Anticancer effects of deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Xiang, Jianfeng; Xiang, Yanjie; Lin, Shengming; Xin, Dongwei; Liu, Xiaoyu; Weng, Lingling; Chen, Tao; Zhang, Minguang

2014-04-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies in the world whose chemoprevention became increasingly important in HCC treatment. Although the anticancer effects of asparagus constituents have been investigated in several cancers, its effects on hepatocellular carcinoma have not been fully studied. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of the deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide on the hepatocellular carcinoma cells using the in vitro and in vivo experimental model. Our data showed that deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide might act as an effective inhibitor on cell growth in vitro and in vivo and exert potent selective cytotoxicity against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and HepG2 cells. Further study showed that it could potently induce cell apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest in the more sensitive Hep3B and HepG2 cell lines. Moreover, deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide potentiated the effects of mitomycin both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide might exert its activity through an apoptosis-associated pathway by modulating the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. In conclusion, deproteinized asparagus polysaccharide exhibited significant anticancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cells and could sensitize the tumoricidal effects of mitomycin, indicating that it is a potential therapeutic agent (or chemosensitizer) for liver cancer therapy.

CancerHSP: anticancer herbs database of systems pharmacology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Weiyang; Li, Bohui; Gao, Shuo; Bai, Yaofei; Shar, Piar Ali; Zhang, Wenjuan; Guo, Zihu; Sun, Ke; Fu, Yingxue; Huang, Chao; Zheng, Chunli; Mu, Jiexin; Pei, Tianli; Wang, Yuan; Li, Yan; Wang, Yonghua

2015-06-01

The numerous natural products and their bioactivity potentially afford an extraordinary resource for new drug discovery and have been employed in cancer treatment. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of most natural anticancer compounds remain elusive, which has become one of the major obstacles in developing novel effective anticancer agents. Here, to address these unmet needs, we developed an anticancer herbs database of systems pharmacology (CancerHSP), which records anticancer herbs related information through manual curation. Currently, CancerHSP contains 2439 anticancer herbal medicines with 3575 anticancer ingredients. For each ingredient, the molecular structure and nine key ADME parameters are provided. Moreover, we also provide the anticancer activities of these compounds based on 492 different cancer cell lines. Further, the protein targets of the compounds are predicted by state-of-art methods or collected from literatures. CancerHSP will help reveal the molecular mechanisms of natural anticancer products and accelerate anticancer drug development, especially facilitate future investigations on drug repositioning and drug discovery. CancerHSP is freely available on the web at http://lsp.nwsuaf.edu.cn/CancerHSP.php.

Lead Phytochemicals for Anticancer Drug Development

PubMed Central

Singh, Sukhdev; Sharma, Bhupender; Kanwar, Shamsher S.; Kumar, Ashok

2016-01-01

Cancer is a serious concern at present. A large number of patients die each year due to cancer illnesses in spite of several interventions available. Development of an effective and side effects lacking anticancer therapy is the trending research direction in healthcare pharmacy. Chemical entities present in plants proved to be very potential in this regard. Bioactive phytochemicals are preferential as they pretend differentially on cancer cells only, without altering normal cells. Carcinogenesis is a complex process and includes multiple signaling events. Phytochemicals are pleiotropic in their function and target these events in multiple manners; hence they are most suitable candidate for anticancer drug development. Efforts are in progress to develop lead candidates from phytochemicals those can block or retard the growth of cancer without any side effect. Several phytochemicals manifest anticancer function in vitro and in vivo. This article deals with these lead phytomolecules with their action mechanisms on nuclear and cellular factors involved in carcinogenesis. Additionally, druggability parameters and clinical development of anticancer phytomolecules have also been discussed. PMID:27877185

Enhancement of In Vivo Anticancer Effect of Cisplatin by Incorporation Inside Carbon Nanohorns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudasaka, Masako; Ajima, Kumiko; Murakami, Tatsuya; Mizoguchi, Yoshikazu; Tsuchida, Kunihiro; Ichihashi, Toshinari; Iijima, Sumio

2009-03-01

We have been studying potential applications of single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) to drug delivery systems. SWNHs are multiply functionalized with proteins, magnetites, tumor targeting molecules, and others. Various drugs are easily incorporated, and the incorporated drugs are slowly released. Almost no acute toxicity of SWNHs was found through various animal tests. We show in this report that anticancer effect of cisplatin was enhanced by incorporation inside SWNHs (CDDP@SWNH) as evidenced by in vivo tests: CDDP@SWNH was locally injected to tumors subcutaneously transplanted on mice. CDDP@SWNH inhibited the tumor growth more effectively than CDDP. This anticancer enhancement was achieved by large CDDP-quantity incorporated inside SWNH, slow release of CDDP from SWNH, long-term stay of SWNHs at the tumor sites, and an anticancer effect of SWNH itself [1].[3pt] [1] K. Ajima et al. ACSNano, 10(2008)2057-2064.

In silico identification of anti-cancer compounds and plants from traditional Chinese medicine database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Shao-Xing; Li, Wen-Xing; Han, Fei-Fei; Guo, Yi-Cheng; Zheng, Jun-Juan; Liu, Jia-Qian; Wang, Qian; Gao, Yue-Dong; Li, Gong-Hua; Huang, Jing-Fei

2016-05-01

There is a constant demand to develop new, effective, and affordable anti-cancer drugs. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable and alternative resource for identifying novel anti-cancer agents. In this study, we aim to identify the anti-cancer compounds and plants from the TCM database by using cheminformatics. We first predicted 5278 anti-cancer compounds from TCM database. The top 346 compounds were highly potent active in the 60 cell lines test. Similarity analysis revealed that 75% of the 5278 compounds are highly similar to the approved anti-cancer drugs. Based on the predicted anti-cancer compounds, we identified 57 anti-cancer plants by activity enrichment. The identified plants are widely distributed in 46 genera and 28 families, which broadens the scope of the anti-cancer drug screening. Finally, we constructed a network of predicted anti-cancer plants and approved drugs based on the above results. The network highlighted the supportive role of the predicted plant in the development of anti-cancer drug and suggested different molecular anti-cancer mechanisms of the plants. Our study suggests that the predicted compounds and plants from TCM database offer an attractive starting point and a broader scope to mine for potential anti-cancer agents.

In silico identification of anti-cancer compounds and plants from traditional Chinese medicine database.

PubMed

Dai, Shao-Xing; Li, Wen-Xing; Han, Fei-Fei; Guo, Yi-Cheng; Zheng, Jun-Juan; Liu, Jia-Qian; Wang, Qian; Gao, Yue-Dong; Li, Gong-Hua; Huang, Jing-Fei

2016-05-05

There is a constant demand to develop new, effective, and affordable anti-cancer drugs. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable and alternative resource for identifying novel anti-cancer agents. In this study, we aim to identify the anti-cancer compounds and plants from the TCM database by using cheminformatics. We first predicted 5278 anti-cancer compounds from TCM database. The top 346 compounds were highly potent active in the 60 cell lines test. Similarity analysis revealed that 75% of the 5278 compounds are highly similar to the approved anti-cancer drugs. Based on the predicted anti-cancer compounds, we identified 57 anti-cancer plants by activity enrichment. The identified plants are widely distributed in 46 genera and 28 families, which broadens the scope of the anti-cancer drug screening. Finally, we constructed a network of predicted anti-cancer plants and approved drugs based on the above results. The network highlighted the supportive role of the predicted plant in the development of anti-cancer drug and suggested different molecular anti-cancer mechanisms of the plants. Our study suggests that the predicted compounds and plants from TCM database offer an attractive starting point and a broader scope to mine for potential anti-cancer agents.

In silico identification of anti-cancer compounds and plants from traditional Chinese medicine database

PubMed Central

Dai, Shao-Xing; Li, Wen-Xing; Han, Fei-Fei; Guo, Yi-Cheng; Zheng, Jun-Juan; Liu, Jia-Qian; Wang, Qian; Gao, Yue-Dong; Li, Gong-Hua; Huang, Jing-Fei

2016-01-01

There is a constant demand to develop new, effective, and affordable anti-cancer drugs. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable and alternative resource for identifying novel anti-cancer agents. In this study, we aim to identify the anti-cancer compounds and plants from the TCM database by using cheminformatics. We first predicted 5278 anti-cancer compounds from TCM database. The top 346 compounds were highly potent active in the 60 cell lines test. Similarity analysis revealed that 75% of the 5278 compounds are highly similar to the approved anti-cancer drugs. Based on the predicted anti-cancer compounds, we identified 57 anti-cancer plants by activity enrichment. The identified plants are widely distributed in 46 genera and 28 families, which broadens the scope of the anti-cancer drug screening. Finally, we constructed a network of predicted anti-cancer plants and approved drugs based on the above results. The network highlighted the supportive role of the predicted plant in the development of anti-cancer drug and suggested different molecular anti-cancer mechanisms of the plants. Our study suggests that the predicted compounds and plants from TCM database offer an attractive starting point and a broader scope to mine for potential anti-cancer agents. PMID:27145869

Anticancer drugs in Portuguese surface waters - Estimation of concentrations and identification of potentially priority drugs.

PubMed

Santos, Mónica S F; Franquet-Griell, Helena; Lacorte, Silvia; Madeira, Luis M; Alves, Arminda

2017-10-01

Anticancer drugs, used in chemotherapy, have emerged as new water contaminants due to their increasing consumption trends and poor elimination efficiency in conventional water treatment processes. As a result, anticancer drugs have been reported in surface and even drinking waters, posing the environment and human health at risk. However, the occurrence and distribution of anticancer drugs depend on the area studied and the hydrological dynamics, which determine the risk towards the environment. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the risk of anticancer drugs in Portugal. This work includes an extensive analysis of the consumption trends of 171 anticancer drugs, sold or dispensed in Portugal between 2007 and 2015. The consumption data was processed aiming at the estimation of predicted environmental loads of anticancer drugs and 11 compounds were identified as potentially priority drugs based on an exposure-based approach (PEC b > 10 ng L -1 and/or PEC c > 1 ng L -1 ). In a national perspective, mycophenolic acid and mycophenolate mofetil are suspected to pose high risk to aquatic biota. Moderate and low risk was also associated to cyclophosphamide and bicalutamide exposition, respectively. Although no evidences of risk exist yet for the other anticancer drugs, concerns may be associated with long term effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronic acid-modified zirconium phosphate nanoparticles for potential lung cancer therapy.

PubMed

Li, Ranwei; Liu, Tiecheng; Wang, Ke

2017-02-01

Novel tumor-targeting zirconium phosphate (ZP) nanoparticles modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) were developed (HA-ZP), with the aim of combining the drug-loading property of ZP and the tumor-targeting ability of HA to construct a tumor-targeting paclitaxel (PTX) delivery system for potential lung cancer therapy. The experimental results indicated that PTX loading into the HA-ZP nanoparticles was as high as 20.36%±4.37%, which is favorable for cancer therapy. PTX-loaded HA-ZP nanoparticles increased the accumulation of PTX in A549 lung cancer cells via HA-mediated endocytosis and exhibited superior anticancer activity in vitro. In vivo anticancer efficacy assay revealed that HA-ZP nanoparticles possessed preferable anticancer abilities, which exhibited minimized toxic side effects of PTX and strong tumor-suppression potential in clinical application.

Synergistic Anti-Cancer Effect of Phenformin and Oxamate

PubMed Central

Miskimins, W. Keith; Ahn, Hyun Joo; Kim, Ji Yeon; Ryu, Sun; Jung, Yuh-Seog; Choi, Joon Young

2014-01-01

Phenformin (phenethylbiguanide; an anti-diabetic agent) plus oxamate [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) inhibitor] was tested as a potential anti-cancer therapeutic combination. In in vitro studies, phenformin was more potent than metformin, another biguanide, recently recognized to have anti-cancer effects, in promoting cancer cell death in the range of 25 times to 15 million times in various cancer cell lines. The anti-cancer effect of phenformin was related to complex I inhibition in the mitochondria and subsequent overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Addition of oxamate inhibited LDH activity and lactate production by cells, which is a major side effect of biguanides, and induced more rapid cancer cell death by decreasing ATP production and accelerating ROS production. Phenformin plus oxamate was more effective than phenformin combined with LDH knockdown. In a syngeneic mouse model, phenformin with oxamate increased tumor apoptosis, reduced tumor size and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography compared to control. We conclude that phenformin is more cytotoxic towards cancer cells than metformin. Furthermore, phenformin and oxamate have synergistic anti-cancer effects through simultaneous inhibition of complex I in the mitochondria and LDH in the cytosol, respectively. PMID:24465604

Synergistic anti-cancer effect of phenformin and oxamate.

PubMed

Miskimins, W Keith; Ahn, Hyun Joo; Kim, Ji Yeon; Ryu, Sun; Jung, Yuh-Seog; Choi, Joon Young

2014-01-01

Phenformin (phenethylbiguanide; an anti-diabetic agent) plus oxamate [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) inhibitor] was tested as a potential anti-cancer therapeutic combination. In in vitro studies, phenformin was more potent than metformin, another biguanide, recently recognized to have anti-cancer effects, in promoting cancer cell death in the range of 25 times to 15 million times in various cancer cell lines. The anti-cancer effect of phenformin was related to complex I inhibition in the mitochondria and subsequent overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Addition of oxamate inhibited LDH activity and lactate production by cells, which is a major side effect of biguanides, and induced more rapid cancer cell death by decreasing ATP production and accelerating ROS production. Phenformin plus oxamate was more effective than phenformin combined with LDH knockdown. In a syngeneic mouse model, phenformin with oxamate increased tumor apoptosis, reduced tumor size and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography compared to control. We conclude that phenformin is more cytotoxic towards cancer cells than metformin. Furthermore, phenformin and oxamate have synergistic anti-cancer effects through simultaneous inhibition of complex I in the mitochondria and LDH in the cytosol, respectively.

A high-throughput quantitative expression analysis of cancer-related genes in human HepG2 cells in response to limonene, a potential anticancer agent.

PubMed

Hafidh, Rand R; Hussein, Saba Z; MalAllah, Mohammed Q; Abdulamir, Ahmed S; Abu Bakar, Fatimah

2017-11-14

Citrus bioactive compounds, as active anticancer agent, have been under focus by several studies worldwide. However, the underlying genes responsible for the anticancer potential have not been sufficiently highlighted. The current study investigated the gene expression profile of hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2, cells after treatment with Limonene. The concentration that killed 50% of HepG2 cells was used to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of limonene anticancer activity. The apoptotic induction was detected by flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscope. Two of pro-apoptotic events, caspase-3 activation and phosphatidylserine translocation were manifested by confocal fluorescence microscopy. High-throughput real-time PCR was used to profile 1023 cancer-related genes in 16 different gene families related to the cancer development. In comparison to untreated cells, limonene increased the percentage of apoptotic cells up to 89.61%, by flow cytometry, and 48.2% by fluorescence microscopy. There was a significant limonene-driven differential gene expression of HepG2 cells in 15 different gene families. Limonene was shown to significantly (>2log) up-regulate and down-regulate 14 and 59 genes, respectively. The affected gene families, from most to least affected, were apoptosis induction, signal transduction, cancer genes augmentation, alteration in kinases expression, inflammation, DNA damage repair, and cell cycle proteins. The current study reveals that limonene could be a promising, cheap, and effective anticancer compound. The broad spectrum of limonene anticancer activity is interesting for anticancer drug development. Further research is needed to confirm the current findings and to examine the anticancer potential of limonene along with underlying mechanisms on different cell lines. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Suppression of tumor growth by Pleurotus ferulae ethanol extract through induction of cell apoptosis, and inhibition of cell proliferation and migration.

PubMed

Wang, Weilan; Chen, Kaixu; Liu, Qing; Johnston, Nathan; Ma, Zhenghai; Zhang, Fuchun; Zheng, Xiufen

2014-01-01

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Edible medicinal mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine as regimes for cancer patients. Recently anti-cancer bioactive components from some mushrooms have been isolated and their anti-cancer effects have been tested. Pleurotus ferulae, a typical edible medicinal mushroom in Xinjiang China, has also been used to treat cancer patients in folk medicine. However, little studies have been reported on the anti-cancer components of Pleurotus ferulae. This study aims to extract bioactive components from Pleurotus ferulae and to investigate the anti-cancer effects of the extracts. We used ethanol to extract anti-cancer bioactive components enriched with terpenoids from Pleurotus ferulae. We tested the anti-tumour effects of ethanol extracts on the melanoma cell line B16F10, the human gastric cancer cell line BGC 823 and the immortalized human gastric epithelial mucosa cell line GES-1 in vitro and a murine melanoma model in vivo. Cell toxicity and cell proliferation were measured by MTT assays. Cell cycle progression, apoptosis, caspase 3 activity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), migration and gene expression were studied in vitro. PFEC suppressed tumor cell growth, inhibited cell proliferation, arrested cells at G0/G1 phases and was not toxic to non-cancer cells. PFEC also induced cell apoptosis and necrosis, increased caspase 3 activity, reduced the MMP, prevented cell invasion and changed the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and the cell cycle. PFEC delayed tumor formation and reduced tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, ethanol extracted components from Pleurotus ferulae exert anti-cancer effects through direct suppression of tumor cell growth and invasion, demonstrating its therapeutic potential in cancer treatment.

N-heterocyclic carbene metal complexes as bio-organometallic antimicrobial and anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Patil, Siddappa A; Patil, Shivaputra A; Patil, Renukadevi; Keri, Rangappa S; Budagumpi, Srinivasa; Balakrishna, Geetha R; Tacke, Matthias

2015-01-01

Late transition metal complexes that bear N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have seen a speedy growth in their use as both, metal-based drug candidates and potentially active homogeneous catalysts in a plethora of C-C and C-N bond forming reactions. This review article focuses on the recent developments and advances in preparation and characterization of NHC-metal complexes (metal: silver, gold, copper, palladium, nickel and ruthenium) and their biomedical applications. Their design, syntheses and characterization have been reviewed and correlated to their antimicrobial and anticancer efficacies. All these initial discoveries help validate the great potential of NHC-metal derivatives as a class of effective antimicrobial and anticancer agents.

Possible Anticancer Mechanisms of Some Costus speciosus Active Ingredients Concerning Drug Discovery.

PubMed

El-Far, Ali H; Badria, Faried A; Shaheen, Hazem M

2016-01-01

Costus speciosus is native to South East Asia, especially found in India, Srilanka, Indonesia and Malaysia. C. speciosus have numerous therapeutic potentials against a wide variety of complains. The therapeutic properties of C. speciosus are attributed to the presence of various ingredients such as alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, sterols and sesquiterpenes. This review presented the past, present, and the future status of C. speciosus active ingredients to propose a future use as a potential anticancer agent. All possible up-regulation of cellular apoptotic molecules as p53, p21, p27, caspases, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and others attribute to the anticancer activity of C. speciosus along the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic agents such as Akt, Bcl2, NFKB, STAT3, JAK, MMPs, actin, surviving and vimentin. Eventually, we recommend further investigation of different C. speciosus extracts, using some active ingredients and evaluate the anticancer effect of these chemicals against different cancers.

Mesenchymal stem cell-mediated cancer therapy: A dual-targeted strategy of personalized medicine

PubMed Central

Sun, Xu-Yong; Nong, Jiang; Qin, Ke; Warnock, Garth L; Dai, Long-Jun

2011-01-01

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. To a significant extent, current conventional cancer therapies are symptomatic and passive in nature. The major obstacle to the development of effective cancer therapy is believed to be the absence of sufficient specificity. Since the discovery of the tumor-oriented homing capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the application of specific anticancer gene-engineered MSCs has held great potential for cancer therapies. The dual-targeted strategy is based on MSCs’ capacity of tumor-directed migration and incorporation and in situ expression of tumor-specific anticancer genes. With the aim of translating bench work into meaningful clinical applications, we describe the tumor tropism of MSCs and their use as therapeutic vehicles, the dual-targeted anticancer potential of engineered MSCs and a putative personalized strategy with anticancer gene-engineered MSCs. PMID:22180830

Curcumin mediates anticancer effects by modulating multiple cell signaling pathways.

PubMed

Kunnumakkara, Ajaikumar B; Bordoloi, Devivasha; Harsha, Choudhary; Banik, Kishore; Gupta, Subash C; Aggarwal, Bharat B

2017-08-01

Curcumin, a component of a spice native to India, was first isolated in 1815 by Vogel and Pelletier from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and, subsequently, the chemical structure of curcumin as diferuloylmethane was reported by Milobedzka et al. [(1910) 43., 2163-2170]. Since then, this polyphenol has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. The current review primarily focuses on the anticancer potential of curcumin through the modulation of multiple cell signaling pathways. Curcumin modulates diverse transcription factors, inflammatory cytokines, enzymes, kinases, growth factors, receptors, and various other proteins with an affinity ranging from the pM to the mM range. Furthermore, curcumin effectively regulates tumor cell growth via modulation of numerous cell signaling pathways and potentiates the effect of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation against cancer. Curcumin can interact with most of the targets that are modulated by FDA-approved drugs for cancer therapy. The focus of this review is to discuss the molecular basis for the anticancer activities of curcumin based on preclinical and clinical findings. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of matrine derivatives containing benzo-α-pyrone structure as potent anti-lung cancer agents

PubMed Central

Wu, Lichuan; Wang, Guizhen; Liu, Shuaibing; Wei, Jinrui; Zhang, Sen; Li, Ming; Zhou, Guangbiao; Wang, Lisheng

2016-01-01

Matrine, an active component of root extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait, is the main chemical ingredient of Fufang Kushen injection which was approved by Chinese FDA (CFDA) in 1995 as an anticancer drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer and liver cancer in combination with other anticancer drugs. Owning to its druggable potential, matrine is considered as an ideal lead compound for modification. We delineate herein the synthesis and anticancer effects of 17 matrine derivatives bearing benzo-α-pyrone structures. The results of cell viability assays indicated that most of the target compounds showed improved anticancer effects. Further studies showed that compound 5i could potently inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo with no obvious side effects. Moreover, compound 5i could induce G1 cell cycle arrest and autophagy in lung cancer cells through up-regulating P27, down-regulating CDK4 and cyclinD1 and attenuating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Suppression of autophagy attenuated 5i induced proliferation inhibition. Collectively, our results infer that matrine derivative 5i bears therapeutic potentials for lung cancer. PMID:27786281

Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides as An Anti-cancer Agent.

PubMed

Sohretoglu, Didem; Huang, Shile

2017-11-13

The mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) has been used for centuries in Asian countries to treat various diseases and to promote health and longevity. Clinical studies have shown beneficial effects of G. lucidum as an alternative adjuvant therapy in cancer patients without obvious toxicity. G. lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) is the main bioactive component in the water soluble extracts of this mushroom. Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies has demonstrated that GLP possesses potential anticancer activity through immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic effects. Here, we briefly summarize these anticancer effects of GLP and the underlying mechanisms. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Drug Delivery Innovations for Enhancing the Anticancer Potential of Vitamin E Isoforms and Their Derivatives

PubMed Central

Neophytou, Christiana M.; Constantinou, Andreas I.

2015-01-01

Vitamin E isoforms have been extensively studied for their anticancer properties. Novel drug delivery systems (DDS) that include liposomes, nanoparticles, and micelles are actively being developed to improve Vitamin E delivery. Furthermore, several drug delivery systems that incorporate Vitamin E isoforms have been synthesized in order to increase the bioavailability of chemotherapeutic agents or to provide a synergistic effect. D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (Vitamin E TPGS or TPGS) is a synthetic derivative of natural alpha-tocopherol which is gaining increasing interest in the development of drug delivery systems and has also shown promising anticancer effect as a single agent. This review provides a summary of the properties and anticancer effects of the most potent Vitamin E isoforms and an overview of the various formulations developed to improve their efficacy, with an emphasis on the use of TPGS in drug delivery approaches. PMID:26137487

Anticancer substances of mushroom origin.

PubMed

Ivanova, T S; Krupodorova, T A; Barshteyn, V Y; Artamonova, A B; Shlyakhovenko, V A

2014-06-01

The present status of investigations about the anticancer activity which is inherent to medicinal mushrooms, as well as their biomedical potential and future prospects are discussed. Mushroom products and extracts possess promising immunomodulating and anticancer effects, so the main biologically active substances of mushrooms responsible for immunomodulation and direct cytoto-xicity toward cancer cell lines (including rarely mentioned groups of anticancer mushroom proteins), and the mechanisms of their antitumor action were analyzed. The existing to date clinical trials of mushroom substances are mentioned. Mushroom anticancer extracts, obtained by the different solvents, are outlined. Modern approaches of cancer treatment with implication of mushroom products, including DNA vaccinotherapy with mushroom immunomodulatory adjuvants, creation of prodrugs with mushroom lectins that can recognize glycoconjugates on the cancer cell surface, development of nanovectors etc. are discussed. The future prospects of mushroom anticancer substances application, including chemical modification of polysaccharides and terpenoids, gene engineering of proteins, and implementation of vaccines are reviewed.

Cellular uptake and anticancer effects of mucoadhesive curcumin-containing chitosan nanoparticles.

PubMed

Chuah, Lay Hong; Roberts, Clive J; Billa, Nashiru; Abdullah, Syahril; Rosli, Rozita

2014-04-01

Curcumin, which is derived from turmeric has gained much attention in recent years for its anticancer activities against various cancers. However, due to its poor absorption, rapid metabolism and elimination, curcumin has a very low oral bioavailability. Therefore, we have formulated mucoadhesive nanoparticles to deliver curcumin to the colon, such that prolonged contact between the nanoparticles and the colon leads to a sustained level of curcumin in the colon, improving the anticancer effect of curcumin on colorectal cancer. The current work entails the ex vivo mucoadhesion study of the formulated nanoparticles and the in vitro effect of mucoadhesive interaction between the nanoparticles and colorectal cancer cells. The ex vivo study showed that curcumin-containing chitosan nanoparticles (CUR-CS-NP) have improved mucoadhesion compared to unloaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NP), suggesting that curcumin partly contributes to the mucoadhesion process. This may lead to an enhanced anticancer effect of curcumin when formulated in CUR-CS-NP. Our results show that CUR-CS-NP are taken up to a greater extent by colorectal cancer cells, compared to free curcumin. The prolonged contact offered by the mucoadhesion of CUR-CS-NP onto the cells resulted in a greater reduction in percentage cell viability as well as a lower IC50, indicating a potential improved treatment outcome. The formulation and free curcumin appeared to induce cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. The superior anticancer effects exerted by CUR-CS-NP indicated that this could be a potential treatment for colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fisetin Reduces Cell Viability Through Up-Regulation of Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in Cholangiocarcinoma Cells.

PubMed

Kim, Nayoung; Lee, Sang Hyub; Son, Jun Hyuk; Lee, Jae Min; Kang, Min-Jung; Kim, Bo Hye; Lee, Jung-Su; Ryu, Ji Kon; Kim, Yong-Tae

2016-11-01

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Effective prevention and treatment of CCA require developing novel anticancer agents and improved therapeutic regimens. As natural products are concidered a rich source of potential anticancer agents, we investigated the anticancer effect of fisetin in combination with gemcitabine. Cytotoxic effect of fisetin and gemcitabine on a human CCA cell line SNU-308 was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and apoptosis assay using propidium iodine and annexin V. Molecular mechanisms of fisetin action in CCA were investigated by western blotting. Fisetin was found to inhibit survival of CCA cells, through strongly phosphorylating ERK. It also induced cellular apoptosis additively in combination with gemcitabine. Expression of cellular proliferative markers, such as phospho-p65 and myelocytomatosis (MYC), were reduced by fisetin. These results suggest fisetin in combination with gemcitabine as a candidate for use in improved anticancer regimens. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Folate-decorated anticancer drug and magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated polymeric carrier for liver cancer therapeutics.

PubMed

Li, Yu-Ji; Dong, Ming; Kong, Fan-Min; Zhou, Jian-Ping

2015-07-15

Nanoparticulate system with theranostic applications has attracted significant attention in cancer therapeutics. In the present study, we have developed a novel composite PLGA NP co-encapsulated with anticancer drug (sorafenib) and magnetic NP (SPION). We have successfully developed nanosized folate-conjugated PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles (SRF/FA-PEG-PLGA NP) with both anticancer and magnetic resonance property. We have showed that FA-conjugated NP exhibits sustained drug release and enhanced cellular uptake in BEL7402 cancer cells. The targeted NP effectively suppressed the tumor cell proliferation and has improved the anticancer efficacy than that of free drug or non-targeted one. Additionally, enhanced MRI properties demonstrate this formulation has good imaging agent characteristics. Finally, SRF/FA-PEG-PLGA NP effectively inhibited the colony forming ability indicating its superior anticancer effect. Together, these multifunctional nanoparticles would be most ideal to improve the therapeutic response in cancer and holds great potential to be a part of future nanomedicine. Our unique approach could be extended for multiple biomedical applications. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Artemisinin as an anticancer drug: Recent advances in target profiling and mechanisms of action.

PubMed

Wong, Yin Kwan; Xu, Chengchao; Kalesh, Karunakaran A; He, Yingke; Lin, Qingsong; Wong, W S Fred; Shen, Han-Ming; Wang, Jigang

2017-11-01

Artemisinin and its derivatives (collectively termed as artemisinins) are among the most important and effective antimalarial drugs, with proven safety and efficacy in clinical use. Beyond their antimalarial effects, artemisinins have also been shown to possess selective anticancer properties, demonstrating cytotoxic effects against a wide range of cancer types both in vitro and in vivo. These effects appear to be mediated by artemisinin-induced changes in multiple signaling pathways, interfering simultaneously with multiple hallmarks of cancer. Great strides have been taken to characterize these pathways and to reveal their anticancer mechanisms of action of artemisinin. Moreover, encouraging data have also been obtained from a limited number of clinical trials to support their anticancer property. However, there are several key gaps in knowledge that continue to serve as significant barriers to the repurposing of artemisinins as effective anticancer agents. This review focuses on important and emerging aspects of this field, highlighting breakthroughs in unresolved questions as well as novel techniques and approaches that have been taken in recent studies. We discuss the mechanism of artemisinin activation in cancer, novel and significant findings with regards to artemisinin target proteins and pathways, new understandings in artemisinin-induced cell death mechanisms, as well as the practical issues of repurposing artemisinin. We believe these will be important topics in realizing the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as safe and potent anticancer agents. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Polyether ionophores-promising bioactive molecules for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Huczyński, Adam

2012-12-01

The natural polyether ionophore antibiotics might be important chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. In this article, the pharmacology and anticancer activity of the polyether ionophores undergoing pre-clinical evaluation are reviewed. Most of polyether ionophores have shown potent activity against the proliferation of various cancer cells, including those that display multidrug resistance (MDR) and cancer stem cells (CSC). The mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of ionophore agents can be related to their ability to form complexes with metal cations and transport them across cellular and subcellular membranes. Increasing evidence shows that the anticancer activity of polyether ionophores may be a consequence of the induction of apoptosis leading to apoptotic cell death, arresting cell cycle progression, induction of the cell oxidative stress, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, reversion of MDR, synergistic anticancer effect with other anticancer drugs, etc. Continued investigation of the mechanisms of action and development of new polyether ionophores and their derivatives may provide more effective therapeutic drugs for cancer treatments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current trends in the use of vitamin E-based micellar nanocarriers for anticancer drug delivery.

PubMed

Muddineti, Omkara Swami; Ghosh, Balaram; Biswas, Swati

2017-06-01

Owing to the complexity of cancer pathogenesis, conventional chemotherapy can be an inadequate method of killing cancer cells effectively. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have been widely exploited pre-clinically in recent years. Areas covered: Incorporation of vitamin-E in nanocarriers have the advantage of (1) improving the hydrophobicity of the drug delivery system, thereby improving the solubility of the loaded poorly soluble anticancer drugs, (2) enhancing the biocompatibility of the polymeric drug carriers, and (3) improving the anticancer potential of the chemotherapeutic agents by reversing the cellular drug resistance via simultaneous administration. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E demonstrated its anticancer potential by inducing apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. Various vitamin E analogs have proven their ability to cause marked inhibition of drug efflux transporters. Expert opinion: The review discusses the potential of incorporating vitamin E in the polymeric micelles which are designed to carry poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs. Current applications of various vitamin E-based polymeric micelles with emphasis on the use of α-tocopherol, D-α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) and its conjugates such as D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol-succinate (TPGS) in micellar system is delineated. Advantages of utilizing polymeric micelles for drug delivery and the challenges to treat cancer, including multiple drug resistance have been discussed.

Anticancer effect of Polyphyllin Ι in colorectal cancer cells through ROS-dependent autophagy and G2/M arrest mechanisms.

PubMed

Yu, Si; Wang, Lijiao; Cao, Zhixing; Gong, Daoyin; Liang, Qianyi; Chen, Hanting; Fu, Huizhu; Wang, Wenwen; Tang, Xue; Xie, Zihao; He, Yang; Peng, Cheng; Li, Yuzhi

2018-06-01

Polyphyllin Ι is a steroidal saponin isolated from the rhizoma of Paris polyphylla. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of polyphyllin Ι in colorectal cancer and to elucidate the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Using, CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, laser confocal microscope analysis and western blot, the anticancer effects of the polyphyllin Ι were analysed in colorectal cells. Our results indicate that polyphyllin Ι significantly decreased cell viability of HCT 116 cells and induced autophagy. Furthermore, we found that polyphyllin Ι induced autophagy in an ROS-dependent cell death and not related with PI3 K/AKT/mTOR pathway. We also provide evidence that excessive ROS triggered by polyphyllin Ι could induce G2/M phase arrest via regulating cycle proteins expression of cell cycle regulators, such as p21 and cyclinB1. In conclusion, polyphyllin Ι exhibit anticancer effect through ROS-dependent autophagy and induces G2/M arrest in colorectal cancer.

Chemopreventive Agents and Inhibitors of Cancer Hallmarks: May Citrus Offer New Perspectives?

PubMed Central

Cirmi, Santa; Ferlazzo, Nadia; Lombardo, Giovanni E.; Maugeri, Alessandro; Calapai, Gioacchino; Gangemi, Sebastiano; Navarra, Michele

2016-01-01

Fruits and vegetables have long been recognized as potentially important in the prevention of cancer risk. Thus, scientific interest in nutrition and cancer has grown over time, as shown by increasing number of experimental studies about the relationship between diet and cancer development. This review attempts to provide an insight into the anti-cancer effects of Citrus fruits, with a focus on their bioactive compounds, elucidating the main cellular and molecular mechanisms through which they may protect against cancer. Scientific literature was selected for this review with the aim of collecting the relevant experimental evidence for the anti-cancer effects of Citrus fruits and their flavonoids. The findings discussed in this review strongly support their potential as anti-cancer agents, and may represent a scientific basis to develop nutraceuticals, food supplements, or complementary and alternative drugs in a context of a multi-target pharmacological strategy in the oncology. PMID:27827912

Potential Anticancer Properties of Osthol: A Comprehensive Mechanistic Review

PubMed Central

Shokoohinia, Yalda; Jafari, Fataneh; Mohammadi, Zeynab; Bazvandi, Leili; Hosseinzadeh, Leila; Chow, Nicholas; Bhattacharyya, Piyali; Farzaei, Mohammad Hosein; Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad; Bishayee, Anupam

2018-01-01

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation which has the potential to occur in different tissues and spread into surrounding and distant tissues. Despite the current advances in the field of anticancer agents, rapidly developing resistance against different chemotherapeutic drugs and significantly higher off-target effects cause millions of deaths every year. Osthol is a natural coumarin isolated from Apiaceaous plants which has demonstrated several pharmacological effects, such as antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We have attempted to summarize up-to-date information related to pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of osthol as a lead compound in managing malignancies. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane library, ScienceDirect and Scopus were searched for in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies on anticancer effects of osthol. Osthol exerts remarkable anticancer properties by suppressing cancer cell growth and induction of apoptosis. Osthol’s protective and therapeutic effects have been observed in different cancers, including ovarian, cervical, colon and prostate cancers as well as chronic myeloid leukemia, lung adenocarcinoma, glioma, hepatocellular, glioblastoma, renal and invasive mammary carcinoma. A large body of evidence demonstrates that osthol regulates apoptosis, proliferation and invasion in different types of malignant cells which are mediated by multiple signal transduction cascades. In this review, we set spotlights on various pathways which are targeted by osthol in different cancers to inhibit cancer development and progression. PMID:29301373

Cytotoxic, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial effects of different extracts obtained from Artemisia rupestris.

PubMed

Nokerbek, Shamshabanu; Sakipova, Zuriyadda; Chalupová, Marta; Nejezchlebová, Marcela; Hošek, Jan

2017-01-01

Artemisia rupestris is a part of traditional Kazakh folk medicine. Extracts obtained from this plant are used to treat various diseases, including cancer. This study evaluates the anti-microbial, cytotoxic, and anti-cancer effects of different extracts of the plant. Different extraction techniques were used and the resultant activities were compared. Extracts of A. rupestris were prepared from the flowers plus the leaves and from the stems. The antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus was quantified. Cell lines L1210 and THP-1 were used to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of these extracts in vitro. The anti-cancer effect was tested using L1210-induced tumorgenesis in mouse model. The aqueous extract of stems was the most active against C. albicans, whereas the methanolic extract of flowers plus leaves especially inhibited the growth of S. aureus. The aqueous extracts were found to be non-cytotoxic for both cell lines, whereas the lipophilic extracts showed cytotoxic effects. The extract obtained from flowers plus leaves was more cytotoxic than that from stems. The tested extracts showed no anti-cancer potential. The results obtained testify to the relatively safe consumption of aqueous extracts of A. rupestris, but lipophilic extracts showed toxic effects and their consumption should be considered more carefully.Key words: L1210 cell line THP-1 cell line microwave-assisted extraction ultrasonic-assisted extraction Candida albicans Staphylococcus aureus.

Anti-cancer Effects of Polyphenolic Compounds in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-resistant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

PubMed Central

Jeong, Hyungmin; Phan, Ai N. H.; Choi, Jong-Whan

2017-01-01

Background: Polyphenolic phytochemicals are natural compounds, easily found in fruits and vegetables. Importantly, polyphenols have been intensively studied as excellent antioxidant activity which contributes to anticancer function of the natural compounds. Lung cancer has been reported to mainly account for cancer-related deaths in the world. Moreover, epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance is one of the biggest issues in cancer treatment, especially in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Even though several studies both in preclinical and clinical trials have showed promising therapeutic effects of polyphenolic compounds in anticancer therapy, the function of the natural compounds in TKI-resistant (TKIR) lung cancer remains poorly studied. Objective: The aim of this study is to screen polyphenolic compounds as potential anticancer adjuvants which suppress TKIR lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Colony formation and thiazolyl blue tetrazolium blue assay were performed in the pair-matched TKI-sensitive (TKIS) versus TKIR tumor cell lines to investigate the therapeutic effect of polyphenolic compounds in TKIR NSCLC. Results: Our data show that equol, kaempferol, resveratrol, and ellagic acid exhibit strong anticancer effect in HCC827 panel. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of most of tested polyphenolic compounds was highly selective for TKIR lung cancer cell line H1993 while sparing the TKIS one H2073. Conclusion: This study provides an important screening of potential polyphenolic compounds for drug development to overcome TKI resistance in advanced lung cancer. SUMMARY The study provides an important screening of potential polyphenolic compounds for drug development to overcome tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance in advance lung cancerEquol, kaempferol, resveratrol, and ellagic acid show strong anticancer effect in HCC827 panel, including TKI-sensitive (TKIS) and TKI-resistant clonesThe inhibitory effect of polyphenolic compounds such as equol, kaempferol, resveratrol, ellagic acid, gallic acid, p-Coumaric, and hesperidin is highly selective for TKI-resistant lung cancer cell line H1993 while sparing the TKIS one H2073. Abbreviations used: EGFR: Epidermal growth factor receptor, EMT: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, GTP: Green tea polyphenols, IGF1R: Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, MET: Met proto-oncogene, MTT: Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium blue, NSCLC: Non-small cell lung cancer, ROS: Reactive oxygen species, RTK: Receptor tyrosine kinase, STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, TKIR: TKI-resistant, TKIs: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, TKIS: TKI-sensitive. PMID:29200719

Synthesis and Anti-cancer Activity of 3-substituted Benzoyl-4-substituted Phenyl-1H-pyrrole Derivatives.

PubMed

Zhan, Xiaoping; Qin, Weixi; Wang, Shuai; Zhao, Kai; Xin, Yuxuan; Wang, Yaolin; Qi, Qi; Mao, Zhenmin

2017-01-01

Cancer is considered a major public health problem worldwide. The aim of this paper is to design and synthesis of novel anticancer agents with potent anticancer activity and minimum side effects. A series of pyrrole derivatives were synthesized, their anti-cancer activity against nine cancer cell lines and two non-cancer cell lines were evaluated by MTT assay, and their cell cycle progression were determined by flow cytometry analysis. The study of the structure-activity relationships revealed that the introduction of the electron-donation groups at the 4th position of the pyrrole ring increased the anti-cancer activity. Among the synthesized compounds, specially the compounds bearing 3,4-dimethoxy phenyl at the 4th position of the pyrrole ring showed potent anti-cancer activity, cpd 19 was the most potent against MGC 80-3, HCT-116 and CHO cell lines (IC50s = 1.0－1.7 μM), cpd 21 was the most potent against HepG2, DU145 and CT-26 cell lines (IC50s = 0.5－0.9 μM), and cpd 15 was the most potent against A549 (IC50 = 3.6 μM). Moreover, these potent compounds showed weak cytotoxicity against HUVEC and NIH/3T3. Thus, the cpds 15, 19 and 21 show potential anti-cancer for further investigation. Furthermore, the flow cytometry analysis revealed that cpd 21 arrested the CT-26 cells at S phase, and induced the cell apoptosis. Thus, these compounds with the potent anticancer activity and low toxicity have potential for the development of new anticancer chemotherapy agents. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs): multitargeted anticancer agents

PubMed Central

Ververis, Katherine; Hiong, Alison; Karagiannis, Tom C; Licciardi, Paul V

2013-01-01

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are an emerging class of therapeutics with potential as anticancer drugs. The rationale for developing HDAC inhibitors (and other chromatin-modifying agents) as anticancer therapies arose from the understanding that in addition to genetic mutations, epigenetic changes such as dysregulation of HDAC enzymes can alter phenotype and gene expression, disturb homeostasis, and contribute to neoplastic growth. The family of HDAC inhibitors is large and diverse. It includes a range of naturally occurring and synthetic compounds that differ in terms of structure, function, and specificity. HDAC inhibitors have multiple cell type-specific effects in vitro and in vivo, such as growth arrest, cell differentiation, and apoptosis in malignant cells. HDAC inhibitors have the potential to be used as monotherapies or in combination with other anticancer therapies. Currently, there are two HDAC inhibitors that have received approval from the US FDA for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, Zolinza) and depsipeptide (romidepsin, Istodax). More recently, depsipeptide has also gained FDA approval for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Many more clinical trials assessing the effects of various HDAC inhibitors on hematological and solid malignancies are currently being conducted. Despite the proven anticancer effects of particular HDAC inhibitors against certain cancers, many aspects of HDAC enzymes and HDAC inhibitors are still not fully understood. Increasing our understanding of the effects of HDAC inhibitors, their targets and mechanisms of action will be critical for the advancement of these drugs, especially to facilitate the rational design of HDAC inhibitors that are effective as antineoplastic agents. This review will discuss the use of HDAC inhibitors as multitargeted therapies for malignancy. Further, we outline the pharmacology and mechanisms of action of HDAC inhibitors while discussing the safety and efficacy of these compounds in clinical studies to date. PMID:23459471

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs): multitargeted anticancer agents.

PubMed

Ververis, Katherine; Hiong, Alison; Karagiannis, Tom C; Licciardi, Paul V

2013-01-01

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are an emerging class of therapeutics with potential as anticancer drugs. The rationale for developing HDAC inhibitors (and other chromatin-modifying agents) as anticancer therapies arose from the understanding that in addition to genetic mutations, epigenetic changes such as dysregulation of HDAC enzymes can alter phenotype and gene expression, disturb homeostasis, and contribute to neoplastic growth. The family of HDAC inhibitors is large and diverse. It includes a range of naturally occurring and synthetic compounds that differ in terms of structure, function, and specificity. HDAC inhibitors have multiple cell type-specific effects in vitro and in vivo, such as growth arrest, cell differentiation, and apoptosis in malignant cells. HDAC inhibitors have the potential to be used as monotherapies or in combination with other anticancer therapies. Currently, there are two HDAC inhibitors that have received approval from the US FDA for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, Zolinza) and depsipeptide (romidepsin, Istodax). More recently, depsipeptide has also gained FDA approval for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Many more clinical trials assessing the effects of various HDAC inhibitors on hematological and solid malignancies are currently being conducted. Despite the proven anticancer effects of particular HDAC inhibitors against certain cancers, many aspects of HDAC enzymes and HDAC inhibitors are still not fully understood. Increasing our understanding of the effects of HDAC inhibitors, their targets and mechanisms of action will be critical for the advancement of these drugs, especially to facilitate the rational design of HDAC inhibitors that are effective as antineoplastic agents. This review will discuss the use of HDAC inhibitors as multitargeted therapies for malignancy. Further, we outline the pharmacology and mechanisms of action of HDAC inhibitors while discussing the safety and efficacy of these compounds in clinical studies to date.

Delicaflavone induces autophagic cell death in lung cancer via Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway.

PubMed

Sui, Yuxia; Yao, Hong; Li, Shaoguang; Jin, Long; Shi, Peiying; Li, Zhijun; Wang, Gang; Lin, Shilan; Wu, Youjia; Li, Yuxiang; Huang, Liying; Liu, Qicai; Lin, Xinhua

2017-03-01

Searching for potential anticancer agents from natural sources is an effective strategy for developing novel chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, data supporting the in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects of delicaflavone, a rarely occurring biflavonoid from Selaginella doederleinii, were reported. Delicaflavone exhibited favorable anticancer properties, as shown by the MTT assay and xenograft model of human non-small cell lung cancer in male BALB/c nude mice without observable adverse effect. By transmission electron microscopy with acridine orange and Cyto-ID®Autophagy detection dyes, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR assay, we confirmed that delicaflavone induces autophagic cell death by increasing the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I, which are autophagy-related proteins, and promoting the generation of acidic vesicular organelles and autolysosomes in the cytoplasm of human lung cancer A549 and PC-9 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Delicaflavone downregulated the expression of phospho-Akt, phospho-mTOR, and phospho-p70S6K in a time- and dose-dependent manner, suggesting that it induced autophagy by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway in A549 and PC-9 cells. Delicaflavone is a potential anticancer agent that can induce autophagic cell death in human non-small cell lung cancer via the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Delicaflavone showed anti-lung cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. Delicaflavone induced autophagic cell death via Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Delicaflavone did not show observable side effects in a xenograft mouse model. Delicaflavone may represent a potential therapeutic agent for lung cancer. Delicaflavone showed anti-lung cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. Delicaflavone induced autophagic cell death via Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Delicaflavone did not show observable side effects in a xenograft mouse model. Delicaflavone may represent a potential therapeutic agent for lung cancer.

Glycosides from Medicinal Plants as Potential Anticancer Agents: Emerging Trends towards Future Drugs.

PubMed

Khan, Haroon; Saeedi, Mina; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad; Mubarak, Mohammad S; Bishayee, Anupam

2018-04-03

Cancer continues to be a global burden, despite the advancement of various technological and pharmaceutical improvements over the past two decades. Methods for treating cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in addition to other specialized techniques. On the other hand, medicinal plants have been traditionally employed either as the complementary medicine or dietary agents in the treatment and management of cancer. Medicinal plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites with interesting biological and pharmacological activities. Among these metabolites, glycosides are naturally occurring substances and have outstanding therapeutic potential and clinical utility. Different medical research engines such GoogleScholar, PubMed, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect were used to collect related literature on the subject matter. In this regard, only peer reviewed journals were considered. Emerging results showed that numerous glycosides isolated from various plants possessed marked anticancer activity against a variety of cancer cell lines. Accordingly, the aim of the present review is to shed light on the anticancer effects of glycosides, analyze possible mechanisms of action, and highlight the role of these natural agents as complementary and alternative medicine in combating and managing cancer. The glycosides isolated from different plants demonstrated potent cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines in initial preclinical studies. The anticancer effect was mediated through multiple mechanisms; however further detail studies are needed to understand the full potential of glycosides for clinical utility. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Development of Platinum(iv) Complexes as Anticancer Prodrugs: the Story so Far

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Daniel Yuan Qiang; Ang, Wee Han

2012-06-01

The serendipitous discovery of the antitumor properties of cisplatin by Barnett Rosenberg some forty years ago brought about a paradigm shift in the field of medicinal chemistry and challenged conventional thinking regarding the role of potentially toxic heavy metals in drugs. Platinum(II)-based anticancer drugs have since become some of the most effective and widely-used drugs in a clinician's arsenal and have saved countless lives. However, they are limited by high toxicity, severe side-effects and the incidence of drug resistance. In recent years, attention has shifted to stable platinum(IV) complexes as anticancer prodrugs. By exploiting the unique chemical and structural attributes of their scaffolds, these platinum(IV) prodrugs offer new strategies of targeting and killing cancer cells. This review summarizes the development of anticancer platinum(IV) prodrugs to date and some of the exciting strategies that utilise the platinum(IV) construct as targeted chemotherapeutic agents against cancer.

Anticancer Activities of C18-, C19-, C20-, and Bis-Diterpenoid Alkaloids Derived from Genus Aconitum.

PubMed

Ren, Meng-Yue; Yu, Qing-Tian; Shi, Chun-Yu; Luo, Jia-Bo

2017-02-13

Cancer is one of the most common lethal diseases, and natural products have been extensively studied as anticancer agents considering their availability, low toxicity, and economic affordability. Plants belonging to the genus Aconitum have been widely used medically in many Asian countries since ancient times. These plants have been proven effective for treating several types of cancer, such as lung, stomach, and liver cancers. The main effective components of Aconitum plants are diterpenoid alkaloids-which are divided into C 18 -, C 19 -, C 20 -, and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids-are reportedly some of the most promising, naturally abundant compounds for treating cancer. This review focuses on the progress of diterpenoid alkaloids with different structures derived from Aconitum plants and some of their derivatives with potential anticancer activities. We hope that this work can serve as a reference for further developing Aconitum diterpenoid alkaloids as anticancer agents.

Apigenin: A dietary flavonoid with diverse anticancer properties.

PubMed

Madunić, Josip; Madunić, Ivana Vrhovac; Gajski, Goran; Popić, Jelena; Garaj-Vrhovac, Vera

2018-01-28

Apigenin is a natural flavonoid found in several dietary plant foods such as vegetables and fruits. A large number of studies conducted over the past years have shown that this particular natural compound has potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Therefore, apigenin has generated a great deal of interest as a possible chemotherapeutic modality due to its low intrinsic toxicity and remarkable effects on normal versus cancerous cells, compared with other structurally related flavonoids. Here, we review its role in anticancer research, as well as several cancer signalling pathways, including MAPK, PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways, and their specific role in different cancer types. Based on the available literature, the beneficial effects of apigenin as a future anticancer modality are promising but they require further in vitro and in vivo studies to enable its translation from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Potential Anticancer Activities of Novel Ganoderma lucidum Extracts Using Gene Expression and Pathway Network Analysis

PubMed Central

Kao, Chi H.J.; Bishop, Karen S.; Xu, Yuanye; Han, Dug Yeo; Murray, Pamela M.; Marlow, Gareth J.; Ferguson, Lynnette R.

2016-01-01

Ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi) has been used for the general promotion of health in Asia for many centuries. The common method of consumption is to boil lingzhi in water and then drink the liquid. In this study, we examined the potential anticancer activities of G. lucidum submerged in two commonly consumed forms of alcohol in East Asia: malt whiskey and rice wine. The anticancer effect of G. lucidum, using whiskey and rice wine-based extraction methods, has not been previously reported. The growth inhibition of G. lucidum whiskey and rice wine extracts on the prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and DU145, was determined. Using Affymetrix gene expression assays, several biologically active pathways associated with the anticancer activities of G. lucidum extracts were identified. Using gene expression analysis (real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) and protein analysis (Western blotting), we confirmed the expression of key genes and their associated proteins that were initially identified with Affymetrix gene expression analysis. PMID:27006591

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-substituted-4-(4-methylthio phenyl)-1H-pyrrole derivatives as potential anticancer agents.

PubMed

Lan, Lan; Qin, Weixi; Zhan, Xiaoping; Liu, Zenglu; Mao, Zhenmin

2014-01-01

A novel series of 3-substituted-4-(4-methylthio phenyl)-1H-pyrrole derivatives were synthesized via Van Leusen pyrrole synthesis. The in vitro anticancer activity against a panel of 16 cancer cell lines and 2 normal cell lines was investigated by MTT assay. It was found that some of the pyrrole compounds showed similar antiproliferative activity against cancer cells compared with Paclitaxel, but little impact on normal cell lines, which indicated that the novel pyrrole derivatives could be used as potential anticancer candidates for possessing both selectivity and good therapeutic efficacy. Structure-activity relationship analysis found that 3-phenylacetyl-4- (4-methylthio phenyl)-1H-pyrrole derivatives displayed the most strong anticancer activity, among which [4-(4-methylthio phenyl)-1H-pyrrol- 3-yl] (4-methoxy phenyl) methanone (3j) was employed to investigate the effect of these pyrrole analogues on cell cycle by propidium iodide (PI) staining on cell flow cytometry. Cell necrotic effect of 10.0 µM 3j against MGC80-3 cells were also observed under fluorescence microscope and transmission electron microscope by ultrathin sections observation.

Synergetic Effect of SLN-Curcumin and LDH-5-Fu on SMMC-7721 Liver Cancer Cell Line

PubMed Central

Zhu, Rongrong; Wu, Xianzheng; Xiao, Yu; Gao, Bo; Xie, Qian

2013-01-01

Abstract Curcumin and 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) have been reported to have anticancer potentials and show certain synergetic effect on some cancer cell lines. However, the poor bioavailability and rapid metabolism limited their medical application. In this study, we encapsulated curcumin with solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), 5-Fu with Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) separately and tested its properties and anticancer potentials. SLN-curcumin and LDH-5-Fu were determined to be 100 and 60 nm by Transmission Electron Microscopy detection, and the loading efficiency were 28%±2.5% and 16.7%±1.8%, individually. Furthermore, SLN-curcumin and LDH-5-Fu showed a significantly synergetic effect on SMMC-7721 cell stronger than plain drugs together, of which the Idrug loaded nano-carriers was only 0.315. FACS analysis revealed that the combination of SLN-curcumin and LDH-5-Fu induced 80.1% apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells, which were 1.7-folds of the sum of the two plain drug loaded carriers. The results demonstrated the significant synergetic anticancer potentials of nano-encapsulated curcumin and 5-Fu, which could be further explored for the treatment of other carcinoma. PMID:23808828

Self-assembled mirror DNA nanostructures for tumor-specific delivery of anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung-Ran; Kim, Hyo Young; Lee, Yong-Deok; Ha, Jong Seong; Kang, Ji Hee; Jeong, Hansaem; Bang, Duhee; Ko, Young Tag; Kim, Sehoon; Lee, Hyukjin; Ahn, Dae-Ro

2016-12-10

Nanoparticle delivery systems have been extensively investigated for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs over the past decades. However, it is still a great challenge to overcome the drawbacks of conventional nanoparticle systems such as liposomes and micelles. Various novel nanomaterials consist of natural polymers are proposed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. Among them, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has received much attention as an emerging material for preparation of self-assembled nanostructures with precise control of size and shape for tailored uses. In this study, self-assembled mirror DNA tetrahedron nanostructures is developed for tumor-specific delivery of anticancer drugs. l-DNA, a mirror form of natural d-DNA, is utilized for resolving a poor serum stability of natural d-DNA. The mirror DNA nanostructures show identical thermodynamic properties to that of natural d-DNA, while possessing far enhanced serum stability. This unique characteristic results in a significant effect on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of DNA nanostructures. It is demonstrated that the mirror DNA nanostructures can deliver anticancer drugs selectively to tumors with enhanced cellular and tissue penetration. Furthermore, the mirror DNA nanostructures show greater anticancer effects as compared to that of conventional PEGylated liposomes. Our new approach provides an alternative strategy for tumor-specific delivery of anticancer drugs and highlights the promising potential of the mirror DNA nanostructures as a novel drug delivery platform. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibitory effects of vitamin K3 on DNA polymerase and angiogenesis.

PubMed

Matsubara, Kiminori; Kayashima, Tomoko; Mori, Masaharu; Yoshida, Hiromi; Mizushina, Yoshiyuki

2008-09-01

Vitamins play essential roles in cellular reactions and maintain human health. Recent studies have revealed that some vitamins including D3, B6 and K2 and their derivatives have an anti-cancer effect. As a mechanism, their inhibitory effect on cancer-related angiogenesis has been demonstrated. Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) has an anti-cancer effect in particular for hepatic cancer and inhibits angiogenesis. In the current study, we demonstrated that sole vitamin K3 (menadione) selectively inhibits the in vitro activity of eukaryotic DNA polymerase gamma, which is a mitochondrial DNA polymerase, and suppresses angiogenesis in a rat aortic ring model. The anti-angiogenic effect of vitamin K3 has been shown in angiogenesis models using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with regard to HUVEC growth, tube formation on reconstituted basement membrane and chemotaxis. These results suggest that vitamin K3 may be a potential anti-cancer agent like vitamin K2.

Anticancer and antioxidant activity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts.

PubMed

Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Świeca, Michał; Dziki, Dariusz; Sęczyk, Łukasz; Złotek, Urszula; Różyło, Renata; Kaszuba, Kinga; Ryszawy, Damian; Czyż, Jarosław

2014-01-01

This study is focused on antioxidant and anticancer capacity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts (BS) in the light of their potential bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Generally, bread supplementation elevated antioxidant potential of product (both nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant capacities); however, the increase was not correlated with the percent of BS. A replacement up to 2% of BS gives satisfactory overall consumers acceptability and desirable elevation of antioxidant potential. High activity was especially found for extracts obtained after simulated digestion, which allows assuming their protective effect for upper gastrointestinal tract; thus, the anticancer activity against human stomach cancer cells (AGS) was evaluated. A prominent cytostatic response paralleled by the inhibition of AGS motility in the presence of potentially mastication-extractable phytochemicals indicates that phenolic compounds of BS retain their biological activity in bread. Importantly, the efficient phenolics concentration was about 12 μM for buffer extract, 13 μM for extracts after digestion in vitro, and 7 μM for extract after absorption in vitro. Our data confirm chemopreventive potential of bread enriched with BS and indicate that BS comprise valuable food supplement for stomach cancer chemoprevention.

Soluble Extract from Moringa oleifera Leaves with a New Anticancer Activity

PubMed Central

Jung, Il Lae

2014-01-01

Moringa oleifera has been regarded as a food substance since ancient times and has also been used as a treatment for many diseases. Recently, various therapeutic effects of M. oleifera such as antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antioxidant effects have been investigated; however, most of these studies described only simple biological phenomena and their chemical compositions. Due to the increasing attention on natural products, such as those from plants, and the advantages of oral administration of anticancer drugs, soluble extracts from M. oleifera leaves (MOL) have been prepared and their potential as new anticancer drug candidates has been assessed in this study. Here, the soluble cold Distilled Water extract (4°C; concentration, 300 µg/mL) from MOL greatly induced apoptosis, inhibited tumor cell growth, and lowered the level of internal reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human lung cancer cells as well as other several types of cancer cells, suggesting that the treatment of cancer cells with MOL significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, over 90% of the genes tested were unexpectedly downregulated more than 2-fold, while just below 1% of the genes were upregulated more than 2-fold in MOL extract-treated cells, when compared with nontreated cells. Since severe dose-dependent rRNA degradation was observed, the abnormal downregulation of numerous genes was considered to be attributable to abnormal RNA formation caused by treatment with MOL extracts. Additionally, the MOL extract showed greater cytotoxicity for tumor cells than for normal cells, strongly suggesting that it could potentially be an ideal anticancer therapeutic candidate specific to cancer cells. These results suggest the potential therapeutic implications of the soluble extract from MOL in the treatment of various types of cancers. PMID:24748376

Mecambridine induces potent cytotoxic effects, autophagic cell death and modulation of the mTOR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in HSC-3 oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

PubMed Central

Lin, Na; Li, Zhiping; Wang, Deli; Zheng, Kewen; Wu, Yiyan; Wang, Huiqi

2018-01-01

Plant secondary metabolites including alkaloids, demonstrate a complex diversity in their molecular scaffolds and exhibit tremendous pharmacological potential as anti-cancerous therapeutics. The present study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity of a natural alkaloid, mecambridine, against human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). An MTT assay was used to evaluate cytotoxic effects of mecambridine on HSC-3 oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Effects of mecambridine on autophagy-associated proteins were analyzed by western blotting. Effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry. Results indicated that mecambridine exhibited an IC50 value of 50 µM and exerted its cytotoxic effects in a dose dependent manner on OSCC HSC-3 cells. Furthermore, it was observed that mecambridine decreases cell viability and induces autophagy in a dose-dependent manner. The underlying mechanism for the induction of autophagy was demonstrated to be associated with ROS-mediated alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential and modulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (m-TOR/PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway in HSC-3 at the IC50. In conclusion, the present study suggests that mecambridine exhibits substantial anticancer activity against OSCC HSC-3 cells by induction of autophagy and modulates the expression of the mTOR/PI3K/Akt signaling cascade which is considered a potential target pathway for anti-cancer agents. PMID:29422960

Ganoderma: insights into anticancer effects.

PubMed

Kladar, Nebojša V; Gavarić, Neda S; Božin, Biljana N

2016-09-01

The genus Ganoderma includes about 80 species growing on cut or rotten trees. The most commonly used species is Ganoderma ludicum. Biomolecules responsible for the health benefits of Ganoderma are polysaccharides with an immunostimulative effect and triterpenes with a cytotoxic action. For more than 2000 years, it has been used traditionally in the treatment of various pathological conditions and recently, its immunoregulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anticancer potential has been confirmed. A wide range of Ganoderma extracts and preparations arrest the cell cycle in different phases and consequently inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells. Extracts containing polysaccharides stimulate immunological reactions through the production of various cytokines and mobilization of immune system cells. In-vivo studies have confirmed the anticancer potential and the antimetastatic effects of compounds originating from Ganoderma. There is also evidence for the chemopreventive action of Ganoderma extracts in bladder, prostate, liver, and breast cancer. The results of clinical studies suggest the combined use of G. lucidum with conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy, but the methodology and the results of these studies are being questioned. Therefore, a constant need for new clinical trials exists.

Dual function of tributyrin emulsion: solubilization and enhancement of anticancer effect of celecoxib.

PubMed

Kang, Sung Nam; Hong, Soon-Seok; Lee, Mi-Kyung; Lim, Soo-Jeong

2012-05-30

Tributyrin, a triglyceride analogue of butyrate, can act as a prodrug of an anticancer agent butyrate after being cleaved by intracellular enzymes. We recently demonstrated that the emulsion containing tributyrin as an inner oil phase possesses a potent anticancer activity. Herein we sought to develop tributyrin emulsion as a carrier of celecoxib, a poorly-water soluble drug with anticancer activity. Combined treatment of human HCT116 colon cancer cells with free celecoxib plus tributyrin emulsion inhibited the cellular proliferation more effectively than that of each drug alone, suggesting the possibility of tributyrin emulsion as a potential celecoxib carrier. The mean droplet size of emulsions tended to increase as the tributyrin content in emulsion increases and the concentration of celecoxib loaded in emulsions was affected by tributyrin content and the initial amount of celecoxib, but not by the total amount of surfactant mixture. The concentration of celecoxib required to inhibit the growth of HCT116 and B16-F10 cancer cells by 50% was 2.6- and 3.1-fold lowered by loading celecoxib in tributyrin emulsions, compared with free celecoxib. These data suggest that the anticancer activity of celecoxib was enhanced by loading in tributyrin emulsions, probably due to the solubilization capacity and anticancer activity of tributyrin emulsion. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterisation, and in vitro anticancer activity of curcumin analogues bearing pyrazole/pyrimidine ring targeting EGFR tyrosine kinase.

PubMed

Ahsan, Mohamed Jawed; Khalilullah, Habibullah; Yasmin, Sabina; Jadav, Surender Singh; Govindasamy, Jeyabalan

2013-01-01

In search of potential therapeutics for cancer, we described herein the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro anticancer activity of a novel series of curcumin analogues. The anticancer effects were evaluated on a panel of 60 cell lines, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) screening protocol. There were 10 tested compounds among 14 synthesized compounds, which showed potent anticancer activity in both one-dose and 5-dose assays. The most active compound of the series was 3,5-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylstyryl)-1H-pyrazole-1-yl(phenyl)methanone which showed mean growth percent of -28.71 in one-dose assay and GI₅₀ values between 0.0079 and 1.86 µM in 5-dose assay.

Gen-27, a newly synthesized flavonoid, inhibits glycolysis and induces cell apoptosis via suppression of hexokinase II in human breast cancer cells.

PubMed

Tao, Lei; Wei, Libing; Liu, Yishi; Ding, Yang; Liu, Xiuting; Zhang, Xin; Wang, Xiaoping; Yao, Yuyuan; Lu, Jinrong; Wang, Qing; Hu, Rong

2017-02-01

We have previously reported that Gen-27, a newly synthesized flavonoid, exhibits anticancer effects against human colorectal cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects in human breast cancer cell lines and its underlying mechanisms. We demonstrated that Gen-27 inhibited the growth and proliferation of human breast cancer cells in concentration and time-dependent manners. It was found that Gen-27 induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, characterized by the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), cytochrome c (Cyt c) release from mitochondria to cytosol, activation of caspases and induction of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). In addition, Gen-27 inhibited the glycolysis in human breast cancer cells. After treatment with Gen-27, the expression of HKII was down-regulated, accompanied by weakened interaction of HKII and VDAC. Further research revealed that the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis was associated with the decrease of HKII expression by Gen-27. Finally, in vivo studies demonstrated that Gen-27 significantly suppressed the growth and promoted apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer orthotopic tumors with low systemic toxicity. In conclusion, the results showed that Gen-27 had significant anticancer effects against human breast cancer and it may potentially be used as a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of breast cancer. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Cancer Chemoprevention Effects of Ginger and its Active Constituents: Potential for New Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Wang, Chong-Zhi; Qi, Lian-Wen; Yuan, Chun-Su

2015-01-01

Ginger is a commonly used spice and herbal medicine worldwide. Besides its extensive use as a condiment, ginger has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the management of various medical conditions. In recent years, ginger has received wide attention due to its observed antiemetic and anticancer activities. This paper reviews the potential role of ginger and its active constituents in cancer chemoprevention. The phytochemistry, bioactivity, and molecular targets of ginger constituents, especially 6-shogaol, are discussed. The content of 6-shogaol is very low in fresh ginger, but significantly higher after steaming. With reported anti-cancer activities, 6-shogaol can be served as a lead compound for new drug discovery. The lead compound derivative synthesis, bioactivity evaluation, and computational docking provide a promising opportunity to identify novel anticancer compounds originating from ginger.

