Astragalus mongholicus regulate the Toll-like-receptor 4 meditated signal transduction of dendritic cells to restrain stomach cancer cells

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine: harnessing dendritic cells for anti-tumor benefits

Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is being more and more used in cancer treatment because of its ability to regulate the immune system. Chinese Herbal Medicine has several advantages over other treatment options, including being multi-component, multi-target, and having fewer side effects. Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen presenting cells that play a vital part in connecting the innate and adaptive immune systems. They are also important in immunotherapy. Recent evidence suggests that Chinese Herbal Medicine and its components can positively impact the immune response by targeting key functions of dendritic cells. In this review, we have summarized the influences of Chinese Herbal Medicine on the immunobiological feature of dendritic cells, emphasized an anti-tumor effect of CHM-treated DCs, and also pointed out deficiencies in the regulation of DC function by Chinese Herbal Medicine and outlined future research directions.

Research Progress on the Anti-Cancer Effects of Astragalus membranaceus Saponins and Their Mechanisms of Action

Astragalus membranaceus saponins are the main components of A. membranaceus, a plant widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, research on the anti-cancer effects of A. membranaceus saponins has received increasing attention. Numerous in vitro and in vivo experimental data indicate that A. membranaceus saponins exhibit significant anti-cancer effects through multiple mechanisms, especially in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and induction of apoptosis, etc. This review compiles relevant studies on the anti-cancer properties of A. membranaceus saponins from various databases over the past two decades. It introduces the mechanism of action of astragalosides, highlighting their therapeutic benefits in the management of cancer. Finally, the urgent problems in the research process are highlighted to promote A. membranaceus saponins as an effective drug against cancer.

Polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus elicit T cell immunity by activation of human peripheral blood dendritic cells

Astragalus membranaceus is a widely used herbal medicine in Asia. It has been recognized as possessing various biological properties, however, studies on the activity of the A. membranaceus polysaccharide (AMP), a major component of A. membranaceus, on human peripheral blood dendritic cells (PBDCs) have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we found that AMP induced changes in dendritic morphology and the upregulation of activation marker expression and inflammatory cytokine production in human blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs). The AMP promoted the activation of both blood dendritic cell antigen 1⁺ (BDCA1⁺) and BDCA3⁺ PBDCs. AMP-induced secretion of cytokines in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was mainly due to PBDCs. Finally, activated BDCA1⁺ and BDCA3⁺ PBDCs by AMP elicited proliferation and activation of autologous T cells, respectively. Hence, these data demonstrated that AMPs could activate dendritic and T cells in human blood, and may provide a new direction for the application of AMPs in the regulation of human immunity.

Chinese herbal medicine combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of contributions of specific medicinal materials to tumor response

Introduction: The incidence and mortality of gastric cancer ranks among the highest, and the 5-year survival rate of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is less than 10%. Currently, chemotherapy is the main treatment for AGC, and oxaliplatin is an important part of the commonly used chemotherapy regimen for AGC. A large number of RCTs have shown that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy can improve objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), reduce the toxic and side effects of chemotherapy. There is currently a lack of systematic evaluation of the evidence to account for the efficacy and safety of CHM combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in AGC. Therefore, we carried out this study and conducted the sensitivity analysis on the herbal composition to explore the potential anti-tumor efficacy. Methods: Databases of PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Wanfang database, and the Chinese Scientific Journals Database were searched from their inception to April 2022. RCTs evaluating the efficacy of CHM combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy on AGC were included. Stata 16 was used for data synthesis, RoB 2 for quality evaluation of included RCTs, and GRADE for quality of synthesized evidence. Additional sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the potential anti-tumor effects of single herbs and combination of herbs. Results: Forty trials involving 3,029 participants were included. Most included RCTs were assessed as "Some concerns" of risk of bias. Meta-analyses showed that compare to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy alone, that CHM combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy could increase the objective response rate (ORR) by 35% [risk ratio (RR) = 1.35, 95% confidence intervals (CI) (1.25, 1.45)], and disease control rate (DCR) by 12% [RR = 1.12, 95% CI (1.08, 1.16)]. Subgroup analysis showed that compare to SOX, FOLFOX, and XELOX regimens alone, CHM plus SOX, CHM plus FOLFOX, and CHM plus XELOX could significantly increase the ORR and DCR. Sensitivity analysis identified seven herbs of Astragalus, Liquorice, Poria, Largehead Atractylodes, Chinese Angelica, Codonopsis, and Tangerine Peel with potentials to improve tumor response of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in AGC. Conclusion: Synthesized evidence showed moderate certainty that CHM plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy may promote improvement in tumor response in AGC. CHM treatment is safe for AGC. Due to the poor quality of included RCTs and small samplesizes, the quality of synthesized evidence was not high. Specific combinations of herbs appeared to produce higher contributions to ORR than the herb individually. Each of this seven above mentioned herbs has been shown in experimental studies to potentially contribute to the improvement of tumor response. To support this conclusion, these seven herbs are worthy of further clinical research. Systematic Review Registration: [http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=262595], identifier [CRD42022262595].

