Exploring the influence of microgravity on chemotherapeutic drug response in cancer: Unveiling new perspectives

Microgravity, an altered gravity condition prevailing in space, has been reported to have a profound impact on human health. Researchers are very keen to comprehensively investigate the impact of microgravity and its intricate involvement in inducing physiological changes. Evidenced transformations were observed in the internal architecture including cytoskeletal organization and cell membrane morphology. These alterations can significantly influence cellular function, signalling pathways and overall cellular behaviour. Further, microgravity has been reported to alter in the expression profile of genes and metabolic pathways related to cellular processes, signalling cascades and structural proteins in cancer cells contributing to the overall changes in the cellular architecture. To investigate the effect of microgravity on cellular and molecular levels numerous ground-based simulation systems employing both in vitro and in vivo models are used. Recently, researchers have explored the possibility of leveraging microgravity to potentially modulate cancer cells against chemotherapy. These findings hold promise for both understanding fundamental processes and could potentially lead to the development of more effective, personalized and innovative approaches in therapeutic advancements against cancer.

A review of chemotherapeutic drugs-induced arrhythmia and potential intervention with traditional Chinese medicines

Significant advances in chemotherapy drugs have reduced mortality in patients with malignant tumors. However, chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity increases the morbidity and mortality of patients, and has become the second leading cause of death after tumor recurrence, which has received more and more attention in recent years. Arrhythmia is one of the common types of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, and has become a new risk related to chemotherapy treatment, which seriously affects the therapeutic outcome in patients. Traditional Chinese medicine has experienced thousands of years of clinical practice in China, and has accumulated a wealth of medical theories and treatment formulas, which has unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of malignant diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the arrhythmic toxicity caused by chemotherapy without affecting the anti-cancer effect. This paper mainly discussed the types and pathogenesis of secondary chemotherapeutic drug-induced arrhythmia (CDIA), and summarized the studies on Chinese medicine compounds, Chinese medicine Combination Formula and Chinese medicine injection that may be beneficial in intervention with secondary CDIA including atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia and sinus bradycardia, in order to provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced arrhythmias.

MicroRNAs in adult high-grade gliomas: Mechanisms of chemotherapeutic resistance and their clinical relevance

Notorious for its high mortality rate, the current standard treatment for high-grade gliomas remains a challenge. This is largely due to the complex heterogeneity of the tumour coupled with dysregulated molecular mechanisms leading to the development of drug resistance. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been considered to provide important information about the pathogenesis and prognostication of gliomas. miRNAs have been shown to play a specific role in promoting oncogenesis and regulating resistance to anti-glioma therapeutic agents through diverse cellular mechanisms. These include regulation of apoptosis, alterations in drug efflux pathways, enhanced activation of oncogenic signalling pathways, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-like process (EMT-like) and a few others. With this knowledge, upregulation or inhibition of selected miRNAs can be used to directly affect drug resistance in glioma cells. Moreover, the clinical use of miRNAs in glioma management is becoming increasingly valuable. This comprehensive review delves into the role of miRNAs in drug resistance in high-grade gliomas and underscores their clinical significance. Our analysis has identified a distinct cluster of oncogenic miRNAs (miR-9, miR-21, miR-26a, miR-125b, and miR-221/222) and tumour suppressive miRNAs (miR-29, miR-23, miR-34a-5p, miR 181b-5p, miR-16-5p, and miR-20a) that consistently emerge as key players in regulating drug resistance across various studies. These miRNAs have demonstrated significant clinical relevance in the context of resistance to anti-glioma therapies. Additionally, the clinical significance of miRNA analysis is emphasised, including their potential to serve as clinical biomarkers for diagnosing, staging, evaluating prognosis, and assessing treatment response in gliomas.

Uncovering potential diagnostic and pathophysiological roles of α-synuclein and DJ-1 in melanoma

BACKGROUND

Melanoma, the most lethal skin cancer type, occurs more frequently in Parkinson's disease (PD), and PD is more frequent in melanoma patients, suggesting disease mechanisms overlap. α-synuclein, a protein that accumulates in PD brain, and the oncogene DJ-1, which is associated with PD autosomal recessive forms, are both elevated in melanoma cells. Whether this indicates melanoma progression or constitutes a protective response remains unclear. We hereby investigated the molecular mechanisms through which α-synuclein and DJ-1 interact, suggesting novel biomarkers and targets in melanoma.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) expression profiles derived from UCSC Xena were used to obtain α-synuclein and DJ-1 expression and correlated with survival in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). Immunohistochemistry determined the expression in metastatic melanoma lymph nodes. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and molecular docking assessed protein binding and affinity with chemotherapeutic drugs. Further validation was performed using in vitro cellular models and ELISA immunoassays.

RESULTS

α-synuclein and DJ-1 were upregulated in primary and metastatic SKCM. Aggregated α-synuclein was selectively detected in metastatic melanoma lymph nodes. α-synuclein overexpression in SK-MEL-28 cells induced the expression of DJ-1, supporting PPI and a positive correlation in melanoma patients. Molecular docking revealed a stable protein complex, with differential binding to chemotherapy drugs such as temozolomide, dacarbazine, and doxorubicin. Parallel reduction of both proteins in temozolomide-treated SK-MEL-28 spheroids suggests drug binding may affect protein interaction and/or stability.

CONCLUSION

α-synuclein, together with DJ-1, may play a role in melanoma progression and chemosensitivity, constituting novel targets for therapeutic intervention, and possible biomarkers for melanoma.

Direct immunoactivation by chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer treatment

The immune system plays a crucial role in recognizing and eliminating pathogenic substances and malignant cells in the body. For cancer treatment, immunotherapy is becoming the standard treatment for many types of cancer and is often combined with chemotherapy. Although chemotherapeutic agents are often reported to have adverse effects, including immunosuppression, they can also play a positive role in immunotherapy by directly stimulating the immune system. This has been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical studies in the past decades. Chemotherapeutics can activate immune cells through different immune receptors and signaling pathways depending on their chemical structure and formulation. In this review, we summarize and discuss the direct immunoactivation effects of chemotherapeutics and possible mechanisms behind these effects. Finally, we prospect chemo-immunotherapeutic combinations for the more effective and safer treatment of cancer.

5‑Fluorouracil and capecitabine therapies for the treatment of colorectal cancer (Review)

Although 5‑fluorouracil (5‑FU)‑based chemotherapy is the major treatment for colorectal cancer, it has disadvantages such as systemic toxicity, lack of effectiveness and selectivity, and development of resistance. Capecitabine, a prodrug form of 5‑FU, was designed to overcome these drawbacks, to fulfill the need for more convenient therapy, and to improve safety, tolerability and intratumor drug concentration levels through a tumor‑specific conversion to the active 5‑FU drug. The purpose of the present review is to provide a comprehensive comparison between 5‑FU therapy and capecitabine. In the current review, anticancer drug classification was discussed and the development of capecitabine from the original fluorinated analogue (5‑FU) to overcome its drawbacks was explained. Specifically, 5‑FU is compared with capecitabine therapy regarding various properties, including drug metabolism, cellular mechanism, effect on the apoptosis pathway and cell cycle phases, safety and tolerability. Moreover, three metabolizing enzymes required for the activation of capecitabine to 5‑FU were discussed. Capecitabine, as monotherapy or in combination with other chemotherapies, exhibited improved drug efficacy and survival. However, the changes that mediate the chemoresistance of capecitabine treatment were classified as intracellular, extracellular or cell surface factors, or cell‑phenotype state. Future studies should examine the efficacy of capecitabine combined with novel and safe drugs other than chemotherapeutic agents that play a role in the inhibition of tumor initiation, progression and metastasis.

Bioorthogonal CRISPR/Cas9-Drug Conjugate: A Combinatorial Nanomedicine Platform

Bioconjugation of proteins can substantially expand the opportunities in biopharmaceutical development, however, applications are limited for the gene editing machinery despite its tremendous therapeutic potential. Here, a self-delivered nanomedicine platform based on bioorthogonal CRISPR/Cas9 conjugates, which can be armed with a chemotherapeutic drug for combinatorial therapy is introduced. It is demonstrated that multi-functionalized Cas9 with a drug and polymer can form self-condensed nanocomplexes, and induce significant gene editing upon delivery while avoiding the use of a conventional carrier formulation. It is shown that the nanomedicine platform can be applied for combinatorial therapy by incorporating the anti-cancer drug olaparib and targeting the RAD52 gene, leading to significant anti-tumor effects in BRCA-mutant cancer. The current development provides a versatile nanomedicine platform for combination treatment of human diseases such as cancer.

