skin regions following an injury/trauma to psoriatic patients. The occurrence of psoriatic lesions at unusual areas of the body regions such as on penis, around eyes and on keloids suggest that the Koebner phenomenon may be responsible for these lesions. A number of agents/triggers have been reported to induce the development of new psoriatic lesions in healthy skin areas and these include, tattooing skin, radiations, skin incision, viral infections and striae etc. The different mechanisms that contribute in inducing the development of new psoriatic lesions as Koebernization include the involvement of mast cell-derived inflammatory mediators such as tryptase, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, and IL-36γ. Moreover, an increased expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) also contribute in Koebernization. Apart from these, there is a critical role of α 2 β1 integrins, S100A7 (psoriasin) and S100A15 (koebnerisin), change in the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells, down-regulation of mechanosensitive polycystin 1 protein, decrease in inflammation controlling atypical chemokine receptor 2 (ACKR2), reduced expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) on the keratinocytes and increase in levels of chemokines (CXCL8 and CCL20) in inducing formation of new psoriatic lesions. The present review discusses the role of Koebner phenomenon in the development of new psoriatic lesions. Moreover, it also describes the mechanisms involved in Koebernization in the form of discussion of different key targets that may be potentially modulated pharmacologically to attenuate/halt the development of new psoriatic lesions.

Targeting NF-κB Signaling for Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the world. Even though survival rates have significantly risen over the past years, MM remains incurable, and is also far from reaching the point of being managed as a chronic disease. This paper reviews the evolution of MM therapies, focusing on anti-MM drugs that target the molecular mechanisms of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. We also provide our perspectives on contemporary research findings and insights for future drug development.

Vitexin abrogates invasion and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through targeting STAT3 signaling pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major malignancy that stands second in terms of global cancer-related mortality. STAT3 has been described as a latent transcription factor that promotes tumorigenesis. This study was designed to examine the effect of vitexin on STAT3 signaling and important hallmarks of cancer. HCC cells were employed to decipher the impact of vitexin on activation of STAT3 signaling using Western blotting, EMSA, immunocytochemistry, and reporter assay. The combinational apoptotic effects of vitexin with approved anti-cancer drugs was examined by live-dead assay, and its anti-invasive potential was studied using matrigel assay. The results obtained in cell-based assays were verified using in silico analysis. Vitexin effectively inhibited sustained activation of JAK1, JAK2, Src, and STAT3 in HCC cells. Vitexin downregulated DNA binding ability, reduced the nuclear pool of STAT3, and diminished epidermal growth factor (EGF)-driven STAT3 gene expression. Interestingly, treatment with tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor altered the vitexin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation, and the attenuation of STAT3 by vitexin was found to be driven through the upregulation of PTPεC. The combinational studies indicated that vitexin can exhibit substantial apoptotic effects with doxorubicin and sorafenib. It also suppressed the CXCL12-induced cell invasion. The results of cell-based assays are supported by in silico analysis as the vitexin displayed favorable interaction with kinase domain of JAK2 protein. Overall, this study demonstrated that vitexin can act as a potential blocker of the STAT3 signaling cascade and mitigate the survival as well as invasion of HCC cells.

Lupeol suppresses plasminogen activator inhibitor-1-mediated macrophage recruitment and attenuates M2 macrophage polarization

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are closely related with poor prognosis of cancers. The current study investigated whether lupeol regulates TAMs by focusing on the recruitment and polarization of macrophages. We found that lupeol suppressed the recruitment of THP-1 macrophages (THP-1 cells differentiated into macrophages) towards H1299 lung carcinoma cells by inhibiting plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) production from H1299 cells. The reduced migration of THP-1 macrophages by lupeol was recovered by adding recombinant human PAI-1 as a chemoattractant. Knockdown of PAI-1 or treatment of tiplaxtinin, a PAI-1 inhibitor, in H1299 cells abrogated the chemotaxis of macrophages. Furthermore, lupeol suppressed the interleukin (IL)-4- and IL-13-induced M2 macrophage polarization. The mRNA expression of M2 macrophage markers and the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) were commonly decreased by lupeol in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, lupeol-suppressed M2 macrophage polarization led to the reduced migration of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. Taken together, our results suggest that lupeol attenuates PAI-1-mediated macrophage recruitment towards cancer cells and inhibits M2 macrophage polarization.

