Nanoscale Diamond-Based Formulation as an Immunomodulator and Potential Therapeutic for Lymphoma

Standalone Ayurveda management of Hodgkin's lymphoma: A case report

The abnormal and uncontrolled growth of lymphatic cells present in the lymphatic system, the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow is called lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of malignant growth in lymphatic tissues. Despite conventional anticancer therapy and remedy, there has been no cure for it. No direct reference to Hodgkin's lymphoma has been found in Ayurveda, although the clinical manifestations of Apachi like enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin, painless swelling, and itchy skin, are similar to those seen in Hodgkin's lymphoma. A case of Hodgkin's lymphoma in a 34-year-old female who presented with multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the right supra clavicle at the neck, along with pain and swelling at site, right ear discharge, burning chest, and headache for the last two years. Biopsy confirmed it to be Hodgkin's lymphoma. The patient was treated with Arbudh hara Kashya, Kanchanar, Haridra, Gomutra, Rodhra Rasa, Tapyadi Loha, Swarna Vasant Malati, vaikrant Bhasma, Heerak Bhasma, Amritbhalatak Avaleha, Sanjivini Vati, Lavan Bhaskar Churna, Swarjika Kshara, Tablet Anacarcin, Kachnar Guggulu in form of ShamanaChikitsa. Local application in the form Kachanaradi Lepa was advised after local swedan with ArkpatraandErandpantra. The nodular heterogeneous mass and growth on neck of the patient reduced with clinical gradation from 17 to 4 with reduction in first lymph node from 122 mm to 80 mm and in the second lymph node from 108 mm to 20 mm, while in the third lymph node reduced from 32 mm to zero with Ayurveda treatment alone. Thus, a patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma was treated with Ayurveda successfully without conventional therapy.

Galunisertib synergistically potentiates the doxorubicin-mediated antitumor effect and kickstarts the immune system against aggressive lymphoma

In clinical practice, major efforts are underway to identify appropriate drug combinations to boost anticancer activity while suppressing unwanted adverse effects. In this regard, we evaluated the efficacy of combination treatment with the widely used chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin along with the TGFβRI inhibitor galunisertib (LY2157299) in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The antiproliferative effects of these drugs as single agents or in combination against several B-NHL cell lines and the synergism of the drug combination were evaluated by calculating the combination index. To understand the putative molecular mechanism of drug synergism, the TGF-β and stress signaling pathways were analyzed after combination treatment. An aggressive lymphoma model was used to evaluate the anticancer activity and post-therapeutic immune response of the drug combination in vivo. Galunisertib sensitized various B-NHL cells to doxorubicin and in combination synergistically increased apoptosis. The antitumor activity of the drug combinations involved upregulation of p-P38 MAPK and inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad2/3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Combined drug treatment significantly reduced tumor growth and enhanced survival, indicating that the synergism between galunisertib and Dox observed in vitro was most likely retained in vivo. Based on the tumor-draining lymph node analysis, combination therapy results in better prognosis, including disappearance of disease-exacerbating regulatory T cells and prevention of CD8⁺ T-cell exhaustion by downregulating MDSCs. Galunisertib synergistically potentiates the doxorubicin-mediated antitumor effect without aggravating the toxic effects and the ability to kickstart the immune system, supporting the clinical relevance of targeting TGF-βRI in combination with doxorubicin against lymphoma.

Targeting thymidine phosphorylase alleviates resistance to dendritic cell immunotherapy in colorectal cancer and promotes antitumor immunity

T-cell exhaustion plays a pivotal role in the resistance of microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (CRC) to immunotherapy. Identifying and targeting T-cell exhaustion-activating mechanisms is a promising strategy to augment the effects of immunotherapy. Here, we found that thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) plays a decisive role in inducing systemic T-cell exhaustion and abrogating the efficacy of dendritic cell (DC) therapy in a CRC model. Targeting TYMP with tipiracil hydrochloride (TPI) induces immunological cell death (ICD). The combined effects of TPI and imiquimod-activated DCs turn CT26 tumors into immunologically ‘hot’ tumors by inducing ICD in vivo. High-dimensional cytometry analysis revealed T-cell and IFN-γ dependency on the therapeutic outcome. In addition, chemoimmunotherapy converts intratumoral Treg cells into Th1 effector cells and eliminates tumor-associated macrophages, resulting in higher cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration and activation. This effect is also associated with the downregulation of PD-L1 expression in tumors, leading to the prevention of T-cell exhaustion. Thus, cooperative and cognitive interactions between dendritic cells and immunogenic cell death induced by therapy with TPI promote the immune response and tumoricidal activities against microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. Our results support TYMP targeting to improve the effects of DC immunotherapy and outcomes in CRC.