Comprehensive molecular docking and dynamic simulations for drug repurposing of clinical drugs against multiple cancer kinase targets

Drug repurposing is a method to identify novel therapeutic agents from the existing drugs and clinical compounds. In the present comprehensive work, molecular docking, virtual screening and dynamics simulations were carried out for ten cancer types viz breast, colon, central nervous system, leukaemia, melanoma, ovarian, prostate, renal and lung (non-small and small cell) against validated eighteen kinase targets. The study aims to understand the action of chemotherapy drugs mechanism through binding interactions against selected targets via comparative docking simulations with the state-art molecular modelling suits such as MOE, Cresset-Flare, AutoDock Vina, GOLD and GLIDE. Chemotherapeutic drugs (n = 112) were shortlisted from standard drug databases with appropriate chemoinformatic filters. Based on docking studies it was revealed that leucovorin, nilotinib, ellence, thalomid and carfilzomib drugs possessed potential against other cancer targets. A library was built to enumerate novel molecules based on the scaffold and functional groups extracted from known drugs and clinical compounds. Twenty novel molecules were prioritised further based on drug-like attributes. These were cross docked against 1MQ4 Aurora-A Protein Kinase for prostate cancer and 4UYA Mitogen-activated protein kinase for renal cancer. All docking programs yielded similar results but interestingly AutoDock Vina yielded the lowest RMSD with the native ligand. To further validate the final docking results at atomistic level, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to ascertain the stability of the protein-ligand complex. The study enables repurposing of drugs and lead identification by employing a host of structure and ligand based virtual screening tools and techniques.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Chemotherapeutic drugs for soft tissue sarcomas: a review

Despite the low incidence of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), hundreds of thousands of new STS cases are diagnosed annually worldwide, and approximately half of them eventually progress to advanced stages. Currently, chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for advanced STSs. There are difficulties in selecting appropriate drugs for multiline chemotherapy, or for combination treatment of different STS histological subtypes. In this study, we first comprehensively reviewed the efficacy of various chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of STSs, and then described the current status of sensitive drugs for different STS subtypes. anthracyclines are the most important systemic treatment for advanced STSs. Ifosfamide, trabectedin, gemcitabine, taxanes, dacarbazine, and eribulin exhibit certain activities in STSs. Vinca alkaloid agents (vindesine, vinblastine, vinorelbine, vincristine) have important therapeutic effects in specific STS subtypes, such as rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma family tumors, whereas their activity in other subtypes is weak. Other chemotherapeutic drugs (methotrexate, cisplatin, etoposide, pemetrexed) have weak efficacy in STSs and are rarely used. It is necessary to select specific second- or above-line chemotherapeutic drugs depending on the histological subtype. This review aims to provide a reference for the selection of chemotherapeutic drugs for multi-line therapy for patients with advanced STSs who have an increasingly long survival.

Identification of lysosomal genes associated with prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer, representing 40% of all cases of this tumor. Despite immense improvements in understanding the molecular basis, diagnosis, and treatment of LUAD, its recurrence rate is still high.

Methods

RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) LUAD cohort were download from Genomic Data Commons Portal. The GSE13213 dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used for external validation. Differential prognostic lysosome-related genes (LRGs) were identified by overlapping survival-related genes obtained via univariate Cox regression analysis with differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The prognostic model was built using Kaplan-Meier curves and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses. In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors. The responses of patients to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were further predicted. The pRRophetic package and rank-sum test were used to compute the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 56 chemotherapeutic drugs and their differential effects in the low- and high-risk groups. Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and human protein atlas (HPA) database were used to verify the expression of the four prognostic biomarkers in LUAD.

Results

Of the nine candidate differential prognostic LRGs, GATA2, TFAP2A, LMBRD1, and KRT8 were selected as prognostic biomarkers. The prediction of the risk model was validated to be reliable. Cox independent prognostic analysis revealed that risk score and stage were independent prognostic factors in LUAD. Furthermore, the nomogram and calibration curves of the independent prognostic factors performed well. Differential analysis of ICIs revealed CD276, ICOS, PDCD1LG2, CD27, TNFRSF18, TNFSF9, ENTPD1, and NT5E to be expressed differently in the low- and high-risk groups. The IC50 values of 12 chemotherapeutic drugs, including epothilone.B, JNK.inhibitor.VIII, and AKT.inhibitor.VIII, significantly differed between the two risk groups. KRT8 and TFAP2A were highly expressed, while GATA2 and LMBRD1 were poorly expressed in LUAD cell lines. In addition, KRT8 and TFAP2A were highly expressed, while GATA2 and LMBRD1 were poorly expressed in tumor tissues.

Conclusions

Four key prognostic biomarkers-GATA2, TFAP2A, LMBRD1, and KRT8-were used to construct a significant prognostic model for LUAD patients.

Chemotherapeutic drugs induced female reproductive toxicity and treatment strategies

Increase in success of cancer treatment with advancement in the screening, prognosis and diagnosis protocols have significantly improved the rate of cancer survivorship. With the declining cancer mortality, however, the cancer survivors are also subjected to the adverse consequences of chemotherapy, particularly in the female reproductive system. Recent studies have shown the sensitivity of the ovarian tissue to the chemotherapeutic drugs-induced toxicity. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have assessed the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. The most frequently used chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin and paclitaxel have been reported to cause ovarian damage, diminution of follicular pool reserve, premature ovarian failure and early menopause, resulting into declining fertility potential among females. The chemotherapy often employs combination of drug regimen to increase the efficacy of the treatment. However, the literature mostly consists of clinical data regarding the gonadotoxicity caused by anticancer drugs but there lacks the understanding of toxicity mechanism. Therefore, understanding of the different toxicity mechanisms will be helpful in development of possible therapeutic interventions for preservation of declining female fertility among cancer survivors. The current review comprehends the underlying mechanisms of female reproductive toxicity induced by the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, the review also summarizes the recent findings related to the use of various protectants to diminish or at least in managing the toxicity induced by different chemotherapeutic drugs in females.

Prognostic influence of PD-1/PD-L1 suppressors in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for non-small cell pulmonary carcinoma: system review and meta-analysis

Background

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor, which is seriously harmful to human life and health. Nowadays, it has gradually become one of the best treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to combine immunotherapy and chemotherapy, and its clinical efficacy is preliminary. Nevertheless, substantial differences exist between various studies and various indicators. Despite their unconvincing results, high-quality research evidence is needed to support them. In this case, further correlative studies are necessary to investigate the prognostic outcomes of PD-1/PD-L1 suppressors in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs in NSCLC.

Methods

The online public databases were searchable for the clinical trials that consisted of NSCLC patients who had concluded their chemotherapy and who had accepted PD-1/PD-L1 suppressors. The time-span of the search spanned from the beginning to the end of the database. Two investigators retrieved the data independently. RevMan 5.3 statistical software was utilized for the assessment of bias risk. The software followed the Cochrane Handbook 5.3 guidelines.

Results

There were seven clinically controlled studies with 2781 NSCLC samples finally included in this study. A meta-analysis of the post-treatment overall response rate (ORR) was undertaken. A remarkably higher ORR rate was observed in the study group (p<0.05). Study participants had a noticeably longer PFS (HR=0.61, 95% CI=0.54-0.70, P<0.00001). Study participants had markedly longer overall survival (OS) (HR=0.651, 95% CI=0.52-0.82, P<0.05). The incidence of adverse events (AEs) of Grade 3 or above was not clinically clearly different (P>0.05), as demonstrated by the incidence of AEs. The funnel plots were separately charted in accordance with ORR rate, PFE, OS, and Grade 3 AEs. The majority of the funnel plots were symmetrical and a minority of funnel plots were asymmetrical, indicating the heterogeneity of research and the limited evidence available may lead to some publication bias in the contained literature.

Conclusion

The combined PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with conventional chemotherapy can dramatically elevate the prognosis of NSCLC patients, obviously enhancing the ORR rate and prolonging their PFS and OS. Furthermore, it was found that adding PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to conventional chemotherapy did not result in any additional adverse effects.