DNA Adducts from Anticancer Drugs as Candidate Predictive Markers for Precision Medicine

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Biomarker-driven drug selection plays a central role in cancer drug discovery and development, and in diagnostic strategies to improve the use of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs. DNA-modifying anticancer drugs are still used as first line medication, but drawbacks such as resistance and side effects remain an issue. Monitoring the formation and level of DNA modifications induced by anticancer drugs is a potential strategy for stratifying patients and predicting drug efficacy. In this perspective, preclinical and clinical data concerning the relationship between drug-induced DNA adducts and biological response for platinum drugs and combination therapies, nitrogen mustards and half-mustards, hypoxia-activated drugs, reductase-activated drugs, and minor groove binding agents are presented and discussed. Aspects including measurement strategies, identification of adducts, and biological factors that influence the predictive relationship between DNA modification and biological response are addressed. A positive correlation between DNA adduct levels and response was observed for the majority of the studies, demonstrating the high potential of using DNA adducts from anticancer drugs as mechanism-based biomarkers of susceptibility, especially as bioanalysis approaches with higher sensitivity and throughput emerge. PMID:27936622

Synergistic anticancer effect of cisplatin and Chal-24 combination through IAP and c-FLIPL degradation, Ripoptosome formation and autophagy-mediated apoptosis

PubMed Central

Shi, Shaoqing; Wang, Qiong; Xu, Jennings; Jang, Jun-Ho; Padilla, Mabel T.; Nyunoya, Toru; Xing, Chengguo; Zhang, Lin; Lin, Yong

2015-01-01

Drug resistance is a major hurdle in anticancer chemotherapy. Combined therapy using drugs with distinct mechanisms of function may increase anticancer efficacy. We have recently identified the novel chalcone derivative, chalcone-24 (Chal-24), as a potential therapeutic that kills cancer cells through activation of an autophagy-mediated necroptosis pathway. In this report, we investigated if Chal-24 can be combined with the frontline genotoxic anticancer drug, cisplatin for cancer therapy. The combination of Chal-24 and cisplatin synergistically induced apoptotic cytotoxicity in lung cancer cell lines, which was dependent on Chal-24-induced autophagy. While cisplatin slightly potentiated the JNK/Bcl2/Beclin1 pathway for autophagy activation, its combination with Chal-24 strongly triggered proteasomal degradation of the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (c-IAPs) and formation of the Ripoptosome complex that contains RIP1, FADD and caspase 8. Furthermore, the cisplatin and Chal-24 combination induced dramatic degradation of cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein large (cFLIPL) which suppresses Ripoptosome-mediated apoptosis activation. These results establish a novel mechanism for potentiation of anticancer activity with the combination of Chal-24 and cisplatin: to enhance apoptosis signaling through Ripoptosome formation and to release the apoptosis brake through c-FLIPL degradation. Altogether, our work suggests that the combination of Chal-24 and cisplatin could be employed to improve chemotherapy efficacy. PMID:25682199

Potential role of tocotrienols in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer.

PubMed

Sylvester, Paul W; Akl, Mohamed R; Malaviya, Abhita; Parajuli, Parash; Ananthula, Suryatheja; Tiwari, Roshan V; Ayoub, Nehad M

2014-01-01

Vitamin E is a generic term that refers to a family of compounds that is further divided into two subgroups called tocopherols and tocotrienols. Although all natural forms of vitamin E display potent antioxidant activity, tocotrienols are significantly more potent than tocopherols in inhibiting tumor cell growth and viability, and anticancer activity of tocotrienols is mediated independently of their antioxidant activity. In addition, the anticancer effects of tocotrienols are observed using treatment doses that have little or no effect on normal cell function or viability. This review will summarize experimental studies that have identified the intracellular mechanism mediating the anticancer effects of tocotrienols. Evidence is also provided showing that combined treatment of tocotrienol with other cancer chemotherapies can result in a synergistic inhibition in cancer cell growth and viability. Taken together, these findings strongly indicate that tocotrienols may provide significant health benefits in the prevention and/or treatment of cancer when used either alone as monotherapy or in combination with other anticancer agents. © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Vitamin K and its analogs: Potential avenues for prostate cancer management.

PubMed

Dasari, Subramanyam; Ali, Syed M; Zheng, Guoxing; Chen, Aoshuang; Dontaraju, Venkata Satish; Bosland, Maarten C; Kajdacsy-Balla, Andre; Munirathinam, Gnanasekar

2017-08-22

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between cancer incidence and dietary habits. Especially intake of certain essential nutrients like vitamins has been shown to be beneficial in experimental studies and some clinical trials. Vitamin K (VK) is an essential nutrient involved in the blood clotting cascade, and there are considerable experimental data demonstrating its potential anticancer activity in several cancer types including prostate cancer. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have focused mainly on anti-oxidative effects as the underlying anticancer mechanism of VK. However, recent studies reveal that VK inhibits the growth of cancer cells through other mechanisms, including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and modulation of various transcription factors such as Myc and Fos. In the present review, we focus on the anticancer effect of dietary VK and its analogs on prostate cancer, with an emphasis on the signaling pathways that are activated following exposure to these compounds. This review also highlights the potential of VK and its derivatives as an adjuvant treatment in combination with other vitamins or with chemotherapeutic drugs. Based on our recent results and a review of the existing literature, we present evidence that VK and its derivatives can potentially be explored as cancer therapy, especially for prostate cancer.

Vitamin K and its analogs: Potential avenues for prostate cancer management

PubMed Central

Dasari, Subramanyam; Ali, Syed M.; Zheng, Guoxing; Chen, Aoshuang; Dontaraju, Venkata Satish; Bosland, Maarten C.; Kajdacsy-Balla, Andre; Munirathinam, Gnanasekar

2017-01-01

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between cancer incidence and dietary habits. Especially intake of certain essential nutrients like vitamins has been shown to be beneficial in experimental studies and some clinical trials. Vitamin K (VK) is an essential nutrient involved in the blood clotting cascade, and there are considerable experimental data demonstrating its potential anticancer activity in several cancer types including prostate cancer. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have focused mainly on anti-oxidative effects as the underlying anticancer mechanism of VK. However, recent studies reveal that VK inhibits the growth of cancer cells through other mechanisms, including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and modulation of various transcription factors such as Myc and Fos. In the present review, we focus on the anticancer effect of dietary VK and its analogs on prostate cancer, with an emphasis on the signaling pathways that are activated following exposure to these compounds. This review also highlights the potential of VK and its derivatives as an adjuvant treatment in combination with other vitamins or with chemotherapeutic drugs. Based on our recent results and a review of the existing literature, we present evidence that VK and its derivatives can potentially be explored as cancer therapy, especially for prostate cancer. PMID:28915711

Green synthesis, characterization and anticancer potential of platinum nanoparticles Bioplatin.

PubMed

Bendale, Yogesh; Bendale, Vineeta; Paul, Saili; Bhattacharyya, Soumya Sundar

2012-06-01

In the present study, the anticancer potential of platinum nanoparticles Bioplatin is explored and the mode of interactions of Bioplatin with calf thymus DNA and honey was analyzed. Bioplatin was synthesized with the help of green nanotechnology and characterized by particle size, zeta potential and surface morphology. The interaction of Bioplatin with DNA and honey was also checked with the help of circular dichroism spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The anticancer potential of Bioplatin was evaluated on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and A375 cells in vitro by analyzing results of MTT (3-(4,5)-dimethyl-thiahiazo-(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide), fluorescence microscopic studies and DNA fragmentation assay. Bioplatin exhibited a small particle size of 137.5 nm and a surface charge of -35.8 mV. Bioplatin interacted with DNA and brought in effective changes in structure and conformation of DNA, and formed a new complex that increased its stability of DNA intercalated with the base pair of DNA. In vitro studies demonstrated that Bioplatin arrested cell proliferation, and induced chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Bioplatin induces apoptosis in cancer cells and may have some beneficial effect against human carcinoma. It interacts with DNA, brings stabilization to DNA, and thus prevents the replication of DNA.

[Pharmacological researches of curcumin solid dispersions in treatment of cancer].

PubMed

Mei, Xue-Ting; Xu, Dong-Hui; He, Xue-Ni; Lu, Yong-Chang

2012-10-01

To investigate the anticancer effect of curcumin Solid Dispersions (SDs). Curcumin SDs were prepared by patent technology. The anticancer effect of curcumin SDs were investigated by vivo and vitro tests of SCG-7901, BEL-7402, S-180 and Ehrlich ascites tumor models. The results showed that Curcumin SDs had markedly anticancer effect and could improve the anticancer effect of cisplatin. Curcumin SDs could be developed into one kind of adjuvant drug for anticancer, as it has markedly anticancer effect, and could improve the anticancer effects of cisplatin.

In vitro activities of kappa-carrageenan isolated from red marine alga Hypnea musciformis: Antimicrobial, anticancer and neuroprotective potential.

PubMed

Souza, Ricardo Basto; Frota, Annyta Fernandes; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Neugebauer, Agnieszka Zofia; Pinteus, Susete; Rodrigues, José Ariévilo Gurgel; Cordeiro, Edna Maria Silva; de Almeida, Raimundo Rafael; Pedrosa, Rui; Benevides, Norma Maria Barros

2018-06-01

This study assessed the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer and neuroprotective activities of the kappa(k)-carrageenan isolated from the red alga Hypnea musciformis (Hm-SP). The chemical spectrum of the k-carrageenan from Hm-SP was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Hm-SP revealed an antibacterial and antifungal action against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, respectively. Hm-SP did not promoted cytotoxic effects against Human breast cancer (MCF-7) and Human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell-lines. However, it was observed a significant reduction of the cellular proliferation capacity in these cancer cells in presence of the Hm-SP. Furthermore, Hm-SP showed neuroprotective activity in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity on SH-SY5Y cells by modulation of the mitochondria transmembrane potential and reducing Caspase 3 activity. In addition, Hm-SP demonstrates low antioxidant potential and did not induce significant cytotoxic effects or changes in the cell proliferation on Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell-line. In summary, our data suggest that Hm-SP shows antimicrobial, anticancer and neuprotective activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Xanthones from Mangosteen Extracts as Natural Chemopreventive Agents: Potential Anticancer Drugs

PubMed Central

Shan, T.; Ma, Q.; Guo, K.; Liu, J.; Li, W.; Wang, F.; Wu, E.

2011-01-01

Despite decades of research, the treatment and management of malignant tumors still remain a formidable challenge for public health. New strategies for cancer treatment are being developed, and one of the most promising treatment strategies involves the application of chemopreventive agents. The search for novel and effective cancer chemopreventive agents has led to the identification of various naturally occurring compounds. Xanthones, from the pericarp, whole fruit, heartwood, and leaf of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn., GML), are known to possess a wide spectrum of pharmacologic properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activities. The potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities of xanthones have been demonstrated in different stages of carcinogenesis (initiation, promotion, and progression) and are known to control cell division and growth, apoptosis, inflammation, and metastasis. Multiple lines of evidence from numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that xanthones inhibit proliferation of a wide range of human tumor cell types by modulating various targets and signaling transduction pathways. Here we provide a concise and comprehensive review of preclinical data and assess the observed anticancer effects of xanthones, supporting its remarkable potential as an anticancer agent. PMID:21902651

In-silico and in-vitro anti-cancer potential of a curcumin analogue (1E, 6E)-1, 7-di (1H-indol-3-yl) hepta-1, 6-diene-3, 5-dione.

PubMed

Sufi, Shamim Akhtar; Adigopula, Lakshmi Narayana; Syed, Safiulla Basha; Mukherjee, Victor; Coumar, Mohane S; Rao, H Surya Prakash; Rajagopalan, Rukkumani

2017-01-01

Previously we showed that BDMC, an analogue of curcumin suppresses growth of human breast and laryngeal cancer cell line by causing apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate the enhanced anti-cancer activity of a heterocyclic ring (indole) incorporated curcumin analogue ((1E, 6E)-1, 7-di (1H-indol-3-yl) hepta-1, 6-diene-3, 5-Dione), ICA in short, in comparison to curcumin. ICA was synthesized by a one pot condensation reaction. Anti-cancer potential of ICA was assessed in three human cancer cell lines of different origin (Lung adenocarcinoma (A549), leukemia (K562) and colon cancer (SW480)) by MTT assay. Mode of cell death was determined by acridine orange-ethidium bromide (Ao-Eb) staining. Putative cellular targets of ICA were investigated by molecular docking studies. Cell cycle analysis following curcumin or ICA treatment in SW480 cell line was carried out by flow cytometry. Expression levels of Cyclin D1 and apoptotic markers, such as Caspase 3, 8 and 9 were studied by western blot analysis in SW480 cell line treated with or without ICA and curcumin. The yield of ICA synthesis was found to be 69% with a purity of 98%. ICA demonstrated promising anti-cancer activity compared to curcumin alone, as discerned by MTT assay. ICA was non-toxic to the cell line of normal origin. We further observed that ICA is ∼2 fold more potent than curcumin in inhibiting the growth of SW480 cells. Ao-Eb staining revealed that ICA could induce apoptosis in all the cell lines tested. Molecular docking studies suggest that ICA may possibly exhibit its anticancer effect by inhibiting EGFR in A549, Bcr-Abl in K562 and GSK-3β kinase in SW480 cell line. Moreover, ICA showed strong binding avidity for Bcl-2 protein in silico, which could result in induction of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis revealed that both curcumin and ICA induced concomitant cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and G2/M phase. Western blot shows that ICA could effectively down regulate the expression of cell cycle protein cyclin D1, while promoting the activation of Caspase 3, 8 and 9 when compared to curcumin in human colon cancer cell line SW480. The result of this study indicates that ICA could hold promise to be a potential anti-cancer agent. Since ICA has shown encouraging results in terms of its anti-cancer activity compared to curcumin, further research is necessary to fully delineate the underlying molecular mechanism of its anticancer potential. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Combination of Osthole and Cisplatin Against Rhabdomyosarcoma TE671 Cells Yielded Additive Pharmacologic Interaction by Means of Isobolographic Analysis.

PubMed

Jarząb, Agata; Łuszczki, Jarogniew; Guz, Małgorzata; Skalicka-Woźniak, Krystyna; Hałasa, Marta; Smok-Kalwat, Jolanta; Polberg, Krzysztof; Stepulak, Andrzej

2018-01-01

Osthole is a simple coumarin that has been found to have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticoagulant, anticonvulsant and antiallergic activities. The aim of this study was to analyze the combined anti-proliferative effect of cisplatin (CDDP) and osthole on a rhabdomyosarcoma cell line, and assess the pharmacology of drug-drug interaction between these drugs using isobolographic analysis. The anticancer actions of osthole in combination with CDDP were evaluated using the tetrazolium dye-based MTT cell proliferation assay. Osthole and CDDP applied together augmented their anti-cancer activities and yielded an additive type of pharmacologic interaction by means of isobolographic analysis. Combined therapy using osthole and cisplatin could be suggested as a potential chemotherapy regimen against rhabdomyosarcoma. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Gold-Based Medicine: A Paradigm Shift in Anti-Cancer Therapy?

PubMed

Yeo, Chien Ing; Ooi, Kah Kooi; Tiekink, Edward R T

2018-06-11

A new era of metal-based drugs started in the 1960s, heralded by the discovery of potent platinum-based complexes, commencing with cisplatin [(H₃N)₂PtCl₂], which are effective anti-cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. While clinical applications of gold-based drugs largely relate to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, attention has turned to the investigation of the efficacy of gold(I) and gold(III) compounds for anti-cancer applications. This review article provides an account of the latest research conducted during the last decade or so on the development of gold compounds and their potential activities against several cancers as well as a summary of possible mechanisms of action/biological targets. The promising activities and increasing knowledge of gold-based drug metabolism ensures that continued efforts will be made to develop gold-based anti-cancer agents.

Tubulin polymerization-stimulating activity of Ganoderma triterpenoids.

PubMed

Kohno, Toshitaka; Hai-Bang, Tran; Zhu, Qinchang; Amen, Yhiya; Sakamoto, Seiichi; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Morimoto, Satoshi; Shimizu, Kuniyoshi

2017-04-01

Tubulin polymerization is an important target for anticancer therapies. Even though the potential of Ganoderma triterpenoids against various cancer targets had been well documented, studies on their tubulin polymerization-stimulating activity are scarce. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Ganoderma triterpenoids on tubulin polymerization. A total of twenty-four compounds were investigated using an in vitro tubulin polymerization assay. Results showed that most of the studied triterpenoids exhibited microtuble-stabilizing activity to different degrees. Among the investigated compounds, ganoderic acid T-Q, ganoderiol F, ganoderic acid S, ganodermanontriol and ganoderic acid TR were found to have the highest activities. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was performed. Extensive investigation of the SAR suggests the favorable structural features for the tubulin polymerization-stimulating activity of lanostane triterpenes. These findings would be helpful for further studies on the potential mechanisms of the anticancer activity of Ganoderma triterpenoids and give some indications on the design of tubulin-targeting anticancer agents.

Melittin: a lytic peptide with anticancer properties.

PubMed

Gajski, Goran; Garaj-Vrhovac, Vera

2013-09-01

Melittin (MEL) is a major peptide constituent of bee venom that has been proposed as one of the upcoming possibilities for anticancer therapy. Recent reports point to several mechanisms of MEL cytotoxicity in different types of cancer cells such as cell cycle alterations, effect on proliferation and/or growth inhibition, and induction of apoptotic and necrotic cell death trough several cancer cell death mechanisms, including the activation of caspases and matrix metalloproteinases. Although cytotoxic to a broad spectrum of tumour cells, the peptide is also toxic to normal cells. Therefore its therapeutic potential cannot be achieved without a proper delivery vehicle which could be overcome by MEL nanoparticles that possess the ability to safely deliver significant amount of MEL intravenously, and to target and kill tumours. This review paper summarizes the current knowledge and brings latest research findings on the anticancer potential of this lytic peptide with diverse functions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current applications and future potential for bioinorganic chemistry in the development of anticancer drugs

PubMed Central

van Rijt, Sabine H.; Sadler, Peter J.

2010-01-01

This review illustrates notable recent progress in the field of medicinal bioinorganic chemistry with many new approaches to the design of innovative metal-based anticancer drugs emerging. Current research addressing the problems associated with platinum drugs has focused on other metal-based therapeutics that have different modes of action, and on prodrug and targeting strategies in an effort to diminish the side-effects of cisplatin chemotherapy. PMID:19782150

Anticancer and Antioxidant Activity of Bread Enriched with Broccoli Sprouts

PubMed Central

Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Świeca, Michał; Dziki, Dariusz; Sęczyk, Łukasz; Złotek, Urszula; Różyło, Renata; Kaszuba, Kinga; Ryszawy, Damian; Czyż, Jarosław

2014-01-01

This study is focused on antioxidant and anticancer capacity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts (BS) in the light of their potential bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Generally, bread supplementation elevated antioxidant potential of product (both nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant capacities); however, the increase was not correlated with the percent of BS. A replacement up to 2% of BS gives satisfactory overall consumers acceptability and desirable elevation of antioxidant potential. High activity was especially found for extracts obtained after simulated digestion, which allows assuming their protective effect for upper gastrointestinal tract; thus, the anticancer activity against human stomach cancer cells (AGS) was evaluated. A prominent cytostatic response paralleled by the inhibition of AGS motility in the presence of potentially mastication-extractable phytochemicals indicates that phenolic compounds of BS retain their biological activity in bread. Importantly, the efficient phenolics concentration was about 12 μM for buffer extract, 13 μM for extracts after digestion in vitro, and 7 μM for extract after absorption in vitro. Our data confirm chemopreventive potential of bread enriched with BS and indicate that BS comprise valuable food supplement for stomach cancer chemoprevention. PMID:25050366

Nano-Chitosan Particles in Anticancer Drug Delivery: An Up-to-Date Review.

PubMed

Kamath, Pooja R; Sunil, Dhanya

2017-01-01

Cancer is one of the most awful lethal diseases all over the world and the success of its current chemotherapeutic treatment strategies is limited due to several associated drawbacks. The exploration of cancer cell physiology and its microenvironment has exposed the potential of various classes of nanocarriers to deliver anticancer chemotherapeutic agents at the tumor target site. These nanocarriers must evade the immune surveillance system and achieve target selectivity. Besides, they must gain access into the interior of cancerous cells, evade endosomal entrapment and discharge the drugs in a sustained manner. Chitosan, the second naturally abundant polysaccharide is a biocompatible, biodegradable and mucoadhesive cationic polymer which has been exploited extensively in the last few years in the effective delivery of anticancer chemotherapeutics to the target tumor cells. Therapeutic agent-loaded surface modified chitosan nanoparticles are established to be more stable, permeable and bioactive. This review will provide an up-to-date evidence-based background on recent pharmaceutical advancements in the transformation of chitosan nanoparticles for smart anticancer therapeutic drug delivery. • Efforts to improve cancer chemotherapy by exploiting the intrinsic differences between normal and neoplastic cells to achieve maximum effective drug delivery to target cancer cells through bioengineered chitosan nano delivery vectors are discussed. • The easy manipulation of surface characteristics of chitosan based nanoparticles by various functionalization methods to achieve targeted drug delivery proves its potential to be an essential tool for the advancement of anticancer drug-delivery vectors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Antihyperglycemic drug Gymnema sylvestre also shows anticancer potentials in human melanoma A375 cells via reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondria-dependent caspase pathway.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Debrup; Ghosh, Samrat; Bishayee, Kausik; Mukherjee, Avinaba; Sikdar, Sourav; Khuda-Bukhsh, Anisur Rahman

2013-09-01

Ethanolic extract of Gymnema sylvestre (GS) leaves is used as a potent antidiabetic drug in various systems of alternative medicine, including homeopathy. The present study was aimed at examining if GS also had anticancer potentials, and if it had, to elucidate its possible mechanism of action. We initially tested possible anticancer potential of GS on A375 cells (human skin melanoma) through MTT assay and determined cytotoxicity levels in A375 and normal liver cells; we then thoroughly studied its apoptotic effects on A375 cells through protocols such as Hoechst 33258, H2DCFDA, and rhodamine 123 staining and conducted ELISA for cytochrome c, caspase 3, and PARP activity levels; we determined the mRNA level expression of cytochrome c, caspase 3, Bcl2, Bax, PARP, ICAD, and EGFR signaling genes through semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and conducted Western blot analysis of caspase 3 and PARP. We also analyzed cell cycle events, determined reactive oxygen species accumulation, measured annexin V-FITC/PI and rhodamine 123 intensity by flow cytometry. Compared with both normal liver cells and drug-untreated A375, the mortality of GS-treated A375 cells increased in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, GS induced nuclear DNA fragmentation and showed an increased level of mRNA expression of apoptotic signal related genes cytochrome c, caspase 3, PARP, Bax, and reduced expression level of ICAD, EGFR, and the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl2. Overall results indicate GS to have significant anticancer effect on A375 cells apart from its reported antidiabetic effect, indicating possibility of its palliative use in patients with symptoms of both the diseases.

Effects of Animal Venoms and Toxins on Hallmarks of Cancer

PubMed Central

Chaisakul, Janeyuth; Hodgson, Wayne C.; Kuruppu, Sanjaya; Prasongsook, Naiyarat

2016-01-01

Animal venoms are a cocktail of proteins and peptides, targeting vital physiological processes. Venoms have evolved to assist in the capture and digestion of prey. Key venom components often include neurotoxins, myotoxins, cardiotoxins, hematoxins and catalytic enzymes. The pharmacological activities of venom components have been investigated as a source of potential therapeutic agents. Interestingly, a number of animal toxins display profound anticancer effects. These include toxins purified from snake, bee and scorpion venoms effecting cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptotic activity and neovascularization. Indeed, the mechanism behind the anticancer effect of certain toxins is similar to that of agents currently used in chemotherapy. For example, Lebein is a snake venom disintegrin which generates anti-angiogenic effects by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). In this review article, we highlight the biological activities of animal toxins on the multiple steps of tumour formation or hallmarks of cancer. We also discuss recent progress in the discovery of lead compounds for anticancer drug development from venom components. PMID:27471574

Modified Metformin as a More Potent Anticancer Drug: Mitochondrial Inhibition, Redox Signaling, Antiproliferative Effects and Future EPR Studies.

PubMed

Kalyanaraman, Balaraman; Cheng, Gang; Hardy, Micael; Ouari, Olivier; Sikora, Adam; Zielonka, Jacek; Dwinell, Michael B

2017-12-01

Metformin, one of the most widely prescribed antidiabetic drugs in the world, is being repurposed as a potential drug in cancer treatment. Epidemiological studies suggest that metformin exerts anticancer effects in diabetic patients with pancreatic cancer. However, at typical antidiabetic doses the bioavailability of metformin is presumably too low to exert antitumor effects. Thus, more potent analogs of metformin are needed in order to increase its anticancer efficacy. To this end, a new class of mitochondria-targeted metformin analogs (or mito-metformins) containing a positively-charged lipophilic triphenylphosphonium group was synthesized and tested for their antitumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer cells. Results indicate that the lead compound, mito-metformin 10 , was nearly 1000-fold more potent than metformin in inhibiting mitochondrial complex I activity, inducing reactive oxygen species (superoxide and hydrogen peroxide) that stimulate redox signaling mechanisms, including the activation of adenosinemonophosphate kinase and inhibition of proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. The potential use of the low-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance technique in assessing the role of mitochondrial complexes including complex I in tumor regression in response to metformin and mito-metformins in the in vivo setting is discussed.

Epigenetic potential of resveratrol and analogs in preclinical models of prostate cancer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prostate cancer is affected by lifestyle, particularly diet. Dietary polyphenols such as resveratrol possess anticancer properties and, therefore, chemopreventive and therapeutic potentials. Resveratrol has pleiotropic effect exerting its biological activity through multiple pathways and targets ass...

Synthesis of Rapamycin Derivatives Containing the Triazole Moiety Used as Potential mTOR-Targeted Anticancer Agents.

PubMed

Xie, Lijun; Huang, Jie; Chen, Xiaoming; Yu, Hui; Li, Kualiang; Yang, Dan; Chen, Xiaqin; Ying, Jiayin; Pan, Fusheng; Lv, Youbing; Cheng, Yuanrong

2016-06-01

Rapamycin, a potent antifungal antibiotic, was approved as immunosuppressant, and lately its derivatives have been developed into mTOR targeting anticancer drugs. Structure modification was performed at the C-42 position of rapamycin, and a novel series of rapamycin triazole hybrids (4a-d, 5a-e, 8a-e, and 9a-e) was facilely synthesized via Huisgen's reaction. The anticancer activity of these compounds was evaluated against the Caski, H1299, MGC-803, and H460 human cancer cell lines. Some of the derivatives (8a-e, 9a-e) appeared to have stronger activity than that of rapamycin; however, 4a-d and 5a-e failed to show potential anticancer activity. Compound 9e with a (2,4-dichlorophenylamino)methyl moiety on the triazole ring was the most active anticancer compound, which showed IC50 values of 6.05 (Caski), 7.89 (H1299), 25.88 (MGC-803), and 8.60 μM (H460). In addition, research on the mechanism showed that 9e was able to cause cell morphological changes and to induce apoptosis in the Caski cell line. Most importantly, 9e can decrease the phosphorylation of mTOR and of its downstream key proteins, S6 and P70S6K1, indicating that 9e can effectively inhibit the mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, it may have the potential to become a new mTOR inhibitor against various cancers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Melittin liposomes surface modified with poloxamer 188: in vitro characterization and in vivo evaluation.

PubMed

Tian, J L; Ke, X; Chen, Z; Wang, C J; Zhang, Y; Zhong, T C

2011-05-01

Melittin liposomes surface modified with poloxamer 188 were developed, and the effect of poloxamer 188 was investigated with regard to anti-cancer effect and vascular stimulation. Melittin liposomes surface modified with poloxamer 188 at different concentrations (0%, 2%, and 5%) were prepared using the adsorption method, followed by in vitro characterization, including entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, particle size, and morphology. Subsequently, the influence of repeated freeze-thawing on the liposomes was investigated, and the effect of poloxamer 188 on the repeated freeze-thawing process was explored. Vascular stimulation effects of MLT, and MLT liposome that surface coated with or without poloxamer were all studied. Pharmacokinetics of the different MLT preparations were determined and the anticancer activity of the MLT formulations was investigated. The particle size of the liposomes gradually increased with increasing poloxamer 188 content, while the entrapment efficiency did not change significantly. After the first freeze-thaw cycle, size and PDI were both markedly reduced, entrapment efficiency rose, and there was no significant change of zeta potential. The vascular irritation caused by MLT could be reduced to an extent by encapsulation in liposome, but not completely eliminated, while liposomes coated with poloxamer 188 can effectively abolish the phenomenon. Melittin liposomes with surface modified by poloxamer exhibit enhanced bioavailability, effective anticancer activity, and reduced side effects compared with melittin solution. Poloxamer plays an important role in melittin liposomes.

Bromelain inhibits nuclear factor kappa-B translocation, driving human epidermoid carcinoma A431 and melanoma A375 cells through G(2)/M arrest to apoptosis.

PubMed

Bhui, Kulpreet; Tyagi, Shilpa; Srivastava, Amit Kumar; Singh, Madhulika; Roy, Preeti; Singh, Richa; Shukla, Yogeshwer

2012-03-01

Bromelain, obtained from pineapple, is already in use clinically as adjunct in chemotherapy. Our objective was to test its ability to act as a sole anti-cancer agent. Therefore, we describe its anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and subsequent anti-cancer effects in vitro, against human epidermoid carcinoma-A431 and melanoma-A375 cells. Bromelain exhibited reduction in proliferation of both these cell-lines and suppressed their potential for anchorage-independent growth. Further, suppression of inflammatory signaling by bromelain was evident by inhibition of Akt regulated-nuclear factor-kappaB activation via suppression of inhibitory-kappaBα phosphorylation and concomitant reduction in cyclooxygenase-2. Since, the inflammatory cascade is well-known to be closely allied to cancer; we studied the effect of bromelain on events/molecules central to it. Bromelain caused depletion of intracellular glutathione and generation of reactive oxygen-species followed by mitochondrial membrane depolarization. This led to bromelain-induced cell-cycle arrest at G(2)/M phase which was mediated by modulation of cyclin B1, phospho-cdc25C, Plk1, phospho-cdc2, and myt1. This was subsequently followed by induction of apoptosis, indicated by membrane-blebbing, modulation of Bax-Bcl-2 ratio, Apaf-1, caspase-9, and caspase-3; chromatin-condensation, increase in caspase-activity and DNA-fragmentation. Bromelain afforded substantial anti-cancer potential in these settings; hence we suggest it as a potential prospect for anti-cancer agent besides only an additive in chemotherapy. Copyright ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nanomelatonin triggers superior anticancer functionality in a human malignant glioblastoma cell line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Sanjeev Kumar; Srivastava, Anup Kumar; Dev, Atul; Kaundal, Babita; Choudhury, Subhasree Roy; Karmakar, Surajit

2017-09-01

Melatonin (MEL) has promising medicinal value as an anticancer agent in a variety of malignancies, but there are difficulties in achieving a therapeutic dose due to its short half-life, low bioavailability, poor solubility and extensive first-pass metabolism. In this study chitosan/tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanoparticles were prepared by an ionic gelation method to overcome the therapeutic challenges of melatonin and to improve its anticancer efficacy. Characterization of the melatonin-loaded chitosan (MEL-CS) nanoformulation was performed using transmission and scanning electron microscopies, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. In vitro release, cellular uptake and efficacy studies were tested for their enhanced anticancer potential in human U87MG glioblastoma cells. Confocal studies revealed higher cellular uptake of MEL-CS nanoparticles and enhanced anticancer efficacy in human malignant glioblastoma cancer cells than in healthy non-malignant human HEK293T cells in mono- and co-culture models. Our study has shown for the first time that MEL-CS nanocomposites are therapeutically more effective as compared to free MEL at inducing functional anticancer efficacy in the human brain tumour U87MG cell line.

Antidiabetic and anticancer activities of Mangifera indica cv. Okrong leaves

PubMed Central

Ganogpichayagrai, Aunyachulee; Palanuvej, Chanida; Ruangrungsi, Nijsiri

2017-01-01

Diabetes and cancer are a major global public health problem. Plant-derived agents with undesirable side-effects were required. This study aimed to evaluate antidiabetic and anticancer activities of the ethanolic leaf extract of Mangifera indica cv. Okrong and its active phytochemical compound, mangiferin. Antidiabetic activities against yeast α-glucosidase and rat intestinal α-glucosidase were determined using 1 mM of p-nitro phenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside as substrate. Inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic α-amylase was performed using 1 mM of 2-chloro-4 nitrophenol-α-D-maltotroside-3 as substrate. Nitrophenol product was spectrophotometrically measured at 405 nm. Anticancer activity was evaluated against five human cancer cell lines compared to two human normal cell lines using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Mango leaf extract and mangiferin exhibited dose-dependent inhibition against yeast α-glucosidase with the IC50 of 0.0503 and 0.5813 mg/ml, respectively, against rat α-glucosidase with the IC50 of 1.4528 and 0.4333 mg/ml, respectively, compared to acarbose with the IC50 of 11.9285 and 0.4493 mg/ml, respectively. For anticancer activity, mango leaf extract, at ≥200 μg/ml showed cytotoxic potential against all tested cancer cell lines. In conclusion, mango leaf possessed antidiabetic and anticancer potential in vitro. PMID:28217550

Anti-cancer activity of ZnO chips by sustained zinc ion release.

PubMed

Moon, Seong-Hee; Choi, Won Jin; Choi, Sik-Won; Kim, Eun Hye; Kim, Jiyeon; Lee, Jeong-O; Kim, Seong Hwan

2016-01-01

We report anti-cancer activity of ZnO thin-film-coated chips by sustained release of zinc ions. ZnO chips were fabricated by precisely tuning ZnO thickness using atomic layer deposition, and their potential to release zinc ions relative to the number of deposition cycles was evaluated. ZnO chips exhibited selective cytotoxicity in human B lymphocyte Raji cells while having no effect on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Of importance, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the ZnO chip on the viability of Raji cells was 121.5 cycles, which was comparable to 65.7 nM of daunorubicin, an anti-cancer drug for leukemia. Molecular analysis of cells treated with ZnO chips revealed that zinc ions released from the chips increased cellular levels of reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide, which led to the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic molecules (such as HIF-1α, survivin, cIAP-2, claspin, p-53, and XIAP) and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Because the anti-cancer activity of ZnO chips and the mode of action were comparable to those of daunorubicin, the development and optimization of ZnO chips that gradually release zinc ions might have clinical anti-cancer potential. A further understanding of the biological action of ZnO-related products is crucial for designing safe biomaterials with applications in disease treatment.

PRX1 knockdown potentiates vitamin K3 toxicity in cancer cells: a potential new therapeutic perspective for an old drug.

PubMed

He, Tiantian; Hatem, Elie; Vernis, Laurence; Lei, Ming; Huang, Meng-Er

2015-12-21

Many promising anticancer molecules are abandoned during the course from bench to bedside due to lack of clear-cut efficiency and/or severe side effects. Vitamin K3 (vitK3) is a synthetic naphthoquinone exhibiting significant in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity against multiple human cancers, and has therapeutic potential when combined with other anticancer molecules. The major mechanism for the anticancer activity of vitK3 is the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). We thus reasoned that a rational redox modulation of cancer cells could enhance vitK3 anticancer efficiency. Cancer cell lines with peroxiredoxin 1 (PRX1) gene transiently or stably knocked-down and corresponding controls were exposed to vitK3 as well as a set of anticancer molecules, including vinblastine, taxol, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, actinomycin D and 5-fluorouracil. Cytotoxic effects and cell death events were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)-based assay, cell clonogenic assay, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential and annexin V/propidium iodide double staining. Global ROS accumulation and compartment-specific H2O2 generation were determined respectively by a redox-sensitive chemical probe and H2O2-sensitive sensor HyPer. Oxidation of endogenous antioxidant proteins including TRX1, TRX2 and PRX3 was monitored by redox western blot. We observed that the PRX1 knockdown in HeLa and A549 cells conferred enhanced sensitivity to vitK3, reducing substantially the necessary doses to kill cancer cells. The same conditions (combination of vitK3 and PRX1 knockdown) caused little cytotoxicity in non-cancerous cells, suggesting a cancer-cell-selective property. Increased ROS accumulation had a crucial role in vitK3-induced cell death in PRX1 knockdown cells. The use of H2O2-specific sensors HyPer revealed that vitK3 lead to immediate accumulation of H2O2 in the cytosol, nucleus, and mitochondrial matrix. PRX1 silencing significantly up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2, which was partially responsible for vitK3-induced ROS accumulation and consequent cell death. Our data suggest that PRX1 inactivation could represent an interesting strategy to enhance cancer cell sensitivity to vitK3, providing a potential new therapeutic perspective for this old molecule. Conceptually, a combination of drugs that modulate intracellular redox states and drugs that operate through the generation of ROS could be a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Supercritical carbon dioxide-developed silk fibroin nanoplatform for smart colon cancer therapy.

PubMed

Xie, Maobin; Fan, Dejun; Li, Yi; He, Xiaowen; Chen, Xiaoming; Chen, Yufeng; Zhu, Jixiang; Xu, Guibin; Wu, Xiaojian; Lan, Ping

2017-01-01

To deliver insoluble natural compounds into colon cancer cells in a controlled fashion. Curcumin (CM)-silk fibroin (SF) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO 2 (SEDS) (20 MPa pressure, 1:2 CM:SF ratio, 1% concentration), and their physicochemical properties, intracellular uptake efficiency, in vitro anticancer effect, toxicity, and mechanisms were evaluated and analyzed. CM-SF NPs (<100 nm) with controllable particle size were prepared by SEDS. CM-SF NPs had a time-dependent intracellular uptake ability, which led to an improved inhibition effect on colon cancer cells. Interestingly, the anticancer effect of CM-SF NPs was improved, while the side effect on normal human colon mucosal epithelial cells was reduced by a concentration of ~10 μg/mL. The anticancer mechanism involves cell-cycle arrest in the G 0 /G 1 and G 2 /M phases in association with inducing apoptotic cells. The natural compound-loaded SF nanoplatform prepared by SEDS indicates promising colon cancer-therapy potential.

Tannic acid ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiates its anti-cancer activity: Potential role of tannins in cancer chemotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tikoo, Kulbhushan, E-mail: tikoo.k@gmail.com; Sane, Mukta Subhash; Gupta, Chanchal

2011-03-15

Doxorubicin, an anthracycline antibiotic, is widely used in the treatment of various solid tumors including breast cancer. However, its use is limited due to a variety of toxicities including cardiotoxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of tannic acid, a PARG/PARP inhibitor and an antioxidant, on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in H9c2 embryonic rat heart myoblasts and its anti-cancer activity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells as well as in DMBA-induced mammary tumor animals. Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity was assessed by measurement of heart weight, plasma LDH level and histopathology. Bcl-2, Bax, PARP-1 and p53 expression were examined by western blotting. Ourmore » results show that tannic acid prevents activation of PARP-1, reduces Bax and increases Bcl-2 expression in H9c2 cells, thus, preventing doxorubicin-induced cell death. Further, it reduces the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, increases p53 expression in mammary tumors and shows maximum tumor volume reduction, suggesting that tannic acid potentiates the anti-cancer activity of doxorubicin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which shows that tannic acid ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiates its anti-cancer activity both in vitro (H9c2 and MDA-MB-231 cells) as well as in in vivo model of DMBA-induced mammary tumor animals.« less

Erlotinib augmentation with dapsone for rash mitigation and increased anti-cancer effectiveness.

PubMed

Kast, R E

2015-01-01

The epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib has failed in many ways to be as potent in the anti-cancer role as pre-clinical studies would have suggested. This paper traces some aspects of this failure to a compensatory erlotinib-mediated increase in interleukin-8. Many other-but not all- cancer chemotherapeutic cytotoxic drugs also provoke a compensatory increase in a malignant clone's interleukin-8 synthesis. Untreated glioblastoma and other cancer cells themselves natively synthesize interleukin-8. Interleukin-8 has tumor growth promoting, mobility and metastasis formation enhancing, effects as well as pro-angiogenesis effects. The old sulfone antibiotic dapsone- one of the very first antibiotics in clinical use- has demonstrated several interleukin-8 system inhibiting actions. Review of these indicates dapsone has potential to augment erlotinib effectiveness. Erlotinib typically gives a rash that has recently been proven to come about via an erlotinib triggered up-regulated keratinocyte interleukin-8 synthesis. The erlotinib rash shares histological features reminiscent of typical neutrophilic dermatoses. Dapsone has an established therapeutic role in current treatment of other neutrophilic dermatoses. Thus, dapsone has potential to both improve the quality of life in erlotinib treated patients by amelioration of rash as well as to short-circuit a growth-enhancing aspect of erlotinib when used in the anti-cancer role.

Superior anticancer efficacy of curcumin-loaded nanoparticles against lung cancer.

PubMed

Yin, Haitao; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Baorui

2013-08-01

Curcumin (CM) has anticancer potential for several cancers and blocks several steps in the carcinogenesis process. However, the clinical application of CM is greatly limited due to its low effects in vivo resulted from its poor solubility and pharmacokinetics. This raises the possibility of taking CM as a novel model drug in a new nanoparticle-based delivery system. In this study, CM-loaded nanoparticles were prepared from three kinds of amphilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)-polycaprolactone (PCL) block copolymers. It was noted that CM-loaded nanoparticles prepared from mPEG10k-PCL30k showed not only the highest loading efficiency, but also the most sustained release pattern. In vitro studies showed that CM was effectively transported into A549 cells by nanoparticles and localized around the nuclei in the cytoplasm. In addition, the cytotoxicity of CM-loaded nanoparticles with mEPG10k-PCL30k as a drug carrier was in a dose- and time-dependent manner in A549 cells. Further apoptotic staining results demonstrated the superior pro-apoptotic effect of CM-loaded nanoparticles over free drug. Data in this study not only confirmed the potential of CM in treating lung cancer, but also offered an effective way to improve the anticancer efficiency of CM through the nano-drug delivery system.

Autumn Royal and Ribier Grape Juice Extracts Reduced Viability and Metastatic Potential of Colon Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Valenzuela, Manuel; Bastias, Lorena; Montenegro, Iván; Werner, Enrique; Madrid, Alejandro; Godoy, Patricio; Párraga, Mario; Villena, Joan

2018-01-01

Antioxidants are known to be beneficial to health. This paper evaluates the potential chemopreventive and anticancer properties of phenolic compounds present in grape juice extracts (GJE) from Autumn Royal and Ribier varieties. The effects of these GJE on viability (SRB day assay) and metastatic potential (migration and invasion parameters) of colon cancer cell lines HT-29 and SW-480 were evaluated. The effects of GJE on two matrix metalloproteinase gene expressions (MMP2 and MMP9) were also evaluated via qRT-PCR. In the former, GJE reduced cell viability in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. GJE treatment also reduced cell migration and invasion. Moreover, MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression diminished depending on extract and on cell type. Conclusions . These results provide novel information concerning anticancer properties of selected GJE by revealing selective cytotoxicity and the ability to reduce invasiveness of colon cancer cells.

Autumn Royal and Ribier Grape Juice Extracts Reduced Viability and Metastatic Potential of Colon Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Valenzuela, Manuel; Bastias, Lorena; Montenegro, Iván; Werner, Enrique; Madrid, Alejandro; Godoy, Patricio

2018-01-01

Antioxidants are known to be beneficial to health. This paper evaluates the potential chemopreventive and anticancer properties of phenolic compounds present in grape juice extracts (GJE) from Autumn Royal and Ribier varieties. The effects of these GJE on viability (SRB day assay) and metastatic potential (migration and invasion parameters) of colon cancer cell lines HT-29 and SW-480 were evaluated. The effects of GJE on two matrix metalloproteinase gene expressions (MMP2 and MMP9) were also evaluated via qRT-PCR. In the former, GJE reduced cell viability in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. GJE treatment also reduced cell migration and invasion. Moreover, MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression diminished depending on extract and on cell type. Conclusions. These results provide novel information concerning anticancer properties of selected GJE by revealing selective cytotoxicity and the ability to reduce invasiveness of colon cancer cells. PMID:29552079

Shikonin and its derivatives: a patent review.

PubMed

Wang, Rubing; Yin, Runting; Zhou, Wen; Xu, Defeng; Li, Shaoshun

2012-09-01

Shikonin and its derivatives are the main components of red pigment extracts from Lithospermum erythrorhizon, whose medicinal properties have been confirmed for a long history, and have aroused great interest as the hallmark molecules responsible for their significant biological activities, especially for their striking anticancer effects. Areas covered in this paper include a review of the total synthesis, biological effects and mechanisms of shikonin and its derivatives for their anticancer activities in the past decade, basing on literature and patents. The current state and problems are also discussed. At present, screening for anticancer shikonin derivatives is based on cellular level to find compounds with stronger cytotoxicity. Though several compounds have been discovered with striking cytotoxicity in vitro, however, no selectivity was observed and undoubtedly, the further outcomes have been disappointing because of their great damage to normal cells. Meanwhile, the presumed mechanisms of action are also established in terms of their cytotoxicity. From a pharmacological point of view, most of the shikonin derivatives are at an early stage of their development, and thus it is difficult to determine the exact effectiveness in cancer treatment. With research in this field going deeper, it can be expected that, despite the difficulties, shikonin derivatives as potential anticancer agents will soon follow.

A New Method Without Organic Solvent to Targeted Nanodrug for Enhanced Anticancer Efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shichao; Yang, Xiangrui; Zou, Mingyuan; Hou, Zhenqing; Yan, Jianghua

2017-06-01

Since the hydrophobic group is always essential to the synthesis of the drug-loaded nanoparticles, a majority of the methods rely heavily on organic solvent, which may not be completely removed and might be a potential threat to the patients. In this study, we completely "green" synthesized 10-hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT) loaded, folate (FA)-modified nanoneedles (HFNDs) for highly efficient cancer therapy with high drug loading, targeting property, and imaging capability. It should be noted that no organic solvent was used in the preparation process. In vitro cell uptake study and the in vivo distribution study showed that the HFNDs, with FA on the surface, revealed an obviously targeting property and entered the HeLa cells easier than the chitosan-HCPT nanoneedles without FA modified (NDs). The cytotoxicity tests illustrated that the HFNDs possessed better killing ability to HeLa cells than the individual drug or the NDs in the same dose, indicating its good anticancer effect. The in vivo anticancer experiment further revealed the pronounced anticancer effects and the lower side effects of the HFNDs. This new method without organic solvent will lead to a promising sustained drug delivery system for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Design, synthesis and characterization of novel quinacrine analogs that preferentially kill cancer over non-cancer cells through the down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax and Bad.

PubMed

Solomon, V Raja; Almnayan, Danah; Lee, Hoyun

2017-09-08

Both quinacrine, which contains a 9-aminoacridine scaffold, and thiazolidin-4-one are promising anticancer leads. In an attempt to develop effective and potentially safe anticancer agents, we synthesized 23 novel hybrid compounds by linking the main structural unit of the 9-aminoacridine ring with the thiazolidin-4-one ring system, followed by examination of their anticancer effects against three human breast tumor cell lines and matching non-cancer cells. Most of the hybrid compounds showed good activities, and many of them possessed the preferential killing property against cancer over non-cancer cells. In particular, 3-[3-(6-chloro-2-methoxy-acridin-9-ylamino)-propyl]-2-(2,6-difluoro-phenyl)-thiazolidin-4-one (11; VR118) effectively killed/inhibited proliferation of cancer cells at IC 50 values in the range of 1.2-2.4 μM. Furthermore, unlike quinacrine or cisplatin, compound 11 showed strong selectivity for cancer cell killing, as it could kill cancer cells 7.6-fold (MDA-MB231 vs MCF10A) to 14.7-fold (MCF7 vs MCF10A) more effectively than matching non-cancer cells. Data from flow cytometry, TUNEL and Western blot assays showed that compound 11 kills cancer cells by apoptosis through the down-regulation of Bcl-2 (but not Bcl-X L ) survival protein and up-regulation of Bad and Bax pro-apoptotic proteins. Thus, compound 11 is a highly promising lead for an effective and potentially anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Metformin Treatment Inhibits Motility and Invasion of Glioblastoma Cancer Cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al Hassan, Marwa; Fakhoury, Isabelle; El Masri, Zeinab

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common and deadliest cancers of the central nervous system (CNS). GBMs high ability to infiltrate healthy brain tissues makes it difficult to remove surgically and account for its fatal outcomes. To improve the chances of survival, it is critical to screen for GBM-targeted anticancer agents with anti-invasive and antimigratory potential. Metformin, a commonly used drug for the treatment of diabetes, has recently emerged as a promising anticancer molecule. This prompted us, to investigate the anticancer potential of metformin against GBMs, specifically its effects on cell motility and invasion. The results show amore » significant decrease in the survival of SF268 cancer cells in response to treatment with metformin. Furthermore, metformin’s efficiency in inhibiting 2D cell motility and cell invasion in addition to increasing cellular adhesion was also demonstrated in SF268 and U87 cells. Finally, AKT inactivation by downregulation of the phosphorylation level upon metformin treatment was also evidenced. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the anti-invasive antimetastatic potential of metformin as well as its underlying mechanism of action.« less

Metformin Treatment Inhibits Motility and Invasion of Glioblastoma Cancer Cells

DOE PAGES

Al Hassan, Marwa; Fakhoury, Isabelle; El Masri, Zeinab; ...

2018-06-26

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common and deadliest cancers of the central nervous system (CNS). GBMs high ability to infiltrate healthy brain tissues makes it difficult to remove surgically and account for its fatal outcomes. To improve the chances of survival, it is critical to screen for GBM-targeted anticancer agents with anti-invasive and antimigratory potential. Metformin, a commonly used drug for the treatment of diabetes, has recently emerged as a promising anticancer molecule. This prompted us, to investigate the anticancer potential of metformin against GBMs, specifically its effects on cell motility and invasion. The results show amore » significant decrease in the survival of SF268 cancer cells in response to treatment with metformin. Furthermore, metformin’s efficiency in inhibiting 2D cell motility and cell invasion in addition to increasing cellular adhesion was also demonstrated in SF268 and U87 cells. Finally, AKT inactivation by downregulation of the phosphorylation level upon metformin treatment was also evidenced. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the anti-invasive antimetastatic potential of metformin as well as its underlying mechanism of action.« less

Synthesis and mechanistic studies of curcumin analog-based oximes as potential anticancer agents.

PubMed

Qin, Hua-Li; Leng, Jing; Youssif, Bahaa G M; Amjad, Muhammad Wahab; Raja, Maria Abdul Ghafoor; Hussain, Muhammad Ajaz; Hussain, Zahid; Kazmi, Syeda Naveed; Bukhari, Syed Nasir Abbas

2017-09-01

The incidence of cancer can be decreased by chemoprevention using either natural or synthetic agents. Apart from synthetic compounds, numerous natural products have exhibited promising potential to inhibit carcinogenesis in vivo. In this study, α, β-unsaturated carbonyl-based anticancer compounds were used as starting materials to synthesize new oxime analogs. The findings from the antiproliferative assay using seven different human cancer cell lines provided a clear picture of structure-activity relationship. The oxime analogs namely 7a and 8a showed strong antiproliferative activity against the cell lines. The mechanistic effects of compounds on EGFR-TK kinases and tubulin polymerization and BRAF V 600E were investigated. In addition, the efficacy of compounds in reversing the efflux-mediated resistance developed by cancer cells was also studied. The compounds 5a and 6a displayed potent activity on various targets such as BRAF V 600E and EGFR-TK kinases and also exhibited strong antiproliferative activity against different cell lines hence showing potential of multifunctional anticancer agents. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Anticancer Properties of PPARα-Effects on Cellular Metabolism and Inflammation

PubMed Central

Grabacka, Maja; Reiss, Krzysztof

2008-01-01

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have lately attracted much attention as therapeutic targets. Previously, PPAR ligands were associated with the treatment of diabetes, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases, as they modulate the expression of genes regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. Recently, PPAR ligands have been also considered as potential anticancer agents, with relatively low systemic toxicity. The emerging evidence for antiproliferative, proapoptotic, antiinflammatory and potential antimetastatic properties of PPARα ligands prompted us to discuss possible roles of PPARα in tumor suppression. PPARα activation can target cancer cells energy balance by blocking fatty acid synthesis and by promoting fatty acid β-oxidation. In the state of limited nutrient availability, frequently presents in the tumor microenvironment, PPARα cooperates with AMP-dependent protein kinase in: (i) repressing oncogenic Akt activity, (ii) inhibiting cell proliferation, and (iii) forcing glycolysis-dependent cancer cells into “metabolic catastrophe.” Other potential anticancer effects of PPARα include suppression of inflammation, and upregulation of uncoupling proteins (UCPs), which attenuates mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and cell proliferation. In conclusion, there are strong premises that the low-toxic and well-tolerated PPAR ligands should be considered as new therapeutic agents to fight disseminating cancer, which represents the major challenge for modern medicine and basic research. PMID:18509489

Tricaproin Isolated From Simarouba glauca Inhibits the Growth of Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Lines by Targeting Class-1 Histone Deacetylases

PubMed Central

Jose, Asha; Chaitanya, Motamari V. N. L.; Kannan, Elango; Madhunapantula, SubbaRao V.

2018-01-01

While anticancer properties of Simarouba glauca (SG, commonly known as Paradise tree) are well documented in ancient literature, the underlying mechanisms leading to cancer cell death begin to emerge very recently. The leaves of SG have been used as potential source of anticancer agents in traditional medicine. Recently attempts have been made to isolate anticancer agents from the leaves of SG using solvent extraction, which identified quassinoids as the molecules with tumoricidal activity. However, it is not known whether the anti-cancer potential of SG leaves is just because of quassinoids alone or any other phytochemicals also contribute for the potency of SG leaf extracts. Therefore, SG leaves were first extracted with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, 70% ethanol, water and anti-cancer potential (for inhibiting colorectal cancer (CRC) cells HCT-116 and HCT-15 proliferation) determined using Sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay. The chloroform fraction with maximal anticancer activity was further fractionated by activity-guided isolation procedure and structure of the most potent compound determined using spectral analysis. Analysis of the structural characterization data showed the presence of tricaproin (TCN). TCN inhibited CRC cells growth in a time- and dose dependent manner but not the normal cell line BEAS-2B. Mechanistically, TCN reduced oncogenic Class-I Histone deacetylases (HDACs) activity, followed by inducing apoptosis in cells. In conclusion, the anti-cancer potential of SG is in part due to the presence of TCN in the leaves. PMID:29593526

Synergistic effect of PEGylated resveratrol on delivery of anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Wang, Wenlong; Zhang, Liang; Le, Yuan; Chen, Jian-Feng; Wang, Jiexin; Yun, Jimmy

2016-02-10

Resveratrol (RES) is a natural polyphenol which can be considered as a nutraceutical because of its benefits such as anticancer and antioxidant activity. In this paper, we designed polymer-RES conjugates as anticancer drug carrier for synergistic therapeutic effect in cancer treatment. Bicalutamide (BIC) was used as a model drug to investigate the drug release behaviors and in vitro anticancer performance. PEG-RES and PEG-Glycine-RES nanoparticles were prepared and characterized. The size of the prepared particles was around 50 nm with RES content of 17.2 and 16.3 wt% for PEG-RES and PEG-Glycine-RES, respectively, and BIC loading efficiency were of 81.6% and 84.5%, separately. Release rate of RES from conjugates depended on the stability of ester group against hydrolysis. BIC release was much faster than RES release. The anticancer activity of BIC loaded PEGylated RES nanoparticles was much better than that of free BIC, indicating the conjugates provided a synergetic cytotoxicity to cancer cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy observation and flow cytometry analyses indicated that PEGylated RES conjugates were more efficiently internalized into cells, released drug into cytoplasm. These results suggest that PEGylated RES conjugates show great potential for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The amplification effect of functionalized gold nanoparticles on the binding of anticancer drug dacarbazine to DNA and DNA bases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Qin; Wang, Xuemei; Fu, Degang

2008-11-01

The promising application of functionalized gold nanoparticles to amplify the performance of biosensors and relevant biomolecular recognition processes has been explored in this paper. Our observations illustrate the apparent enhancement effect of the gold nanoparticles on the electrochemical response of the anticancer drug dacarbazine (DTIC) binding to DNA and DNA bases, indicating that these functionalized gold nanoparticles could readily facilitate the specific interactions between DTIC and DNA/DNA bases. This raises the potential valuable applications of these biocompatible nanoparticles in the promising biosensors and biomedical engineering.

Potential Compounds for Oral Cancer Treatment: Resveratrol, Nimbolide, Lovastatin, Bortezomib, Vorinostat, Berberine, Pterostilbene, Deguelin, Andrographolide, and Colchicine

PubMed Central

Bundela, Saurabh; Sharma, Anjana; Bisen, Prakash S.

2015-01-01

Oral cancer is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths in South-Asian countries. There are very limited treatment options available for oral cancer. Research endeavors focused on discovery and development of novel therapies for oral cancer, is necessary to control the ever rising oral cancer related mortalities. We mined the large pool of compounds from the publicly available compound databases, to identify potential therapeutic compounds for oral cancer. Over 84 million compounds were screened for the possible anti-cancer activity by custom build SVM classifier. The molecular targets of the predicted anti-cancer compounds were mined from reliable sources like experimental bioassays studies associated with the compound, and from protein-compound interaction databases. Therapeutic compounds from DrugBank, and a list of natural anti-cancer compounds derived from literature mining of published studies, were used for building partial least squares regression model. The regression model thus built, was used for the estimation of oral cancer specific weights based on the molecular targets. These weights were used to compute scores for screening the predicted anti-cancer compounds for their potential to treat oral cancer. The list of potential compounds was annotated with corresponding physicochemical properties, cancer specific bioactivity evidences, and literature evidences. In all, 288 compounds with the potential to treat oral cancer were identified in the current study. The majority of the compounds in this list are natural products, which are well-tolerated and have minimal side-effects compared to the synthetic counterparts. Some of the potential therapeutic compounds identified in the current study are resveratrol, nimbolide, lovastatin, bortezomib, vorinostat, berberine, pterostilbene, deguelin, andrographolide, and colchicine. PMID:26536350

Lipoic Acid Decreases the Viability of Breast Cancer Cells and Activity of PTP1B and SHP2.

PubMed

Kuban-Jankowska, Alicja; Gorska-Ponikowska, Magdalena; Wozniak, Michal

2017-06-01

Protein tyrosine phosphatases PTP1B and SHP2 are potential targets for anticancer therapy, because of the essential role they play in the development of tumors. PTP1B and SHP2 are overexpressed in breast cancer cells, thus inhibition of their activity can be potentially effective in breast cancer therapy. Lipoic acid has been previously reported to inhibit the proliferation of colon, breast and thyroid cancer cells. We investigated the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and its reduced form of dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) on the viability of MCF-7 cancer cells and on the enzymatic activity of PTP1B and SHP2 phosphatases. ALA and DHLA decrease the activity of PTP1B and SHP2, and have inhibitory effects on the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells. ALA and DHLA can be considered as potential agents for the adjunctive treatment of breast cancer. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Role of Dopamine Receptors in the Anticancer Activity of ONC201.

PubMed

Kline, Christina Leah B; Ralff, Marie D; Lulla, Amriti R; Wagner, Jessica M; Abbosh, Phillip H; Dicker, David T; Allen, Joshua E; El-Deiry, Wafik S

2018-01-01

ONC201/TIC10 is a first-in-class small molecule inducer of TRAIL that causes early activation of the integrated stress response. Its promising safety profile and broad-spectrum efficacy in vitro have been confirmed in Phase I/II trials in several advanced malignancies. Binding and reporter assays have shown that ONC201 is a selective antagonist of the dopamine D2-like receptors, specifically, DRD2 and DRD3. We hypothesized that ONC201's interaction with DRD2 plays a role in ONC201's anticancer effects. Using cBioportal and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses, we confirmed that DRD2 is expressed in different cancer cell types in a cell type-specific manner. On the other hand, DRD3 was generally not detectable. Overexpressing DRD2 in cells with low DRD2 levels increased ONC201-induced PARP cleavage, which was preceded and correlated with an increase in ONC201-induced CHOP mRNA expression. On the other hand, knocking out DRD2 using CRISPR/Cas9 in three cancer cell lines was not sufficient to abrogate ONC201's anticancer effects. Although ONC201's anticancer activity was not dependent on DRD2 expression in the cancer cell types tested, we assessed the cytotoxic potential of DRD2 blockade. Transient DRD2 knockdown in HCT116 cells activated the integrated stress response and reduced cell number. Pharmacological antagonism of DRD2 significantly reduced cell viability. Thus, we demonstrate in this study that disrupting dopamine receptor expression and activity can have cytotoxic effects that may at least be in part due to the activation of the integrated stress response. On the other hand, ONC201's anticancer activity goes beyond its ability to antagonize DRD2, potentially due to ONC201's ability to activate other pathways that are independent of DRD2. Nevertheless, blocking the dopamine D1-like receptor DRD5 via siRNA or the use of a pharmacological antagonist promoted ONC201-induced anticancer activity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial, Anticancer and Neuroprotective Activities of Rare Actinobacteria from Mangrove Forest Soils.

PubMed

Azman, Adzzie-Shazleen; Othman, Iekhsan; Fang, Chee-Mun; Chan, Kok-Gan; Goh, Bey-Hing; Lee, Learn-Han

2017-06-01

Mangrove is a complex ecosystem that contains diverse microbial communities, including rare actinobacteria with great potential to produce bioactive compounds. To date, bioactive compounds extracted from mangrove rare actinobacteria have demonstrated diverse biological activities. The discovery of three novel rare actinobacteria by polyphasic approach, namely Microbacterium mangrovi MUSC 115 T , Sinomonas humi MUSC 117 T and Monashia flava MUSC 78 T from mangrove soils at Tanjung Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia have led to the screening on antibacterial, anticancer and neuroprotective activities. A total of ten different panels of bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300, ATCC 70069, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NRBC 112582 and others were selected for antibacterial screening. Three different neuroprotective models (hypoxia, oxidative stress, dementia) were done using SHSY5Y neuronal cells while two human cancer cells lines, namely human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29) and human cervical carcinoma cell lines (Ca Ski) were utilized for anticancer activity. The result revealed that all extracts exhibited bacteriostatic effects on the bacteria tested. On the other hand, the neuroprotective studies demonstrated M. mangrovi MUSC 115 T extract exhibited significant neuroprotective properties in oxidative stress and dementia model while the extract of strain M. flava MUSC 78 T was able to protect the SHSY5Y neuronal cells in hypoxia model. Furthermore, the extracts of M. mangrovi MUSC 115 T and M. flava MUSC 78 T exhibited anticancer effect against Ca Ski cell line. The chemical analysis of the extracts through GC-MS revealed that the majority of the compounds present in all extracts are heterocyclic organic compound that could explain for the observed bioactivities. Therefore, the results obtained in this study suggested that rare actinobacteria discovered from mangrove environment could be potential sources of antibacterial, anticancer and neuroprotective agents.

Anticancer Activity of Bacterial Proteins and Peptides.

PubMed

Karpiński, Tomasz M; Adamczak, Artur

2018-04-30

Despite much progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, tumour diseases constitute one of the main reasons of deaths worldwide. The side effects of chemotherapy and drug resistance of some cancer types belong to the significant current therapeutic problems. Hence, searching for new anticancer substances and medicines are very important. Among them, bacterial proteins and peptides are a promising group of bioactive compounds and potential anticancer drugs. Some of them, including anticancer antibiotics (actinomycin D, bleomycin, doxorubicin, mitomycin C) and diphtheria toxin, are already used in the cancer treatment, while other substances are in clinical trials (e.g., p28, arginine deiminase ADI) or tested in in vitro research. This review shows the current literature data regarding the anticancer activity of proteins and peptides originated from bacteria: antibiotics, bacteriocins, enzymes, nonribosomal peptides (NRPs), toxins and others such as azurin, p28, Entap and Pep27anal2. The special attention was paid to the still poorly understood active substances obtained from the marine sediment bacteria. In total, 37 chemical compounds or groups of compounds with antitumor properties have been described in the present article.

Self-Assembled Nanocarriers Based on Amphiphilic Natural Polymers for Anti- Cancer Drug Delivery Applications.

PubMed

Sabra, Sally; Abdelmoneem, Mona; Abdelwakil, Mahmoud; Mabrouk, Moustafa Taha; Anwar, Doaa; Mohamed, Rania; Khattab, Sherine; Bekhit, Adnan; Elkhodairy, Kadria; Freag, May; Elzoghby, Ahmed

2017-01-01

Micellization provides numerous merits for the delivery of water insoluble anti-cancer therapeutic agents including a nanosized 'core-shell' drug delivery system. Recently, hydrophobically-modified polysaccharides and proteins are attracting much attention as micelle forming polymers to entrap poorly soluble anti-cancer drugs. By virtue of their small size, the self-assembled micelles can passively target tumor tissues via enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR). Moreover, the amphiphilic micelles can be exploited for active-targeted drug delivery by attaching specific targeting ligands to the outer micellar hydrophilic surface. Here, we review the conjugation techniques, drug loading methods, physicochemical characteristics of the most important amphiphilic polysaccharides and proteins used as anti-cancer drug delivery systems. Attention focuses on the mechanisms of tumor-targeting and enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of the encapsulated drugs. This review will highlight the remarkable advances of hydrophobized polysaccharide and protein micelles and their potential applications as anti-cancer drug delivery nanosystems. Micellar nanocarriers fabricated from amphiphilic natural polymers hold great promise as vehicles for anti-cancer drugs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Metal Occupancy of Zinc Finger Motifs as Determinants for Zn2+-Mediated Chemosensitization of Prostate Cancer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

leukemia (AML) and glioblastoma ( GBM ). Our laboratory is interested in the potential of F10 for improved treatment of prostate cancer based upon...displays strong anti-cancer activity and minimal systemic toxicity in pre-clinical models of AML and GBM and that in previous studies demonstrated...of the low toxicity and strong anti-cancer activity of F10 in animal models of AML and GBM this combination is likely to be effective and well

Biological evaluation of indolizine-chalcone hybrids as new anticancer agents.

PubMed

Park, Sujin; Kim, Eun Hye; Kim, Jinwoo; Kim, Seong Hwan; Kim, Ikyon

2018-01-20

A new chemical space was explored based on an indolizine-chalcone hybrid, which was readily accessible by base-mediated aldol condensation of indolizine bearing a 7-acetyl group with various (hetero)aromatic aldehydes. Their anticancer effect was evaluated, revealing that indolizine-chalcone hybrids with 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl group (4h) or the halogen at the meta position (4j and 4l) could have the potential to induce the caspase-dependent apoptosis of human lymphoma cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of Triazole Derivatives of Levoglucosenone As Promising Anticancer Agents: Effective Exploration of the Chemical Space through retro-aza-Michael//aza-Michael Isomerizations.

PubMed

Tsai, Yi-Hsuan; Borini Etichetti, Carla M; Di Benedetto, Carolina; Girardini, Javier E; Martins, Felipe Terra; Spanevello, Rolando A; Suárez, Alejandra G; Sarotti, Ariel M

2018-04-06

The design and synthesis of biomass-derived triazoles and the in vitro evaluation as potential anticancer agents are described. The discovery of base-catalyzed retro-aza-Michael//aza-Michael isomerizations allowed the exploration of the chemical space by affording novel types of triazoles, difficult to obtain otherwise. Following this strategy, 2,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles could be efficiently obtained from the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted analogues.

p53-Mdm2 interaction inhibitors as novel nongenotoxic anticancer agents.

