Transcriptome analysis of genes associated with breast cancer cell motility in response to Artemisinin treatment

New hydrazide derivatives of N-amino-11-azaartemisinin as promising epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors for therapeutic development in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatments, such as DNA-damaging agents like carboplatin, pose considerable human toxicity and may contribute to cancer relapse. Artemisinin derivatives offer a less toxic alternative; however, their specific role in TNBC management remains to be established. To address this gap, computational models were employed to design and evaluate artemisinin-based prototypes as potential TNBC therapeutics, aiming to provide safer and more effective treatment options for this aggressive cancer subtype. Among the series of hydrazide derivatives of azaartemisinin (10a-l) reported herein, compound 10j emerged as the most promising, exhibiting notable cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 1.74 and 1.64 µM against MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells, respectively. The clinically useful drug doxorubicin provided IC50 values of 0.29 and 0.29 µM against MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells, while artemisinin provided IC50 values of 107.30 and 116.60 µM, respectively. Furthermore, putative interactions between the synthesized compounds and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were identified using molecular docking studies, suggesting a possible mechanism for their anticancer effect. Additionally, to determine the thermodynamic parameters of the interactions between artemisinin, azaartemisinin, and biomolecules, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments were performed. The binding constant value on the order of 104 indicates a comparatively stronger binding affinity of azaartemisinin with human serum albumin (HSA) compared to artemisinin with HSA. These findings support the potential of azaartemisinin derivatives as promising EGFR inhibitors for therapeutic development in TNBC, offering a new avenue for less toxic and more effective cancer treatments.

A comprehensive overview of Artemisinin and its derivatives as anticancer agents

Artemisinin is the crucial ingredient of artemisia annua, a traditional Chinese medicine used for the therapy of malaria in China for hundreds of years. In recent years, the anticancer properties of artemisinin and its derivatives have also been reported. This review has summarized the research and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as anticancer agents, which included both natural and synthetic monomers as well as their dimers. In addition, it highlights the antitumor effects of artemisinin and its derivatives after site-modification or after transformation to a nano-delivery system. Moreover, we have further explored their potential mechanisms of action and also discussed the clinical trials of ARTs used to treat cancer, which will facilitate in further development of novel anticancer drugs based on the scaffold of artemisinin.

The epigenetic regulation of cancer cell recovery from therapy exposure and its implications as a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing disease recurrence

The ultimate goal of cancer therapy is the elimination of disease from patients. Most directly, this occurs through therapy-induced cell death. Therapy-induced growth arrest can also be a desirable outcome, if prolonged. Unfortunately, therapy-induced growth arrest is rarely durable and the recovering cell population can contribute to cancer recurrence. Consequently, therapeutic strategies that eliminate residual cancer cells reduce opportunities for recurrence. Recovery can occur through diverse mechanisms including quiescence or diapause, exit from senescence, suppression of apoptosis, cytoprotective autophagy, and reductive divisions resulting from polyploidy. Epigenetic regulation of the genome represents a fundamental regulatory mechanism integral to cancer-specific biology, including the recovery from therapy. Epigenetic pathways are particularly attractive therapeutic targets because they are reversible, without changes in DNA, and are catalyzed by druggable enzymes. Previous use of epigenetic-targeting therapies in combination with cancer therapeutics has not been widely successful because of either unacceptable toxicity or limited efficacy. The use of epigenetic-targeting therapies after a significant interval following initial cancer therapy could potentially reduce the toxicity of combination strategies, and possibly exploit essential epigenetic states following therapy exposure. This review examines the feasibility of targeting epigenetic mechanisms using a sequential approach to eliminate residual therapy-arrested populations, that might possibly prevent recovery and disease recurrence.

