Betulinic Acid Affects the Energy-Related Proteomic Profiling in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells

Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the potential of betulinic acid in cancer prevention and treatment

BACKGROUND

Betulinic acid (BA), which is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in the bark of plane, birch, and eucalyptus trees, has emerged as a compound of significant interest in scientific research due to its potential therapeutic applications. BA has a range of well-documented pharmacological and biological effects, including antibacterial, immunomodulatory, diuretic, antiviral, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Although numerous research studies have explored the potential anticancer effects of BA, there is a noticeable gap in the literature, highlighting the need for a more up-to-date and comprehensive evaluation of BA's anticancer potential.

PURPOSE

The aim of this work is to critically assess the reported cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer preventive and therapeutic effects of BA.

METHODS

Relevant research on the inhibitory effects of BA against cancerous cells was searched using Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

RESULTS

The anticancer properties of BA are mediated by the activation of cell death and cell cycle arrest, production of reactive oxygen species, increased mitochondrial permeability, modulation of nuclear factor-κB and Bcl-2 family signaling. Emerging evidence also underscores the combined anticancer effects of BA with other natural bioactive compounds or approved drugs. Notably, several novel BA nanoformulations have been found to exhibit encouraging antineoplastic activities.

CONCLUSION

BA, whether used alone or in combination, or as a form of nanoformulation, shows significant potential for cancer prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, further detailed studies are necessary to confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of this natural compound.

Targeting the metabolism and immune system in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Insights and future directions

Pancreatic cancer, specifically pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), presents a challenging landscape due to its complex nature and the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This immunosuppression severely limits the effectiveness of immune-based therapies. Studies have revealed the critical role of immunometabolism in shaping the TME and influencing PDAC progression. Genetic alterations, lysosomal dysfunction, gut microbiome dysbiosis, and altered metabolic pathways have been shown to modulate immunometabolism in PDAC. These metabolic alterations can significantly impact immune cell functions, including T-cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and macrophages, evading anti-tumor immunity. Advances in immunotherapy offer promising avenues for overcoming immunosuppressive TME and enhancing patient outcomes. This review highlights the challenges and opportunities for future research in this evolving field. By exploring the connections between immunometabolism, genetic alterations, and the microbiome in PDAC, it is possible to tailor novel approaches capable of improving immunotherapy outcomes and addressing the limitations posed by immunosuppressive TME. Ultimately, these insights may pave the way for improved treatment options and better outcomes for PDAC patients.

Betulinic acid: A natural promising anticancer drug, current situation, and future perspectives

Natural products serve as the single most productive source for the discovery of drugs and pharmaceutical leads. Among the various chemicals derived from microbes, plants, and animals, phytochemicals have emerged as potential candidates for the development of anticancer drugs due to their structural diversities, complexities, and pleiotropic effects. Herein, we discuss betulinic acid (BA), a ubiquitously distributed lupane structured pentacyclic triterpenoid, scrutinized as a promising natural agent for the prevention, suppression, and management of various human malignancies. Ease of availability, common occurrences, cell-specific cytotoxicity, and astonishing selectivity are the important factors that contribute to the development of BA as an anticancer agent. The current review delineates the mechanistic framework of BA-mediated cancer suppression through the modulation of multiple signaling pathways and also summarizes the key outcomes of BA in preclinical investigations.

OMICS Applications for Medicinal Plants in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Current Advancements and Future Perspectives

Gastrointestinal cancers refer to a group of deadly malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the digestive system. Over the past decades, considerable amounts of medicinal plants have exhibited potent anticancer effects on different types of gastrointestinal cancers. OMICS, systems biology approaches covering genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, are broadly applied to comprehensively reflect the molecular profiles in mechanistic studies of medicinal plants. Single- and multi-OMICS approaches facilitate the unravelling of signalling interaction networks and key molecular targets of medicinal plants with anti-gastrointestinal cancer potential. Hence, this review summarizes the applications of various OMICS and advanced bioinformatics approaches in examining therapeutic targets, signalling pathways, and the tumour microenvironment in response to anticancer medicinal plants. Advances and prospects in this field are also discussed.

Application of Mass Spectrometry in Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive tract worldwide, with increased morbidity and mortality. In recent years, with the development of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, and the change of the medical thinking model, remarkable progress has been made in researching comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of PC. However, the present situation of diagnostic and treatment of PC is still unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need for academia to fully integrate the basic research and clinical data from PC to form a research model conducive to clinical translation and promote the proper treatment of PC. This paper summarized the translation progress of mass spectrometry (MS) in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, and PC treatment to promote the basic research results of PC into clinical diagnosis and treatment.