DNA methylation-mediated caspase-8 downregulation is associated with anti-apoptotic activity and human malignant glioma grade

Mechanisms and cross-talk of regulated cell death and their epigenetic modifications in tumor progression

Cell death is a fundamental part of life for metazoans. To maintain the balance between cell proliferation and metabolism of human bodies, a certain number of cells need to be removed regularly. Hence, the mechanisms of cell death have been preserved during the evolution of multicellular organisms. Tumorigenesis is closely related with exceptional inhibition of cell death. Mutations or defects in cell death-related genes block the elimination of abnormal cells and enhance the resistance of malignant cells to chemotherapy. Therefore, the investigation of cell death mechanisms enables the development of drugs that directly induce tumor cell death. In the guidelines updated by the Cell Death Nomenclature Committee (NCCD) in 2018, cell death was classified into 12 types according to morphological, biochemical and functional classification, including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, PARP-1 parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence and mitotic catastrophe. The mechanistic relationships between epigenetic controls and cell death in cancer progression were previously unclear. In this review, we will summarize the mechanisms of cell death pathways and corresponding epigenetic regulations. Also, we will explore the extensive interactions between these pathways and discuss the mechanisms of cell death in epigenetics which bring benefits to tumor therapy.

Caspase-8 in inflammatory diseases: a potential therapeutic target

Caspase-8, a renowned cysteine-aspartic protease within its enzyme family, initially garnered attention for its regulatory role in extrinsic apoptosis. With advancing research, a growing body of evidence has substantiated its involvement in other cell death processes, such as pyroptosis and necroptosis, as well as its modulatory effects on inflammasomes and proinflammatory cytokines. PANoptosis, an emerging concept of cell death, encompasses pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, providing insight into the often overlapping cellular mortality observed during disease progression. The activation or deficiency of caspase-8 enzymatic activity is closely linked to PANoptosis, positioning caspase-8 as a key regulator of cell survival or death across various physiological and pathological processes. Aberrant expression of caspase-8 is closely associated with the development and progression of a range of inflammatory diseases, including immune system disorders, neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), sepsis, and cancer. This paper delves into the regulatory role and impact of caspase-8 in these conditions, aiming to elucidate potential therapeutic strategies for the future intervention.

Recent Advances in Marine-Derived Nanoformulation for the Management of Glioblastoma

Glioma is the most common and aggressive type of central nervous system tumor as categorized by the World Health Organization. Glioblastoma (GBA), in general, exhibits a grim prognosis and short life expectancy, rarely exceeding 14 months. The dismal prognosis is primarily attributed to the development of chemoresistance to temozolomide, the primary therapeutic agent for GBA treatment. Hence, it becomes imperative to develop novel drugs with antitumor efficacy rooted in distinct mechanisms compared to temozolomide. The vast marine environment contains a wealth of naturally occurring compounds from the sea (known as marine-derived natural products), which hold promise for future research in the quest for new anticancer drugs. Ongoing advancements in anticancer pharmaceuticals have led to an upswing in the isolation and validation of numerous pioneering breakthroughs and improvements in anticancer therapeutics. Nonetheless, the availability of FDA-approved marine-derived anticancer drugs remains limited, owing to various challenges and constraints. Among these challenges, drug delivery is a prominent hurdle. This review delves into an alternative approach for delivering marine-derived drugs using nanotechnological formulations and their mechanism of action for treating GBA.

Sesquiterpene lactones as emerging biomolecules to cease cancer by targeting apoptosis

Apoptosis is a programmed cell death comprising two signaling cascades including the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. This process has been shown to be involved in the therapy response of different cancer types, making it an effective target for treating cancer. Cancer has been considered a challenging issue in global health. Cancer cells possess six biological characteristics during their developmental process known as cancer hallmarks. Hallmarks of cancer include continuous growth signals, unlimited proliferation, resistance to proliferation inhibitors, apoptosis escaping, active angiogenesis, and metastasis. Sesquiterpene lactones are one of the large and diverse groups of planet-derived phytochemicals that can be used as sources for a variety of drugs. Some sesquiterpene lactones possess many biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anticancer, anti-diabetic, and analgesic. This review article briefly overviews the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis and the interactions between the modulators of both pathways. Also, the present review summarizes the potential effects of sesquiterpene lactones on different modulators of the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell lines and animal models. The main purpose of the present review is to give a clear picture of the current knowledge about the pro-apoptotic effects of sesquiterpene lactones on various cancers to provide future direction in cancer therapeutics.