The Onco-Nephrology Field: The Role of Personalized Chemotherapy to Prevent Kidney Damage

In recent years, the onco-nephrology field has acquired a relevant role in internal medicine due to the growing number of cases of renal dysfunction that have been observed in cancer patients. This clinical complication can be induced by the tumor itself (for example, due to obstructive phenomena affecting the excretory tract or by neoplastic dissemination) or by chemotherapy, as it is potentially nephrotoxic. Kidney damage can manifest as acute kidney injury or represent a worsening of pre-existing chronic kidney disease. In cancer patients, physicians should try to set preventive strategies to safeguard the renal function, avoiding the concomitant use of nephrotoxic drugs, personalizing the dose of chemotherapy according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and using an appropriate hydration therapy in combination with nephroprotective compounds. To prevent renal dysfunction, a new possible tool useful in the field of onco-nephrology would be the development of a personalized algorithm for the patient based on body composition parameters, gender, nutritional status, GFR and genetic polymorphisms.

Perspectives of the Application of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Cancer Therapy: Attempts to Overcome Their Unfavorable Side Effects

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) express anti-tumoral activity mainly by blocking cyclooxygenase-2 involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins. Therefore, in the last few decades, many have attempted to explore the possibilities of applying this group of drugs as effective agents for the inhibition of neoplastic processes. This review summarizes the evidence presented in the literature regarding the anti-tumoral actions of NSAIDs used as monotherapies as well as in combination with conventional chemotherapeutics and natural products. In several clinical trials, it was proven that combinations of NSAIDs and chemotherapeutic drugs (CTDs) were able to obtain suitable results. The combination with phospholipids may resolve the adverse effects of NSAIDs and deliver derivatives with increased antitumor activity, whereas hybrids with terpenoids exhibit superior activity against their parent drugs or physical mixtures. Therefore, the application of NSAIDs in cancer therapy seems to be still an open chapter and requires deep and careful evaluation. The literature's data indicate the possibilities of re-purposing anti-inflammatory drugs currently approved for cancer treatments.

Recent Advances in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery for Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer (BC) currently occupies the second rank in cancer-related global female deaths. Although consistent awareness and improved diagnosis have reduced mortality in recent years, late diagnosis and resistant response still limit the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (CDs), leading to relapse with consequent invasion and metastasis. Treatment with CDs is indeed well-versed but it is badly curtailed with accompanying side effects and inadequacies of site-specific drug delivery. As a result, drug carriers ensuring stealth delivery and sustained drug release with improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution are urgently needed. Core-shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have recently been a cornerstone in this context, attributed to their high surface area, low density, robust functionalization, high drug loading capacity, size-shape-controlled functioning, and homogeneous shell architecture, enabling stealth drug delivery. Recent interest in using MSNPs as drug delivery vehicles has been due to their functionalization and size-shape-driven versatilities. With such insights, this article focuses on the preparation methods and drug delivery mechanisms of MSNPs, before discussing their emerging utility in BC treatment. The information compiled herein could consolidate the database for using inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) as BC drug delivery vehicles in terms of design, application and resolving post-therapy complications.

Effect of aspirin on the TNF-α-mediated cell survival and death pathways in breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug commonly used as an analgesic and in cardiovascular disorders. However, many studies have highlighted its anti-cancer properties, especially in colorectal, lung, head and neck, and breast cancers. In this work, we tried to study the effect of aspirin on the TNF-α-mediated cell survival and death pathways in two cell lines representing two different subtypes of breast cancer. TNF-α-mediated stimulation of a cell can result in its proliferation via the NF-κB pathway or its death via either apoptosis or a programmed form of necrosis called necroptosis. The latter is believed to come into the picture only when apoptosis is inhibited.

METHODS

In this work, we studied the effect of aspirin on the TNF-α-mediated cell survival pathway and observed a decrease in expression of the NF-κB pathway regulators, its nuclear translocation, and phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of aspirin on the TNF-α-mediated cell death showed significant cytotoxicity at the higher doses (5-20 mM) of aspirin in both the breast cancer cell lines. The effect of aspirin on necroptosis was investigated after stimulating the cells with TNF-α and inhibiting apoptosis using Z-VAD-FMK.

RESULTS

Though no significant effect was noted in breast cancer cell lines, the above protocol successfully induced necroptosis in L929, i.e., a positive control cell line for necroptosis having an intact necroptosis machinery. Even when combined with the chemotherapeutic drugs, the above regime failed to induce any significant necroptosis in breast cancer cells but was found effective in L929.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the findings show that while aspirin has the potential to inhibit the TNF-α-mediated cell survival pathway, it does not help sensitize breast cancer cells to necroptotic cell death induction.

Recent Progress in the Hesperetin Delivery Regimes: Significance of Pleiotropic Actions and Synergistic Anticancer Efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the plant kingdom, flavonoids are widely distributed with multifunctional immunomodulatory actions. Hesperetin (HST) remains one of the well-studied compounds in this domain, initially perceived in citrus plants as an aglycone derivative of hesperidin (HDN).

OBSERVATIONS

Natural origin, low in vivo toxicity, and pleiotropic functional essence are the foremost fascinations for HST use as an anticancer drug. However, low aqueous solubility accompanied with a prompt degradation by intestinal and hepatocellular enzymes impairs HST physiological absorption.

MOTIVATION

Remedies attempted herein comprise the synthesis of derivatives and nanocarrier (NC)-mediated delivery. As the derivative synthesis aggravates the structural complexity, NC-driven HST delivery has emerged as a sustainable approach for its sustained release. Recent interest in HST has been due to its significant anticancer potential, characterized via inhibited cell division (proliferation), new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis), forceful occupation of neighboring cell's space (invasion), migration to erstwhile physiological locations (metastasis) and apoptotic induction. The sensitization of chemotherapeutic drugs (CDs) by HST is driven via stoichiometrically regulated synergistic actions. Purpose and Conclusion: This article sheds light on HST structure-function correlation and pleiotropic anticancer mechanisms, in unaided and NC-administered delivery in singular and with CDs synergy. The discussion could streamline the HST usefulness and long-term anticancer efficacy.

Estimation of hub genes and exploration of multi-omics level alterations in the landscape of lung adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is recognized as one of the most prevalent and deadliest malignancies around the globe. The molecular mechanisms behind LUAD have not been fully elucidated. This study was launched to explore LUAD-associated hub genes and their enriched pathways using bioinformatics methods.

METHODS

Information on GSE10072 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed via the Limma package-based GEO2R tool to obtain the top 100 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in LUAD. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was drawn using the STRING website and was shifted into Cytoscape to screen the top 6 hub genes via the CytoHubba application. Furthermore, the expression analysis and validation of hub genes in LUAD samples and cell lines were done using UALCAN, OncoDB, and GENT2 databases. Moreover, OncoDB was also used for analyzing hub gene DNA methylation levels. In addition, cBioPortal, GSEA tool, Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, Enrichr, CancerSEA, and DGIdb were performed to explore some other important aspects of hub genes in LUAD.

RESULTS

We identified Interleukin 6 (IL6), Collagen, type I, alpha 1 (COL1A1), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), CD34 molecule (CD34), Decorin (DCN), and Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) genes as the hub genes in LUAD, out of which IL6, CD34, and DCN were significantly down-regulated while COL1A1, TIMP1, and SPP1 were significantly up-regulated in LUAD cell lines and samples of diverse clinical variables. In this study, we also documented some important correlations between hub genes and other parameters such as DNA methylation, genetic alterations, Overall Survival (OS), and 14 important states at the single cell level. Lastly, we also identified hub genes associated with the ceRNA network and 11 important chemotherapeutic drugs.

CONCLUSION

We identified 6 hub genes involved in the development and progression of LUAD. These hub genes can also be helpful in the accurate detection of LUAD and provide novel ideas for treatment.

