Special Issue on Global Cancer Medicine

Functional Interaction between Transient Receptor Potential V4 Channel and Neuronal Calcium Sensor 1 and the Effects of Paclitaxel

Neuronal calcium sensor 1 (NCS1), a calcium-binding protein, and transient receptor potential V4 (TRPV4), a plasma membrane calcium channel, are fundamental in the regulation of calcium homeostasis. The interactions of these proteins and their regulation by paclitaxel (PTX) were investigated using biochemical, pharmacological, and electrophysiological approaches in both a breast cancer epithelial cell model and a neuronal model. TRPV4 and NCS1 reciprocally immunoprecipitated each other, suggesting that they make up a signaling complex. The functional consequence of this physical association was that TRPV4 currents increased with increased NCS1 expression. Calcium fluxes through TRPV4 correlated with the magnitude of TRPV4 currents, and these calcium fluxes depended on NCS1 expression levels. Exposure to PTX amplified the acute effects of TRPV4 expression, currents, and calcium fluxes but decreased the expression of NCS1. These findings augment the understanding of the properties of TRPV4, the role of NCS1 in the regulation of TRPV4, and the cellular mechanisms of PTX-induced neuropathy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: TRPV4 and NCS1 physically and functionally interact. Increased expression of NCS1 enhances TRPV4-dependent currents, which are further amplified by treatment with the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel, an effect associated with adverse effects of chemotherapy, including neuropathy.

Qualitative Analysis of Family-centered Care for Children with Cancer in Palliative Wards: An Evaluation of Needs and Barriers in Resource-limited Settings

Background: Many children with cancer are faced with fatal diagnosis and unbearable pain, and palliative care is highly needed. In Indonesia, the provision of palliative care is only accessible in a few major cities where most cancer treatment facilities are located and development has been slow. While, the implementation of family center care identified a number of challenges related to family empowerment to be included in the development and implementation of interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the perspectives of nurses regarding family-centered treatment in Indonesia’s palliative wards for children with cancer. Methods: A qualitative approach to content analysis was employed. The study participants were 10 primary nurses in pediatric units who worked with cancer patients regularly. These participants were purposefully chosen. The interview session included 10 study participants. Participants’ work experience ranged from 2 to 11 years, and their age ranged from 27 to 51 years. Data were collected via face-to-face, semi-structured interviews that lasted for an average of 30 to 45 minutes. The interviews were performed to explore the participants’ understanding about the definition of family-centered palliative care, including the needs and obstacles to implementation. These were analyzed using content analysis methodology that includes five main segments: introduction, coding, theme creation, thematic classification, and reporting. Results: The themes from the study included an appreciation of palliative and family-centered care, palliative care capability and family-centered care, and multidisciplinary cooperation under three principles concerning needs and barriers. Conclusion: Integrating family-centered care approaches in providing palliative care for children with cancer as well as the resources required for such programs to be implemented by hospital management in working toward improved quality care for patients. Communication and continuity of care remain a challenge; training and equipping clinicians with skills and confidence to carry out family-centered care approaches and palliative care for children with cancer can aid in this process.

Deciphering the interaction of puerarin with cancer macromolecules: An in silico investigation

The worldwide expanding increment in cancer pervasiveness is disturbing and this disease ranks among the main causes of mortality in both developing and developed countries. Unfortunately, available treatment options come with serious side effects and do not guarantee complete success. Although numerous models have been proposed for the development of better therapeutic agent, however the exact mechanism are still poorly understood. This then calls for continued research aimed at developing new drugs as an alternative or adjuvant anticancer agents. Here we have identified five vital proteins (CDK-2, Bcl-2, CDK-6, VEGFR, and IGF-1R) that aid tumor growth and we inhibited the activity of these proteins with Puerarin. Puerarin is an isoflavonoid C-glycosides used as a therapeutic agent against various human ailments. Our findings revealed that Puerarin fulfilled Veber's rule. Added to this, CDK-6 and Bcl-2 had better glide scores for puerarin than the control (doxorubicin) and molecular simulation showed the stability of the complexes. These findings suggest that inhibiting CDK-6 and Bcl-2 with Puerarin could prove more effective in the management of cancer than doxorubicin. Overall, this study provides a new direction that could facilitate rational drug design for cancer.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

POTEE promotes colorectal carcinoma progression via activating the Rac1/Cdc42 pathway

Current studies have shown that POTE ankyrin domain family members have high expressions as tumor antigens in malignant tumors, such as prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer and the like. POTEE is a member of the POTE anchor protein family E. However, its role in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) has not been studied. In this study, the function of POTEE in CRC was examined for the first time and its correlation with CRC cell biological behaviors was analyzed. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry revealed that POTEE was remarkably overexpressed in CRC and associated with an aggressive phenotype. We also found that POTEE was localized in the cytoplasm. In addition, downregulation of POTEE expression can notably inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cell in vitro, and repressed tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. In contrast, overexpression of POTEE could promote the aggressive behaviors of CRC cells. Mechanistically, POTEE promoted CRC migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by increasing the activation of Rac1 and Cdc42. To summarize, these results suggested that POTEE might serve as an oncogene for CRC tumorigenesis and progression, and may become a novel molecular marker for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Qualitative Analysis of Palliative Care for Pediatric Patients With Cancer at Bugando Medical Center: An Evaluation of Barriers to Providing End-of-Life Care in a Resource-Limited Setting

Purpose Palliative care remains an urgent, neglected need in the developing world. Global disparities in end-of-life care for children, such as those with advanced cancers, result from barriers that are complex and largely unstudied. This study describes these barriers at Bugando Medical Center, one of three consultant hospitals in Tanzania, to identify areas for palliative care development suitable to this context. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers of pediatric patients with cancer and 14 hospital staff involved in pediatric end-of-life care. This was combined with 1 month of participant observation through direct clinical care of terminally ill pediatric patients. Results Data from interviews as well as participant observation revealed several barriers to palliative care: financial, infrastructure, knowledge and cultural (including perceptions of pediatric pain), and communication challenges. Although this study focused on barriers, what also emerged were the unique advantages of end-of-life care in this setting, including community cohesiveness and strong faith background. Conclusion This study provides a unique but focused description of barriers to palliative care common in a low-resource setting, extending beyond resource needs. This multidisciplinary qualitative approach combined interviews with participant observation, providing a deeper understanding of the logistical and cultural challenges in this setting. This new understanding will inform the design of more effective-and more appropriate-palliative care policies for young patients with cancer in the developing world.