PubMed

Nayak, Surendra Kumar; Khatik, Gopal L; Narang, Rakesh; Monga, Vikramdeep; Chopra, Harish Kumar

2017-06-23

Cancer is a major global health problem with high mortality rate. Most of clinically used anticancer agents induce apoptosis through genotoxic stress at various stages of cell cycle and activation of p53. Acting as a tumor suppressor p53 plays a vital role in preventing tumor development. Tumor suppressor function of p53 is effectively antagonized by its direct interaction with murine double minute 2 (Mdm2) proteins via multiple mechanisms. Thus, p53-Mdm2 interaction has been found to be an important target for the development of novel anticancer agents. Currently, nutlin, spirooxindole, isoquilinone and piperidinone analogues inhibiting p53-Mdm2 interaction are found to be promising in the treatment of cancer. The current review focused to scrutinize the structural aspects of p53-Mdm2 interaction inhibitors. The present study provides a detailed collection of published information on different classes of inhibitors of p53-Mdm2 interaction as potential anticancer agents. The review highlighted the structural aspects of various reported p53-Mdm2 inhibitor for optimization. In the last few years, different classes of inhibitors of p53-Mdm2 have been designed and developed, and seven such compounds are being evaluated in clinical trials as new anticancer drugs. Further, to explore the role of p53 protein as a potential target for anticancer drug development, in this review, the mechanism of Mdm2 mediated inactivation of p53 and recent developments on p53-Mdm2 interactions inhibitors are discussed. Agents designed to block the p53-Mdm2 interaction may have a therapeutic potential for treatment of a subset of human cancers retaining wild-type p53. We review herein the recent advances in the design and development of potent small molecules as p53-Mdm2 inhibitors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Synthesis and characterization of novel P(HEMA-LA-MADQUAT) micelles for co-delivery of methotrexate and Chrysin in combination cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Davaran, Soodabeh; Fazeli, Hamed; Ghamkhari, Aliyeh; Rahimi, Fariborz; Molavi, Ommoleila; Anzabi, Maryam; Salehi, Roya

2018-08-01

A Novel poly [2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-Lactide-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate quaternary ammonium alkyl halide] [P(HEMA-LA-MADQUAT)] copolymer was synthesized through combination of ring opening polymerization (ROP) and 'free' radical initiated polymerization methods. This newly developed copolymer was fully characterized by FT-IR, 1 HNMR and 13 CNMR spectroscopy. Micellization of the copolymer was performed by dialysis membrane method and obtained micelles were characterized by FESEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ξ), and critical micelle concentration (CMC) measurements. This copolymer was developed with the aim of co-delivering two different anticancer drugs: methotrexate (MTX) and chrysin. In vitro cytotoxicity effect of MTX@Chrysin-loaded P(HEMA-LA-MADQUAT) was also studied through assessing the survival rate of breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and DAPI staining assays. Cationic micelle (and surface charge of + 7.6) with spherical morphology and an average diameter of 55 nm and CMC of 0.023 gL -1 was successfully obtained. Micelles showed the drug loaded capacity around 87.6 and 86.5% for MTX and Chrysin, respectively. The cytotoxicity assay of a drug-free nanocarrier on MCF-7 cell lines indicated that this developed micelles were suitable nanocarriers for anticancer drugs. Furthermore, the MTX@Chrysin-loaded micelle had more efficient anticancer performance than free dual anticancer drugs (MTX @ chrysin), confirmed by MTT assay and DAPI stainingmethods. Therefore, we envision that this recently developed novel micelle can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents, MTX and Chrysin, combination chemotherapy and has the potential to be used as an anticancer drug delivery system for in vivo studies. Therefore, this recently developed novel micelle can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents, MTX and Chrysin, combination chemotherapy and has the potential to be used as an anticancer drug delivery system for in vivo studies.

Lentiviral Delivery of HIV-1 Vpr Protein Induces Apoptosis in Transformed Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sheila A.; Poon, Betty; Jowett, Jeremy B. M.; Xie, Yiming; Chen, Irvin S. Y.

1999-10-01

Most current anticancer therapies act by inducing tumor cell stasis followed by apoptosis. HIV-1 Vpr effectively induces apoptosis of T cells after arrest of cells at a G2/M checkpoint. Here, we investigated whether this property of Vpr could be exploited for use as a potential anticancer agent. As a potentially safer alternative to transfer of genes encoding Vpr, we developed a method to efficiently introduce Vpr protein directly into cells. Vpr packaged into HIV-1 virions lacking a genome induced efficient cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Introduction of Vpr into tumor cell lines of various tissue origin, including those bearing predisposing mutations in p53, XPA, and hMLH1, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with high efficiency. Significantly, apoptosis mediated by virion-associated Vpr was more effective on rapidly dividing cells compared with slow-growing cells, thus, in concept, providing a potential differential effect between some types of tumor cells and surrounding normal cells. This model system provides a rationale and proof of concept for the development of potential cancer therapeutic agents based on the growth-arresting and apoptotic properties of Vpr.

Identification of small molecule Hes1 modulators as potential anticancer chemotherapeutics.

PubMed

Sail, Vibhavari; Hadden, M Kyle

2013-03-01

Hes1 is a key transcriptional regulator primarily controlled by the Notch signaling pathway, and recent studies have demonstrated both an oncogenic and tumor suppressor role for Hes1, depending on the cell type. Small molecules that activate and inhibit Hes1 activity hold promise as future anticancer chemotherapeutics. We have utilized a cell-based dual luciferase assay to identify modulators of Hes1 expression in a medium-throughput format. A modest screen was performed in HCT-116 colon cancer cell lines, and two small molecules were identified and characterized as Hes1 regulators. Compound 3 induced Hes1 expression and exhibited anticancer effects in pulmonary carcinoid tumor cells, a cell type in which the upregulated Notch/Hes1 signaling plays a tumor suppressive role. Treatment of HCT-116 cells with compound 12 resulted in Hes1 downregulation and antitumor effects. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Resveratrol as an anti-cancer agent: A review.

PubMed

Rauf, Abdur; Imran, Muhammad; Butt, Masood Sadiq; Nadeem, Muhammad; Peters, Dennis G; Mubarak, Mohammad S

2018-06-13

Owing to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity, grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are the archetypal paradigms of fruits used not only for nutritional purposes, but also for exclusive therapeutics. Grapes are a prominent and promising source of phytochemicals, especially resveratrol, a phytoalexin antioxidant found in red grapes which has both chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against various ailments. Resveratrol's role in reducing different human cancers, including breast, cervical, uterine, blood, kidney, liver, eye, bladder, thyroid, esophageal, prostate, brain, lung, skin, gastric, colon, head and neck, bone, ovarian, and cervical, has been reviewed. This review covers the literature that deals with the anti-cancer mechanism of resveratrol with special reference to antioxidant potential. Furthermore, this article summarizes the literature pertaining to resveratrol as an anti-cancer agent.

Pharmacokinetics of Selected Anticancer Drugs in Elderly Cancer Patients: Focus on Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Crombag, Marie-Rose B.S.; Joerger, Markus; Thürlimann, Beat; Schellens, Jan H.M.; Beijnen, Jos H.; Huitema, Alwin D.R.

2016-01-01

Background: Elderly patients receiving anticancer drugs may have an increased risk to develop treatment-related toxicities compared to their younger peers. However, a potential pharmacokinetic (PK) basis for this increased risk has not consistently been established yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to systematically review the influence of age on the PK of anticancer agents frequently administered to elderly breast cancer patients. Methods: A literature search was performed using the PubMed electronic database, Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and available drug approval reviews, as published by EMA and FDA. Publications that describe age-related PK profiles of selected anticancer drugs against breast cancer, excluding endocrine compounds, were selected and included. Results: This review presents an overview of the available data that describe the influence of increasing age on the PK of selected anticancer drugs used for the treatment of breast cancer. Conclusions: Selected published data revealed differences in the effect and magnitude of increasing age on the PK of several anticancer drugs. There may be clinically-relevant, age-related PK differences for anthracyclines and platina agents. In the majority of cases, age is not a good surrogate marker for anticancer drug PK, and the physiological state of the individual patient may better be approached by looking at organ function, Charlson Comorbidity Score or geriatric functional assessment. PMID:26729170

Poncirin Induces Apoptosis in AGS Human Gastric Cancer Cells through Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway by up-Regulation of Fas Ligand.

PubMed

Saralamma, Venu Venkatarame Gowda; Nagappan, Arulkumar; Hong, Gyeong Eun; Lee, Ho Jeong; Yumnam, Silvia; Raha, Suchismita; Heo, Jeong Doo; Lee, Sang Joon; Lee, Won Sup; Kim, Eun Hee; Kim, Gon Sup

2015-09-18

Poncirin, a natural bitter flavanone glycoside abundantly present in many species of citrus fruits, has various biological benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The anti-cancer mechanism of Poncirin remains elusive to date. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of Poncirin in AGS human gastric cancer cells (gastric adenocarcinoma). The results revealed that Poncirin could inhibit the proliferation of AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner. It was observed Poncirin induced accumulation of sub-G1 DNA content, apoptotic cell population, apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner in AGS cells. The expression of Fas Ligand (FasL) protein was up-regulated dose dependently in Poncirin-treated AGS cells Moreover, Poncirin in AGS cells induced activation of Caspase-8 and -3, and subsequent cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Inhibitor studies' results confirm that the induction of caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death in Poncirin-treated AGS cells was led by the Fas death receptor. Interestingly, Poncirin did not show any effect on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and Bak) and anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-xL) in AGS-treated cells followed by no activation in the mitochondrial apoptotic protein caspase-9. This result suggests that the mitochondrial-mediated pathway is not involved in Poncirin-induced cell death in gastric cancer. These findings suggest that Poncirin has a potential anti-cancer effect via extrinsic pathway-mediated apoptosis, possibly making it a strong therapeutic agent for human gastric cancer.

Potential drug-drug interactions between anti-cancer agents and community pharmacy dispensed drugs.

PubMed

Voll, Marsha L; Yap, Kim D; Terpstra, Wim E; Crul, Mirjam

2010-10-01

To identify the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions between hospital pharmacy dispensed anti-cancer agents and community pharmacy dispensed drugs. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on the haematology/oncology department of the internal medicine ward in a large teaching hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Prescription data from the last 100 patients treated with anti-cancer agents were obtained from Paracelsus, the chemotherapy prescribing system in the hospital. The community pharmacy dispensed drugs of these patients were obtained by using OZIS, a system that allows regionally linked pharmacies to call up active medication on any patient. Both medication lists were manually screened for potential drug-drug interactions by using several information sources on interactions, e.g. Pubmed, the Flockhart P450 table, Micromedex and Dutch reference books. Prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions between anti-cancer agents provided by the hospital pharmacy and drugs dispensed by the community pharmacy. Ninety-one patients were included in the study. A total of 31 potential drug-drug interactions were found in 16 patients, of which 15 interactions were clinically relevant and would have required an intervention. Of these interactions 1 had a level of severity ≥ D, meaning the potential drug-drug interaction could lead to long lasting or permanent damage, or even death. The majority of the interactions requiring an intervention (67%) had a considerable level of evidence (≥ 2) and were based on well-documented case reports or controlled interaction studies. Most of the potential drug-drug interactions involved the antiretroviral drugs (40%), proton pump inhibitors (20%) and antibiotics (20%). The anti-cancer drug most involved in the drug-drug interactions is methotrexate (33%). This study reveals a high prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions between anti-cancer agents provided by the hospital pharmacy and drugs dispensed by the community pharmacy. It shows us there is need for an optimal medication surveillance mechanism to detect potential drug-drug interactions between these two groups of medication, especially because of the high toxicity of anticancer drugs and thus the severe consequences these interactions can have for the patient.

Potential Application of Curcumin and Its Analogues in the Treatment Strategy of Patients with Primary Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Terlikowska, Katarzyna M.; Witkowska, Anna M.; Zujko, Malgorzata E.; Dobrzycka, Bozena; Terlikowski, Slawomir J.

2014-01-01

Recent findings on the molecular basis of ovarian cancer development and progression create new opportunities to develop anticancer medications that would affect specific metabolic pathways and decrease side systemic toxicity of conventional treatment. Among new possibilities for cancer chemoprevention, much attention is paid to curcumin—A broad-spectrum anticancer polyphenolic derivative extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. According to ClinicalTrials.gov at present there are no running pilot studies, which could assess possible therapeutic benefits from curcumin supplementation to patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, the goal of this review was to evaluate potential preclinical properties of curcumin and its new analogues on the basis of in vivo and in vitro ovarian cancer studies. Curcumin and its different formulations have been shown to display multifunctional mechanisms of anticancer activity, not only in platinum-resistant primary epithelial ovarian cancer, but also in multidrug resistant cancer cells/xenografts models. Curcumin administered together with platinum-taxane chemotherapeutics have been reported to demonstrate synergistic effects, sensitize resistant cells to drugs, and decrease their biologically effective doses. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that curcumin, due to its long-term safety and an excellent profile of side effects should be considered as a beneficial support in ovarian cancer treatment strategies, especially in patients with platinum-resistant primary epithelial recurrent ovarian cancer or multidrug resistant disease. Although the prospect of curcumin and its formulations as anticancer agents in ovarian cancer treatment strategy appears to be challenging, and at the same time promising, there is a further need to evaluate its effectiveness in clinical studies. PMID:25429431

Potential application of curcumin and its analogues in the treatment strategy of patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Terlikowska, Katarzyna M; Witkowska, Anna M; Zujko, Malgorzata E; Dobrzycka, Bozena; Terlikowski, Slawomir J

2014-11-25

Recent findings on the molecular basis of ovarian cancer development and progression create new opportunities to develop anticancer medications that would affect specific metabolic pathways and decrease side systemic toxicity of conventional treatment. Among new possibilities for cancer chemoprevention, much attention is paid to curcumin-A broad-spectrum anticancer polyphenolic derivative extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. According to ClinicalTrials.gov at present there are no running pilot studies, which could assess possible therapeutic benefits from curcumin supplementation to patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, the goal of this review was to evaluate potential preclinical properties of curcumin and its new analogues on the basis of in vivo and in vitro ovarian cancer studies. Curcumin and its different formulations have been shown to display multifunctional mechanisms of anticancer activity, not only in platinum-resistant primary epithelial ovarian cancer, but also in multidrug resistant cancer cells/xenografts models. Curcumin administered together with platinum-taxane chemotherapeutics have been reported to demonstrate synergistic effects, sensitize resistant cells to drugs, and decrease their biologically effective doses. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that curcumin, due to its long-term safety and an excellent profile of side effects should be considered as a beneficial support in ovarian cancer treatment strategies, especially in patients with platinum-resistant primary epithelial recurrent ovarian cancer or multidrug resistant disease. Although the prospect of curcumin and its formulations as anticancer agents in ovarian cancer treatment strategy appears to be challenging, and at the same time promising, there is a further need to evaluate its effectiveness in clinical studies.

Lichen acids may be used as a potential drug for cancer therapy; by inhibiting mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase purified from rat lung.

PubMed

Ozgencli, Ilknur; Budak, Harun; Ciftci, Mehmet; Anar, Mustafa

2018-05-24

Thioredoxin reductase (E.C 1.6.4.5.; TrxR) is a widely distributed flavoprotein that catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of thioredoxin (Trx) in many cellular events such as DNA synthesis, DNA repair, angiogenesis, antioxidative defense, and regulating apoptosis. Although TrxR is indispensible in protecting cells against oxidative stress, the overexpression of TrxR is seen in many aggressive tumors. Therefore, targeted inhibition of TrxR has been accepted as a new approach for chemotherapy. In this study, in vitro inhibition effect of the lichen acids (diffractaic, evernic, lobaric, lecanoric, and vulpinic acid) on mitochondrial TrxR purified from rat lung was investigated. It was the first time the enzyme was purified from rat lungs by using 2', 5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The purity of the enzyme was checked with SDS-PAGE. In vitro inhibition effect of the lichen acids was investigated spectrophotometrically. To emphasize the importance of the obtained data, the commercial anticancer drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin were used as positive controls. Molecular mass of the enzyme was calculated as approximately 52.4 kDa. The enzyme was purified with a 63.6% yield, 208.3 fold, and 0.5 EU/mg proteins specific activity. The IC50 values of five lichen acids were significantly lower than IC50 values of anticancer drugs. All of the lichen acids, especially lecanoric and vulpinic acid, exhibited much stronger inhibitory effect on TrxR than the anticancer drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin. These lichen acids have pharmacological potential as effective natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, and anticancer agents. . Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A novel submicron emulsion system loaded with vincristine–oleic acid ion-pair complex with improved anticancer effect: in vitro and in vivo studies

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ting; Zheng, Yong; Peng, Qiang; Cao, Xi; Gong, Tao; Zhang, Zhirong

2013-01-01

Background Vincristine (VCR), which is a widely used antineoplastic drug, was integrated with a submicron-emulsion drug-delivery system to enhance the anticancer effect. Methods After the formation of a VCR-oleic acid ion-pair complex (VCR-OA), the VCR-OA-loaded submicron emulsion (VCR-OA-SME), prepared by classical high-pressure homogenization, was characterized and its in vitro anticancer effects were evaluated. Results The submicron-emulsion formulation exhibited a homogeneous round shape. The mean particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency were 157.6 ± 12.6 nm, −26.5 ± 5.0 mV and 78.64% ± 3.44%, respectively. An in vitro release study of the VCR-OA-SME revealed that 12.4% of the VCR was released within the first 2 hours (initial burst-release phase) and the rest of the drug was detected in the subsequent sustained-release phase. Compared with VCR solution, the pharmacokinetic study of VCR-OA-SME showed relatively longer mean residence time (mean residence time [0–∞] increased from 187.19 to 227.56 minutes), higher maximum concentration (from 252.13 ng/mL to 533.34 ng/mL), and greater area under the curve (area under the curve [0–∞] from 11,417.77 μg/L/minute to 17,164.34 μg/L/minute. Moreover, the VCR-OA-SME exhibited higher cytotoxicity (P < 0.05) on tumor cells by inducing cell arrest in the G2/M phase or even apoptosis (P < 0.05). Conclusion The VCR-OA-SME formulation in our study displayed great potential for an anticancer effect for VCR. PMID:23658485

Anticancer Effects of the Nitric Oxide-Modified Saquinavir Derivative Saquinavir-NO against Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells12

PubMed Central

Rothweiler, Florian; Michaelis, Martin; Brauer, Peter; Otte, Jürgen; Weber, Kristoffer; Fehse, Boris; Doerr, Hans Wilhelm; Wiese, Michael; Kreuter, Jörg; Al-Abed, Yousef; Nicoletti, Ferdinando; Cinatl, Jindrich

2010-01-01

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitor saquinavir shows anticancer activity. Although its nitric oxide-modified derivative saquinavir-NO (saq-NO) was less toxic to normal cells, it exerted stronger inhibition of B16 melanoma growth in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice than saquinavir did. Saq-NO has been shown to block proliferation, upregulate p53 expression, and promote differentiation of C6 glioma and B16 cells. The anticancer activity of substances is frequently hampered by cancer cell chemoresistance mechanisms. Therefore, we here investigated the roles of p53 and the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), and breast cancer resistance protein 1 (BCRP1) in cancer cell sensitivity to saq-NO to get more information about the potential of saq-NO as anticancer drug. Saq-NO exerted anticancer effects in lower concentrations than saquinavir in a panel of human cancer cell lines. Neither p53 mutation or depletion nor expression of P-gp, MRP1, or BCRP1 affected anticancer activity of saq-NO or saquinavir. Moreover, saq-NO sensitized P-gp-, MRP1-, or BCRP1-expressing cancer cells to chemotherapy. Saq-NO induced enhanced sensitization of P-gp- or MRP1-expressing cancer cells to chemotherapy compared with saquinavir, whereas both substances similarly sensitized BCRP1-expressing cells. Washout kinetics and ABC transporter ATPase activities demonstrated that saq-NO is a substrate of P-gp as well as of MRP1. These data support the further investigation of saq-NO as an anticancer drug, especially in multidrug-resistant tumors. PMID:21170266

Melatonin as a potential anticarcinogen for non-small-cell lung cancer

PubMed Central

Han, Jing; Wang, Dongjin; Di, Shouyin; Hu, Wei; Liu, Dong; Li, Xiaofei; Reiter, Russel J.; Yan, Xiaolong

2016-01-01

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. Melatonin, an indoleamine discovered in the pineal gland, exerts pleiotropic anticancer effects against a variety of cancer types. In particular, melatonin may be an important anticancer drug in the treatment of NSCLC. Herein, we review the correlation between the disruption of the melatonin rhythm and NSCLC incidence; we also evaluate the evidence related to the effects of melatonin in inhibiting lung carcinogenesis. Special focus is placed on the oncostatic effects of melatonin, including anti-proliferation, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of invasion and metastasis, and enhancement of immunomodulation. We suggest the drug synergy of melatonin with radio- or chemotherapy for NSCLC could prove to be useful. Taken together, the information complied herein may serve as a comprehensive reference for the anticancer mechanisms of melatonin against NSCLC, and may be helpful for the design of future experimental research and for advancing melatonin as a therapeutic agent for NSCLC. PMID:27102150

Binase and other microbial RNases as potential anticancer agents.

PubMed

Makarov, Alexander A; Kolchinsky, Alexander; Ilinskaya, Olga N

2008-08-01

Some RNases possess preferential cytotoxicity against malignant cells. The best known of these RNases, onconase, was isolated from frog oocytes and is in clinical trials as anticancer therapy. Here we propose an alternative platform for anticancer therapy based on T1 RNases of microbial origin, in particular binase from Bacillus intermedius and RNase Sa from Streptomyces aureofaciens. We discuss their advantages and the most promising directions of research for their potential clinical applications. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biological effects of the olive polyphenol, hydroxytyrosol: An extra view from genome-wide transcriptome analysis.

PubMed

Nan, Jia Nancy; Ververis, Katherine; Bollu, Sameera; Rodd, Annabelle L; Swarup, Oshi; Karagiannis, Tom C

2014-01-01

Epidemiological and clinical studies have established the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, an important component of which are olives and olive oil derived from the olive tree (Olea Europea). It is now well-established that not only the major fatty acid constituents, but also the minor phenolic components, in olives and olive oil have important health benefits. Emerging research over the past decade has highlighted the beneficial effects of a range of phenolic compounds from olives and olive oil, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and inflammatory conditions. Mechanisms of action include potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Further, accumulating evidence indicates the potential of the polyphenols and potent antioxidants, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein in oncology. Numerous studies, both in vitro and in vivo, have demonstrated the anticancer effects of hydroxytyrosol which include chemopreventive and cell-specific cytotoxic and apoptotic effects. Indeed, the precise molecular mechanisms accounting for the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties are now becoming clear and this is, at least in part, due to high through-put gene transcription profiling. Initially, we constructed phylogenetic trees to visualize the evolutionary relationship of members of the Oleaceae family and secondly, between plants producing hydroxytyrosol to make inferences of potential similarities or differences in their medicinal properties and to identify novel plant candidates for the treatment and prevention of disease. Furthermore, given the recent interest in hydroxytyrosol as a potential anticancer agent and chemopreventative we utilized transcriptome analysis in the erythroleukemic cell line K562, to investigate the effects of hydroxytyrosol on three gene pathways: the complement system, The Warburg effect and chromatin remodeling to ascertain relevant gene candidates in the prevention of cancer.

Afzelin exhibits anti-cancer activity against androgen-sensitive LNCaP and androgen-independent PC-3 prostate cancer cells through the inhibition of LIM domain kinase 1.

PubMed

Zhu, Kai-Chang; Sun, Jian-Mei; Shen, Jian-Guo; Jin, Ji-Zhong; Liu, Feng; Xu, Xiao-Lin; Chen, Lin; Liu, Lin-Tao; Lv, Jia-Ju

2015-10-01

Prostate cancer presents high occurrence worldwide. Medicinal plants are a major source of novel and potentially therapeutic molecules; therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible anti-prostate cancer activity of afzelin, a flavonol glycoside that was previously isolated from Nymphaea odorata . The effect of afzelin on the proliferation of androgen-sensitive LNCaP and androgen-independent PC-3 cells was evaluated by performing a water soluble tetrazolium salt-1 assay. In addition, the effect of afzelin on the cell cycle of the LNCaP and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines was evaluated. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of afzelin on the kinases responsible for the regulation of actin organization. Afzelin was identified to inhibit the proliferation of LNCaP and PC3 cells, and block the cell cycle in the G 0 phase. The anticancer activity of afzelin in these cells was determined to be due to inhibition of LIM domain kinase 1 expression. Thus, the in vitro efficacy of afzelin against prostate cancer is promising; however, additional studies on different animal models are required to substantiate its anticancer potential.

Afzelin exhibits anti-cancer activity against androgen-sensitive LNCaP and androgen-independent PC-3 prostate cancer cells through the inhibition of LIM domain kinase 1

PubMed Central

ZHU, KAI-CHANG; SUN, JIAN-MEI; SHEN, JIAN-GUO; JIN, JI-ZHONG; LIU, FENG; XU, XIAO-LIN; CHEN, LIN; LIU, LIN-TAO; LV, JIA-JU

2015-01-01

Prostate cancer presents high occurrence worldwide. Medicinal plants are a major source of novel and potentially therapeutic molecules; therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible anti-prostate cancer activity of afzelin, a flavonol glycoside that was previously isolated from Nymphaea odorata. The effect of afzelin on the proliferation of androgen-sensitive LNCaP and androgen-independent PC-3 cells was evaluated by performing a water soluble tetrazolium salt-1 assay. In addition, the effect of afzelin on the cell cycle of the LNCaP and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines was evaluated. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of afzelin on the kinases responsible for the regulation of actin organization. Afzelin was identified to inhibit the proliferation of LNCaP and PC3 cells, and block the cell cycle in the G0 phase. The anticancer activity of afzelin in these cells was determined to be due to inhibition of LIM domain kinase 1 expression. Thus, the in vitro efficacy of afzelin against prostate cancer is promising; however, additional studies on different animal models are required to substantiate its anticancer potential. PMID:26622852

Design and development of PEGylated liposomal formulation of HER2 blocker Lapatinib for enhanced anticancer activity and diminshed cardiotoxicity.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Richa; Trivedi, Shruti; Singh, Pankaj Kumar; Asif, Mohammad; Chourasia, Manish Kumar; Khanna, Amit; Bhadauria, Smrati

2018-06-13

Breast cancer is most frequently diagnosed cancer and fifth leading cause of death in women. About 20-30% of all breast cancers overexpress HER2/neu receptors. Lapatinib is a dual tyrosin kinase inhibitor of EGFR and HER2. It exhibits its anticancer effect via blocking intracellular domain of HER2 receptor in breast cancer. Lapatinib belongs to class II of BSC classification due to its poor solubility restricting its clinical application. Due to presence of HER2 receptor on cardiomyocytes, it is associated with generation of cardiotoxicity. The present study was aimed to design a PEGylated liposomal formulation of Lapatinib and evaluate its anticancer potential. Lapatinib liposomes were prepared using lipid layer hydration method and its characterization was done by determining its particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and in vitro release profiling. The anti-tumor activity of PEGylated liposomal formulation was evaluated in xenografted tumor induced by MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells in chick embryos. The anti-tumor effect of lapatinib was enhanced by its PEGylated liposomal preparation as it led to the reduction in tumor size to a greater extent compared to the embryos treated with free lapatinib. Flowcytometric analysis and immunofluroscence study using cleaved PARP antibody demonstrated the enhaced apoptotic potential of PEGylated liposomes of lapatonib. SGOT levels, marker for cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, significantly decreased in serum of embryos treated with PEGylated liposmes of lapatinib compared to free drug treated embryos. Hence, the PEGylated liposomal formulation of lapatininb can be used as a therapeutic strategy against HER2 positive breast cancer either alone or in combination with conventional anticancer agents and hormonal therapies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Anticancer efficacy of the metabolic blocker 3-bromopyruvate: specific molecular targeting.

PubMed

Ganapathy-Kanniappan, Shanmugasundaram; Kunjithapatham, Rani; Geschwind, Jean-Francois

2013-01-01

The anticancer efficacy of the pyruvate analog 3-bromopyruvate has been demonstrated in multiple tumor models. The chief principle underlying the antitumor effects of 3-bromopyruvate is its ability to effectively target the energy metabolism of cancer cells. Biochemically, the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been identified as the primary target of 3-bromopyruvate. Its inhibition results in the depletion of intracellular ATP, causing cell death. Several reports have also demonstrated that in addition to GAPDH inhibition, the induction of cellular stress also contributes to 3-bromopyruvate treatment-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, recent evidence shows that 3-bromopyruvate is taken up selectively by tumor cells via the monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) that are frequently overexpressed in cancer cells (for the export of lactate produced during aerobic glycolysis). The preferential uptake of 3-bromopyruvate via MCTs facilitates selective targeting of tumor cells while leaving healthy and non-malignant tissue untouched. Taken together, the specificity of molecular (GAPDH) targeting and selective uptake by tumor cells, underscore the potential of 3-bromopyruvate as a potent and promising anticancer agent. In this review, we highlight the mechanistic characteristics of 3-bromopyruvate and discuss its potential for translation into the clinic.

The curcumin analog HO-3867 selectively kills cancer cells by converting mutant p53 protein to transcriptionally active wildtype p53.

PubMed

Madan, Esha; Parker, Taylor M; Bauer, Matthias R; Dhiman, Alisha; Pelham, Christopher J; Nagane, Masaki; Kuppusamy, M Lakshmi; Holmes, Matti; Holmes, Thomas R; Shaik, Kranti; Shee, Kevin; Kiparoidze, Salome; Smith, Sean D; Park, Yu-Soon A; Gomm, Jennifer J; Jones, Louise J; Tomás, Ana R; Cunha, Ana C; Selvendiran, Karuppaiyah; Hansen, Laura A; Fersht, Alan R; Hideg, Kálmán; Gogna, Rajan; Kuppusamy, Periannan

2018-03-23

p53 is an important tumor-suppressor protein that is mutated in more than 50% of cancers. Strategies for restoring normal p53 function are complicated by the oncogenic properties of mutant p53 and have not met with clinical success. To counteract mutant p53 activity, a variety of drugs with the potential to reconvert mutant p53 to an active wildtype form have been developed. However, these drugs are associated with various negative effects such as cellular toxicity, nonspecific binding to other proteins, and inability to induce a wildtype p53 response in cancer tissue. Here, we report on the effects of a curcumin analog, HO-3867, on p53 activity in cancer cells from different origins. We found that HO-3867 covalently binds to mutant p53, initiates a wildtype p53-like anticancer genetic response, is exclusively cytotoxic toward cancer cells, and exhibits high anticancer efficacy in tumor models. In conclusion, HO-3867 is a p53 mutant-reactivating drug with high clinical anticancer potential. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Novel 1-(7-ethoxy-1-benzofuran-2-yl) substituted chalcone derivatives: Synthesis, characterization and anticancer activity.

PubMed

Coskun, Demet; Erkisa, Merve; Ulukaya, Engin; Coskun, Mehmet Fatih; Ari, Ferda

2017-08-18

Cancer treatment still requires new compounds to be discovered. Chalcone and its derivatives exhibit anticancer potential in different cancer cells. A new series of benzofuran substituted chalcone derivatives was synthesized by the base-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt reaction of the 1-(7-ethoxy-1-benzofuran-2-yl) ethanone with different aromatic aldehydes to yield 1-(7-ethoxy-1-benzofuran-2-yl) substituted chalcone derivatives 3a-j. The derivatives were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy techniques. The anti-growth effect of chalcone compounds was tested in breast cancer (MCF-7), non-small cell lung cancer (A549) and prostate cancer (PC-3) cell lines by the SRB and ATP cell viability assays. Apoptosis was detected by mitochondrial membrane potential, Annexin V staining and caspase 3/7 activity. Formation of reactive oxygen species was determined by DCFDA. The results revealed that chalcone derivatives have anticancer activity with especially chalcone derivative 3a showing cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. In addition, chalcone derivative 3a induced apoptosis through caspase dependent pathways in prostate, lung and breast cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rice Bran Extract Inhibits TMEM16A-Involved Activity in the Neonatal Rat Cochlea.

PubMed

Sharm, Kushal; Sung, Jiwon; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Oak, Min-Ho; Yi, Eunyoung

2017-04-01

TMEM16A is a Ca²⁺-activated Cl⁻ channel found in secretory glands, GI and respiratory tracts, and sensory organs, playing a major physiological role in fluid secretion, autonomous GI motility, and sensory transduction. In addition, overexpression of TMEM16A has been associated with cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Suppression of upregulated TMEM16A has been proposed as an effective anti-cancer strategy. While searching for a potential TMEM16A inhibitor, components of rice bran attracted our attention due to their anti-cancer potential in colon cancer cells, a type of cells known to overexpressing TMEM16A. Here, it was tested whether rice bran extract exhibits anti-TMEM16A activity. Rice bran extract was tested in the neonatal rat cochlear tissues where TMEM16A-involved spontaneous activity is generated as a part of normal development of the auditory pathway. Rice bran extract readily inhibited the TMEM16A-involved activity in the cochlear tissues and the effect was reversible upon washout. Taken together, rice bran extract appears to contain a putative TMEM16A inhibitor and the rice byproduct might serve as a source of a new anti-cancer agent.

Molecular Mechanisms of Breast Cancer Metastasis and Potential Anti-metastatic Compounds.

PubMed

Tungsukruthai, Sucharat; Petpiroon, Nalinrat; Chanvorachote, Pithi

2018-05-01

Throughout the world, breast cancer is among the major causes of cancer-related death and is the most common cancer found in women. The development of cancer molecular knowledge has surpassed the novel concept of cancer biology and unraveled principle targets for anticancer drug developments and treatment strategies. Metastatic breast cancer cells acquire their aggressive features through several mechanisms, including augmentation of survival, proliferation, tumorigenicity, and motility-related cellular pathways. Clearly, natural product-derived compounds have since long been recognized as an important source for anticancer drugs, several of which have been shown to have promising anti-metastasis activities by suppressing key molecular features supporting such cell aggressiveness. This review provides the essential details of breast cancer, the molecular-based insights into metastasis, as well as the effects and mechanisms of potential compounds for breast cancer therapeutic approaches. As the abilities of cancer cells to invade and metastasize are addressed as the hallmarks of cancer, compounds possessing anti-metastatic effects, together with their defined molecular drug action could benefit the development of new drugs as well as treatment strategies. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Combination Therapy With Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors (HDACi) for the Treatment of Cancer: Achieving the Full Therapeutic Potential of HDACi

PubMed Central

Suraweera, Amila; O’Byrne, Kenneth J.; Richard, Derek J.

2018-01-01

Genetic and epigenetic changes in DNA are involved in cancer development and tumor progression. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are key regulators of gene expression that act as transcriptional repressors by removing acetyl groups from histones. HDACs are dysregulated in many cancers, making them a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), a novel class of small-molecular therapeutics, are now approved by the Food and Drug Administration as anticancer agents. While they have shown great promise, resistance to HDACi is often observed and furthermore, HDACi have shown limited success in treating solid tumors. The combination of HDACi with standard chemotherapeutic drugs has demonstrated promising anticancer effects in both preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we summarize the research thus far on HDACi in combination therapy, with other anticancer agents and their translation into preclinical and clinical studies. We additionally highlight the side effects associated with HDACi in cancer therapy and discuss potential biomarkers to either select or predict a patient’s response to these agents, in order to limit the off-target toxicity associated with HDACi. PMID:29651407

The role of arsenic in the hydrolysis and DNA metalation processes in an arsenous acid-platinum(ii) anticancer complex.

PubMed

Marino, T; Parise, A; Russo, N

2017-01-04

Platinum(ii)-based molecules are the most commonly used anticancer drugs in the chemotherapeutic treatment of tumours but possess serious side effects and some cancer types exhibit resistance with respect to these compounds (e.g. cisplatin). For these reasons, the research of new compounds that can bypass this limitation is in continuous development. Recently, mixed Pt(ii)-As(iii) systems have been synthesized and tested as potential anticancer agents. The mechanism of action of these kinds of drugs is unclear. Since in other platinum(ii) containing drugs, hydrolysis plays an important role in the activation of the compound before it reaches DNA, we have explored the aquation process using density functional theory (DFT), focusing our attention on the arsenoplatin complex, [Pt(μ-NHC(CH 3 )O) 2 ClAs(OH) 2 ]. As DNA is believed to be the cellular target for Pt anticancer drugs, the metalation mechanism of DNA purine bases has been also investigated. Also for this new drug it appears that guanine is the preferred site with respect to adenine as with other platinum-containing compounds. A comparison with cisplatin is performed in order to highlight the contribution of arsenic in the anticancer activity of this new proposed anticancer agent.

Combination therapy in combating cancer

PubMed Central

Mokhtari, Reza Bayat; Homayouni, Tina S.; Baluch, Narges; Morgatskaya, Evgeniya; Kumar, Sushil; Das, Bikul; Yeger, Herman

2017-01-01

Combination therapy, a treatment modality that combines two or more therapeutic agents, is a cornerstone of cancer therapy. The amalgamation of anti-cancer drugs enhances efficacy compared to the mono-therapy approach because it targets key pathways in a characteristically synergistic or an additive manner. This approach potentially reduces drug resistance, while simultaneously providing therapeutic anti-cancer benefits, such as reducing tumour growth and metastatic potential, arresting mitotically active cells, reducing cancer stem cell populations, and inducing apoptosis. The 5-year survival rates for most metastatic cancers are still quite low, and the process of developing a new anti-cancer drug is costly and extremely time-consuming. Therefore, new strategies that target the survival pathways that provide efficient and effective results at an affordable cost are being considered. One such approach incorporates repurposing therapeutic agents initially used for the treatment of different diseases other than cancer. This approach is effective primarily when the FDA-approved agent targets similar pathways found in cancer. Because one of the drugs used in combination therapy is already FDA-approved, overall costs of combination therapy research are reduced. This increases cost efficiency of therapy, thereby benefiting the “medically underserved”. In addition, an approach that combines repurposed pharmaceutical agents with other therapeutics has shown promising results in mitigating tumour burden. In this systematic review, we discuss important pathways commonly targeted in cancer therapy. Furthermore, we also review important repurposed or primary anti-cancer agents that have gained popularity in clinical trials and research since 2012. PMID:28410237

In vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effects of tillandsia recurvata (ball moss) from Jamaica.

PubMed

Lowe, H I C; Toyang, N J; Bryant, J

2013-03-01

Tillandsia recurvata, also commonly known as Ball Moss, is endemic to Jamaica and some parts of the Caribbean and South America. The plant, despite being reported to be used in folk medicine, had not previously been evaluated for its anti-cancer potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-cancer activity ofBall Moss. The anti-proliferation activity of the crude methanolic extract of the T recurvata was evaluated in vitro in five different histogenic cancer cell lines (prostate cancer - PC-3, breast cancer Kaposi sarcoma, B-16 melanoma and a B-cell lymphoma from a transgenic mouse strain) using the trypan blue assay. The crude extract was also evaluated in vivo in tumour-bearing mice. Immunohistochemistry staining with Apoptag was used for histology and determination of apoptosis. The crude methanolic extract of T recurvata demonstrated anti-proliferation activity against all the cell lines, killing > 50% of the cells at a concentration of 2.5 microg/ml. Kaposi sarcoma xenograft tumours were inhibited by up to 75% compared to control in the in vivo study (p < 0.05). There was evidence of DNA fragmentation and a decrease in cell viability on histological studies. The methanolic extract showed no toxic effect in the mice at a dose of 200 mg/kg. Our data suggest that T recurvata has great potential as an anti-cancer agent and that one of its mechanisms of cell kill and tumour inhibition is by the induction of apoptosis.

Redox-sensitive micelles composed of disulfide-linked Pluronic-linoleic acid for enhanced anticancer efficiency of brusatol

PubMed Central

Chan, Hon Fai; Lin, Zhixiu; Wang, Yitao

2018-01-01

Brusatol (Bru) exhibits promising anticancer effects, with both proliferation inhibition and chemoresistance amelioration activity. However, the poor solubility and insufficient intracellular delivery of Bru greatly restrict its application. Herein, to simultaneously utilize the advantages of Pluronics as drug carriers and tumor microenvironment-responsive drug release profiles, a flexible amphiphilic copolymer with a polymer skeleton, that is, Pluronic® F68 grafting with linoleic acid moieties by redox-reducible disulfide bonds (F68-SS-LA), was synthesized. After characterization by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the redox-sensitive F68-SS-LA micelles were self-assembled in a much lower critical micelle concentration than that of the unmodified F68 copolymer. Bru was loaded in micelles (Bru/SS-M) with high loading efficiency, narrow size distribution, and excellent storage stability. The redox-sensitive Bru/SS-M exhibited rapid particle dissociation and drug release in response to a redox environment. Based on the enhanced cellular internalization, Bru/SS-M achieved higher cytotoxicity in both Bel-7402 and MCF-7 cells compared with free Bru and nonreducible micelles. The improved anticancer effect was attributed to the remarkably decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased reactive oxygen species level as well as apoptotic rate. These results demonstrated that F68-SS-LA micelles possess great potential as an efficient delivery vehicle for Bru to promote its anticancer efficiency via an oxidation pathway. PMID:29491708

Immunological Effects of Conventional Chemotherapy and Targeted Anticancer Agents.

PubMed

Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Buqué, Aitziber; Kepp, Oliver; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido

2015-12-14

The tremendous clinical success of checkpoint blockers illustrates the potential of reestablishing latent immunosurveillance for cancer therapy. Although largely neglected in the clinical practice, accumulating evidence indicates that the efficacy of conventional and targeted anticancer agents does not only involve direct cytostatic/cytotoxic effects, but also relies on the (re)activation of tumor-targeting immune responses. Chemotherapy can promote such responses by increasing the immunogenicity of malignant cells, or by inhibiting immunosuppressive circuitries that are established by developing neoplasms. These immunological "side" effects of chemotherapy are desirable, and their in-depth comprehension will facilitate the design of novel combinatorial regimens with improved clinical efficacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The augmented anticancer potential of AP9-cd loaded solid lipid nanoparticles in human leukemia Molt-4 cells and experimental tumor.

PubMed

Bhushan, Shashi; Kakkar, Vandita; Pal, Harish Chandra; Mondhe, D M; Kaur, Indu Pal

2016-01-25

AP9-cd, a novel lignan composition from Cedrus deodara has significant anticancer potential, and to further enhance its activity, it was lucratively encumbered into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). These nanoparticles were formulated by micro-emulsion technique with 70% drug trap competence. AP9-cd-SLNs were regular, solid, globular particles in the range of 100-200 nm, which were confirmed by electron microscopic studies. Moreover, AP9-cd-SLNs were found to be stable for up to six months in terms of color, particle size, zeta potential, drug content and entrapment. AP9-cd-SLNs have 30-50% higher cytotoxic and apoptotic potential than the AP9-cd alone. The augmented anticancer potential of AP9-cd-SLNs was observed in cytotoxic IC50 value, apoptosis signaling cascade and in Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) model. AP9-cd-SLNs induce apoptosis in Molt-4 cells via both intrinsic and extrinsic pathway. Moreover, the dummy nanoparticles (SLNs without AP9-cd) did not have any cytotoxic effect in cancer as well as in normal cells. Consequently, SLNs of AP9-cd significantly augment the apoptotic and antitumor potential of AP9-cd. The present study provides a podium for ornamental the remedial latent via novel delivery systems like solid lipid nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeted anticancer therapy: overexpressed receptors and nanotechnology.

PubMed

Akhtar, Mohd Javed; Ahamed, Maqusood; Alhadlaq, Hisham A; Alrokayan, Salman A; Kumar, Sudhir

2014-09-25

Targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to cancer cells and tissues is a promising field due to its potential to spare unaffected cells and tissues, but it has been a major challenge to achieve success in these therapeutic approaches. Several innovative approaches to targeted drug delivery have been devised based on available knowledge in cancer biology and on technological advancements. To achieve the desired selectivity of drug delivery, nanotechnology has enabled researchers to design nanoparticles (NPs) to incorporate anticancer drugs and act as nanocarriers. Recently, many receptor molecules known to be overexpressed in cancer have been explored as docking sites for the targeting of anticancer drugs. In principle, anticancer drugs can be concentrated specifically in cancer cells and tissues by conjugating drug-containing nanocarriers with ligands against these receptors. Several mechanisms can be employed to induce triggered drug release in response to either endogenous trigger or exogenous trigger so that the anticancer drug is only released upon reaching and preferentially accumulating in the tumor tissue. This review focuses on overexpressed receptors exploited in targeting drugs to cancerous tissues and the tumor microenvironment. We briefly evaluate the structure and function of these receptor molecules, emphasizing the elegant mechanisms by which certain characteristics of cancer can be exploited in cancer treatment. After this discussion of receptors, we review their respective ligands and then the anticancer drugs delivered by nanotechnology in preclinical models of cancer. Ligand-functionalized nanocarriers have delivered significantly higher amounts of anticancer drugs in many in vitro and in vivo models of cancer compared to cancer models lacking such receptors or drug carrying nanocarriers devoid of ligand. This increased concentration of anticancer drug in the tumor site enabled by nanotechnology could have a major impact on the efficiency of cancer treatment while reducing systemic side effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Systematic Review of Iran's Medicinal Plants With Anticancer Effects.

PubMed

Asadi-Samani, Majid; Kooti, Wesam; Aslani, Elahe; Shirzad, Hedayatollah

2016-04-01

Increase in cases of various cancers has encouraged the researchers to discover novel, more effective drugs from plant sources. This study is a review of medicinal plants in Iran with already investigated anticancer effects on various cell lines. Thirty-six medicinal plants alongside their products with anticancer effects as well as the most important plant compounds responsible for the plants' anticancer effect were introduced. Phenolic and alkaloid compounds were demonstrated to have anticancer effects on various cancers in most studies. The plants and their active compounds exerted anticancer effects by removing free radicals and antioxidant effects, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The investigated plants in Iran contain the compounds that are able to contribute effectively to fighting cancer cells. Therefore, the extract and active compounds of the medicinal plants introduced in this review article could open a way to conduct clinical trials on cancer and greatly help researchers and pharmacists develop new anticancer drugs. © The Author(s) 2015.

Combination studies of platinum(II)-based metallointercalators with buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine, 3-bromopyruvate, cisplatin or carboplatin.

PubMed

Garbutcheon-Singh, K Benjamin; Harper, Benjamin W J; Myers, Simon; Aldrich-Wright, Janice R

2014-01-01

With current chemotherapeutic treatment regimes often limited by adverse side effects, the synergistic combination of complexes with anticancer activity appears to offer a promising strategy for effective cancer treatment. This work investigates the anti-proliferative activity using a combination therapy approach where metallointercalators of the type [Pt(IL)(AL)](2+) (where IL is the intercalating ligand and AL is the ancillary ligand) are used in combination with currently approved anticancer drugs cisplatin and carboplatin and organic molecules buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine and 3-bromopyruvate. Synergistic relationships were observed, indicating a potential to decrease dose-dependent toxicity and improve therapeutic efficacy.

Cellular trafficking and anticancer activity of Garcinia mangostana extract-encapsulated polymeric nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Pan-In, Porntip; Wanichwecharungruang, Supason; Hanes, Justin; Kim, Anthony J

2014-01-01

Garcinia mangostana Linn extract (GME) is a natural product that has received considerable attention in cancer therapy, and has the potential to reduce side effects of chemotherapeutics and improve efficacy. We formulated GME-encapsulated ethyl cellulose (GME-EC) and a polymer blend of ethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose (GME-EC/MC) nanoparticles. We achieved high drug-loading and encapsulation efficiency using a solvent-displacement method with particle sizes around 250 nm. Cellular uptake and accumulation of GME was higher for GME-encapsulated nanoparticles compared to free GME. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis showed effective anticancer activity of GME-EC and GME-EC/MC nanoparticles in HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner. GME-EC/MC nanoparticles showed approximately twofold-higher anticancer activity compared to GME-EC nanoparticles, likely due to their enhanced bioavailability. GME-encapsulated nanoparticles primarily entered HeLa cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and trafficked through the endolysosomal pathway. As far as we know, this is the first report on the cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking mechanism of drug-loaded cellulose-based nanoparticles. In summary, encapsulation of GME using cellulose-derivative nanoparticles – GME-EC and GME-EC/MC nanoparticles – successfully improved the bioavailability of GME in aqueous solution, enhanced cellular uptake, and displayed effective anticancer activity. PMID:25125977

Anticancer Effect of Nemopilema nomurai Jellyfish Venom on HepG2 Cells and a Tumor Xenograft Animal Model

PubMed Central

Bae, Seong Kyeong; Kim, Munki; Pyo, Min Jung; Kim, Minkyung; Yang, Sujeoung; Yoon, Won Duk; Han, Chang Hoon

2017-01-01

Various kinds of animal venoms and their components have been widely studied for potential therapeutic applications. This study evaluated whether Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV) has anticancer activity. NnV strongly induced cytotoxicity of HepG2 cells through apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by alterations of chromatic morphology, activation of procaspase-3, and an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Furthermore, NnV inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, PDK1, Akt, mTOR, p70S6K, and 4EBP1, whereas it enhanced the expression of p-PTEN. Interestingly, NnV also inactivated the negative feedback loops associated with Akt activation, as demonstrated by downregulation of Akt at Ser473 and mTOR at Ser2481. The anticancer effect of NnV was significant in a HepG2 xenograft mouse model, with no obvious toxicity. HepG2 cell death by NnV was inhibited by tetracycline, metalloprotease inhibitor, suggesting that metalloprotease component in NnV is closely related to the anticancer effects. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that NnV exerts highly selective cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells via dual inhibition of the Akt and mTOR signaling pathways, but not in normal cells. PMID:28785288

Facile One-Pot Synthesis of Tellurium Nanorods as Antioxidant and Anticancer Agents.

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Wu, Hualian; Li, Xiaoling; Chen, Tianfeng

2016-08-19

Nanorods have been utilized in targeted therapy, controlled release, molecular diagnosis, and molecule imaging owing to their large surface area and optical, magnetic, electronic, and structural properties. However, low stability and complex synthetic methods have substantially limited the application of tellurium nanorods for use as antioxidant and anticancer agents. Herein, a facile one-pot synthesis of functionalized tellurium nanorods (PTNRs) by using a hydrothermal synthetic system with a polysaccharide-protein complex (PTR), which was extracted from Pleurotus tuber-regium, as a capping agent is described. PTNRs remained stable in water and in phosphate-buffered saline and exhibited high hemocompatibility. Interestingly, these nanorods possessed strong antioxidant activity for scavenging 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical cation (ABTS(.+) ) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylhydrate (DPPH) free radicals and demonstrated novel anticancer activities. However, these nanorods exhibited low cytotoxicity toward normal human cells. In addition, the PTNRs effectively induced a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose-dependent manner, which indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction might play an important role in PTNR-induced apoptosis. Therefore, this study provides a one-pot strategy for the facile synthesis of tellurium nanorods with novel antioxidant and anticancer application potentials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metformin inhibition of neuroblastoma cell proliferation is differently modulated by cell differentiation induced by retinoic acid or overexpression of NDM29 non-coding RNA.

PubMed

Costa, Delfina; Gigoni, Arianna; Würth, Roberto; Cancedda, Ranieri; Florio, Tullio; Pagano, Aldo

2014-01-01

Metformin is a widely used oral hypoglycemizing agent recently proposed as potential anti-cancer drug. In this study we report the antiproliferative effect of metformin treatment in a high risk neuroblastoma cell model, focusing on possible effects associated to different levels of differentiation and/or tumor initiating potential. Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of metformin were tested in human SKNBE2 and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines and in SKNBE2 cells in which differentiation is induced by retinoic acid treatment or stable overexpression of NDM29 non-coding RNA, both conditions characterized by a neuron-like differentiated phenotype. We found that metformin significantly inhibits the proliferation of NB cells, an effect that correlates with the inhibition of Akt, while AMPK activity resulted unchanged. Notably, metformin effects were modulated in a different ways by differentiating stimuli, being abolished after retinoic acid treatment but potentiated by overexpression of NDM29. These data suggest the efficacy of metformin as neuroblastoma anticancer agent, and support the requirement of further studies on the possible role of the differentiation status on the antiproliferative effects of this drug.

Supercritical carbon dioxide-developed silk fibroin nanoplatform for smart colon cancer therapy

PubMed Central

Li, Yi; He, Xiaowen; Chen, Xiaoming; Chen, Yufeng; Zhu, Jixiang; Xu, Guibin; Wu, Xiaojian; Lan, Ping

2017-01-01

Purpose To deliver insoluble natural compounds into colon cancer cells in a controlled fashion. Materials and methods Curcumin (CM)–silk fibroin (SF) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2 (SEDS) (20 MPa pressure, 1:2 CM:SF ratio, 1% concentration), and their physicochemical properties, intracellular uptake efficiency, in vitro anticancer effect, toxicity, and mechanisms were evaluated and analyzed. Results CM-SF NPs (<100 nm) with controllable particle size were prepared by SEDS. CM-SF NPs had a time-dependent intracellular uptake ability, which led to an improved inhibition effect on colon cancer cells. Interestingly, the anticancer effect of CM-SF NPs was improved, while the side effect on normal human colon mucosal epithelial cells was reduced by a concentration of ~10 μg/mL. The anticancer mechanism involves cell-cycle arrest in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases in association with inducing apoptotic cells. Conclusion The natural compound-loaded SF nanoplatform prepared by SEDS indicates promising colon cancer-therapy potential. PMID:29118580

Anticancer Activity of Indian Stingless Bee Propolis: An In Vitro Study

PubMed Central

Choudhari, Milind K.; Haghniaz, Reihaneh; Rajwade, Jyutika M.; Paknikar, Kishore M.

2013-01-01

Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex chemical nature and is reported to possess various medicinal properties. In the present study, anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was explored by testing the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect in four different cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (human breast cancer), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), Caco-2 (human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma), and B16F1 (murine melanoma), at different concentrations. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and Trypan blue dye exclusion assay. EEP at a concentration of 250 μg/mL exhibited ≥50% mortality in all cell lines tested (i.e., IC50 value). EEP revealed a concentration and time dependent cytotoxic effect. Apoptosis was estimated by differential staining (ethidium bromide/acridine orange) and TUNEL (deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling) assay. Light microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated morphological features of apoptosis in all the cell lines after treatment with 250 μg/mL EEP for 24 h. Thus, early onset of apoptosis is the reason for anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis. Further, the antioxidant potential of Indian stingless bee propolis was demonstrated to substantiate its anticancer activity. PMID:23762169

Anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Choudhari, Milind K; Haghniaz, Reihaneh; Rajwade, Jyutika M; Paknikar, Kishore M

2013-01-01

Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex chemical nature and is reported to possess various medicinal properties. In the present study, anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was explored by testing the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect in four different cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (human breast cancer), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), Caco-2 (human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma), and B16F1 (murine melanoma), at different concentrations. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and Trypan blue dye exclusion assay. EEP at a concentration of 250 μg/mL exhibited ≥50% mortality in all cell lines tested (i.e., IC50 value). EEP revealed a concentration and time dependent cytotoxic effect. Apoptosis was estimated by differential staining (ethidium bromide/acridine orange) and TUNEL (deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling) assay. Light microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated morphological features of apoptosis in all the cell lines after treatment with 250 μg/mL EEP for 24 h. Thus, early onset of apoptosis is the reason for anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis. Further, the antioxidant potential of Indian stingless bee propolis was demonstrated to substantiate its anticancer activity.

Curcumin: a promising agent targeting cancer stem cells.

PubMed

Zang, Shufei; Liu, Tao; Shi, Junping; Qiao, Liang

2014-01-01

Cancer stem cells are a subset of cells that are responsible for cancer initiation and relapse. They are generally resistant to the current anticancer agents. Successful anticancer therapy must consist of approaches that can target not only the differentiated cancer cells, but also cancer stem cells. Emerging evidence suggested that the dietary agent curcumin exerted its anti-cancer activities via targeting cancer stem cells of various origins such as those of colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, brain cancer, and head and neck cancer. In order to enhance the therapeutic potential of curcumin, this agent has been modified or used in combination with other agents in the experimental therapy for many cancers. In this mini-review, we discussed the effect of curcumin and its derivatives in eliminating cancer stem cells and the possible underlying mechanisms.

Anticancer effects of different seaweeds on human colon and breast cancers.

PubMed

Moussavou, Ghislain; Kwak, Dong Hoon; Obiang-Obonou, Brice Wilfried; Maranguy, Cyr Abel Ogandaga; Dinzouna-Boutamba, Sylvatrie-Danne; Lee, Dae Hoon; Pissibanganga, Ordelia Gwenaelle Manvoudou; Ko, Kisung; Seo, Jae In; Choo, Young Kug

2014-09-24

Seafoods and seaweeds represent some of the most important reservoirs of new therapeutic compounds for humans. Seaweed has been shown to have several biological activities, including anticancer activity. This review focuses on colorectal and breast cancers, which are major causes of cancer-related mortality in men and women. It also describes various compounds extracted from a range of seaweeds that have been shown to eradicate or slow the progression of cancer. Fucoidan extracted from the brown algae Fucus spp. has shown activity against both colorectal and breast cancers. Furthermore, we review the mechanisms through which these compounds can induce apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. By considering the ability of compounds present in seaweeds to act against colorectal and breast cancers, this review highlights the potential use of seaweeds as anticancer agents.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using ethanolic petals extract of Rosa indica and characterization of its antibacterial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikandan, Ramar; Manikandan, Beulaja; Raman, Thiagarajan; Arunagirinathan, Koodalingam; Prabhu, Narayanan Marimuthu; Jothi Basu, Muthuramalingam; Perumal, Muthulakshmi; Palanisamy, Subramanian; Munusamy, Arumugam

2015-03-01

The present study was aimed at biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using ethanolic extract of rose (Rosa indica) petals and testing their potential antibacterial activity using selective human pathogenic microbes, anticancer activity using human colon adenocarcinoma cancer cell line HCT 15 as well as anti-inflammatory activity using rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The biologically synthesized AgNPs were also characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The characterized AgNPs showed an effective antibacterial activity against Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae) than Gram positive (Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis) bacteria. MTT assay, analysis of nuclear morphology, mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bax and protein expression of caspase 3 as well as 9, indicated potential anticancer activity. In addition, green synthesized AgNPs also attenuated cytotoxicity, nuclear morphology and free radical generation (O2- and NO) by rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The results of our study show the potential green synthesis of silver nanoparticles in mitigating their toxicity while retaining their antibacterial activities.

BCc1, the novel antineoplastic nanocomplex, showed potent anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Kalanaky, Somayeh; Hafizi, Maryam; Fakharzadeh, Saideh; Vasei, Mohammad; Langroudi, Ladan; Janzamin, Ehsan; Hashemi, Seyed Mahmoud; Khayamzadeh, Maryam; Soleimani, Masoud; Akbari, Mohammad Esmaeil; Nazaran, Mohammad Hassan

2016-01-01

In spite of all the efforts and researches on anticancer therapeutics, an absolute treatment is still a myth. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize novel technologies in order to synthesize smart multifunctional structures. In this study, for the first time, we have evaluated the anticancer effects of BCc1 nanocomplex by vitro and in vivo studies, which is designed based on the novel nanochelating technology. Human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts were used for the in vitro study. Antioxidant potential, cell toxicity, apoptosis induction, and CD44 and CD24 protein expression were evaluated after treatment of cells with different concentrations of BCc1 nanocomplex. For the in vivo study, mammary tumor-bearing female Balb/c mice were treated with different doses of BCc1 and their effects on tumor growth rate and survival were evaluated. BCc1 decreased CD44 protein expression and increased CD24 protein expression. It induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis but at the same concentrations did not have negative effects on mouse embryonic fibroblasts viability and protected them against oxidative stress. Treatment with nanocomplex increased survival and reduced the tumor size growth in breast cancer-bearing balb/c mice. These results demonstrate that BCc1 has the capacity to be assessed as a new anticancer agent in complementary studies.

Anticarcinogenic properties of medium chain fatty acids on human colorectal, skin and breast cancer cells in vitro.

PubMed

Narayanan, Amoolya; Baskaran, Sangeetha Ananda; Amalaradjou, Mary Anne Roshni; Venkitanarayanan, Kumar

2015-03-05

Colorectal cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer are commonly-reported cancer types in the U.S. Although radiation and chemotherapy are routinely used to treat cancer, they produce side effects in patients. Additionally, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs has been noticed in cancers. Thus, there is a need for effective and safe bioprophylactics and biotherapeutics in cancer therapy. The medicinal value of goat milk has been recognized for centuries and is primarily attributed to three fatty acids, namely capric, caprylic and caproic acids. This research investigates the anticancer property of these fatty acids on human colorectal, skin and mammary gland cancer cells. The cancer cells were treated with various concentrations of fatty acids for 48 h, and cell viability was monitored by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. Additionally, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to elucidate the potential anti-cancer mechanisms of the three fatty acids under investigation. Capric, caprylic and caproic acids reduced cancer cell viability by 70% to 90% (p < 0.05) compared to controls. RT-qPCR data indicated that these natural molecules produced anticancer effects by down-regulating cell cycle regulatory genes and up-regulating genes involved in apoptosis. Future research will validate the anticancer effect of these fatty acids in an appropriate in vivo model.

Natural flora and anticancer regime: milestones and roadmap.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Ira; Thomas, Noel Vinay; Kim, Se-Kwon

2013-07-01

Cancer has long been an area of extensive research both at the molecular as well as pharmaceutical level. However, lack of understanding of the underlying molecular signalling and the probable targets of therapeutics is a major concern in successful treatment of cancer. The situation becomes even worse, with the increasing side effects of the existing synthetic commercial drugs. Natural compounds especially those derived from plants have been best explored for their anticancer properties and most of them have been efficient against the known molecular targets of cancer. However, advent of biotechnology and resulting advances in medical arena have let to the increasing knowledge of newer carcinogenic signaling agents which has made the anticancer drug discovery even more demanding. The present review aims to bring forward the molecular mediators of cancer and compiles the plant derived anticancer agents with special emphasis on their clinical status. Since marine arena has proved to be a tremendous source of pharmaceutical agents, this review also focuses on the anticancer potential of marine plants especially algae. This is a comprehensive review covering major aspects of cancer mediation and utilization of marine flora for remediation of this deadly disease.

New strategies to improve the efficacy of colorectal cancer vaccines: from bench to bedside.

PubMed

Mocellin, Simone

2006-12-01

By exploiting a naturally occurring defense system, anticancer vaccination embodies an ideal non-toxic treatment capable of evoking tumor-specific immune responses that can ultimately recognize and kill colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Despite the enormous theoretical potential of active specific immunotherapy, no vaccination regimen has achieved sufficient therapeutic efficacy necessary for clinical implementation. Nevertheless, several immunological advances have opened new avenues of research to decipher the biological code governing tumor immune responsiveness, and this is leading to the design of potentially more effective immunotherapeutic protocols. This review briefly summarizes the principles behind anti-CRC vaccination and describes the most promising immunological strategies that have been developed, which are expected to renew interest in this molecularly targeted anticancer approach.

Effects of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, EPA and DHA, on hematological malignancies: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Moloudizargari, Milad; Mortaz, Esmaeil; Asghari, Mohammad Hossein; Adcock, Ian M.; Redegeld, Frank A.; Garssen, Johan

2018-01-01

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have well established anti-cancer properties. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are among this biologically active family of macromolecules for which various anti-cancer effects have been explained. These PUFAs have a high safety profile and can induce apoptosis and inhibit growth of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, following a partially selective manner. They also increase the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by increasing the sensitivity of different cell lines to specific anti-neoplastic drugs. Various mechanisms have been proposed for the anti-cancer effects of these omega-3 PUFAs; however, the exact mechanisms still remain unknown. While numerous studies have investigated the effects of DHA and EPA on solid tumors and the responsible mechanisms, there is no consensus regarding the effects and mechanisms of action of these two FAs in hematological malignancies. Here, we performed a systematic review of the beneficial effects of EPA and DHA on hematological cell lines as well as the findings of related in vivo studies and clinical trials. We summarize the key underlying mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of these PUFAs in the treatment of hematological cancers. Differential expression of apoptosis-regulating genes and Glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gp-x4), varying abilities of different cancerous and healthy cells to metabolize EPA into its more active metabolites and to uptake PUFAS are among the major factors that determine the sensitivity of cells to DHA and EPA. Considering the abundance of data on the safety of these FAs and their proven anti-cancer effects in hematological cell lines and the lack of related human studies, further research is warranted to find ways of exploiting the anticancer effects of DHA and EPA in clinical settings both in isolation and in combination with other therapeutic regimens. PMID:29545942

Effects of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, EPA and DHA, on hematological malignancies: a systematic review.

PubMed

Moloudizargari, Milad; Mortaz, Esmaeil; Asghari, Mohammad Hossein; Adcock, Ian M; Redegeld, Frank A; Garssen, Johan

2018-02-20

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have well established anti-cancer properties. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are among this biologically active family of macromolecules for which various anti-cancer effects have been explained. These PUFAs have a high safety profile and can induce apoptosis and inhibit growth of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo , following a partially selective manner. They also increase the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by increasing the sensitivity of different cell lines to specific anti-neoplastic drugs. Various mechanisms have been proposed for the anti-cancer effects of these omega-3 PUFAs; however, the exact mechanisms still remain unknown. While numerous studies have investigated the effects of DHA and EPA on solid tumors and the responsible mechanisms, there is no consensus regarding the effects and mechanisms of action of these two FAs in hematological malignancies. Here, we performed a systematic review of the beneficial effects of EPA and DHA on hematological cell lines as well as the findings of related in vivo studies and clinical trials. We summarize the key underlying mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of these PUFAs in the treatment of hematological cancers. Differential expression of apoptosis-regulating genes and Glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gp-x4), varying abilities of different cancerous and healthy cells to metabolize EPA into its more active metabolites and to uptake PUFAS are among the major factors that determine the sensitivity of cells to DHA and EPA. Considering the abundance of data on the safety of these FAs and their proven anti-cancer effects in hematological cell lines and the lack of related human studies, further research is warranted to find ways of exploiting the anticancer effects of DHA and EPA in clinical settings both in isolation and in combination with other therapeutic regimens.

Glyceollin transport, metabolism, and effects on P-glycoprotein function in Caco-2 cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Glyceollins are phytoalexins produced in soybeans from their isoflavone precursor daidzein. Their impressive anti-cancer and glucose normalization effects in rodents have generated interest in their therapeutic potential. The aim of the present studies was to begin to understand glyceollin intesti...

Targeting autophagy to modulate cell survival: a comparative analysis in cancer, normal and embryonic cells.

PubMed

Divac Rankov, Aleksandra; Ljujić, Mila; Petrić, Marija; Radojković, Dragica; Pešić, Milica; Dinić, Jelena

2017-11-01

Autophagy is linked to multiple cancer-related signaling pathways, and represents a defense mechanism for cancer cells under therapeutic stress. The crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy is essential for both tumorigenesis and embryonic development. We studied the influence of autophagy on cell survival in pro-apoptotic conditions induced by anticancer drugs in three model systems: human cancer cells (NCI-H460, COR-L23 and U87), human normal cells (HaCaT and MRC-5) and zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Autophagy induction with AZD2014 and tamoxifen antagonized the pro-apoptotic effect of chemotherapeutics doxorubicin and cisplatin in cell lines, while autophagy inhibition by wortmannin and chloroquine synergized the action of both anticancer agents. This effect was further verified by assessing cleaved caspase-3 and PARP-1 levels. Autophagy inhibitors significantly increased both apoptotic markers when applied in combination with doxorubicin while autophagy inducers had the opposite effect. In a similar manner, autophagy induction in zebrafish embryos prevented cisplatin-induced apoptosis in the tail region while autophagy inhibition increased cell death in the tail and retina of cisplatin-treated animals. Autophagy modulation with direct inhibitors of the PI3kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway (AZD2014 and wortmannin) triggered the cellular response to anticancer drugs more effectively in NCI-H460 and zebrafish embryonic models compared to HaCaT suggesting that these modulators are selective towards rapidly proliferating cells. Therefore, evaluating the autophagic properties of chemotherapeutics could help determine more accurately the fate of different cell types under treatment. Our study underlines the importance of testing autophagic activity of potential anticancer agents in a comparative approach to develop more rational anticancer therapeutic strategies.

Anticancer activity of bacteriophage T4 and its mutant HAP1 in mouse experimental tumour models.

PubMed

Dabrowska, Krystyna; Opolski, Adam; Wietrzyk, Joanna; Switala-Jelen, Kinga; Godlewska, Joanna; Boratynski, Janusz; Syper, Danuta; Weber-Dabrowska, Beata; Gorski, Andrzej

2004-01-01

Previously, we have shown the ability of the bacteriophage T4 and its substrain HAP1 (selected for a higher affinity to melanoma cells) to reveal antimetastatic activity in a mouse melanoma model. Here, we investigated the potential phage anticancer activity in primary tumour models. Mice were inoculated subcutaneously with B16 or LLC cells (collected from in vitro culture). Bacteriophages T4 and HAP1 were injected intraperitoneally daily (8 x 10(8)pfu/mouse, except the experiment concerning the dose-dependence). Treatment with purified preparations of bacteriophage T4 resulted in significant reduction of tumour size, the effect being dose-dependent. HAP1 was more effective than T4 and its activity was also dose-dependent. Parallel experiments with non-purified bacteriophage lysates resulted in significant stimulation of tumour growth. These data suggest that purified bacteriophages may inhibit tumour growth, a phenomenon with potentially important clinical implications in oncology.

Comparison of drug delivery potentials of surface functionalized cobalt and zinc ferrite nanohybrids for curcumin in to MCF-7 breast cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawant, V. J.; Bamane, S. R.; Shejwal, R. V.; Patil, S. B.