Chemotherapeutic Drugs Induce Different Gut Microbiota Disorder Pattern and NOD/RIP2/NF-κB Signaling Pathway Activation That Lead to Different Degrees of Intestinal Injury

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan (CPT-11), oxaliplatin (L-OHP), and calcium folinate (CF) are widely used chemotherapeutic drugs to treat colorectal cancer. However, chemotherapeutic use is often accompanied by intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota disorder. Changes in gut microbiota may destroy the intestinal barrier, which contributes to the severity of intestinal injury. However, intestinal injury and gut microbiota disorder have yet to be compared among 5-FU, CPT-11, L-OHP, and CF in detail, thereby limiting the development of targeted detoxification therapy after chemotherapy. In this study, a model of chemotherapy-induced intestinal injury in tumor-bearing mice was established by intraperitoneally injecting chemotherapeutic drugs at a clinically equivalent dose. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to detect gut microbiota. We found that 5-FU, CPT-11, and l-OHP caused intestinal injury, inflammatory cytokine (gamma interferon [IFN-γ], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], and IL-6) secretion, and gut microbiota disorder. We established a complex but clear network between the pattern of changes in gut microbiota and degree of intestinal damage induced by different chemotherapeutic drugs. L-OHP caused the most severe damage in the intestine and disorder of the gut microbiota and showed a considerable overlap of the pattern of changes in microbiota with 5-FU and CPT-11. Analysis by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt v.1.0) showed that the microbiota disorder pattern induced by 5-FU, CPT-11, and L-OHP was related to the NOD-like signaling pathway. Therefore, we detected the protein expression of the NOD/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway and found that L-OHP most activated this pathway. Redundancy analysis/canonical correlation analysis (RDA/CCA) revealed that Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Allobaculum, Catenibacterium, Mucispirillum, Turicibacter, Helicobacter, Proteus, Escherichia Shigella, Alloprevotealla, Vagococcus, Streptococcus, and "Candidatus Saccharimonas" were highly correlated with the NOD/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway and influenced by chemotherapeutic drugs. IMPORTANCE Chemotherapy-induced intestinal injury limits the clinical use of drugs. Intestinal injury involves multiple signaling pathways and gut microbiota disruption. Our results suggested that the degree of intestinal injury caused by different drugs of the first-line colorectal chemotherapy regimen is related to the pattern of changes in microbiota. The activation of the NOD/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway was also related to the pattern of changes in microbiota. l-OHP caused the most severe damage to the intestine and showed a considerable overlap of the pattern of changes in microbiota with 5-FU and CPT-11. Thirteen bacterial genera were related to different levels of intestinal injury and correlated with the NOD/RIP2/NF-κB pathway. Here, we established a network of different chemotherapeutic drugs, gut microbiota, and the NOD/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway. This study likely provided a new basis for further elucidating the mechanism and clinical treatment of intestinal injury caused by chemotherapy.

Deciphering cervical cancer-associated biomarkers by integrated multi-omics approach

OBJECTIVES

Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma (CESC) is one of the most fatal female malignancies, and the underlying molecular mechanisms governing this disease have not been fully explored. In this research, we planned to conduct the analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cervical squamous cell carcinoma microarray datasets by a detailed in silico approach and to explore some novel biomarkers of CESC.

METHODS

The top commonly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the GSE138080 and GSE113942 datasets were analyzed by Limma package-based GEO2R tool. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was drawn through Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING), and top 6 hub genes were obtained from Cytoscape. Expression analysis and validation of hub genes expression in CESC samples and cell lines were done using UALCAN, OncoDB, GENT2, and HPA. Additionally, cBioPortal, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) tool, Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, ShinyGO, and DGIdb databases were also used to check some important values of hub genes in CESC.

RESULTS

Out of 79 DEGs, the minichromosome maintenance complex component 4 (MCM4), nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 (NUSAP1), cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5), cell division cycle 45 (CDC45), denticleless E3 ubiquitin protein ligase homolog (DTL), and chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (CDT1) genes were regarded as hub genes in CESC. Further analysis revealed that the expressions of all these hub genes were significantly elevated in CESC cell lines and samples of diverse clinical attributes. In this study, we also documented some important correlations between hub genes and some other diverse measures, including DNA methylation, genetic alterations, and Overall Survival (OS). Last, we also identify hub genes associated ceRNA network and 31 important chemotherapeutic drugs.

CONCLUSION

Through detailed in silico methodology, we identified 6 hub genes, including MCM4, NUSAP1, CDCA5, CDC45, DTL, and CDT1, which are likely to be associated with CESC development and diagnosis.

A Novel m7G-Related Genes-Based Signature with Prognostic Value and Predictive Ability to Select Patients Responsive to Personalized Treatment Strategies in Bladder Cancer

Although N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification serves as a tumor promoter in bladder cancer (BLCA), the comprehensive role of m7G-related characterization in BLCA remains unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the m7G-related clusters of 760 BLCA patients through consensus unsupervised clustering analysis. Next, we investigated the underlying m7G-related genes among these m7G-related clusters. Univariate Cox and LASSO regressions were used for screening out prognostic genes and for reducing the dimension, respectively. Finally, we developed a novel m7G-related scoring system via the GSVA algorithm. The correlation between tumor microenvironment, prediction of personalized therapies and this m7G-related signature was gradually revealed. We first identified three m7G-related clusters and 1108 differentially expressed genes relevant to the three clusters. Based on the profile of 1108 genes, we divided BLCA patients into two clusters, which were quantified by our established m7G-related scoring system. Patients with higher m7G-related scores tended to have a better OS and more chances to benefit from immunotherapy. A significantly negative connection between sensitivity to classic chemotherapeutic drugs and m7G-related signature was uncovered. In summary, our data show that m7G-related characterization of BLCA patients can be of value for prognostic stratification and for patient-oriented therapeutic options, designing personalized treatment strategies in the preclinical setting.

Development of a Hallmark Pathway-Related Gene Signature Associated with Immune Response for Lower Grade Gliomas

Although some biomarkers have been used to predict prognosis of lower-grade gliomas (LGGs), a pathway-related signature associated with immune response has not been developed. A key signaling pathway was determined according to the lowest adjusted p value among 50 hallmark pathways. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and stepwise multivariate Cox analyses were performed to construct a pathway-related gene signature. Somatic mutation, drug sensitivity and prediction of immunotherapy analyses were conducted to reveal the value of this signature in targeted therapies. In this study, an allograft rejection (AR) pathway was considered as a crucial signaling pathway, and we constructed an AR-related five-gene signature, which can independently predict the prognosis of LGGs. High-AR LGG patients had higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), Immunophenscore (IPS), IMmuno-PREdictive Score (IMPRES), T cell-inflamed gene expression profile (GEP) score and MHC I association immunoscore (MIAS) than low-AR patients. Most importantly, our signature can be validated in four immunotherapy cohorts. Furthermore, IC50 values of the six classic chemotherapeutic drugs were significantly elevated in the low-AR group compared with the high-AR group. This signature might be regarded as an underlying biomarker in predicting prognosis for LGGs, possibly providing more therapeutic strategies for future clinical research.

Wild type and gain of function mutant TP53 can regulate the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, EGFR/Ras/Raf/MEK, and PI3K/mTORC1/GSK-3 pathway inhibitors, nutraceuticals and alter metabolic properties

TP53 is a master regulator of many signaling and apoptotic pathways involved in: aging, cell cycle progression, gene regulation, growth, apoptosis, cellular senescence, DNA repair, drug resistance, malignant transformation, metastasis, and metabolism. Most pancreatic cancers are classified as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). The tumor suppressor gene TP53 is mutated frequently (50-75%) in PDAC. Different types of TP53 mutations have been observed including gain of function (GOF) point mutations and various deletions of the TP53 gene resulting in lack of the protein expression. Most PDACs have point mutations at the KRAS gene which result in constitutive activation of KRas and multiple downstream signaling pathways. It has been difficult to develop specific KRas inhibitors and/or methods that result in recovery of functional TP53 activity. To further elucidate the roles of TP53 in drug-resistance of pancreatic cancer cells, we introduced wild-type (WT) TP53 or a control vector into two different PDAC cell lines. Introduction of WT-TP53 increased the sensitivity of the cells to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs, signal transduction inhibitors, drugs and nutraceuticals and influenced key metabolic properties of the cells. Therefore, TP53 is a key molecule which is critical in drug sensitivity and metabolism of PDAC.

Research progress of anti-glioma chemotherapeutic drugs (Review)

Glioma is the most common primary intracranial malignancy in the central nervous system. At present, the most important treatment option is surgical resection of the tumor combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The principle of operation is to remove the tumor to the maximal extent on the basis of preserving brain function. However, prominent invasive and infiltrative proliferation of glioma tumor cells into the surrounding normal tissues frequently reduces the efficacy of treatment. This in turn worsens the prognosis, because the tumor cannot be completely removed, which can readily relapse. Chemotherapeutic agents when applied individually have demonstrated limited efficacy for the treatment of glioma. However, multiple different chemotherapeutic agents can be used in combination with other treatment modalities to improve the efficacy while circumventing systemic toxicity and drug resistance. Therefore, it is pivotal to unravel the inhibitory mechanism mediated by the different chemotherapeutic drugs on glioma cells in preclinical studies. The aim of the present review is to provide a summary for understanding the effects of different chemotherapeutic drugs in glioma, in addition to providing a reference for the preclinical research into novel chemotherapeutic agents for future clinical application.