ML264 inhibits osteosarcoma growth and metastasis via inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 and WNT/β-catenin signalling pathways

Osteosarcoma, the most common bone malignancy, has a high morbidity rate and poor prognosis. Krüppel‐like factor 5 (KLF5) is a key transcriptional regulator of cellular proliferation whose overexpression is observed in osteosarcoma cell lines (U2OS, 143B, MG63 and SAOS2). ML264, a small‐molecule inhibitor of KLF5, exerts antiproliferative effects in colorectal cancer; however, its function in osteosarcoma remains unknown. Here, we explored the possible antitumour effects of ML264 on 143B and U2OS cell lines and murine tumour xenograft model. ML264 suppressed proliferation and clonogenic ability of osteosarcoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Moreover, ML264 induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, with no influence on apoptosis, and inhibited the migratory and invasive abilities of osteosarcoma cells, as demonstrated by wound‐healing and Transwell assays. Exposure to ML264 reduced the mRNA and protein levels of molecules associated with epithelial‐mesenchymal transition phenotype, including N‐cadherin, vimentin, Snail, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 and MMP13. Inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 phosphorylation and Wnt signalling was also observed. In the murine model of osteosarcoma, tumour growth was efficiently suppressed following a 10‐day treatment with ML264. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the potential value of ML264 as a novel anticancer drug for osteosarcoma.

Evodiamine Mitigates Cellular Growth and Promotes Apoptosis by Targeting the c-Met Pathway in Prostate Cancer Cells

Evodiamine (EVO) is an indoloquinazoline alkaloid that exerts its various anti-oncogenic actions by blocking phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Met, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, thus leading to apoptosis of tumor cells. We investigated the ability of EVO to affect hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced c-Met/Src/STAT3 activation cascades in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). First, we noted that EVO showed cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation activities in PC-3 and DU145 cells. Next, we found that EVO markedly inhibited HGF-induced c-Met/Src/STAT3 phosphorylation and impaired the nuclear translocation of STAT3 protein. Then, we noted that EVO arrested the cell cycle, caused apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of various carcinogenic markers such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), cyclin D1, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), survivin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metallopeptidases 9 (MMP-9). Moreover, it was observed that in cPC-3 and DU145 cells transfected with c-Met small interfering RNA (siRNA), Src/STAT3 activation was also mitigated and led to a decrease in EVO-induced apoptotic cell death. According to our results, EVO can abrogate the activation of the c-Met/Src/STAT3 signaling axis and thus plays a role as a robust suppressor of tumor cell survival, proliferation, and angiogenesis.

Telomerase: Key regulator of inflammation and cancer

The telomerase holoenzyme, which has a highly conserved role in maintaining telomere length, has long been regarded as a high-profile target in cancer therapy due to the high dependency of the majority of cancer cells on constitutive and elevated telomerase activity for sustained proliferation and immortality. In this review, we present the salient findings in the telomerase field with special focus on the association of telomerase with inflammation and cancer. The elucidation of extra-telomeric roles of telomerase in inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cancer development further complicated the design of anti-telomerase therapy. Of note, the discovery of the unique mechanism that underlies reactivation of the dormant telomerase reverse transcriptase TERT promoter in somatic cells not only enhanced our understanding of the critical role of TERT in carcinogenesis but also opens up new intervention ideas that enable the differential targeting of cancer cells only. Despite significant effort invested in developing telomerase-targeted therapeutics, devising efficacious cancer-specific telomerase/TERT inhibitors remains an uphill task. The latest discoveries of the telomere-independent functionalities of telomerase in inflammation and cancer can help illuminate the path of developing specific anti-telomerase/TERT therapeutics against cancer cells.

Farnesol contributes to intestinal epithelial barrier function by enhancing tight junctions via the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway in differentiated Caco-2 cells

Candida albicans causes mucosal diseases and secretes farnesol, a quorum-sensing molecule, which plays a vital role in suppressing the yeast-to-mycelia switch. Farnesol can also regulate immune cell function. However, how farnesol interacts with the intestinal epithelium remains unknown. Herein, we identified that farnesol promotes intestinal barrier function, by promoting transepithelial electrical resistance, reducing paracellular flux, inducing the Zonula Occludens-1 Protein (ZO-1) and occludin expression. Moreover, the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway was activated after farnesol treatment, and inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation by stattic remarkably suppressed the expression level of ZO-1. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (Chip) revealed that farnesol facilitated the transcriptional activation of STAT3 to significantly enhance the expression of ZO-1. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that farnesol facilitated intestinal epithelial barrier transcriptional regulation via activating JAK/STAT3 signaling. The involved molecules may be potentially targeted for treatment of Candida albicans invasion.

