Discovery of Survivin Inhibitors Part 1: Screening the Harbor Branch Pure Compound Library

Exploring the Anticancer Potential of Origanum majorana Essential Oil Monoterpenes Alone and in Combination against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and has the highest mortality rate worldwide despite the remarkable advances in its treatment. Origanum majorana Essential Oil (OMEO) has been shown to be effective against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, decreasing their viability and colony growth in vitro, as well as inhibiting tumor growth in chick embryo chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) and nude mice in vivo. OMEO is mainly composed of four monoterpenes, namely terpinen-4-ol, sabinene hydrate, α-terpinene, and γ-terpinene. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential anticancer effects of these monoterpenes, either alone or in combination, on NSCLC. Our findings indicate that these four monoterpenes significantly decreased NSCLC cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced their colony growth in vitro, and also downregulated survivin expression in these cells. Moreover, different combined mixtures of these monoterpenes further enhanced their anticancer effects on cellular viability, with a terpinen-4-ol and sabinene hydrate combination being the most potent. We also found that terpinen-4-ol, in combination with sabinene hydrate, markedly enhanced the anticancer effect of the individual monoterpenes on NSCLC viability within a shorter treatment duration through, at least in part, survivin downregulation. Furthermore, this combination enhanced the inhibition of colony growth in vitro and the tumor growth of NSCLC cells xenografted onto chick embryo CAM in vivo. Altogether, our study highlights the potential of these monoterpenes for use in further pre-clinical investigations against various cancer hallmarks.

High expression of HSP60 and survivin predicts poor prognosis for oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND

HSP60 is a heat shock proteins (HSPs) family member and help mitochondrial protein to fold correctly. Survivin is one of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein family member, which plays a significant part in cancer progression. They were capable of forming HSP60-survivin complexes and involved in the development of various tumors.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database demonstrated that HSP60 and survivin and their correlation on mRNA expression level with OSCC patients. Besides, expression of HSP60 and survivin proteins was studied utilizing immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays (TMA) in OSCC and in adjacent non-cancerous squamous epithelium (Non-CCSE) tissues.

RESULTS

Significantly increased levels of HSP60 and survivin in most cancers compared to normal tissue by pan-cancer analysis. HSP60 and survivin proved a significantly increased expression in OSCC samples compared to Non-CCSE both on mRNA and protein (both P < 0.05). Additionally, elevated HSP60 displayed a positive correlation with survivin in terms of mRNA and protein expression levels (all P < 0.001). Patients with OSCC who had advanced clinical stage or lymph node metastasis (LNM) showed higher HSP60 expression (P = 0.004, P = 0.006, respectively). Higher levels of the proteins HSP60 and survivin were significantly inversely correlated relationship with OSCC patients' overall survival rates in multivariate survival analysis (P = 0.018, P = 0.040). From the above results, overexpression of HSP60 and survivin protein may serve as independent biomarkers predicting poor prognosis in OSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated HSP60 and survivin might be served as novel poor prognosis biomarkers for surgically resected OSCC patients.

Protective Effects of Irbesartan, an Angiotensin Receptor Blocker with PPARγ Agonistic Activity, against Estradiol Benzoate-Induced Endometrial Hyperplasia and Atypia in Female Rats via Modulation of TNFα/Survivin Pathway

Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is a common gynecological problem and may progress to carcinoma. Early detection and management of EH are mandatory for the prevention of endometrial cancer. Activation of the renin-angiotensin system and angiotensin II signaling are involved in the progression of precancerous and cancerous lesions. However, no studies have evaluated the role of this system in estradiol benzoate (EB)-induced EH and atypia. Irbesartan (IRB), an angiotensin II receptor blocker with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonistic activity was administered (30 mg/kg/d) in EB-treated (60 µg/100 g bodyweight, intramuscularly, three times per week) or untreated rats for 4 weeks. Uterine weight changes, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), survivin, cleaved caspase 3, interleukin-10 (IL10), and PPARγ were measured in addition to undergoing histopathological examination. Results showed that EB-induced EH and atypia significantly increased the uterine body weight, malondialdehyde, TNFα, and survivin, accompanied with significantly decreased SOD, cleaved caspase 3, IL10, and PPARγ, with typical histopathological changes of EH and atypia. Coadministration of IRB significantly prevented EB-induced biochemical and histopathological changes. The protective effects of IRB may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, reduction of survivin, and increased levels of cleaved caspase 3.