Gamma-tocotrienol Synergistically Promotes the Anti-proliferative and Pro-apoptotic Effects of Etoposide on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

BACKGROUND

Breast Cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and a major cause of death among women. Although chemotherapeutic agents remain the keystones in cancer therapy, significant side effects have failed to provide a safe and tolerable treatment for cancer patients. Dietary antioxidant vitamins were extensively investigated over the past years and their relevance in cancer chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

In the current study, we aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of combining γ-tocotrienol, a member of the vitamin E family, with the chemotherapeutic drug etoposide in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines.

METHODS

The antiproliferative effect of etoposide combined with γ-tocotrienol was measured using MTS viability reagent. The pro-apoptotic effect was elucidated through Cell Death ELISA and dual Annexin V/PI staining followed by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTS

Our results showed that etoposide significantly decreased the cell growth of both cell lines with MDA-MB-231 cells being more sensitive to etoposide treatment than MCF-7. Moreover, the simultaneous treatment of both breast cancer cell lines with low doses of γ-tocotrienol and etoposide induced a synergistic antiproliferative effect (CI<1). Furthermore, the combination therapy significantly increased the percentage of total apoptotic cells in the MDA-MB-231 cell line and the degree of DNA fragmentation as compared to treatment with either compound alone.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our results provide evidence for the profound anti-tumorigenic effect of combined etoposide and γ-tocotrienol in the breast cancer cell lines.

Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety for Kanglaite Injection in the Control of the Malignant Pleural Effusions via Thoracic Perfusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Kanglaite injection (KLTI) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation with anti-tumor activity, which has been used to treat malignant tumors in China. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrapleural infusion with KLTI in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion (MPE).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy and safety of intrathoracic infusion with KLTI in the treatment of MPE were searched from the PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang and CBM databases. The primary outcome was objective remission rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes included quality of life (QOL) and incidence of adverse events (AEs). The Stata15.1 software and RevMan5.3 software were used to calculate risk ratios (RR) at 95% confidence intervals (CI) and conduct the meta-analysis.

Results: This meta-analysis included 20 RCTs, involving 1,291 patients. The ORR of intrapleural infusion with KLTI + chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of MPE was higher than that of chemotherapy alone (RR) 1.23; 95%CI; 1.11–1.36, I² = 0%, z = 3.876, p = 0.000]. When KLTI is combined with cisplatin or KLTI 200 ml is used in every time, it is more advantageous to improve ORR. Moreover, compared with intrapleural infusion of chemotherapy drugs alone, KLTI combined with chemotherapy drugs significantly improved the QOL of patients with MPE (RR 1.28; 95%CI; 1.70–1.53, I² = 0%, z = 2.70, p = 0.007). In addition, the participation of KLTI reduced the gastrointestinal reaction (RR 0.79; 95% CI; 0.66–0.96; I² = 0%, z = 2.37, p = 0.018) and renal damage (RR 0.468; 95% CI; 0.23–0.945, I² = 0%, z = 2.11, p = 0.035) caused by chemotherapy drugs, but did not increase other adverse reactions (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of traditional chemotherapy drugs plus KLTI was superior to traditional chemotherapy drugs alone via intrapleural injection in controlling MPE, which suggested that KLTI can be used to treat MPE. However, a more rigorous RCT should be designed and completed before it is widely recommended.

In Vitro Nephrotoxicity Studies of Established and Experimental Platinum-Based Compounds

Cisplatin is one of the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of various solid cancers. However, its efficacy is restricted by severe side effects, especially dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. New platinum-based compounds are designed to overcome this limitation. Previous investigations showed that the platinum(IV)–nitroxyl complex PN149 is highly cytotoxic in various tumor cell lines. In the present study, investigations with PN149 were extended to normal human kidney tubule epithelia. Coincident with higher intracellular platinum accumulation, the cytotoxicity of PN149 in the proximal tubule epithelial cell line ciPTEC was more pronounced compared to the established platinum chemotherapeutics cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Quantitative gene expression profiling revealed the induction of ROS-inducible and anti-oxidative genes, suggesting an oxidative stress response by PN149. However, in contrast to cisplatin, no pro-inflammatory response was observed. Genes coding for distinct DNA damage response factors and genes related to apoptosis were up-regulated, indicating the activation of the DNA damage response system and induction of the apoptotic cascade by PN149. Altogether, a comparable transcriptional response was observed for PN149 and the platinum chemotherapeutics. However, the lack of inflammatory activity, which is a possible cause contributing to toxicity in human renal proximal tubule epithelia, might indicate the reduced nephrotoxic potential of PN149.

Research Progress of MicroRNA in Chemotherapy Resistance of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant tumor prevalent in adolescents; however, a clinically effective treatment for this malignancy is lacking. The lack of effective treatment methods and factors, such as recurrence and drug resistance, further dampen the prospect of clinically treating OS. In recent years, small molecule microRNAs (miRNAs) with a length of approximately 20-24 nucleotides have gradually attracted the attention of the medical community. Studies have found that miRNAs can regulate the cell cycle, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell proliferation. The metabolic response of cancer cells, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and angiogenesis play an important role in the process of tumorigenesis. miRNAs regulate gene expression by regulating mRNA expression after transcription. A large amount of data from many studies indicate that they have diagnostic and prognostic biomarker effects in OS and are involved in regulating the metabolism of cancer cells and resistance or sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. Chemotherapy resistance is one of the most critical problems in clinically treating OS. A large number of basic studies and systematic summaries are required to provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the mechanism and drug development of chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, this article discusses the role of miRNAs in OS resistance. Herein, the related research progress of the studies is reviewed to provide more useful information for the development of effective therapy.

Metformin Adjunct With Antineoplastic Agents for the Treatment of Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Cohort Studies

Objective: Resistance to anticancer agents ensures a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. Metformin could enhance the anticancer effects of standard antineoplastic agents [traditional chemotherapy drugs, epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)]; however, it is unclear whether metformin can be combined with antineoplastic agents in the treatment of lung cancer. To explore the efficacy of combinational strategies, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis for diabetic and non-diabetic patients with lung cancer.

Method: An electronic literature search was performed to obtain relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational cohort studies. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes were extracted. Subgroup analysis by antineoplastic agents, study type, histology and clinical stage were investigated.

Results: 14 studies (three RCTs and eleven observational cohort studies) consisting 3,856 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to standard antineoplastic agents alone (traditional chemotherapy drugs, EGFR-TKIs or ICIs), the antineoplastic agents combined with metformin significantly improved OS (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.66–0.81, p < 0.00001) and PFS (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59–0.88, p = 0.001); a similar association was found in observational evidence. Limited data from RCTs showed no differences in OS or PFS.

Conclusion: Metformin plus antineoplastic agents may improve survival outcomes of patients with lung cancer. Further investigation is needed.

GSK-3β Can Regulate the Sensitivity of MIA-PaCa-2 Pancreatic and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Targeted Therapeutics and Nutraceuticals

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a regulator of signaling pathways. KRas is frequently mutated in pancreatic cancers. The growth of certain pancreatic cancers is KRas-dependent and can be suppressed by GSK-3 inhibitors, documenting a link between KRas and GSK-3. To further elucidate the roles of GSK-3β in drug-resistance, we transfected KRas-dependent MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cells with wild-type (WT) and kinase-dead (KD) forms of GSK-3β. Transfection of MIA-PaCa-2 cells with WT-GSK-3β increased their resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs and certain small molecule inhibitors. Transfection of cells with KD-GSK-3β often increased therapeutic sensitivity. An exception was observed with cells transfected with WT-GSK-3β and sensitivity to the BCL2/BCLXL ABT737 inhibitor. WT-GSK-3β reduced glycolytic capacity of the cells but did not affect the basal glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. KD-GSK-3β decreased both basal glycolysis and glycolytic capacity and reduced mitochondrial respiration in MIA-PaCa-2 cells. As a comparison, the effects of GSK-3 on MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which have mutant PIK3CA, were examined. KD-GSK-3β increased the resistance of MCF-7 cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and certain signal transduction inhibitors. Thus, altering the levels of GSK-3β can have dramatic effects on sensitivity to drugs and signal transduction inhibitors which may be influenced by the background of the tumor.