STAT3 Targets ERR-α to Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Migration, and Invasion in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

STAT3 is constitutively activated in many malignant tumor types and plays an important role in multiple aspects of cancer aggressiveness. In this study, we found that estrogen-related receptor α (ERR-α) correlating with STAT3 was highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and tissues, which was associated with both the pathologic stage and prognosis of patients with TNBC. In vitro studies showed that ERR-α promoted TNBC cell migration and invasion, which was regulated by STAT3. Phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3, Tyr 705) could bind to the promotor of ERR-α, and activate its transcription, which was suggested by luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We also found that ERR-α was the key target gene regulated by STAT3 in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion. ERR-α upregulated the expression of ZEB1, N-cadherin, and vimentin while downregulated the expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed that ERR-α could increase the metastasis ability of TNBC. Our finding demonstrated that ERR-α was a direct regulatory gene target of p-STAT3, which was enriched for processes involving invasion and metastasis in TNBC and provided insight into TNBC pathogenesis, as well as a potential therapeutic option against TNBC metastasis. IMPLICATIONS: Our research first showed that p-STAT3 (Tyr 705) could bind to the promotor region of ERR-α and promote EMT in TNBC by ZEB1 pathways, thus providing a potential clinical target for TNBC.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a useful therapeutic target in hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma is a malignant tumor in the liver of children that generally occurs at the age of 2–3 years. There have been ample evidence from the preclinical as well as clinical studies suggesting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatoblastoma, which is mainly attributed to the somatic mutations in the exon 3 of β-catenin gene. There is increased translocation of β-catenin protein from the cell surface to cytoplasm and nucleus and intracellular accumulation is directly linked to the severity of the cancer. Accordingly, the alterations in β-catenin and its target genes may be used as markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric live tumors. Furthermore, scientists have reported the therapeutic usefulness of inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatoblastoma and this inhibition of signaling has been done using different methods including short interfering RNA (siRNA), miRNA and pharmacological agents. Wnt/β-catenin works in association with other signaling pathways to induce the development of hepatoblastoma including Yes-associated protein (YAP)1 (YAP-1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) 1 (mTOR-1), SLC38A1, glypican 3 (GPC3), nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB), epidermal growth factor receptor, ERK1/2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), regenerating islet-derived 1 and 3 α (REG1A and 3A), substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor and PARP-1. The present review describes the key role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the development of hepatoblastoma. Moreover, the role of other signaling pathways in hepatoblastoma in association with Wnt/β-catenin has also been described.

Ginkgetin attenuates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced autophagy and cell death via modulation of the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway

Background: Cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury is the key to fatality in cerebrovascular accident, hence further endeavor is warranted to delineate the mechanism underlying its lethal aggravation procedure. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the anti-autophagy and anti-apoptosis effects of ginkgetin via nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/p53 pathway in cerebral I/R rats.

Methods: Rats were administrated 2-h occlusion of right middle cerebral artery before the 24-h reperfusion followed. There were three doses of ginkgetin (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) given intraperitoneally (i.p.) after the 2-h ischemia, and Pifithrin-α (PFT-α, p53 inhibitor), SN50 (NF-κB inhibitor) and 3-methyladenine (3-MA, autophagy inhibitor) was administered 20 min before the ischemia, respectively.

Results: The neurological deficits decreased significantly with the administration of ginkgetin. The concentrations of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II and p53 were significantly decreased by PFT-α, 3-MA and ginkgetin. The concentrations of Beclin 1, damage-regulated autophagy modulator, cathepsin B and cathepsin D were significantly decreased due to the administration of PFT-α, ginkgetin and SN50. Furthermore, the concentrations of Bax and p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis were significantly decreased with that of Bcl-2 being significantly increased by administration of SN50, PFT-α and ginkgetin.

Conclusion: Ginkgetin can alleviate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion induced autophagy and apoptosis by inhibiting the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway.

DEPDC1 promotes cell proliferation and suppresses sensitivity to chemotherapy in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of tumor-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accumulating evidence has revealed that aberrant expression of crucial cancer-related genes contributes to hepatocellular carcinogenesis. This study aimed to characterize the biological role of DEP domain containing 1 (DEPDC1), a novel cancer-related gene, in HCC and illuminate the potential molecular mechanisms involved.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used to characterize the expression patterns of DEPDC1 in tumorous tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was launched to evaluate the relationship between DEPDC1 expression and overall survival. CCK8 assay, colony formation and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the effects of DEPDC1 on HCC cell viability, clonogenic capability and cell apoptosis. Murine xenograft models were established to determine the effect of DEPDC1 on tumor growth in vivo SP600125, a JNK specific inhibitor, was applied to carriy out mechanistic studies.

RESULTS

DEPDC1 was significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues compared with para-cancerous tissues. Besides, patients with high DEPDC1 expression experienced a significantly shorter overall survival. Functional investigations demonstrated that DEPDC1 overexpression facilitated HCC cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis, whereas DEPDC1 depletion inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. Furthermore, DEPDC1 ablation suppressed tumorigenecity of HCC cells in murine xenograft models. Mechanistic studies uncovered that JNK signaling pathway mediated the promoting effects of DEPDC1 on HCC cell viability and chemotherapy resistance.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our data may provide some evidence for DEPDC1 as a candidate therapeutic target for HCC.

