Recombinant IκBα-loaded curcumin nanoparticles for improved cancer therapeutics

NF-κB-Dependent and -Independent (Moonlighting) IκBα Functions in Differentiation and Cancer

IκBα is considered to play an almost exclusive role as inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, previous results have demonstrated that SUMOylation imposes a distinct subcellular distribution, regulation, NF-κB-binding affinity and function to the IκBα protein. In this review we discuss the main alterations of IκBα found in cancer and whether they are (most likely) associated with NF-κB-dependent or NF-κB-independent (moonlighting) activities of the protein.

Horizons of nanotechnology applications in female specific cancers

Female-specific cancers are the most common cancers in women worldwide. Early detection methods remain unavailable for most of these cancers, signifying that most of them are diagnosed at later stages. Furthermore, current treatment options for most female-specific cancers are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Although important milestones in molecularly targeted approaches have been achieved lately, current therapeutic strategies for female-specific cancers remain limited, ineffective and plagued by the emergence of chemoresistance, which aggravates prognosis. Recently, the application of nanotechnology to the medical field has allowed the development of novel nano-based approaches for the management and treatment of cancers, including female-specific cancers. These approaches promise to improve patient survival rates by reducing side effects, enabling selective delivery of drugs to tumor tissues and enhancing the uptake of therapeutic compounds, thus increasing anti-tumor activity. In this review, we focus on the application of nano-based technologies to the design of novel and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the context of female-specific cancers, highlighting their potential uses and limitations.

Possible role of nanocarriers in drug delivery against cervical cancer

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the largest cancer killer among women in most developing countries including India. Although, various drugs have been developed for cervical cancer, treatment with these drugs often results in a number of undesirable side effects, toxicity and multidrug resistance (MDR). Also, the outcomes for cervical cancer patients remain poor after surgery and chemo radiation. Methods: A literature search (for drugs and delivery systems against cervical cancer) was performed on PubMed and through Google. The present review discuss about various methods including its current conventional treatment with special reference to recent advances in delivery systems encapsulating various anticancer drugs and natural plant products for targeting towards cervical cancer. The role of photothermal therapy, gene therapy and radiation therapy against cervical cancer is also discussed. Results: Systemic/targeted drug delivery systems including liposomes, nanoparticles, hydrogels, dendrimers etc. and localized drug delivery systems like cervical patches, films, rings etc. are safer than the conventional chemotherapy which has further been proved by the several drug delivery systems undergoing clinical trials. Conclusion: Novel approaches for the aggressive treatment of cervical cancer will optimistically result in decreased side effects as well as toxicity, frequency of administration of existing drugs, to overcome MDR and to increase the survival rates.

Deletion and low expression of NFKBIA are associated with poor prognosis in lower-grade glioma patients

Lower-grade gliomas (LGGs), which are uniformly fatal in young adults, are classified as grades II-III tumors according to their histological features. The NFκB transcription factor, a crucial player in cancer initiation and progression, is inactivated in the cytoplasm by inhibitory proteins (IκBs) that have been shown to exert tumor-suppressor activity. Therefore, using The Cancer Genome Atlas copy number alteration and RNA-Seq data from 398 patients, we evaluated the association between the expression and dosage of NFKBIA, which encodes IκBα, and the overall malignancy of LGGs. Deletion and low expression of NFKBIA were associated with enhanced tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis in LGGs. Accordingly, the dosage and expression of NFKBIA were independent prognostic factors for 5-year survival (dosage: P = 0.016; expression: P = 0.002) and 5-year recurrence-free survival (dosage: P = 0.009; expression: P = 0.005). Moreover, gene set enrichment analyses and co-expression network analyses indicated a role for NFKBIA in the negative regulation of cell proliferation, possibly through the modulation of downstream NFκB activation. Overall, the present findings reveal the prognostic value of NFKBIA in LGGs, reinforcing the relevance of NFκB signaling in the development and progression of gliomas.