Layer-by-Layer assembled nano-drug delivery systems for cancer treatment

Nano-drug delivery systems (NDDS) are functional drug-loaded nanocarriers widely applied in cancer therapy. Recently, layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled NDDS have been demonstrated as one of the most promising platforms in delivery of anticancer therapeutics. Here, a brief review of the LbL assembled NDDS for cancer treatment is presented. The fundamentals of the LbL assembled NDDS are first interpreted with an emphasis on the formation mechanisms. Afterwards, the tailored encapsulation of anticancer therapeutics in LbL assembled NDDS are summarized. The state-of-art targeted delivery of LbL assembled NDDS, with special attention to the elaborately control over the passive and active targeting delivery, are represented. Then the controlled release of LbL assembled NDDS with various stimulus responsiveness are systematically reviewed. Finally, conclusions and perspectives on further advancing the LbL assembled NDDS toward more powerful and versatile platforms for cancer therapy are discussed.

[Research progress of correlation between multidrug resistance and transporters and traditional Chinese medicine intervention]

With the emergence of drug resistance in Western medicine, the repeated administration of clinical first-line drugs becomes more severe. There are many factors leading to multidrug resistance(MDR), so it is very difficult to solve the problem. Since traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has been used in the field of MDR in recent years, the research on the transporter-associated drug resistance and intervention of TCM has gradually become a hot spot. Therefore, in order to further explore the relationships among drug resistance, transporters, and TCM intervention, we review the relevant research progress in recent years and comb the achievements and limitations of this research at present. In the end, we put forward the research direction of changing body's ADME through the host's transporters and gastrointestinal flora, which provides new ideas for future research.

The Chemosensitizing Role of Metformin in Anti-Cancer Therapy

Chemoresistance, which leads to the failure of chemotherapy and further tumor recurrence, presents the largest hurdle for the success of anti-cancer therapy. In recent years, metformin, a widely used first-line antidiabetic drug, has attracted increasing attention for its anti-cancer effects. A growing body of evidence indicates that metformin can sensitize tumor responses to different chemotherapeutic drugs, such as hormone modulating drugs, anti-metabolite drugs, antibiotics, and DNA-damaging drugs via selective targeting of Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), improving the hypoxic microenvironment, and by suppressing tumor metastasis and inflammation. In addition, metformin may regulate metabolic programming, induce apoptosis, reverse Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), and Multidrug Resistance (MDR). In this review, we summarize the chemosensitization effects of metformin and focus primarily on its molecular mechanisms in enhancing the sensitivity of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs, through targeting of mTOR, ERK/P70S6K, NF-κB/HIF-1 α, and Mitogen- Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, as well as by down-regulating the expression of CSC genes and Pyruvate Kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2). Through a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of chemosensitization provided in this review, the rationale for the use of metformin in clinical combination medications can be more systematically and thoroughly explored for wider adoption against numerous cancer types.>.

Paraoxonase-2 Silencing Enhances Sensitivity of A375 Melanoma Cells to Treatment with Cisplatin

Melanoma represents the most aggressive skin cancer, being responsible for the majority of deaths related with these neoplasms. Despite chemotherapy represents a frontline approach for management of the advanced stages of the disease, it displayed poor response rates and short-term efficacy due to melanoma cell resistance. Therefore, the discovery of molecules that can be used for effective targeted therapy of melanoma is crucial. In this study, we evaluated the impact of paraoxonase-2 (PON2) silencing on proliferation, viability, and resistance to treatment of the A375 melanoma cell line with chemotherapeutic drugs dacarbazine (DTIC) and cisplatin (CDDP). Due to the enzymes ability to counteract oxidative stress, we also evaluated the effect of enzyme knockdown on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cells treated with CDDP. The data reported clearly demonstrated that PON2 knockdown led to a significant reduction of cell proliferation and viability, as well as to an enhancement of A375 sensitivity to CDDP treatment. Moreover, enzyme downregulation was associated with an increase of ROS production in CDDP-treated cells. Although further analyses will be necessary to understand how PON2 could influence melanoma cell metabolism and phenotype, our results seem to suggest that the enzyme may serve as an interesting molecular target for effective melanoma treatment.

Design and synthesis of novel quinic acid derivatives: in vitro cytotoxicity and anticancer effect on glioblastoma

Aim: Quinic acid (QA) is a cyclic polyol exhibiting anticancer properties on several cancers. However, potential role of QA derivatives against glioblastoma is not well established. Methodology & results: Sixteen novel QA derivatives and QA-16 encapsulated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (QA-16-NPs) were screened for their anti-glioblastoma effect using standard cell and molecular biology methods. Presence of a tertiary hydroxy and silylether groups in the lead compound were identified for the antitumor activity. QA-16 have 90% inhibition with the IC₅₀ of 10.66 μM and 28.22 μM for LN229 and SNB19, respectively. The induction of apoptosis is faster with the increased fold change of caspase 3/7 and reactive oxygen species. Conclusion: QA-16 and QA-16-NPs shows similar cytotoxicity effect, providing the opportunity to use QA-16 as a potential chemotherapeutic agent.

Recent Advances on Drug-Loaded Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Anti-neoplastic Agents for Targeted Treatment of Cancer

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as an undifferentiated group of adult multipotent cells, have remarkable antitumor features that bring them up as a novel choice to treat cancers. MSCs are capable of altering the behavior of cells in the tumor microenvironment, inducing an anti-inflammatory effect in tumor cells, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, and preventing metastasis. Besides, MSCs can induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells. The ability of MSCs to be loaded with chemotherapeutic drugs and release them in the site of primary and metastatic neoplasms makes them a preferable choice as targeted drug delivery procedure. Targeted drug delivery minimizes unexpected side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and improves clinical outcomes. This review focuses on recent advances on innate antineoplastic features of MSCs and the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs on viability, proliferation, and the regenerative capacity of various kinds of MSCs. It also discusses the efficacy and mechanisms of drug loading and releasing procedures along with in vivo and in vitro preclinical outcomes of antineoplastic effects of primed MSCs for clinical prospection.

Nanomedicine in Pancreatic Cancer: A New Hope for Treatment

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has one of the worst prognosis and higher mortality among most cancers. The diagnosis of PDA is frequently delayed due to a lack of specific biomarkers, and the efficacy of current chemotherapeutic drugs is limited. Moreover, chemotherapy is generally applied in advanced stages, where metastatic spread has already occurred. Nanotechnologybased systems are allowing to advance in the diagnosis and treatment of PDA. New nanoformulations have shown to improve the activity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, such as gemcitabine, and new antitumor drugs, protecting them from degradation, improving their selectivity, solubility and bioavailability, and reducing their side effects. Moreover, the design of nanocarriers represents a new way to overcome drug resistance, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment of PDA. This article reviews the current perspectives, based on nanomedicine, to address the limitations of pancreatic cancer treatment, and the futures lines of research to progress in the control of this disease.

Polyacrylamide-punicic acid conjugate-based micelles for flutamide delivery in PC3 cells of prostate cancer: synthesis, characterisation and cytotoxicity studies

The aim of the present study was to synthesize a novel biopolymeric micelle based on punicic acid (PA) and polyacrylamide (PAM) for carrying chemotherapeutic drugs used in prostate cancer treatment. A polymer composite micelle was prepared by chemical conjugation between PAM and PA. The micelles were prepared by self-assembly via film casting followed by ultrasonication method. The successful production of PAMPA copolymeric micelles was confirmed using FTIR, 1H-NMR, and TEM. Then, flutamide was loaded in the designed nanomicelles and they were characterized. The cell cytotoxicity of the micelles was studied on PC3 cells of prostate cancer. The prepared nanomicelles showed the particle size of 88 nm, PDI of 0.246, zeta potential of -9 mV, drug loading efficiency of 94.5%, drug release of 85.6% until 10 hours in pH 7.4 and CMC of 74.13 μg/ml. The cell viability in blank nanocarriers was about 70% in PC3 cells at concentration of 25 μM. More significant cytotoxic effects were seen for flutamide loaded micelles at this concentration compared to the free drug. The results suggest that the PAMPA co-polymeric nanomicelles can be utilized as an effective carrier to enhance the cytotoxic effects of flutamide in prostate cancer.