Novel epigenetic therapeutic strategies and targets in cancer

The critical role of dysregulated epigenetic pathways in cancer genesis, development, and therapy has typically been established as a result of scientific and technical innovations in next generation sequencing. RNA interference, histone modification, DNA methylation and chromatin remodelling are epigenetic processes that control gene expression without causing mutations in the DNA. Although epigenetic abnormalities are thought to be a symptom of cell tumorigenesis and malignant events that impact tumor growth and drug resistance, physicians believe that related processes might be a key therapeutic target for cancer treatment and prevention due to the reversible nature of these processes. A plethora of novel strategies for addressing epigenetics in cancer therapy for immuno-oncological complications are currently available - ranging from basic treatment to epigenetic editing. - and they will be the subject of this comprehensive review. In this review, we cover most of the advancements made in the field of targeting epigenetics with special emphasis on microbiology, plasma science, biophysics, pharmacology, molecular biology, phytochemistry, and nanoscience.

Artemisinin protects against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury via inhibiting the NF-κB pathway

This study investigated whether artemisinin (ART) exerts a neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hypoxia-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) of SH-SY5Y cells were used as the I/R injury model in vitro. Cell viability was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was measured. Cell apoptosis and apoptosis-associated protein expression were determined via flow cytometry and western blotting, respectively. The levels of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde were determined. The secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β was measured using ELISA. The activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway was also determined. The indicated ART concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM) had no significant effect on SH-SY5Y cell viability and LDH activity. ART promoted cell viability, reduced cell apoptosis, repressed cellular inflammation, and inhibited cellular oxidative stress and NF-κB signaling pathway in OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, all the protective effects of ART on OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury were significantly reversed by an NF-κB agonist. In conclusion, ART protects neurons from OGD/R-induced damage in vitro by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggest that ART may be a potential agent for the treatment of cerebral I/R injury.

Drug Repurposing in Cancer Therapy: Influence of Patient’s Genetic Background in Breast Cancer Treatment

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide and it is estimated that in 2040 more than 29 million people will be diagnosed with some type of cancer. The most prevalent type of cancer in women, worldwide, is breast cancer, a type of cancer associated with a huge death rate. This high mortality is mainly a consequence of the development of drug resistance, which is one of the major challenges to overcome in breast cancer treatment. As a result, research has been focused on finding novel therapeutical weapons, specifically ones that allow for a personalized treatment, based on patients’ characteristics. Although the scientific community has been concerned about guaranteeing the quality of life of cancer patients, researchers are also aware of the increasing costs related to cancer treatment, and efforts have been made to find alternatives to the development of new drugs. The development of new drugs presents some disadvantages as it is a multistep process that is time- and money-consuming, involving clinical trials that commonly fail in the initial phases. A strategy to overcome these disadvantages is drug repurposing. In this review, we focused on describing potential repurposed drugs in the therapy of breast cancer, considering their pharmacogenomic profile, to assess the relationship between patients’ genetic variations and their response to a certain therapy. This review supports the need for the development of further fundamental studies in this area, in order to investigate and expand the knowledge of the currently used and novel potential drugs to treat breast cancer. Future clinical trials should focus on developing strategies to group cancer patients according to their clinical and biological similarities and to discover new potential targets, to enable cancer therapy to be more effective and personalized.

Dihydroartemisinin-Transferrin Adducts Enhance TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in a P53-Independent and ROS-Dependent Manner

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive breast cancer subtype independent of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. It has a poor prognosis and high recurrence. Due to its limited treatment options in the clinic, novel therapies are urgently needed. Single treatment with the death receptor ligand TRAIL was shown to be poorly effective. Recently, we have shown that artemisinin derivatives enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Here, we utilized transferrin (TF) to enhance the effectiveness of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in inducing cell death in TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, MDA-MB-468 and BT549). We found that the combination of DHA-TF and the death receptor 5-specific TRAIL variant DHER leads to an increase in DR5 expression in all four TNBC cell lines, while higher cytotoxicity was observed in MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-436. All the data point to the finding that DHA-TF stimulates cell death in TNBC cells, while the combination of DHA-TF with TRAIL variants will trigger more cell death in TRAIL-sensitive cells. Overall, DHA-TF in combination with TRAIL variants represents a potential novel combination therapy for triple-negative breast cancer.