2016-11-01

The functionalization and surface engineering of CoFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were performed by coating with PEG and Chitosan respectively using simple wet co-precipitation. Then multiactive therapeutic drug curcumin was loaded to form drug delivery nanohybrids by precipitation. These nanohybrids were characterized separately using UV-vis, FTIR, PL spectroscopy, XRD, VSM, SEM and TEM analysis. The moderate antibacterial activities of the nanohybrids were elaborated by in vitro antibacterial screening on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The anticancer potentials, apoptotic effects and enhanced drug delivery properties of these nanohybrids were confirmed and compared on MCF-7 cells by in vitro MTT assay. The drug delivery activities for hydrophobic drug and anticancer effects of chitosan coated zinc ferrite functionalized nanoparticles were higher than PEG coated cobalt ferrite nanohybrids.

Concurrent Autophagy Inhibition Overcomes the Resistance of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Human Bladder Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Kang, Minyong; Lee, Kyoung-Hwa; Lee, Hye Sun; Jeong, Chang Wook; Kwak, Cheol; Kim, Hyeon Hoe; Ku, Ja Hyeon

2017-02-04

Despite the potential therapeutic efficacy of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors in the treatment of advanced stage bladder cancer, there currently is no clear evidence to support this hypothesis. In this study, we investigate whether the concurrent treatment of autophagy-blocking agents with EGFR inhibitors exerts synergistic anti-cancer effects in T24 and J82 human bladder cancer cells. Lapatinib and gefitinib were used as EGFR inhibitors, and bafilomycin A1 (BFA1), chloroquine (CQ) and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) were used as the pharmacologic inhibitors of autophagy activities. To assess the proliferative and self-renewal capabilities, the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and a clonogenic assay were performed, respectively. To examine apoptotic cell death, flow cytometry using annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) was used. To measure the autophagy activities, the expression levels of LC3I and II was determined by Western blot analysis. To validate the synergistic effects of autophagy inhibition with EGFR inhibitors, we specifically blocked key autophagy regulatory gene ATG12 by transfection of small interference RNA and examined the phenotypic changes. Of note, lapatinib and gefitinib triggered autophagy activities in T24 and J82 human bladder cancer cells, as indicated by upregulation of LC3II. More importantly, inhibiting autophagy activities with pharmacologic inhibitors (BFA1, CQ or 3-MA) remarkably reduced the cell viabilities and clonal proliferation of T24 and J82 cells, compared to those treated with either of the agents alone. We also obtained similar results of the enhanced anti-cancer effects of EGFR inhibitors by suppressing the expression of ATG12. Notably, the apoptotic assay showed that synergistic anti-cancer effects were induced via the increase of apoptotic cell death. In summary, concomitant inhibition of autophagy activities potentiated the anti-cancer effects of EGFR inhibitors in human bladder cancer cells, indicating a novel therapeutic strategy to treat advanced bladder cancer.

HLBT-100: a highly potent anti-cancer flavanone from Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L.

PubMed

Lowe, Henry I C; Toyang, Ngeh J; Watson, Charah T; Ayeah, Kenneth N; Bryant, Joseph

2017-01-01

The incidence and mortalities from cancers remain on the rise worldwide. Despite significant efforts to discover and develop novel anticancer agents, many cancers remain in the unmet need category. As such, efforts to discover and develop new and more effective and less toxic agents against cancer remain a top global priority. Our drug discovery approach is natural products based with a focus on plants. Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. is one of the plants selected by our research team for further studies based on previous bioactivity findings on the anticancer activity of this plant. The plant biomass was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction technology with CO 2 as the mobile phase. Bioactivity guided isolation was achieved by use of chromatographic technics combined with anti-proliferative assays to determine the active fraction and subsequently the pure compound. Following in house screening, the identified molecule was submitted to the US National Cancer Institute for screening on the NCI60 cell line panel using standard protocols. Effect of HLBT-100 on apoptosis, caspase 3/7, cell cycle and DNA fragmentation were assessed using standard protocols. Antiangiogenic activity was carried out using the ex vivo rat aortic ring assay. A flavonoid of the flavanone class was isolated from T. recurvata (L.) L. with potent anticancer activity. The molecule was code named as HLBT-100 (also referred to as HLBT-001). The compound inhibited brain cancer (U87 MG), breast cancer (MDA-MB231), leukemia (MV4-11), melanoma (A375), and neuroblastoma (IMR-32) with IC 50 concentrations of 0.054, 0.030, 0.024, 0.003 and 0.05 µM, respectively. The molecule also exhibited broad anticancer activity in the NCI60 panel inhibiting especially hematological, colon, CNS, melanoma, ovarian, breast and prostate cancers. Twenty-three of the NCI60 cell lines were inhibited with GI 50 values <0.100 µM. In terms of potential mechanisms of action, the molecule demonstrated effect on the cell cycle as evidenced by the accumulation of cells with 

Gold-Containing Indoles as Anti-Cancer Agents that Potentiate the Cytotoxic Effects of Ionizing Radiation

PubMed Central

Craig, Sandra; Gao, Lei; Lee, Irene; Gray, Thomas; Berdis, Anthony J.

2012-01-01

This report describes the design and application of several distinct gold-containing indoles as anti-cancer agents. When used individually, all gold-bearing compounds display cytostatic effects against leukemia and adherent cancer cell lines. However, two gold-bearing indoles show unique behavior by increasing the cytotoxic effects of clinically relevant levels of ionizing radiation. Quantifying the amount of DNA damage demonstrates that each gold-indole enhances apoptosis by inhibiting DNA repair. Both Au(I)-indoles were tested for inhibitory effects against various cellular targets including thioredoxin reductase, a known target of several gold compounds, and various ATP-dependent kinases. While neither compound significantly inhibits the activity of thioreoxin reductase, both showed inhibitory effects against several kinases associated with cancer initiation and progression. The inhibition of these kinases provides a possible mechanism for the ability of these Au(I)-indoles potentiate the cytotoxic effects of ionizing radiation. Clinical applications of combining Au(I)-indoles with ionizing radiation are discussed as a new strategy to achieve chemosensitization of cancer cells. PMID:22289037

Anticancer activity and mediation of apoptosis in human HL-60 leukaemia cells by edible sea cucumber (Holothuria edulis) extract.

PubMed

Wijesinghe, W A J P; Jeon, You Jin; Ramasamy, Perumal; Wahid, Mohd Effendy A; Vairappan, Charles S

2013-08-15

Sea cucumbers have been a dietary delicacy and important ingredient in Asian traditional medicinal over many centuries. In this study, edible sea cucumber Holothuria edulis was evaluated for its in vitro anticancer potential. An aqueous fraction of the edible sea cucumber (ESC-AQ) has been shown to deliver a strong cytotoxic effect against the human HL-60 leukaemia cell line. An induction effect of apoptotic body formation in response to ESC-AQ treatment was confirmed in HL-60 cells stained with Hoechst 33342 and confirmed via flow cytometry analysis. The up regulation of Bax and caspase-3 protein expression was observed while the expression of Bcl-xL protein was down regulated in ESC-AQ treated HL-60 cells. Due to the profound anticancer activity, ESC-AQ appears to be an economically important biomass fraction that can be exploited in numerous industrial applications as a source of functional ingredients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New arylated benzo[h]quinolines induce anti-cancer activity by oxidative stress-mediated DNA damage.

PubMed

Yadav, Dharmendra K; Rai, Reeta; Kumar, Naresh; Singh, Surjeet; Misra, Sanjeev; Sharma, Praveen; Shaw, Priyanka; Pérez-Sánchez, Horacio; Mancera, Ricardo L; Choi, Eun Ha; Kim, Mi-Hyun; Pratap, Ramendra

2016-12-06

The anti-cancer activity of the benzo[h]quinolines was evaluated on cultured human skin cancer (G361), lung cancer (H460), breast cancer (MCF7) and colon cancer (HCT116) cell lines. The inhibitory effect of these compounds on the cell growth was determined by the MTT assay. The compounds 3e, 3f, 3h and 3j showed potential cytotoxicity against these human cancer cell lines. Effect of active compounds on DNA oxidation and expression of apoptosis related gene was studied. We also developed a quantitative method to measure the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases-2 (CDK2) by western blotting in the presence of active compound. In addition, molecular docking revealed that benzo[h]quinolines can correctly dock into the hydrophobic pocket of the targets receptor protein aromatase and CDK2, while their bioavailability/drug-likeness was predicted to be acceptable but requires future optimization. These findings reveal that benzo[h]quinolines act as anti-cancer agents by inducing oxidative stress-mediated DNA damage.

Evolution in Medicinal Chemistry of Ursolic Acid Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

PubMed Central

Chen, Haijun; Gao, Yu; Wang, Ailan; Zhou, Xiaobin; Zheng, Yunquan; Zhou, Jia

2015-01-01

Currently, there is a renewed interest in common dietaries and plant-based traditional medicines for the prevention and treatment of cancer. In the search for potential anticancer agents from natural sources, ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid widely found in various medicinal herbs and fruits, exhibits powerful biological effects including its attractive anticancer activity against various types of cancer cells. However, the limited solubility, rapid metabolism and poor bioavailability of UA restricted its further clinical applications. In the past decade, with substantial progress toward the development of new chemical entities for the treatment of cancer, numerous UA derivatives have been designed and prepared to overcome its disadvantages. Despite extensive effort, discovery of effective UA derivatives has so far met with only limited success. This review summarizes the current status of the structural diversity and evolution in medicinal chemistry of UA analogues and provides a detailed discussion of future direction for further research in the chemical modifications of UA. PMID:25617694

Could the FDA-approved anti-HIV PR inhibitors be promising anticancer agents? An answer from enhanced docking approach and molecular dynamics analyses.

PubMed

Arodola, Olayide A; Soliman, Mahmoud E S

2015-01-01

Based on experimental data, the anticancer activity of nelfinavir (NFV), a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI), was reported. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of NFV is yet to be verified. It was hypothesized that the anticancer activity of NFV is due to its inhibitory effect on heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a promising target for anticancer therapy. Such findings prompted us to investigate the potential anticancer activity of all other FDA-approved HIV-1 PIs against human Hsp90. To accomplish this, "loop docking" - an enhanced in-house developed molecular docking approach - followed by molecular dynamic simulations and postdynamic analyses were performed to elaborate on the binding mechanism and relative binding affinities of nine FDA-approved HIV-1 PIs against human Hsp90. Due to the lack of the X-ray crystal structure of human Hsp90, homology modeling was performed to create its 3D structure for subsequent simulations. Results showed that NFV has better binding affinity (ΔG =-9.2 kcal/mol) when compared with other PIs: this is in a reasonable accordance with the experimental data (IC50 3.1 μM). Indinavir, saquinavir, and ritonavir have close binding affinity to NFV (ΔG =-9.0, -8.6, and -8.5 kcal/mol, respectively). Per-residue interaction energy decomposition analysis showed that hydrophobic interaction (most importantly with Val534 and Met602) played the most predominant role in drug binding. To further validate the docking outcome, 5 ns molecular dynamic simulations were performed in order to assess the stability of the docked complexes. To our knowledge, this is the first account of detailed computational investigations aimed to investigate the potential anticancer activity and the binding mechanism of the FDA-approved HIV PIs binding to human Hsp90. Information gained from this study should also provide a route map toward the design, optimization, and further experimental investigation of potential derivatives of PIs to treat HER2+ breast cancer.

Redox-Responsive Biomimetic Polymeric Micelle for Simultaneous Anticancer Drug Delivery and Aggregation-Induced Emission Active Imaging.

PubMed

Hu, Jun; Zhuang, Weihua; Ma, Boxuan; Su, Xin; Yu, Tao; Li, Gaocan; Hu, Yanfei; Wang, Yunbing

2018-05-10

Intelligent polymeric micelles have been developed as potential nanoplatforms for efficient drug delivery and diagnosis. Herein, we successfully prepared redox-sensitive polymeric micelles combined aggregation-induced emission (AIE) imaging as an outstanding anticancer drug carrier system for simultaneous chemotherapy and bioimaging. The amphiphilic copolymer TPE-SS-PLAsp- b-PMPC could self-assemble into spherical micelles, and these biomimetic micelles exhibited great biocompatibility and remarkable ability in antiprotein adsorption, showing great potential for biomedical application. Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) could be encapsulated during the self-assembly process, and these drug-loaded micelles showed intelligent drug release and improved antitumor efficacy due to the quick disassembly in response to high levels of glutathione (GSH) in the environment. Moreover, the intracellular DOX release could be traced through the fluorescent imaging of these AIE micelles. As expected, the in vivo antitumor study exhibited that these DOX-carried micelles showed better antitumor efficacy and less adverse effects than that of free DOX. These results strongly indicated that this smart biomimetic micelle system would be a prominent candidate for chemotherapy and bioimaging.

Inhibitory Activity of Iron Chelators ATA and DFO on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells and Phosphatases PTP1B and SHP2.

PubMed

Kuban-Jankowska, Alicja; Sahu, Kamlesh K; Gorska-Ponikowska, Magdalena; Tuszynski, Jack A; Wozniak, Michal

2017-09-01

Rapidly-dividing cancer cells have higher requirement for iron compared to non-transformed cells, making iron chelating a potential anticancer strategy. In the present study we compared the anticancer activity of uncommon iron chelator aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) with the known deferoxamine (DFO). We investigated the impact of ATA and DFO on the viability and proliferation of MCF-7 cancer cells. Moreover we performed enzymatic activity assays and computational analysis of the ATA and DFO effects on pro-oncogenic phosphatases PTP1B and SHP2. ATA and DFO decrease the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells, but only ATA considerably reduces the activity of PTP1B and SHP2 phosphatases. Our studies indicated that ATA strongly inactivates and binds in the PTP1B and SHP2 active site, interacting with arginine residue essential for enzyme activity. We confirmed that iron chelating can be considered as a potential strategy for the adjunctive treatment of breast cancer. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Strategies to enhance the anticancer potential of TNF.

PubMed

Pilati, Pierluigi; Rossi, Carlo Riccardo; Mocellin, Simone

2008-01-01

Although tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antitumor activity is evident in several preclinical models and in non-comparative clinical trials, no evidence exists that TNF-based treatments increase patient survival. Furthermore, due to systemic toxicity, TNF can only be administered via sophisticated drug-delivery systems in patients with solid tumors confined to one extremity or organ. The impossibility to administer TNF systemically does not allow to test the effectiveness of this cytokine in other clinical settings for the treatment of a broader spectrum of tumor types. Dissecting the cascade of molecular events underlying tumor sensitivity to TNF researchers will allow to further exploit the anticancer potential of this molecule. The rational for the development of strategies aimed at sensitizing malignant cells to TNF is to modulate tumor-specific molecular derangements in order to maximize the selectivity of TNF cytotoxicity towards cancer. This would enhance the anticancer activity of current TNF-based locoregional regimens and would pave the way to the systemic administration of this cytokine and thus to a much wider clinical experimentation of TNF in the oncology field.

Anticancer Effects of Sandalwood (Santalum album).

PubMed

Santha, Sreevidya; Dwivedi, Chandradhar

2015-06-01

Effective management of tumorigenesis requires development of better anticancer agents with greater efficacy and fewer side-effects. Natural products are important sources for the development of chemotherapeutic agents and almost 60% of anticancer drugs are of natural origin. α-Santlol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Sandalwood, is known for a variety of therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacterial activities. Cell line and animal studies reported chemopreventive effects of sandalwood oil and α-santalol without causing toxic side-effects. Our laboratory identified its anticancer effects in chemically-induced skin carcinogenesis in CD-1 and SENCAR mice, ultraviolet-B-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice and in vitro models of melanoma, non-melanoma, breast and prostate cancer. Its ability to induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells is its most reported anticancer mechanism of action. The present review discusses studies that support the anticancer effect and the mode of action of sandalwood oil and α-santalol in carcinogenesis. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Marine algal natural products with anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

For their various bioactivities, biomaterials derived from marine algae are important ingredients in many products, such as cosmetics and drugs for treating cancer and other diseases. This mini-review comprehensively compares the bioactivities and biological functions of biomaterials from red, green, brown, and blue-green algae. The anti-oxidative effects and bioactivities of several different crude extracts of algae have been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Natural products derived from marine algae protect cells by modulating the effects of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress plays important roles in inflammatory reactions and in carcinogenesis, marine algal natural products have potential for use in anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs. PMID:23724847

A novel imidazopyridine PI3K inhibitor with anticancer activity in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

PubMed

Lee, Hyunseung; Kim, Soo Jung; Jung, Kyung Hee; Son, Mi Kwon; Yan, Hong Hua; Hong, Sungwoo; Hong, Soon-Sun

2013-08-01

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all cases. Since more than 60% of NSCLC cases express the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used to treat NSCLC. However, due to the acquired resistance associated with EGFR-targeted therapy, other strategies for the treatment of NSCLC are urgently needed. Therefore, we investigated the anticancer effects of a novel phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) inhibitor, HS-173, in human NSCLC cell lines. HS-173 demonstrated anti-proliferative effects in NSCLC cells and effectively inhibited the PI3K signaling pathway in a dose‑dependent manner. In addition, it induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase as well as apoptosis. Taken together, our results demonstrate that HS-173 exhibits anticancer activities, including the induction of apoptosis, by blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in human NSCLC cell lines. We, therefore, suggest that this novel drug could potentially be used for targeted NSCLC therapy.

Aspirin disrupts the mTOR-Raptor complex and potentiates the anti-cancer activities of sorafenib via mTORC1 inhibition.

PubMed

Sun, Danni; Liu, Hongchun; Dai, Xiaoyang; Zheng, Xingling; Yan, Juan; Wei, Rongrui; Fu, Xuhong; Huang, Min; Shen, Aijun; Huang, Xun; Ding, Jian; Geng, Meiyu

2017-10-10

Aspirin is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and delayed progression of malignant disease. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mTOR signaling is believed to partially contribute to these anticancer effects, although the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we revealed the mechanism underlying the effects of aspirin on AMPK-mTOR signaling, and described a mechanism-based rationale for the use of aspirin in cancer therapy. We found that aspirin inhibited mTORC1 signaling through AMPK-dependent and -independent manners. Aspirin inhibited the AMPK-TSC pathway, thus resulting in the suppression of mTORC1 activity. In parallel, it directly disrupted the mTOR-raptor interaction. Additionally, the combination of aspirin and sorafenib showed synergetic effects via inhibiting mTORC1 signaling and the PI3K/AKT, MAPK/ERK pathways. Aspirin and sorafenib showed synergetic anticancer efficacy in the SMMC-7721 model. Our study provides mechanistic insights and a mechanism-based rationale for the roles of aspirin in cancer treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibody Fragments as Potential Biopharmaceuticals for Cancer Therapy: Success and Limitations.

PubMed

Kholodenko, Roman V; Kalinovsky, Daniel V; Doronin, Igor I; Ponomarev, Eugene D; Kholodenko, Irina V

2017-08-17

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an important class of therapeutic agents approved for the therapy of many types of malignancies. However, in certain cases applications of conventional mAbs have several limitations in anticancer immunotherapy. These limitations include insufficient efficacy and adverse effects. The antigen-binding fragments of antibodies have a considerable potential to overcome the disadvantages of conventional mAbs, such as poor penetration into solid tumors and Fc-mediated bystander activation of the immune system. Fragments of antibodies retain antigen specificity and part of functional properties of conventional mAbs and at the same time have much better penetration into the tumors and a greatly reduced level of adverse effects. Recent advantages in antibody engineering allowed to produce different types of antibody fragments with improved structure and properties for efficient elimination of tumor cells. These molecules opened up new perspectives for anticancer therapy. Here we will overview the structural features of the various types of antibody fragments and their applications for anticancer therapy as separate molecules and as part of complex conjugates or structures. Mechanisms of antitumor action of antibody fragments as well as their advantages and disadvantages for clinical application will be discussed in this review. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Hyperforin Suppresses Tumor Growth and NF-κB-mediated Anti-apoptotic and Invasive Potential of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Ting; Chen, Ying-Kai; Lin, Song-Shei; Hsu, Fei-Ting

2018-04-01

Previous studies have indicated that hyperforin inhibits tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the anticancer effects of hyperforin in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are ambiguous. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effect of hyperforin in NSCLC. NSCLC CL1-5-F4 cells were treated with different concentrations of hyperforin or NF-κB inhibitor (QNZ) for different time periods. Change of cell viability, NF-κB activation, apoptotic signaling pathways, expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, and cell invasion were detected using the 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, NF-κB reporter gene assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and cell invasion assay. The results demonstrated that hyperforin significantly promotes extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, and inhibits cell viability and NF-κB activation. In addition, results also indicated that blockage of NF-κB activation reduces the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins and cell invasion in CL1-5-F4 cells. These results suggested hyperforin induces apoptosis and inhibits NF-κB-modulated anti-apoptotic and invasive potential in NSCLC. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Hydrophobically modified polysaccharide-based on polysialic acid nanoparticles as carriers for anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Jung, Bom; Shim, Man-Kyu; Park, Min-Ju; Jang, Eun Hyang; Yoon, Hong Yeol; Kim, Kwangmeyung; Kim, Jong-Ho

2017-03-30

This study presented the development of hydrophobically modified polysialic acid (HPSA) nanoparticles, a novel anticancer drug nanocarrier that increases therapeutic efficacy without causing nonspecific toxicity towards normal cells. HPSA nanoparticles were prepared by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) coupling between N-deacetylated polysialic acid (PSA) and 5β-cholanic acid. The physicochemical characteristics of HPSA nanoparticles (zeta-potential, morphology and size) were measured, and in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of PSA and HPSA nanoparticles were tested in A549 cells. In vivo cancer targeting of HPSA nanoparticles was evaluated by labeling PSA and HPSA nanoparticles with Cy5.5, a near-infrared fluorescent dye, for imaging. HPSA nanoparticles showed improved cancer-targeting ability compared with PSA. Doxorubicin-loaded HPSA (DOX-HPSA) nanoparticles were prepared using a simple dialysis method. An analysis of the in vitro drug-release profile and drug-delivery behavior showed that DOX was effectively released from DOX-HPSA nanoparticles. In vivo cancer therapy with DOX-HPSA nanoparticles in mice showed antitumor effects that resembled those of free DOX. Moreover, DOX-HPSA nanoparticles had low toxicity toward other organs, reflecting their tumor-targeting property. Hence, HPSA nanoparticles are considered a potential nanocarrier for anticancer agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential Effects of Pomegranate Polyphenols in Cancer Prevention and Therapy

PubMed Central

Turrini, Eleonora; Ferruzzi, Lorenzo

2015-01-01

Cancer is the second leading cause of death and is becoming the leading one in old age. Vegetable and fruit consumption is inversely associated with cancer incidence and mortality. Currently, interest in a number of fruits high in polyphenols has been raised due to their reported chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic potential. Pomegranate has been shown to exert anticancer activity, which is generally attributed to its high content of polyphenols. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of known targets and mechanisms along with a critical evaluation of pomegranate polyphenols as future anticancer agents. Pomegranate evokes antiproliferative, anti-invasive, and antimetastatic effects, induces apoptosis through the modulation of Bcl-2 proteins, upregulates p21 and p27, and downregulates cyclin-cdk network. Furthermore, pomegranate blocks the activation of inflammatory pathways including, but not limited to, the NF-κB pathway. The strongest evidence for its anticancer activity comes from studies on prostate cancer. Accordingly, some exploratory clinical studies investigating pomegranate found a trend of efficacy in increasing prostate-specific antigen doubling time in patients with prostate cancer. However, the genotoxicity reported for pomegranate raised certain concerns over its safety and an accurate assessment of the risk/benefit should be performed before suggesting the use of pomegranate or its polyphenols for cancer-related therapeutic purposes. PMID:26180600

Potential Effects of Pomegranate Polyphenols in Cancer Prevention and Therapy.

PubMed

Turrini, Eleonora; Ferruzzi, Lorenzo; Fimognari, Carmela

2015-01-01

Cancer is the second leading cause of death and is becoming the leading one in old age. Vegetable and fruit consumption is inversely associated with cancer incidence and mortality. Currently, interest in a number of fruits high in polyphenols has been raised due to their reported chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic potential. Pomegranate has been shown to exert anticancer activity, which is generally attributed to its high content of polyphenols. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of known targets and mechanisms along with a critical evaluation of pomegranate polyphenols as future anticancer agents. Pomegranate evokes antiproliferative, anti-invasive, and antimetastatic effects, induces apoptosis through the modulation of Bcl-2 proteins, upregulates p21 and p27, and downregulates cyclin-cdk network. Furthermore, pomegranate blocks the activation of inflammatory pathways including, but not limited to, the NF-κB pathway. The strongest evidence for its anticancer activity comes from studies on prostate cancer. Accordingly, some exploratory clinical studies investigating pomegranate found a trend of efficacy in increasing prostate-specific antigen doubling time in patients with prostate cancer. However, the genotoxicity reported for pomegranate raised certain concerns over its safety and an accurate assessment of the risk/benefit should be performed before suggesting the use of pomegranate or its polyphenols for cancer-related therapeutic purposes.

Anticancer Activity of Punica granatum (Pomegranate): A Review.

PubMed

Panth, Nisha; Manandhar, Bikash; Paudel, Keshav Raj

2017-04-01

Cancer is a pathological condition where excessive and abnormal cell growth leads to widespread invasion within the body to affect various organ functions. It is known that chemotherapeutic agents are themselves possible candidate of cancer generation as they can kill normal cells. So, therapeutic approach for cancer treatment and prevention is weighed in terms of benefit to risk ratio. Nowadays, there is an immense interest for the search herbal formulation with cancer preventive effect because of the problems, generated with existing chemotherapeutic regimens. Research interest in fruits rich in polyphenols is increasing because of their anticancer potential. In this review, we highlight the potential health benefits of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit and the underlying mechanism of its inhibition of cancer progression. Pomegranate has demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and anti-invasive effects on various cancer cell line in vitro as well as in vivo animal model or human clinical trial. Although several clinical trials are in progress for identifying the pomegranate as a candidate for various cancer treatment. It is necessary to replicate and validate its therapeutic efficacy by multiple clinical studies in order to formulate pomegranate products as an integral part of the dietary and pharmacological intervention in anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics: a bridge to individualized cancer therapy

PubMed Central

Weng, Liming; Zhang, Li; Peng, Yan; Huang, R Stephanie

2013-01-01

In the past decade, advances in pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics (PGx) have gradually unveiled the genetic basis of interindividual differences in drug responses. A large portion of these advances have been made in the field of anticancer therapy. Currently, the US FDA has updated the package inserts of approximately 30 anticancer agents to include PGx information. Given the complexity of this genetic information (e.g., tumor mutation and gene overexpression, chromosomal translocation and germline variations), as well as the variable level of scientific evidence, the FDA recommendation and potential action needed varies among drugs. In this review, we have highlighted some of these PGx discoveries for their scientific values and utility in improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. Furthermore, examples are also provided for the role of PGx in new anticancer drug development by revealing novel druggable targets. PMID:23394393

Scorpion (Androctonus crassicauda) venom limits growth of transformed cells (SH-SY5Y and MCF-7) by cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest.

PubMed

Zargan, Jamil; Sajad, Mir; Umar, Sadiq; Naime, Mohammad; Ali, Shakir; Khan, Haider A

2011-08-01

The purpose of study was to examine the cytotoxic and anti-cancer properties along with addressing the plausible pathway followed by scorpion venom to reduce cell viability in SH-SY5Y and MCF-7 cells. Following exposure of cells with scorpion venom, cytotoxicity was estimated using MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Apoptotic effects were measured by assessment of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive nitrogen species, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 activity whereas antiproliferative effect was assayed using BrdU incorporation. Our results indicate that scorpion venom causes suppression of proliferation by arresting S-phase and induction of apoptosis through increased nitric oxide production, caspase-3 activity and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane. Induction of apoptosis and arrest of DNA synthesis are critical determinant factors for development of anti cancer drugs. These properties may lead to isolation of effective molecule(s) with potential anticancer activity from scorpion venom of Androctonus crassicauda. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Matrine Induction of ROS Mediated Apoptosis in Human ALL B-lymphocytes Via Mitochondrial Targeting

PubMed Central

Aghvami, Marjan; Ebrahimi, Fatemeh; Zarei, Mohammad Hadi; Salimi, Ahmad; Jaktaji, Razieh Pourahmad; Pourahmad, Jalal

2018-01-01

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most common malignancies among children, characterized by mass production of leukemic blasts. Chemotherapy is the first step in routine treatment, although it may evoke considerable side effects. Matrine, an alkaloid extracted from a Chinese herb, Sophora alopecuroides flavescens Ait, may be protective. Several investigations have indicated pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects in a diverse range of cancer cells. Methods: Matrine’s anti-cancer effects and associated mechanisms were assessed in human ALL B-lymphocytes, focusing on parameters of inflammatory change and apoptosis. Results: Treatment of ALL B-lymphocytes with matrine augmented ROS generation, and caused mitochondrial swelling and a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential. Significant up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 were also noted. Conclusion: Our results suggest that matrine may be a potential anticancer agent. However, additional studies are needed to clarify involved mechanisms. PMID:29481011

A water-soluble extract from cultured medium of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) mycelia attenuates the small intestinal injury induced by anti-cancer drugs

PubMed Central

KASHIMOTO, NAOKI; ISHII, SATOMI; MYOJIN, YUKI; USHIJIMA, MITSUYASU; HAYAMA, MINORU; WATANABE, HIROMITSU

2010-01-01

The present study investigated whether a water-soluble extract from the culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) mycelia (MAK) is able to protect the small intestine against damage induced by anti-cancer drugs. Six-week-old male B6C3F1/Crlj mice were fed a basal diet (MF) alone or with various doses of MAK or Agarics blazei Murrill (AGA) beginning one week before treatment with the anti-cancer drugs. Mice were sacrificed 3.5 days after injection of the anti-cancer drug, the small intestine was removed and tissue specimens were examined for the regeneration of small intestinal crypts. In experiment 1, the number of regenerative crypts after the administration of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) intravenously (250 mg/kg) or intraperitoneally (250 or 500 mg/kg) was compared after treatment with MAK or AGA. MAK protected against 5FU-induced small intestinal injury whereas AGA did not. In experiment 2, we investigated the protective effect of MAK against small intestinal injury induced by the anti-cancer drugs: UFT (tegafur with uracil; 1,000 mg/kg, orally), cisplatin (CDDP; 12.5 and 25 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), cyclophosphamide (CPA; 250 mg/kg, orally) and gefitinib (Iressa; 2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg, orally). UFT and CDDP decreased the number of regenerative crypts, but treatment with MAK attenuated the extent of UFT- or CDDP-induced small intestinal injury. CPA or Iressa plus MAK up-regulated crypt regeneration. The present results indicate that MAK ameliorates the small intestinal injury caused by several anti-cancer drugs, suggesting that MAK is a potential preventive agent against this common adverse effect of chemotherapy. PMID:22966257

Discovery – Targeted Treatments and mTOR Inhibitors

Cancer.gov

Thanks to discovering the anticancer effects of mTOR inhibitors, cancer treatment for pNet, a rare type of pancreatic cancer, were revolutionized. Through clinical trials, NCI continues to investigate the life-saving potential of mTOR inhibitors.

Narciclasine as well as other Amaryllidaceae isocarbostyrils are promising GTP-ase targeting agents against brain cancers.

PubMed

Van Goietsenoven, Gwendoline; Mathieu, Véronique; Lefranc, Florence; Kornienko, Alexander; Evidente, Antonio; Kiss, Robert

2013-03-01

The anticancer activity of Amaryllidaceae isocarbostyrils is well documented. At pharmacological concentrations, that is, approximately 1 μM in vitro and approximately 10 mg/kg in vivo, narciclasine displays marked proapoptotic and cytotoxic activity, as does pancratistatin, and significant in vivo anticancer effects in various experimental models, but it is also associated with severe toxic side effects. At physiological doses, that is, approximately 50 nM in vitro and approximately 1 mg/kg in vivo, narciclasine is not cytotoxic but cytostatic and displays marked anticancer activity in vivo in experimental models of brain cancer (including gliomas and brain metastases), but it is not associated with toxic side effects. The cytostatic activity of narciclasine involves the impairment of actin cytoskeleton organization by targeting GTPases, including RhoA and the elongation factor eEF1A. We have demonstrated that chronic treatments of narciclasine (1 mg/kg) significantly increased the survival of immunodeficient mice orthotopically xenografted with highly invasive human glioblastomas and apoptosis-resistant brain metastases, including melanoma- and non-small-cell-lung cancer- (NSCLC) related brain metastases. Thus, narciclasine is a potentially promising agent for the treatment of primary brain cancers and various brain metastases. To date, efforts to develop synthetic analogs with anticancer properties superior to those of narciclasine have failed; thus, research efforts are now focused on narciclasine prodrugs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trial Watch: Anticancer radioimmunotherapy.

PubMed

Vacchelli, Erika; Vitale, Ilio; Tartour, Eric; Eggermont, Alexander; Sautès-Fridman, Catherine; Galon, Jérôme; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido; Galluzzi, Lorenzo

2013-09-01

Radiotherapy has extensively been employed as a curative or palliative intervention against cancer throughout the last century, with a varying degree of success. For a long time, the antineoplastic activity of X- and γ-rays was entirely ascribed to their capacity of damaging macromolecules, in particular DNA, and hence triggering the (apoptotic) demise of malignant cells. However, accumulating evidence indicates that (at least part of) the clinical potential of radiotherapy stems from cancer cell-extrinsic mechanisms, including the normalization of tumor vasculature as well as short- and long-range bystander effects. Local bystander effects involve either the direct transmission of lethal signals between cells connected by gap junctions or the production of diffusible cytotoxic mediators, including reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and cytokines. Conversely, long-range bystander effects, also known as out-of-field or abscopal effects, presumably reflect the elicitation of tumor-specific adaptive immune responses. Ionizing rays have indeed been shown to promote the immunogenic demise of malignant cells, a process that relies on the spatiotemporally defined emanation of specific damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Thus, irradiation reportedly improves the clinical efficacy of other treatment modalities such as surgery (both in neo-adjuvant and adjuvant settings) or chemotherapy. Moreover, at least under some circumstances, radiotherapy may potentiate anticancer immune responses as elicited by various immunotherapeutic agents, including (but presumably not limited to) immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies, cancer-specific vaccines, dendritic cell-based interventions and Toll-like receptor agonists. Here, we review the rationale of using radiotherapy, alone or combined with immunomodulatory agents, as a means to elicit or boost anticancer immune responses, and present recent clinical trials investigating the therapeutic potential of this approach in cancer patients.

Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 modulates cytotoxic effects of protopanaxadiol on different human cancer cells

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Some of ginsenosides, root extracts from Panax ginseng, exert cytotoxicity against cancer cells through disruption of membrane subdomains called lipid rafts. Protopanaxadiol (PPD) exhibits the highest cytotoxic effect among 8 ginsenosides which we evaluated for anti-cancer activity. We investigated if PPD disrupts lipid rafts in its cytotoxic effects and also the possible mechanisms. Methods Eight ginsenosides were evaluated using different cancer cells and cell viability assays. The potent ginsenoside, PPD was investigated for its roles in lipid raft disruption and downstream pathways to apoptosis of cancer cells. Anti-cancer effects of PPD was also investigated in vivo using mouse xenograft model. Results PPD consistently exerts its potent cytotoxicity in 2 cell survival assays using 5 different cancer cell lines. PPD disrupts lipid rafts in different ways from methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) depleting cholesterol out of the subdomains, since lipid raft proteins were differentially modulated by the saponin. During disruption of lipid rafts, PPD activated neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase 2) hydrolyzing membrane sphingomyelins into pro-apoptotic intracellular ceramides. Furthermore, PPD demonstrated its anti-cancer activities against K562 tumor cells in mouse xenograft model, confirming its potential as an adjunct or chemotherapeutic agent by itself in vivo. Conclusions This study demonstrates that neutral sphingomyelinase 2 is responsible for the cytotoxicity of PPD through production of apoptotic ceramides from membrane sphingomyelins. Thus neutral sphingomyelinase 2 and its relevant mechanisms may potentially be employed in cancer chemotherapies. PMID:23889969

Synthesis, DNA binding ability and anticancer activity of 2-heteroaryl substituted benzimidazoles linked pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine conjugates.

PubMed

Kamal, Ahmed; Pogula, Praveen Kumar; Khan, Mohammed Naseer Ahmed; Seshadri, Bobburi Naga; Sreekanth, Kokkonda

2013-08-01

As a continuation of our efforts to develop the benzimidazole-PBD conjugates as potential anticancer agents, a series of heteroaryl substituted benzimidazole linked PBD conjugates has been synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer potential in 60 human cancer cell lines. Most of the compounds exhibited promising anticancer activity and interestingly, compounds 4c and 4d displayed significant activity in most of the cell lines tested. Whereas, compound 4e showed selectivity in renal cancer cells with GI50 values of <10 and 70 nM against RXF 393 and UO-31 cell lines, respectively. Further, these compounds also showed significant DNA-binding affinity by thermal denaturation study using duplex form of calf thymus (CT) DNA.

Anticancer and enhanced antimicrobial activity of biosynthesizd silver nanoparticles against clinical pathogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajeshkumar, Shanmugam; Malarkodi, Chelladurai; Vanaja, Mahendran; Annadurai, Gurusamy

2016-07-01

The present investigation shows the biosynthesis of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using culture supernatant of Enterococcus sp. and study the effect of enhanced antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and cancer cell lines. Silver nanoparticles was synthesized by adding 1 mM silver nitrate into the 100 ml of 24 h freshly prepared culture supernatant of Enterococcus sp. and were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Selected Area Diffraction X-Ray (SAED), Energy Dispersive X Ray (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infra red Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The synthesized silver nanoparticles were impregnated with commercial antibiotics for evaluation of enhanced antimicrobial activity. Further these synthesized silver nanoparticles were assessed for its anticancer activity against cancer cell lines. In this study crystalline structured nanoparticles with spherical in the size ranges from 10 to 80 nm and it shows excellent enhanced antimicrobial activity than the commercial antibiotics. The in vitro assay of silver nanoparticles on anticancer have great potential to inhibit the cell viability. Amide linkages and carboxylate groups of proteins from Enterococcus sp. may bind with silver ions and convert into nanoparticles. The activities of commercial antibiotics were enhanced by coating silver nanoparticles shows significant improved antimicrobial activity. Silver nanoparticles have the great potential to inhibit the cell viability of liver cancer cells lines (HepG2) and lung cancer cell lines (A549).

Ginsenosides as Anticancer Agents: In vitro and in vivo Activities, Structure–Activity Relationships, and Molecular Mechanisms of Action

PubMed Central

Nag, Subhasree Ashok; Qin, Jiang-Jiang; Wang, Wei; Wang, Ming-Hai; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Ruiwen

2012-01-01

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are often toxic not only to tumor cells but also to normal cells, limiting their therapeutic use in the clinic. Novel natural product anticancer compounds present an attractive alternative to synthetic compounds, based on their favorable safety and efficacy profiles. Several pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the anticancer potential of Panax ginseng, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. The anti-tumor efficacy of ginseng is attributed mainly to the presence of saponins, known as ginsenosides. In this review, we focus on how ginsenosides exert their anticancer effects by modulation of diverse signaling pathways, including regulation of cell proliferation mediators (CDKs and cyclins), growth factors (c-myc, EGFR, and vascular endothelial growth factor), tumor suppressors (p53 and p21), oncogenes (MDM2), cell death mediators (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, XIAP, caspases, and death receptors), inflammatory response molecules (NF-κB and COX-2), and protein kinases (JNK, Akt, and AMP-activated protein kinase). We also discuss the structure–activity relationship of various ginsenosides and their potentials in the treatment of various human cancers. In summary, recent advances in the discovery and evaluation of ginsenosides as cancer therapeutic agents support further pre-clinical and clinical development of these agents for the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors. PMID:22403544

Anti-tumor activities of lipids and lipid analogues and their development as potential anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Murray, Michael; Hraiki, Adam; Bebawy, Mary; Pazderka, Curtis; Rawling, Tristan

2015-06-01

Lipids have the potential for development as anticancer agents. Endogenous membrane lipids, such as ceramides and certain saturated fatty acids, have been found to modulate the viability of tumor cells. In addition, many tumors over-express cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase or cytochrome P450 enzymes that mediate the biotransformation of ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to potent eicosanoid regulators of tumor cell proliferation and cell death. In contrast, several analogous products from the biotransformation of ω-3 PUFAs impair particular tumorigenic pathways. For example, the ω-3 17,18-epoxide of eicosapentaenoic acid activates anti-proliferative and proapoptotic signaling cascades in tumor cells and the lipoxygenase-derived resolvins are effective inhibitors of inflammatory pathways that may drive tumor expansion. However, the development of potential anti-cancer drugs based on these molecules is complex, with in vivo stability a major issue. Nevertheless, recent successes with the antitumor alkyl phospholipids, which are synthetic analogues of naturally-occurring membrane phospholipid esters, have provided the impetus for development of further molecules. The alkyl phospholipids have been tested against a range of cancers and show considerable activity against skin cancers and certain leukemias. Very recently, it has been shown that combination strategies, in which alkyl phospholipids are used in conjunction with established anticancer agents, are promising new therapeutic approaches. In future, the evaluation of new lipid-based molecules in single-agent and combination treatments may also be assessed. This could provide a range of important treatment options in the management of advanced and metastatic cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Curcumin as potential therapeutic natural product: a nanobiotechnological perspective.

PubMed

Shome, Soumitra; Talukdar, Anupam Das; Choudhury, Manabendra Dutta; Bhattacharya, Mrinal Kanti; Upadhyaya, Hrishikesh

2016-12-01

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems can resolve the poor bioavailability issue allied with curcumin. The therapeutic potential of curcumin can be enhanced by making nanocomposite preparation of curcumin with metal oxide nanoparticles, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles and solid lipid nanoparticles that increases its bioavailability in the tissue. Curcumin has manifold therapeutic effects which include antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Curcumin can inhibit diabetes, heavy metal and stress-induced hypertension with its antioxidant, chelating and inhibitory effects on the pathways that lead to hypertension. Curcumin is an anticancer agent that can prevent abnormal cell proliferation. Nanocurcumin is an improved form of curcumin with enhanced therapeutic properties due to improved delivery to the diseased tissue, better internalization and reduced systemic elimination. Curcumin has multiple pharmacologic effects, but its poor bioavailability reduces its therapeutic effects. By conjugating curcumin to metal oxide nanoparticles or encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanogels and polymeric nanoparticles, the water solubility and bioavailability of curcumin can be improved and thus increase its pharmacological effectiveness. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Anti-Cancer Properties of the Naturally Occurring Aphrodisiacs: Icariin and Its Derivatives

PubMed Central

Tan, Hui-Li; Chan, Kok-Gan; Pusparajah, Priyia; Saokaew, Surasak; Duangjai, Acharaporn; Lee, Learn-Han; Goh, Bey-Hing

2016-01-01

Epimedium (family Berberidaceae), commonly known as Horny Goat Weed or Yin Yang Huo, is commonly used as a tonic, aphrodisiac, anti-rheumatic and anti-cancer agent in traditional herbal formulations in Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. The major bioactive compounds present within this plant include icariin, icaritin and icariside II. Although it is best known for its aphrodisiac properties, scientific and pharmacological studies suggest it possesses broad therapeutic capabilities, especially for enhancing reproductive function and osteoprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects. In recent years, there has been great interest in scientific investigation of the purported anti-cancer properties of icariin and its derivatives. Data from in vitro and in vivo studies suggests these compounds demonstrate anti-cancer activity against a wide range of cancer cells which occurs through various mechanisms such as apoptosis, cell cycle modulation, anti-angiogenesis, anti-metastasis and immunomodulation. Of note, they are efficient at targeting cancer stem cells and drug-resistant cancer cells. These are highly desirable properties to be emulated in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs in combatting the emergence of drug resistance and overcoming the limited efficacy of current standard treatment. This review aims to summarize the anti-cancer mechanisms of icariin and its derivatives with reference to the published literature. The currently utilized applications of icariin and its derivatives in cancer treatment are explored with reference to existing patents. Based on the data compiled, icariin and its derivatives are shown to be compounds with tremendous potential for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. PMID:27445824

Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity of mulberry (Morus alba L.) root bark

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Root bark of mulberry (Morus alba L.) has been used in herbal medicine as anti-phlogistic, liver protective, kidney protective, hypotensive, diuretic, anti-cough and analgesic agent. However, the anti-cancer activity and the potential anti-cancer mechanisms of mulberry root bark have not been elucidated. We performed in vitro study to investigate whether mulberry root bark extract (MRBE) shows anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. Methods In anti-inflammatory activity, NO was measured using the griess method. iNOS and proteins regulating NF-κB and ERK1/2 signaling were analyzed by Western blot. In anti-cancer activity, cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Cleaved PARP, ATF3 and cyclin D1 were analyzed by Western blot. Results In anti-inflammatory effect, MRBE blocked NO production via suppressing iNOS over-expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, MRBE inhibited NF-κB activation through p65 nuclear translocation via blocking IκB-α degradation and ERK1/2 activation via its hyper-phosphorylation. In anti-cancer activity, MRBE deos-dependently induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells, SW480. MRBE treatment to SW480 cells activated ATF3 expression and down-regulated cyclin D1 level. We also observed that MRBE-induced ATF3 expression was dependent on ROS and GSK3β. Moreover, MRBE-induced cyclin D1 down-regulation was mediated from cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation, which was dependent on ROS. Conclusions These findings suggest that mulberry root bark exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. PMID:24962785

Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity of mulberry (Morus alba L.) root bark.

PubMed

Eo, Hyun Ji; Park, Jae Ho; Park, Gwang Hun; Lee, Man Hyo; Lee, Jeong Rak; Koo, Jin Suk; Jeong, Jin Boo

2014-06-25

Root bark of mulberry (Morus alba L.) has been used in herbal medicine as anti-phlogistic, liver protective, kidney protective, hypotensive, diuretic, anti-cough and analgesic agent. However, the anti-cancer activity and the potential anti-cancer mechanisms of mulberry root bark have not been elucidated. We performed in vitro study to investigate whether mulberry root bark extract (MRBE) shows anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. In anti-inflammatory activity, NO was measured using the griess method. iNOS and proteins regulating NF-κB and ERK1/2 signaling were analyzed by Western blot. In anti-cancer activity, cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Cleaved PARP, ATF3 and cyclin D1 were analyzed by Western blot. In anti-inflammatory effect, MRBE blocked NO production via suppressing iNOS over-expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, MRBE inhibited NF-κB activation through p65 nuclear translocation via blocking IκB-α degradation and ERK1/2 activation via its hyper-phosphorylation. In anti-cancer activity, MRBE deos-dependently induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells, SW480. MRBE treatment to SW480 cells activated ATF3 expression and down-regulated cyclin D1 level. We also observed that MRBE-induced ATF3 expression was dependent on ROS and GSK3β. Moreover, MRBE-induced cyclin D1 down-regulation was mediated from cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation, which was dependent on ROS. These findings suggest that mulberry root bark exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity.

Pluronic-based micelle encapsulation potentiates myricetin-induced cytotoxicity in human glioblastoma cells

PubMed Central

Tang, Xiang-Jun; Huang, Kuan-Ming; Gui, Hui; Wang, Jun-Jie; Lu, Jun-Ti; Dai, Long-Jun; Zhang, Li; Wang, Gang

2016-01-01

As one of the natural herbal flavonoids, myricetin has attracted much research interest, mainly owing to its remarkable anticancer properties and negligible side effects. It holds great potential to be developed as an ideal anticancer drug through improving its bioavailability. This study was performed to investigate the effects of Pluronic-based micelle encapsulation on myricetin-induced cytotoxicity and the mechanisms underlying its anticancer properties in human glioblastoma cells. Cell viability was assessed using a methylthiazol tetrazolium assay and a real-time cell analyzer. Immunoblotting and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction techniques were used for determining the expression levels of related molecules in protein and mRNA. The results indicated that myricetin-induced cytotoxicity was highly potentiated by the encapsulation of myricetin. Mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was demonstrated to be involved in myricetin-induced glioblastoma cell death. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/PI3K/Akt pathway located in the plasma membrane and cytosol and the RAS-ERK pathway located in mitochondria served as upstream and downstream targets, respectively, in myricetin-induced apoptosis. MiR-21 inhibitors interrupted the expression of EGFR, p-Akt, and K-Ras in the same fashion as myricetin-loaded mixed micelles (MYR-MCs) and miR-21 expression were dose-dependently inhibited by MYR-MCs, indicating the interaction of miR-21 with MYR-MCs. This study provided evidence supportive of further development of MYR-MC formulation for preferentially targeting mitochondria of glioblastoma cells. PMID:27757032

Evaluation of in vitro anticancer activity of 1,8-Cineole-containing n-hexane extract of Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels plant and its apoptotic potential.

PubMed

Sampath, Sowndarya; Veeramani, Vidhya; Krishnakumar, Gopal Shankar; Sivalingam, Udhayakumar; Madurai, Suguna Lakshmi; Chellan, Rose

2017-09-01

Plants are the source of a variety of secondary metabolites, which are often used in the anticancer activity. Discovering new anticancer drug from herbal source is more important in both biological and pharmacological activities. Hence, the objective of this study is to identify the anticancer agent in Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels (CC) for the treatment of cancer. Very recently we have reported an increased antioxidant activity in the ethanolic and methanolic extracts (EE and ME) of CC but significantly reduced activity (rather increased cytotoxicity), in the n-hexane extract (HE). In this study, the cytotoxicity of all the three solvent extracts was tested against A431, MG-63 and HaCaT cell lines by MTT assay. Interestingly HE has showed increased anti-proliferative effect against the cancer cells but was resisted by non-malignant cells. HPLC and GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 1,8-Cineole as a predominant compound in HE, the semi-purified bioactive extract. Henceforth, this would be called HE-C and be used for further analyses to understand its mode of action on induced apoptosis/necrosis. Alamar blue assay of HE-C showed cytotoxicity and change in morphological characteristics, which was confirmed by AO/EB staining using fluorescence microscopy, ultra-structural features of apoptosis using SEM and TEM. HE-C induced cell death was also detected by FACS using FITC-labelled Annexin-V and Propidium iodide. ROS generation was monitored using DCF-DA by flow cytometry. The overall results suggested that the selective extract (HE-C) containing 1,8-Cineole has shown potential anti-cancer activity in a dose-dependent manner, and cell death was induced through ROS-mediated apoptosis. Our findings provide an insight into the potential of 1,8-Cineole as a novel drug for killing cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Self-Assembly of Natural and Synthetic Drug Amphiphiles into Discrete Supramolecular Nanostructures

PubMed Central

Lock, Lye Lin; LaComb, Michelle; Schwarz, Kelly; Cheetham, Andrew G.; Lin, Yi-an; Zhang, Pengcheng

2014-01-01

Molecular assembly provides an effective approach to construct discrete supramolecular nanostructures of various sizes and shapes in a simple manner. One important technological application of the resulting nanostructures is their potential use as anticancer drug carriers to facilitate targeted delivery to tumour sites and consequently to improve clinical outcomes. In this carrier-assisted delivery strategy, anticancer drugs have been almost exclusively considered as the cargo to be carried and delivered, and their potential as molecular building blocks has been largely ignored. In this discussion, we report the use of anticancer drugs as molecular building units to create discrete supramolecular nanostructures that contain a high and quantitative drug loading and also have the potential for self-delivery. We first show the direct assembly of two amphiphilic drug molecules (methotrexate and folic acid) into discrete nanostructures. Our results reveal that folic acid exhibits rich self-assembly behaviours via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding in various solvent conditions, whereas methotrexate was unable to assemble into any well-defined nanostructures under the same conditions, despite its similar chemical structures. Considering the low water solubility of most anticancer drugs, hydrophilic segments must be conjugated to the drug in order to bestow the necessary amphiphilicity. We have demonstrated this for camptothecin through the attachment of β-sheet-forming peptides with overall hydrophilicity. We found that the intermolecular interactions among camptothecin segments and those among β-sheet peptides act together to define the formation of stable one-dimensional nanostructures in dilute solutions, giving rise to nanotubes or nanofibers depending upon the processing conditions used. These results lead us to believe that self-assembly of drugs into discrete nanostructures not only offers an innovative way to craft self-delivering anticancer drugs, but also extends the paradigm of using molecular assembly as a toolbox to achieve functional nanostructures, to a new area which is specifically focused on the direct assembly of functional molecules (e.g. drugs, or imaging agents) into nanostructures of their own. PMID:24611283

Marine Peptides as Anticancer Agents: A Remedy to Mankind by Nature.

PubMed

Negi, Beena; Kumar, Deepak; Rawat, Diwan S

2017-01-01

In the search of bioactive molecules, nature has always been an important source and most of the drugs in clinic are either natural products or derived from natural products. The ocean has played significant role as thousands of molecules and their metabolites with different types of biological activity such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, antioxidant, anti HIV and anticancer activity have been isolated from marine organisms. In particular, marine peptides have attracted much attention due to their high specificity against cancer cell lines that may be attributed to the various unusual amino acid residues and their sequences in the peptide chain. This review aims to identify the various anticancer agents isolated from the marine system and their anticancer potential. We did literature search for the anticancer peptides isolated from the different types of microorganism found in the marine system. Total one eighty eight papers were reviewed concisely and most of the important information from these papers were extracted and kept in the present manuscript. This review gives details about the isolation, anticancer potential and mechanism of action of the anticancer peptides of the marine origin. Many of these molecules such as aplidine, dolastatin 10, didemnin B, kahalalide F, elisidepsin (PM02734) are in clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers. With the interdisciplinary and collaborative research and technical advancements we can search more promising and affordable anticancer drugs in future. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of bortezomib and gefitinib compared to alkylating agents on human glioblastoma cells.

PubMed

Pédeboscq, Stéphane; L'Azou, Béatrice; Passagne, Isabelle; De Giorgi, Francesca; Ichas, François; Pometan, Jean-Paul; Cambar, Jean

2008-01-01

Glioblastoma is a malignant astrocytic tumor with a median survival of about 12 months for which new therapeutic strategies are required. We therefore examined the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs with different mechanisms of action on two human glioblastoma cell lines expressing various levels of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor). Apoptosis induced by these anticancer agents was evaluated by flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity of alkylating drugs followed a dose-effect curve and cytotoxicity index values were lower with carboplatin than with BCNU and temozolomide. Anti-EGFR gefitinib (10 microM) cytotoxicity on DBTRG.05-MG expressing high levels of EGFR was significantly higher than on U87-MG expressing low levels of EGFR. Carboplatin and temozolomide cytotoxicity was potentiated with the addition of gefitinib on DBTRG.05-MG. Among the anticancer agents tested, the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib was the most cytotoxic with very low IC50 on the two cell lines. Moreover, all anticancer drugs tested induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Bortezomib proved to be a more potent inductor of apoptosis than gefitinib and alkylating agents. These results show the efficacy of bortezomib and of the association between conventional chemotherapy and gefitinib on glioblastoma cells and therefore suggest the interest of these molecules in the treatment of glioblastoma.

Curcumin Enhances the Anticancer Effect Of 5-fluorouracil against Gastric Cancer through Down-Regulation of COX-2 and NF- κB Signaling Pathways.

PubMed

Yang, Hongru; Huang, Shaoqiu; Wei, Yumeng; Cao, Shousong; Pi, Chao; Feng, Ting; Liang, Jing; Zhao, Ling; Ren, Guosheng

2017-01-01

Background: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most commonly used first-line anticancer drugs to treat gastric cancer in clinical practice. However, severe adverse events such as gastrointestinal toxicity and bone marrow suppression limit its clinical application. Combination chemotherapy to combine two or more anticancer drugs with different mechanistic action is an effective anticancer strategy against gastric cancer. Therefore, we studied the anticancer effect of the combination of 5-FU with curcumin against gastric cancer MKN45 and AGS cells (normal gastric mucosal GES-1 cells as control) and associated molecular mechanisms. Methods: Cytotoxicity of 5-FU and curcumin alone or in combination was evaluated in MKN45, AGS and GES cells by MTT assay. The protein expressions of COX-2 and NF-κB were evaluated in MKN45 cells by Western blotting analysis. In addition, antitumor activity of 5-FU and curcumin alone or in combination was evaluated in nude mice bearing MKN45 tumor xenografts in vivo . Results: The combination of 5-FU and curcumin (2:1, mol/mol) showed 2.2-, 3.5-fold and 2.3-, 3.9-fold enhanced cytotoxic effect compared to 5-FU or curcumin alone and generated synergistic effect at the concentration of 5-FU (>4.09 and >5.71 μmol/l) and curcumin (>2.05 and > 2.86 μmol/l) in MKN45 cells for 48 h and 72 h exposures, respectively. The combination of 5-FU and curcumin also potentiated cytotoxicity in AGS cells compared to 5-FU or curcumin alone but the effect was moderate. However, the cytotoxicity of 5-FU and curcumin alone or in combination was much less in GES-1 cells. Furthermore, the protein expressions of COX-2 and NF-κB in MKN45 cells were decreased by 44.79% and 37.67%, 47.17% and 48.21%, 60.21% and 62.44%, respectively, after treatment of curcumin (25 μmol/l) and 5-FU (50 μmol/l) alone or in combination for 48 h. Curcumin also enhanced the anticancer activity of 5-FU without increasing toxicity in nude mice bearing MKN45 tumor xenografts in vivo . Conclusions: Curcumin enhances the anticancer effect of 5-FU against gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo . The possible molecular mechanism may be, at least in part, related to down-regulation of COX-2 and NF-κB pathways.

The Key Role of Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway in the Cytotoxic Effect of Mushroom Extracts on Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Han, Mei; Ling, Ming-Tat; Chen, Jiezhong

2015-01-01

Mushroom extracts have been extensively studied for their medicinal effects. They can stimulate immune responses and thus have been explored in cancer treatment. Recently, it has also been shown that some mushroom extracts can produce direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the cytotoxic effect of mushroom extracts in cancer treatment revealed by both in vitro and in vivo studies. We also summarize the current understanding of the mechanisms associated with such an effect with an emphasis on the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. The recent finding that mushroom extracts have direct cytotoxic effects supplements their known immune stimulating effects. Thus, novel anticancer agents based on new findings from mushroom extracts may soon be added to the present pool of anticancer drugs. Specifically, we propose that nanodelivery of the bioactive compounds of mushroom extracts to mitochondria will further increase their potential treatment efficacy.

Magnetic nanoparticle-conjugated polymeric micelles for combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Chul; Kim, Eunjoo; Jeong, Sang Won; Ha, Tae-Lin; Park, Sang-Im; Lee, Se Guen; Lee, Sung Jun; Lee, Seung Woo

2015-10-01

Magnetic nanoparticle-conjugated polymeric micelles (MNP-PMs) consisting of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide) (PEG-PLA) and iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared and used as nanocarriers for combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in MNP-PMs, and an alternating magnetic field (AMF) resulted in an increase to temperature within a suitable range for inducing hyperthermia and a higher rate of drug release than observed without AMF. In vitro cytotoxicity and hyperthermia experiments were carried out using human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. When MNP-PMs encapsulated with an anticancer drug were used to treat A549 cells in combination with hyperthermia under AMF, 78% of the cells were killed by the double effects of heat and the drug, and the combination was more effective than either chemotherapy or hyperthermia treatment alone. Therefore, MNP-PMs encapsulated with an anticancer drug show potential for combined chemotherapy and hyperthermia.Magnetic nanoparticle-conjugated polymeric micelles (MNP-PMs) consisting of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide) (PEG-PLA) and iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared and used as nanocarriers for combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in MNP-PMs, and an alternating magnetic field (AMF) resulted in an increase to temperature within a suitable range for inducing hyperthermia and a higher rate of drug release than observed without AMF. In vitro cytotoxicity and hyperthermia experiments were carried out using human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. When MNP-PMs encapsulated with an anticancer drug were used to treat A549 cells in combination with hyperthermia under AMF, 78% of the cells were killed by the double effects of heat and the drug, and the combination was more effective than either chemotherapy or hyperthermia treatment alone. Therefore, MNP-PMs encapsulated with an anticancer drug show potential for combined chemotherapy and hyperthermia. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04130a

The protein kinase promiscuities in the cancer-preventive mechanisms of NSAIDs

PubMed Central

Norvaisas, Povilas; Chan, Diana; Yokoi, Kenji; Dave, Bhuvanesh

2016-01-01

NSAIDs have been observed to have cancer-preventive properties, but the actual mechanism is elusive. We hypothesize that NSAIDs might have an effect through common pathways and targets of anticancer drugs by exploiting promiscuities of anticancer drug targets. Here, we have explored NSAIDs by their structural and pharmacophoric similarities with small anticancer molecules. In-silico analyses have shown a strong similarity between NSAIDs and protein kinase (PK) inhibitors. The calculated affinities of NSAIDs were found to be lower than the affinities of anticancer drugs, but higher than the affinities of compounds that are not specific to PKs. The competitive inhibition model suggests that PK might be inhibited by around 10%, which was confirmed by biochemical screening of some NSAIDs against PKs. NSAIDs did not affect all PKs universally, but had specificities for certain sets of PKs, which differed according to the NSAID. The study revealed potentially new features and mechanisms of NSAIDs that are useful in explaining their role in cancer prevention, which might lead to clinically significant breakthroughs in the future. PMID:25714784

Marine Cyanobacteria Compounds with Anticancer Properties: A Review on the Implication of Apoptosis

PubMed Central

Costa, Margarida; Costa-Rodrigues, João; Fernandes, Maria Helena; Barros, Piedade; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Martins, Rosário

2012-01-01

Marine cyanobacteria have been considered a rich source of secondary metabolites with potential biotechnological applications, namely in the pharmacological field. Chemically diverse compounds were found to induce cytoxicity, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. The potential of marine cyanobacteria as anticancer agents has however been the most explored and, besides cytotoxicity in tumor cell lines, several compounds have emerged as templates for the development of new anticancer drugs. The mechanisms implicated in the cytotoxicity of marine cyanobacteria compounds in tumor cell lines are still largely overlooked but several studies point to an implication in apoptosis. This association has been related to several apoptotic indicators such as cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative damage, alterations in caspase cascade, alterations in specific proteins levels and alterations in the membrane sodium dynamics. In the present paper a compilation of the described marine cyanobacterial compounds with potential anticancer properties is presented and a review on the implication of apoptosis as the mechanism of cell death is discussed. PMID:23170077

Cancer preventive and curative attributes of plants of the Cactaceae family: a review.

PubMed

Harlev, Eli; Nevo, Eviatar; Solowey, Elaine; Bishayee, Anupam

2013-06-01

The ever-increasing occurrence of cancer and the severe side effects and limited efficacy of current cancer chemotherapy based on chemical drugs shift the attention toward drugs of plant origin. The Cactaceae family comprises more than 1500 species, but until recently only a few of them have been tested for their chemopreventive and anticancer attributes, leaving a wide unexplored area still waiting for researchers to investigate. Considering this fact, and also the promising results obtained with the relatively few plants of this family already tested, it should justly be expected that some plants of the Cactaceae family yet unexplored might possess outstanding anticancer attributes, exceeding those displayed by the plants already tested. This review presents in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence on cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of bioactive phytoconstituents and extracts derived from cactus plants. It also examines the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the antineoplastic effects of plants of the Cactaceae family. Current limitation and future directions of research towards effective use of cacti to develop efficient and side effect-free future cancer-preventive and anticancer drugs are also discussed. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Redox mechanism of levobupivacaine cytostatic effect on human prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Jose, Caroline; Hebert-Chatelain, Etienne; Dias Amoedo, Nivea; Roche, Emmanuel; Obre, Emilie; Lacombe, Didier; Rezvani, Hamid Reza; Pourquier, Philippe; Nouette-Gaulain, Karine; Rossignol, Rodrigue

2018-05-31

Anti-cancer effects of local anesthetics have been reported but the mode of action remains elusive. Here, we examined the bioenergetic and REDOX impact of levobupivacaine on human prostate cancer cells (DU145) and corresponding non-cancer primary human prostate cells (BHP). Levobupivacaine induced a combined inhibition of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells, resulting in a reduced cellular ATP production and consecutive bioenergetic crisis, along with reactive oxygen species generation. The dose-dependent inhibition of respiratory chain complex I activity by levobupivacaine explained the alteration of mitochondrial energy fluxes. Furthermore, the potency of levobupivacaine varied with glucose and oxygen availability as well as the cellular energy demand, in accordance with a bioenergetic anti-cancer mechanism. The levobupivacaine-induced bioenergetic crisis triggered cytostasis in prostate cancer cells as evidenced by a S-phase cell cycle arrest, without apoptosis induction. In DU145 cells, levobupivacaine also triggered the induction of autophagy and blockade of this process potentialized the anti-cancer effect of the local anesthetic. Therefore, our findings provide a better characterization of the REDOX mechanisms underpinning the anti-effect of levobupivacaine against human prostate cancer cells. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of near-infrared fluorescence conjugation on the anti-cancer potential of cetuximab.

PubMed

Yun, Ji Young; Hyun, Byung-Hwa; Nam, Sang Yoon; Yun, Young Won; Lee, Hu-Jang; Lee, Beom-Jun

2018-03-01

This study investigated the anti-cancer potential of a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecule conjugated with Cetuximab (Cetuximab-NIRF) in six-week-old female BALB/c athymic (nu+/nu+) nude mice. A431 cells were cultured and injected into the animals to induce solid tumors. Paclitaxel (30 mg/kg body weight (BW)), Cetuximab (1 mg/kg BW), and Cetuximab-NIRF (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg BW) were intraperitoneally injected twice a week into the A431 cell xenografts of the nude mice. Changes in BW, tumor volume and weight, fat and lean mass, and diameter of the peri-tumoral blood vessel were determined after two weeks. Tumor volumes and weights were significantly decreased in the Cetuximab-NIRF (1 mg/kg BW) group compared with the control group ( P <0.001). Lean mass and total body water content were also conspicuously reduced in the Cetuximab-NIRF (1 mg/kg BW) group compared with the vehicle control group. Peri-tumoral blood vessel diameters were very thin in the Cetuximab-NIRF groups compared with those of the paclitaxel group. These results indicate that the conjugation of Cetuximab with NIRF does not affect the anti-cancer potential of Cetuximab and NIRF can be used for molecular imaging in cancer treatments.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using ethanolic petals extract of Rosa indica and characterization of its antibacterial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities.

PubMed

Manikandan, Ramar; Manikandan, Beulaja; Raman, Thiagarajan; Arunagirinathan, Koodalingam; Prabhu, Narayanan Marimuthu; Jothi Basu, Muthuramalingam; Perumal, Muthulakshmi; Palanisamy, Subramanian; Munusamy, Arumugam

2015-03-05

The present study was aimed at biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using ethanolic extract of rose (Rosa indica) petals and testing their potential antibacterial activity using selective human pathogenic microbes, anticancer activity using human colon adenocarcinoma cancer cell line HCT 15 as well as anti-inflammatory activity using rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The biologically synthesized AgNPs were also characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The characterized AgNPs showed an effective antibacterial activity against Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae) than Gram positive (Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis) bacteria. MTT assay, analysis of nuclear morphology, mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bax and protein expression of caspase 3 as well as 9, indicated potential anticancer activity. In addition, green synthesized AgNPs also attenuated cytotoxicity, nuclear morphology and free radical generation (O2(-) and NO) by rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The results of our study show the potential green synthesis of silver nanoparticles in mitigating their toxicity while retaining their antibacterial activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro, in vivo and in silico analysis of the anticancer and estrogen-like activity of guava leaf extracts.