Roles of Sorcin in Drug Resistance in Cancer: One Protein, Many Mechanisms, for a Novel Potential Anticancer Drug Target

The development of drug resistance is one of the main causes of failure in anti-cancer treatments. Tumor cells adopt many strategies to counteract the action of chemotherapeutic agents, e.g., enhanced DNA damage repair, inactivation of apoptotic pathways, alteration of drug targets, drug inactivation, and overexpression of ABC (Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette, or ATP-binding cassette) transporters. These are broad substrate-specificity ATP-dependent efflux pumps able to export toxins or drugs out of cells; for instance, ABCB1 (MDR1, or P-glycoprotein 1), overexpressed in most cancer cells, confers them multidrug resistance (MDR). The gene coding for sorcin (SOluble Resistance-related Calcium-binding proteIN) is highly conserved among mammals and is located in the same chromosomal locus and amplicon as the ABC transporters ABCB1 and ABCB4, both in human and rodent genomes (two variants of ABCB1, i.e., ABCB1a and ABCB1b, are in rodent amplicon). Sorcin was initially characterized as a soluble protein overexpressed in multidrug (MD) resistant cells and named "resistance-related" because of its co-amplification with ABCB1. Although for years sorcin overexpression was thought to be only a by-product of the co-amplification with ABC transporter genes, many papers have recently demonstrated that sorcin plays an important part in MDR, indicating a possible role of sorcin as an oncoprotein. The present review illustrates sorcin roles in the generation of MDR via many mechanisms and points to sorcin as a novel potential target of different anticancer molecules.

Reverse Screening Bioinformatics Approach to Identify Potential Anti Breast Cancer Targets Using Thymoquinone from Neutraceuticals Black Cumin Oil

BACKGROUND

Functional foods, neutraceuticals and natural antioxidants have established their potential roles in the protection of human health and diseases. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main bioactive component of Nigella sativa seeds (black cumin seeds), a plant derived neutraceutical was used by ancient Egyptians because of their ability to cure a variety of health conditions and used as a dietary food supplement. Owing to its multi targeting nature, TQ interferes with a wide range of tumorigenic processes and counteracts carcinogenesis, malignant growth, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. Additionally, TQ can specifically sensitize tumor cells towards conventional cancer treatments (e.g., radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy) and simultaneously minimize therapy-associated toxic effects in normal cells besides being cost effective and safe. TQ was found to play a protective role when given along with chemotherapeutic agents to normal cells.

METHODS

In the present study, reverse in silico docking approach was used to search for potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. Various metastatic and apoptotic targets were docked with the target ligand. TQ was also tested for its anticancer activities for its ability to cause cell death, arrest cell cycle and ability to inhibit PARP gene expression.

RESULTS

In silico docking studies showed that TQ effectively docked metastatic targets MMPs and other apoptotic and cell proliferation targets EGFR. They were able to bring about cell death mediated by apoptosis, cell cycle arrest in the late apoptotic stage and induce DNA damage too. TQ effectively down regulated PARP gene expression which can lead to enhanced cancer cell death.

CONCLUSION

Thymoquinone a neutraceutical can be employed as a new therapeutic agent to target triple negative breast cancer which is otherwise difficult to treat as there are no receptors on them. Can be employed along with standard chemotherapeutic drugs to treat breast cancer as a combinatorial therapy.

Bladder Cancer Chemosensitivity is Affected by Paraoxonase-2 Expression

The goal of the current study was to identify potential roles of paraoxonase-2 in bladder carcinogenesis. T24 bladder cancer cells were transfected with plasmids inducing paraoxonase-2 silencing or overexpression. Upon the selection of clones stably down- or upregulating paraoxonase-2, cell proliferation, migration, and the production of reactive oxygen species were evaluated, before and after treatment with cisplatin and gemcitabine, used alone or in combination. The activity levels of both caspase-3 and caspase-8 were also analyzed. shRNA-mediated gene silencing and the overexpression of paraoxonase-2 revealed that the enzyme was able to promote both the proliferation and migration of T24 cells. Moreover, the knockdown of paraoxonase-2 was significantly associated with a reduced cell viability of T24 cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs and led to both an increase of reactive oxygen species production and caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation. Conversely, under treatment with anti-neoplastic compounds, a higher proliferative capacity was found in T24 cells overexpressing paraoxonase-2 compared with controls. In addition, upon enzyme upregulation, both the production of reactive oxygen species and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 were reduced. Although further analyses will be required to fully understand the involvement of paraoxonase-2 in bladder tumorigenesis and in mechanisms leading to the development of chemoresistance, the data reported in this study seem to demonstrate that the enzyme could exert a great impact on tumor progression and susceptibility to chemotherapy, thus suggesting paraoxonase-2 as a novel and interesting molecular target for effective bladder cancer treatment.

The role of pyruvate kinase M2 in anticancer therapeutic treatments

Cancer cells are characterized by a high glycolytic rate, which leads to energy regeneration and anabolic metabolism; a consequence of this is the abnormal expression of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2). Multiple studies have demonstrated that the expression levels of PKM2 are upregulated in numerous cancer types. Consequently, the mechanism of action of certain anticancer drugs is to downregulate PKM2 expression, indicating the significance of PKM2 in a chemotherapeutic setting. Furthermore, it has previously been highlighted that the downregulation of PKM2 expression, using either inhibitors or short interfering RNA, enhances the anticancer effect exerted by THP treatment on bladder cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. The present review summarizes the detailed mechanisms and therapeutic relevance of anticancer drugs that inhibit PKM2 expression. In addition, the relationship between PKM2 expression levels and drug resistance were explored. Finally, future directions, such as the targeting of PKM2 as a strategy to explore novel anticancer agents, were suggested. The current review explored and highlighted the important role of PKM2 in anticancer treatments.

Development and Evaluation of Multifunctional Poly(Lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles Embedded in Carboxymethyl β-Glucan Porous Microcapsules as a Novel Drug Delivery System for Gefitinib

In this study, a new kind of folic acid (FA)-conjugated and chitosan (CS)-coated poloxamer 407 (P407)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs), FCPP NPs, were prepared, and further micro-encapsulated by carboxymethyl β-glucan microcapsules (MCs) to produce a multifunctional system of NPs embedded in MCs (NEMs) for potential lung tumor-targeted delivery of gefitinib. The prepared gefitinib-loaded FCPP (GFB/FCPP) NPs showed a hydrodynamic diameter of 255.4 ± 14.5 nm and existed in an amorphous state. After encapsulation in carboxymethyl β-glucan MCs, the GFB/FCPP-based NEMs (GFB/FCPP-NEMs) also exhibited a spherical morphology with a median diameter (d50) of around 2.2 μm. After hydration, GFB/FCPP- NEMs can quickly dissociate into its primary particles, GFB/FCPP NPs. Our in vitro drug release study revealed that these GFB/FCPP-NEMs exhibited a pH-responsive prolonged release property. In addition, the cellular uptake study demonstrated that FCPP-NEMs serve as an efficient carrier to enhance the delivery of the entrapped drug into the target lung tumor cells. Moreover, the GFB/FCPP-NEMs induced a superior cytotoxic effect compared with free gefitinib. The inhibitory concentration to achieve 50% cell death (IC50) of GFB/FCPP-NEMs in A549 cells was 3.82-fold lower than that of free gefitinib. According to these results, FCPP-NEMs hold a great potential as a multifunctional and high-performance biomaterial for lung tumor targeting delivery, pH-responsive sustained release, facilitated cellular uptake, and enhanced antitumor effect of antitumor drugs, like gefitinib.

Caspase-3-mediated GSDME activation contributes to cisplatin- and doxorubicin-induced secondary necrosis in mouse macrophages

OBJECTIVE

Induction of secondary necrosis/pyroptosis contributes to the toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, in which gasdermin E (GSDME) plays critical roles. This study aimed to explore whether GSDME is involved in mediating the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin and doxorubicin on mouse macrophages.

METHODS

RAW 264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were treated with cisplatin or doxorubicin. Propidium iodide staining was used to assay necrosis, and immunoblotting was performed to detect protein expression. GSDME was knocked down by using small interfering RNA. Mice were injected intraperitoneally to evaluate toxicity to macrophages in vivo. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy were adopted to analyse phenotypes of peritoneal cells. Cytokine levels were assayed by cytometric bead array.