Multiple strategies for the treatment of invasive breast carcinoma: A comprehensive prospective

In this review, we emphasize on evolving therapeutic strategies and advances in the treatment of breast cancer (BC). This includes small-molecule inhibitors under preclinical and clinical investigation, phytoconstituents with antiproliferative potential, targeted therapies as antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), vaccines as immunotherapeutic agents and peptides as a novel approach inhibiting the interaction of oncogenic proteins. We provide an update of molecules under different phases of clinical investigation which aid in the identification of loopholes or shortcomings that can be overcomed with future breast cancer research.

The Real Cytotoxic Effect of Artemisinins on Colon Cancer Cells in a Physiological Cell Culture Setting. How Composition of the Culture Medium Biases Experimental Findings

Artemisinin (ART) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) are anti-malaria drugs but also exhibit huge anticancer potential based on ferroptosis driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. This study was conducted on primary (SW480), metastatic (SW620) colon cancer, and noncancerous HaCaT cells at pharmacologically relevant drug concentrations (1-8 µM) and in the presence of holotransferrin (TRFi 50 µM) and linoleic acid (LA 20, 40 µM) at physiological levels. ART and DHA showed the growth inhibitory potency which was significantly increased in the presence of LA or/and TRFi. The IC₅₀ for ART or DHA, LA40 and TRFi combination in both cancer cell lines ranged 0.14-0.69 µM whereas no cytotoxic effect was observed for HaCaT cells (SI = 202-480). Almost all experimental settings revealed late apoptosis in both cancer cell lines, but not in normal cells. The percentage of late apoptotic cells increased with LA concentrations and was intensified after TRFi addition. The strongest pro-apoptic effect was exhibited by ART or DHA, LA40, and TRFi combination. More interestingly, we found a stimulatory effect of TRFi on IL-6 synthesis. The present study using LA and TRFi which are inherent blood components revealed high antitumor artemisinin activity in concentrations achievable after drug administration to cancer patients without toxic effects on normal cells.

Low Doses of Silver Nanoparticles Selectively Induce Lipid Peroxidation and Proteotoxic Stress in Mesenchymal Subtypes of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Molecular profiling of tumors shows that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can be stratified into mesenchymal (claudin-low breast cancer; CLBC) and epithelial subtypes (basal-like breast cancer; BLBC). Subtypes differ in underlying genetics and in response to therapeutics. Several reports indicate that therapeutic strategies that induce lipid peroxidation or proteotoxicity may be particularly effective for various cancers with a mesenchymal phenotype such as CLBC, for which no specific treatment regimens exist and outcomes are poor. We hypothesized that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can induce proteotoxic stress and cause lipid peroxidation to a greater extent in CLBC than in BLBC. We found that AgNPs were lethal to CLBCs at doses that had little effect on BLBCs and were non-toxic to normal breast epithelial cells. Analysis of mRNA profiles indicated that sensitivity to AgNPs correlated with expression of multiple CLBC-associated genes. There was no correlation between sensitivity to AgNPs and sensitivity to silver cations, uptake of AgNPs, or proliferation rate, indicating that there are other molecular factors driving sensitivity to AgNPs. Mechanistically, we found that the differences in sensitivity of CLBC and BLBC cells to AgNPs were driven by peroxidation of lipids, protein oxidation and aggregation, and subsequent proteotoxic stress and apoptotic signaling, which were induced in AgNP-treated CLBC cells, but not in BLBC cells. This study shows AgNPs are a specific treatment for CLBC and indicates that stratification of TNBC subtypes may lead to improved outcomes for other therapeutics with similar mechanisms of action.

Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Artemisinin in Cancer Treatment

The major problems with cancer therapy are drug-induced side effects. There is an urgent need for safe anti-tumor drugs. Artemisinin is a Chinese herbal remedy for malaria with efficacy and safety. However, several studies reported that artemisinin causes neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in animal models. Recently, nanostructured drug delivery systems have been designed to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. Artemisinin has been reported to show anticancer properties. The anticancer effects of artemisinin appear to be mediated by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting ferroptosis and autophagy, inhibiting cell metastasis. Therefore, the review is to concentrate on mechanisms and molecular targets of artemisinin as anti-tumor agents. We believe these will be important topics in realizing the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as potent anticancer agents.