Modulation of TLR/NF-κB/NLRP Signaling by Bioactive Phytocompounds: A Promising Strategy to Augment Cancer Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy

Background

Tumors often progress to a more aggressive phenotype to resist drugs. Multiple dysregulated pathways are behind this tumor behavior which is known as cancer chemoresistance. Thus, there is an emerging need to discover pivotal signaling pathways involved in the resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and cancer immunotherapy. Reports indicate the critical role of the toll-like receptor (TLR)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing (NLRP) pathway in cancer initiation, progression, and development. Therefore, targeting TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling is a promising strategy to augment cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy and to combat chemoresistance. Considering the potential of phytochemicals in the regulation of multiple dysregulated pathways during cancer initiation, promotion, and progression, such compounds could be suitable candidates against cancer chemoresistance.

Objectives

This is the first comprehensive and systematic review regarding the role of phytochemicals in the mitigation of chemoresistance by regulating the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway in chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Methods

A comprehensive and systematic review was designed based on Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to include papers on TLR/NF-κB/NLRP and chemotherapy/immunotherapy/chemoresistance by phytochemicals.

Results

Phytochemicals are promising multi-targeting candidates against the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway and interconnected mediators. Employing phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, and sulfur compounds could be a promising strategy for managing cancer chemoresistance through the modulation of the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway. Novel delivery systems of phytochemicals in cancer chemotherapy/immunotherapy are also highlighted.

Conclusion

Targeting TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling with bioactive phytocompounds reverses chemoresistance and improves the outcome for chemotherapy and immunotherapy in both preclinical and clinical stages.

Effects of Wild Yam Root (Dioscorea villosa) Extract on the Gene Expression Profile of Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND/AIM

Wild yam extract [Dioscorea villosa, (WYE)] is consistently lethal at low IC₅₀s across diverse cancer-lines in vitro. Unlike traditional anti-cancer botanicals, WYE contains detergent saponins which reduce oil-water interfacial tensions causing disintegration of lipid membranes and causing cell lysis, creating an interfering variable. Here, we evaluate WYE at sub-lethal concentrations in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantification of saponins, membrane potential, lytic death and sub-lethal WYE changes in whole transcriptomic (WT) mRNA, miRNAs and biological parameters were evaluated.

RESULTS

WYE caused 346 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) out of 48,226 transcripts tested; where up-regulated DEGS reflect immune stimulation, TNF signaling, COX2, cytokine release and cholesterol/steroid biosynthesis. Down-regulated DEGs reflect losses in cell division cycle (CDC), cyclins (CCN), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), centromere proteins (CENP), kinesin family members (KIFs) and polo-like kinases (PLKs), which were in alignment with biological studies.

CONCLUSION

Sub-lethal concentrations of WYE appear to evoke pro-inflammatory, steroid biosynthetic and cytostatic effects in TNBC cells.

Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides potentiate the growth-inhibitory activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors against pulmonary metastatic melanoma in mice

Astragalus membranaceus (A. membranaceus) is commonly used in various herbal formulations to treat several human and animal diseases. Polysaccharides, which are the major bioactive components in the A. membranaceus, exhibit various bioactive properties. However, the ability of A. membranaceus polysaccharides (APS) to activate the mucosal immune response has not been examined. We examined the effect of intranasal administration of APS on mucosal immune cell activation and the growth-inhibitory activity against pulmonary metastatic melanoma in mice by combination treatment with immune checkpoint blockade. The intranasal treatment of APS increased the number of lineage-CD11c+ dendritic cell (DCs) in the mesenteric lymph nodes (mLN) through the upregulation of CC-chemokine receptor 7 expression. Moreover, intranasal treatment of APS activated DCs, which further stimulated natural killer (NK) and T cells in the mLN. The APS/anti-PD-L1 antibody combination inhibited the pulmonary infiltration of B16 melanoma cells. The depletion of NK cells and CD8 T cells in mice mitigated the anti-cancer effect of this combination, thereby highlighting the critical role of NK cells and CD8 T cells in mediating anti-cancer immunity. These findings demonstrated that APS could be used as a topical mucosal adjuvant to enhance the immune check point inhibitor anti-cancer effect.