RESULTS

Both cisplatin and doxorubicin dose-dependently induced necrosis in mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages and BMDMs. Accompanying this, multiple caspases were activated, concomitant with the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Consistent with caspase-3 activation, GSDME was cleaved to generate its N-terminal fragment (GSDME-NT), thus leading to secondary necrosis/pyroptosis. Inhibition of caspase-3 significantly attenuated the generation of GSDME-NT concurrently with decreased necrosis in macrophages. GSDME knockdown also evidently decreased the necrosis in RAW 264.7 and BMDMs. Besides, cisplatin administration depleted peritoneal macrophages in mice, which was associated with caspase-3 activation and GSDME-NT generation. Consistent with the macrophage depletion, cisplatin administration significantly decreased survival of mice with bacterial infection.

CONCLUSION

Chemotherapeutic cisplatin and doxorubicin exerted their cytotoxicity on macrophages partly by inducing caspase-3/GSDME-mediated secondary necrosis.

Treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapeutic drugs results in profound changes in expression of genes encoding aldehyde-metabolizing enzymes

Using RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and bioinformatics we have studied the influence of a wide spectrum of chemotherapeutic drugs on transcription of AKR1B10, AKR1C1, ALDH1A1, and ALDH1A3 genes, which encode the major aldehyde-metabolizing enzymes. The strongest alterations were detected in case of AKR1B10 mRNA that was significantly upregulated in wild type p53 cancer cells, but downregulated in mutant p53 cancer cells. Subsequent experiments demonstrated the significant and consistent decrease in the AKR1B10 mRNA content in sera of colon cancer patients, as compared to sera of healthy donors (p<0.0001, SPE=92.9%, SNE=79.3%, AUC=0.889), which implies that this RNA is a valuable marker for serological diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Moreover, we have found that ALDH1A3 protein is a key inactivator of ROS-generated aldehydes, which is a perspective target for the development of new chemotherapeutic drugs.

Chemotherapeutic Drugs and Plasma Proteins: Exploring New Dimensions

In the last few decades, advances in the cancer chemotherapy have been a marked success. A large number of anticancer drugs currently in use include drugs based on platinum complexes such as cisplatin, base analogues such as 5-florouracil and some ruthenium drugs. This review provides a bird's eye view of interaction of a number of clinically important drugs currently in use that show covalent or non-covalent interaction with serum proteins. Platinum drug-cisplatin interacts covalently and alters the function of the key plasma protease inhibitor molecule -alpha-2-macroglobulin and induces the conformational changes in the protein molecule and inactivates it. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is extensively metabolized and at physiological concentrations, is found to be associated with Human Serum Albumin (HSA). Similarly ruthenium compounds bind tightly to plasma proteins- serum albumin and serum transferrin, modifying their biological activity and increasing the toxicity of drug to cancer cells. Insight into varied anticancer drug- protein interaction will go a long way in understanding in totality of the mechanism of action of any anticancer drug and its possible effects/side effects.

Advancement in the development of heterocyclic nucleosides for the treatment of cancer - A review

Cancer diseases are widely recognised as an important medical problem and killing millions of people in a year. Chemotherapeutic drugs are successful against cancer in many cases and different compounds, including the analogues of natural substances, may be used for anticancer agents. Nucleoside analogues also have become a necessity for the treatment of cancer diseases. Nucleoside, nucleotide and base analogues have been utilised for decades for the treatment of viral pathogens, neoplasms and in anticancer chemotherapy. This review focuses on the different types of nucleosides and their potential role as anticancer agents. It also discusses the nucleoside analogues approved by FDA and in process of approval. The effect of the substitution on the nucleoside analogues and their pharmacological role is also discussed in the review. Owing to the advances in computational chemistry, it concludes with the future advancement and possible outcome of the nucleoside analogues. Also, it depicts the development of heterocyclic nucleoside analogues, explores the QSAR of the synthesised compounds and discusses the 3 D QSAR pharmacophore modelling in order to examine their potential anti-cancer activities.

Two-dimensional correlation analysis of Raman microspectroscopy of subcellular interactions of drugs in vitro

Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis is explored to data mine the time evolution of the characteristic Raman microspectroscopic signatures of the subcellular responses of the nucleoli of human lung cancer cells to the uptake of doxorubicin. A simulated dataset of experimental control spectra, perturbed with systematically time-dependent spectral changes, constituted by a short-term response which represents the initial binding of the drug in the nucleolus, followed by a longer term response of the organelle metabolism, is used to validate the analysis protocol. Applying 2D correlation analysis, the in phase, synchronous correlation coefficients are seen to contain contributions of both response profiles, whereas they can be independently extracted from the out of phase, asynchronous correlation coefficients. The methodology is applied to experimental data of the uptake of doxorubicin in human lung cell lines to differentiate the signatures of chemical binding and subsequent cellular response.

Comparison between NOD/SCID mice and BALB/c mice for patient-derived tumor xenografts model of non-small-cell lung cancer

Background

Patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDX) are considered as a more reliable experiment model for screening chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the tumorigenic rate differs depending on mouse strains, which generates the experimental variability.

Materials and methods

In this study, we built PDX models of human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in NOD/SCID mice in comparison with BALB/c mice.

Results

The result showed that the tumorigenesis rate of NOD/SCID mice (46.2%, 18/39) was higher than that of BALB/c mice (17.39%, 4/23). Latent times of tumorigenesis of NOD/SCID mice (41±18 days) were shorter than these of BALB/c mice (53±17 days). Times of tumorigenesis of NOD/SCID mice (85±25 days) were shorter than that of BALB/c mice (104±14 days). In addition, squamous carcinoma tissues were more likely to form tumors than adenocarcinoma tissues in NOD/SCID mice (P=0.008) and BALB/c mice (P=0.09). Also tumors could retain patients’ tumor characteristics in NOD/SCID mice and BALB/c mice xenograft models.

Conclusion

It is worth mentioning that the result of the drug experiment in the PDX models was consistent with the effect of clinical chemotherapy. As a result, NOD/SCID mice have advantages in a higher rate of tumorigenesis, shorter latent times of tumorigenesis and times of tumorigenesis over BALB/c mice in PDX models. It can provide a more reliable model of drug screening.

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) plays a critical role in a mouse model of cancer pain

There is a major, unmet need for the treatment of cancer pain, and new targets and medicines are required. The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), a cation channel expressed by nociceptors, is activated by oxidizing substances to mediate pain‐like responses in models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. As cancer is known to increase oxidative stress, the role of TRPA1 was evaluated in a mouse model of cancer pain. Fourteen days after injection of B16‐F10 murine melanoma cells into the plantar region of the right hind paw, C57BL/6 mice exhibited mechanical and thermal allodynia and thigmotaxis behavior. While heat allodynia was partially reduced in TRP vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)‐deficient mice, thigmotaxis behavior and mechanical and cold allodynia were absent in TRPA1‐deficient mice. Deletion of TRPA1 or TRPV1 did not affect cancer growth. Intrathecal TRPA1 antisense oligonucleotides and two different TRPA1 antagonists (HC‐030031 or A967079) transiently attenuated thigmotaxis behavior and mechanical and cold allodynia. A TRPV1 antagonist (capsazepine) attenuated solely heat allodynia. NADPH oxidase activity and hydrogen peroxide levels were increased in hind paw skin 14 days after cancer cell inoculation. The antioxidant, α‐lipoic acid, attenuated mechanical and cold allodynia and thigmotaxis behavior, but not heat allodynia. Whereas TRPV1, via an oxidative stress‐independent pathway, contributes partially to heat hypersensitivity, oxidative stress‐dependent activation of TRPA1 plays a key role in mediating thigmotaxis behavior and mechanical and cold allodynia in a cancer pain model. TRPA1 antagonists might be beneficial in the treatment of cancer pain.

What's new?

While cancer is a frequent cause of pain, mechanisms underlying the association are poorly understood. Moreover, therapeutic options for cancer pain are limited, and affected patients are undertreated. Here, using a mouse model of cancer pain, the authors identify transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), a cation channel expressed by pain receptors, as a primary transducer of cancer pain. In animals, TRPA1 deletion attenuated sensitivity to mechanical and cold pain stimuli. Similar effects were produced upon TRPA1 blockade via pharmacological inhibition and TRPA1‐targeted antisense oligonucleotides. The findings warrant further investigation of TRPA1 antagonism as a means of treating cancer pain.