Factors influencing the measurement of the secretion rate of extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived vesicles which encapsulate a variety of molecules. Numerous studies have demonstrated EVs as signaling mediators of intercellular communication and are heavily involved under physiological and pathological conditions. In translational medicine, EVs have been used for disease diagnosis and treatment monitoring. EVs as natural nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutic EVs are also under intense investigation. While still in its infancy, relevant EV studies have been growing. For EV-centered research to thrive, a few fundamental unanswered questions, such as EV biogenesis, EV secretion rate (SR), EV content sorting mechanisms, etc. require further investigation. In this study, we measured the SR of EVs derived from 6 cancerous cell lines. Several factors that may interfere with EV secretion, isolation, and storage were also investigated. Our results show that the SR of EVs derived from various cancer cells was significantly different, indicating a heterogeneous EV secretion behavior among cell types. Moreover, 5 different drugs that interfere with cellular metabolism significantly influenced EV release. In addition, we found that (1) more EVs can be harvested at 24 h compared to 48 h of serum-free cell culture with a similar degree of FBS contamination; (2) filtration of the cell culture supernatant with a 0.22 μm filter causes ∼70% loss of EVs; (3) the isolation efficiency of EVs with the prevalent ultracentrifugation is only ∼14%; (4) storage at 4 °C for 3 days causes ∼21% loss of EVs. Overall, our findings provide a guideline for proper EV collection and storage in laboratory settings.

1,2,3-Triazole tethered 1,2,4‑trioxane trimer induces apoptosis in metastatic cancer cells and inhibits their proliferation, migration and invasion

Artemisinin (ART) has been in use against different cancer cells and its derivatives and conjugates are more cytotoxic to iron-rich cancer cells. It is desirable to develop easily achievable synthetic 1,2,4-trioxanes having the same pharmacophore as that of ART. To explore more efficient compounds, a 1,2,3-triazole tethered 1,2,4‑trioxane trimer (4T) was synthesized and the anti-cancer effects of ART and 4T on MDA-MB-435 and MDA-MB-231 cells were investigated concerning regulation of osteopontin (OPN) expression, which is associated with cancer progression and malignancy. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, oxidative stress analysis, flow cytometry, western blot, Real-Time PCR, transfections, luciferase assay, cell viability, proliferation, migration and chemotactic invasion assays were used in this study. It was observed that the 4T induced apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2 (~0.6-fold) and cleavage of caspase-3 (intrinsic pathway) in these metastatic cancer cells, and also reduced colony formation, migration and invasion of these cancer cells. The treatment of 4T decreased the reduced glutathione level and increased the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase in the 4T treated cancer cells as compared to their respective controls. Further, the expression of OPN was diminished (~0.5-fold) by the 4T in these cell lines. It was also observed that the key mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase1/2 (~1.8-fold) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (~16-fold), were also activated following the treatment of the 4T. However, the phosphorylated c-Jun level, a component of activator protein-1, was significantly reduced in these cancer cells upon 4T treatment. Taken together, we hypothesize that 4T may be useful for controlling cancer progression and malignancy.

Interaction of artemisinin protects the activity of antioxidant enzyme catalase: A biophysical study

The major antioxidant enzyme catalase is downregulated and the enzyme activity is compromised in various disease conditions such as malarial and cancer. Hence, the restoration and protection of catalase is a promising therapeutic strategy in disease management. In the present study, for the first time we have demonstrated the protective role of well-known anti-malarial drug Artemisinin (ART) on the time and temperature-induced degradation of bovine liver catalase (BLC) activity. The findings at different time intervals and at higher temperature showed the protective role of ART on BLC activity. Molecular docking studies suggested specific binding of ART on BLC through heme group interface which was further supported by cyclic voltammetry and dynamic light scattering study. The stabilization of BLC in presence of ART was mediated through forming a BLC-ART complex with reduced and shifted electrochemical peak and increased hydrodynamic diameter. ART substantially prevents the temperature-induced reduction in α-helical content with simultaneous increment in other secondary structures like antiparallel, parallel, β-turn and random coils. Nevertheless, the protective role of ART was accepted from the enhanced thermal stability and increased T_m value of BLC in presence of ART at higher temperatures. Our results uncover the mechanism of interaction between ART with BLC and suggest the protective role of ART towards spatiotemporal alteration of BLC by preventing the structural and molecular change in BLC. Thus, the findings advocate ART as a potential therapeutic drug for diseases associated with reduced catalase activity.

