ERBB2 Overexpression Establishes ERBB3-Dependent Hypersensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells to Withaferin A

Withanolides: Promising candidates for cancer therapy

Natural products have played a significant role throughout history in the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases, particularly cancers. As a natural product primarily derived from various medicinal plants in the Withania genus, withanolides have been shown in several studies to exhibit potential activities in cancer treatment. Consequently, understanding the molecular mechanism of withanolides could herald the discovery of new anticancer agents. Withanolides have been studied widely, especially in the last 20 years, and attracted the attention of numerous researchers. Currently, over 1200 withanolides have been classified, with approximately a quarter of them having been reported in the literature to be able to modulate the survival and death of cancer cells through multiple avenues. To what extent, though, has the anticancer effects of these compounds been studied? How far are they from being developed into clinical drugs? What are their potential, characteristic features, and challenges? In this review, we elaborate on the current knowledge of natural compounds belonging to this class and provide an overview of their natural sources, anticancer activity, mechanism of action, molecular targets, and implications for anticancer drug research. In addition, direct targets and clinical research to guide the design and implementation of future preclinical and clinical studies to accelerate the application of withanolides have been highlighted.

Withaferin A: A Dietary Supplement with Promising Potential as an Anti-Tumor Therapeutic for Cancer Treatment - Pharmacology and Mechanisms

Cancer, as the leading cause of death worldwide, poses a serious threat to human health, making the development of effective tumor treatments a significant challenge. Natural products continue to serve as crucial resources for drug discovery. Among them, Withaferin A (WA), the most active phytocompound extracted from the renowned dietary supplement Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, exhibits remarkable anti-tumor efficacy. In this manuscript, we aim to comprehensively summarize the pharmacological characteristics of WA as a potential anti-tumor drug candidate, with the objective of contributing to its further development and the discovery of prospective drugs. Through an extensive review of literature from PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science, we have gathered substantial evidence showcasing WA's significant anti-tumor effects against a wide range of cancers in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Mechanistically, WA exerts its anti-tumor influence by inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis. Additionally, it inhibits cell proliferation, cancer stem cells, tumor metastasis, and also suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis. Several studies have identified direct target proteins of WA, such as vimentin, Hsp90, annexin II and mFAM72A, while BCR-ABL, Mortalin (mtHsp70), Nrf2, and c-MYB are potential targets of WA. Notwithstanding its remarkable anti-tumor efficacy, there are some limitations associated with WA, including potential toxicity and poor oral bioavailability, which need to be addressed when considering it as an anti-tumor candidate agent. Nevertheless, I given its promising anti-tumor attributes, WA remains an encouraging candidate for future drug development. Unveiling the exact target and comprehensive mechanism of WA's action represents a crucial research direction to pursue in the future.

Recent advances and limitations in the application of kahalalides for the control of cancer

Since the discovery of the kahalalide family of marine depsipeptides in 1993, considerable work has been done to develop these compounds as new and biologically distinct anti-cancer agents. Clinical trials and laboratory research have yielded a wealth of data that indicates tolerance of kahalalides in healthy cells and selective activity against diseased cells. Currently, two molecules have attracted the greates level of attention, kahalalide F (KF) and isokahalalide F (isoKF, Irvalec, PM 02734, elisidepsin). Both compounds were originally isolated from the sarcoglossan mollusk Elysia rufescens but due to distinct structural characteristics it has been hypothesized and recently shown that the ultimate origin of the molecules is microbial. The search for their true source has been a subject of considerable research in the anticipation of finding new analogs and a culturable expression system that can produce sufficient material through fermentation to be industrially relevant.

Implications of Withaferin-A for triple-negative breast cancer chemoprevention

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 15 % of all breast cancer cases, and unlike other malignancies, it lacks definite prognostic markers. While improved survival responses have been documented with the ongoing therapeutic approaches, the development of tumor resistance mechanisms to these treatment options pose major challenges in the treatment of TNBC. Notably, naturally occurring medicinal compounds have been studied extensively for their anti-neoplastic activities in cancer models including breast cancer due to their safe and non-deleterious effects. Among various dietary compounds, Withaferin-A (WA), a phytochemical derived from an ayurvedic medicinal plant, Withania somnifera has been characterized to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Importantly, multiple studies have shown that WA exhibits promising anti-tumoral activities against in-vitro and in-vivo experimental models of TNBC and that its combination has been documented to enhance chemotherapy efficacy. The current review highlights the mechanistic insights with recent updates including the pharmacokinetics parameters and implications of WA against breast cancer with major emphasis on TNBC.

A Comprehensive Review and Perspective on Anticancer Mechanisms of Withaferin A in Breast Cancer

Withaferin A (hereafter abbreviated as WA) is a promising anticancer steroidal lactone abundant in a medicinal plant (Withania somnifera) native to Asia. The root/leaf extract of Withania somnifera, which belongs to the Solanaceae family, continues to be included in the Ayurvedic medicine formulations of alternative medicine practice. Numerous chemicals are detectable in the root/leaf extract of Withania somnifera [e.g., withanolides (WA, withanone, withanolide A, etc.), alkaloids, sitoindosides, etc.], but the anticancer effect of this medicinal plant is largely attributed to WA. Anticancer effect of WA was initially reported in the early 70s in the Ehrlich ascites tumor cell model in vitro Since then, numerous preclinical studies have been performed using cellular and animal models of different cancers including breast cancer to determine cancer therapeutic and chemopreventive effects of WA. Chemoprevention, a word first introduced by Dr. Michael B. Sporn, was intended to impede, arrest, or reverse carcinogenesis at its earliest stages with pharmacologic agents. This review succinctly summarizes the published findings on anticancer pharmacology of WA in breast cancer focusing on pharmacokinetic behavior, in vivo efficacy data in preclinical models in a therapeutic and chemoprevention settings, and its known effects on cancer-relevant cellular processes (e.g., growth arrest, apoptosis induction, autophagy, metabolic adaptation, immune function, etc.) and molecular targets (e.g., suppression of oncogenes such as estrogen receptor-α, STAT3, etc.). Potential gaps in knowledge as well as future research directions essential for clinical development of WA for chemoprevention and/or treatment of breast cancer are also discussed.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in MG63 osteosarcoma cells with drug‑resistance by microarray analysis

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary malignant bone tumor, with extremely poor prognosis in patients with metastatic disease and resistance to therapy, such as multidrug regimens. The mechanisms of drug resistance are quite complex and have not been fully elucidated; thus, novel therapeutic targets should be identified to alleviate drug resistance in osteosarcoma. In the present study, the transcriptomes of the human osteosarcoma cell line MG63 and vincristine (VCR)-resistant MG63 cells were compared by microarray analysis. A total of 1,300 genes (602 upregulated and 698 downregulated) were reported to be differentially expressed in MG63/VCR compared with MG63 cells. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the B cell receptor, UVA-induced mitogen-activated protein kinases and receptor tyrosine kinase 2/3 signaling pathways. In the present study, 10 of the dysregulated genes, including roundabout homolog 1, death-associated protein kinase 1 and A-kinase anchor protein 12 were further evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. These results may aid the validation of candidate biomarkers for the treatment and prognosis of osteosarcoma, and provide novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the drug resistance of osteosarcoma cells.

Evaluation of Protein Levels of the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase ErbB3 in Serum

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) consists of four members: EGFR1/ErbB1/HER1, ErbB2/HER2, ErbB3/HER3, and HER4/ErbB4. Signaling through these receptors regulates many key cellular activities, such as cell division, migration, adhesion, differentiation, and apoptosis. The ErbB family has been shown to be overexpressed in different types of cancers and is a target of several inhibitors already in clinical trials. ErbB3 lacks a functional tyrosine kinase domain and therefore has not been as extensively studied as the other members of this family, but its importance in activating downstream pathways, such as the PI3K/Akt pathway, makes this RTK a worthy investigation target, especially in urothelial carcinoma where the PI3K/Akt pathway is vital for progression. In recent times, ErbB3 overexpression has been linked to drug resistance and progression of various diseases, especially cancer. ErbB3 levels in the serum were shown in many cases to be reflective of its role in disease progression, and therefore detection of serum ErbB3 levels during treatment may be of importance.Here we describe two methods for detecting ErbB3 protein in serum from patients who have undergone a clinical trial, utilizing two well-established methods in molecular biology-western blotting and ELISA, focusing on sample preparation and troubleshooting.

Design, synthesis and QSAR study of novel isatin analogues inspired Michael acceptor as potential anticancer compounds

Molecular hybridization is considered as an effective tactic to develop drugs for the treatment of cancer. A series of novel hybrid compounds of isatin and Michael acceptor were designed and synthesized on the basis of association principle. These hybrid compounds were tested for cytotoxic potential against human cancer cell lines namely, BGC-823, SGC-7901 and NCI-H460 by MTT assay. Most compounds showed good anti-growth activities in all tested human cancer cells. SAR and QSAR analysis may provide vital information for the future development of novel anti-cancer inhibitors. Notably, compound 6a showed potent growth inhibition on BGC-823, SGC-7901 and NCI-H460 with the IC₅₀ values of 3.6 ± 0.6, 5.7 ± 1.2, 3.2 ± 0.7 μM, respectively. Besides, colony formation assays, wound healing assays and flow cytometry analysis indicated 6a exhibited a potent anti-growth and anti-migration ability in a concentration-dependence manner through arrested cells in the G2/M phase of cell cycle. Moreover, 6a significantly repressed tumor growth in a NCI-H460 xenograft mouse model. Overall, our findings suggested isatin analogues inspired Michael acceptor may provide promising lead compounds for the development of cancer chemotherapeutics.