PHLPP2 is a novel biomarker and epigenetic target for the treatment of vitamin C in pancreatic cancer

The pharmacoepigenetic paradigm in cancer treatment

Epigenetic modifications, characterized by changes in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, play a crucial role in the development and progression of cancer by significantly influencing gene activity and cellular function. This insight has led to the development of a novel class of therapeutic agents, known as epigenetic drugs. These drugs, including histone deacetylase inhibitors, histone acetyltransferase inhibitors, histone methyltransferase inhibitors, and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, aim to modulate gene expression to curb cancer growth by uniquely altering the epigenetic landscape of cancer cells. Ongoing research and clinical trials are rigorously evaluating the efficacy of these drugs, particularly their ability to improve therapeutic outcomes when used in combination with other treatments. Such combination therapies may more effectively target cancer and potentially overcome the challenge of drug resistance, a significant hurdle in cancer therapy. Additionally, the importance of nutrition, inflammation control, and circadian rhythm regulation in modulating drug responses has been increasingly recognized, highlighting their role as critical modifiers of the epigenetic landscape and thereby influencing the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions and patient outcomes. Epigenetic drugs represent a paradigm shift in cancer treatment, offering targeted therapies that promise a more precise approach to treating a wide spectrum of tumors, potentially with fewer side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy. This progress marks a step towards more personalized and precise interventions, leveraging the unique epigenetic profiles of individual tumors to optimize treatment strategies.

High-Dose Vitamin C for Cancer Therapy

In recent years, the idea that Vitamin C (Vit-C) could be utilized as a form of anti-cancer therapy has generated many contradictory arguments. Recent insights into the physiological characteristics of Vit-C, its pharmacokinetics, and results from preclinical reports, however, suggest that high-dose Vit-C could be effectively utilized in the management of various tumor types. Studies have shown that the pharmacological action of Vit-C can attack various processes that cancerous cells use for their growth and development. Here, we discuss the anti-cancer functions of Vit-C, but also the potential for the use of Vit-C as an epigenetic regulator and immunotherapy enhancer. We also provide a short overview of the current state of systems for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in the context of their influencing high-dose Vit-C toxicity for the inhibition of cancer growth. Even though the mechanisms of Vit-C action are promising, they need to be supported with robust randomized and controlled clinical trials. Moreover, upcoming studies should focus on how to define the most suitable cancer patient populations for high-dose Vit-C treatments and develop effective strategies that combine Vit-C with various concurrent cancer treatment regimens.

An Integrated Data Analysis of mRNA, miRNA and Signaling Pathways in Pancreatic Cancer

Although many genes and miRNAs have been reported for various cancers, pancreatic cancer's specific genes or miRNAs have not been studied precisely yet. Therefore, we have analyzed the gene and miRNA expression profile of pancreatic cancer data in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The microarray-derived miRNAs and mRNAs were annotated by gene ontology (GO) and signaling pathway analysis. We also recognized mRNAs that were targeted by miRNA through the mirDIP database. An integrated analysis of the microarray revealed that only 6 out of 43 common miRNAs had significant differences in their expression profiles between the tumor and normal groups (P value < 0.05 and |log Fold Changes (logFC)|> 1). The hsa-miR-210 had upregulation, whereas hsa-miR-375, hsa-miR-216a, hsa-miR-217, hsa-miR-216b and hsa-miR-634 had downregulation in pancreatic cancer (PC). The analysis results also revealed 109 common mRNAs by microarray and mirDIP 4.1 databases. Pathway analysis showed that amoebiasis, axon guidance, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, absorption and focal adhesion, adherens junction, platelet activation, protein digestion, human papillomavirus infection, extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction, and riboflavin metabolism played important roles in pancreatic cancer. GO analysis revealed the significant enrichment in the three terms of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function, which were identified as the most important processes associated strongly with pancreatic cancer. In conclusion, DTL, CDH11, COL5A1, ITGA2, KIF14, SMC4, VCAN, hsa-mir-210, hsa-mir-217, hsa-mir-216a, hsa-mir-216b, hsa-mir-375 and hsa-mir-634 can be reported as the novel diagnostic or even therapeutic markers for the future studies. Also, the hsa-mir-107 and hsa-mir-125a-5p with COL5A1, CDH11 and TGFBR1 genes can be introduced as major miRNA and genes on the miRNA-drug-mRNA network. The new regulatory network created in our study could give a deeper knowledge of the pancreatic cancer.