The expression and clinical significance of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8-like 2, and runt-related transcription factor 1 in breast cancer patients

STAT3: Key targets of growth-promoting receptor positive breast cancer

Breast cancer has become the malignant tumor with the first incidence and the second mortality among female cancers. Most female breast cancers belong to luminal-type breast cancer and HER2-positive breast cancer. These breast cancer cells all have different driving genes, which constantly promote the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important breast cancer-related gene, which can promote the progress of breast cancer. It has been proved in clinical and basic research that over-expressed and constitutively activated STAT3 is involved in the progress, proliferation, metastasis and chemotherapy resistance of breast cancer. STAT3 is an important key target in luminal-type breast cancer and HER2-positive cancer, which has an important impact on the curative effect of related treatments. In breast cancer, the activation of STAT3 will change the spatial position of STAT3 protein and cause different phenotypic changes of breast cancer cells. In the current basic research and clinical research, small molecule inhibitors activated by targeting STAT3 can effectively treat breast cancer, and enhance the efficacy level of related treatment methods for luminal-type and HER2-positive breast cancers.

A New Frontier in Phytotherapy: Harnessing the Therapeutic Power of Medicinal Herb-derived miRNAs

Medicinal herbs have been utilized in the treatment of various pathologic conditions, including neoplasms, organ fibrosis, and diabetes mellitus. However, the precise pharmacological actions of plant miRNAs in animals remain to be fully elucidated, particularly in terms of their therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action. In this review, some important miRNAs from foods and medicinal herbs are presented. Plant miRNAs exhibit a range of pharmacological properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-fibrosis, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory effects, and neuromodulation, among others. These results have not only demonstrated a cross-species regulatory effect, but also suggested that the miRNAs from medicinal herbs are their bioactive components. This shows a promising prospect for plant miRNAs to be used as drugs. Here, the pharmacological properties of plant miRNAs and their underlying mechanisms have been highlighted, which can provide new insights for clarifying the therapeutic mechanisms of medicinal herbs and suggest a new way for developing therapeutic drugs.