PubMed

Rizzo, L Y; Longato, G B; Ruiz, A Lt G; Tinti, S V; Possenti, A; Vendramini-Costa, D B; Sartoratto, A; Figueira, G M; Silva, F L N; Eberlin, M N; Souza, T A C B; Murakami, M T; Rizzo, E; Foglio, M A; Kiessling, F; Lammers, T; Carvalho, J E

2014-01-01

Anticancer drug research based on natural compounds enabled the discovery of many drugs currently used in cancer therapy. Here, we report the in vitro, in vivo and in silico anticancer and estrogen-like activity of Psidium guajava L. (guava) extracts and enriched mixture containing the meroterpenes guajadial, psidial A and psiguadial A and B. All samples were evaluated in vitro for anticancer activity against nine human cancer lines: K562 (leukemia), MCF7 (breast), NCI/ADR-RES (resistant ovarian cancer), NCI-H460 (lung), UACC-62 (melanoma), PC-3 (prostate), HT-29 (colon), OVCAR-3 (ovarian) and 786-0 (kidney). Psidium guajava's active compounds displayed similar physicochemical properties to estradiol and tamoxifen, as in silico molecular docking studies demonstrated that they fit into the estrogen receptors (ERs). The meroterpene-enriched fraction was also evaluated in vivo in a Solid Ehrlich murine breast adenocarcinoma model, and showed to be highly effective in inhibiting tumor growth, also demonstrating uterus increase in comparison to negative controls. The ability of guajadial, psidial A and psiguadials A and B to reduce tumor growth and stimulate uterus proliferation, as well as their in silico docking similarity to tamoxifen, suggest that these compounds may act as Selective Estrogen Receptors Modulators (SERMs), therefore holding significant potential for anticancer therapy.

The cancer preventive effects of edible mushrooms.

PubMed

Xu, Tongtong; Beelman, Robert B; Lambert, Joshua D

2012-12-01

An increasing body of scientific literature suggests that dietary components may exert cancer preventive effects. Tea, soy, cruciferous vegetables and other foods have been investigated for their cancer preventive potential. Some non-edible mushrooms like Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) have a history use, both alone and in conjunction with standard therapies, for the treatment of various diseases including cancer in some cultures. They have shown efficacy in a number of scientific studies. By comparison, the potential cancer preventive effects of edible mushrooms have been less well-studied. With similar content of putative effective anticancer compounds such as polysaccharides, proteoglycans, steroids, etc., one might predict that edible mushrooms would also demonstrate anticancer and cancer preventive activity. In this review, available data for five commonly-consumed edible mushrooms: button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), A. blazei, oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms is discussed. The results of animal model and human intervention studies, as well as supporting in vitro mechanistic studies are critically evaluated. Weaknesses in the current data and topics for future work are highlighted.

Oxidative stress-induced protein damage inhibits DNA repair and determines mutation risk and anticancer drug effectiveness

PubMed Central

McAdam, Elizabeth; Brem, Reto; Karran, Peter

2016-01-01

The relationship between sun exposure and non-melanoma skin cancer risk is well established. Solar ultraviolet radiation (UV; wavelengths 280-400 nm) is firmly implicated in skin cancer development. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) protects against cancer by removing potentially mutagenic DNA lesions induced by UVB (280-320 nm). How the 20-fold more abundant UVA (320-400 mn) component of solar UV radiation increases skin cancer risk is not understood. We demonstrate here that the contribution of UVA to the effects of UV radiation on cultured human cells is largely independent of its ability to damage DNA. Instead, the effects of UVA reflect the induction of oxidative stress that causes extensive protein oxidation. Because NER proteins are among those damaged, UVA irradiation inhibits NER and increases the cells’ susceptibility to mutation by UVB. NER inhibition is a common consequence of oxidative stress. Exposure to chemical oxidants, treatment with drugs that deplete cellular antioxidants, and interventions that interfere with glucose metabolism to disrupt the supply of cellular reducing power all inhibit NER. Tumor cells are often in a condition of oxidative stress and one effect of the NER inhibition that results from stress-induced protein oxidation is an increased sensitivity to the anticancer drug cisplatin. Statement of implication: Since NER is both a defence against cancer a significant determinant of cell survival after treatment with anticancer drugs, its attenuation by protein damage under conditions of oxidative-stress has implications for both cancer risk and for the effectiveness of anticancer therapy. PMID:27106867

Design, synthesis and molecular modeling studies of novel thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asati, Vivek; Bharti, Sanjay Kumar

2018-02-01

A series of novel thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives 4a-x have been designed, synthesized and evaluated for potential anti-cancer activity. The anti-cancer activity of synthesized compounds 4a-x were evaluated against selected human cancer cell line of breast (MCF-7) using sulforhodamine B (SRB) method. Among the synthesized compounds, 4x having 2-cyano phenyl group showed significant cytotoxic activity which is comparable to that of adriamycin as standard anti-cancer drug. The SAR study revealed that the substituted phenyl group on oxadiazole ring attached to thiazolidine-2,4-dione moiety showed significant growth inhibitory activity against MCF-7 cell line. The result of molecular modeling studies showed that compounds 4f, 4o and 4x having similar structural alignment as crystal ligand of protein.

Autophagy-mediated degradation of IAPs and c-FLIP L potentiates apoptosis induced by combination of TRAIL and Chal-24

DOE PAGES

Xu, Jennings; Xu, Xiuling; Shi, Shaoqing; ...

2015-11-02

Combination chemotherapy is an effective strategy for increasing anticancer efficacy, reducing side effects and alleviating drug resistance. In this paper, we report that combination of the recently identified novel chalcone derivative, chalcone-24 (Chal-24), and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) significantly increases cytotoxicity in lung cancer cells. Chal-24 treatment significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3, and the cytotoxicity induced by combination of these agents was effectively suppressed by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. Chal-24 and TRAIL combination suppressed expression of cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein large (c-FLIPL) and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (c-IAPs), and ectopic expression of c-FLIPL andmore » c-IAPs inhibited the potentiated cytotoxicity. In addition, TRAIL and Chal-24 cooperatively activated autophagy. Suppression of autophagy effectively attenuated cytotoxicity induced by Chal-24 and TRAIL combination, which was associated with attenuation of c-FLIPL and c-IAPs degradation. In conclusion, these results suggest that Chal-24 potentiates the anticancer activity of TRAIL through autophagy-mediated degradation of c-FLIPL and c-IAPs, and that combination of Chal-24 and TRAIL could be an effective approach in improving chemotherapy efficacy.« less

Polyamidoamine dendrimer conjugated chitosan nanoparticles for the delivery of methotrexate.

PubMed

Leng, Zhen-Hua; Zhuang, Qian-Fen; Li, Yan-Chao; He, Zeng; Chen, Zhao; Huang, Sai-Peng; Jia, Hong-Ying; Zhou, Jian-Wei; Liu, Yang; Du, Li-Bo

2013-10-15

Encapsulating anticancer drugs to synthetic polymer is a promising approach to improve the efficiency and reduce the side effects of anticancer drugs. In this study, novel chitosan derivatives with polyamidoamine moieties (CS-PAMAM) were synthesized and characterized by morphology, particle size, and zeta potential. Then the anticancer drug-methotrexate-encapsulated CS-PAMAM was prepared by hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions. The drug release assay showed that the amount of the methotrexate release from CS-PAMAM was pH depended. Meanwhile, the cell viability assay illustrated that CS-PAMAM was suitable for the drug delivery because of its low cytotoxicity on cells. Moreover, our results showed that the CS-PAMAM could significantly improve the cytotoxicity of free methotrexate on A549 cells. These results demonstrate that CS-PAMAM may provide a suitable platform for the water-insoluble drug delivery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticancer activity and anti-inflammatory studies of 5-aryl-1,4-benzodiazepine derivatives.

PubMed

Sandra, Cortez-Maya; Eduardo, Cortes Cortes; Simon, Hernandez-Ortega; Teresa, Ramirez Apan; Antonio, Nieto Camacho; Lijanova, Irina V; Marcos, Martinez-Garcia

2012-07-01

A series of 5-aryl-1,4-benzodiazepines with chloro- or fluoro-substituents in the second ring have been synthesized and their anti-inflammatory, myeloperoxidase and anticancer properties studied. The synthesized compounds showed potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, which were enhanced in the presence of a chloro-substituent in the second ring of the 5-aryl-1,4- benzodiazepine.

Organotin(IV) Carboxylates as Promising Potential Drug Candidates in the Field of Cancer Chemotherapy.

PubMed

Sirajuddin, Muhammad; Ali, Saqib

2016-01-01

Medicinal inorganic chemistry plays an important role in exploring the properties of metal ions for the designing of new drugs. The field has been stimulated by the success of cis-platin, the world best selling anticancer drug and platinum complexes with reduced toxicity, oral activity and activity against resistant tumors are currently on clinical trial. The use of cis-platin is, however, severely limited by its toxic side-effects. This has stimulated chemists to employ different strategies in the development of new metal-based anticancer agents with different mechanisms of action. The discovery of new non-covalent interactions with the classical target, DNA, was the first developing step in the treatment of cancer. The use of organometallic compounds as a medicine is very common now a days because it offers potential advantages over the more common organic-based drugs. In this article we have highlighted the anticancer activity of the organotin(IV) carboxylates published in the last few years (from 2008 to 2016). In most cases they present lower IC50 values than those of cisplatin, which indicates their high activity against the cancer cell lines. The summarized data reveal that every year new organotin(IV) carboxylate complexes are synthesized with the aim of new anticancer agent with much better results than the than the corresponding activity of cis-platin or other clinically approved drugs. In addition to the advantages of high activity, compared to the platinum compound, tin complexes are much cheaper. Thus by using organotin carboxylate for clinical medicine, cost reduction, dosage reduction and effect enhancement will be reached. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Baicalein inhibits breast cancer growth via activating a novel isoform of the long noncoding RNA PAX8-AS1-N.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaolan; Cao, Yong; Tang, Li; Yang, Yingcheng; Chen, Feng; Xia, Jiyi

2018-04-25

Baicalein, a natural flavonoid, has fascinating anti-cancer properties in breast cancer. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcripts with no protein-coding potential, also exhibit critical roles in breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating the anti-cancer properties of baicalein and whether lncRNAs are involved in the anti-cancer effects are still unclear. In this study, we identified a novel isoform of lncRNA PAX8-AS1 (PAX8-AS1-N), which is activated by baicalein in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Functional assays showed that PAX8-AS1-N reduced cell viability, inhibited cell-cycle progression, and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells in vitro. Depletion of PAX8-AS1-N promoted breast xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, depletion of PAX8-AS1-N attenuated the suppressive roles of baicalein on cell viability, the apoptosis induced by baicalein, and also the suppressive roles of baicalein on tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, PAX8-AS1-N bound to miR-17-5p, and up-regulated miR-17-5p targets, such as PTEN, CDKN1A, and ZBTB4. In addition, PAX8-AS1-N was down-regulated in breast cancer and reduced expression of PAX8-AS1-N indicated poor survival of breast cancer patients. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that PAX8-AS1-N activation mediated the anti-cancer effects of baicalein via regulating miR-17-5p, and suggested that baicalein and enhancing PAX8-AS1-N would be potential therapeutic strategies against breast cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sensitivity of endometrial cancer cells from primary human tumor samples to new potential anticancer peptide lactaptin.

PubMed

Koval, Olga A; Sakaeva, Galiya R; Fomin, Alexander S; Nushtaeva, Anna A; Semenov, Dmitry V; Kuligina, Elena V; Gulyaeva, Ludmila F; Gerasimov, Alexey V; Richter, Vladimir A

2015-01-01

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecologic malignancy which is associated with a poor prognosis when diagnosed at an advanced stage; therefore, the discovery of efficacious new drugs is required to reinforce conventional chemotherapy. Short-term cultures of primary cells from endometrial tumors could be used for testing new anticancer therapeutics as well as for the development of personalized cancer therapy strategy. Here, the antitumor effect of a recombinant analogue of lactaptin (RL2), a new potential anticancer molecule, was examined against primary human endometrial cancer cells. Primary cell cultures of malignant and normal human endometrium were performed by enzymatic digestion of endometrial tissue from biopsy material. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) state of estrogen (ERs) and progesterone (PRs) hormone receptors and aromatase (Cyp 19) in cell cultures. Dynamic monitoring of cell adhesion and proliferation was made using the iCELLigence system (ASEA Biosciences). The sensitivity of cell cultures to conventional anticancer drugs and the lactaptin analog was estimated by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, and the iCELLligence system. Established short-term primary cultures of endometrial cancer cells were ERα/ERβ/PR-positive and sensitive for RL2. The IC 50 values of doxorubicin and cisplatin were determined for all of the primary cultures designed. KE normal cells displaying low Cyp19 mRNA levels and high ERβ and PR mRNA levels were more resistant to RL2 treatment as well as to cisplatin and doxorubicin. Our results indicate that the recombinant analog of lactaptin, RL2, exerts cytotoxic effects against primary hormone-dependent endometrial tumor cells in vitro with features of apoptosis.

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 with hemin alleviates cisplatin-induced reproductive toxicity in male rats and enhances its cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cell line.

PubMed

Heeba, Gehan Hussein; Hamza, Alaaeldin Ahmed; Hassanin, Soha Osama

2016-12-15

Cisplatin-induced testicular damage is a major obstacle in the application of cisplatin as chemotherapeutic agent. However, it remains as one of the most widely employed anticancer agents in treating various solid tumors including prostate cancer. Since heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a cytoprotective enzyme with anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, we investigated the effects of up-regulation of HO-1 by hemin and its inhibition by zinc protoporphyrin-IX (ZnPP) on cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity in adult rats. Furthermore, the anticancer effect of hemin and ZnPP, with and without cisplatin, was evaluated on human prostate cancer cell line, PC3. Results of the animal study showed that hemin reversed cisplatin-induced perturbations in sperm characteristics, normalized serum testosterone level, and ameliorated cisplatin-induced alterations in testicular and epididymal weights, and restored normal testicular architecture. Moreover, hemin increased the expression and activity of HO-1 protein and prevented cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity by virtue of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This effect was evidenced by amelioration of testicular oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, reduced glutathione contents, and catalase activity) and inflammatory mediators (tumor necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide synthase expressions). In contrast, administration of ZnPP (HO-1 inhibitor) did not show significant improvement against cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity. Finally, in vitro analyses showed that, hemin augmented the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin, while ZnPP inhibited its apoptotic effect in PC3 cells. In conclusion, the induction of HO-1 represents a potential therapeutic approach to protect the testicular tissue from the detrimental effects of cisplatin without repressing, but rather augmenting, its cytotoxic effects on PC3 cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The anti-cancer agent guttiferone-A permeabilizes mitochondrial membrane: Ensuing energetic and oxidative stress implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pardo-Andreu, Gilberto L., E-mail: gilbertopardo@infomed.sld.cu; Departamento de Fisica e Quimica, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Cafe s/n, 14040-903 Ribeirao Preto, SP; Nunez-Figueredo, Yanier

Guttiferone-A (GA) is a natural occurring polyisoprenylated benzophenone with cytotoxic action in vitro and anti-tumor action in rodent models. We addressed a potential involvement of mitochondria in GA toxicity (1-25 {mu}M) toward cancer cells by employing both hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) cells and succinate-energized mitochondria, isolated from rat liver. In HepG2 cells GA decreased viability, dissipated mitochondrial membrane potential, depleted ATP and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. In isolated rat-liver mitochondria GA promoted membrane fluidity increase, cyclosporine A/EGTA-insensitive membrane permeabilization, uncoupling (membrane potential dissipation/state 4 respiration rate increase), Ca{sup 2+} efflux, ATP depletion, NAD(P)H depletion/oxidation and ROS levels increase. Allmore » effects in cells, except mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, as well as NADPH depletion/oxidation and permeabilization in isolated mitochondria, were partly prevented by the a NAD(P)H regenerating substrate isocitrate. The results suggest the following sequence of events: 1) GA interaction with mitochondrial membrane promoting its permeabilization; 2) mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation; 3) NAD(P)H oxidation/depletion due to inability of membrane potential-sensitive NADP{sup +} transhydrogenase of sustaining its reduced state; 4) ROS accumulation inside mitochondria and cells; 5) additional mitochondrial membrane permeabilization due to ROS; and 6) ATP depletion. These GA actions are potentially implicated in the well-documented anti-cancer property of GA/structure related compounds. - Graphical abstract: Guttiferone-A permeabilizes mitochondrial membrane and induces cancer cell death Display Omitted Highlights: > We addressed the involvement of mitochondria in guttiferone (GA) toxicity toward cancer cells. > GA promoted membrane permeabilization, membrane potential dissipation, NAD(P)H depletion, ROS accumulation and ATP depletion. > These actions could be implicated in the well-documented anti-cancer property of GA/structure related compounds.« less

Role of AMPK signaling in mediating the anticancer effects of silibinin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Li, Jin; Li, Bin; Xu, Wen Wen; Chan, Kwok Wah; Guan, Xin Yuan; Qin, Yan Ru; Lee, Nikki Pui Yue; Chan, Kin Tak; Law, Simon; Tsao, Sai Wah; Cheung, Annie Lm

2016-01-01

Emerging evidence suggests that activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may suppress cancer growth. Identification of novel AMPK activators is therefore crucial to exploit AMPK as a potential target for cancer prevention and treatment. We determined the expression status and role of AMPK in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and investigated whether silibinin, a nontoxic natural product, could activate AMPK to inhibit ESCC development. Our results from 49 pairs of human ESCC and normal tissues showed that AMPK was constitutively inactive in the majority (69.4%) of ESCC. We found that silibinin induced apoptosis, and inhibited ESCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo without any adverse effects. Silibinin also markedly suppressed the invasive potential of ESCC cells in vitro and their ability to form lung metastasis in nude mice. The anticancer effects of silibinin were abrogated by the presence of compound C or shRNA against AMPK. More importantly, silibinin enhanced the sensitivity of ESCC cells and tumors to the chemotherapeutic drugs, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. This preclinical study supports that AMPK is a valid therapeutic target and suggests that silibinin may be a potentially useful therapeutic agent and chemosensitizer for esophageal cancer.

Can Some Marine-Derived Fungal Metabolites Become Actual Anticancer Agents?

PubMed Central

Gomes, Nelson G. M.; Lefranc, Florence; Kijjoa, Anake; Kiss, Robert

2015-01-01

Marine fungi are known to produce structurally unique secondary metabolites, and more than 1000 marine fungal-derived metabolites have already been reported. Despite the absence of marine fungal-derived metabolites in the current clinical pipeline, dozens of them have been classified as potential chemotherapy candidates because of their anticancer activity. Over the last decade, several comprehensive reviews have covered the potential anticancer activity of marine fungal-derived metabolites. However, these reviews consider the term “cytotoxicity” to be synonymous with “anticancer agent”, which is not actually true. Indeed, a cytotoxic compound is by definition a poisonous compound. To become a potential anticancer agent, a cytotoxic compound must at least display (i) selectivity between normal and cancer cells (ii) activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells; and (iii) a preferentially non-apoptotic cell death mechanism, as it is now well known that a high proportion of cancer cells that resist chemotherapy are in fact apoptosis-resistant cancer cells against which pro-apoptotic drugs have more than limited efficacy. The present review thus focuses on the cytotoxic marine fungal-derived metabolites whose ability to kill cancer cells has been reported in the literature. Particular attention is paid to the compounds that kill cancer cells through non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms. PMID:26090846

Can Some Marine-Derived Fungal Metabolites Become Actual Anticancer Agents?

PubMed

Gomes, Nelson G M; Lefranc, Florence; Kijjoa, Anake; Kiss, Robert

2015-06-19

Marine fungi are known to produce structurally unique secondary metabolites, and more than 1000 marine fungal-derived metabolites have already been reported. Despite the absence of marine fungal-derived metabolites in the current clinical pipeline, dozens of them have been classified as potential chemotherapy candidates because of their anticancer activity. Over the last decade, several comprehensive reviews have covered the potential anticancer activity of marine fungal-derived metabolites. However, these reviews consider the term "cytotoxicity" to be synonymous with "anticancer agent", which is not actually true. Indeed, a cytotoxic compound is by definition a poisonous compound. To become a potential anticancer agent, a cytotoxic compound must at least display (i) selectivity between normal and cancer cells (ii) activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells; and (iii) a preferentially non-apoptotic cell death mechanism, as it is now well known that a high proportion of cancer cells that resist chemotherapy are in fact apoptosis-resistant cancer cells against which pro-apoptotic drugs have more than limited efficacy. The present review thus focuses on the cytotoxic marine fungal-derived metabolites whose ability to kill cancer cells has been reported in the literature. Particular attention is paid to the compounds that kill cancer cells through non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms.

Anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities of plant extracts used against hematological tumors in traditional medicine of Jordan.

PubMed

Assaf, Areej M; Haddadin, Randa N; Aldouri, Nedhal A; Alabbassi, Reem; Mashallah, Sundus; Mohammad, Mohammad; Bustanji, Yasser

2013-02-13

Mercurialis annua L., Bongardia chrysogonum L., and Viscum cruciatum Sieb have been traditionally used by local herbalists in Jordan for the treatment of hematopoietic neoplasms. To determine the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial potentials of the three extracts against two of the most common hematopoietic malignancies in the Jordanian populations; Burkitt's lymphoma and Multiple myeloma. The anti-cancer activity was tested against the two cell lines (BJAB Burkitt's lymphoma and U266 multiple myeloma) using the MTT and trypan blue assays. The agar dilution assay was used to study the anti-microbial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, anaerobic bacteria and yeast. The pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured in the pretreated cell lines using ELISA assay to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of Viscum cruciatum Sieb against the two cell lines. The results show no evidence of stimulation of tumor growth by any of the three extracts comprising cell lines from hematological malignancies, but Viscum cruciatum Sieb showed a selective anticancer activity against BJAB cells, with IC(50) value of 14.21μg/ml. The antimicrobial effect was only noticed with Viscum cruciatum extract by inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Propionibacterium acne, but not Pseudomonas aeruginosa at MIC of 1.25, 1.25, 0.625 and <5mg/ml, respectively. The highest activity was against the anaerobic bacteria Propionibacterium acne. Viscum cruciatum Sieb extract showed an inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8, but it increased TNF-α and IL-1β secretions in BJAB cells. Whereas, it had an inhibitory effect on TNF-α and IL-1β cytokines while it enhanced IL-8 secretions in U266 cells. Among the three tested herbal extracts used in the traditional medicine in Jordan, only Viscum cruciatum Sieb showed high anti-cancer and anti-microbial potentials. They also had an anti-inflammatory effect. These observations raise the prospects of using Viscum cruciatum Sieb for treatment of diseases associated with some bacterial and fungal infections, for imbalanced cytokine production and for enhancing cancer and other immunotherapies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

PUMA mediates the anti-cancer effect of osimertinib in colon cancer cells.

PubMed

Guo, Lingchuan; Huang, Shan; Wang, Xinwei

2017-01-01

Osimertinib, an irreversible EGFR/HER2 inhibitor, has been found to be effective in the cancer cell with EGFR gene mutations in preclinical lung cancer models. However, the effect of osimertinib in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells is unclear. In the present study, we investigated how osimertinib suppresses CRC cells growth and potentiates effects of other chemotherapeutic drugs. We found that p73-mediated osimertinib-induced p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) expression irrespective of p53 status following PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition in CRC cells. Furthermore, PUMA is required for osimertinib-induced apoptosis. In addition, osimertinib also synergized with 5-FU to induce significant apoptosis via PUMA in CRC cells. These results demonstrated a critical role of PUMA in mediating the anticancer effects of osimertinib and suggest that PUMA induction can be used as an indicator of osimertinib sensitivity.

PUMA mediates the anti-cancer effect of osimertinib in colon cancer cells

PubMed Central

Wang, Xinwei

2017-01-01

Osimertinib, an irreversible EGFR/HER2 inhibitor, has been found to be effective in the cancer cell with EGFR gene mutations in preclinical lung cancer models. However, the effect of osimertinib in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells is unclear. In the present study, we investigated how osimertinib suppresses CRC cells growth and potentiates effects of other chemotherapeutic drugs. We found that p73-mediated osimertinib-induced p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) expression irrespective of p53 status following PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition in CRC cells. Furthermore, PUMA is required for osimertinib-induced apoptosis. In addition, osimertinib also synergized with 5-FU to induce significant apoptosis via PUMA in CRC cells. These results demonstrated a critical role of PUMA in mediating the anticancer effects of osimertinib and suggest that PUMA induction can be used as an indicator of osimertinib sensitivity. PMID:29138581

Anticancer agents derived from natural cinnamic acids.

PubMed

Su, Ping; Shi, Yaling; Wang, Jinfeng; Shen, Xiuxiu; Zhang, Jie

2015-01-01

Cancer is the most dangerous disease that causes deaths all over the world. Natural products have afforded a rich source of drugs in a number of therapeutic fields including anticancer agents. Many significant drugs have been derived from natural sources by structural optimization of natural products. Cinnamic acid has gained great interest due to its antiproliferative, antioxidant, antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic potency. Currently it has been observed that cinnamic acid and its analogs such as caffeic acid, sinapic acid, ferulic acid, and isoferulic acid display various pharmacological activities, such as immunomodulation, anti-inflammation, anticancer and antioxidant. They have served to be the major sources of potential leading anticancer compounds. In this review, we focus on the anticancer potency of cinnamic acid derivatives and novel strategies to design these derivatives. We hope this review will be useful for researchers who are interested in developing anticancer agents.

Gallic Acid Induces Apoptosis in Human Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells.

PubMed

Tsai, Chung-Lin; Chiu, Ying-Ming; Ho, Tin-Yun; Hsieh, Chin-Tung; Shieh, Dong-Chen; Lee, Yi-Ju; Tsay, Gregory J; Wu, Yi-Ying

2018-04-01

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers with a poor prognosis and high mortality rate worldwide. Current treatment of gastric cancer includes surgery and chemotherapy as the main modalities, but the potentially severe side-effects of chemotherapy present a considerable challenge. Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid found to exert an anticancer effect against a variety of cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-cancer activity of Galla chinensis and its main component gallic acid on human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. MTT assay and cell death ELISA were used to determine the apoptotic effect of Gallic Chinensis and gallic acid on human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. To determine the pathway and relevant components by which gallic acid-induced apoptosis is mediated through, cells were transfected with siRNA (Fas, FasL, DR5, p53) using Lipofectamine 2000. Reults: Gallic Chinensis and gallic acid induced apoptosis of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Gallic acid induced up-regulation of Fas, FasL, and DR5 expression in AGS cells. Transfection of cells with Fas, FasL, or DR5 siRNA reduced gallic acid-induced cell death. In addition, p53 was shown to be involved in gallic acid-mediated Fas, FasL, and DR5 expression as well as cell apoptosis in AGS cells. These results suggest that gallic acid has a potential role in the treatment of gastric cancer. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Resveratrol analogue, HS-1793, induces apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest through downregulation of AKT in human colon cancer cells.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Hwan; Kim, Min Jeong; Sung, Bokyung; Suh, Hongsuk; Jung, Jee H; Chung, Hae Young; Kim, Nam Deuk

2017-01-01

Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound, is a naturally occurring phytochemical and is found in a variety of plants, including grapes, berries and peanuts. It has gained much attention for its potential anticancer activity against various types of human cancer. However, the usefulness of resveratrol as a chemotherapeutic agent is limited by its photosensitivity and metabolic instability. In this study the effects of a synthetic analogue of resveratrol, HS-1793, on the proliferation and apoptotic cell death were investigated using HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Although this compound has been reported to have anticancer activities in several human cancer cell lines, the therapeutic effects of HS-1793 on human colon cancer and its mechanisms of action have not been extensively studied. HS-1793 inhibited cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent fashion. Induction of apoptosis was determined by morphological changes, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, alteration of Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio, and caspase activations. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that HS-1793 induced G2/M arrest in the cell cycle progression in HCT116 cells. Furthermore, HS-1793 showed more potent anticancer effects in several aspects than resveratrol in HCT116 cells. In addition, HS-1793 suppressed Akt and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt inhibitor LY294002 was found to enhance its induction of apoptosis. Thus, these findings suggest that HS-1793 have potential as a candidate chemotherapeutic agent against human colon cancer.

Caspase-mediated pro-apoptotic interaction of panaxadiol and irinotecan in human colorectal cancer cells.

PubMed

Du, Guang-Jian; Wang, Chong-Zhi; Zhang, Zhi-Yu; Wen, Xiao-Dong; Somogyi, Jacqueline; Calway, Tyler; He, Tong-Chuan; Du, Wei; Yuan, Chun-Su

2012-05-01

Panaxadiol is a purified sapogenin of ginseng saponins that exhibits anticancer activity. Irinotecan is a second-line anticancer drug, but clinical treatment with irinotecan is limited due to its side effects. In this study, we have investigated the possible synergistic anticancer effects of panaxadiol and irinotecan on human colorectal cancer cells and explored the potential role of apoptosis in their synergistic activity. The combination of panaxadiol and irinotecan significantly enhanced antiproliferative effects in HCT-116 cells (P< 0.05). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that combining irinotecan treatment with panaxadiol significantly increased the G1-phase fractions of cells, compared with irinotecan treatment alone. In apoptotic assays, the combination of panaxadiol and irinotecan significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells compared with irinotecan alone (P<0.01). Increased activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 was observed after treating with panaxadiol and irinotecan. The synergistic apoptotic effects were supported by docking analysis, which demonstrated that panaxadiol and irinotecan bound two different chains of the caspase-3 protein. Data from this study suggested that caspase-3- and caspase-9-mediated apoptosis may play an important role in the panaxadiol enhanced antiproliferative effects of irinotecan on human colorectal cancer cells. © 2012 The Authors. JPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Lipopolysaccharide based oral nanocarriers for the improvement of bioavailability and anticancer efficacy of curcumin.

PubMed

Chaurasia, Sundeep; Patel, Ravi R; Chaubey, Pramila; Kumar, Nagendra; Khan, Gayasuddin; Mishra, Brahmeshwar

2015-10-05

Soluthin MD(®), a unique phosphatidylcholine-maltodextrin based hydrophilic lipopolysaccharide, which exhibits superior biocompatibility and bioavailability enhancer properties for poorly water soluble drug(s). Curcumin (CUR) is a potential natural anticancer drug with low bioavailability due to poor aqueous solubility. The study aims at formulation and optimization of CUR loaded lipopolysaccharide nanocarriers (C-LPNCs) to enhance oral bioavailability and anticancer efficacy in colon-26 tumor-bearing mice in vitro and in vivo. The Optimized C-LPNCs demonstrated favorable mean particle size (108 ± 3.4 nm) and percent entrapment efficiency (65.29 ± 1.0%). Pharmacokinetic parameters revealed ∼130-fold increase in oral bioavailability and cytotoxicity studies demonstrated ∼23-fold reduction in 50% cell growth inhibition when treated with optimized C-LPNCs as compared to pure CUR. In vivo anticancer study performed with optimized C-LPNCs showed significant increase in efficacy compared with pure CUR. Thus, lipopolysaccharide nanocarriers show potential delivery strategy to improve oral bioavailability and anticancer efficacy of CUR in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Curcumin inhibits growth potential by G1 cell cycle arrest and induces apoptosis in p53-mutated COLO 320DM human colon adenocarcinoma cells.

PubMed

Dasiram, Jade Dhananjay; Ganesan, Ramamoorthi; Kannan, Janani; Kotteeswaran, Venkatesan; Sivalingam, Nageswaran

2017-02-01

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound and it is isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, have been reported to possess anticancer effect against stage I and II colon cancer. However, the effect of curcumin on colon cancer at Dukes' type C metastatic stage III remains still unclear. In the present study, we have investigated the anticancer effects of curcumin on p53 mutated COLO 320DM human colon adenocarcinoma cells derived from Dukes' type C metastatic stage. The cellular viability and proliferation were assessed by trypan blue exclusion assay and MTT assay, respectively. The cytotoxicity effect was examined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by DNA fragmentation analysis, Hoechst and propidium iodide double fluorescent staining and confocal microscopy analysis. Cell cycle distribution was performed by flow cytometry analysis. Here we have observed that curcumin treatment significantly inhibited the cellular viability and proliferation potential of p53 mutated COLO 320DM cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, curcumin treatment showed no cytotoxic effects to the COLO 320DM cells. DNA fragmentation analysis, Hoechst and propidium iodide double fluorescent staining and confocal microscopy analysis revealed that curcumin treatment induced apoptosis in COLO 320DM cells. Furthermore, curcumin caused cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, decreased the cell population in the S phase and induced apoptosis in COLO 320DM colon adenocarcinoma cells. Together, these data suggest that curcumin exerts anticancer effects and induces apoptosis in p53 mutated COLO 320DM human colon adenocarcinoma cells derived from Dukes' type C metastatic stage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effects of culture medium compositions on antidiabetic activity and anticancer activity of marine endophitic bacteria isolated from sponge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryani, Faiza; Mulyani, Hani; Artanti, Nina; Udin, Linar Zalinar; Dewi, Rizna Triana; Hanafi, Muhammad; Murniasih, Tutik

2017-01-01

High diversity of Indonesia marine spesies and their ability in producing secondary metabolite that can be used as a drug candidate cause this fascinating topic need to explore. Most of marine organisms explored to discover drug is macroorganism whereas microorganism (such as Indonesia marine bacteria) is very limited. Therefore, in this report, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from Sponges's extract have been studied. Bacteria strain 8.9 which are collection of Research Center for Oseanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences were from Barrang Lompo Island, Makasar, Indonesia. Bacteria were cultured in different culture medium compositions (such as: different pH, source of glucose and water) for 48 hours on a shaker, then they were extracted with ethyl asetate. Extracts of bacteria were tested by DPPH method (antioxidant activity), alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity method (antidiabetic activity), and Alamar Blue assay (anticancer activity) at 200 ppm. According to result, extract of bacteria in pH 8.0 exhibited the greatest antioxidant (19.27% inhibition), antidiabetic (63.95% inhibition) and anticancer activity of T47D cell line (44.62% cell viability) compared to other extracts. However, effect of addition of sugar sources (such as: glucose, sucrose, and soluble starch) and effect of addition of water/sea water exhibited less influence on their bioactivities. In conclusion, Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from sponge have potential a source of bioactive compound in drug discovery field.

The Anticancer Agent Chaetocin Is a Competitive Substrate and Inhibitor of Thioredoxin Reductase

PubMed Central

Tibodeau, Jennifer D.; Benson, Linda M.; Isham, Crescent R.; Owen, Whyte G.

2009-01-01

Abstract We recently reported that the antineoplastic thiodioxopiperazine natural product chaetocin potently induces cellular oxidative stress, thus selectively killing cancer cells. In pursuit of underlying molecular mechanisms, we now report that chaetocin is a competitive and selective substrate for the oxidative stress mitigation enzyme thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) with lower Km than the TrxR1 native substrate thioredoxin (Trx; chaetocin Km = 4.6 ± 0.6 μM, Trx Km = 104.7 ± 26 μM), thereby attenuating reduction of the critical downstream ROS remediation substrate Trx at achieved intracellular concentrations. Consistent with a role for TrxR1 targeting in the anticancer effects of chaetocin, overexpression of the TrxR1 downstream effector Trx in HeLa cells conferred resistance to chaetocin-induced, but not to doxorubicin-induced, cytotoxicity. As the TrxR/Trx pathway is of central importance in limiting cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)—and as chaetocin exerts its selective anticancer effects via ROS imposition—the inhibition of TrxR1 by chaetocin has potential to explain its selective anticancer effects. These observations have important implications not just with regard to the mechanism of action and clinical development of chaetocin and related thiodioxopiperazines, but also with regard to the utility of molecular targets within the thioredoxin reductase/thioredoxin pathway in the development of novel candidate antineoplastic agents. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 11, 1097–1106. PMID:18999987

Physicochemical investigations of biogenic chitosan-silver nanocomposite as antimicrobial and anticancer agent.

PubMed

Arjunan, Nithya; Kumari, Henry Linda Jeeva; Singaravelu, Chandra Mohan; Kandasamy, Ruckmani; Kandasamy, Jothivenkatachalam

2016-11-01

Chitosan (CS), a seaweed polysaccharide is a natural macromolecule which is widely being used in medical applications because of its distinctive antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Silver, a noble metal, is also receiving wide attention for its potential usage in antimicrobial and anticancer therapeutics. In this study, an effective way of reduction of silver using chitosan at varying reaction temperatures and an optimised concentration of silver were performed. The optical, structural, spectral, morphological and elemental studies of the biosynthesized chitosan-silver (CS-Ag) nanocomposites were characterized by several techniques. The synthesized CS-Ag nanocomposites exhibit particle size around 20nm and were further exploited for potent biological applications in nanomedicine due to their nanometric sizes and biocompatibility of chitosan. The antimicrobial activity of the biosynthesized CS-Ag nanocomposites exhibits zone of inhibition ranged between 09.666±0.577 and 19.000±1.000 (mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were from 8 to 128μgmL -1 and 16 to 256μgmL -1 respectively, with the highest antimicrobial activity shown against Gram-negative Salmonella sp. The synergistic effect of chitosan and silver as a composite in nanometric size revealed significant IC 50 value of 29.35μgmL -1 and a maximum of 95.56% inhibition at 100μgmL -1 against A549 lung cancer cell line, resulting in potent anticancer effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Anti-Cancer Effect of Polyphenols against Breast Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells: Molecular Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Abdal Dayem, Ahmed; Choi, Hye Yeon; Yang, Gwang-Mo; Kim, Kyeongseok; Saha, Subbroto Kumar; Cho, Ssang-Goo

2016-01-01

The high incidence of breast cancer in developed and developing countries, and its correlation to cancer-related deaths, has prompted concerned scientists to discover novel alternatives to deal with this challenge. In this review, we will provide a brief overview of polyphenol structures and classifications, as well as on the carcinogenic process. The biology of breast cancer cells will also be discussed. The molecular mechanisms involved in the anti-cancer activities of numerous polyphenols, against a wide range of breast cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo, will be explained in detail. The interplay between autophagy and apoptosis in the anti-cancer activity of polyphenols will also be highlighted. In addition, the potential of polyphenols to target cancer stem cells (CSCs) via various mechanisms will be explained. Recently, the use of natural products as chemotherapeutics and chemopreventive drugs to overcome the side effects and resistance that arise from using chemical-based agents has garnered the attention of the scientific community. Polyphenol research is considered a promising field in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. PMID:27657126

Phytochemicals as Anticancer and Chemopreventive Topoisomerase II Poisons

PubMed Central

Ketron, Adam C.

2013-01-01

Phytochemicals are a rich source of anticancer drugs and chemopreventive agents. Several of these chemicals appear to exert at least some of their effects through interactions with topoisomerase II, an essential enzyme that regulates DNA supercoiling and removes knots and tangles from the genome. Topoisomerase II-active phytochemicals function by stabilizing covalent protein-cleaved DNA complexes that are intermediates in the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. As a result, these compounds convert topoisomerase II to a cellular toxin that fragments the genome. Because of their mode of action, they are referred to as topoisomerase II poisons as opposed to catalytic inhibitors. The first sections of this article discuss DNA topology, the catalytic cycle of topoisomerase II, and the two mechanisms (interfacial vs. covalent) by which different classes of topoisomerase II poisons alter enzyme activity. Subsequent sections discuss the effects of several phytochemicals on the type II enzyme, including demethyl-epipodophyllotoxins (semisynthetic anticancer drugs) as well as flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, catechins, isothiocyanates, and curcumin (dietary chemopreventive agents). Finally, the leukemogenic potential of topoisomerase II-targeted phytochemicals is described. PMID:24678287

Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of chamomile extract in various human cancer cells.

PubMed

Srivastava, Janmejai K; Gupta, Sanjay

2007-11-14

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), a popular herb valued for centuries as a traditional medicine, has been used to treat various human ailments; however, its anticancer activity is unknown. We evaluated the anticancer properties of aqueous and methanolic extracts of chamomile against various human cancer cell lines. Exposure of chamomile extracts caused minimal growth inhibitory responses in normal cells, whereas a significant decrease in cell viability was observed in various human cancer cell lines. Chamomile exposure resulted in differential apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells at similar doses. HPLC analysis of chamomile extract confirmed apigenin 7-O-glucoside as the major constituent of chamomile; some minor glycoside components were also observed. Apigenin glucosides inhibited cancer cell growth but to a lesser extent than the parent aglycone, apigenin. Ex vivo experiments suggest that deconjugation of glycosides occurs in vivo to produce aglycone, especially in the small intestine. This study represents the first reported demonstration of the anticancer effects of chamomile. Further investigations of the mechanism of action of chamomile are warranted in evaluating the potential usefulness of this herbal remedy in the management of cancer patients.

Electrochemical Detection of Anti-Breast-Cancer Agents in Human Serum by Cytochrome P450-Coated Carbon Nanotubes

PubMed Central

Baj-Rossi, Camilla; De Micheli, Giovanni; Carrara, Sandro

2012-01-01

We report on the electrochemical detection of anti-cancer drugs in human serum with sensitivity values in the range of 8–925 nA/μM. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with three different cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP3A4). A model used to effectively describe the cytochrome P450 deposition onto carbon nanotubes was confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations. Voltammetric measurements were performed in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) as well as in human serum, giving well-defined current responses upon addition of increasing concentrations of anti-cancer drugs. The results assert the capability to measure concentration of drugs in the pharmacological ranges in human serum. Another important result is the possibility to detect pairs of drugs present in the same sample, which is highly required in case of therapies with high side-effects risk and in anti-cancer pharmacological treatments based on mixtures of different drugs. Our technology holds potentials for inexpensive multi-panel drug-monitoring in personalized therapy. PMID:22778656

An Aqueous Extract of Marine Microalgae Exhibits Antimetastatic Activity through Preferential Killing of Suspended Cancer Cells and Anticolony Forming Activity

PubMed Central

Somasekharan, Syam Prakash; El-Naggar, Amal; Sorensen, Poul H.

2016-01-01

Research on marine natural products as potential anticancer agents is still limited. In the present study, an aqueous extract of a Canadian marine microalgal preparation was assessed for anticancer activities using various assays and cell lines of human cancers, including lung, prostate, stomach, breast, and pancreatic cancers, as well as an osteosarcoma. In vitro, the microalgal extract exhibited marked anticolony forming activity. In addition, it was more toxic, as indicated by increased apoptosis, to nonadherent cells (grown in suspension) than to adherent cells. In vivo, an antimetastatic effect of the extract was observed in NOD-SCID mice carrying subrenal capsule xenografts of PC3 prostate cancer cells. The results of the present study suggest that the antimetastatic effect of the aqueous microalgal extract is based on inhibition of colony forming ability of cancer cells and the preferential killing of suspended cancer cells. Further research aimed at identification of the molecular basis of the anticancer activities of the microalgal extract appears to be warranted. PMID:27656243

Paris saponin-induced autophagy promotes breast cancer cell apoptosis via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

PubMed

Xie, Zhan-Zhi; Li, Man-Mei; Deng, Peng-Fei; Wang, Sheng; Wang, Lei; Lu, Xue-Ping; Hu, Liu-Bing; Chen, Zui; Jie, Hui-Yang; Wang, Yi-Fei; Liu, Xiao-Xiao; Liu, Zhong

2017-02-25

Paris saponins possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects. However, the anticancer effect of Paris saponins has not been well elucidated and the mechanisms underlying the potential function of Paris saponins in cancer therapy are needed to be further identify. In this study, we report that saponin compounds isolated from Paris polyphylla exhibited antitumor activity against breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Paris saponin XA-2 induced apoptosis in both cell lines, as evidenced by the activation of caspases and cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. The ability of XA-2 to induce autophagy was confirmed by acridine orange staining, accumulation of autophagosome-bound Long chain 3 (LC3)-II, and measurement of autophagic flux. XA-2-induced autophagy was observed to promote apoptosis by the combined treatment of breast cancer cell lines with XA-2 and autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine and bafilomycin A1, respectively. Moreover, we report a decrease in the levels of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway proteins, such as the phosphorylated forms of Akt, mTOR, P70S6K, and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1). Taken together, these results provide important insights explaining the anticancer activity of Paris saponins and the potential development of XA-2 as a new therapeutic agent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anticancer activity of flavonoids isolated from Achyrocline satureioides in gliomas cell lines.

PubMed

Souza, Priscila Oliveira de; Bianchi, Sara Elis; Figueiró, Fabrício; Heimfarth, Luana; Moresco, Karla Suzana; Gonçalves, Rosângela Mayer; Hoppe, Juliana Bender; Klein, Caroline Peres; Salbego, Christianne Gazzana; Gelain, Daniel Pens; Bassani, Valquíria Linck; Zanotto Filho, Alfeu; Moreira, José Claudio Fonseca

2018-05-04

Achyrocline satureioides, popularly known as "marcela", is a medicinal plant found in South America. This plant is rich in flavonoids, which have been reported to exert numerous biological activities. The aim of this study was to purify, identify and evaluate the mechanisms underlining anticancer activity of A. satureioides flavonoids in glioma cell lines (U87, U251 and C6) as well as their comparative toxicity in normal brain cells (primary astrocytes, neurons and organotypic hippocampal cultures). The main flavonoids present in A. satureioides are luteolin, quercetin, 3-O-methyl-quercetin and achyrobichalcone, the later a very unique metabolite present in this plant. Isolated flavonoids as well as A. satureioides extracts reduced proliferation and clonogenic survival, and induced apoptosis of glioma cell lines. In addition, A. satureioides flavonoids potentiated the cytotoxic effect and apoptosis induction by the glioma chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ). Importantly, A. satureioides flavonoids were less cytotoxic to astrocytes, neuron:astrocytes co-cultures and hippocampal cultures if compared to gliomas. Investigation of 10 cancer-related pathways showed a reduced activation of MYC and the Map kinases ERK and JNK by A. satureioides flavonoid-enriched extract, an effect not observed when individual flavonoids were evaluated. Altogether, the herein presented results show that A. satureioides extract possesses a combination of flavonoids, some unique for this plant, which have synergistic anticancer activity and potential for further studies in vivo. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Benzothiazole Derivative (5g) Induces DNA Damage And Potent G2/M Arrest In Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Hegde, Mahesh; Vartak, Supriya V; Kavitha, Chandagirikoppal V; Ananda, Hanumappa; Prasanna, Doddakunche S; Gopalakrishnan, Vidya; Choudhary, Bibha; Rangappa, Kanchugarakoppal S; Raghavan, Sathees C

2017-05-31

Chemically synthesized small molecules play important role in anticancer therapy. Several chemical compounds have been reported to damage the DNA, either directly or indirectly slowing down the cancer cell progression by causing a cell cycle arrest. Direct or indirect reactive oxygen species formation causes DNA damage leading to cell cycle arrest and subsequent cell death. Therefore, identification of chemically synthesized compounds with anticancer potential is important. Here we investigate the effect of benzothiazole derivative (5g) for its ability to inhibit cell proliferation in different cancer models. Interestingly, 5g interfered with cell proliferation in both, cell lines and tumor cells leading to significant G2/M arrest. 5g treatment resulted in elevated levels of ROS and subsequently, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) explaining observed G2/M arrest. Consistently, we observed deregulation of many cell cycle associated proteins such as CDK1, BCL2 and their phosphorylated form, CyclinB1, CDC25c etc. Besides, 5g treatment led to decreased levels of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of apoptosis. Interestingly, 5g administration inhibited tumor growth in mice without significant side effects. Thus, our study identifies 5g as a potent biochemical inhibitor to induce G2/M phase arrest of the cell cycle, and demonstrates its anticancer properties both ex vivo and in vivo.

Flavonoids from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger induces caspase-dependent apoptosis at least partly through activation of p38 MAPK pathway in U937 human leukemic cells.

PubMed

Lee, Won Sup; Yun, Jeong Won; Nagappan, Arulkumar; Jung, Ji Hyun; Yi, Sang Mi; Kim, Dong Hoon; Kim, Hye Jung; Kim, GonSup; Ryu, Chung Ho; Shin, Sung Chul; Hong, Soon Chan; Choi, Yung Hyun; Jung, Jin-Myung

2015-01-01

Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (A. Berger) is commonly used as a folk remedy for cancer therapy. However, the mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity are poorly investigated in human cancer cells. In this study, we investigated whether flavonoids extracted from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (FEOJ) might have anticancer effects in human leukemia cells, focusing on cell death mechanisms. U937 human leukemic cancer cells were used. FEOJ induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in human U937 cancer cells. Flow cytometry revealed significant accumulation of cells with sub-G1 DNA content at the concentrations of 200 μg/mL and 400 μg/mL. FEOJ-induced apoptosis was caspase-dependent through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) in human U937 cancer cells, which might be associated with suppression of Bcl-2 and XIAP proteins. FEOJ induced the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, playing at least in part an important role in FEOJ-induced apoptosis. This study suggested that FEOJ may induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in human leukemic cells by regulating MMP (ΔΨm) through suppressing Bcl-2 and X-IAP. In addition, the results indicated that upstream p38 MAPK signaling regulates the apoptotic effect of FEOJ. This study provides evidence that FEOJ might have anti-cancer potential for human leukemic cells.

Momordica charantia Extract Induces Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells through Caspase- and Mitochondria-Dependent Pathways

PubMed Central

Li, Chia-Jung; Tsang, Shih-Fang; Tsai, Chun-Hao; Tsai, Hsin-Yi; Chyuan, Jong-Ho; Hsu, Hsue-Yin

2012-01-01

Plants are an invaluable source of potential new anti-cancer drugs. Momordica charantia is one of these plants with both edible and medical value and reported to exhibit anticancer activity. To explore the potential effectiveness of Momordica charantia, methanol extract of Momordica charantia (MCME) was used to evaluate the cytotoxic activity on four human cancer cell lines, Hone-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells, HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells, and CL1-0 lung adenocarcinoma cells, in this study. MCME showed cytotoxic activity towards all cancer cells tested, with the approximate IC50 ranging from 0.25 to 0.35 mg/mL at 24 h. MCME induced cell death was found to be time-dependent in these cells. Apoptosis was demonstrated by DAPI staining and DNA fragmentation analysis using agarose gel electrophoresis. MCME activated caspase-3 and enhanced the cleavage of downstream DFF45 and PARP, subsequently leading to DNA fragmentation and nuclear condensation. The apoptogenic protein, Bax, was increased, whereas Bcl-2 was decreased after treating for 24 h in all cancer cells, indicating the involvement of mitochondrial pathway in MCME-induced cell death. These findings indicate that MCME has cytotoxic effects on human cancer cells and exhibits promising anti-cancer activity by triggering apoptosis through the regulation of caspases and mitochondria. PMID:23091557

Impact of natural resources and research on cancer treatment and prevention: A perspective from Cameroon.

PubMed

Orang-Ojong, Barnabas Bessem; Munyangaju, Jose Edward; Wei, Ma Shang; Lin, Miao; Wei, Fan Guan; Foukunang, Charles; Zhu, Yan

2013-07-01

Cancer is a significant public health concern and treatment poses a problem and is frequently unsuccessful. As such, continuous efforts in the search for new agents and therapies to improve survival are required. A considerable number of plant extracts and isolated compounds possess significant anti-proliferative or pro-apoptotic effects. The majority of biologically active compounds belong to terpenoids, phenolics and alkaloids. Terpenoid plants such as Hypericum lanceolatum and a few alkaloid plants have been found to be potent anti-parasitic agents but have exhibited poor antimicrobial effects. The screening of medicinal plants for anticancer drugs has provided modern medicine with effective cytotoxic pharmaceuticals. Numerous medicinal plants have traditionally been used for the treatment of various ailments. However, a number of these medicinal plants have not been standardized and their mechanisms of actions are generally unknown. Active drug discovery research using local medicinal plants is ongoing. Some of these plant-derived compounds, including 3,39-dimethoxy-49- O -β-d-xylopyronosylellagic acid, have been tested for their potential use as anticancer agents. This review discussed the scope and possibility of natural products as anticancer remedy.

Newer cytotoxic agents: attacking cancer broadly.

PubMed

Teicher, Beverly A

2008-03-15

The plasticity and instability of the cancer genome is impressive and is characterized by gene amplifications and deletions, rearrangements, and many silent and active mutations. Although targeted therapeutics have had effect in some diseases, there remains a large role for new cytotoxic agents that have the potential to be broadly active across multiple cancers. Platinum-based regimens are the basis for treatment of several common tumors. Satraplatin and picoplatin are newer platinum complexes that form bulkier lesions in DNA than their forerunners. Microtubules are a key target for anticancer agents. Vinca alkaloid and similar compounds fragment these critical structures, whereas taxanes stabilize them. Vinflunine is a new fluorinated Vinca alkaloid derivative with vascular disrupting effects, as well as antitumor effects. Epothilones are a new class of microtubule stabilizers. Mitosis has been targeted directly and indirectly by many anticancer agents. The aurora kinases are new targets in this class. Inhibitors of aurora kinases are likely to be cytotoxic. Finally, protein regulation is essential for cellular integrity. With the approval of bortezomib (Velcade, PS-341), the proteosome, a master protein regulator, has been validated as an anticancer target. The five articles in this issue of CCR Focus present the current status of these next generation cytotoxic agents.

Injectable visible light-cured glycol chitosan hydrogels with controlled release of anticancer drugs for local cancer therapy in vivo: a feasible study.

PubMed

Hyun, Hoon; Park, Min Ho; Lim, Wonbong; Kim, So Yeon; Jo, Danbi; Jung, Jin Seok; Jo, Gayoung; Um, Sewook; Lee, Deok-Won; Yang, Dae Hyeok

2018-05-11

Currently available chemotherapy is associated with serious side effects, and therefore novel drug delivery systems (DDSs) are required to specifically deliver anticancer drugs to targeted sites. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of visible light-cured glycol chitosan (GC) hydrogels with controlled release of doxorubicin⋅hydrochloride (DOX⋅HCl) as local DDSs for effective cancer therapy in vivo. The storage modulus of the hydrogel precursor solutions was increased as a function of visible light irradiation time. In addition, the swelling ratio of the hydrogel irradiated for 10 s (GC 10 /DOX) was greater than in 60 s (GC 60 /DOX). In vitro release test showed that DOX was rapidly released in GC 10 /DOX compared with GC 60 /DOX due to the density of cross-linking. In vitro and in vivo tests including cell viability and measurement of tumor volume showed that the local treatment of GC 10 /DOX yielded substantially greater antitumor effect compared with that of GC 60 /DOX. Therefore, the visible light-cured GC hydrogel system may exhibit clinical potential as a local DDS of anticancer drugs with controlled release, by modulating cross-linking density.

Functional evaluation of synthetic flavonoids and chalcones for potential antiviral and anticancer properties.

PubMed

Mateeva, Nelly; Eyunni, Suresh V K; Redda, Kinfe K; Ononuju, Ucheze; Hansberry, Tony D; Aikens, Cecilia; Nag, Anita

2017-06-01

Flavonoids, stilbenes, and chalcones are plant secondary metabolites that often possess diverse biological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-viral activities. The wide range of bioactivities poses a challenge to identify their targets. Here, we studied a set of synthetically generated flavonoids and chalcones to evaluate for their biological activity, and compared similarly substituted flavonoids and chalcones. Substituted chalcones, but not flavonoids, showed inhibition of viral translation without significantly affecting viral replication in cells infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We suggest that the chalcones used in this study inhibit mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway by ablating phosphorylation of ribosomal protein 6 (rps6), and also the kinase necessary for phosphorylating rps6 in Huh7.5 cells (pS6K1). In addition, selected chalcones showed inhibition of growth in Ishikawa, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 cells resulting an IC 50 of 1-6µg/mL. When similarly substituted flavonoids were used against the same set of cancer cells, we did not observe any inhibitory effect. Together, we report that chalcones show potential for anti-viral and anti-cancer activities compared to similarly substituted flavonoids. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The design and development of imidazothiazole-chalcone derivatives as potential anticancer drugs.

PubMed

Kamal, Ahmed; Kashi Reddy, Methuku; Viswanath, Arutla

2013-03-01

Imidazothiazole derivatives have long been therapeutically used for the treatment of various diseases. In recent years, the imidazothiazole and chalcone moieties have emerged as important pharmacophores in the development of antitumor agents. Imidazothiazole-chalcone conjugates can be accessed by covalently binding these two powerful pharamacophore units. These conjugates are known to exhibit a wide range of biological properties, including anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. Their promising biological profile and easy synthetic accessibility have triggered investigations directed at the design and development of new imidazothiazole-chalcone conjugate derivatives as potential chemotherapeutics. The present review focuses on recent reports of the syntheses and anticancer properties of various imidazothiazoles, chalcones and imidazothiazole-linked chalcone conjugates. Furthermore, the authors discuss the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of imidazothiazoles and chalcones and their conjugates as new antitumor agents, as well as in vitro and in vivo evaluation, clinical use and their future therapeutic applications. A large number of imidazothiazoles, chalcones and a new series of imidazothiazole-chalcone conjugates possess potent anticancer activity that could be further developed as drug candidates. Imidazothiazole-based conjugates could also display synergistic effect, and still there is a need to use the drug combinations permitting lower dose and development of new generation of drugs. Despite encouraging observed results for their response to tumors in clinical studies, full characterization of their toxicity is further required for their clinical usage as safe drugs for the treatment of cancer.

Synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of novel symmetrical taspine derivatives as anticancer agents.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Yanmin; Pan, Xiaoyan; Wang, Sicen; He, Langchon

2011-07-01

It has been demonstrated that taspine derivatives act as anticancer agents, thus we designed and synthesized a novel class of symmetrical biphenyl derivatives. We evaluated the cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of biphenyls against five human tumor and normal cell lines. The results indicated that the majority of the compounds exhibited anticancer activity equivalent to or greater than the positive control. Compounds (11) and (12) demonstrated the most potent cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values between 19.41 µM and 29.27 µM. The potent antiproliferative capabilities of these compounds against ECV304 human transformed endothelial cells indicated that these biphenyls could potentially serve as antiangiogenic agents. We also reviewed the relationship between structure and activity based on the experimental results. Our findings provide a good starting point for further development of symmetrical biphenyl derivatives as potential novel anticancer agents.

In vitro investigation of the potential immunomodulatory and anti-cancer activities of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum).

PubMed

Majdalawieh, Amin F; Carr, Ronald I

2010-04-01

Although the immunomodulatory effects of many herbs have been extensively studied, research related to possible immunomodulatory effects of various spices is relatively scarce. Here, the potential immunomodulatory effects of black pepper and cardamom are investigated. Our data show that black pepper and cardamom aqueous extracts significantly enhance splenocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent, synergistic fashion. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay experiments reveal that black pepper and cardamom significantly enhance and suppress, respectively, T helper (Th)1 cytokine release by splenocytes. Conversely, Th2 cytokine release by splenocytes is significantly suppressed and enhanced by black pepper and cardamom, respectively. Experimental evidence suggests that black pepper and cardamom extracts exert pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory roles, respectively. Consistently, nitric oxide production by macrophages is significantly augmented and reduced by black pepper and cardamom, respectively. Remarkably, it is evident that black pepper and cardamom extracts significantly enhance the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, indicating their potential anti-cancer effects. Our findings strongly suggest that black pepper and cardamom exert immunomodulatory roles and antitumor activities, and hence they manifest themselves as natural agents that can promote the maintenance of a healthy immune system. We anticipate that black pepper and cardamom constituents can be used as potential therapeutic tools to regulate inflammatory responses and prevent/attenuate carcinogenesis.

Plant Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Anticancer Agents

PubMed Central

Guzmán-Rodríguez, Jaquelina Julia; López-Gómez, Rodolfo

2015-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune defense mechanism of many organisms and are promising candidates to treat infections caused by pathogenic bacteria to animals and humans. AMPs also display anticancer activities because of their ability to inactivate a wide range of cancer cells. Cancer remains a cause of high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, the development of methods for its control is desirable. Attractive alternatives include plant AMP thionins, defensins, and cyclotides, which have anticancer activities. Here, we provide an overview of plant AMPs anticancer activities, with an emphasis on their mode of action, their selectivity, and their efficacy. PMID:25815333

Inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasion of B16-F10 melanoma cells by α-mangostin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beninati, Simone, E-mail: beninati@bio.uniroma2.it; Oliverio, Serafina; Cordella, Martina

2014-08-08

Highlights: • We studied the anticancer potential of a new emerging molecule, α-mangostin (α-M). • We provide first evidences on the effects of α-M on transglutaminase activity. • We deeply examined the antimetastatic effects of α-M through many in vitro assays. • Proteomic analysis revealed that α-M promotes a reorganization at cellular level. - Abstract: In this study, we have evaluated the potential antineoplastic effects of α-mangostin (α-M), the most representative xanthone in Garcinia mangostana pericarp, on melanoma cell lines. This xanthone markedly inhibits the proliferation of high-metastatic B16-F10 melanoma cells. Furthermore, by deeply analyzing which steps in the metastaticmore » process are influenced by xanthone it was observed that α-M strongly interferes with homotypic aggregation, adhesion, plasticity and invasion ability of B16-F10 cells, probably by the observed reduction of metalloproteinase-9 activity. The antiproliferative and antimetastatic properties of α-M have been established in human SK-MEL-28 and A375 melanoma cells. In order to identify pathways potentially involved in the antineoplastic properties of α-M, a comparative mass spectrometry proteomic approach was employed. These findings may improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer effects of α-M on melanoma.« less

Myricetin and methyl eugenol combination enhances the anticancer activity, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction of cis-platin against HeLa cervical cancer cell lines

PubMed Central

Yi, Jin-Ling; Shi, Song; Shen, Yan-Li; Wang, Ling; Chen, Hai-Yan; Zhu, Jun; Ding, Yan

2015-01-01

Drug combination therapies are common practice in the treatment of cancer. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer effects of myricetin (MYR), methyl eugenol (MEG) and cisplatin (CP) both separately as well as in combination against cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. To demonstrate whether MYR and MEG enhance the anticancer activity of CP against cervical cancer cells, we treated HeLa cells with MYR and MEG alone or in combination with cisplatin and evaluated cell growth and apoptosis using MTT (3 (4, 5 dimethyl thiazol 2yl) 2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, LDH release assay, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The results revealed that, as compared to single drug treatment, the combination of MYR or MEG with CP resulted in greater effect in inhibiting cancer cell growth and inducing apoptosis. Cell apoptosis induction, Caspase-3 activity, cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial membrane potential loss were systematically studied to reveal the mechanisms of synergy between MYR, MEG and CP. Combination of MYR or MEG with CP resulted in more potent apoptosis induction as revealed by fluorescence microscopy using Hoechst 33258 and AO-ETBR staining. The combination treatment also increased the number of cells in G0/G1 phase dramatically as compared to single drug treatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential loss (ΛΨm) as well as Caspase-3 activity was much higher in combination treatment as compared to single drug treatment. Findings of this investigation suggest that MYR and MEG combined with cisplatin is a potential clinical chemotherapeutic approach in human cervical cancer. PMID:25972998

Anti-Cancer Effects of Imperata cylindrica Leaf Extract on Human Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line SCC-9 in Vitro.

PubMed

Keshava, Rohini; Muniyappa, Nagesh; Gope, Rajalakshmi; Ramaswamaiah, Ananthanarayana Saligrama

2016-01-01

Imperata cylindrica, a tall tufted grass which has multiple pharmacological applications is one of the key ingredients in various traditional medicinal formula used in India. Previous reports have shown that I. cylindrica plant extract inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. To our knowledge, no studies have been published on the effect of I. cylindrica leaf extract on human oral cancers. The present study was undertaken in order to evaluate the anticancer properties of the leaf extract of I. cylindrica using an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCC-9 as an in vitro model system. A methanol extract from dried leaves of I. cylindrica (ICL) was prepared by standard procedures. Effects of the ICL extract on the morphology of SCC-9 cells was visualized by microscopy. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. Effects of the ICL extract on colony forming ability of SCC-9 cells was evaluated using clonogenic assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry and induction of apoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation assay. The ICL extract treatment caused cytotoxicity and induced cell death in vitro in SCC-9 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This treatment also significantly reduced the clonogenic potential and inhibited cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation assays showed that the observed cell death was caused by apoptosis. This is the first report showing the anticancer activity of the methanol extracts from the leaves of I. cylindrica in human oral cancer cell line. Our data indicates that ICL extract could be considered as one of the lead compounds for the formulation of anticancer therapeutic agents to treat/manage human oral cancers. The natural abundance of I. cylindrica and its wide geographic distribution could render it one of the primary resource materials for preparation of anticancer therapeutic agents.

Anticancer effect of triterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum in human prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Qu, Lijun; Li, Sumei; Zhuo, Yumin; Chen, Jianfan; Qin, Xiaoping; Guo, Guoqing

2017-12-01

Ganoderma lucidum , within the Polyporaceae family of Basidiomycota, is a popular traditional remedy medicine used in Asia to promote health and longevity. Compounds extracted from G. lucidum have revealed anticancer, antioxidant and liver protective effects. G. lucidum has been associated with prostate cancer cells. G. lucidum extracts contain numerous bioactive components; however, the exact functional monomer is unknown and the role of triterpenes from G. lucidum (GLT) in prostate cancer remain obscure. The present study investigated the effects of GLT on cell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis in DU-145 human prostate cancer cells. The results demonstrated that a high dose (2 mg/ml) of GLT inhibits cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner by the regulation of matrix metalloproteases. Furthermore, GLT induced apoptosis of DU-145 cells. In general, GLT exerts its effect on cancer cells via numerous mechanisms and may have potential therapeutic use for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Analysis of the Anticancer Phytochemicals in Andrographis paniculata Nees. under Salinity Stress

PubMed Central

Valdiani, Alireza; Maziah, Mahmood; Saad, Mohd Said

2013-01-01

Salinity causes the adverse effects in all physiological processes of plants. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of salt stress to enhance the accumulation of the anticancer phytochemicals in Andrographis paniculata accessions. For this purpose, 70-day-old plants were grown in different salinity levels (0.18, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dSm−1) on sand medium. After inducing a period of 30-day salinity stress and before flowering, all plants were harvested and the data on morphological traits, proline content and the three anticancer phytochemicals, including andrographolide (AG), neoandrographolide (NAG), and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (DDAG), were measured. The results indicated that salinity had a significant effect on the aforementioned three anticancer phytochemicals. In addition, the salt tolerance index (STI) was significantly decreased, while, except for DDAG, the content of proline, the AG, and NAG was significantly increased (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, it was revealed that significant differences among accessions could happen based on the total dry weight, STI, AG, and NAG. Finally, we noticed that the salinity at 12 dSm−1 led to the maximum increase in the quantities of AG, NAG, and DDAG. In other words, under salinity stress, the tolerant accessions were capable of accumulating the higher amounts of proline, AG, and NAG than the sensitive accessions. PMID:24371819

CNS Anticancer Drug Discovery and Development: 2016 conference insights

PubMed Central

Levin, Victor A; Abrey, Lauren E; Heffron, Timothy P; Tonge, Peter J; Dar, Arvin C; Weiss, William A; Gallo, James M

2017-01-01

CNS Anticancer Drug Discovery and Development, 16-17 November 2016, Scottsdale, AZ, USA The 2016 second CNS Anticancer Drug Discovery and Development Conference addressed diverse viewpoints about why new drug discovery/development focused on CNS cancers has been sorely lacking. Despite more than 70,000 individuals in the USA being diagnosed with a primary brain malignancy and 151,669–286,486 suffering from metastatic CNS cancer, in 1999, temozolomide was the last drug approved by the US FDA as an anticancer agent for high-grade gliomas. Among the topics discussed were economic factors and pharmaceutical risk assessments, regulatory constraints and perceptions and the need for improved imaging surrogates of drug activity. Included were modeling tumor growth and drug effects in a medical environment in which direct tumor sampling for biological effects can be problematic, potential new drugs under investigation and targets for drug discovery and development. The long trajectory and diverse impediments to novel drug discovery, and expectation that more than one drug will be needed to adequately inhibit critical intracellular tumor pathways were viewed as major disincentives for most pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies. While there were a few unanimities, one consensus is the need for continued and focused discussion among academic and industry scientists and clinicians to address tumor targets, new drug chemistry, and more time- and cost-efficient clinical trials based on surrogate end points. PMID:28718326

Autophagy induced by baicalin involves downregulation of CD147 in SMMC-7721 cells in vitro

PubMed Central

ZHANG, XIANJIAO; TANG, XU; LIU, HANQIANG; LI, LIANXIANG; HOU, QIAN; GAO, JIANMIN

2012-01-01

Baicalin has been demonstrated to exert anticancer effects mainly through induction of tumor cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its anticancer role remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated whether autophagy was involved in the anticancer activity of baicalin in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line SMMC-7721 and the possible molecular mechanisms. Our data showed that the viability of SMMC-7721 cells was significantly inhibited by baicalin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Alongside apoptosis, autophagy was also induced by baicalin dose- and time-dependently with the involvement of the autophagy-associated protein Beclin 1. Moreover, we demonstrated that cell death induced by baicalin was significantly inhibited by the apoptosis inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk or the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA, respectively. In addition, we found that CD147, a key molecule related both to apoptosis and autophagy, was markedly downregulated at the protein level in SMMC-7721 cells treated with baicalin. Collectively, this is the first study to suggest that baicalin induces autophagic cell death in SMMC-7721 cells, which involves the downregulation of CD147. Our study reveals a new mechanism for the anticancer effects of baicalin and puts forward a potential crucial role of CD147 in baicalin-induced cancer cell death. PMID:22200845

Natural Compounds As Modulators of Non-apoptotic Cell Death in Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Guamán-Ortiz, Luis Miguel; Orellana, Maria Isabel Ramirez; Ratovitski, Edward A.