A Brief Overview of the Antitumoral Actions of Leelamine

For the last couple of decades, natural products, either applied singly or in conjunction with other cancer therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have allowed us to combat different types of human cancers through the inhibition of their initiation and progression. The principal sources of these useful compounds are isolated from plants that were described in traditional medicines for their curative potential. Leelamine, derived from the bark of pine trees, was previously reported as having a weak agonistic effect on cannabinoid receptors and limited inhibitory effects on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs). It has been reported to possess a strong lysosomotropic property; this feature enables its assembly inside the acidic compartments within a cell, such as lysosomes, which may eventually hinder endocytosis. In this review, we briefly highlight the varied antineoplastic actions of leelamine that have found implications in pharmacological research, and the numerous intracellular targets affected by this agent that can effectively negate the oncogenic process.

Down-regulation of microRNA-138 improves immunologic function via negatively targeting p53 by regulating liver macrophage in mice with acute liver failure

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been frequently identified as key mediators in almost all developmental and pathological processes, including those in the liver. The present study was conducted with aims of investigating the role of microRNA-138 (miR-138) in acute liver failure (ALF) via a mechanism involving p53 and liver macrophage in a mouse model. The ALF mouse model was established using C57BL/6 male mice via tail vein injection of Concanamycin A (Con A) solution. The relationship between miR-138 and p53 was tested. The mononuclear macrophages were infected with mimic and inhibitor of miR-138 in order to identify roles of miR-138 in p53 and levels of inflammatory factors. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot analysis and ELISA were conducted in order to determine the levels of miR-138, inflammatory factors, and p53 during ALF. The results showed an increase in the levels of miR-138 and inflammatory factors in ALF mice induced by the ConA as time progressed and reached the peak at 12 h following treatment with ConA, while it was on the contrary when it came to the level of p53. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that p53 was a target gene of miR-138. Furthermore, the results from the in vitro transfection experiments in primary macrophages of ALF mouse showed that miR-138 down-regulated p53 and enhanced levels of inflammatory factors; thus, improving immune function in ALF mice. In conclusion, by negatively targeting p53, the decreased miR-138 improves immunologic function by regulating liver macrophage in mouse models of ALF.

LncRNA SAMMSON negatively regulates miR-9-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and has prognostic values

In the present study, we investigated the role of lncRNA SAMMSON in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that SAMMSON was up-regulated in HCC tissues, and patients with high levels of SAMMSON in HCC tissues had significantly lower overall rate within 5 years after admission. miR-9-3p was down-regulated in HCC tissues and inversely correlated with SAMMSON. SAMMSON expression was not significantly affected by HBV and HCV infections in HCC patients. In HCC cells, SAMMSON overexpression resulted in down-regulated miR-9-3p expression, while miR-9-3p overexpression caused no significant changes in expression levels of SAMMSON. SAMMSON overexpression led to increased, while miR-9-3p overexpression resulted in decreased migration and invasion rates of HCC cells. Therefore, SAMMSON negatively regulated miR-9-3p in HCC cells to promote cancer cell migration and invasion.

Low concentration of rutin treatment might alleviate the cardiotoxicity effect of pirarubicin on cardiomyocytes via activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Cancer is the leading cause of deaths around the world, especially in low- and middle- income countries. Pirarubicin (THP) is an effective drug for treatment of cancer, however, there still exists cardiotoxic effects of THP. Rutin is a kind of antioxidative compound extracted from plants, and might be a protective compound for cardiomyocytes. Phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is critical for cellular survival, proliferation and metabolism, and thus we speculated rutin might perform a protective role in cardiomyocytes via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. And in this experiment, we first established a cardiotoxicity model of THP in mice model and cell models, and then found that rutin treatment could increase the proliferation of cells at low concentration. Then we explored the possible mechanism of the protective effect of rutin using Western blotting, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and ELISA methods, and found that the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway was increased, and expression of downstream molecules involved in antioxidative stress were also increased. We further noticed that concentration of angiogenesis promoting factors were also increased in medium of cultured cells. Thus, we speculated that rutin could increase the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, further decrease the oxidative stress level via increasing the expression of antioxidative stress enzymes with the increasing concentration of angiogenesis promoting factors, resulting in the protective role in cardiomyocytes and cardiac function.

Apigenin inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human colon cancer cells through NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway

Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tumor metastasis of colon cancer. We first evaluated the effects of EMT-related transcription factors on the prognosis of colon cancer through analysis the data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). And then we screened a series of Chinese medicine monomers to find effect EMT inhibitors. First, Snail is a more important EMT transcription factors for colon cancer prognosis, compared with Twist and Slug. Then, we found that apigenin effectively inhibits the activity of Snail. Apigenin could inhibit the EMT, migration, and invasion of human colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through the NF-κB/Snail pathway. Snail is a key regulator of EMT in colon cancer and Snail inhibitor apigenin may be a therapeutic application for patients with colon cancer.