Regulation of in vivo delivery of nanomedicines by herbal medicines

Nanomedicines are of increasing scrutiny due to their improved efficacy and/or mitigated side effects. They can be integrated with many other therapeutics to further boost the clinical benefits. Among those, herbal medicines are arousing great interest to be combined with nanomedicines to exert synergistic effects in multifaceted mechanisms. The in vivo performance of nanomedicines which determines the therapeutic efficacy and safety is believed to be heavily influenced by the physio-pathological characters of the body. Activation of multiple immune factors, e.g., complement system, phagocytic cells, lymphocytes, and among many others, can affect the fate of nanomedicines in blood circulation, biodistribution, interaction with single cells and intracellular transport. Immunomodulatory effects and metabolic regulation by herbal medicines have been widely witnessed during the past decades, which alter the physio-pathological conditions and dramatically affect in vivo delivery of nanomedicines. In this review, we summarize recent progress of understanding on the in vivo delivery process of nanomedicines and analyze the major affecting factors that regulate the interaction of nanomedicines with organisms. We discuss the immunomodulatory roles and metabolic regulation by herbal medicines and their effects on in vivo delivery process of nanomedicines, as well as the prospective clinical benefits from the combination of nanomedicines and herbal medicines.

Silencing of kallikrein-related peptidase 6 attenuates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells through inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6), a member of the kallikrein-related peptidase family, is involved in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells and is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of KLK6 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and to determine the underlying mechanism of its actions. The expression of KLK6 was measured in metastatic gastric cancer cells using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and KLK6 was overexpressed or inhibited in HGC-27 cells using plasmid transfection. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT were also evaluated using Cell Counting Kit 8, Transwell and western blot analysis, respectively. In addition, a mouse xenograft model was constructed by injection of HGC-27 cells. The xenograft was treated with KLK6 interference or overexpression plasmids to study the in vivo effects of KLK6 on tumor development. The results demonstrated that KLK6 was highly expressed in HGC-27 cells and that KLK6 inhibition attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion and prevented gastric cancer tumor development. In addition, KLK6 inhibition reduced the expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and vimentin, reduced the phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3 and upregulated epithelial-cadherin expression. In conclusion, KLK6 inhibition suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo through the inhibition of EMT. These findings indicate that KLK6 a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer therapy.

Astragalus species: Insights on its chemical composition toward pharmacological applications

Astragalus L. is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. The genus is widely used in folk medicine and in dietary supplements, as well as in cosmetics, teas, coffee, vegetable gums, and as forage for animals. The major phytoconstituents of Astragalus species with beneficial properties are saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Astragalus extracts and their isolated components exhibited promising in vitro and in vivo biological activities, including antiaging, antiinfective, cytoprotective, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antidiabesity, and immune-enhancing properties. Considering their proven therapeutic potential, the aim of this work is to give a comprehensive summary of the Astragalus spp. and their active components, in an attempt to provide new insight for further clinical development of these xenobiotics. This is the first review that briefly describes their ethnopharmacology, composition, biological, and toxicological properties.

Polysaccharide from Astragalus membranaceus promotes the activation of human peripheral blood and mouse spleen dendritic cells

Astragalus membranaceus (A. membranaceus) is a widely used traditional herb in China and Korea. A. membranaceus polysaccharides (AMP), which make up a major part of the root extract, have been shown to modulate immune modulations, especially activation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and T cells. However, the immune stimulatory effect of AMP in the mouse in vivo and human peripheral blood DCs (PBDCs) has not been well investigated. In this study, we found that intravenous (i.v.) injection of AMP in C57BL/6 mice induced remarkable elevations in co-stimulatory and MHC class I and II molecule levels in the splenic DCs and its subsets. The stimulatory effect of DCs by AMP was elevated 6 h after treatment, which rapidly decreased 18 h after injection. Furthermore, AMP promoted intracellular production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in spleen DC subsets, which contributed elevation of serum cytokine levels. Finally, the AMP promoted PBDC activation. Thus, these results demonstrate that AMP can be used as an immune stimulatory molecules in human and mouse.

Using single-patient (n-of-1) trials to determine effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine on chemotherapy-induced leukopenia in gastric cancer: a feasibility study

Background

Gastric cancer has been the second cause of cancer death worldwide. Chemical comprehensive treatment programs primarily were the main therapy method with modest efficacy to gastric cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been reported to alleviate adverse events induced by chemotherapy, but has not yet developed clinical trials to test and needs scientific evidence for making policy. Single-patient (N-of-1) trials might be an eligible study design for TCM since it well represented the individualized treatment philosophy of TCM. The aim of this study is to obtain information necessary to design a more series trial.