2017-01-01

Cell death is an innate capability of cells to be removed from microenvironment, if and when they are damaged by multiple stresses. Cell death is often regulated by multiple molecular pathways and mechanism, including apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. The molecular network underlying these processes is often intertwined and one pathway can dynamically shift to another one acquiring certain protein components, in particular upon treatment with various drugs. The strategy to treat human cancer ultimately relies on the ability of anticancer therapeutics to induce tumor-specific cell death, while leaving normal adjacent cells undamaged. However, tumor cells often develop the resistance to the drug-induced cell death, thus representing a great challenge for the anticancer approaches. Numerous compounds originated from the natural sources and biopharmaceutical industries are applied today in clinics showing advantageous results. However, some exhibit serious toxic side effects. Thus, novel effective therapeutic approaches in treating cancers are continued to be developed. Natural compounds with anticancer activity have gained a great interest among researchers and clinicians alike since they have shown more favorable safety and efficacy then the synthetic marketed drugs. Numerous studies in vitro and in vivo have found that several natural compounds display promising anticancer potentials. This review underlines certain information regarding the role of natural compounds from plants, microorganisms and sea life forms, which are able to induce non-apoptotic cell death in tumor cells, namely autophagy and necroptosis. PMID:28367073

Biotin-Containing Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Nanosystem as a Multieffect Anticancer Agent: Combining Hyperthermia with Targeted Chemotherapy.

PubMed

Mauro, Nicolò; Scialabba, Cinzia; Cavallaro, Gennara; Licciardi, Mariano; Giammona, Gaetano

2015-09-14

Among the relevant properties of graphene derivatives, their ability of acting as an energy-converting device so as to produce heat (i.e., thermoablation and hyperthermia) was more recently taken into account for the treatment of solid tumors. In this pioneering study, for the first time, the in vitro RGO-induced hyperthermia was assessed and combined with the stimuli-sensitive anticancer effect of a biotinylated inulin-doxorubicin conjugate (CJ-PEGBT), hence, getting to a nanosystem endowed with synergic anticancer effects and high specificity. CJ-PEGBT was synthesized by linking pentynoic acid and citraconic acid to inulin. The citraconylamide pendants, used as pH reversible spacer, were exploited to further conjugate doxorubicin, whereas the alkyne moiety was orthogonally functionalized with an azido PEG-biotin derivative by copper(II) catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. DSC measures, AFM, and UV spectrophotometry were employed to systematically investigate adsorption of CJ-PEGBT onto RGO and its physicochemical stability in aqueous media, demonstrating that a stable π-staked nanosystem can be obtained. In vitro tests using cancer breast cells (MCF-7) showed the ability of the RGO/CJ-PEGBT of efficiently killing cancer cells both via a selective laser beam thermoablation and hyperthermia-triggered chemotherapy. If compared with the nonbiotinylated nanosystem, including virgin RGO and the free conjugate, RGO/CJ-PEGBT is endowed with a smart combination of properties which warrant potential as an anticancer nanomedicine.

Cationic Albumin Nanoparticles for Enhanced Drug Delivery to Treat Breast Cancer: Preparation and In Vitro Assessment

PubMed Central

Abbasi, Sana; Paul, Arghya; Shao, Wei; Prakash, Satya

2012-01-01

Most anticancer drugs are greatly limited by the serious side effects that they cause. Doxorubicin (DOX) is an antineoplastic agent, commonly used against breast cancer. However, it may lead to irreversible cardiotoxicity, which could even result in congestive heart failure. In order to avoid these harmful side effects to the patients and to improve the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin, we developed DOX-loaded polyethylenimine- (PEI-) enhanced human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles. The formed nanoparticles were ~137 nm in size with a surface zeta potential of ~+15 mV, prepared using 20 μg of PEI added per mg of HSA. Cytotoxicity was not observed with empty PEI-enhanced HSA nanoparticles, formed with low-molecular weight (25 kDa) PEI, indicating biocompatibility and safety of the nanoparticle formulation. Under optimized transfection conditions, approximately 80% of cells were transfected with HSA nanoparticles containing tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated bovine serum albumin. Conclusively, PEI-enhanced HSA nanoparticles show potential for developing into an effective carrier for anticancer drugs. PMID:22187654

Molecular targets of naturopathy in cancer research: bridge to modern medicine.

PubMed

Ahmad, Aamir; Ginnebaugh, Kevin R; Li, Yiwei; Padhye, Subhash B; Sarkar, Fazlul H

2015-01-06

The relevance of naturopathy (defined as the practice of medicine for the treatment of human diseases with natural agents) in human cancer is beginning to be appreciated, as documented by renewed interest in nutraceutical research, the natural anticancer agents of dietary origin. Because of their pleiotropic effects and the ability to modulate multiple signaling pathways, which is a good attribute of natural agents, nutraceuticals have frequently been demonstrated to re-sensitize drug-resistant cancers. The effectiveness of nutraceuticals can be further enhanced if the tools for the relative assessment of their molecular targets are readily available. Such information can be critical for determining their most effective uses. Here, we discuss the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals and the associated challenges that have interfered with their translational potential as a naturopathic approach for the management of cancers. In the years to come, an efficient screening and assessment of molecular targets will be the key to make rapid progress in the area of drug design and discovery, especially focusing on evidence-based development of naturopathy for the treatment of human malignancies.

Molecular Targets of Naturopathy in Cancer Research: Bridge to Modern Medicine

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Aamir; Ginnebaugh, Kevin R.; Li, Yiwei; Padhye, Subhash B.; Sarkar, Fazlul H.

2015-01-01

The relevance of naturopathy (defined as the practice of medicine for the treatment of human diseases with natural agents) in human cancer is beginning to be appreciated, as documented by renewed interest in nutraceutical research, the natural anticancer agents of dietary origin. Because of their pleiotropic effects and the ability to modulate multiple signaling pathways, which is a good attribute of natural agents, nutraceuticals have frequently been demonstrated to re-sensitize drug-resistant cancers. The effectiveness of nutraceuticals can be further enhanced if the tools for the relative assessment of their molecular targets are readily available. Such information can be critical for determining their most effective uses. Here, we discuss the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals and the associated challenges that have interfered with their translational potential as a naturopathic approach for the management of cancers. In the years to come, an efficient screening and assessment of molecular targets will be the key to make rapid progress in the area of drug design and discovery, especially focusing on evidence-based development of naturopathy for the treatment of human malignancies. PMID:25569626

Evaluation of the Effects of Aminonaphthoquinone Derivatives in Combination with Curcumin Against ER-positive Breast Cancer and Related Tumours.

PubMed

Pereira, Melanie C; Mohammed, Raushaan; VAN Otterlo, Willem A L; DE Koning, Charles B; Davids, Hajierah

2017-12-01

Combination therapies are often explored to treat cancer. The use of curcumin as an adjuvant to current chemotherapies has been reported, whilst aminonaphthoquinones have shown potential as anticancer agents in various tumour cell lines. This study aimed at screening synthetic aminonathoquinone derivatives (Rau 008, Rau 010, Rau 015 and Rau 018) alone and in combination with curcumin for anti-breast cancer activity. Combination effects were determined in MCF-7 breast cancer cells using combination index analyses. Synergistic anti-proliferative effects were further investigated in breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), osteosarcoma (MG-63) and endometrial (HEC-1A) cancer-derived cells. Rau 015 (15 μM) and curcumin (112.5 μM) significantly reduced MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MG-63 cell proliferation compared to individual treatment, indicating synergistic anti-proliferative effects. Rau 018 (30 μM) and curcumin (100 μM) displayed similar effects in MCF-7 and MG-63 cells. We report on the potential of Rau 015 or Rau 018 as anti-breast cancer agents when combined with curcumin. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Discovery of a Novel Anti-Cancer Agent Targeting Both Topoisomerase I & II as Well as Telomerase Activities in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells In Vitro and In Vivo: Cinnamomum verum Component Cuminaldehyde.

PubMed

Chen, Ta-Wei; Tsai, Kuen-Daw; Yang, Shu-Mei; Wong, Ho-Yiu; Liu, Yi-Heng; Cherng, Jonathan; Chou, Kuo-Shen; Wang, Yang-Tz; Cuizon, Janise; Cherng, Jaw-Ming

2016-01-01

Cinnamomum verum is used to make the spice cinnamon and has been used for more than 5000 years by both of the two most ancient forms of medicine in the words: Ayurveda and traditional Chinese herbal medicines for various applications such as adenopathy, rheumatism, dermatosis, dyspepsia, stroke, tumors, elephantiasis, trichomonas, yeast, and virus infections. We evaluated the anticancer effect of cuminaldehyde (CuA), a constituent of the bark of the plant, and its underlying molecular biomarkers associated with carcinogenesis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The results show that cuminaldehyde suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis as indicated by mitochondrial membrane potential loss, activation of caspase 3 and 9, increase in annexin V+PI+ cells, and morphological characteristics of apoptosis, including blebbing of plasma membrane, nuclear condensation, fragmentation, apoptotic body formation, and comet with elevated tail intensity and moment. In addition, cuminaldehyde also induced lysosomal vacuolation with increased volume of acidic compartments (VAC), suppressions of both topoisomerase I & II as well as telomerase activities in a dose-dependent manner. Further study reveals the growth-inhibitory effect of cuminaldehyde was also evident in a nude mice model. Taken together, the data suggest that the growth-inhibitory effect of cuminaldehyde against A549 cells is accompanied by downregulations of proliferative control involving apoptosis, both topoisomerase I & II as well as telomerase activities, together with an upregulation of lysosomal vacuolation and VAC. Similar effects (including all of the above-mentioned effects) were found in other cell lines, including human lung squamous cell carcinoma NCI-H520 and colorectal adenocarcinoma COLO 205 (results not shown). Our data suggest that cuminaldehyde could be a potential agent for anticancer therapy.

Anticancer and apoptosis-inducing effects of quercetin in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Hashemzaei, Mahmoud; Far, Amin Delarami; Yari, Arezoo; Heravi, Reza Entezari; Tabrizian, Kaveh; Taghdisi, Seyed Mohammad; Sadegh, Sarvenaz Ekhtiari; Tsarouhas, Konstantinos; Kouretas, Dimitrios; Tzanakakis, George; Nikitovic, Dragana; Anisimov, Nikita Yurevich; Spandidos, Demetrios A.; Tsatsakis, Aristides M.; Rezaee, Ramin

2017-01-01

The present study focused on the elucidation of the putative anticancer potential of quercetin. The anticancer activity of quercetin at 10, 20, 40, 80 and 120 µM was assessed in vitro by MMT assay in 9 tumor cell lines (colon carcinoma CT-26 cells, prostate adenocarcinoma LNCaP cells, human prostate PC3 cells, pheocromocytoma PC12 cells, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer MCF-7 cells, acute lymphoblastic leukemia MOLT-4 T-cells, human myeloma U266B1 cells, human lymphoid Raji cells and ovarian cancer CHO cells). Quercetin was found to induce the apoptosis of all the tested cancer cell lines at the utilized concentrations. Moreover, quercetin significantly induced the apoptosis of the CT-26, LNCaP, MOLT-4 and Raji cell lines, as compared to control group (P<0.001), as demonstrated by Annexin V/PI staining. In in vivo experiments, mice bearing MCF-7 and CT-26 tumors exhibited a significant reduction in tumor volume in the quercetin-treated group as compared to the control group (P<0.001). Taken together, quercetin, a naturally occurring compound, exhibits anticancer properties both in vivo and in vitro. PMID:28677813

Prediction of anticancer property of bowsellic acid derivatives by quantitative structure activity relationship analysis and molecular docking study.

PubMed

Satpathy, Raghunath; Guru, R K; Behera, R; Nayak, B

2015-01-01

Boswellic acid consists of a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules that are produced by the plant Boswellia serrata. The potential applications of Bowsellic acid for treatment of cancer have been focused here. To predict the property of the bowsellic acid derivatives as anticancer compounds by various computational approaches. In this work, all total 65 derivatives of bowsellic acids from the PubChem database were considered for the study. After energy minimization of the ligands various types of molecular descriptors were computed and corresponding two-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models were obtained by taking Andrews coefficient as the dependent variable. Different types of comparative analysis were used for QSAR study are multiple linear regression, partial least squares, support vector machines and artificial neural network. From the study geometrical descriptors shows the highest correlation coefficient, which indicates the binding factor of the compound. To evaluate the anticancer property molecular docking study of six selected ligands based on Andrews affinity were performed with nuclear factor-kappa protein kinase (Protein Data Bank ID 4G3D), which is an established therapeutic target for cancers. Along with QSAR study and docking result, it was predicted that bowsellic acid can also be treated as a potential anticancer compound. Along with QSAR study and docking result, it was predicted that bowsellic acid can also be treated as a potential anticancer compound.

Recent insights in nanotechnology-based drugs and formulations designed for effective anti-cancer therapy.

PubMed

Piktel, Ewelina; Niemirowicz, Katarzyna; Wątek, Marzena; Wollny, Tomasz; Deptuła, Piotr; Bucki, Robert

2016-05-26

The rapid development of nanotechnology provides alternative approaches to overcome several limitations of conventional anti-cancer therapy. Drug targeting using functionalized nanoparticles to advance their transport to the dedicated site, became a new standard in novel anti-cancer methods. In effect, the employment of nanoparticles during design of antineoplastic drugs helps to improve pharmacokinetic properties, with subsequent development of high specific, non-toxic and biocompatible anti-cancer agents. However, the physicochemical and biological diversity of nanomaterials and a broad spectrum of unique features influencing their biological action requires continuous research to assess their activity. Among numerous nanosystems designed to eradicate cancer cells, only a limited number of them entered the clinical trials. It is anticipated that progress in development of nanotechnology-based anti-cancer materials will provide modern, individualized anti-cancer therapies assuring decrease in morbidity and mortality from cancer diseases. In this review we discussed the implication of nanomaterials in design of new drugs for effective antineoplastic therapy and describe a variety of mechanisms and challenges for selective tumor targeting. We emphasized the recent advantages in the field of nanotechnology-based strategies to fight cancer and discussed their part in effective anti-cancer therapy and successful drug delivery.

Curcumin nanoformulations: a future nanomedicine for cancer

PubMed Central

Yallapu, Murali M; Jaggi, Meena; Chauhan, Subhash C

2011-01-01

Curcumin, a natural diphenolic compound derived from turmeric Curcuma longa, has proven to be a modulator of intracellular signaling pathways that control cancer cell growth, inflammation, invasion, apoptosis and cell death, revealing its anticancer potential. In this review, we focus on the design and development of nanoparticles, self-assemblies, nanogels, liposomes and complex fabrication for sustained and efficient curcumin delivery. We also discuss the anticancer applications and clinical benefits of nanocurcumin formulations. Only a few novel multifunctional and composite nanosystem strategies offer simultaneous therapy as well as imaging characteristics. We also summarize the challenges to developing curcumin delivery platforms and up-to-date solutions for improving curcumin bioavailability and anticancer potential for therapy. PMID:21959306

Neem components as potential agents for cancer prevention and treatment

PubMed Central

Hao, Fang; Kumar, Sandeep; Yadav, Neelu; Chandra, Dhyan

2016-01-01

Azadirachta indica, also known as neem, is commonly found in many semi-tropical and tropical countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The components extracted from neem plant have been used in traditional medicine for the cure of multiple diseases including cancer for centuries. The extracts of seeds, leaves, flowers, and fruits of neem have consistently shown chemopreventive and antitumor effects in different types of cancer. Azadirachtin and nimbolide are among the few bioactive components in neem that have been studied extensively, but research on a great number of additional bioactive components is warranted. The key anticancer effects of neem components on malignant cells include inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell death, suppression of cancer angiogenesis, restoration of cellular reduction/oxidation (redox) balance, and enhancement of the host immune responses against tumor cells. While the underlying mechanisms of these effects are mostly unclear, the suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway is, at least partially, involved in the anticancer functions of neem components. Importantly, the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of neem components are tumor selective as the effects on normal cells are significantly weaker. In addition, neem extracts sensitize cancer cells to immunotherapy and radiotherapy, and enhance the efficacy of certain cancer chemotherapeutic agents. This review summarizes the current updates on the anticancer effects of neem components and their possible impact on managing cancer incidence and treatment. PMID:25016141

Recent developments in L-asparaginase discovery and its potential as anticancer agent.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Abhinav; Khan, Abdul Arif; Khurshid, Mohsin; Kalam, Mohd Abul; Jain, Sudhir K; Singhal, Pradeep K

2016-04-01

L-Asparaginase (EC3.5.1.1) is an enzyme, which is used for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and other related blood cancers from a long time. This enzyme selectively hydrolyzes the extracellular amino acid L-asparagine into L-aspartate and ammonia, leading to nutritional deficiencies, protein synthesis inhibition, and ultimately death of lymphoblastic cells by apoptosis. Currently, bacterial asparaginases are used for treatment purpose but offers scepticism due to a number of toxicities, including thrombosis, pancreatitis, hyperglycemia, and hepatotoxicity. Resistance towards bacterial asparaginase is another major disadvantage during cancer management. This situation attracted attention of researchers towards alternative sources of L-asparaginase, including plants and fungi. Present article discusses about potential of L-asparaginase as an anticancer agent, its mechanism of action, and adverse effects related to current asparaginase formulations. This article also provides an outlook for recent developments in L-asparaginase discovery from alternative sources and their potential as a less toxic alternative to current formulations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Cytotoxic Potential of Triterpenoids-enriched Fraction of Bacopa monnieri by Implementing In vitro, In vivo, and In silico Approaches.

PubMed

Mallick, Md Nasar; Khan, Washim; Parveen, Rabea; Ahmad, Sayeed; Sadaf; Najm, Mohammad Zeeshan; Ahmad, Istaq; Husain, Syed Akhtar

2017-10-01

Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a herbaceous plant traditionally used from time immemorial in Ayurvedic and folklore medicines. We hypothesized that the extract of the whole plant might contain numerous molecules with having antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing of human cancer cells. This work investigated anticancer activity of bioactive fraction of BM. The hydroalcoholic extract of BM was fractionated with different solvent, namely, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), acetone, methanol, and water. The in vitro anticancer activity was performed against various Human Cancer Cell lines, namely, Colon (HT29, Colo320, and Caco2), Lung (A549), Cervix (HeLa, SiHa), and Breast (MCF-7, MDAMB-231). Further, DCM fraction was evaluated in vivo for anticancer activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) tumor-bearing mice since it showed the best cytotoxicity at 72 h (IC 50 41.0-60.0 µg/mL). The metabolic fingerprinting of these extract were carried out using high-performance thin-layer chromatography along with quantification of bacoside A, bacoside B, cucurbitacin B, cucurbitacin E, and bittulinic acid. Oral administration of DCM fraction at a dose of 40 mg/kg rendered prominent reduction of tumor regression parameters such as tumor weight, packed cell volume, tumor volume and viable tumor cell count as compared to the untreated mice of the EAC control group. The anticancer activity of DCM fraction may be due to the presence of large amount of bacoside A, B and cucurbitacins. The molecular docking studies of major metabolites with targeted proteins predicted the anticancer activity of DCM fraction which was in support of in vivo activity. The in vitro , in vivo , analytical and in silico studies on DCM fraction of Bacopa monieri has proved its great potential for development of anticancer phytopharmaceuticals. A new HPTLC method has been developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of bacoside A, B, cucurbitacin B, D, E and bittulinic acid in Bacopa monnieri extract. Enrichment of active anticancer metabolites was done by polarity based fractionations of hydroalcoholic extract of Bacopa. DCM fraction of a hydroalcoholic extract of Bacopa showed anticancer potential against human cancer cell line (IC50 41.0-60.0 µg/mL) and in EAC treated mice (at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight). The anticancer activity of Bacopa may be due to the presence of bacosides and cucurbitacin and it was confirmed by in silico screening. Abbreviations used: DBM: DCM fraction of Bacopa monnieri; DCM: Dichloromethane; EAC: Ehrlich ascites carcinoma; HCT: Hematocrit; HGB: Hemoglobin; HPTLC: High performance thin layer chromatography; ICH: International council for Harmonisation; LOD: Limit of detection; LOQ: Limit of quantification; LYM: Lymphocytes; MCH: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin; MCHC: Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC); MCV: Mean corpuscular volume; MTT: 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; PLT: Platelet; RBC: Red blood cell; RDW: Red blood cell distribution width; RSD: Relative standard deviation; WBC: White blood cells.

Exploring the Cytotoxic Potential of Triterpenoids-enriched Fraction of Bacopa monnieri by Implementing In vitro, In vivo, and In silico Approaches

PubMed Central

Mallick, Md. Nasar; Khan, Washim; Parveen, Rabea; Ahmad, Sayeed; Sadaf; Najm, Mohammad Zeeshan; Ahmad, Istaq; Husain, Syed Akhtar

2017-01-01

Background: Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a herbaceous plant traditionally used from time immemorial in Ayurvedic and folklore medicines. We hypothesized that the extract of the whole plant might contain numerous molecules with having antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing of human cancer cells. Objectives: This work investigated anticancer activity of bioactive fraction of BM. Materials and Methods: The hydroalcoholic extract of BM was fractionated with different solvent, namely, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), acetone, methanol, and water. The in vitro anticancer activity was performed against various Human Cancer Cell lines, namely, Colon (HT29, Colo320, and Caco2), Lung (A549), Cervix (HeLa, SiHa), and Breast (MCF-7, MDAMB-231). Further, DCM fraction was evaluated in vivo for anticancer activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) tumor-bearing mice since it showed the best cytotoxicity at 72 h (IC50 41.0–60.0 µg/mL). The metabolic fingerprinting of these extract were carried out using high-performance thin-layer chromatography along with quantification of bacoside A, bacoside B, cucurbitacin B, cucurbitacin E, and bittulinic acid. Results: Oral administration of DCM fraction at a dose of 40 mg/kg rendered prominent reduction of tumor regression parameters such as tumor weight, packed cell volume, tumor volume and viable tumor cell count as compared to the untreated mice of the EAC control group. The anticancer activity of DCM fraction may be due to the presence of large amount of bacoside A, B and cucurbitacins. The molecular docking studies of major metabolites with targeted proteins predicted the anticancer activity of DCM fraction which was in support of in vivo activity. Conclusion: The in vitro, in vivo, analytical and in silico studies on DCM fraction of Bacopa monieri has proved its great potential for development of anticancer phytopharmaceuticals. SUMMARY A new HPTLC method has been developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of bacoside A, B, cucurbitacin B, D, E and bittulinic acid in Bacopa monnieri extract. Enrichment of active anticancer metabolites was done by polarity based fractionations of hydroalcoholic extract of Bacopa. DCM fraction of a hydroalcoholic extract of Bacopa showed anticancer potential against human cancer cell line (IC50 41.0-60.0 µg/mL) and in EAC treated mice (at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight). The anticancer activity of Bacopa may be due to the presence of bacosides and cucurbitacin and it was confirmed by in silico screening. Abbreviations used: DBM: DCM fraction of Bacopa monnieri; DCM: Dichloromethane; EAC: Ehrlich ascites carcinoma; HCT: Hematocrit; HGB: Hemoglobin; HPTLC: High performance thin layer chromatography; ICH: International council for Harmonisation; LOD: Limit of detection; LOQ: Limit of quantification; LYM: Lymphocytes; MCH: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin; MCHC: Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC); MCV: Mean corpuscular volume; MTT: 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; PLT: Platelet; RBC: Red blood cell; RDW: Red blood cell distribution width; RSD: Relative standard deviation; WBC: White blood cells. PMID:29142420

Nanostructured surfaces for analysis of anticancer drug and cell diagnosis based on electrochemical and SERS tools.

PubMed

El-Said, Waleed A; Yoon, Jinho; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2018-01-01

Discovering new anticancer drugs and screening their efficacy requires a huge amount of resources and time-consuming processes. The development of fast, sensitive, and nondestructive methods for the in vitro and in vivo detection of anticancer drugs' effects and action mechanisms have been done to reduce the time and resources required to discover new anticancer drugs. For the in vitro and in vivo detection of the efficiency, distribution, and action mechanism of anticancer drugs, the applications of electrochemical techniques such as electrochemical cell chips and optical techniques such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) have been developed based on the nanostructured surface. Research focused on electrochemical cell chips and the SERS technique have been reviewed here; electrochemical cell chips based on nanostructured surfaces have been developed for the in vitro detection of cell viability and the evaluation of the effects of anticancer drugs, which showed the high capability to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of several chemicals at low concentrations. SERS technique based on the nanostructured surface have been used as label-free, simple, and nondestructive techniques for the in vitro and in vivo monitoring of the distribution, mechanism, and metabolism of different anticancer drugs at the cellular level. The use of electrochemical cell chips and the SERS technique based on the nanostructured surface should be good tools to detect the effects and action mechanisms of anticancer drugs.

Nanostructured surfaces for analysis of anticancer drug and cell diagnosis based on electrochemical and SERS tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Said, Waleed A.; Yoon, Jinho; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2018-04-01

Discovering new anticancer drugs and screening their efficacy requires a huge amount of resources and time-consuming processes. The development of fast, sensitive, and nondestructive methods for the in vitro and in vivo detection of anticancer drugs' effects and action mechanisms have been done to reduce the time and resources required to discover new anticancer drugs. For the in vitro and in vivo detection of the efficiency, distribution, and action mechanism of anticancer drugs, the applications of electrochemical techniques such as electrochemical cell chips and optical techniques such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) have been developed based on the nanostructured surface. Research focused on electrochemical cell chips and the SERS technique have been reviewed here; electrochemical cell chips based on nanostructured surfaces have been developed for the in vitro detection of cell viability and the evaluation of the effects of anticancer drugs, which showed the high capability to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of several chemicals at low concentrations. SERS technique based on the nanostructured surface have been used as label-free, simple, and nondestructive techniques for the in vitro and in vivo monitoring of the distribution, mechanism, and metabolism of different anticancer drugs at the cellular level. The use of electrochemical cell chips and the SERS technique based on the nanostructured surface should be good tools to detect the effects and action mechanisms of anticancer drugs.

Thymoquinone, as an anticancer molecule: from basic research to clinical investigation

PubMed Central

Asaduzzaman Khan, Md.; Tania, Mousumi; Fu, Shangyi; Fu, Junjiang

2017-01-01

Thymoquinone is an anticancer phytochemical commonly found in black cumin. In this review, we discuss the potential of thymoquinone as anticancer molecule, its mechanism of action and future usage in clinical applications. Thymoquinone exhibits anticancer activity via numerous mechanisms of action, specifically by showing selective antioxidant and oxidant activity, interfering with DNA structure, affecting carcinogenic signaling molecules/pathways and immunomodulation. In vitro activity of thymoquinone has been further implicated in animal models of cancer; however, no clinical application has been proven yet. This is the optimum time to focus on clinical trials for developing thymoquinone as a future drug in cancer therapeutics. PMID:28881699

Thymoquinone, as an anticancer molecule: from basic research to clinical investigation.

PubMed

Asaduzzaman Khan, Md; Tania, Mousumi; Fu, Shangyi; Fu, Junjiang

2017-08-01

Thymoquinone is an anticancer phytochemical commonly found in black cumin. In this review, we discuss the potential of thymoquinone as anticancer molecule, its mechanism of action and future usage in clinical applications. Thymoquinone exhibits anticancer activity via numerous mechanisms of action, specifically by showing selective antioxidant and oxidant activity, interfering with DNA structure, affecting carcinogenic signaling molecules/pathways and immunomodulation. In vitro activity of thymoquinone has been further implicated in animal models of cancer; however, no clinical application has been proven yet. This is the optimum time to focus on clinical trials for developing thymoquinone as a future drug in cancer therapeutics.

Bioactive compounds of fourth generation gamma-irradiated Typhoniumflagelliforme Lodd. mutants based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sianipar, N. F.; Purnamaningsih, R.; Rosaria

2016-08-01

Rodent tuber (Typhonium flagelliforme Lodd.) is an Indonesian anticancer medicinal plant. The natural genetic diversity of rodent tuber is low due to vegetative propagation. Plant's genetic diversity has to be increased for obtaining clones which contain a high amount of anticancer compounds. In vitro calli were irradiated with 6 Gy of gamma ray to produce in vitro mutant plantlets. Mutant plantlets were acclimated and propagated in a greenhouse. This research was aimed to identify the chemical compounds in the leaves and tubers ofthe fourth generation of rodent tuber's vegetative mutant clones (MV4) and control plantsby using GC- MS method. Leaves and tubers of MV4 each contained 2 and 5 anticancer compounds which quantities were higher compared to control plants. MV4 leaves contained 5 new anticancer compounds while its tubers contained 3 new anticancer compounds which were not found in control. The new anticancer compounds in leaves were hexadecanoic acid, stigmast-5-en-3-ol, ergost-5-en-3-ol, farnesol isomer a, and oleic acid while the new anticancer compounds in tubers were alpha tocopherol, ergost-5-en-3-ol, and beta-elemene. Rodent tuber mutant clones are very potential to be developed into anticancer drugs.

Induction of apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells by active compounds from Hypericum ascyron L.

PubMed

Li, Xiu-Mei; Luo, Xue-Gang; He, Jun-Fang; Wang, Nan; Zhou, Hao; Yang, Pei-Long; Zhang, Tong-Cun

2018-03-01

Hypericum ascyron L. (Great St. Johnswort), which belongs to the Hypericaceae family, has been used for the treatment of hematemesis, metrorrhagia, rheumatism, swelling, stomach ache, abscesses, dysentery and irregular menstruation for >2,000 years in China. The aim of the present study was to clarify the anticancer activity compounds from H. ascyron L. and the underlying molecular mechanism. Anticancer activity of H. ascyron L. extract was evaluated using an MTT assay. To confirm the anticancer mechanism of activity compounds, Hoechst 33258, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide, 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, rhodamine 123 staining and caspase-3 activity analysis were performed. The results demonstrated that the anti-proliferative action of the mixture of kaempferol 3-O-β-(2″-acetyl) galactopyranoside (K) and quercetin (Q) (molar ratio, 1:1) was significantly increased compared with either of these two compounds separately, and the active fraction of the H. ascyron L. extract |(HALE). HALE, indicating that the anti-proliferative function of H. ascyron L. may be a synergic effect of K and Q. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of KQ on the growth of HeLa cells was mediated by the induction of apoptosis. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to identify that KQ exhibits significant anti-proliferation activity on HeLa cells via the apoptotic pathway, and is also the first to evaluate the anticancer potential of H. ascyron L. The results of the present study may provide a rational base for the use of H. ascyron L. in the clinic, and shed light on the development of novel anticancer drugs.

AMPK activation by pterostilbene contributes to suppression of hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production in H4IIE cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pterostilbene, a bioactive component of blueberries and grapes, shows structural similarity to resveratrol, and exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, and cholesterol lowering effects. This study examined potential mechanisms that may contribute to its lipid- and glucose...

Ganoderma spp.: A Promising Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Suárez-Arroyo, Ivette J.; Loperena-Alvarez, Yaliz; Rosario-Acevedo, Raysa; Martínez-Montemayor, Michelle M.

2017-01-01

For the past several decades, cancer patients in the U.S. have chosen the use of natural products as an alternative or complimentary medicine approach to treat or improve their quality of life via reduction or prevention of the side effects during or after cancer treatment. The genus Ganoderma includes about 80 species of mushrooms, of which several have been used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine for their medicinal properties, including anticancer and immunoregulatory effects. Numerous bioactive compounds seem to be responsible for their healing effects. Among the approximately 400 compounds produced by Ganoderma spp., triterpenes, peptidoglycans and polysaccharides are the major physiologically-active constituents. Ganoderma anticancer effects are attributed to its efficacy in reducing cancer cell survival and growth, as well as by its chemosensitizing role. In vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted in various cancer cells and animal models; however, in this review, we focus on Ganoderma’s efficacy on breast cancers. Evidence shows that some species of Ganoderma have great potential as a natural therapeutic for breast cancer. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to investigate their potential in the clinical setting and to translate our basic scientific findings into therapeutic interventions for cancer patients. PMID:28758107

Evaluation of the toxic effects of four anti-cancer drugs in plant bioassays and its potency for screening in the context of waste water reuse for irrigation.

PubMed

Lutterbeck, Carlos Alexandre; Kern, Deivid Ismael; Machado, Ênio Leandro; Kümmerer, Klaus

2015-09-01

Anti-cancer drugs are compounds that are of high environmental relevance because of their lack of specific mode of action. They can be extremely harmful to living organisms even at low concentrations. The present study evaluated the toxic effects of four frequently used anti-cancer drugs against plant seedlings, namely Cyclophosphamide (CP), Methotrexate (MTX), 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and Imatinib (IM). The phytotoxicity experiments were performed with Lactuca sativa seedlings whereas cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity investigations were performed with the well-established Allium cepa assays. MTX was the most phytotoxic compound, followed by 5-FU, CP and IM. Significant differences in the Mitotic Indexes (MI) were observed in three of the studied compounds (MTX, 5-FU and CP), indicating potential cytotoxic activity of these substances. Chromosome aberrations were registered in cells that were exposed to 5-FU, CP and IM. All the four compounds caused the formation of micronucleated cells indicating mutagenic potential. Besides, the assays performed with MTX samples presented a high number of cell apoptosis (cell death). Although it is unlikely that the pharmaceuticals concentrations measured in the environment could cause lethal effects in plants, the obtained results indicate that these compounds may affect the growth and normal development of these plants. So, both tests can constitute important tools for a fast screening of environmental contamination e.g. in the context of the reuse of treated wastewater and biosolids of agricultural purpose. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nature is the best source of anticancer drugs: Indexing natural products for their anticancer bioactivity

PubMed Central

Rayan, Anwar; Raiyn, Jamal

2017-01-01

Cancer is considered one of the primary diseases that cause morbidity and mortality in millions of people worldwide and due to its prevalence, there is undoubtedly an unmet need to discover novel anticancer drugs. However, the traditional process of drug discovery and development is lengthy and expensive, so the application of in silico techniques and optimization algorithms in drug discovery projects can provide a solution, saving time and costs. A set of 617 approved anticancer drugs, constituting the active domain, and a set of 2,892 natural products, constituting the inactive domain, were employed to build predictive models and to index natural products for their anticancer bioactivity. Using the iterative stochastic elimination optimization technique, we obtained a highly discriminative and robust model, with an area under the curve of 0.95. Twelve natural products that scored highly as potential anticancer drug candidates are disclosed. Searching the scientific literature revealed that few of those molecules (Neoechinulin, Colchicine, and Piperolactam) have already been experimentally screened for their anticancer activity and found active. The other phytochemicals await evaluation for their anticancerous activity in wet lab. PMID:29121120

Nature is the best source of anticancer drugs: Indexing natural products for their anticancer bioactivity.

PubMed

Rayan, Anwar; Raiyn, Jamal; Falah, Mizied

2017-01-01

Cancer is considered one of the primary diseases that cause morbidity and mortality in millions of people worldwide and due to its prevalence, there is undoubtedly an unmet need to discover novel anticancer drugs. However, the traditional process of drug discovery and development is lengthy and expensive, so the application of in silico techniques and optimization algorithms in drug discovery projects can provide a solution, saving time and costs. A set of 617 approved anticancer drugs, constituting the active domain, and a set of 2,892 natural products, constituting the inactive domain, were employed to build predictive models and to index natural products for their anticancer bioactivity. Using the iterative stochastic elimination optimization technique, we obtained a highly discriminative and robust model, with an area under the curve of 0.95. Twelve natural products that scored highly as potential anticancer drug candidates are disclosed. Searching the scientific literature revealed that few of those molecules (Neoechinulin, Colchicine, and Piperolactam) have already been experimentally screened for their anticancer activity and found active. The other phytochemicals await evaluation for their anticancerous activity in wet lab.

Gemcitabine-based polymer-drug conjugate for enhanced anticancer effect in colon cancer.

PubMed

Liang, Tie-Jun; Zhou, Zhong-Mei; Cao, Ying-Qing; Ma, Ming-Ze; Wang, Xiao-Jun; Jing, Kai

2016-11-20

In this study, we have demonstrated gemcitabine (GEM)-conjugated amphiphilic biodegradable polymeric drug carriers. Our aim was to increase the chemotherapeutic potential of GEM in colon cancer by forming a unique polymer-drug conjugates. The polymer-drug conjugate micelles were nanosized with a typical spherical shape. The GEM-conjugated methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) (GEM-PL) exhibited a controlled release of drug in both the pH conditions. The developed GEM-PL efficiently killed the HT29 cancers cells in a typical time dependent manner. The clonogenic assay further confirmed the superior anticancer effect of GEM-PL which showed least number of colonies. GEM-PL formulation exhibited a significantly higher apoptosis of cancer cells (∼25%) when stained using Annexin-V/PI kit. Conjugation of GEM to the mPEG-PLA significantly enhanced the blood circulation potential in animal model compared to that of free GEM. GEM-PL could prevent quick elimination of the drug and can provide sufficient time for the greater accumulation of GEM at the tumor sites. GEM-PL showed a remarkable tumor regression effect as evident from the lowest tumor volume in HT-29 containing tumor model. Overall, mPEG-PLA/GEM conjugates showed the potential of polymer-based drug targeting and might hold significant clinical potential in the treatment of colon cancers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cancer stem cells and drug resistance: the potential of nanomedicine

PubMed Central

Vinogradov, Serguei; Wei, Xin

2012-01-01

Properties of the small group of cancer cells called tumor-initiating or cancer stem cells (CSCs) involved in drug resistance, metastasis and relapse of cancers can significantly affect tumor therapy. Importantly, tumor drug resistance seems to be closely related to many intrinsic or acquired properties of CSCs, such as quiescence, specific morphology, DNA repair ability and overexpression of antiapoptotic proteins, drug efflux transporters and detoxifying enzymes. The specific microenvironment (niche) and hypoxic stability provide additional protection against anticancer therapy for CSCs. Thus, CSC-focused therapy is destined to form the core of any effective anticancer strategy. Nanomedicine has great potential in the development of CSC-targeting drugs, controlled drug delivery and release, and the design of novel gene-specific drugs and diagnostic modalities. This review is focused on tumor drug resistance-related properties of CSCs and describes current nanomedicine approaches, which could form the basis of novel combination therapies for eliminating metastatic and CSCs. PMID:22471722

Using Gold Nanoparticles To Disrupt the Tumor Microenvironment: An Emerging Therapeutic Strategy.

PubMed

Melamed, Jilian R; Riley, Rachel S; Valcourt, Danielle M; Day, Emily S

2016-12-27

Gold nanoparticles have received much attention recently as carriers for anticancer drugs and therapeutic oligonucleotides, but little research has investigated their potential to act as stand-alone therapeutics. Previous studies interrogating their short- and long-term systemic toxicity have found that although gold nanoparticles accumulate within and clear slowly from the liver and spleen, they do not appear to exert toxic effects in these organs. Interestingly, gold nanoparticles innately exhibit the ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment specifically by interfering with crosstalk between tumor cells and stromal cells. In this issue of ACS Nano, Mukherjee and colleagues demonstrate that bare gold nanoparticles can disturb crosstalk between pancreatic stellate cells and pancreatic cancer cells by modulating the cellular secretome to reduce the growth of desmoplastic tissue and inhibit tumor growth. In this Perspective, we highlight opportunities for anticancer targeting within the tumor microenvironment and discuss gold nanoparticles as potential mediators of microenvironment-targeted therapy.

Kefir: a powerful probiotics with anticancer properties.

PubMed

Sharifi, Mohammadreza; Moridnia, Abbas; Mortazavi, Deniz; Salehi, Mahsa; Bagheri, Marzieh; Sheikhi, Abdolkarim

2017-09-27

Probiotics and fermented milk products have attracted the attention of scientists from various fields, such as health care, industry and pharmacy. In recent years, reports have shown that dietary probiotics such as kefir have a great potential for cancer prevention and treatment. Kefir is fermented milk with Caucasian and Tibet origin, made from the incubation of kefir grains with raw milk or water. Kefir grains are a mixture of yeast and bacteria, living in a symbiotic association. Antibacterial, antifungal, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects are some of the health beneficial properties of kefir grains. Furthermore, it is suggested that some of the bioactive compounds of kefir such as polysaccharides and peptides have great potential for inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in tumor cells. Many studies revealed that kefir acts on different cancers such as colorectal cancer, malignant T lymphocytes, breast cancer and lung carcinoma. In this review, we have focused on anticancer properties of kefir.

Marine Mollusk‐Derived Agents with Antiproliferative Activity as Promising Anticancer Agents to Overcome Chemotherapy Resistance

PubMed Central

Lefranc, Florence; Carbone, Marianna; Mollo, Ernesto; Gavagnin, Margherita; Betancourt, Tania; Dasari, Ramesh

2016-01-01

Abstract The chemical investigation of marine mollusks has led to the isolation of a wide variety of bioactive metabolites, which evolved in marine organisms as favorable adaptations to survive in different environments. Most of them are derived from food sources, but they can be also biosynthesized de novo by the mollusks themselves, or produced by symbionts. Consequently, the isolated compounds cannot be strictly considered as “chemotaxonomic markers” for the different molluscan species. However, the chemical investigation of this phylum has provided many compounds of interest as potential anticancer drugs that assume particular importance in the light of the growing literature on cancer biology and chemotherapy. The current review highlights the diversity of chemical structures, mechanisms of action, and, most importantly, the potential of mollusk‐derived metabolites as anticancer agents, including those biosynthesized by mollusks and those of dietary origin. After the discussion of dolastatins and kahalalides, compounds previously studied in clinical trials, the review covers potentially promising anticancer agents, which are grouped based on their structural type and include terpenes, steroids, peptides, polyketides and nitrogen‐containing compounds. The “promise” of a mollusk‐derived natural product as an anticancer agent is evaluated on the basis of its ability to target biological characteristics of cancer cells responsible for poor treatment outcomes. These characteristics include high antiproliferative potency against cancer cells in vitro, preferential inhibition of the proliferation of cancer cells over normal ones, mechanism of action via nonapoptotic signaling pathways, circumvention of multidrug resistance phenotype, and high activity in vivo, among others. The review also includes sections on the targeted delivery of mollusk‐derived anticancer agents and solutions to their procurement in quantity. PMID:27925266

Targeting aerobic glycolysis: 3-bromopyruvate as a promising anticancer drug.

PubMed

Cardaci, Simone; Desideri, Enrico; Ciriolo, Maria Rosa

2012-02-01

The Warburg effect refers to the phenomenon whereby cancer cells avidly take up glucose and produce lactic acid under aerobic conditions. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor reliance on glycolysis remains not completely clear, its inhibition opens feasible therapeutic windows for cancer treatment. Indeed, several small molecules have emerged by combinatorial studies exhibiting promising anticancer activity both in vitro and in vivo, as a single agent or in combination with other therapeutic modalities. Therefore, besides reviewing the alterations of glycolysis that occur with malignant transformation, this manuscript aims at recapitulating the most effective pharmacological therapeutics of its targeting. In particular, we describe the principal mechanisms of action and the main targets of 3-bromopyruvate, an alkylating agent with impressive antitumor effects in several models of animal tumors. Moreover, we discuss the chemo-potentiating strategies that would make unparalleled the putative therapeutic efficacy of its use in clinical settings.

Fucoidan-coated CuS nanoparticles for chemo-and photothermal therapy against cancer

PubMed Central

Jang, Bian; Moorthy, Madhappan Santha; Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Xu, Li; Song, Kyeongeun; Lee, Kang Dae; Kwak, Minseok; Oh, Junghwan; Jin, Jun-O

2018-01-01

In advanced cancer therapy, the combinational therapeutic effect of photothermal therapy (PTT) using near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) and anti-cancer drug delivery-mediated chemotherapy has been widely applied. In the present study, using a facile, low-cost, and solution-based method, we developed and synthesized fucoidan, a natural polymer isolated from seaweed that has demonstrated anti-cancer effect, and coated NPs with it as an ideal candidate in chemo-photothermal therapy against cancer cells. Fucoidan-coated copper sulfide nanoparticles (F-CuS) act not only as a nanocarrier to enhance the intracellular delivery of fucoidan but also as a photothermal agent to effectively ablate different cancer cells (e.g., HeLa, A549, and K562), both in vitro and in vivo, with the induction of apoptosis under 808 nm diode laser irradiation. These results point to the potential usage of F-CuS in treating human cancer. PMID:29560098

Localized sequence-specific release of a chemopreventive agent and an anticancer drug in a time-controllable manner to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

PubMed

Pan, Wen-Yu; Lin, Kun-Ju; Huang, Chieh-Cheng; Chiang, Wei-Lun; Lin, Yu-Jung; Lin, Wei-Chih; Chuang, Er-Yuan; Chang, Yen; Sung, Hsing-Wen

2016-09-01

Combination chemotherapy with multiple drugs commonly requires several injections on various schedules, and the probability that the drug molecules reach the diseased tissues at the proper time and effective therapeutic concentrations is very low. This work elucidates an injectable co-delivery system that is based on cationic liposomes that are adsorbed on anionic hollow microspheres (Lipos-HMs) via electrostatic interaction, from which the localized sequence-specific release of a chemopreventive agent (1,25(OH)2D3) and an anticancer drug (doxorubicin; DOX) can be thermally driven in a time-controllable manner by an externally applied high-frequency magnetic field (HFMF). Lipos-HMs can greatly promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells by reducing their cytoplasmic expression of an antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase) by 1,25(OH)2D3, increasing the susceptibility of cancer cells to the cytotoxic action of DOX. In nude mice that bear xenograft tumors, treatment with Lipos-HMs under exposure to HFMF effectively inhibits tumor growth and is the most effective therapeutic intervention among all the investigated. These empirical results demonstrate that the synergistic anticancer effects of sequential release of 1,25(OH)2D3 and DOX from the Lipos-HMs may have potential for maximizing DOX cytotoxicity, supporting more effective cancer treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the polypharmacological anticancer effects of Xiao Chai Hu Tang via a computational pharmacological model

PubMed Central

ZHENG, CHUN-SONG; WU, YIN-SHENG; BAO, HONG-JUAN; XU, XIAO-JIE; CHEN, XING-QIANG; YE, HONG-ZHI; WU, GUANG-WEN; XU, HUI-FENG; LI, XI-HAI; CHEN, JIA-SHOU; LIU, XIAN-XIANG

2014-01-01

Xiao Chai Hu Tang (XCHT), a traditional herbal formula, is widely administered as a cancer treatment. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its anticancer effects are not fully understood. In the present study, a computational pharmacological model that combined chemical space mapping, molecular docking and network analysis was employed to predict which chemical compounds in XCHT are potential inhibitors of cancer-associated targets, and to establish a compound-target (C-T) network and compound-compound (C-C) association network. The identified compounds from XCHT demonstrated diversity in chemical space. Furthermore, they occupied regions of chemical space that were the same, or close to, those occupied by drug or drug-like compounds that are associated with cancer, according to the Therapeutic Targets Database. The analysis of the molecular docking and the C-T network demonstrated that the potential inhibitors possessed the properties of promiscuous drugs and combination therapies. The C-C network was classified into four clusters and the different clusters contained various multi-compound combinations that acted on different targets. The study indicated that XCHT has a polypharmacological role in treating cancer and the potential inhibitory components of XCHT require further investigation as potential therapeutic strategies for cancer patients. PMID:24926384

Photothermal and biodegradable polyaniline/porous silicon hybrid nanocomposites as drug carriers for combined chemo-photothermal therapy of cancer.

PubMed

Xia, Bing; Wang, Bin; Shi, Jisen; Zhang, Yu; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Zhenyu; Li, Jiachen

2017-03-15

To develop photothermal and biodegradable nanocarriers for combined chemo-photothermal therapy of cancer, polyaniline/porous silicon hybrid nanocomposites had been successfully fabricated via surface initiated polymerization of aniline onto porous silicon nanoparticles in our experiments. As-prepared polyaniline/porous silicon nanocomposites could be well dispersed in aqueous solution without any extra hydrophilic surface coatings, and showed a robust photothermal effect under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Especially, after an intravenous injection into mice, these biodegradable porous silicon-based nanocomposites as non-toxic agents could be completely cleared in body. Moreover, these polyaniline/porous silicon nanocomposites as drug carriers also exhibited an efficient loading and dual pH/NIR light-triggered release of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX, a model anticancer drug). Most importantly, assisted with NIR laser irradiation, polyaniline/PSiNPs nanocomposites with loading DOX showed a remarkable synergistic anticancer effect combining chemotherapy with photothermal therapy, whether in vitro or in vivo. Therefore, based on biodegradable PSiNPs-based nanocomposites, this combination approach of chemo-photothermal therapy would have enormous potential on clinical cancer treatments in the future. Considering the non-biodegradable nature and potential long-term toxicity concerns of photothermal nanoagents, it is of great interest and importance to develop biodegradable and photothermal nanoparticles with an excellent biocompatibility for their future clinical applications. In our experiments, we fabricated porous silicon-based hybrid nanocomposites via surface initiated polymerization of aniline, which showed an excellent photothermal effect, aqueous dispersibility, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Furthermore, after an efficient loading of DOX molecules, polyaniline/porous silicon nanocomposites exhibited the remarkable synergistic anticancer effect, whether in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antitumour and antiangiogenic activities of [Pt(O,O′‐acac)(γ‐acac)(DMS)] in a xenograft model of human renal cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

Vetrugno, C; Biagioni, F; Calabriso, N; Calierno, M T; Fornai, F; De Pascali, S A; Marsigliante, S; Fanizzi, F P

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose It is thought that the mechanism of action of anticancer chemotherapeutic agents is mainly due to a direct inhibition of tumour cell proliferation. In tumour specimens, the endothelial cell proliferation rate increases, suggesting that the therapeutic effects of anticancer agents could also be attributed to inhibition of tumour angiogenesis. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of [Pt(O,O′‐acac)(γ‐acac)(DMS)] ([Pt(DMS)]), a new platinum drug for non‐genomic targets, on human renal carcinoma and compared them with those of the well‐established anticancer drug, cisplatin. Experimental Approach Tumour growth, tumour cell proliferation and microvessel density were investigated in a xenograft model of renal cell carcinoma, developed by injecting Caki‐1 cells into BALB/c nude mice. The antiangiogenic potential of compounds was also investigated using HUVECs. Key Results Treatment of the Caki‐1 cells with cisplatin or [Pt(DMS)] resulted in a dose‐dependent inhibition of cell survival, but the cytotoxicity of [Pt(DMS)] was approximately fivefold greater than that of cisplatin. [Pt(DMS)] was much more effective than cisplatin at inhibiting tumour growth, proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo, as well as migration, tube formation and MMP1, MMP2 and MMP9 secretion of endothelial cells in vitro. Whereas, cisplatin exerted a greater cytotoxic effect on HUVECs, but did not affect tube formation or the migration of endothelial cells. In addition, treatment of the xenograft mice with [Pt(DMS)] decreased VEGF, MMP1 and MMP2 expressions in tumours. Conclusions and Implications The antiangiogenic and antitumour activities of [Pt(DMS)] provide a solid starting point for its validation as a suitable candidate for further pharmacological testing. PMID:27351124

Antitumour and antiangiogenic activities of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] in a xenograft model of human renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Muscella, A; Vetrugno, C; Biagioni, F; Calabriso, N; Calierno, M T; Fornai, F; De Pascali, S A; Marsigliante, S; Fanizzi, F P

2016-09-01

It is thought that the mechanism of action of anticancer chemotherapeutic agents is mainly due to a direct inhibition of tumour cell proliferation. In tumour specimens, the endothelial cell proliferation rate increases, suggesting that the therapeutic effects of anticancer agents could also be attributed to inhibition of tumour angiogenesis. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] ([Pt(DMS)]), a new platinum drug for non-genomic targets, on human renal carcinoma and compared them with those of the well-established anticancer drug, cisplatin. Tumour growth, tumour cell proliferation and microvessel density were investigated in a xenograft model of renal cell carcinoma, developed by injecting Caki-1 cells into BALB/c nude mice. The antiangiogenic potential of compounds was also investigated using HUVECs. Treatment of the Caki-1 cells with cisplatin or [Pt(DMS)] resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell survival, but the cytotoxicity of [Pt(DMS)] was approximately fivefold greater than that of cisplatin. [Pt(DMS)] was much more effective than cisplatin at inhibiting tumour growth, proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo, as well as migration, tube formation and MMP1, MMP2 and MMP9 secretion of endothelial cells in vitro. Whereas, cisplatin exerted a greater cytotoxic effect on HUVECs, but did not affect tube formation or the migration of endothelial cells. In addition, treatment of the xenograft mice with [Pt(DMS)] decreased VEGF, MMP1 and MMP2 expressions in tumours. The antiangiogenic and antitumour activities of [Pt(DMS)] provide a solid starting point for its validation as a suitable candidate for further pharmacological testing. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

A Hexane Fraction of Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava L.) Induces Anticancer Activity by Suppressing AKT/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin/Ribosomal p70 S6 Kinase in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Ryu, Nae Hyung; Park, Kyung-Ran; Kim, Sung-Moo; Yun, Hyung-Mun; Nam, Dongwoo; Lee, Seok-Geun; Jang, Hyeung-Jin; Ahn, Kyoo Seok; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Shim, Bum Sang; Choi, Seung-Hoon; Mosaddik, Ashik

2012-01-01

Abstract This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of guava leaf extracts and its fractions. The chemical compositions of the active extracts were also determined. In the present study, we set out to determine whether the anticancer effects of guava leaves are linked with their ability to suppress constitutive AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/ribosomal p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation pathways in human prostate cancer cells. We found that guava leaf hexane fraction (GHF) was the most potent inducer of cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in PC-3 cells. The molecular mechanism or mechanisms of GHF apoptotic potential were correlated with the suppression of AKT/mTOR/S6K1 and MAPK signaling pathways. This effect of GHF correlated with down-regulation of various proteins that mediate cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Analysis of GHF by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry tentatively identified 60 compounds, including β-eudesmol (11.98%), α-copaene (7.97%), phytol (7.95%), α-patchoulene (3.76%), β-caryophyllene oxide (CPO) (3.63%), caryophylla-3(15),7(14)-dien-6-ol (2.68%), (E)-methyl isoeugenol (1.90%), α-terpineol (1.76%), and octadecane (1.23%). Besides GHF, CPO, but not phytol, also inhibited the AKT/mTOR/S6K1 signaling pathway and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Overall, these findings suggest that guava leaves can interfere with multiple signaling cascades linked with tumorigenesis and provide a source of potential therapeutic compounds for both the prevention and treatment of cancer. PMID:22280146

A hexane fraction of guava Leaves (Psidium guajava L.) induces anticancer activity by suppressing AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin/ribosomal p70 S6 kinase in human prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Ryu, Nae Hyung; Park, Kyung-Ran; Kim, Sung-Moo; Yun, Hyung-Mun; Nam, Dongwoo; Lee, Seok-Geun; Jang, Hyeung-Jin; Ahn, Kyoo Seok; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Shim, Bum Sang; Choi, Seung-Hoon; Mosaddik, Ashik; Cho, Somi K; Ahn, Kwang Seok

2012-03-01

This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of guava leaf extracts and its fractions. The chemical compositions of the active extracts were also determined. In the present study, we set out to determine whether the anticancer effects of guava leaves are linked with their ability to suppress constitutive AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/ribosomal p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation pathways in human prostate cancer cells. We found that guava leaf hexane fraction (GHF) was the most potent inducer of cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in PC-3 cells. The molecular mechanism or mechanisms of GHF apoptotic potential were correlated with the suppression of AKT/mTOR/S6K1 and MAPK signaling pathways. This effect of GHF correlated with down-regulation of various proteins that mediate cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Analysis of GHF by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry tentatively identified 60 compounds, including β-eudesmol (11.98%), α-copaene (7.97%), phytol (7.95%), α-patchoulene (3.76%), β-caryophyllene oxide (CPO) (3.63%), caryophylla-3(15),7(14)-dien-6-ol (2.68%), (E)-methyl isoeugenol (1.90%), α-terpineol (1.76%), and octadecane (1.23%). Besides GHF, CPO, but not phytol, also inhibited the AKT/mTOR/S6K1 signaling pathway and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Overall, these findings suggest that guava leaves can interfere with multiple signaling cascades linked with tumorigenesis and provide a source of potential therapeutic compounds for both the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Sulforaphane mitigates genotoxicity induced by radiation and anticancer drugs in human lymphocytes.

PubMed

Katoch, Omika; Kumar, Arun; Adhikari, Jawahar S; Dwarakanath, Bilikere S; Agrawala, Paban K

2013-12-12

Sulforaphane, present in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, is a dietary anticancer agent. Sulforaphane, added 2 or 20 h following phytohemaglutinin stimulation to cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes of individuals accidentally exposed to mixed γ and β-radiation, reduced the micronucleus frequency by up to 70%. Studies with whole blood cultures obtained from healthy volunteers confirmed the ability of sulforaphane to ameliorate γ-radiation-induced genotoxicity and to reduce micronucleus induction by other DNA-damaging anticancer agents, such as bleomycin and doxorubicin. This reduction in genotoxicity in lymphocytes treated at the G(0) or G(1) stage suggests a role for sulforaphane in modulating DNA repair. Sulforaphane also countered the radiation-induced increase in lymphocyte HDAC activity, to control levels, when cells were treated 2 h after exposure, and enhanced histone H4 acetylation status. Sulforaphane post-irradiation treatment enhanced the CD 34(+)Lin(-) cell population in culture. Sulforaphane has therapeutic potential for management of the late effects of radiation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells as an Anti-Cancer Trojan Horse

PubMed Central

Nowakowski, Adam; Drela, Katarzyna; Rozycka, Justyna; Janowski, Miroslaw

2016-01-01

Cell-based gene therapy holds a great promise for the treatment of human malignancy. Among different cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as valuable anti-cancer agents that have the potential to be used to treat a number of different cancer types. They have inherent migratory properties, which allow them to serve as vehicles for delivering effective therapy to isolated tumors and metastases. MSCs have been engineered to express anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-angiogenic agents that specifically target different cancers. Another field of interest is to modify MSCs with the cytokines that activate pro-tumorigenic immunity or to use them as carriers for the traditional chemical compounds that possess the properties of anti-cancer drugs. Although there is still controversy about the exact function of MSCs in the tumor settings, the encouraging results from the preclinical studies of MSC-based gene therapy for a large number of tumors support the initiation of clinical trials. PMID:27460260

Chitosan nanoparticles inhibit the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts through an antiangiogenic mechanism.

PubMed

Xu, Yinglei; Wen, Zhengshun; Xu, Zirong

2009-12-01

Chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) have demonstrated anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo by a few recent researches. However, the mechanisms involved in their potential anticancer activity remain to be elucidated. In this study, the effects of CNP on tumor growth were investigated using a model of nude mice xenografted with human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (BEL-7402) cells. The results demonstrated that the treatment of these nude mice with CNP significantly inhibited tumor growth and induced tumor necrosis. Furthermore, microvessel density (MVD) determination by counting immunohistologically stained tumor microvessels suggested that CNP dose-dependent tumor suppression was correlated with the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. Mechanistically, immunohistochemical and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase reaction assays provided evidence that CNP-mediated inhibition of tumor angiogenesis was linked to impaired levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Due to their low or non-toxicity, CNP and their derivatives may represent a novel class of anti-cancer drug.

Glutamine deprivation enhances antitumor activity of 3-bromopyruvate through the stabilization of monocarboxylate transporter-1.

PubMed

Cardaci, Simone; Rizza, Salvatore; Filomeni, Giuseppe; Bernardini, Roberta; Bertocchi, Fabio; Mattei, Maurizio; Paci, Maurizio; Rotilio, Giuseppe; Ciriolo, Maria Rosa

2012-09-01

Anticancer drug efficacy might be leveraged by strategies to target certain biochemical adaptations of tumors. Here we show how depriving cancer cells of glutamine can enhance the anticancer properties of 3-bromopyruvate, a halogenated analog of pyruvic acid. Glutamine deprival potentiated 3-bromopyruvate chemotherapy by increasing the stability of the monocarboxylate transporter-1, an effect that sensitized cells to metabolic oxidative stress and autophagic cell death. We further elucidated mechanisms through which resistance to chemopotentiation by glutamine deprival could be circumvented. Overall, our findings offer a preclinical proof-of-concept for how to employ 3-bromopyruvate or other monocarboxylic-based drugs to sensitize tumors to chemotherapy. ©2012 AACR.

Phytantriol based liquid crystal provide sustained release of anticancer drug as a novel embolic agent.

PubMed

Qin, Lingzhen; Mei, Liling; Shan, Ziyun; Huang, Ying; Pan, Xin; Li, Ge; Gu, Yukun; Wu, Chuanbin

2016-01-01

Phytantriol has received increasing amount of attention in drug delivery system, however, the ability of the phytantriol based liquid crystal as a novel embolic agent to provide a sustained release delivery system is yet to be comprehensively demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to prepare a phytantriol-based cubic phase precursor solution loaded with anticancer drug hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT) and evaluate its embolization properties, in vitro drug release and cytotoxicity. Phase behavior of the phytantriol-solvent-water system was investigated by visual inspection and polarized light microscopy, and no phase transition was observed in the presence of HCPT within the studied dose range. Water uptake by the phytantriol matrices was determined gravimetrically, suggesting that the swelling complied with the second order kinetics. In vitro evaluation of embolic efficacy indicated that the isotropic solution displayed a satisfactory embolization effect. In vitro drug release results showed a sustained-release up to 30 days and the release behavior was affected by the initial composition and drug loading. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity and anticancer activity were evaluated by MTT assay. No appreciable mortality was observed for NIH 3T3 cells after 48 h exposure to blank formulations, and the anticancer activity of HCPT-loaded formulations to HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells was strongly dependent on the drug loading and treatment time. Taken together, these results indicate that phytantriol-based cubic phase embolic gelling solution is a promising potential carrier for HCPT delivery to achieve a sustained drug release by vascular embolization, and this technology may be potential for clinical applications.

Dietary flavonoid fisetin targets caspase-3-deficient human breast cancer MCF-7 cells by induction of caspase-7-associated apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy.

PubMed

Yang, Pei-Ming; Tseng, Ho-Hsing; Peng, Chih-Wen; Chen, Wen-Shu; Chiu, Shu-Jun

2012-02-01

The outcome of producing apoptotic defects in cancer cells is the primary obstacle that limits the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer agents, and hence the development of novel agents targeting novel non-canonical cell death pathways has become an imperative mission for clinical research. Fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a naturally occurring flavonoid commonly found in fruits and vegetables. In this study, we investigated the potential anticancer effects of fisetin on breast cancer cells. The result showed fisetin induced higher cytotoxicity in human breast cancer MCF-7 than in MDA-MB-231 cells otherwise it did not exert any detectable cytotoxicity in non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells. We found fisetin can trigger a novel form of atypical apoptosis in caspase-3-deficient MCF-7 cells, which was characterized by several apoptotic features, including plasma membrane rupture, mitochondrial depolarization, activation of caspase-7, -8 and -9, and PARP cleavage; however, neither DNA fragmentation and phosphotidylserine (PS) externalization was observed. Although p53 was also activated by fisetin, the fisetin-induced apoptosis was not rescued by the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α. In contrast, the fisetin-induced apoptosis was abrogated by pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by fisetin was shown as additional route to prompt anticancer activity in MCF-7 cells. These data allow us to propose that fisetin appears as a new potential anticancer agent which can be applied to develop a clinical protocol of human breast cancers.

TrpA1 activation in peripheral sensory neurons underlies the ionic basis of pain hypersensitivity in response to vinca alkaloids

PubMed Central

Boiko, Nina; Medrano, Geraldo; Montano, Elizabeth; Jiang, Nan; Williams, Claire R.; Madungwe, Ngonidzashe B.; Bopassa, Jean C.; Kim, Charles C.; Parrish, Jay Z.; Hargreaves, Kenneth M.

2017-01-01

Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a side effect of many anti-cancer drugs including the vinca alkaloids, is characterized by a severe pain syndrome that compromises treatment in many patients. Currently there are no effective treatments for this pain syndrome except for the reduction of anti-cancer drug dose. Existing data supports the model that the pain associated with CIPN is the result of anti-cancer drugs augmenting the function of the peripheral sensory nociceptors but the cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of anti-cancer drugs on sensory neuron function are not well described. Studies from animal models have suggested a number of disease etiologies including mitotoxicity, axonal degeneration, immune signaling, and reduced sensory innervations but these outcomes are the result of prolonged treatment paradigms and do not necessarily represent the early formative events associated with CIPN. Here we show that acute exposure to vinca alkaloids results in an immediate pain syndrome in both flies and mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate that exposure of isolated sensory neurons to vinca alkaloids results in the generation of an inward sodium current capable of depolarizing these neurons to threshold resulting in neuronal firing. These neuronal effects of vinca alkaloids require the transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TrpA1) channel, and the hypersensitization to painful stimuli in response to the acute exposure to vinca alkaloids is reduced in TrpA1 mutant flies and mice. These findings demonstrate the direct excitation of sensory neurons by CIPN-causing chemotherapy drugs, and identify TrpA1 as an important target during the pathogenesis of CIPN. PMID:29084244

Aronia melanocarpa juice induces a redox-sensitive p73-related caspase 3-dependent apoptosis in human leukemia cells.

PubMed

Sharif, Tanveer; Alhosin, Mahmoud; Auger, Cyril; Minker, Carole; Kim, Jong-Hun; Etienne-Selloum, Nelly; Bories, Pierre; Gronemeyer, Hinrich; Lobstein, Annelise; Bronner, Christian; Fuhrmann, Guy; Schini-Kerth, Valérie B

2012-01-01

Polyphenols are natural compounds widely present in fruits and vegetables, which have antimutagenic and anticancer properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the anticancer effect of a polyphenol-rich Aronia melanocarpa juice (AMJ) containing 7.15 g/L of polyphenols in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat cell line, and, if so, to clarify the underlying mechanism and to identify the active polyphenols involved. AMJ inhibited cell proliferation, which was associated with cell cycle arrest in G(2)/M phase, and caused the induction of apoptosis. These effects were associated with an upregulation of the expression of tumor suppressor p73 and active caspase 3, and a downregulation of the expression of cyclin B1 and the epigenetic integrator UHRF1. AMJ significantly increased the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and caused the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. Treatment with intracellular ROS scavengers prevented the AMJ-induced apoptosis and upregulation of the expression of p73 and active caspase 3. The fractionation of the AMJ and the use of identified isolated compounds indicated that the anticancer activity was associated predominantly with chlorogenic acids, some cyanidin glycosides, and derivatives of quercetin. AMJ treatment also induced apoptosis of different human lymphoblastic leukemia cells (HSB-2, Molt-4 and CCRF-CEM). In addition, AMJ exerted a strong pro-apoptotic effect in human primary lymphoblastic leukemia cells but not in human normal primary T-lymphocytes. Thus, the present findings indicate that AMJ exhibits strong anticancer activity through a redox-sensitive mechanism in the p53-deficient Jurkat cells and that this effect involves several types of polyphenols. They further suggest that AMJ has chemotherapeutic properties against acute lymphoblastic leukemia by selectively targeting lymphoblast-derived tumor cells.