Epidrug Repurposing: Discovering New Faces of Old Acquaintances in Cancer Therapy

Gene mutations are strongly associated with tumor progression and are well known in cancer development. However, recently discovered epigenetic alterations have shown the potential to greatly influence tumoral response to therapy regimens. Such epigenetic alterations have proven to be dynamic, and thus could be restored. Due to their reversible nature, the promising opportunity to improve chemotherapy response using epigenetic therapy has arisen. Beyond helping to understand the biology of the disease, the use of modern clinical epigenetics is being incorporated into the management of the cancer patient. Potential epidrug candidates can be found through a process known as drug repositioning or repurposing, a promising strategy for the discovery of novel potential targets in already approved drugs. At present, novel epidrug candidates have been identified in preclinical studies and some others are currently being tested in clinical trials, ready to be repositioned. This epidrug repurposing could circumvent the classic paradigm where the main focus is the development of agents with one indication only, while giving patients lower cost therapies and a novel precision medical approach to optimize treatment efficacy and reduce toxicity. This review focuses on the main approved epidrugs, and their druggable targets, that are currently being used in cancer therapy. Also, we highlight the importance of epidrug repurposing by the rediscovery of known chemical entities that may enhance epigenetic therapy in cancer, contributing to the development of precision medicine in oncology.

Combination Therapies of Artemisinin and its Derivatives as a Viable Approach for Future Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

Many anticancer drugs have been developed for clinical usage till now, but the major problem is the development of drug-resistance over a period of time in the treatment of cancer. Anticancer drugs produce huge adverse effects, ultimately leading to death of the patient. Researchers have been focusing on the development of novel molecules with higher efficacy and lower toxicity; the anti-malarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives have exhibited cytotoxic effects.

METHODS

We have done extensive literature search for artemisinin for its new role as anti-cancer agent for future treatment. Last two decades papers were referred for deep understanding to strengthen its role.

RESULT

Literature shows changes at 9, 10 position in the artemisinin structure produces anticancer activity. Artemisinin shows anticancer activity in leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal and breast cancer cell lines. Artemisinin and its derivatives have been studied as combination therapy with several synthetic compounds, RNA interfaces, recombinant proteins and antibodies etc., for synergizing the effect of these drugs. They produce an anticancer effect by causing cell cycle arrest, regulating signaling in apoptosis, angiogenesis and cytotoxicity activity on the steroid receptors. Many novel formulations of artemisinin are being developed in the form of carbon nanotubes, polymer-coated drug particles, etc., for delivering artemisinin, since it has poor water/ oil solubility and is chemically unstable.

CONCLUSION

We have summarize the combination therapies of artemisinin and its derivatives with other anticancer drugs and also focussed on recent developments of different drug delivery systems in the last 10 years. Various reports and clinical trials of artemisinin type drugs indicated selective cytotoxicity along with minimal toxicity thus projecting them as promising anti-cancer agents in future cancer therapies.

Repurposing Old Drugs into New Epigenetic Inhibitors: Promising Candidates for Cancer Treatment?

Epigenetic alterations, as a cancer hallmark, are associated with cancer initiation, progression and aggressiveness. Considering, however, that these alterations are reversible, drugs that target epigenetic machinery may have an inhibitory effect upon cancer treatment. The traditional drug discovery pathway is time-consuming and expensive, and thus, new and more effective strategies are required. Drug Repurposing (DR) comprises the discovery of a new medical indication for a drug that is approved for another indication, which has been recalled, that was not accepted or failed to prove efficacy. DR presents several advantages, mainly reduced resources, absence of the initial target discovery process and the reduced time necessary for the drug to be commercially available. There are numerous old drugs that are under study as repurposed epigenetic inhibitors which have demonstrated promising results in in vitro tumor models. Herein, we summarize the DR process and explore several repurposed drugs with different epigenetic targets that constitute promising candidates for cancer treatment, highlighting their mechanisms of action.