MLKL deficiency in BrafV600EPten−/− melanoma model results in a modest delay of nevi development and reduced lymph node dissemination in male mice

Cancers acquire several capabilities to survive the multistep process in carcinogenesis. Resisting cell death is one of them. Silencing of the necroptosis initiator Ripk3 occurs in a wide variety of cancer types including melanoma. Little is known about the role of the necroptosis executioner MLKL in tumor development. Studies often indicate opposing roles for MLKL as a tumor-suppressing or a tumor-promoting protein. This study investigates the role of MLKL during melanoma initiation and progression using a tamoxifen-inducible melanoma mouse model driven by melanocyte-specific overexpression of mutated Braf and simultaneous deletion of Pten (Braf^V600EPten^−/−). In this model we observed a clear sex difference: melanoma initiation and progression were faster in females mice. Mlkl deficiency in male mice resulted in a modest but significant reduction of nevi growth rate compared to the littermate control. In these mice, infiltration and expansion of melanoma cells in the inguinal lymph node were also modestly decreased. This is likely to be a consequence of the delay in nevi development. No significant difference was observed in the Mlkl-deficient condition in female mice in which melanoma development was faster. Overall, our results indicate that in this genetic model MLKL has a minor role during melanoma initiation and progression.

Therapeutic approaches targeting CD95L/CD95 signaling in cancer and autoimmune diseases

Cell death plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Key players in the controlled induction of cell death are the Death Receptors (DR). CD95 is a prototypic DR activated by its cognate ligand CD95L triggering programmed cell death. As a consequence, alterations in the CD95/CD95L pathway have been involved in several disease conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to inflammation and cancer. CD95L-induced cell death has multiple roles in the immune response since it constitutes one of the mechanisms by which cytotoxic lymphocytes kill their targets, but it is also involved in the process of turning off the immune response. Furthermore, beyond the canonical pro-death signals, CD95L, which can be membrane-bound or soluble, also induces non-apoptotic signaling that contributes to its tumor-promoting and pro-inflammatory roles. The intent of this review is to describe the role of CD95/CD95L in the pathophysiology of cancers, autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation and to discuss recently patented and emerging therapeutic strategies that exploit/block the CD95/CD95L system in these diseases.

Therapeutic potential of marine peptides in glioblastoma: Mechanistic insights

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in humans. It is characterized by excessive cell growth and accelerated intrusion of normal brain tissue along with a poor prognosis. The current standard of treatment, including surgical removal, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, is largely ineffective, with high mortality and recurrence rates. As a result, traditional approaches have evolved to include new alternative remedies, such as natural compounds. Aquatic species provide a rich supply of possible drugs. The physiological effects of marine peptides in glioblastoma are mediated by a range of pathways, including apoptosis, microtubule balance disturbances, suppression of angiogenesis, cell migration/invasion, and cell viability; autophagy and metabolic enzymes downregulation. Herein, we address the efficacy of marine peptides as putative safe therapeutic agents for glioblastoma coupled with detail molecular mechanisms.

Expression levels of EPHB4, EFNB2 and caspase-8 are associated with clinicopathological features and progression of esophageal squamous cell cancer

The upregulation of EPH receptor B4 (EPHB4) results in a survival advantage for tumor cells via the inhibition of the casapse-8-mediated apoptotic pathway, which begins from the cell membrane. The present study investigated the expression patterns of EPHB4, ephrin B2 (EFNB2) and caspase-8 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The association between the expression patterns and certain clinicopathological characteristics of the patients was also determined. mRNA levels of EPHB4, EFNB2 and caspase-8 in paired primary ESCC samples and adjacent esophageal tissues collected from 96 patients with ESCC were quantified using quantitative PCR. Upregulation of EPHB4 and EFNB2 mRNA expression, and downregulation of caspase-8 mRNA were detected in ESCC samples compared with that in the adjacent esophageal tissues. The expression levels of EPHB4 and EFNB2 were positively correlated with each other, whereas the mRNA levels of both EPHB4 and EFNB2 exhibited a negative correlation with that of caspase-8. The mRNA levels of both EPHB4 and EFNB2 demonstrated a significant positive association with certain clinicopathological features of patients with ESCC, including family history, tumor size, metastasis and stage. Conversely, a negative association was revealed between the expression level of caspase-8 and clinicopathological features of patients with ESCC. Moreover, mRNA expression levels of EPHB4 and EFNB2 were negatively associated with survival times of patients with ESCC, whereas the level of caspase-8 was positively associated with patient outcome. The results from the present study suggested that EPHB4, EFNB2 and caspase-8 may be implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of ESCC, and that consequently, they may serve as useful prognostic markers, as well as potential therapeutic targets.

Optimization Of Cancer Treatment Through Overcoming Drug Resistance

Cancer Drug resistance is a medical concern that requires extensive research and a thorough understanding in order to overcome. Remarkable achievements related to this field have been accomplished and further work is needed in order to optimize the cure for cancer and serve as the basis for precise medicine with few or no side effects.