Structure-Activity Relationships of Orotidine-5′-Monophosphate Decarboxylase Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bello, A.; Konforte, D; Poduch, E

2009-01-01

A series of 6-substituted and 5-fluoro-6-substituted uridine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their potential as anticancer agents. The designed molecules were synthesized from either fully protected uridine or the corresponding 5-fluorouridine derivatives. The mononucleotide derivatives were used for enzyme inhibition investigations against ODCase. Anticancer activities of all the synthesized derivatives were evaluated using the nucleoside forms of the inhibitors. 5-Fluoro-UMP was a very weak inhibitor of ODCase. 6-Azido-5-fluoro and 5-fluoro-6-iodo derivatives are covalent inhibitors of ODCase, and the active site Lys145 residue covalently binds to the ligand after the elimination of the 6-substitution. Among the synthesized nucleoside derivatives, 6-azido-5-fluoro,more » 6-amino-5-fluoro, and 6-carbaldehyde-5-fluoro derivatives showed potent anticancer activities in cell-based assays against various leukemia cell lines. On the basis of the overall profile, 6-azido-5-fluoro and 6-amino-5-fluoro uridine derivatives exhibited potential for further investigations.« less

Structural characterization and anticancer activity of extracellular polysaccharides from ascidian symbiotic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.

PubMed

Ramamoorthy, Sathishkumar; Gnanakan, Ananthan; S Lakshmana, Senthil; Meivelu, Moovendhan; Jeganathan, Arun

2018-06-15

In the present study, extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) producing bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis RSK CAS4 was isolated from ascidian Didemnum granulatum and its production was optimized by response surface methodology. Fructose and galactose were found as the major monosaccharides in the EPS from the strain RSK CAS4. Functional groups and structural characteristics of the EPS were characterized with FT-IR and 1 HNMR. The purified EPS showed potent antioxidant properties in investigation against DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide free radicals. In vitro anticancer activity of purified EPS was evaluated on HEp-2 cells, A549 and Vero cell lines. Growth of cancer cells was inhibited by the EPS in a dose-dependent manner and maximum anticancer activity was found to be 76% against liver cancer at 1000 μg/ml. The antioxidant and anticancer potentials of theEPS from marine bacterium Bacillusthuringiensis RSK CAS4 suggests it as a potential natural source and its scopeas an alternative to synthetics for pharmaceutical application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy

PubMed Central

Alves-Silva, Jorge M.; Romane, Abderrahmane; Efferth, Thomas; Salgueiro, Lígia

2017-01-01

Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the described plants. Objective: Bearing in mind the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies, the aim of this review is to give an overview of studies, namely ethnobotanical surveys and experimental evidence of anticancer effects regarding medicinal plants used in North Africa for cancer therapy. Method: The research was conducted on several popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The research focused primarily on English written papers published between the years 2000 and 2016. Results: This review on plants traditionally used by herbalists in North Africa highlights that Morocco and Algeria are the countries with most surveys on the use of medicinal plants in folk medicine. Among the plethora of plants used, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum-graecum are the most referred ones by herbalists for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, a plethora of scientific evidence qualifies them as candidates for further drug development. Furthermore, we report on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of some medicinal plants as anticancer agents. The North African flora offers a rich source of medicinal plants for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. The elucidation of their modes of action represents an indispensable condition for the rational development of new drugs for cancer treatment. Furthermore, testing the anticancer activity in vivo and in clinical trials are warranted to explore the full therapeutic potential of North African plants for cancer therapy. PMID:28694778

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy.

PubMed

Alves-Silva, Jorge M; Romane, Abderrahmane; Efferth, Thomas; Salgueiro, Lígia

2017-01-01

Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the described plants. Objective: Bearing in mind the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies, the aim of this review is to give an overview of studies, namely ethnobotanical surveys and experimental evidence of anticancer effects regarding medicinal plants used in North Africa for cancer therapy. Method: The research was conducted on several popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The research focused primarily on English written papers published between the years 2000 and 2016. Results: This review on plants traditionally used by herbalists in North Africa highlights that Morocco and Algeria are the countries with most surveys on the use of medicinal plants in folk medicine. Among the plethora of plants used, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum-graecum are the most referred ones by herbalists for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, a plethora of scientific evidence qualifies them as candidates for further drug development. Furthermore, we report on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of some medicinal plants as anticancer agents. The North African flora offers a rich source of medicinal plants for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. The elucidation of their modes of action represents an indispensable condition for the rational development of new drugs for cancer treatment. Furthermore, testing the anticancer activity in vivo and in clinical trials are warranted to explore the full therapeutic potential of North African plants for cancer therapy.

Targeting miRNAs by polyphenols: Novel therapeutic strategy for cancer.

PubMed

Pandima Devi, Kasi; Rajavel, Tamilselvam; Daglia, Maria; Nabavi, Seyed Fazel; Bishayee, Anupam; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad

2017-10-01

In the recent years, polyphenols have gained significant attention in scientific community owing to their potential anticancer effects against a wide range of human malignancies. Epidemiological, clinical and preclinical studies have supported that daily intake of polyphenol-rich dietary fruits have a strong co-relationship in the prevention of different types of cancer. In addition to direct antioxidant mechanisms, they also regulate several therapeutically important oncogenic signaling and transcription factors. However, after the discovery of microRNA (miRNA), numerous studies have identified that polyphenols, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate, genistein, resveratrol and curcumin exert their anticancer effects by regulating different miRNAs which are implicated in all the stages of cancer. MiRNAs are short, non-coding endogenous RNA, which silence the gene functions by targeting messenger RNA (mRNA) through degradation or translation repression. However, cancer associated miRNAs has emerged only in recent years to support its applications in cancer therapy. Preclinical experiments have suggested that deregulation of single miRNA is sufficient for neoplastic transformation of cells. Indeed, the widespread deregulation of several miRNA profiles of tumor and healthy tissue samples revealed the involvement of many types of miRNA in the development of numerous cancers. Hence, targeting the miRNAs using polyphenols will be a novel and promising strategy in anticancer chemotherapy. Herein, we have critically reviewed the potential applications of polyphenols on various human miRNAs, especially which are involved in oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenformin inhibits growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells through targeting the IGF1R pathway.

PubMed

Guo, Zhiying; Zhao, Ming; Howard, Erin W; Zhao, Qingxia; Parris, Amanda B; Ma, Zhikun; Yang, Xiaohe

2017-09-01

Reports suggest that metformin, a popular anti-diabetes drug, prevents breast cancer through various systemic effects, including insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR) regulation. Although the anti-cancer properties of metformin have been well-studied, reports on a more bioavailable/potent biguanide, phenformin, remain sparse. Phenformin exerts similar functional activity to metformin and has been reported to impede mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Since the effects of phenformin on specific breast cancer subtypes have not been fully explored, we used ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cell and animal models to test the anti-cancer potential of phenformin. We report that phenformin (25-75 μM) decreased cell proliferation and impaired cell cycle progression in SKBR3 and 78617 breast cancer cells. Reduced tumor size after phenformin treatment (30 mg/kg/day) was demonstrated in an MMTV-ErbB2 transgenic mouse syngeneic tumor model. Phenformin also blocked epithelial-mesenchymal transition, decreased the invasive phenotype, and suppressed receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, including insulin receptor substrate 1 and IGF1R, in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and mouse mammary tumor-derived tissues. Moreover, phenformin suppressed IGF1-stimulated proliferation, receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in vitro . Together, our study implicates phenformin-mediated IGF1/IGF1R regulation as a potential anti-cancer mechanism and supports the development of phenformin and other biguanides as breast cancer therapeutics.

Phenformin inhibits growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells through targeting the IGF1R pathway

PubMed Central

Guo, Zhiying; Zhao, Ming; Howard, Erin W.; Zhao, Qingxia; Parris, Amanda B.; Ma, Zhikun; Yang, Xiaohe

2017-01-01

Reports suggest that metformin, a popular anti-diabetes drug, prevents breast cancer through various systemic effects, including insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR) regulation. Although the anti-cancer properties of metformin have been well-studied, reports on a more bioavailable/potent biguanide, phenformin, remain sparse. Phenformin exerts similar functional activity to metformin and has been reported to impede mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Since the effects of phenformin on specific breast cancer subtypes have not been fully explored, we used ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cell and animal models to test the anti-cancer potential of phenformin. We report that phenformin (25–75 μM) decreased cell proliferation and impaired cell cycle progression in SKBR3 and 78617 breast cancer cells. Reduced tumor size after phenformin treatment (30 mg/kg/day) was demonstrated in an MMTV-ErbB2 transgenic mouse syngeneic tumor model. Phenformin also blocked epithelial-mesenchymal transition, decreased the invasive phenotype, and suppressed receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, including insulin receptor substrate 1 and IGF1R, in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and mouse mammary tumor-derived tissues. Moreover, phenformin suppressed IGF1-stimulated proliferation, receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in vitro. Together, our study implicates phenformin-mediated IGF1/IGF1R regulation as a potential anti-cancer mechanism and supports the development of phenformin and other biguanides as breast cancer therapeutics. PMID:28947975

Anticancer property of bromelain with therapeutic potential in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

PubMed

Pillai, Krishna; Akhter, Javed; Chua, Terence C; Morris, David Lawson

2013-05-01

Bromelain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes that is capable of hydrolyzing glycosidic linkages in glycoprotein. Glycoprotein's are ubiquitously distributed throughout the body and serve a variety of physiologic functions. Faulty glycosylation of proteins may lead to cancer. Antitumor properties of bromelain have been demonstrated in both, in vitro and in vivo studies, along with scanty anecdotal human studies. Various mechanistic pathways have been proposed to explain the anticancer properties of bromelain. However, proteolysis by bromelain has been suggested as a main pathway by some researchers. MUC1 is a glycoprotein that provides tumor cells with invasive, metastatic, and chemo-resistant properties. To date, there is no study that examines the effect of bromelain on MUC1. However, the viability of MUC1 expressing pancreatic and breast cancer cells are adversely affected by bromelain. Further, the efficacy of cisplatin and 5-FU are enhanced by adjuvant treatment with bromelain, indicating that the barrier function of MUC1 may be affected. Other studies have also indicated that there is a greater accumulation of 5-FU in the cell compartment on treatment with 5-FU and bromelain. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) expresses MUC1 and initial studies have shown that the viability of MPM cells is adversely affected by exposure to bromelain. Further, bromelain in combination with either 5-FU or cisplatin, the efficacy of the chemotherapeutic drug is enhanced. Hence, current evidence indicates that bromelain may have the potential of being developed into an effective anticancer agent for MPM.

Nitric oxide donor augments antineoplastic effects of arginine deprivation in human melanoma cells.

PubMed

Mayevska, Oksana; Chen, Oleh; Karatsai, Olena; Bobak, Yaroslav; Barska, Maryna; Lyniv, Liliana; Pavlyk, Iuliia; Rzhepetskyy, Yuriy; Igumentseva, Natalia; Redowicz, Maria Jolanta; Stasyk, Oleh

2017-06-15

Anticancer therapy based on recombinant arginine-degrading enzymes has been proposed for the treatment of several types of malignant cells deficient in arginine biosynthesis. One of the predicted side effects of such therapy is restricted bioavailability of nitric oxide as arginine catabolic product. Prolonged NO limitation may lead to unwanted disturbances in NO-dependent vasodilation, cardiovascular and immune systems. This problem can be overcome by co-supplementation with exogenous NO donor. However, NO may potentially counteract anticancer effects of therapy based on arginine deprivation. In this study, we evaluate for the first time the effects of an exogenous NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, on viability and metastatic properties of two human melanoma cell lines SK-MEL-28 and WM793 under arginine-deprived conditions. It was revealed that NO did not rescue melanoma cells from specific effects evoked by arginine deprivation, namely decreased viability and induction of apoptosis, dramatically reduced motility, invasiveness and clonogenic potential. Moreover, sodium nitroprusside co-treatment augmented several of these antineoplastic effects. We report that a combination of NO-donor and arginine deprivation strongly and specifically impaired metastatic behavior of melanoma cells. Thus, sodium nitroprusside can be considered as an adjuvant for the more efficient treatment of malignant melanoma and possibly other tumors with arginine-degrading enzymes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anticancer Properties of Capsaicin Against Human Cancer.

PubMed

Clark, Ruth; Lee, Seong-Ho

2016-03-01

There is persuasive epidemiological and experimental evidence that dietary phytochemicals have anticancer activity. Capsaicin is a bioactive phytochemical abundant in red and chili peppers. While the preponderance of the data strongly indicates significant anticancer benefits of capsaicin, more information to highlight molecular mechanisms of its action is required to improve our knowledge to be able to propose a potential therapeutic strategy for use of capsaicin against cancer. Capsaicin has been shown to alter the expression of several genes involved in cancer cell survival, growth arrest, angiogenesis and metastasis. Recently, many research groups, including ours, found that capsaicin targets multiple signaling pathways, oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in various types of cancer models. In this review article, we highlight multiple molecular targets responsible for the anticancer mechanism of capsaicin. In addition, we deal with the benefits of combinational use of capsaicin with other dietary or chemotherapeutic compounds, focusing on synergistic anticancer activities. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Synergistic Antiproliferative Effects of a New Cucurbitacin B Derivative and Chemotherapy Drugs on Lung Cancer Cell Line A549.

PubMed

Marostica, Lucas Lourenço; Silva, Izabella Thaís; Kratz, Jadel Müller; Persich, Lara; Geller, Fabiana Cristina; Lang, Karen Luise; Caro, Miguel Soriano Balparda; Durán, Fernando Javier; Schenkel, Eloir Paulo; Simões, Cláudia Maria Oliveira

2015-10-19

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents an important cause of mortality worldwide due to its aggressiveness and growing resistance to currently available therapy. Cucurbitacins have emerged as novel potential anticancer agents showing strong antiproliferative effects and can be promising candidates for combined treatments with clinically used anticancer agents. This study investigates the synergistic antiproliferative effects of a new semisynthetic derivative of cucurbitacin B (DACE) with three chemotherapy drugs: cisplatin (CIS), irinotecan (IRI), and paclitaxel (PAC) on A549 cells. The most effective combinations were selected for studies of the mechanism of action. Using an in silico tool, DACE seems to act by a different mechanism of action when compared with that of different classes of drugs already used in clinical settings. DACE also showed potent synergic effects with drugs, and the most potent combinations induced G2/M cell cycle arrest by modulating survivin and p53 expression, disruption of F-actin cytoskeleton, and cell death by apoptosis. These treatments completely inhibited the clonogenic potential and did not reduce the proliferation of nontumoral lung cells (MRC-5). DACE also showed relevant antimigratory and anti-invasive effects, and combined treatments modulated cell migration signaling pathways evolved with metastasis progression. The effects of DACE associated with drugs was potentiated by the oxidant agent l-buthionine-sulfoximine (BSO), and attenuated by N-acetilcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant agent. The antiproliferative effects induced by combined treatments were attenuated by a pan-caspase inhibitor, indicating that the effects of these treatments are dependent on caspase activity. Our data highlight the therapeutic potential of DACE used in combination with known chemotherapy drugs and offer important insights for the development of more effective and selective therapies against lung cancer.

Cytotoxicity and apoptotic signalling cascade induced by chelidonine-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in HepG2 cells in vitro and bioavailability of nano-chelidonine in mice in vivo.

PubMed

Paul, Avijit; Das, Sreemanti; Das, Jayeeta; Samadder, Asmita; Khuda-Bukhsh, Anisur Rahman

2013-09-12

Poor oral bioavailability of chelidonine, a bio-active ingredient of Chelidonium majus, showing anti-cancer potentials against cancer cells with multidrug resistance, makes its optimal use rather limited. To address this problem, we encapsulated chelidonine in biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymers and evaluated nano-chelidonine's (NCs) anti-cancer efficacy vis-à-vis free chelidonine (FC) against HepG2 cells and also evaluated its bioavailability in mice. Physicochemical characteristics indicated that stable spherical NC were formed in nanometer size range (123±1.15 nm) with good yield (86.34±1.91%), better encapsulation efficiency (82.6±0.574%), negative surface charge (-19.6±2.48 mV) and ability of prolonged and sustained release of chelidonine. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed that NC resembled similar peaks as that of FC suggesting effective encapsulation in PLGA. NC exhibited rapid cellular uptake and stronger apoptotic effect (∼46.6% reduced IC₅₀ value) than FC, blocking HepG2 cells at G2/M phase. p53, cyclin-D1, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, Apaf-1, caspase-9 and caspase-3 expressions also corroborated well to suggest greater anticancer potentials of NC. Our in vivo studies demonstrated NC to be more bio-available than FC and showed a better tissue distribution profile without inducing any toxicity (100 mg/kg bw) in mice. Unlike FC, NC could permeate into brain tissue, indicating thereby NC's better potentials for use in therapeutic oncology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of in vitro cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and changes in the expression of apoptosis regulatory proteins induced by cerium oxide nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Shahanavaj; Ansari, Anees A.; Rolfo, Christian; Coelho, Andreia; Abdulla, Maha; Al-Khayal, Khayal; Ahmad, Rehan

2017-12-01

Cerium oxide nanocrystals (CeO2-NCs) exhibit superoxide dismutase and catalase mimetic activities. Based on these catalytic activities, CeO2-NCs have been suggested to have the potential to treat various diseases. The crystalline size of these materials is an important factor that influences the performance of CeO2-NCs. Previous reports have shown that several metal-based nanocrystals, including CeO2-NCs, can induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. To characterize the anticancer activities of CeO2-NCs, several assays related to the mechanism of cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis has been performed. Here, we have carried out a systematic study to characterize CeO2-NCs phase purity (X-ray diffraction), morphology (electron microscopy), and optical features (optical absorption, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence) to better establish their potential as anticancer drugs. Our study revealed anticancer effects of CeO2-NCs in HT29 and SW620 colorectal cancer cell lines with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 2.26 and 121.18 μg ml-1, respectively. Reductions in cell viability indicated the cytotoxic potential of CeO2-NCs in HT29 cells based on inverted and florescence microscopy assessments. The mechanism of cytotoxicity confirmed by estimating possible changes in the expression levels of Bcl2, BclxL, Bax, PARP, cytochrome c, and β-actin (control) proteins in HT29 cells. Down-regulation of Bcl2 and BclxL and up-regulation of Bax, PARP, and cytochrome c proteins suggested the significant involvement of CeO2-NCs exposure in the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, biocompatibility assay showed minimum effect of CeO2-NCs on human red blood cells.

Folate-Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with Ursolic Acid Confer Anti-Breast Cancer Activities in vitro and in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Hua; Pi, Jiang; Yang, Fen; Jiang, Jinhuan; Wang, Xiaoping; Bai, Haihua; Shao, Mingtao; Huang, Lei; Zhu, Haiyan; Yang, Peihui; Li, Lihua; Li, Ting; Cai, Jiye; Chen, Zheng W.

2016-07-01

Ursolic acid (UA) has proved to have broad-spectrum anti-tumor effects, but its poor water solubility and incompetent targeting property largely limit its clinical application and efficiency. Here, we synthesized a nanoparticle-based drug carrier composed of chitosan, UA and folate (FA-CS-UA-NPs) and demonstrated that FA-CS-UA-NPs could effectively diminish off-target effects and increase local drug concentrations of UA. Using MCF-7 cells as in vitro model for anti-cancer mechanistic studies, we found that FA-CS-UA-NPs could be easily internalized by cancer cells through a folate receptor-mediated endocytic pathway. FA-CS-UA-NPs entered into lysosome, destructed the permeability of lysosomal membrane, and then got released from lysosomes. Subsequently, FA-CS-UA-NPs localized into mitochondria but not nuclei. The prolonged retention of FA-CS-UA-NPs in mitochondria induced overproduction of ROS and destruction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and resulted in the irreversible apoptosis in cancer cells. In vivo experiments showed that FA-CS-UA-NPs could significantly reduce breast cancer burden in MCF-7 xenograft mouse model. These results suggested that FA-CS-UA-NPs could further be explored as an anti-cancer drug candidate and that our approach might provide a platform to develop novel anti-cancer drug delivery system.

Oleic Acid, deglycosylated vitamin D-binding protein, nitric oxide: a molecular triad made lethal to cancer.

PubMed

Ruggiero, Marco; Ward, Emma; Smith, Rodney; Branca, Jacopo J V; Noakes, David; Morucci, Gabriele; Taubmann, Margit; Thyer, Lynda; Pacini, Stefania

2014-07-01

Oleic Acid (OA) has been shown to have anticancer properties mediated by interaction with proteins such as α-lactalbumin and lactoferrins. Therefore, we synthesized complexes of OA and Gc protein-derived macrophage activating factor (GcMAF) that inhibits per se cancer cell proliferation and metastatic potential. We hypothesised that OA-GcMAF complexes could exploit the anticancer properties of both OA and GcMAF in a synergistic manner. We postulated that the stimulating effects of GcMAF on macrophages might lead to release of nitric oxide (NO). Patients with advanced cancer were treated at the Immuno Biotech Treatment Centre with OA-GcMAF-based integrative immunotherapy in combination with a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, fermented milk products containing naturally-produced GcMAF, Vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids and low-dose acetylsalicylic acid. Measuring the tumour by ultrasonographic techniques, we observed a decrease of tumour volume of about 25%. These observations demonstrate that OA, GcMAF and NO can be properly combined and specifically delivered to advanced cancer patients with significant effects on immune system stimulation and tumour volume reduction avoiding harmful side-effects. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Targeting Key Transporters in Tumor Glycolysis as a Novel Anticancer Strategy.

PubMed

Shi, Yunli; Liu, Shengnan; Ahmad, Shabir; Gao, Qingzhi

2018-05-22

Increased glycolysis has been one of the metabolic characteristics known as the Warburg effect. The functional and therapeutic importance of the Warburg effect in targeted therapy is scientifically recognized and the glucose metabolic pathway has become a desirable target of anticancer strategies. Glucose transporters (GLUTs) play an important role in cancer glycolysis to sustain cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and survival. Utilizing the knowledge of differential expression and biological functions of GLUTs offers us the possibility of designing and delivering chemotherapeutics toward targeted tumor tissues for improved cancer selectivity. Inhibition of glucose uptake or glycolysis may effectively kill hypoxic cancer cells. Facilitative drug uptake via active transportation provides the potential opportunity to circumvent the drug resistance in chemotherapy. GLUTs as the hallmarks and biotargets of cancer metabolism enable the design and development of novel targeted theranostic agents. In this updated review, we examine the current scenario of the GLUTs as strategic targets in cancer and the unique concepts for discovery and development of GLUTs-targeted anticancer agents. We highlight the recent progresses on structural biology and underlying mechanism studies of GLUTs, with a brief introduction to the computational approaches in GLUT-mediated drug transport and tumor targeting. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Curcumin in combined cancer therapy.

PubMed

Troselj, Koraljka Gall; Kujundzic, Renata Novak

2014-01-01

The mechanisms of beneficial preventive and therapeutic effects achieved by traditional and complementary medicine are currently being deciphered in molecular medicine. Curcumin, a yellow-colored polyphenol derived from the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa), influences a wide variety of cellular processes through the reshaping of many molecular targets. One of them, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), represents a strong mediator of inflammation and, in a majority of systems, supports the pro-proliferative features of cancer cells. The application of various anticancer drugs, cytostatics, triggers signals which lead to an increase in cellular NF-κB activity. As a consequence, cancer cells often reshape their survival signaling pathways and, over time, become resistant to applied therapy. Curcumin was shown to be a strong inhibitor of NF-κB activity and its inhibitory effect on NF-κB related pathways often leads to cellular apoptotic response. All these facts, tested and confirmed in many different biological systems, have paved the way for research aimed to elucidate the potential beneficial effects of combining curcumin and various anti-cancer drugs in order to establish more efficient and less toxic cancer treatment modalities. This review addresses certain aspects of NF-κB-related inflammatory response, its role in carcinogenesis and therapy benefits that may be gained through silencing NF-κB by selectively combining curcumin and various anticancer drugs.

A novel red pigment from marine Arthrobacter sp. G20 with specific anticancer activity.

PubMed

Afra, S; Makhdoumi, A; Matin, M M; Feizy, J

2017-11-01

Bacterial pigments are promising compounds in the prevention and treatment of various cancers. In the current study, the antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of a red pigment obtained from a marine bacterial strain were investigated. Optimization of the pigment production by the marine strain was conducted using the one-factor-at-a-time approach. Chemical identification of the pigment was achieved by UV-visible, FTIR and HPLC analyses. The biological activities of the pigment were evaluated by DPPH, MTT and microbroth dilution assays. The strain was identified as Arthrobacter, and its pigment was related to carotenoids. The EC 50 antioxidant activity of the pigment was evaluated as 4·5 mg ml -1 . It showed moderate anticancer effects on an oesophageal cancer cell line, KYSE30, while no inhibition was observed on normal HDF (human dermal fibroblasts) cells. The pigment had no antibacterial effects on the four tested strains. The antitumour activity of a carotenoid-related pigment from Arthrobacter sp. was reported for the first time. Marine environments are interesting sources for the identification of novel bioproducts. The identification of carotenoid pigments from marine bacteria with remarkable antioxidant and anticancer activities would result in better insights into the potential pharmaceutical applications of carotenoids and marine environments. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

In vitro determination of the efficacy of scorpion venoms as anti-cancer agents against colorectal cancer cells: a nano-liposomal delivery approach.

PubMed

Al-Asmari, Abdulrahman K; Ullah, Zabih; Al Balowi, Ali; Islam, Mozaffarul

2017-01-01

The use of liposomes in biological and medicinal sciences is a relatively new approach. The liposomal strategy greatly depends on the technological advancement in the formation of vesicles of various sizes and properties. In the current study, we encapsulated the venoms obtained from medically important scorpions such as Androctonus bicolor (AB), Androctonus crassicauda (AC), and Leiurus quinquestriatus (LQ). To begin with, our first and foremost aim was to prepare biocompatible and biodegradable nanovesicles. Additionally, we intended to enhance the anti-cancer potential of these encapsulated venoms. The liposomal venoms were prepared by rehydration and dehydration methods. Morphology, particle size, and size distribution of the liposomes were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Zetasizer. We found that the prepared liposomes had a smooth surface and a spherical/ovoid shape and existed mainly as single unilamellar vesicles (SUVs). Furthermore, the liposomal formulation of all three venoms exhibited excellent stability and good encapsulation efficiency (EE). Additionally, the anti-cancer potential of the encapsulated venoms was also evaluated on a colorectal cancer cell line (HCT-8). The venom-loaded liposomes showed elevated anti-cancer properties such as low rate of cell survival, higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and enhancement in the number of apoptotic cells. In addition to this, cell cycle analysis revealed G0/G1 enrichment upon venom treatment. The effect of treatment was more pronounced when venom-liposome was used as compared to free venom on the HCT-8 cell line. Furthermore, we did not observe any interference of liposomal lipids used in these preparations on the progression of cancer cells. Considering these findings, we can conclude that the encapsulated scorpion venoms exhibit better efficacy and act more vigorously as an anti-cancer agent on the colorectal cancer cell line when compared with their free counterpart.

In vitro determination of the efficacy of scorpion venoms as anti-cancer agents against colorectal cancer cells: a nano-liposomal delivery approach

PubMed Central

Al-Asmari, Abdulrahman K; Ullah, Zabih; Al Balowi, Ali; Islam, Mozaffarul

2017-01-01

The use of liposomes in biological and medicinal sciences is a relatively new approach. The liposomal strategy greatly depends on the technological advancement in the formation of vesicles of various sizes and properties. In the current study, we encapsulated the venoms obtained from medically important scorpions such as Androctonus bicolor (AB), Androctonus crassicauda (AC), and Leiurus quinquestriatus (LQ). To begin with, our first and foremost aim was to prepare biocompatible and biodegradable nanovesicles. Additionally, we intended to enhance the anti-cancer potential of these encapsulated venoms. The liposomal venoms were prepared by rehydration and dehydration methods. Morphology, particle size, and size distribution of the liposomes were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Zetasizer. We found that the prepared liposomes had a smooth surface and a spherical/ovoid shape and existed mainly as single unilamellar vesicles (SUVs). Furthermore, the liposomal formulation of all three venoms exhibited excellent stability and good encapsulation efficiency (EE). Additionally, the anti-cancer potential of the encapsulated venoms was also evaluated on a colorectal cancer cell line (HCT-8). The venom-loaded liposomes showed elevated anti-cancer properties such as low rate of cell survival, higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and enhancement in the number of apoptotic cells. In addition to this, cell cycle analysis revealed G0/G1 enrichment upon venom treatment. The effect of treatment was more pronounced when venom–liposome was used as compared to free venom on the HCT-8 cell line. Furthermore, we did not observe any interference of liposomal lipids used in these preparations on the progression of cancer cells. Considering these findings, we can conclude that the encapsulated scorpion venoms exhibit better efficacy and act more vigorously as an anti-cancer agent on the colorectal cancer cell line when compared with their free counterpart. PMID:28144138

Extract of Vernonia condensata, Inhibits Tumor Progression and Improves Survival of Tumor-allograft Bearing Mouse

PubMed Central

Thomas, Elizabeth; Gopalakrishnan, Vidya; Somasagara, Ranganatha R.; Choudhary, Bibha; Raghavan, Sathees C.

2016-01-01

Medicinal plants are considered as one of the ideal sources for cancer therapy due to their bioactive contents and low toxicity to humans. Vernonia genus is one of the common medicinal plants, which has wide spread usage in food and medicine. However, there are limited studies to explore its anticancer properties. In the current study, we have used Vernonia condensata, to explore its anticancer activity using various approaches. Here, we show that extract prepared from Vernonia condensata (VCE) exhibits cytotoxic properties against various cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, when treated with VCE, there was no significant cytotoxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Flow cytometry analysis revealed that although VCE induced cell death, arrest was not observed. VCE treatment led to disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration dependent manner resulting in activation of apoptosis culminating in cell death. Immunoblotting studies revealed that VCE activated intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. More importantly, VCE treatment resulted in tumor regression leading to significant enhancement in life span in treated mice, without showing any detectable side effects. Therefore, for the first time our study reveals the potential of extract from Vernonia condensata to be used as an anticancer agent. PMID:27009490

The anti-tumor activity of E1A and its implications in cancer therapy.

PubMed

Chang, Yi-Wen; Hung, Mien-Chie; Su, Jen-Liang

2014-06-01

The adenovirus type 5 E1A protein (E1A) plays a critical role in anti-cancer gene therapy and has been tested in clinical trials. The expression of E1A significantly reduces tumorigenesis, promotes cell death, and inhibits cancer cell mobility. Chemosensitization is one of the anti-tumor effects of E1A, increasing in vitro and in vivo sensitization of anti-cancer drugs, including cisplatin, gemcitabine, etoposide, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and histone deacetylase inhibitors in different types of cancer cells. E1A also demonstrates anti-metastasis activity through various molecular mechanisms such as the repression of protease expression, suppression of HER2/neu and downregulation of microRNA (miR-520h). Moreover, E1A has been reported to reprogram transcription in tumor cells and stabilize tumor suppressors such as PP2A/C, p21 and p53. Because E1A plays a potentially significant role in anti-tumor therapy, there exists an urgent need to study the anti-cancer activities of E1A. This paper presents a review of our current understanding of the tumor-suppressive functions and molecular regulation of E1A, as well as the potential clinical applications of E1A.

Mangiferin exerts antitumor activity in breast cancer cells by regulating matrix metalloproteinases, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and β-catenin signaling pathway.

PubMed

Li, Hongzhong; Huang, Jing; Yang, Bing; Xiang, Tingxiu; Yin, Xuedong; Peng, Weiyan; Cheng, Wei; Wan, Jingyuan; Luo, Fuling; Li, Hongyuan; Ren, Guosheng

2013-10-01

Although mangiferin which is a naturally occurring glucosylxanthone has exhibited promising anticancer activities, the detailed molecular mechanism of mangiferin on cancers still remains enigmatic. In this study, the anticancer activity of mangiferin was evaluated in breast cancer cell line-based in vitro and in vivo models. We showed that mangiferin treatment resulted in decreased cell viability and suppression of metastatic potential in breast cancer cells. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that mangiferin induced decreased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7 and -9, and reversal of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, it was demonstrated that mangiferin significantly inhibited the activation of β-catenin pathway. Subsequent experiments showed that inhibiting β-catenin pathway might play a central role in mangiferin-induced anticancer activity through modulation of MMP-7 and -9, and EMT. Consistent with these findings in vitro, the antitumor potential was also verified in mangiferin-treated MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice where significantly decreased tumor volume, weight and proliferation, and increased apoptosis were obtained, with lower expression of MMP-7 and -9, vimentin and active β-catenin, and higher expression of E-cadherin. Taken together, our study suggests that mangiferin might be used as an effective chemopreventive agent against breast cancer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Olea europaea L. fruit extracts: Phytochemical characterization and anticancer pathway investigation.

PubMed

Maalej, Amina; Bouallagui, Zouhaier; Hadrich, Fatma; Isoda, Hiroko; Sayadi, Sami

2017-06-01

Olea europaea L. has been widely used as an advantageous rich source of bioactive compounds of high economic value leading to its use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agriculture industries. Ethanolic extracts of olive fruits from three different cultivars (OFE) were studied for their phytochemical contents and were investigated for antioxidant activities and anticancer potential. Major polyphenols detected in these extracts were tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, rutin, quercetin and glucoside forms of luteolin and apigenin. All these compounds have shown to significantly contribute to the antioxidant activity of OFE, which was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. Proliferation of hepatic and colon cancer cells, HepG2 and Caco-2, were shown to be sensitive to OFE with IC 50 less than 1.6mg/ml for all tested extracts. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis showed that OFE induced cell cycle arrest in the S-phase within both HepG2 and Caco-2 cells. This has triggered a cell death mechanism as shown by DNA fragmentation, expression of p53 and phosphorylation level of Akt and Erk proteins. Interestingly, these extracts could be further used as a potential source of natural compounds with both antioxidant and anticancer effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Research progress on the anticancer effects of vitamin K2.

PubMed

Xv, Fan; Chen, Jiepeng; Duan, Lili; Li, Shuzhuang

2018-06-01

Despite the availability of multiple therapeutic methods for patients with cancer, the long-term prognosis is not satisfactory in a number of different cancer types. Vitamin K2 (VK2), which exerts anticancer effects on a number of cancer cell lines, is considered to be a prospective novel agent for the treatment of cancer. The present review aims to summarize the results of studies in which VK2 was administered either to patients with cancer or animals inoculated with cancerous cells, particularly investigating the inhibitory effects of VK2 on cancerous cells, primarily involving cell-cycle arrest, cell differentiation, apoptosis, autophagy and invasion. The present review summarizes evidence stating that treatment with VK2 could positively inhibit the growth of cancer cells, making it a potentially useful approach for the prevention and clinical treatment of cancer. Additionally, the combination treatment of VK2 and established chemotherapeutics may achieve better results, with fewer side effects. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the effects of micronutrients on tumors.

Trial Watch

PubMed Central

Aranda, Fernando; Vacchelli, Erika; Eggermont, Alexander; Galon, Jerome; Sautès-Fridman, Catherine; Tartour, Eric; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido; Galluzzi, Lorenzo

2013-01-01

Throughout the past 3 decades, along with the recognition that the immune system not only influences oncogenesis and tumor progression, but also determines how established neoplastic lesions respond therapy, renovated enthusiasm has gathered around the possibility of using vaccines as anticancer agents. Such an enthusiasm quickly tempered when it became clear that anticancer vaccines would have to be devised as therapeutic, rather than prophylactic, measures, and that malignant cells often fail to elicit (or actively suppress) innate and adaptive immune responses. Nonetheless, accumulating evidence indicates that a variety of anticancer vaccines, including cell-based, DNA-based, and purified component-based preparations, are capable of circumventing the poorly immunogenic and highly immunosuppressive nature of most tumors and elicit (at least under some circumstances) therapeutically relevant immune responses. Great efforts are currently being devoted to the identification of strategies that may provide anticancer vaccines with the capacity of breaking immunological tolerance and eliciting tumor-associated antigen-specific immunity in a majority of patients. In this sense, promising results have been obtained by combining anticancer vaccines with a relatively varied panels of adjuvants, including multiple immunostimulatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor agonists as well as inhibitors of immune checkpoints. One year ago, in the December issue of OncoImmunology, we discussed the biological mechanisms that underlie the antineoplastic effects of peptide-based vaccines and presented an abundant literature demonstrating the prominent clinical potential of such an approach. Here, we review the latest developments in this exciting area of research, focusing on high-profile studies that have been published during the last 13 mo and clinical trials launched in the same period to evaluate purified peptides or full-length proteins as therapeutic anticancer agents. PMID:24498550

Structure-activity relationship studies of chalcone leading to 3-hydroxy-4,3',4',5'-tetramethoxychalcone and its analogues as potent nuclear factor kappaB inhibitors and their anticancer activities.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Balasubramanian; Johnson, Thomas E; Lad, Rahul; Xing, Chengguo

2009-11-26

Chalcone is a privileged structure, demonstrating promising anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. One potential mechanism is to suppress nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation. The structures of chalcone-based NF-kappaB inhibitors vary significantly that there is minimum information about their structure-activity relationships (SAR). This study aims to establish SAR of chalcone-based compounds to NF-kappaB inhibition, to explore the feasibility of developing simple chalcone-based potent NF-kappaB inhibitors, and to evaluate their anticancer activities. Three series of chalcones were synthesized in one to three steps with the key step being aldol condensation. These candidates demonstrated a wide range of NF-kappaB inhibitory activities, some of low micromolar potency, establishing that structural complexity is not required for NF-kappaB inhibition. Lead compounds also demonstrate potent cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells. Their cytotoxicities correlate moderately well with their NF-kappaB inhibitory activities, suggesting that suppressing NF-kappaB activation is likely responsible for at least some of the cytotoxicities. One lead compound effectively inhibits lung tumor growth with no signs of adverse side effects.

Newly Engineered Magnetic Erythrocytes for Sustained and Targeted Delivery of Anti-Cancer Therapeutic Compounds

PubMed Central

Taranta, Monia; Naldi, Ilaria

2011-01-01

Cytotoxic chemotherapy of cancer is limited by serious, sometimes life-threatening, side effects that arise from toxicities to sensitive normal cells because the therapies are not selective for malignant cells. So how can they be selectively improved? Alternative pharmaceutical formulations of anti-cancer agents have been investigated in order to improve conventional chemotherapy treatment. These formulations are associated with problems like severe toxic side effects on healthy organs, drug resistance and limited access of the drug to the tumor sites suggested the need to focus on site-specific controlled drug delivery systems. In response to these concerns, we have developed a new drug delivery system based on magnetic erythrocytes engineered with a viral spike fusion protein. This new erythrocyte-based drug delivery system has the potential for magnetic-controlled site-specific localization and highly efficient fusion capability with the targeted cells. Here we show that the erythro-magneto-HA virosomes drug delivery system is able to attach and fuse with the target cells and to efficiently release therapeutic compounds inside the cells. The efficacy of the anti-cancer drug employed is increased and the dose required is 10 time less than that needed with conventional therapy. PMID:21373641

Dihydroartemisinin potentiates the anticancer effect of cisplatin via mTOR inhibition in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells: involvement of apoptosis and autophagy.

PubMed

Feng, Xue; Li, Ling; Jiang, Hong; Jiang, Keping; Jin, Ye; Zheng, Jianhua

2014-02-14

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) exhibits anticancer activity in tumor cells but its mechanism of action is unclear. Cisplatin (DDP) is currently the best known chemotherapeutic available for ovarian cancer. However, tumors return de novo with acquired resistance over time. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important kinase that regulates cell apoptosis and autophagy, and its dysregulation has been observed in chemoresistant human cancers. Here, we show that compared with control ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3), mTOR phosphorylation was abnormally activated in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3/DDP) following cisplatin monotherapy. Treatment with cisplatin combined with DHA could enhance cisplatin-induced proliferation inhibition in SKOV3/DDP cells. This mechanism is at least partially due to DHA deactivation of mTOR kinase and promotion of apoptosis. Although autophagy was also induced by DHA, the reduced cell death was not found by suppressing autophagic flux by Bafilomycin A1 (BAF). Taken together, we conclude that inhibition of cisplatin-induced mTOR activation is one of the main mechanisms by which DHA dramatically promotes its anticancer effect in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mangiferin enhances the sensitivity of human multiple myeloma cells to anticancer drugs through suppression of the nuclear factor κB pathway.

PubMed

Takeda, Tomoya; Tsubaki, Masanobu; Kino, Toshiki; Kawamura, Ayako; Isoyama, Shota; Itoh, Tatsuki; Imano, Motohiro; Tanabe, Genzoh; Muraoka, Osamu; Matsuda, Hideaki; Satou, Takao; Nishida, Shozo

2016-06-01

Multiple myeloma (MM) is still an incurable hematological malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of ~35%, despite the use of various treatment options. The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MM. Thus, inhibition of the NF-κB pathway is a potential target for the treatment of MM. In a previous study, we showed that mangiferin suppressed the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. However, the treatment of MM involves a combination of two or three drugs. In this study, we examined the effect of the combination of mangiferin and conventional anticancer drugs in an MM cell line. We showed that the combination of mangiferin and an anticancer drug decreased the viability of MM cell lines in comparison with each drug used separately. The decrease in the combination of mangiferin and an anticancer drug induced cell viability was attributed to increase the expression of p53 and Noxa and decreases the expression of XIAP, survivin, and Bcl-xL proteins via inhibition of NF-κB pathway. In addition, the combination treatment caused the induction of apoptosis, activation of caspase-3 and the accumulation of the cells in the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle. Our findings suggest that the combination of mangiferin and an anticancer drug could be used as a new regime for the treatment of MM.

Intelligent anticancer drug delivery performances of two poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based magnetite nanohydrogels.

PubMed

Poorgholy, Nahid; Massoumi, Bakhshali; Ghorbani, Marjan; Jaymand, Mehdi; Hamishehkar, Hamed

2018-08-01

This article evaluates the anticancer drug delivery performances of two nanohydrogels composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-itaconic anhydride) [P(NIPAAm-co-IA)], poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. For this purpose, the magnetite nanohydrogels (MNHGs) were loaded with doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a universal anticancer drug. The morphologies and magnetic properties of the DOX-loaded MNHGs were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The sizes and zeta potentials (ξ) of the MNHGs and their corresponding DOX-loaded nanosystems were also investigated. The DOX-loaded MNHGs showed the highest drug release values at condition of 41 °C and pH 5.3. The drug-loaded MNHGs at physiological condition (pH 7.4 and 37 °C) exhibited negligible drug release values. In vitro cytotoxic effects of the DOX-loaded MNHGs were extensively evaluated through the assessing survival rate of HeLa cells using the MTT assay, and there in vitro cellular uptake into the mentioned cell line were examined using fluorescent microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometry analyses. As the results, the DOX-loaded MNHG1 exhibited higher anticancer drug delivery performance in the terms of cytotoxic effect and in vitro cellular uptake. Thus, the developed MNHG1 can be considered as a promising de novo drug delivery system, in part due to its pH and thermal responsive drug release behavior as well as proper magnetite character toward targeted drug delivery.

PEGylated anticancer-carbon nanotubes complex targeting mitochondria of lung cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Woo; Lee, Yeon Kyung; Lee, Jong Yeon; Hong, Jeong Hee; Khang, Dongwoo

2017-11-01

Although activating apoptosis in cancer cells by targeting the mitochondria is an effective strategy for cancer therapy, insufficient targeting of the mitochondria in cancer cells restricts the availability in clinical treatment. Here, we report on a polyethylene glycol-coated carbon nanotube (CNT)-ABT737 nanodrug that improves the mitochondrial targeting of lung cancer cells. The polyethylene glycol-coated CNT-ABT737 nanodrug internalized into the early endosomes via macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis in advance of early endosomal escape and delivered into the mitochondria. Cytosol release of the nanodrug led to apoptosis of lung cancer cells by abruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential, inducing Bcl-2-mediated apoptosis and generating intracellular reactive oxygen species. As such, this study provides an effective strategy for increasing the anti-lung cancer efficacy by increasing mitochondria accumulation rate of cytosol released anticancer nanodrugs.

Probiotic potential and biotherapeutic effects of newly isolated vaginal Lactobacillus acidophilus 36YL strain on cancer cells.

PubMed

Nami, Yousef; Abdullah, Norhafizah; Haghshenas, Babak; Radiah, Dayang; Rosli, Rozita; Khosroushahi, Ahmad Yari

2014-08-01

Lactobacillus acidophilus is categorized as a probiotic strain because of its beneficial effects in human health and prevention of disease transmission. This study is aimed to characterize the probiotic potential of L. acidophilus 36YL originally isolated from the vagina of healthy and fertile Iranian women. The L. acidophilus 36YL strain was identified using 16S rDNA gene sequencing and characterized by biochemical methodologies, such as antibiotics susceptibility, antimicrobial activity, and acid and bile resistance. The bioactivity of the secretion of this strain on four human cancer cell lines (AGS, HeLa, MCF-7, and HT-29) and one normal cell line (HUVEC) was evaluated by cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis analysis. This newly isolated strain was found to exhibit notable probiotic properties, such as admirable antibiotic susceptibility, good antimicrobial activity, and favorable resistance to acid and bile salt. The results of bioactivity assessment demonstrated acceptable anticancer effects on the four tested cancer cell lines and negligible side effects on the assayed normal cell line. Our findings revealed that the anticancer effect of L. acidophilus 36YL strain secretions depends on the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. L. acidophilus 36YL strain is considered as a nutraceutical alternative or a topical medication with a potential therapeutic index because of the absence of cytotoxicity to normal cells, but effective toxicity to cancer cell lines. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

T-oligo as an anticancer agent in colorectal cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wojdyla, Luke; Stone, Amanda L.; Sethakorn, Nan

Highlights: • T-oligo induces cell cycle arrest, senescence, apoptosis, and differentiation in CRC. • Treatment with T-oligo downregulates telomere-associated proteins. • T-oligo combined with an EGFR-TKI additively inhibits cellular proliferation. • T-oligo has potential as an effective therapeutic agent for CRC. - Abstract: In the United States, there will be an estimated 96,830 new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) and 50,310 deaths in 2014. CRC is often detected at late stages of the disease, at which point there is no effective chemotherapy. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective novel therapies that have minimal effects on normal cells. T-oligo,more » an oligonucleotide homologous to the 3′-telomere overhang, induces potent DNA damage responses in multiple malignant cell types, however, its efficacy in CRC has not been studied. This is the first investigation demonstrating T-oligo-induced anticancer effects in two CRC cell lines, HT-29 and LoVo, which are highly resistant to conventional chemotherapies. In this investigation, we show that T-oligo may mediate its DNA damage responses through the p53/p73 pathway, thereby inhibiting cellular proliferation and inducing apoptosis or senescence. Additionally, upregulation of downstream DNA damage response proteins, including E2F1, p53 or p73, was observed. In LoVo cells, T-oligo induced senescence, decreased clonogenicity, and increased expression of senescence associated proteins p21, p27, and p53. In addition, downregulation of POT1 and TRF2, two components of the shelterin protein complex which protects telomeric ends, was observed. Moreover, we studied the antiproliferative effects of T-oligo in combination with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Gefitinib, which resulted in an additive inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation. Collectively, these data provide evidence that T-oligo alone, or in combination with other molecularly targeted therapies, has potential as an anti-cancer agent in CRC.« less

Translocator protein ligand-PLGA conjugated nanoparticles for 5-fluorouracil delivery to glioma cancer cells.

PubMed

Laquintana, Valentino; Denora, Nunzio; Lopalco, Antonio; Lopedota, Angela; Cutrignelli, Annalisa; Lasorsa, Francesco Massimo; Agostino, Giulia; Franco, Massimo

2014-03-03

Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a promising target for molecular imaging and for targeted drug delivery to tumors overexpressing TSPO. In our previous work, new macromolecular conjugates with a high affinity and selectivity for TSPO were prepared by conjugating the biodegradable poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer with two potent and selective TSPO ligands, namely, compounds 1 and 2. Based on this, nanoparticle delivery systems (NPs), employing TSPO ligand-PLGA conjugated (PLGA-TSPO) polymers, were prepared. Furthermore, to evaluate the ability of the new NPs to be used as a drug delivery systems for anticancer therapy, PLGA-TSPO NPs were loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), chosen as a model hydrophilic anticancer drug. The main goal of this work was to investigate the synergistic potential of using NP conjugates PLGA-TSPO, TSPO ligands being pro-apoptotic agents, to simultaneously deliver a cytotoxic anticancer drug. To better highlight the occurrence of synergistic effects, dual drug loaded PLGA NPs (PLGA NPs/5-FU/1) and dual drug loaded PLGA-TSPO NPs (PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU/1), with 5-FU and TSPO ligand 1 physically incorporated together, were also prepared and characterized. The particle size and size distribution, surface morphology, and drug encapsulation efficiency, as well as the drug release kinetics, were investigated. In vitro cytotoxicity studies were carried out on C6 glioma cells overexpressing TSPO, and to evaluate the potential uptake of these nanoparticulate systems, the internalization of fluorescent labeled PLGA-TSPO NPs (FITC-PLGA-TSPO NPs) was also investigated by fluorescence microscopy. Results demonstrated that PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU and dual drug loaded PLGA NPs/5-FU/1 and PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU/1 could significantly enhance toxicity against human cancer cells due to the synergistic effect of the TSPO ligand 1 with the anticancer drug 5-FU.

Evidence That P-glycoprotein Inhibitor (Elacridar)-Loaded Nanocarriers Improve Epidermal Targeting of an Anticancer Drug via Absorptive Cutaneous Transporters Inhibition.

PubMed

Giacone, Daniela V; Carvalho, Vanessa F M; Costa, Soraia K P; Lopes, Luciana B

2018-02-01

Because P-glycoprotein (P-gp) plays an absorptive role in the skin, its pharmacological inhibition represents a strategy to promote cutaneous localization of anticancer agents that serve as its substrates, improving local efficacy while reducing systemic exposure. Here, we evaluated the ability of a nanoemulsion (NE) coencapsulating a P-gp inhibitor (elacridar) with the antitumor drug paclitaxel to promote epidermal targeting. Loaded NE displayed a nanometric size (45.2 ± 4.0 nm) and negative zeta potential (-4.2 ± 0.8 mV). Elacridar improved NE ability to inhibit verapamil-induced ATPase activity of P-gp; unloaded NE-inhibited P-gp when used at a concentration of 1500 μM, while elacridar encapsulation decreased this concentration by 3-fold (p <0.05). Elacridar-loaded NE reduced paclitaxel penetration into the dermis of freshly excised mice skin and its percutaneous permeation by 1.5- and 1.7-fold (p <0.05), respectively at 6 h, whereas larger drug amounts (1.4-fold, p <0.05) were obtained in viable epidermis. Assessment of cutaneous distribution of a fluorescent paclitaxel derivative confirmed the smaller delivery into the dermis at elacridar presence. In conclusion, we have provided novel evidence that NE containing elacridar exhibited a clear potential for P-gp inhibition and enabled epidermal targeting of paclitaxel, which in turn, can potentially reduce adverse effects associated with systemic exposure to anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gold(I) NHC-based homo- and heterobimetallic complexes: synthesis, characterization and evaluation as potential anticancer agents.

PubMed

Bertrand, Benoît; Citta, Anna; Franken, Inge L; Picquet, Michel; Folda, Alessandra; Scalcon, Valeria; Rigobello, Maria Pia; Le Gendre, Pierre; Casini, Angela; Bodio, Ewen

2015-09-01

While N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) are ubiquitous ligands in catalysis for organic or industrial syntheses, their potential to form transition metal complexes for medicinal applications has still to be exploited. Within this frame, we synthesized new homo- and heterobimetallic complexes based on the Au(I)-NHC scaffold. The compounds were synthesized via a microwave-assisted method developed in our laboratories using Au(I)-NHC complexes carrying a pentafluorophenol ester moiety and another Au(I) phosphane complex or a bipyridine ligand bearing a pendant amine function. Thus, we developed two different methods to prepare homo- and heterobimetallic complexes (Au(I)/Au(I) or Au(I)/Cu(II), Au(I)/Ru(II), respectively). All the compounds were fully characterized by several spectroscopic techniques including far infrared, and were tested for their antiproliferative effects in a series of human cancer cells. They showed moderate anticancer properties. Their toxic effects were also studied ex vivo using the precision-cut tissue slices (PCTS) technique and initial results concerning their reactivity with the seleno-enzyme thioredoxin reductase were obtained.

Purification and identification of a polysaccharide from medicinal mushroom Amauroderma rude with immunomodulatory activity and inhibitory effect on tumor growth.

PubMed

Pan, Honghui; Han, Yuanyuan; Huang, Jiguo; Yu, Xiongtao; Jiao, Chunwei; Yang, Xiaobing; Dhaliwal, Preet; Xie, Yizhen; Yang, Burton B

2015-07-10

Medicinal mushrooms in recent years have been the subject of many experiments searching for anticancer properties. We previously screened thirteen mushrooms for their potential in inhibiting tumor growth, and found that the water extract of Amauroderma rude exerted the highest activity. Previous studies have shown that the polysaccharides contained in the water extract were responsible for the anticancer properties. This study was designed to explore the potential effects of the polysaccharides on immune regulation and tumor growth. Using the crude Amauroderma rude extract, in vitro experiments showed that the capacities of spleen lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells were all increased. In vivo experiments showed that the extract increased macrophage metabolism, lymphocyte proliferation, and antibody production. In addition, the partially purified product stimulated the secretion of cytokines in vitro, and in vivo. Overall, the extract decreased tumor growth rates. Lastly, the active compound was purified and identified as polysaccharide F212. Most importantly, the purified polysaccharide had the highest activity in increasing lymphocyte proliferation. In summary, this molecule may serve as a lead compound for drug development.

Effect of Chromium on Antioxidant Potential of Catharanthus roseus Varieties and Production of Their Anticancer Alkaloids: Vincristine and Vinblastine

PubMed Central

Tandon, Pramod Kumar; Khatoon, Sayyada

2014-01-01

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, a medicinal plant, has a very important place in the traditional as well as modern pharmaceutical industry. Two common varieties of this plant rosea and alba are named so because of pink and white coloured flowers, respectively. This plant comprises of about 130 terpenoid indole alkaloids and two of them, vincristine and vinblastine, are common anticancer drugs. The effect of chromium (Cr) on enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant components and on secondary metabolites vincristine and vinblastine was studied under pot culture conditions of both varieties of C. roseus. Antioxidant responses of these varieties were analyzed under 0, 10, 50, and 100 μM chromium (Cr) level in order to investigate the plant's protective mechanisms against Cr induced oxidative stress. The results indicated that Cr affects all the studied parameters and decreases growth performance. However, vincristine and vinblastine contents were increased under Cr stress. Results are quite encouraging, as this plant shows good antioxidant potential and increased the level of active constituents under Cr stress. PMID:24734252

Factors affecting patient's perception of anticancer treatments side-effects: an observational study.

PubMed

Russo, Stefania; Cinausero, Marika; Gerratana, Lorenzo; Bozza, Claudia; Iacono, Donatella; Driol, Pamela; Deroma, Laura; Sottile, Roberta; Fasola, Gianpiero; Puglisi, Fabio

2014-02-01

Analysis of relative importance of side effects of anticancer therapy is extremely useful in the process of clinical decision making. There is evidence that patients' perception of the side effects of anticancer treatments changes over time. Aim of this study was to evaluate the cancer patients' perceptions of physical and non-physical side effects of contemporary anticancer therapy. Four hundred and sixty-four patients entered the study (153 men and 311 women). Participants were asked to rank their side effects in order of distress by using two sets of cards naming physical and non-physical effects, respectively. Influencing factors, including treatment and patient characteristics, were also analysed. Patients ranked the non-physical side effect 'Affects my family or partner' first. 'Constantly tired' and 'Loss of hair' were ranked second and third, respectively. Significant differences from previous studies on this topic emerged. In particular, 'Vomiting', a predominant concern in previous studies, almost disappeared, whereas 'Nausea' and 'Loss of hair' remained important side effects in the patients' perception. Interestingly, marital status was predominant in driving patients' perception, being associated with several side effects ('Constantly tired', 'Loss of appetite', 'Affects my work/Home duties', 'Affects my social activities', 'Infertility'). Other significant factors influencing patient's perception of side effects included age, disease characteristics and ongoing anticancer therapy. This study provided information on current status of patients' perceptions of side effects of anticancer treatment. These results could be used in pre-treatment patient education and counselling.

A dual wavelength-activatable gold nanorod complex for synergistic cancer treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacardo, Dennis B.; Neupane, Bhanu; Rikard, S. Michaela; Lu, Yue; Mo, Ran; Mishra, Sumeet R.; Tracy, Joseph B.; Wang, Gufeng; Ligler, Frances S.; Gu, Zhen

2015-07-01

A multifunctional gold nanorod (AuNR) complex is described with potential utility for theranostic anticancer treatment. The AuNR was functionalized with cyclodextrin for encapsulation of doxorubicin, with folic acid for targeting, and with a photo-responsive dextran-azo compound for intracellular controlled drug release. The interaction of a AuNR complex with HeLa cells was facilitated via a folic acid targeting ligand as displayed in the dark-field images of cells. Enhanced anticancer efficacy was demonstrated through the synergistic combination of promoted drug release upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation and photothermal therapy upon infrared (IR) irradiation. This multifunctional AuNR-based system represents a novel theranostic strategy for spatiotemporal delivery of anticancer therapeutics.A multifunctional gold nanorod (AuNR) complex is described with potential utility for theranostic anticancer treatment. The AuNR was functionalized with cyclodextrin for encapsulation of doxorubicin, with folic acid for targeting, and with a photo-responsive dextran-azo compound for intracellular controlled drug release. The interaction of a AuNR complex with HeLa cells was facilitated via a folic acid targeting ligand as displayed in the dark-field images of cells. Enhanced anticancer efficacy was demonstrated through the synergistic combination of promoted drug release upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation and photothermal therapy upon infrared (IR) irradiation. This multifunctional AuNR-based system represents a novel theranostic strategy for spatiotemporal delivery of anticancer therapeutics. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01568e

Cyclin D1 Downregulation Contributes to Anti-Cancer Effect of Isorhapontigenin (ISO) on Human Bladder Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Fang, Yong; Cao, Zipeng; Hou, Qi; Ma, Chen; Yao, Chunsuo; Li, Jingxia; Wu, Xue-Ru; Huang, Chuanshu

2013-01-01

Isorhapontigenin (ISO) is a new derivative of stilbene compound that was isolated from the Chinese herb Gnetum Cleistostachyum, and has been used for treatment of bladder cancers for centuries. In our current studies, we have explored the potential inhibitory effect and molecular mechanisms underlying ISO anti-cancer effects on anchorage-independent growth of human bladder cancer cell lines. We found that ISO showed a significant inhibitory effect on human bladder cancer cell growth and was accompanied with related cell cycle G0/G1 arrest as well as downregulation of Cyclin D1 expression at the transcriptional level in UMUC3 and RT112 cells. Further studies identified that ISO down-regulated Cyclin D1 gene transcription via inhibition of SP1 transactivation. Moreover, ectopic expression of GFP-Cyclin D1 rendered UMUC3 cells resistant to induction of cell cycle G0/G1 arrest and inhibition of cancer cell anchorage-independent growth by ISO treatment. Together, our studies demonstrate that ISO is an active compound that mediates for Gnetum Cleistostachyum’s induction of cell cycle G0/G1 arrest and inhibition of cancer cell anchorage-independent growth through down-regulating SP1/Cyclin D1 axis in bladder cancer cells. Our studies provide a novel insight into understanding the anti-cancer activity of the Chinese herb Gnetum Cleistostachyum and its isolate ISO. PMID:23723126

Enhancement of physico-chemical properties of the hydrophobic anticancer molecule following nanoencapsulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumari, Anshu; Kumar, Amit; Gupta, Sharad

2018-02-01

Flavonoids are one of the important naturally available small molecules found in our daily diets. They have been considered as potential therapeutic agents for anticancer therapy. Despite their anti-cancer properties, their therapeutic application is very limited due to poor water solubility, which results in poor bioavailability to the diseased cells. Hence, to overcome this limitation of Flavonoids, Quercetin (Qct), the most extensively studied flavonoid, prompted us to encapsulate it within nanoparticles. We have successfully encapsulated Qct within cationic polymer based nanoparticles using simple two-step self-assembly fabrication method and studied its effect on absorption and emission properties of Qct. This study was aimed at Qct encapsulation and its effect on the optical properties of Qct for the diagnostic applications. Our results indicate that Qct was efficiently encapsulated within the polymeric nanoparticles. This resulted into 17 times increase in fluorescence emission of encapsulated Qct (Qct-NPs) in comparison with its aqueous suspension. Thus, Qct-NPs can be utilized as a fluorescent probe for various biomedical applications. These probes will have multiple functions integrated into a single nanostructure, enabling the Qct nanoparticles for imaging and therapy. This is the first report on the effect of nanoencapsulation on optical properties of Qct. Thus, Qct-NPs can be harnessed as an effective theranostic agent, and that will not only allow to image and but also treat the cancer in a single clinical procedure.

Design, synthesis, biological assessment and molecular docking studies of new 2-aminoimidazole-quinoxaline hybrids as potential anticancer agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghanbarimasir, Zahra; Bekhradnia, Ahmadreza; Morteza-Semnani, Katayoun; Rafiei, Alireza; Razzaghi-Asl, Nima; Kardan, Mostafa

2018-04-01

In a search for novel antiproliferative agents, a series of quinoxaline derivatives containing 2-aminoimidazole (8a-8x) were designed and synthesized. The structures of synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Mass Spectroscopy and analyzed using HSQC, COSY, ROESY, HMBC techniques. The anticancer activity of all derivatives were evaluated for colon cancer and breast cancer cell lines by the MTT assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide double staining method. The anti-cancer effect in human colon cancer (HCT-116) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines exhibited that compounds 8a, 8s, 8t, 8w, 8x appeared as potent antiproliferative agents and especially inhibited the human colon cancer cell proliferation with percentage of inhibition by over 50%. The most active compound was (E)-4-phenyl-1-((quinoxalin-2-ylmethylene)amino)-1H-imidazol-2-amine (8a) with the highest inhibition for MCF-7 (83.3%) and HCT-116 (70%) cell lines after 48 and 24 h, respectively. Molecular docking studies of these derivatives within c-kit active site as a validated target might be suggested them as appropriate candidates for further efforts toward more potent anticancer compounds.

Inkjet printing of antiviral PCL nanoparticles and anticancer cyclodextrin inclusion complexes on bioadhesive film for cervical administration.

PubMed

Varan, Cem; Wickström, Henrika; Sandler, Niklas; Aktaş, Yeşim; Bilensoy, Erem

2017-10-15

Personalized medicine is an important treatment approach for diseases like cancer with high intrasubject variability. In this framework, printing is one of the most promising methods since it permits dose and geometry adjustment of the final product. With this study, a combination product consisting of anticancer (paclitaxel) and antiviral (cidofovir) drugs was manufactured by inkjet printing onto adhesive film for local treatment of cervical cancers as a result of HPV infection. Furthermore, solubility problem of paclitaxel was overcome by maintaining this poorly soluble drug in a cyclodextrin inclusion complex and release of cidofovir was controlled by encapsulation in polycaprolactone nanoparticles. In vitro characterization studies of printed film formulations were performed and cell culture studies showed that drug loaded film formulation was effective on human cervical adenocarcinoma cells. Our study suggests that inkjet printing technology can be utilized in the development of antiviral/anticancer combination dosage forms for mucosal application. The drug amount in the delivery system can be accurately controlled and modified. Moreover, prolonged drug release time can be obtained. Printing of anticancer and antiviral drugs on film seem to be a potential approach for HPV-related cervical cancer treatment and a good candidate for further studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Repositioning of proton pump inhibitors in cancer therapy.

PubMed

Lu, Zhen-Ning; Tian, Bing; Guo, Xiu-Li

2017-11-01

Drug repositioning, as a smart way to exploit new molecular targets of a known drug, has been gaining increasing attention in the discovery of anti-cancer drugs. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as benzimidazole derivatives, which are essentially H + -K + -ATPases inhibitors, are commonly used in the treatment of acid-related diseases such as gastric ulcer. In recent years, exploring the new application of PPIs in anti-cancer field has become a hot research topic. Interestingly, cancer cells display an alkaline intracellular pH and an acidic extracellular pH. The extracellular acidity of tumors can be corrected by PPIs that are selectively activated in an acid milieu. It is generally believed that PPIs might provoke disruption of pH homeostasis by targeting V-ATPase on cancer cells, which is the theoretical basis for PPIs to play an anti-cancer role. Numerous studies have shown specialized effects of the PPIs on tumor cell growth, metastasis, chemoresistance, and autophagy. PPIs may really represent new anti-cancer drugs due to better safety and tolerance, the potential selectivity in targeting tumor acidity, and the ability to inhibit mechanism pivotal for cancer homeostasis. In this review, we focus on the new therapeutic applications of PPIs in multiple cancers, explaining the rationale behind this approach and providing practical evidence.

Osmium(VI) complexes as a new class of potential anti-cancer agents.

PubMed

Ni, Wen-Xiu; Man, Wai-Lun; Cheung, Myra Ting-Wai; Sun, Raymond Wai-Yin; Shu, Yuan-Lan; Lam, Yun-Wah; Che, Chi-Ming; Lau, Tai-Chu

2011-02-21

A nitridoosmium(VI) complex [Os(VI)(N)(sap)(OH(2))Cl] (H(2)sap = N-salicylidene-2-aminophenol) displays prominent in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer properties, induces S- and G2/M-phase arrest and forms a stable adduct with dianionic 5'-guanosine monophosphate.

Anti-cancer scopes and associated mechanisms of Scutellaria extract and flavonoid wogonin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Extracts of Scutellaria species have been used in Eastern traditional medicine as well in the Americas for the treatment of several human ailments, including cancer. Crude extracts or flavonoids derived from Scutellaria have been scientifically studied for potential anti-cancer activity using in vit...

Shotgun ecotoxicoproteomics of Daphnia pulex: biochemical effects of the anticancer drug tamoxifen.

PubMed

Borgatta, Myriam; Hernandez, Céline; Decosterd, Laurent Arthur; Chèvre, Nathalie; Waridel, Patrice

2015-01-02

Among pollutants released into the environment by human activities, residues of pharmaceuticals are an increasing matter of concern because of their potential impact on ecosystems. The aim of this study was to analyze differences of protein expression resulting from acute (2 days) and middle-term (7 days) exposure of aquatic microcrustacean Daphnia pulex to the anticancer drug tamoxifen. Using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry shotgun approach, about 4000 proteins could be identified, providing the largest proteomics data set of D. pulex published up to now. Considering both time points and tested concentrations, 189 proteins showed a significant fold change. The identity of regulated proteins suggested a decrease in translation, an increase in protein degradation and changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as the major effects of the drug. Besides these impacted processes, which reflect a general stress response of the organism, some other regulated proteins play a role in Daphnia reproduction. These latter results are in accordance with our previous observations of the impact of tamoxifen on D. pulex reproduction and illustrate the potential of ecotoxicoproteomics to unravel links between xenobiotic effects at the biochemical and organismal levels. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001257.

ApoE3 mediated polymeric nanoparticles containing curcumin: apoptosis induced in vitro anticancer activity against neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Mulik, Rohit S; Mönkkönen, Jukka; Juvonen, Risto O; Mahadik, Kakasaheb R; Paradkar, Anant R

2012-11-01

Curcumin, a natural phytoconstituent, is known to be therapeutically effective in the treatment of various cancers such as, breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, etc. However, low bioavailability and photodegradation of curcumin hampers its overall therapeutic efficacy. Anionic polymerization method was employed for the preparation of apolipoprotein-E3 mediated curcumin loaded poly(butyl)cyanoacrylate nanoparticles (ApoE3-C-PBCA) and characterized for size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, photostability, morphology, and in vitro release study. ApoE3-C-PBCA were found to be effective against SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells compared to curcumin solution (CSSS) and curcumin loaded PBCA nanoparticles (C-PBCA) from in vitro cell culture investigations. Flow cytometry techniques employed for the detection of anticancer activity revealed enhanced activity of curcumin against SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with ApoE3-C-PBCA compared to CSSS and C-PBCA, and apoptosis being the underlying mechanism. Present study revealed that ApoE3-C-PBCA has tremendous potential to develop into an effective therapeutic treatment modality against brain cancer. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TIPdb: a database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Ying-Chi; Wang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Ih-Sheng; Jheng, Jhao-Liang; Li, Jih-Heng; Tung, Chun-Wei

2013-01-01

The unique geographic features of Taiwan are attributed to the rich indigenous and endemic plant species in Taiwan. These plants serve as resourceful bank for biologically active phytochemicals. Given that these plant-derived chemicals are prototypes of potential drugs for diseases, databases connecting the chemical structures and pharmacological activities may facilitate drug development. To enhance the utility of the data, it is desirable to develop a database of chemical compounds and corresponding activities from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan was constructed. The database, TIPdb, is composed of a standardized format of published anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A browse function was implemented for users to browse the database in a taxonomy-based manner. Search functions can be utilized to filter records of interest by botanical name, part, chemical class, or compound name. The structured and searchable database TIPdb was constructed to serve as a comprehensive and standardized resource for anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis compounds search. The manually curated chemical structures and activities provide a great opportunity to develop quantitative structure-activity relationship models for the high-throughput screening of potential anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis drugs.