AaCOI1, Encoding a CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1-Like Protein of Artemisia annua L., Is Involved in Development, Defense, and Anthocyanin Synthesis

Artemisia annua is an important medicinal plant producing the majority of the antimalarial compound artemisinin. Jasmonates are potent inducers of artemisinin accumulation in Artemisisa annua plants. As the receptor of jasmonates, the F-box protein COI1 is critical to the JA signaling required for plant development, defense, and metabolic homeostasis. AaCOI1 from Artemisia annua, homologous to Arabidopsis AtCOI1, encodes a F-box protein located in the nuclei. Expressional profiles of the AaCOI1 in the root, stem, leaves, and inflorescence was investigated. The mRNA abundance of AaCOI1 was the highest in inflorescence, followed by in the leaves. Upon mechanical wounding or MeJA treatment, expression of AaCOI1 was upregulated after 6 h. When ectopically expressed, driven by the native promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana, AaCOI1 could partially complement the JA sensitivity and defense responses, but fully complemented the fertility, and the JA-induced anthocyanin accumulation in a coi1-16 loss-of-function mutant. Our study identifies the paralog of AtCOI1 in Artemisia annua, and revealed its implications in development, hormone signaling, defense, and metabolism. The results provide insight into JA perception in Artemisia annua, and pave the way for novel molecular breeding strategies in the canonical herbs to manipulate the anabolism of pharmaceutic compounds on the phytohormonal level.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Monitoring of Dihydroartemisinin-Induced Growth Inhibition in Ovarian Cancer Cells and Normal Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells

Purpose

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of gynecological malignancies. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of artemisinin (ARS), has profound effects against human tumors. The aim of this study was to provide a convenient, cost-efficient technique, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, to monitor and evaluate responses to DHA-induced growth inhibition of ovarian cancer cells.

Methods

Cell growth and viability and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DHA were assessed by the MTT assay. FTIR spectroscopy was used to monitor cells following DHA treatment, and data were analyzed by OMNIC 8.0 software.

Results

DHA can decrease the viability of ovarian cancer cells and normal cells, but cancer cells were more sensitive to this drug than normal cells. Spectral differences were observed between cells with or without DHA treatment. In particular, an increase in the amount of lipids and nucleic acids was observed. The band intensity ratio of 1454/1400, and the intensity of the band 1741 cm⁻¹ increased, indicating stronger absorption after DHA treatment. Moreover, the differences were larger for the cell lines that were more sensitive to DHA.

Conclusion

The spectral features provided information about important molecular characteristics of the cells in response to chemicals. These findings demonstrated the possible use of FTIR spectroscopy to evaluate DHA-induced growth inhibition effects in ovarian cancer cells and provided a promising new tool for monitoring cell growth and the effects of antitumor drugs in the clinic in the future.

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits the proliferation of IgAN mesangial cells through the mTOR signaling pathway

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune kidney disease and is the most prevalent form of glomerular kidney disease in China and worldwide. IgA immune complex deposition accompanied by mesangial cell proliferation and mesangial matrix expansion is the most basic pathological feature of IgAN. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an antimalarial drug, was recently reported to be effective in treating autoimmune diseases. However, its potential therapeutic role in IgAN is relatively unstudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanisms of DHA in the treatment of IgAN. In this study, renal biopsy specimens were collected for immunohistochemistry. In vitro, 25 μg/ml concentrations of aggregated IgA1 (aIgA1) was used to construct the IgAN mesangial cell model. Stimulated human mesangial cells (HMCs) were treated for 24 h with DHA (0-15 μM) and were collected for western blot analyses. Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In vitro, our results showed that DHA could downregulate the mammalian target of rapamycin/ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 (mTOR/S6K1) signaling pathway, promote cell autophagy, and ameliorate cell proliferation in aIgA1-induced HMCs. The results suggested that DHA may represent a novel class of mTOR inhibitor and promote an anti-proliferation effect in IgAN HMCs, which provides an alternative approach for IgAN treatment.

Potential applications of artemisinins in ocular diseases

Artemisinin, also named qinghaosu, is a family of sesquiterpene trioxane lactone originally derived from the sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua), which is a traditional Chinese herb that has been universally used as anti-malarial agents for many years. Evidence has accumulated during the past few years which demonstrated the protective effects of artemisinin and its derivatives (artemisinins) in several other diseases beyond malaria, including cancers, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, viral and other parasite-related infections. Recently, this long-considered anti-malarial agent has been proved to possess anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-excitotoxic properties, which make it a potential treatment option for the ocular environment. In this review, we first described the overview of artemisinins, highlighting the activity of artemisinins to other diseases beyond malaria and the mechanisms of these actions. We then emphasized the main points of published results of using artemisinins in targeting ocular disorders, including uveitis, retinoblastoma, retinal neurodegenerative diseases and ocular neovascularization. To conclude, we believe that artemisinins could also be used as a promising therapeutic drug for ocular diseases, especially retinal vascular diseases in the near future.

Naturally occurring anti-cancer compounds: shining from Chinese herbal medicine

Numerous natural products originated from Chinese herbal medicine exhibit anti-cancer activities, including anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic effects, as well as regulate autophagy, reverse multidrug resistance, balance immunity, and enhance chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. To provide new insights into the critical path ahead, we systemically reviewed the most recent advances (reported since 2011) on the key compounds with anti-cancer effects derived from Chinese herbal medicine (curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, berberine, artemisinin, ginsenoside Rg3, ursolic acid, silibinin, emodin, triptolide, cucurbitacin B, tanshinone I, oridonin, shikonin, gambogic acid, artesunate, wogonin, β-elemene, and cepharanthine) in scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, and Clinical Trials). With a broader perspective, we focused on their recently discovered and/or investigated pharmacological effects, novel mechanism of action, relevant clinical studies, and their innovative applications in combined therapy and immunomodulation. In addition, the present review has extended to describe other promising compounds including dihydroartemisinin, ginsenoside Rh2, compound K, cucurbitacins D, E, I, tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone in view of their potentials in cancer therapy. Up to now, the evidence about the immunomodulatory effects and clinical trials of natural anti-cancer compounds from Chinese herbal medicine is very limited, and further research is needed to monitor their immunoregulatory effects and explore their mechanisms of action as modulators of immune checkpoints.

OTOR in breast carcinoma as a potent prognostic predictor correlates with cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness

Otoraplin (OTOR), recognized as an important cochlear gene, has a predicted secretory signal peptide sequence and harbors a high degree of cross-species conservation. However, its role in tumor progression is relatively unclear, especially in breast carcinoma (BC). This study investigated the clinicopathological significance of OTOR in breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) with high metastasis to uncover its biological function in BC. OTOR was highly overexpressed in BC tissues and cells compared with normal samples. OTOR overexpression was associated with certain clinicopathological characteristics and poorer prognosis (overall survival; OS) of patients with breast IDC. As determined using CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing, and Transwell assays, silencing OTOR using siRNA impeded BC-cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, which may have resulted from inactivating the mitogen-activated protein kinase - extracellular-signal-regulated kinase pathway. These results indicate that OTOR plays a crucial role in the progression of and prognosis for BC, which could help to identify future therapeutic targets for treating BC patients.

