Thymoquinone upregulates IL17RD in controlling the growth and metastasis of triple negative breast cancer cells in vitro

TQFL19, a Novel Derivative of Thymoquinone (TQ), Plays an Essential Role by Inhibiting Cell Growth, Metastasis, and Invasion in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant public health concern globally. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered the most challenging type, as it is defined by an absence of estrogen and progesterone receptor expression, along with a lack of HER2 overexpression. In the current study, we developed a novel thymoquinone (TQ), TQFL19, to control TNBC progression. Purpose: The current study aimed to investigate the anticancer potential of a newly synthesized TQFL19 against TNBC. Study design: To achieve our research goals, we meticulously developed both in vitro and in vivo studies focused on TNBC cell growth, metastasis, and invasion. Results: Characterization and ADMET properties prediction of TQFL19 were first performed before treating TNBC cells. TQFL19 exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than TQ against 4T1, BT-549, and MDA-MB-231 cells and induced apoptosis of 4T1 and MDA-MB-231, besides cell cycle arrest of MDA-MB-231. In vivo mice allograft of 4T1 revealed the ability of TQFL19 to hinder the growth, migration, and metastasis of TNBC cells. Conclusions: The results suggest that TQFL19 potentially inhibited TNBC growth, metastasis, and invasion. The results conclude that TQFL19 could be a viable candidate for TNBC therapy.

Thymoquinone attenuates diabetes-induced hepatic damage in rat via regulation of oxidative/nitrosative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory cascade with molecular docking approach

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex metabolic condition that causes organ dysfunction. The current experiment sought to determine the effect of thymoquinone (TQ) on hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in diabetic rats prompted by streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg/kg body weight i/p). The animals were allocated into control, TQ (50 mg/kg B.W. orally administered for 4 succeeding weeks), Diabetic, and Diabetic + TQ groups. This study confirmed that TQ preserves the levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, HOMA β-cell indices, HbA1c %, body weight, and lipid profile substantially relative to the DC group. Furthermore, hepatic antioxidant (CAT, GSH, and T-SOD) values were reduced. Conversely, the enzymatic activity of liver functions (AST, ALT, ALP, cytochrome P450, and hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase), lipid peroxidation (MDA), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6), nitric oxide (NO) and inflammatory marker (CRP) enhanced with STZ administration, which is substantially restored after TQ treatment. Relative to the diabetic rats, TQ reestablished the hepatic architectural changes and collagen fibers. Additionally, TQ downregulated the intensity of the immunohistochemical staining of pro-apoptotic marker (caspase-3), p53, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) proteins in hepatic tissues. Furthermore, TQ displayed abilities to interact and inhibit the binding site of caspase-3, interleukin-6 receptor, interleukin-1 receptor type 1, TNF receptor superfamily member 1A, and TNF receptor superfamily member 1B in rats following the molecular docking modeling. All these data re-establish the liver functions, antioxidant enzymes, anti-inflammatory markers, and anti-apoptotic proteins impacts of TQ in STZ-induced DM rats. Founded on these outcomes, the experiment proposes that TQ is a novel natural supplement with various clinical applications, including managing DM, which in turn is recommended to play a pivotal role in preventing the progression of diabetes mellitus.

Thymoquinone protects thioacetamide-induced chronic liver injury by inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad3 axis in rats

Chronic liver injury due to various etiological factors results in excess secretion and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, leading to scarring of liver tissue and ultimately to hepatic fibrosis. If left untreated, fibrosis might progress to cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Thymoquinone (TQ), an active compound of Nigella sativa, has been reported to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. Therefore, the effect of TQ against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis was assessed in rats. Fibrosis was induced with intraperitoneal administration of TAA (250 mg/kg b.w.) twice a week for 5 weeks. TQ (20 mg/kg b.w.) and silymarin (50 mg/kg b.w.) were orally administered daily for 5 weeks separately in TAA administered groups. Liver dysfunction was reported by elevated liver enzymes, increased oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis upon TAA administration. Our study demonstrated that TQ inhibited the elevation of liver marker enzymes in serum. TQ administration significantly increased antioxidant markers, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in the liver tissue of rats. Further, TQ significantly attenuated liver fibrosis, as illustrated by the downregulation of TAA-induced interleukin-β, tumour necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase and fibrosis markers like transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), α-smooth muscle actin, collagen-1, Smad3 and 7. Therefore, these findings suggest that TQ has a promising hepatoprotective property, as indicated by its potential to effectively suppress TAA-induced liver fibrosis in rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation via TGF-β/Smad signaling.