TIPdb: A Database of Anticancer, Antiplatelet, and Antituberculosis Phytochemicals from Indigenous Plants in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Lin, Ying-Chi; Wang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Ih-Sheng; Jheng, Jhao-Liang; Li, Jih-Heng; Tung, Chun-Wei

2013-01-01

The unique geographic features of Taiwan are attributed to the rich indigenous and endemic plant species in Taiwan. These plants serve as resourceful bank for biologically active phytochemicals. Given that these plant-derived chemicals are prototypes of potential drugs for diseases, databases connecting the chemical structures and pharmacological activities may facilitate drug development. To enhance the utility of the data, it is desirable to develop a database of chemical compounds and corresponding activities from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan was constructed. The database, TIPdb, is composed of a standardized format of published anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A browse function was implemented for users to browse the database in a taxonomy-based manner. Search functions can be utilized to filter records of interest by botanical name, part, chemical class, or compound name. The structured and searchable database TIPdb was constructed to serve as a comprehensive and standardized resource for anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis compounds search. The manually curated chemical structures and activities provide a great opportunity to develop quantitative structure-activity relationship models for the high-throughput screening of potential anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis drugs. PMID:23766708

Encapsulation of a proteasome inhibitor with gold-polysaccharide nanocarriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coelho, Sílvia Castro; Rocha, Sandra; Sampaio, Paula; Pereira, Maria Carmo; Coelho, Manuel A. N.

2014-04-01

Organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles are potential effective systems for drug delivery in cancer therapy and diagnosis. Chitosan-gum arabic with entrapped gold nanoparticles were developed as a carrier for an anticancer drug bortezomib. The nanosystem was designed to enhance the proteasome inhibitor activity in pancreatic cell lines, S2-013 and hTERT-HPNE. The hydrodynamic diameter of chitosan-gum arabic-gold nanoparticles loaded with bortezomib is around 330 nm. Laser scanning confocal microscopy images show the uptake of the gold nanoparticle/bortezomib encapsulated in chitosan-gum arabic matrix and the fast internalization of these nano combinations into pancreatic cells. Cytotoxic assays assessed that positively charged nanosystems reduce the cell growth and cell proliferation of S2-013s, but the same effect was not observed in cytotoxic response in hTERT-HPNE cells. The outcomes of this study demonstrate the capacity of chitosan-gum arabic nanocarriers to deliver gold nanoparticles/anticancer drug and to increase the permeation and retention effect in S2-013 cells and minimize drug side effects in HPNE cells.

Synthesis, characterization and fluorescent properties of water-soluble glycopolymer bearing curcumin pendant residues.

PubMed

Zhang, Haisong; Yu, Meng; Zhang, Hailei; Bai, Libin; Wu, Yonggang; Wang, Sujuan; Ba, Xinwu

2016-08-01

Curcumin is a potential natural anticancer drug with low oral bioavailability because of poor water solubility. The aqueous solubility of curcumin is enhanced by means of modification with the carbohydrate units. Polymerization of the curcumin-containing monomer with carbohydrate-containing monomer gives the water-soluble glycopolymer bearing curcumin pendant residues. The obtained copolymers (P1 and P2) having desirable water solubility were well-characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The copolymer P2 with a molar ratio of 1:6 (curcumin/carbohydrate) calculated from the proton NMR results exhibits a similar anticancer activity compared to original curcumin, which may serve as a potential chemotherapeutic agent in the field of anticancer medicine.

Recent Advances in Anticancer Activities and Drug Delivery Systems of Tannins.

PubMed

Cai, Yuee; Zhang, Jinming; Chen, Nelson G; Shi, Zhi; Qiu, Jiange; He, Chengwei; Chen, Meiwan

2017-07-01

Tannins, polyphenols in medicinal plants, have been divided into two groups of hydrolysable and condensed tannins, including gallotannins, ellagitannins, and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Potent anticancer activities have been observed in tannins (especially EGCG) with multiple mechanisms, such as apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of invasion and metastases. Furthermore, the combinational effects of tannins and anticancer drugs have been demonstrated in this review, including chemoprotective, chemosensitive, and antagonizing effects accompanying with anticancer effect. However, the applications of tannins have been hindered due to their poor liposolubility, low bioavailability, off-taste, and shorter half-life time in human body, such as EGCG, gallic acid, and ellagic acid. To tackle these obstacles, novel drug delivery systems have been employed to deliver tannins with the aim of improving their applications, such as gelatin nanoparticles, micelles, nanogold, liposomes, and so on. In this review, the chemical characteristics, anticancer properties, and drug delivery systems of tannins were discussed with an attempt to provide a systemic reference to promote the development of tannins as anticancer agents. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vitro and in vivo anticancer effects of Lithospermum erythrorhizon extract on B16F10 murine melanoma.

PubMed

Rajasekar, Seetharaman; Park, Da Jung; Park, Cheol; Park, Sejin; Park, Young Hoon; Kim, Sun Tae; Choi, Yung Hyun; Choi, Young Whan

2012-11-21

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has long been used in traditional Asian medicine for the treatment of diseases including skin cancer. In this study, hexane extract from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LEH) was chemically characterized and its anticancer activity was tested against the most aggressive form of skin cancer. The in vitro anticancer studies viz. cell growth, cell cycle and apoptosis, and the expression of tumor regulating proteins were analyzed against B16F10 melanoma cells. In addition, C57BL/6 mice models were used to evaluate the in vivo anticancer potential of LEH. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LEH at doses of 0.1 and 10mg/kg every 3 days. The tumor inhibition ratio was determined after 21 days of treatment and the histopathological analyses of the tumor tissues were compared. Further, LEH was purified and its active compounds were structurally elucidated and identified by NMR spectra and quantified by HPLC analyses. LEH effectively inhibits the growth of melanoma cells with an IC(50) of 2.73μg/ml. Cell cycle analysis revealed that LEH increased the percentage of cells in sub-G1 phase by dose dependent manner. LEH exhibited down regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and up regulation of apoptotic Bax protein expression. Importantly, LEH induced cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activated the caspase cascade (caspase 3) with this cleavage mediating the apoptosis of B16F10 cells. LEH treatment at a dose of 10mg/kg for 21 days in experimental mice implanted with tumors resulted in significant reduction of the tumor growth (43%) and weight (36%). Histopathology analysis of LEH treated tumor tissues showed evidence of increased necrotic cells in a concentration dependent manner. Meanwhile, five naphthoquinone compounds [Shikonin (1); Deoxyshikonin (2); β-Hydroxyisovalerylshikonin (3); Acetylshikonin (4) and Isobutyrylshikonin (5)] were purified from LEH and responsible for its anticancer activity. LEH induced apoptosis in B16F10 cells by activation of caspase 3 and inducing sub-G1 cell cycle arrest. LEH exhibited both in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity. Shikonin derivatives in the LEH are responsible for the anticancer activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone, a chalcone derivative, inhibits glioma growth and invasion through regulation of the tropomyosin 1 gene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ku, Bo Mi; Ryu, Hyung Won; Lee, Yeon Kyung

2010-11-19

Research highlights: {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) has anti-cancer property for glioma. {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) increased tropomyosin expreesion through activattion of PKA signaling. {yields} 4'-Acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) inhibits glioma cell migration and invasion. {yields} In vivo administration of 4'-acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) reduced tumor growth. -- Abstract: Chalcones are precursors of flavonoids and have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. Here, we identify the synthetic chalcone derivative 4'-acetoamido-4-hydroxychalcone (AHC) as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of glioma. Treatment with AHC reduced glioma cell invasion, migration, and colony formation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, AHC inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-induced migration, invasion, andmore » tube formation in HUVECs. To determine the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of AHC on glioma cell invasion and migration, we investigated the effect of AHC on the gene expression change and found that AHC affects actin dynamics in U87MG glioma cells. In actin cytoskeleton regulating system, AHC increased tropomyosin expression and stress fiber formation, probably through activation of PKA. Suppression of tropomyosin expression by siRNA or treatment with the PKA inhibitor H89 reduced the inhibitory effects of AHC on glioma cell invasion and migration. In vivo experiments also showed that AHC inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft mouse tumor model. Together, these data suggest that the synthetic chalcone derivative AHC has potent anti-cancer activity through inhibition of glioma proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis and is therefore a potential chemotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of glioma.« less

Polypharmacology of Approved Anticancer Drugs.

PubMed

Amelio, Ivano; Lisitsa, Andrey; Knight, Richard A; Melino, Gerry; Antonov, Alexey V

2017-01-01

The major drug discovery efforts in oncology have been concentrated on the development of selective molecules that are supposed to act specifically on one anticancer mechanism by modulating a single or several closely related drug targets. However, a bird's eye view on data from multiple available bioassays implies that most approved anticancer agents do, in fact, target many more proteins with different functions. Here we will review and systematize currently available information on the targets of several anticancer drugs along with revision of their potential mechanisms of action. Polypharmacology of the current antineoplastic agents suggests that drug clinical efficacy in oncology can be achieved only via modulation of multiple cellular mechanisms. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Thymoquinone-based nanotechnology for cancer therapy: promises and challenges.

PubMed

Ballout, Farah; Habli, Zeina; Rahal, Omar Nasser; Fatfat, Maamoun; Gali-Muhtasib, Hala

2018-05-01

Thymoquinone (TQ), the active ingredient of black seed, is a promising anticancer molecule that inhibits cancer cell growth and progression in vitro and in vivo. Despite the promising anticancer activities of TQ, its translation to the clinic is limited by its poor bioavailability and hydrophobicity. As such, we and others encapsulated TQ in nanoparticles to improve its delivery and limit undesirable cytotoxicity. These TQ-nanoparticle formulations showed improved anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities when compared with free TQ. Here, we provide an overview of the various TQ-nanoparticle formulations, highlight their superior efficacy and discuss up-to-date solutions to further enhance TQ bioavailability and anticancer activity, thus improving potential for clinical translation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitric oxide: cancer target or anticancer agent?

PubMed

Mocellin, Simone

2009-03-01

Despite the improved understanding of nitric oxide (NO) biology and the large amount of preclinical experiments testing its role in cancer development and progression, it is still debated whether NO should be considered a potential anticancer agent or instead a carcinogen. The complexity of NO effects within a cell and the variability of the final biological outcome depending upon NO levels makes it highly challenging to determine the therapeutic value of interfering with the activity of this intriguing gaseous messenger. This uncertainty has so far halted the clinical implementation of NO-based therapeutics in the field of oncology. Accordingly, only an in depth knowledge of the mechanisms leading to experimental tumor regression or progression in response to NO will allow us to exploit this molecule to fight cancer.

Trial Watch: Immunotherapy plus radiation therapy for oncological indications.

PubMed

Vacchelli, Erika; Bloy, Norma; Aranda, Fernando; Buqué, Aitziber; Cremer, Isabelle; Demaria, Sandra; Eggermont, Alexander; Formenti, Silvia Chiara; Fridman, Wolf Hervé; Fucikova, Jitka; Galon, Jérôme; Spisek, Radek; Tartour, Eric; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido; Galluzzi, Lorenzo

2016-01-01

Malignant cells succumbing to some forms of radiation therapy are particularly immunogenic and hence can initiate a therapeutically relevant adaptive immune response. This reflects the intrinsic antigenicity of malignant cells (which often synthesize a high number of potentially reactive neo-antigens) coupled with the ability of radiation therapy to boost the adjuvanticity of cell death as it stimulates the release of endogenous adjuvants from dying cells. Thus, radiation therapy has been intensively investigated for its capacity to improve the therapeutic profile of several anticancer immunotherapies, including (but not limited to) checkpoint blockers, anticancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, cytokines, and several small molecules with immunostimulatory effects. Here, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical advances in this field of investigation.

Analytical detection and biological assay of antileukemic drug 5-fluorouracil using gold nanoparticles as probe.

PubMed

Selvaraj, Vaithilingam; Alagar, Muthukaruppan

2007-06-07

Gold nanoparticles are reported and evaluated as probes for the detection of anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU). The nature of binding between 5FU and gold nanoparticles via complexation is investigated using ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry, cyclic voltammetry, transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The bound antileukemic drug is fluorescent and the quenching property of gold nanoparticles could be exploited for biological investigations. The 5FU-colloidal gold complex (Au@5FU) is observed to have appreciable antibacterial and antifungal activity against Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus niger. The experimental studies suggest that gold nanoparticles have the potential to be used as effective carriers for anticancer drugs.

Improved breast cancer cell-specific intracellular drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy by coupling decoration with cell penetrating peptide and SP90 peptide.

PubMed

Fan, Li-Qiang; Du, Guo-Xiu; Li, Peng-Fei; Li, Ming-Wei; Sun, Yao; Zhao, Li-Ming

2016-12-01

Lack of satisfactory specificity towards tumor cells and poor intracellular delivery efficacy are the major drawbacks with conventional cancer chemotherapy. Conjugated anticancer drugs to targeting moieties e.g. to peptides with the ability to recognize cancer cells and to cell penetrating peptide can improve these characteristics, respectively. Combining a tumor homing peptide with an appropriate cell-penetrating peptide can enhance the tumor-selective internalization efficacy of the carrying cargo molecules. In the present study, the breast cancer homing ability of SP90 peptide and the synergistic effect of SP90 with a cell-penetrating peptide(C peptide) were evaluated. SP90 and chimeric peptide SP90-C specifically targeted cargo molecule into breast cancer cells, especially triple negative MDA-MB-231 cell, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but not normal breast cells and other cancer cells, while C peptide alone had no cell-selectivity. SP90-C increased the intracellular delivery efficiency by 12-fold or 10-fold compared to SP90 or C peptide alone, respectively. SP90 and SP90-C conjugation increased the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of HIV-1 Vpr, a potential novel anticancer protein drug, to breast cancer cell but not normal breast cell by arresting cells in G2/M phase. With excellent breast cancer cell-selective penetrating efficacy, SP90-C appears as a promising candidate vector for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery. SP90-VPR-C is a potential novel breast cancer-targeted anticancer agent for its high anti-tumor activity and low toxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Noscapinoids with anti-cancer activity against human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM): a three dimensional chemical space pharmacophore modeling and electronic feature analysis.

PubMed

Naik, Pradeep K; Santoshi, Seneha; Joshi, Harish C

2012-01-01

We have identified a new class of microtubule-binding compounds-noscapinoids-that alter microtubule dynamics at stoichiometric concentrations without affecting tubulin polymer mass. Noscapinoids show great promise as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of human cancers. To investigate the structural determinants of noscapinoids responsible for anti-cancer activity, we tested 36 structurally diverse noscapinoids in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM). The IC(50) values of these noscapinoids vary from 1.2 to 56.0 μM. Pharmacophore models of anti-cancer activity were generated that identify two hydrogen bond acceptors, two aromatic rings, two hydrophobic groups, and one positively charged group as essential structural features. Additionally, an atom-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed that gave a statistically satisfying result (R(2) = 0.912, Q(2) = 0.908, Pearson R = 0.951) and effectively predicts the anti-cancer activity of training and test set compounds. The pharmacophore model presented here is well supported by electronic property analysis using density functional theory at B3LYP/3-21*G level. Molecular electrostatic potential, particularly localization of negative potential near oxygen atoms of the dimethoxy isobenzofuranone ring of active compounds, matched the hydrogen bond acceptor feature of the generated pharmacophore. Our results further reveal that all active compounds have smaller lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies concentrated over the dimethoxy isobenzofuranone ring, azido group, and nitro group, which is indicative of the electron acceptor capacity of the compounds. Results obtained from this study will be useful in the efficient design and development of more active noscapinoids.

The Cytotoxicity of Dacarbazine Potentiated by Sea Cucumber Saponin in Resistant B16F10 Melanoma Cells through Apoptosis Induction.

PubMed

Baharara, Javad; Amini, Elaheh; Nikdel, Najme; Salek-Abdollahi, Farzaneh

2016-01-01

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive malignant melanocytic neoplasm which resists against the most conventional therapies. Sea cucumber as one of marine organisms contains bioactive compounds such as polysaccharide, terpenoid and other metabolites which have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to investigate the anticancer potential of saponin extracted from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilata alone and in combination with dacarbazine on B16F10 melanoma cell line. The B16F10 cell line was treated with different concentrations of saponin (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 μg/ml), dacarbazine (0, 1200, 1400, 1600, 18000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 2000 μg/ml) and co-administration of saponin-dacarbazine (1200 da+8 sp, 1200 da+4 sp) for 24 and 48 hr and the cytotoxic effect was examined by MTT, DAPI, acridine orange/propodium iodide, flow cytometry and caspase colorimetric assay. The results exhibited that sea cucumber saponin, dacarbazine, and co-administration of saponin-dacarbazine inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells in a dose and time dependent manner with IC50 values of 10, 1400 and 4+1200 μg/ml, respectively. Morphological observation of DAPI and acridine orange/propodium iodide staining documented typical characteristics of apoptotic cell death. Flow cytometry assay indicated accumulation of IC50 treated cells in sub-G1 peak. Additionally, saponin extracted induced intrinsic apoptosis via up-regulation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. These results revealed that the saponin extracted from sea cucumber as a natural anti-cancer compound may be a new treatment modality for metastatic melanoma and the application of sea cucumber saponin in combination with dacarbazine demonstrated the strongest anti-cancer activity as compared with the drug alone.

Bioinspired green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles from Syzygium alternifolium (Wt.) Walp: characterization and evaluation of its synergistic antimicrobial and anticancer activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yugandhar, Pulicherla; Vasavi, Thirumalanadhuni; Uma Maheswari Devi, Palempalli; Savithramma, Nataru

2017-10-01

In recent times, nanoparticles are attributed to green nanotechnology methods to know the synergistic biological activities. To accomplish this phenomenon, present study was aimed to synthesize copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) by using Syzygium alternifolium stem bark, characterized those NPs using expository tools and to elucidate high prioritized antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Synthesized particles exhibited a color change pattern upon synthesis and affirmed its respective broad peak at 285 nm which was analyzed through UV-vis spectroscopy. FT-IR study confirmed that phenols and primary amines were mainly involved in capping and stabilization of nanoparticles. DLS and Zeta potential studies revealed narrow size of particles with greater stability. XRD studies revealed the crystallographic nature of particles with 17.2 nm average size. Microscopic analysis by using TEM revealed that particle size range from 5-13 nm and most of them were spherical in shape, non-agglomerated and poly-dispersed in condition. Antimicrobial studies of particles showed highest inhibitory activity against E. coli and T. harzianum among bacterial and fungal strains, respectively. The scope of this study is extended by examining anticancer activity of CuO NPs. This study exhibited potential anticancer activity towards MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer lines. Overall, these examinations relate that the S. alternifolium is described as efficient well-being plant and probabilistically for the design and synthesis of nanoparticles for human health. This study paves a way to better understand antimicrobial and anticancer therapeutic drug potentials of nanoparticles to design and analysis of pharmaceuticals by in vivo and in vitro approaches.

Study of glycol chitosan-carboxymethyl β-cyclodextrins as anticancer drugs carrier.

PubMed

Tan, Haina; Qin, Fei; Chen, Dongfeng; Han, Songbai; Lu, Wu; Yao, Xin

2013-04-02

Efficient target delivery system for insoluble anticancer drugs to increase the intracellular drug concentration has become a focus in cancer therapy. Herein, glycol chitosan-carboxymethyl β-cyclodextrins (G-chitosan-CM-dextrins) was synthesized for delivering different hydrophobic anticancer drugs. Surface plasmon resonance and UV-vis spectroscopy results showed that all the three anticancer drugs (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and vinblastine) could be successfully loaded into the cavities of the covalently linked CM-dextrins. Moreover, the free carboxymethyl groups could enhance the binding interactions between the covalently linked CM-dextrins and anticancer drugs. Release behaviors with pH changes of the three drugs were also explored, result showed different drugs would be released by different ways, as for doxorubicin, pH sensitive release has been realized. The obtained G-chitosan-CM-dextrins carrier has both mucoadhesive property of G-chitosan and hydrophobic cavities of β-cyclodextrins. Therefore, the new synthesized G-chitosan-CM-dextrins carrier exhibits a promising potential capability for anticancer drug delivery in tumor therapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison inhibitory effects of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on the adhesion capacity of bone metastatic breast cancer.

PubMed

Mokhtari, Mohammad Javad; Koohpeima, Fatemeh; Mohammadi, Hadi

2017-10-01

To date, high mortality in women due to malignancy breast cancer related to the metastasis to the bone is a significant challenge. As, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) conjugated with the biocompatible polymers was employed for the delivery of some hydrophobic anticancer agents, the main aim of the current research was to assess whether cisplatin-loaded MNPs enhanced the anticancer effect of free cisplatin in breast cancer cells. MNPs decorated with PEG were synthesized by an improved coprecipitation technique, and then cisplatin was loaded onto the MNPs via a simple mixing method. Afterward, its morphology, size, chemical structure, magnetic property, hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and crystal structure were characterized by scanning and transmittance electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, dynamic light scattering, and X-ray powder diffraction and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy respectively. Additionally, the effects of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on viability, migration and adhesion capacity of T47D cells were investigated by evaluating α2-integrin and β1-integrin; mRNAs were assessed by real-time RT-PCR. Consequently, the in vitro assay results showed a considerable dose-dependent inhibitory effect of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on proliferation, migration, and adhesion of T47D cells. Finally, current research was shown that MNPs-PEG-cisplatin strongly increased anticancer effects compared with free cisplatin in the T47D cell line. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

[A recent trial of chemo-radiation with S-1 against gastric cancer].

PubMed

Saikawa, Yoshiro; Kiyota, Tsuyoshi; Nakamura, Rieko; Wada, Norihito; Yoshida, Masashi; Kubota, Tetsuro; Kumai, Koichiro; Shigematsu, Naoyuki; Kubo, Atsushi; Kitajima, Masaki

2006-06-01

A recent development of novel anticancer agents like S-1, CPT-11 or taxanes has improved a therapeutic outcome for advanced gastric cancer, while conventional anticancer agents showed less anticancer effect against gastric cancer. The present main drug in Japan is S-1, which is easily used for outpatient with a high efficacy rate and low toxicity, also shows better effect in combination with other anticancer drugs than S-1 alone. In the present article, we demonstrated significant meaning of additional radiation therapy with anticancer drugs like S-1. With novel anticancer drugs like S-1, we will expose a clinical advantage and appropriateness for chemo-radiation therapy against gastric cancer discussed in the present references according to chemo-radiation therapy. Although chemo-radiation therapy has been recognized as one of the standard therapies for gastric cancer in Western countries, radiation therapy was selected in Japan for palliation therapy of recurrent disease or a terminal cancer to improve patients' QOL. On the other hand, we demonstrated in our trial of chemo-radiation therapy with S-1/low-dose CDDP/radiation (TSLDR), which was applied to initial treatment against highly advanced Stage IV gastric cancer and revealed the usefulness of the regimen in anticancer effect and toxicity. In addition, chemo-radiation therapy including novel anticancer agents like S-1 will be discussed based on various kinds of view points, expecting a better clinical outcome of multimodal therapies against advanced gastric cancer.

Fenbendazole as a Potential Anticancer Drug

PubMed Central

DUAN, QIWEN; LIU, YANFENG; ROCKWELL, SARA

2013-01-01

Background/Aims To evaluate the anticancer activity of fenbendazole, a widely used antihelminth with mechanisms of action that overlap with those of the hypoxia-selective nitroheterocyclic cytotoxins/radiosensitizers and the taxanes. Materials and Methods We used EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells in cell culture and as solid tumors in mice to examine the cytotoxic and antitumor effects of fenbendazole as a single agent and in combination regimens. Results Intensive treatments with fenbendazole were toxic to EMT6 cells in vitro; toxicity increased with incubation time and under conditions of severe hypoxia. Fenbendazole did not alter the dose-response curves for radiation or docetaxel; instead, the agents produced additive cytotoxicities. Febendazole in maximally-intensive regimens did not alter the growth of EMT6 tumors, or increase the antineoplastic effects of radiation. Conclusion These studies provided no evidence that fenbendazole would have value in cancer therapy, but suggested that this general class of compounds merits further investigation. PMID:23393324

Fenbendazole as a potential anticancer drug.

PubMed

Duan, Qiwen; Liu, Yanfeng; Rockwell, Sara

2013-02-01

To evaluate the anticancer activity of fenbendazole, a widely used antihelminth with mechanisms of action that overlap with those of the hypoxia-selective nitroheterocyclic cytotoxins/radiosensitizers and the taxanes. We used EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells in cell culture and as solid tumors in mice to examine the cytotoxic and antitumor effects of fenbendazole as a single agent and in combination regimens. Intensive treatments with fenbendazole were toxic to EMT6 cells in vitro; toxicity increased with incubation time and under conditions of severe hypoxia. Fenbendazole did not alter the dose-response curves for radiation or docetaxel; instead, the agents produced additive cytotoxicities. Febendazole in maximally-intensive regimens did not alter the growth of EMT6 tumors, or increase the antineoplastic effects of radiation. These studies provided no evidence that fenbendazole would have value in cancer therapy, but suggested that this general class of compounds merits further investigation.

Methanolic extract of Pterocarpus santalinus induces apoptosis in HeLa cells.

PubMed

Kwon, H J; Hong, Y K; Kim, K H; Han, C H; Cho, S H; Choi, J S; Kim, Byung-Woo

2006-04-21

Ptercarpus santalinus (Fabaceae) has been used as a folk remedy in Korea, and it has been shown to exhibit antiinflammations, antiulcers and anticancer effects. In this study, therefore, we report the cytotoxic activity and the mechanism of cell death exhibited by the methanol extract of Ptercarpus santalinus (MEPS) against human cervical adenocarcinoma cell line, HeLa. Treatment of HeLa cells with various concentrations of MEPS resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as determined by cell viability, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation and sub-G1 phase accumulation. In Western blot analysis, apoptosis in the HeLa cells was associated with the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria into the cytosol, activation of caspases-3, -8, -9 and proteolytic cleavage of PARP. These results suggest that MEPS exhibits antiproliferative effect on HeLa cells via apoptosis, and it may be a potential candidate in field of anticancer drug discovery.

Date Palm Tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.): Natural Products and Therapeutic Options

PubMed Central

Al-Alawi, Reem A.; Al-Mashiqri, Jawhara H.; Al-Nadabi, Jawaher S. M.; Al-Shihi, Badria I.; Baqi, Younis

2017-01-01

Many plants, including some of the commonly consumed herbs and spices in our daily food, can be safely and effectively used to prevent and/or treat some health concerns. For example, caffeine the active ingredient found in coffee beans (Coffea), shows biological activity in the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders, indole-3-carbinol, and 3,3′-diindolylmethane are both broccoli (Brassica oleracea) derived phytochemicals with potential anti-cancer activity, and resveratrol, isolated from grape (Vitis vinifera), is reported to extend lifespan and provide cardio-neuro-protective, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer effects. Date palm fruits possess high nutritional and therapeutic value with significant antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-proliferative properties. This review focuses on the date fruit extracts and their benefits in individual health promoting conditions and highlights their applications as useful to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries in the development of natural compound-based industrial products. PMID:28588600

Date Palm Tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.): Natural Products and Therapeutic Options.

PubMed

Al-Alawi, Reem A; Al-Mashiqri, Jawhara H; Al-Nadabi, Jawaher S M; Al-Shihi, Badria I; Baqi, Younis

2017-01-01

Many plants, including some of the commonly consumed herbs and spices in our daily food, can be safely and effectively used to prevent and/or treat some health concerns. For example, caffeine the active ingredient found in coffee beans ( Coffea ), shows biological activity in the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders, indole-3-carbinol, and 3,3'-diindolylmethane are both broccoli ( Brassica oleracea ) derived phytochemicals with potential anti-cancer activity, and resveratrol, isolated from grape ( Vitis vinifera ), is reported to extend lifespan and provide cardio-neuro-protective, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer effects. Date palm fruits possess high nutritional and therapeutic value with significant antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-proliferative properties. This review focuses on the date fruit extracts and their benefits in individual health promoting conditions and highlights their applications as useful to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries in the development of natural compound-based industrial products.

Applications of Venom Proteins as Potential Anticancer agents.

PubMed

Ejaz, Samina; Hashmi, Fatima Bashir; Malik, Waqas Nazir; Ashraf, Muhammad; Nasim, Faiz Ul-Hassan; Iqbal, Muhammad

2018-06-13

Venoms, the secretions of venomous animals, are conventionally thought to be the source of toxic substances though the views about venoms in the recent era have been changed. Venoms are the proven source of many biologically and pharmacologically important useful molecules. Bioactive components present in different venoms are mainly proteins and peptides either enzymatic or non-enzymatic which have tremendous therapeutic potential and are being used for the treatment of variety of diseases including cancer. Many venoms proteins and peptides have been reported as potential anticancer agents. Venom proteins kill cancer cells through a variety of mechanisms which induce apoptosis and ultimately lead to cell death. Therefore, the understanding regarding sources and classification of venoms, biological role of venomous proteins, their anticancer potential and mechanisms to suppress/kill cancer cells needs to be addressed. The present review is an attempt to highlight the reported work and develop strategies to answer the key questions regarding the use of venomous proteins as therapeutic agents. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Terpenoids as potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agents in liver cancer

PubMed Central

Thoppil, Roslin J; Bishayee, Anupam

2011-01-01

Despite significant advances in medicine, liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma remains a major cause of death in the United States as well as the rest of the world. As limited treatment options are currently available to patients with liver cancer, novel preventive control and effective therapeutic approaches are considered to be reasonable and decisive measures to combat this disease. Several naturally occurring dietary and non-dietary phytochemicals have shown enormous potential in the prevention and treatment of several cancers, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract. Terpenoids, the largest group of phytochemicals, traditionally used for medicinal purposes in India and China, are currently being explored as anticancer agents in clinical trials. Terpenoids (also called “isoprenoids”) are secondary metabolites occurring in most organisms, particularly plants. More than 40 000 individual terpenoids are known to exist in nature with new compounds being discovered every year. A large number of terpenoids exhibit cytotoxicity against a variety of tumor cells and cancer preventive as well as anticancer efficacy in preclinical animal models. This review critically examines the potential role of naturally occurring terpenoids, from diverse origins, in the chemoprevention and treatment of liver tumors. Both in vitro and in vivo effects of these agents and related cellular and molecular mechanisms are highlighted. Potential challenges and future directions involved in the advancement of these promising natural compounds in the chemoprevention and therapy of human liver cancer are also discussed. PMID:21969877

Assessing the anticancer effects associated with food products and/or nutraceuticals using in vitro and in vivo preclinical development-related pharmacological tests.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The current review is part of a special issue entitled “Role of dietary pattern, foods, nutrients and nutraceuticals in supporting cancer prevention and treatment”; it deals with the description of a pharmacological strategy aiming to actually determine the potential contribution of food-related com...

Weighing up the benefits and harms of a new anti-cancer drug: a survey of Australian oncologists.

PubMed

Chim, L; Salkeld, G; Stockler, M R; Mileshkin, L

2015-08-01

Little is known about the relative importance that oncologists attribute to the benefits and harms of anti-cancer drugs when considering treatment options with their patients. To quantify the trade-offs made between overall survival, progression-free survival and adverse effects. A web-based survey elicited importance weights for the benefits and harms of bevacizumab or everolimus. Combining the importance weights with trial-based probabilities produced a score and ranking for each treatment option. A total of 40 responses was received for the bevacizumab scenario and 32 for the everolimus scenario. All respondents regarded overall survival and progression-free survival as the most important attributes - more important than avoiding the potential harms regardless of drugs. Among the potential harms, respondents allocated the highest mean importance weight to gastrointestinal (GI) perforation and rated absolute improvement in overall survival as 1.6 times and 2.3 times as important as avoiding GI perforation in the two versions of the bevacizumab scenario respectively. For the everolimus scenario, stomatitis and pneumonitis were allocated the highest mean importance weights with absolute improvement in overall survival rated as 2.2 times as important as avoiding stomatitis/pneumonitis. All 40 respondents (100%) favoured treatment option with bevacizumab to no bevacizumab based on respondents' determined weights for treatment attributes. The converse was found for everolimus with 22 (69%) of respondents preferring the 'no everolimus' option. Oncologists' preferences over the benefits and harms of treatment do, when combined with evidence of effect, influence treatment decisions for anti-cancer drugs. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Anti-cancer activity of bromelain nanoparticles by oral administration.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Priyanka; Patnaik, Soma; Srivastava, Amit K; Mudiam, Mohan K R; Shukla, Yogeshwer; Panda, Amulya K; Pant, Aditya B; Kumar, Pradeep; Gupta, Kailash C

2014-12-01

Oral administration of anti-cancer drugs is an effective alternative to improve their efficacy and reduce undesired toxicity. Bromelain (BL) is known as an effective anti-cancer phyto-therapeutic agent, however, its activity is reduced upon oral administration. In addressing the issue, BL was encapsulated in Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to formulate nanoparticles (NPs). Further, the NPs were coated with Eudragit L30D polymer to introduce stability against the gastric acidic conditions. The resultant coated NPs were characterized for BL entrapment, proteolytic activity and mean particle size. The stability and release pattern of NPs were evaluated under simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) pH conditions. Cytotoxicity studies carried out in human cell lines of diverse origin have shown significant dose advantage (-7-10 folds) with NPs in reducing the IC50 values compared with free BL. The cellular uptake of NPs in MCF-7, HeLa and Caco-2 cells monolayer was significantly enhanced several folds as compared to free BL. Altered expression of marker proteins associated with apoptosis and cell death (P53, P21, Bcl2, Bax) also confirmed the enhanced anti-carcinogenic potential of formulated NPs. Oral administration of NPs reduced the tumor burden of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice and also increased their life-span (160.0 ± 5.8%) when compared with free BL (24 ± 3.2%). The generation of reactive oxygen species, induction of apoptosis and impaired mitochondrial membrane potential in EAC cells treated with NPs confirmed the suitability of Eudragit coated BL-NPs as a promising candidate for oral chemotherapy.

Aspirin therapy reduces the ability of platelets to promote colon and pancreatic cancer cell proliferation: Implications for the oncoprotein c-MYC

PubMed Central

Sylman, Joanna L.; Ngo, Anh T. P.; Pang, Jiaqing; Sears, Rosalie C.; Williams, Craig D.; McCarty, Owen J. T.

2017-01-01

Aspirin, an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drug, has become the focus of intense research as a potential anticancer agent owing to its ability to reduce tumor proliferation in vitro and to prevent tumorigenesis in patients. Studies have found an anticancer effect of aspirin when used in low, antiplatelet doses. However, the mechanisms through which low-dose aspirin works are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of aspirin on the cross talk between platelets and cancer cells. For our study, we used two colon cancer cell lines isolated from the same donor but characterized by different metastatic potential, SW480 (nonmetastatic) and SW620 (metastatic) cancer cells, and a pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC-1 (nonmetastatic). We found that SW480 and PANC-1 cancer cell proliferation was potentiated by human platelets in a manner dependent on the upregulation and activation of the oncoprotein c-MYC. The ability of platelets to upregulate c-MYC and cancer cell proliferation was reversed by an antiplatelet concentration of aspirin. In conclusion, we show for the first time that inhibition of platelets by aspirin can affect their ability to induce cancer cell proliferation through the modulation of the c-MYC oncoprotein. PMID:27903583

Quercus Suber L. Cork Extracts Induce Apoptosis in Human Myeloid Leukaemia HL-60 Cells.

PubMed

Bejarano, Ignacio; Godoy-Cancho, Belén; Franco, Lourdes; Martínez-Cañas, Manuel A; Tormo, María A

2015-08-01

Quercus suber L. cork contains a diversity of phenolic compounds, mostly low molecular weight phenols. A rising number of reports support with convergent findings that polyphenols evoke pro-apoptotic events in cancerous cells. However, the literature related to the anti-cancer bioactivity of Q. suber L. cork extractives (QSE) is still limited. Herein, we aim to describe the antitumor potential displayed by cork extractives obtained by different extraction methods in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cells. In order to quantify the effects of QSE on cancer cells viability, phosphatidylserine exposure, caspase-3 activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell cycle were evaluated. The results indicated that the QSE present a time-dependent and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cells. Such a noxious effect leads these leukaemia cells to their death through apoptotic processes by altering the mitochondrial outer membrane potential, activating caspase-3 and externalizing phosphatidylserine. However, cells cycle progression was not affected by the treatments. This study contributes to open a new way to use this natural resource by exploiting its anti-cancer properties. Moreover, it opens new possibilities of application of cork by-products, being more efficient in the sector of cork-based agriculture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fatty acid composition and anticancer activity in colon carcinoma cell lines of Prunus dulcis seed oil.

PubMed

Mericli, Filiz; Becer, Eda; Kabadayı, Hilal; Hanoglu, Azmi; Yigit Hanoglu, Duygu; Ozkum Yavuz, Dudu; Ozek, Temel; Vatansever, Seda

2017-12-01

Almond oil is used in traditional and complementary therapies for its numerous health benefits due to high unsaturated fatty acids content. This study investigated the composition and in vitro anticancer activity of almond oil from Northern Cyprus and compared with almond oil from Turkey. Almond oil from Northern Cyprus was obtained by supercritical CO 2 extraction and analyzed by GC-MS. Almond oil of Turkey was provided from Turkish pharmacies. Different concentrations of almond oils were incubated for 24 and 48 h with Colo-320 and Colo-741 cells. Cell growth and cytotoxicity were measured by MTT assays. Anticancer and antiprolifetarive activities of almond oils were investigated by immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed against to BMP-2, β-catenin, Ki-67, LGR-5 and Jagged 1. Oleic acid (77.8%; 75.3%), linoleic acid (13.5%; 15.8%), palmitic acid (7.4%; 6.3%), were determined as the major compounds of almond oil from Northern Cyprus and Turkey, respectively. In the MTT assay, both almond oils were found to be active against Colo-320 and Colo-741 cells with 1:1 dilution for both 24 h and 48 h. As a result of immunohistochemical staining, while both almond oils exhibited significant antiproliferative and anticancer activity, these activities were more similar in Colo-320 cells which were treated with Northern Cyprus almond oil. Almond oil from Northern Cyprus and Turkey may have anticancer and antiproliferative effects on colon cancer cells through molecular signalling pathways and, thus, they could be potential novel therapeutic agents.

Novel gold(I) complexes with 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione and phosphine as potential anticancer and antileishmanial agents.

PubMed

Chaves, Joana Darc S; Tunes, Luiza Guimarães; de J Franco, Chris Hebert; Francisco, Thiago Martins; Corrêa, Charlane Cimini; Murta, Silvane M F; Monte-Neto, Rubens Lima; Silva, Heveline; Fontes, Ana Paula S; de Almeida, Mauro V

2017-02-15

The current anticancer and antileishmanial drug arsenal presents several limitations concerning their specificity, efficacy, costs and the emergence of drug-resistant cells lines, which encourages the urgent need to search for new alternatives. Inspired by the fact that gold(I)-based compounds are promising antitumoral and antileishmanial drug candidates, we synthesized novel gold(I) complexes containing phosphine and 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione and evaluated their anticancer and antileishmanial activities. Synthesis was performed by reacting 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione derivatives with chloro(triphenylphosphine)gold(I) and chloro(triethylphosphine)gold(I). The novel compounds were characterized by infrared, Raman, 1 H, 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution mass spectra, and x-ray crystallography. The coordination of the ligands to gold(I) occurred through the exocyclic sulfur atom. All gold(I) complexes were active at low micromolar or nanomolar range with IC 50 values ranging from <0.10 to 1.66 μM against cancer cell lines and from 0.9 to 4.2 μM for Leishmania infantum intracellular amastigotes. Compound (6-A) was very selective against murine melanoma B16F10, colon cancer CT26.WT cell lines and L. infantum intracellular amastigotes. Compound (7-B) presented the highest anticancer activity against both cancer cell lines while the promising antileishmanial lead was compound (6-A). Tiethylphosphine gold(I) complexes were more active than the conterparts triphenylphosphine derivatives for both anticancer and antileishmanial activities. Triethylphosphine gold(I) derivatives presented antimony cross-resistance in L. guyanensis demonstrating their potential to be used as chemical tools to better understand mechanisms of drug resistance and action. These findings revealed the anticancer and antileishmanial potential of gold(I) oxadiazole phosphine derivatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Anticancer potential of Conium maculatum extract against cancer cells in vitro: Drug-DNA interaction and its ability to induce apoptosis through ROS generation.

PubMed

Mondal, Jesmin; Panigrahi, Ashis Kumar; Khuda-Bukhsh, Anisur Rahman

2014-08-01

Conium maculatum extract is used as a traditional medicine for cervix carcinoma including homeopathy. However, no systematic work has so far been carried out to test its anti-cancer potential against cervix cancer cells in vitro. Thus, in this study, we investigated whether ethanolic extract of conium is capable of inducing cytotoxicity in different normal and cancer cell lines including an elaborate study in HeLa cells. Conium's effects on cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis, if any, were analyzed through flow cytometry. Whether Conium could damage DNA and induce morphological changes were also determined microscopically. Expression of different proteins related to cell death and survival was critically studied by western blotting and ELISA methods. If Conium could interact directly with DNA was also determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Conium treatment reduced cell viability and colony formation at 48 h and inhibited cell proliferation, arresting cell cycle at sub-G stage. Conium treatment lead to increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 24 h, increase in MMP depolarization, morphological changes and DNA damage in HeLa cells along with externalization of phosphatidyl serine at 48 hours. While cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation led HeLa cells toward apoptosis, down-regulation of Akt and NFkB inhibited cellular proliferation, indicating the signaling pathway to be mediated via the mitochondria-mediated caspase-3-dependent pathway. CD-spectroscopy revealed that Conium interacted with DNA molecule. Overall results validate anti-cancer potential of Conium and provide support for its use in traditional systems of medicine.

Anticancer potential of Conium maculatum extract against cancer cells in vitro: Drug-DNA interaction and its ability to induce apoptosis through ROS generation

PubMed Central

Mondal, Jesmin; Panigrahi, Ashis Kumar; Khuda-Bukhsh, Anisur Rahman

2014-01-01

Objective: Conium maculatum extract is used as a traditional medicine for cervix carcinoma including homeopathy. However, no systematic work has so far been carried out to test its anti-cancer potential against cervix cancer cells in vitro. Thus, in this study, we investigated whether ethanolic extract of conium is capable of inducing cytotoxicity in different normal and cancer cell lines including an elaborate study in HeLa cells. Materials and Methods: Conium's effects on cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis, if any, were analyzed through flow cytometry. Whether Conium could damage DNA and induce morphological changes were also determined microscopically. Expression of different proteins related to cell death and survival was critically studied by western blotting and ELISA methods. If Conium could interact directly with DNA was also determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Results: Conium treatment reduced cell viability and colony formation at 48 h and inhibited cell proliferation, arresting cell cycle at sub-G stage. Conium treatment lead to increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 24 h, increase in MMP depolarization, morphological changes and DNA damage in HeLa cells along with externalization of phosphatidyl serine at 48 hours. While cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation led HeLa cells toward apoptosis, down-regulation of Akt and NFkB inhibited cellular proliferation, indicating the signaling pathway to be mediated via the mitochondria-mediated caspase-3-dependent pathway. CD-spectroscopy revealed that Conium interacted with DNA molecule. Conclusion: Overall results validate anti-cancer potential of Conium and provide support for its use in traditional systems of medicine. PMID:25298670

Combination Therapy with Glucan and Coenzyme Q10 in Murine Experimental Autoimmune Disease and Cancer.

PubMed

Vetvicka, Vaclav; Vetvickova, Jana

2018-06-01

Coenzyme Q 10 is a well-accepted anti-oxidant agent known to play a protective role in various physiological and disease processes. Recently, Coenzyme Q 10 is gaining attention as a substance with significant anti-inflammatory properties. β-Glucan is the most studied immunomodulator with significant synergetic effects with numerous bioactive molecules. We aimed to evaluate the possible synergistic effects of simultaneous use of coenzyme Q 10 with the well-established immune modulator, β-glucan, on immune reactions and cancer development. Coenzyme Q 10 and β-glucan were used, both in vivo and in vitro, and their effects were evaluated using phagocytosis and cytokine secretion. Our study confirmed the strong anti-inflammatory effects of coenzyme Q 10 and showed that these effects were further potentiated with the addition of β-glucan. The anticancer effects of coenzyme Q 10 were less pronounced, but stronger, with the addition of β-glucan. There is significant synergy between coenzyme Q 10 and β-glucan. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Synergistic anticancer effect of the extracts from Polyalthia evecta caused apoptosis in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells

PubMed Central

Machana, Sasipawan; Weerapreeyakul, Natthida; Barusrux, Sahapat; Thumanu, Kanjana; Tanthanuch, Waraporn

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate the anticancer activity of the extract fraction of Polyalthia evecta (P. evecta) (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep and the synergistic anticancer effect of the extracts from P. evecta by using the ATR/FT-IR spectroscopy. Methods The 50% ethanol-water crude leaf extract of P. evecta (EW-L) was prepared and was further fractionated to isolate various fractions. The anticancer activity was investigated from cytotoxicity against HepG2 using a neutral red assay and apoptosis induction by evaluation of nuclei morphological changes after DAPI staining. Synergistic anticancer effects of the extracts from P. evecta were performed using the ATR/FT-IR spectroscopy. Results The result showed that the EW-L showed higher cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in HepG2 cells than its fractionated extracts. The hexane extract exhibited higher cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction than the water extracts, but less than the EW-L. The combined water and hexane extracts apparently increased cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction. The %apoptotic cells induced by the extract mixture were increased about 2-fold compared to the single hexane extract. Conclusions The polar extract fraction is necessary for the anticancer activity of the non-polar extract fraction. The ATR/FT-IR spectra illustrates the physical interaction among the constituents in the extract mixture and reveals the presence of polyphenolic constituents in the EW-L, which might play a role for the synergistic anticancer effect. PMID:23569977

Isorhynchophylline, a Potent Plant Alkaloid, Induces Apoptotic and Anti-Metastatic Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through the Modulation of Diverse Cell Signaling Cascades

PubMed Central

Lee, Hanwool; Baek, Seung Ho; Lee, Jong Hyun; Kim, Chulwon; Ko, Jeong-Hyeon; Lee, Seok-Geun; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam; Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Yang, Woong Mo; Um, Jae-Young; Sethi, Gautam; Ahn, Kwang Seok

2017-01-01

Isorhynchophylline (Rhy) is an active pharmacological component of Uncaria rhynchophylla that has been reported previously to exert significant antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects. However, very little is known about its potential anti-cancer activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of Rhy against various human carcinoma cell lines. We found that Rhy exhibited substantial cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells when compared with other human carcinoma cell lines including those of lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, breast, multiple myeloma, brain and renal cell carcinoma. Rhy induced apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase; positive Annexin V binding; activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3; and cleavage of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase). This effect of Rhy correlated with the down-regulation of various proteins that mediated cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration, and constitutive CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4), MMP-9 (Matrix metallopeptidase-9), and MMP-2 expression were inhibited upon Rhy treatment. We further investigated the effect of Rhy on the oncogenic cell signaling cascades through phospho-kinase array profiling assay. Rhy was found to abrogate phospho-p38, ERK, JNK, CREB, c-Jun, Akt, and STAT3 signals, but interestingly enhanced phospho-p53 signal. Overall, our results indicate, for the first time, that Rhy could exert anticancer and anti-metastatic effects through regulation of multiple signaling cascades in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. PMID:28534824

Isorhynchophylline, a Potent Plant Alkaloid, Induces Apoptotic and Anti-Metastatic Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through the Modulation of Diverse Cell Signaling Cascades.

PubMed

Lee, Hanwool; Baek, Seung Ho; Lee, Jong Hyun; Kim, Chulwon; Ko, Jeong-Hyeon; Lee, Seok-Geun; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam; Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Yang, Woong Mo; Um, Jae-Young; Sethi, Gautam; Ahn, Kwang Seok

2017-05-19

Isorhynchophylline (Rhy) is an active pharmacological component of Uncaria rhynchophylla that has been reported previously to exert significant antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects. However, very little is known about its potential anti-cancer activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of Rhy against various human carcinoma cell lines. We found that Rhy exhibited substantial cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells when compared with other human carcinoma cell lines including those of lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, breast, multiple myeloma, brain and renal cell carcinoma. Rhy induced apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase; positive Annexin V binding; activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3; and cleavage of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase). This effect of Rhy correlated with the down-regulation of various proteins that mediated cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration, and constitutive CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4), MMP-9 (Matrix metallopeptidase-9), and MMP-2 expression were inhibited upon Rhy treatment. We further investigated the effect of Rhy on the oncogenic cell signaling cascades through phospho-kinase array profiling assay. Rhy was found to abrogate phospho-p38, ERK, JNK, CREB, c-Jun, Akt, and STAT3 signals, but interestingly enhanced phospho-p53 signal. Overall, our results indicate, for the first time, that Rhy could exert anticancer and anti-metastatic effects through regulation of multiple signaling cascades in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Efficient delivery of anticancer drug MTX through MTX-LDH nanohybrid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Jae-Min; Park, Man; Kim, Sang-Tae; Jung, Jin-Young; Kang, Yong-Gu; Choy, Jin-Ho

2006-05-01

We have been successful to intercalate anticancer drug, methotrexate (MTX), into layered double hydroxides (LDHs), Mg2Al(OH)6(NO3)·0.1H2O, through conventional co-precipitation method. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are endowed with great potential for delivery vector, since their cationic layers lead to safe reservation of biofunctional molecules such as drug molecules or genes. And their ion exchangeability and solubility in acidic media (pH<4) give rise to the controlled release of drug molecules. Moreover, it has been partly confirmed that LDH itself is non-toxic and facilitate the cellular permeation. To check the toxicity of LDHs, the osteosarcoma cell culture lines (Saos-2 and MG-63) and the normal one (human fibroblast) were used for in vitro test. The anticancer efficacy of MTX intercalated LDHs (MTX-LDH nanohybrids) was also estimated in vitro by the bioassay such as MTT and BrdU (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine) with the bone cancer cell culture lines (Saos-2 and MG-63). According to the toxicity test results, LDHs do not harm to both the normal and cancer cells upto the concentration of 500 ug/mL. The anticancer efficacy test for the MTX-LDH nanohybrids turn out to be much more effective in cell suppression compared to the MTX itself. According to the cell-line tests, the MTX-LDH shows same drug efficacy to the MTX itself in spite of the low concentration by ˜5000 times. Such a high cancer suppression effect of MTX-LDH hybrid is surely due to the excellent delivery efficiency of inorganic delivery vector, LDHs.

Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor A Ligands as Anticancer Drugs Targeting Mitochondrial Metabolism

PubMed Central

Grabacka, Maja; Pierzchalska, Malgorzata; Reiss, Krzysztof

2011-01-01

Tumor cells show metabolic features distinctive from normal tissues, with characteristically enhanced aerobic glycolysis, glutaminolysis and lipid synthesis. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPAR α) is activated by nutrients (fatty acids and their derivatives) and influences these metabolic pathways acting antagonistically to oncogenic Akt and c-Myc. Therefore PPAR α can be regarded as a candidate target molecule in supplementary anticancer pharmacotherapy as well as dietary therapeutic approach. This idea is based on hitting the cancer cell metabolic weak points through PPAR α mediated stimulation of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis with simultaneous reduction of glucose and glutamine consumption. PPAR α activity is induced by fasting and its molecular consequences overlap with the effects of calorie restriction and ketogenic diet (CRKD). CRKD induces increase of NAD+/NADH ratio and drop in ATP/AMP ratio. The first one is the main stimulus for enhanced protein deacetylase SIRT1 activity; the second one activates AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK). Both SIRT1 and AMPK exert their major metabolic activities such as fatty acid oxidation and block of glycolysis and protein, nucleotide and fatty acid synthesis through the effector protein peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma 1 α coactivator (PGC-1α). PGC-1α cooperates with PPAR α and their activities might contribute to potential anticancer effects of CRKD, which were reported for various brain tumors. Therefore, PPAR α activation can engage molecular interplay among SIRT1, AMPK, and PGC-1α that provides a new, low toxicity dietary approach supplementing traditional anticancer regimen. PMID:21133850

A translational study "case report" on the small molecule "energy blocker" 3-bromopyruvate (3BP) as a potent anticancer agent: from bench side to bedside.

PubMed

Ko, Y H; Verhoeven, H A; Lee, M J; Corbin, D J; Vogl, T J; Pedersen, P L

2012-02-01

The small alkylating molecule, 3-bromopyruvate (3BP), is a potent and specific anticancer agent. 3BP is different in its action from most currently available chemo-drugs. Thus, 3BP targets cancer cells' energy metabolism, both its high glycolysis ("Warburg Effect") and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This inhibits/ blocks total energy production leading to a depletion of energy reserves. Moreover, 3BP as an "Energy Blocker", is very rapid in killing such cells. This is in sharp contrast to most commonly used anticancer agents that usually take longer to show a noticeable effect. In addition, 3BP at its effective concentrations that kill cancer cells has little or no effect on normal cells. Therefore, 3BP can be considered a member, perhaps one of the first, of a new class of anticancer agents. Following 3BP's discovery as a novel anticancer agent in vitro in the Year 2000 (Published in Ko et al. Can Lett 173:83-91, 2001), and also as a highly effective and rapid anticancer agent in vivo shortly thereafter (Ko et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 324:269-275, 2004), its efficacy as a potent anticancer agent in humans was demonstrated. Here, based on translational research, we report results of a case study in a young adult cancer patient with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, a bench side discovery in the Department of Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine was taken effectively to bedside treatment at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main Hospital, Germany. The results obtained hold promise for 3BP as a future cancer therapeutic without apparent cyto-toxicity when formulated properly.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishaq, M., E-mail: ishaqmusarat@gmail.com; Comonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Sydney, New South Wales; Bazaka, K.

Gas discharge plasmas formed at atmospheric pressure and near room temperature have recently been shown as a promising tool for cancer treatment. The mechanism of the plasma action is attributed to generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, electric fields, charges, and photons. The relative importance of different modes of action of atmospheric-pressure plasmas depends on the process parameters and specific treatment objects. Hence, an in-depth understanding of biological mechanisms that underpin plasma-induced death in cancer cells is required to optimise plasma processing conditions. Here, the intracellular factors involved in the observed anti-cancer activity in melanoma Mel007 cells are studied,more » focusing on the effect of the plasma treatment dose on the expression of tumour suppressor protein TP73. Over-expression of TP73 causes cell growth arrest and/or apoptosis, and hence can potentially be targeted to enhance killing efficacy and selectivity of the plasma treatment. It is shown that the plasma treatment induces dose-dependent up-regulation of TP73 gene expression, resulting in significantly elevated levels of TP73 RNA and protein in plasma-treated melanoma cells. Silencing of TP73 expression by means of RNA interference inhibited the anticancer effects of the plasma, similar to the effect of caspase inhibitor z-VAD or ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine. These results confirm the role of TP73 protein in dose-dependent regulation of anticancer activity of atmospheric-pressure plasmas.« less

Apoptotic Cell Death Induced by Resveratrol Is Partially Mediated by the Autophagy Pathway in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Lang, Fangfang; Qin, Zhaoyang; Li, Fang; Zhang, Huilin; Fang, Zhenghui; Hao, Enkui

2015-01-01

Resveratrol (trans-3,4,5’ –trihydroxystilbene) is an active compound in food, such as red grapes, peanuts, and berries. Resveratrol exhibits an anticancer effect on various human cancer cells. However, the mechanism of resveratrol-induced anti-cancer effect at the molecular level remains to be elucidated. In this study, the mechanism underlying the anti-cancer effect of resveratrol in human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3 and Caov-3) was investigated using various molecular biology techniques, such as flow cytometry, western blotting, and RNA interference, with a major focus on the potential role of autophagy in resveratrol-induced apoptotic cell death. We demonstrated that resveratrol induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which triggers autophagy and subsequent apoptotic cell death. Resveratrol induced ATG5 expression and promoted LC3 cleavage. The apoptotic cell death induced by resveratrol was attenuated by both pharmacological and genetic inhibition of autophagy. The autophagy inhibitor chloroquine, which functions at the late stage of autophagy, significantly reduced resveratrol-induced cell death and caspase 3 activity in human ovarian cancer cells. We also demonstrated that targeting ATG5 by siRNA also suppressed resveratrol-induced apoptotic cell death. Thus, we concluded that a common pathway between autophagy and apoptosis exists in resveratrol-induced cell death in OVCAR-3 human ovarian cancer cells. PMID:26067645

Dandelion root extract affects colorectal cancer proliferation and survival through the activation of multiple death signalling pathways

PubMed Central

Ovadje, Pamela; Ammar, Saleem; Guerrero, Jose-Antonio; Arnason, John Thor; Pandey, Siyaram

2016-01-01

Dandelion extracts have been studied extensively in recent years for its anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory activity. Recent work from our lab, with in-vitro systems, shows the anti-cancer potential of an aqueous dandelion root extract (DRE) in several cancer cell models, with no toxicity to non-cancer cells. In this study, we examined the cancer cell-killing effectiveness of an aqueous DRE in colon cancer cell models. Aqueous DRE induced programmed cell death (PCD) selectively in > 95% of colon cancer cells, irrespective of their p53 status, by 48 hours of treatment. The anti-cancer efficacy of this extract was confirmed in in-vivo studies, as the oral administration of DRE retarded the growth of human colon xenograft models by more than 90%. We found the activation of multiple death pathways in cancer cells by DRE treatment, as revealed by gene expression analyses showing the expression of genes implicated in programmed cell death. Phytochemical analyses of the extract showed complex multi-component composition of the DRE, including some known bioactive phytochemicals such as α-amyrin, β-amyrin, lupeol and taraxasterol. This suggested that this natural extract could engage and effectively target multiple vulnerabilities of cancer cells. Therefore, DRE could be a non-toxic and effective anti-cancer alternative, instrumental for reducing the occurrence of cancer cells drug-resistance. PMID:27564258

Poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-based, pH-responsive, copolymeric mixed micelles for targeting anticancer drug control release.

PubMed

Chen, Quan; Li, Siheng; Feng, Zixiong; Wang, Meng; Cai, Chengzhi; Wang, Jufang; Zhang, Lijuan

2017-01-01

We have demonstrated a novel drug delivery system to improve the selectivity of the current chemotherapy by pH-responsive, polymeric micelle carriers. The micelle carriers were prepared by the self-assembly of copolymers containing the polybasic poly(2-(diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) block. The mixed copolymers exhibited a comparatively low critical micelle concentration (CMC; 1.95-5.25 mg/L). The resultant mixed micelles were found to be <100 nm and were used to encapsulate the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) with pretty good drug-loading content (24%) and entrapment efficiency (55%). Most importantly, the micelle carrier exhibited a pH-dependent conformational conversion and promoted the DOX release at the tumorous pH. Our in vitro studies demonstrated the comparable level of DOX-loaded mixed micelle delivery into tumor cells with the free DOX (80% of the tumor cells were killed after 48 h incubation). The DOX-loaded mixed micelles were effective to inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells after prolonged incubation. Overall, the pH-responsive mixed micelle system provided desirable potential in the controlled release of anticancer therapeutics.

A novel green one-step synthesis of gold nanoparticles using crocin and their anti-cancer activities.

PubMed

Hoshyar, Reyhane; Khayati, Gholam Reza; Poorgholami, Maliheh; Kaykhaii, Massoud

2016-06-01

Functionalized nanoparticles are specifically designed to deliver drugs at tumor cells and can potentially enhance anticancer activity of drugs such as crocin. In the present study, we have applied antioxidant crocin as a reducing agent for one pot green synthesis of controlled size gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Spherical, stable and uniform AuNPs were synthesized using crocin. These AuNPs are characterized by UV-Vis, TEM and XRD techniques. The prepared AuNPs showed surface plasm on resonance centered at 520nm with the average particle size of about 4-10nm. The anti-cancer effect of AuNPs was determined using MTT and LDH tests. The cellular data showed that these AuNPs significantly decreased cancerous cells' growth after 24 and 48hours in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The results suggest that such AuNPs can be synthesized simply and quickly with invaluable clinical as well as pharmaceutical activities which can help to treat human breast cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The dual role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cancer biology.

PubMed

Bertazza, Loris; Mocellin, Simone

2010-01-01

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a cytokine with well known anticancer properties and is being utilized as anticancer agent for the treatment of patients with locally advanced solid tumors. However, TNF role in cancer biology is debated. In fact, in spite of the wealth of evidence supporting its antitumor activity, the cascade of molecular events underlying TNF-mediated tumor regression observed in vivo is still incompletely elucidated. Furthermore, some preclinical findings suggest that TNF may even promote cancer development and progression. With this work we intend to summarize the molecular biology of TNF (with particular regard to its tumor-related activities) and review the experimental and clinical evidence currently available describing the complex and sometime apparently conflicting relationship between this cytokine, cancer biology and antitumor therapy. We also propose a model to explain the dual effect of TNF based on the exposure time and cytokine levels reached within the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we overview recent research findings that might lead to new ways for exploiting the anticancer potential of TNF in the clinical setting.

The Role of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiajie; Ma, David W. L.

2014-01-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Dietary fatty acids, especially n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are believed to play a role in reducing BC risk. Evidence has shown that fish consumption or intake of long-chain n-3 PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are beneficial for inhibiting mammary carcinogenesis. The evidence regarding α-linolenic acid (ALA), however, remains equivocal. It is essential to clarify the relation between ALA and cancer since ALA is the principal source of n-3 PUFA in the Western diet and the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not efficient in humans. In addition, the specific anticancer roles of individual n-3 PUFA, alone, have not yet been identified. Therefore, the present review evaluates ALA, EPA and DHA consumed individually as well as in n-3 PUFA mixtures. Also, their role in the prevention of BC and potential anticancer mechanisms of action are examined. Overall, this review suggests that each n-3 PUFA has promising anticancer effects and warrants further research. PMID:25412153

Synthesis of flexirubin-mediated silver nanoparticles using Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497 and investigation of its anticancer activity.

PubMed

Venil, Chidambaram Kulandaisamy; Sathishkumar, Palanivel; Malathi, Mahalingam; Usha, Rajamanickam; Jayakumar, Rajarajeswaran; Yusoff, Abdull Rahim Mohd; Ahmad, Wan Azlina

2016-02-01

In this work, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from a pigment produced by a recently-discovered bacterium, Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497, was achieved, followed by an investigation of its anticancer properties. The bacterial pigment was identified as flexirubin following NMR ((1)H NMR and (13)C NMR), UV-Vis, and LC-MS analysis. An aqueous silver nitrate solution was treated with isolated flexirubin to produce silver nanoparticles. The synthesised silver nanoparticles were subsequently characterised by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy methodologies. Furthermore, the anticancer effects of synthesised silver nanoparticles in a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) were evaluated. The tests showed significant cytotoxicity activity of the silver nanoparticles in the cultured cells, with an IC50 value of 36μgmL(-1). This study demonstrates that silver nanoparticles, synthesised from flexirubin from C. artocarpi CECT 8497, may have potential as a novel chemotherapeutic agent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the anticancer activity of curcumin using nanocurcumin dispersion in water.

PubMed

Basniwal, Rupesh Kumar; Khosla, Ritu; Jain, Nidhi

2014-01-01

Curcumin is a highly potent, nontoxic bioactive agent found in turmeric and is known to have significant anticancer properties against different types of cancer cells. The major disadvantage associated with the use of curcumin, however, is its low systemic bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility. The focus of the present study was to generate nanoparticles of curcumin with improved aqueous phase solubility, and to investigate their efficacy in treating cancer cells. Curcumin nanoparticles having particle size in the range 2-40 nm and aqueous solubility of up to a maximum of 3 mg/mL were prepared. Evaluation of anticancer properties of curcumin nanodispersion was carried out in 3 different cancer cell lines: lung (A549), liver (HepG2), and skin (A431). The results demonstrated that under aqueous conditions curcumin nanoparticles exhibited similar or a much stronger antiproliferative effect on the cancer cells compared to normal curcumin in DMSO. Our results lead way toward unharnessed potential of curcumin in the form of its nanoparticles as an adjuvant therapy for clinical application in treating various cancers.

Neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors meditate targeted delivery of anticancer drug with encapsulated nanoparticles to breast cancer cells with high selectivity and its potential for breast cancer therapy.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Shen, Zheyu; Ma, Xuehua; Ren, Wenzhi; Xiang, Lingchao; Gong, An; Xia, Tian; Guo, Junming; Wu, Aiguo

2015-03-11

By enabling nanoparticle-based drug delivery system to actively target cancer cells with high selectivity, active targeted molecules have attracted great attention in the application of nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery. However, the clinical application of most active targeted molecules in breast cancer therapy is limited, due to the low expression of their receptors in breast tumors or coexpression in the normal and tumor breast tissues. Here, a neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors ligand PNBL-NPY, as a novel targeted molecule, is conjugated with anticancer drug doxorubicin encapsulating albumin nanoparticles to investigate the effect of Y1 receptors on the delivery of drug-loaded nanoparticles to breast cancer cells and its potential for breast cancer therapy. The PNBL-NPY can actively recognize and bind to the Y1 receptors that are significantly overexpressed on the surface of the breast cancer cells, and the drug-loaded nanoparticles are delivered directly into the cancer cells through internalization. This system is highly selective and able to distinguish the breast cancer cells from the normal cells, due to normal breast cells that express Y2 receptors only. It is anticipated that this study may provide a guidance in the development of Y1 receptor-based nanoparticulate drug delivery system for a safer and more efficient breast cancer therapy.

In vitro anticancer evaluation of 5-fluorouracil lipid nanoparticles using B16F10 melanoma cell lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenoy, Vikram S.; Gude, Rajiv P.; Murthy, Rayasa S. Ramachandra

2013-05-01

The present study is aimed to investigate the formulation and in vitro anticancer activities of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) prepared using glyceryl monostearate (GMS) and cetyl palmitate (CP) by hot homogenization method. The lipids were selected based on the partition coefficient of 5-FU in lipids. The lipid nanoparticles were optimized for process and formulation parameters. The optimized nanoparticles were characterized for their zeta potential, morphology, release kinetics, and anticancer activity. Higher entrapments were achieved using a combination of emulsifiers. The zeta potential of the optimized CP and GMS SLN formulation were -8.26 and -9.35 mV, respectively. Both the optimized formulations were spherical. The in vitro release studies of SLNs of both the lipid carriers followed Peppas-Korsenmeyer equation when carried out at pH 3.5 and 7.4. The chemosensitivity assay carried out in B16F10 cell lines revealed that CP SLNs had better cytotoxicity than 5-FU solution and GMS SLNs at 48 h of incubation. Subtoxic concentration of 5-FU-loaded CP SLNs (0.12 μg/mL) possessed comparable antimigrational activity, colony inhibition activity, and cytopathic as that of 5-FU solution effects. The results indicated that encapsulating 5-FU in CP would be a promising delivery system for delivering 5-FU.

Pharmacological management of anticancer agent extravasation: A single institutional guideline.

PubMed

Kimmel, Jaime; Fleming, Patrick; Cuellar, Sandra; Anderson, Jennifer; