Sea Cucumber Compounds Targeting NF-κB in Cancer Treatment

Targeting the NF-κB pathway as a potential regulator of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy

Advances in cancer immunotherapy over the last decade have led to the development of several agents that affect immune checkpoints. Inhibitory receptors expressed on T cells that negatively regulate the immune response include cytotoxic T‑lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1), which have been studied more than similar receptors. Inhibition of these proteins and other immune checkpoints can stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells, and prevent the tumor from escaping the immune response. However, the administration of anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 antibodies has been associated with adverse inflammatory responses similar to autoimmune diseases. The current review discussed the role of the NF-κB pathway as a tumor promoter, and how it can govern inflammatory responses and affect various immune checkpoints. More precise knowledge about the communication between immune checkpoints and NF-κB pathways could increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy and reduce the adverse effects of checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Sea cucumber-derived compounds for treatment of dyslipidemia: A review

Dyslipidemias are disorders of plasma levels of lipids, such as elevated levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride, that are associated with various human diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Statins are the first-line drugs for treatment of dyslipidemia. However, a substantial proportion of patients cannot reach the recommended LDL-c level even with the highest tolerated doses of statins, and there is no available drug specifically for NAFLD therapy. Sea cucumbers are one of the widely distributed invertebrates, and are an important resource of food and medicine. Sea cucumbers have many valuable nutrients including saponins, fatty acids, phospholipids, cerebrosides, sulfated polysaccharides, as well as proteins and peptides. In recent years, these natural products derived from sea cucumbers have attracted attentions for treatment of CVD and NAFLD because of their lipid-lowering effect and low toxicity. However, the hypolipidemic mechanisms of action and the structure-activity relationship of these bioactive components have not been well-documented in literature. This review article summarizes the signaling pathways and the potential structure-activity relationship of sea cucumber-derived bioactive compounds including saponins, lipids, carbohydrates as well as peptides and proteins. This article will provide information useful for the development of sea cucumber-derived lipid-lowering compounds as well as for investigation of hypolipidemic compounds that are derived from other natural resources.