Methods

Individuals who underwent gastrectomy were included. Each patient suffered 3-week standard chemotherapy and 3-day treatment periods (decoction with Astragalus mongholicus and Semen Cuscutae or placebo: decoction without Astragalus mongholicus and Semen Cuscutae). Each trial lasted up to a maximum of 30 weeks or a minimum of 20 weeks. Staffs and participants were blinded to the randomization. This study was approved by Ethics Committee of First Hospital, Lanzhou University in November, 2014.

Results

From August, 2014 to March, 2015, 6 participants were included. There were 16 cycles compared between intervention and control decoction (2.28, 95% CI: 1.24-5.47), P<0.0001. The quality of life (QoL) score after the trial was reported is a little higher than before, t=3.87, P=0.01. Two participants reported symptoms had improved after taken trial decoction.

Conclusions

This is the first N-of-1 trials of testing the effectiveness of TCM decoction on alleviative treatment to gastric cancer. The feasibility study will help to develop a practical design for the more series trial.

Plant-derived polysaccharides activate dendritic cell-based anti-cancer immunity

Today, cancers pose a major public health burden. Although a myriad of cancer treatments are available, only a few have achieved clinical efficacy. This is partly attributed to cancers capability to evade host immunity by converting dendritic cells (DCs) from potent stimulators to negative modulators of immunity. Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy attempts to resolve this problem by manipulating the functional characteristics of DCs. Plant-derived polysaccharides (PDPs) can stimulate the maturation of DCs conferring on them the capacity to present internalised tumorigenic antigens to naïve T cells and subsequently priming T cells to eliminate tumours. PDPs have been used as immune modulators and later as anti-cancer agents by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for centuries. They are abundant in nature and form a large group of heterogeneous though structurally related macromolecules that exhibit diverse immunological properties. They can induce antigen pulsed DCs to acquire functional characteristics in vitro which can subsequently be re-introduced into cancer patients. They can also be used as adjuvants in DC-based vaccines or independently for their intrinsic anti-tumour activities. Clinically, some in vitro generated DCs have been shown to be both safe and immunogenic although their clinical application is limited in part by unsatisfactory functional maturation as well as impaired migration to draining lymph nodes where T cells reside. We review the relative potencies of individual PDPs to induce both phenotypic and functional maturation in DCs, their relative abilities to activate anti-cancer immunity, the possible mechanisms by which they act and also the challenges surrounding their clinical application.

Expression and clinical significance of SATB1 and TLR4 in breast cancer

This study investigated the expression of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein in breast cancer and its clinical significance. We collected breast cancer tissues from 120 patients and adjacent non-cancerous tissue from 53 patients. SATB1 was expressed in 89 cases of breast cancer (74.17%) and in 7 cases of adjacent non-cancerous tissue (13.21%). TLR4 was expressed in 70 cases of breast cancer tissues (58.33%) and in 48 cases of adjacent non-cancerous tissue (90.57%). The differences of SATB and TLR4 in breast cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissue were statistically significant. We found a negative correlation between the expression of SATB1 and TLR4 (r=−0.624, P<0.05). The expression of SATB1 and TLR4 were not significantly correlated with age, menopause, and PR and HER-2 protein expression, but were significantly correlated with tumor size, local lymphatic metastasis, histopathological grade, tumor stage, and ER protein expression (P<0.05). Overall, SATB1 and TLR4 proteins are involved in the development of breast cancer, a finding of great significance to identify therapeutic targets and prognosis markers for breast cancer.

Modulation of Toll-like receptor signaling in innate immunity by natural products

For centuries, natural products and their derivatives have provided a rich source of compounds for the development of new immunotherapies in the treatment of human disease. Many of these compounds are currently undergoing clinical trials, particularly as anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer agents. However, the function and mechanism of natural products in how they interact with our immune system has yet to be extensively explored. Natural immune modulators may provide the key to control and ultimately defeat disorders affecting the immune system. They can either up- or down-regulate the immune response with few undesired adverse effects. In this review, we summarize the recent advancements made in utilizing natural products for immunomodulation and their important molecular targets, members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, in the innate immune system.

Synergistic Effect and Molecular Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Regulating Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Cells

The interaction of tumor cells with the microenvironment is like a relationship between the “seeds” and “soil,” which is a hotspot in recent cancer research. Targeting at tumor microenvironment as well as tumor cells has become a new strategy for cancer treatment. Conventional cancer treatments mostly focused on single targets or single mechanism (the seeds or part of the soil); few researches intervened in the whole tumor microenvironment and achieved ideal therapeutic effect as expected. Traditional Chinese medicine displays a broad range of biological effects, and increasing evidence has shown that it may relate with synergistic effect on regulating tumor microenvironment and cancer cells. Based on literature review and our previous studies, we summarize the synergistic effect and the molecular mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine on regulating tumor microenvironment and cancer cells.