Essential oils and their nanoformulations for breast cancer therapy

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most prevalent type of cancer in the world. Current treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy but often are associated with high toxicity to normal tissues, chemoresistance, and relapse. Thus, developing novel therapies which could combat these limitations is essential for effective treatment. In this context, phytochemicals are increasingly getting popular due to their safety profile, ability to efficiently target tumors, and circumvent limitations of existing treatments. Essential Oils (EOs) are mixtures of various phytochemicals which have shown potential anticancer activity in preclinical BC models. However, their clinical translation is limited by factors such as high volatility, low stability, and poor solubility. Nanotechnology has facilitated their encapsulation in a variety of nanostructures and proven to overcome these limitations. In this review, we have efficiently summarized the current knowledge on the anticancer effect of EOs and constituents in both in in vitro and in in vivo BC models. Further, we also provide a descriptive account on the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing the anti-BC activity of EOs and their constituents. The papers discussed in this review were selected using the keywords "antiproliferative Essential Oils in breast cancer," "anticancer activity of Essential Oil in breast cancer," and "cytotoxicity of Essential Oils in breast cancer" performed in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases.

Potential anticancer properties and mechanisms of thymoquinone in colorectal cancer

Colorectal neoplasms are one of the deadliest diseases among all cancers worldwide. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a natural compound of Nigella sativa that has been used in traditional medicine against a variety of acute/chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, rheumatism, headache, back pain, anorexia, amenorrhea, paralysis, inflammation, mental disability, eczema, obesity, infections, depression, dysentery, hypertension, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal disorders. This review aims to present a detailed report on the studies conducted on the anti-cancer properties of TQ against colorectal cancer, both in vitro and in vivo. TQ stands as a promising natural therapeutic agent that can enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments while minimizing the associated adverse effects. The combination of TQ with other anti-neoplastic agents promoted the efficacy of existing cancer treatments. Further research is needed to acquire a more comprehensive understanding of its exact molecular targets and pathways and maximize its clinical usefulness. These investigations may potentially aid in the development of novel techniques to combat drug resistance and surmount the obstacles presented by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Epigenetic Suppression of the IL-7 Pathway in Progressive Glioblastoma

Background: Immune evasion in glioblastoma (GBM) shields cancer cells from cytotoxic immune response. Methods: We investigated CpG methylation in promoters, genes, and pathways in 22 pairs of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sequential (FFPE) GBM using restricted resolution bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and bioinformatic analyses. Results: Gene ontology revealed hypermethylation in elements of the innate and adaptive immune system when recurrent GBM samples (GBMrec) were compared to control (CG) and primary GBM samples (GBMprim). Higher methylation levels of the IL-7 signaling pathway and response to IL-7 were found in GBMrec suggesting a progressive blockade of the IL-7 driven T cell response in sequential GBM. Analyses of the Cancer Genome Atlas array-based data confirmed hypermethylation of the IL-7 pathway in recurrent compared with primary GBM. We also quantified DNA CpG methylation in promoter and gene regions of the IL-7 ligand and IL-7 α-receptor subunit in individual samples of a large RRBS-based sequential cohort of GBM in a Viennese database and found significantly higher methylation levels in the IL-7 receptor α-subunit in GBMrec compared with GBMprim. Conclusions: This study revealed the progressive suppression of the IL-7 receptor-mediated pathway as a means of immune evasion by GBM and thereby highlighted it as a new treatment target.