Identification of Compounds That Inhibit Estrogen-Related Receptor Alpha Signaling Using High-Throughput Screening Assays

The nuclear receptor, estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα; NR3B1), plays a pivotal role in energy homeostasis. Its expression fluctuates with the demands of energy production in various tissues. When paired with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), the PGC/ERR pathway regulates a host of genes that participate in metabolic signaling networks and in mitochondrial oxidative respiration. Unregulated overexpression of ERRα is found in many cancer cells, implicating a role in cancer progression and other metabolism-related diseases. Using high throughput screening assays, we screened the Tox21 10K compound library in stably transfected HEK293 cells containing either the ERRα-reporter or the reporter plus PGC-1α expression plasmid. We identified two groups of antagonists that were potent inhibitors of ERRα activity and/or the PGC/ERR pathway: nine antineoplastic agents and thirteen pesticides. Results were confirmed using gene expression studies. These findings suggest a novel mechanism of action on bioenergetics for five of the nine antineoplastic drugs. Nine of the thirteen pesticides, which have not been investigated previously for ERRα disrupting activity, were classified as such. In conclusion, we demonstrated that high-throughput screening assays can be used to reveal new biological properties of therapeutic and environmental chemicals, broadening our understanding of their modes of action.

Near-infrared nanoparticles based on indocyanine green-conjugated albumin: a versatile platform for imaging-guided synergistic tumor chemo-phototherapy with temperature-responsive drug release

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to develop a multifunctional theranostic agent based on BSA nanoparticles (NPs), which loaded artemisinin (ART) and co-conjugated with indocyanine green (ICG) and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide (RGD-indocyanine green-Bovine Serum Albumin-artemisinin [IBA] NPs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The physicochemical parameters of RGD-IBA NPs were character-ized in terms of the particle size, zeta potential, morphology, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, in vitro release behavior, photothermal and photodynamic effect, and in vitro anticancer ability. In vivo fluorescence and thermal imaging as well as antitumor studies were also evaluated.

RESULTS

The tumor chemotherapeutic effects of ART and the ability of fluorescence imaging, hyperthermia generation and reactive oxygen species production of ICG and tumor-targeting RGD were integrated to achieve RGD-IBA NPs for imaging-guided tumor-targeted chemotherapy/photothermal/photodynamic therapy (chemo-phototherapy). The RGD-IBA NPs showed enhanced physiological stability and photo-stability compared with free ART and ICG. In addition, they were temperature-responsive; their sizes increased with increasing temperature between 25°C and 55°C, thereby leading to drug release upon the irradiation with near infrared (NIR) laser. In vivo fluorescence images of tumor-bearing mice showed that the RGD-IBA NPs could highly and passively reach the targeted tumor region with maximum accumulation at 24 hours post-intravenous injection. The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the RGD-IBA NPs not only have good biocompatibility, but also are highly efficient tumor synergistic chemo-phototherapeutic agents.

CONCLUSION

Through this study, it was found that RGD-IBA NPs could potentially be a very promising tumor theranostic agent.

Epigenetics and Malaria Susceptibility/Protection: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle

A better understanding of stable changes in regulation of gene expression that result from epigenetic events is of great relevance in the development of strategies to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Histone modification and DNA methylation are key epigenetic mechanisms that can be regarded as marks, which ensure an accurate transmission of the chromatin states and gene expression profiles over generations of cells. There is an increasing list of these modifications, and the complexity of their action is just beginning to be understood. It is clear that the epigenetic landscape plays a fundamental role in most biological processes that involve the manipulation and expression of DNA. Although the molecular mechanism of gene regulation is relatively well understood, the hierarchical order of events and dependencies that lead to protection against infection remain largely unknown. In this review, we propose that host epigenetics is an essential, though relatively under studied, factor in the protection or susceptibility to malaria.

Antitumor Research on Artemisinin and Its Bioactive Derivatives

Cancer is the leading cause of human death which seriously threatens human life. The antimalarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives have been discovered with considerable anticancer properties. Simultaneously, a variety of target-selective artemisinin-related compounds with high efficiency have been discovered. Many researches indicated that artemisinin-related compounds have cytotoxic effects against a variety of cancer cells through pleiotropic effects, including inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, promoting apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest, disrupting cancer invasion and metastasis, preventing angiogenesis, mediating the tumor-related signaling pathways, and regulating tumor microenvironment. More importantly, artemisinins demonstrated minor side effects to normal cells and manifested the ability to overcome multidrug-resistance which is widely observed in cancer patients. Therefore, we concentrated on the new advances and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as potential antitumor agents in recent 5 years. It is our hope that this review could be helpful for further exploration of novel artemisinin-related antitumor agents.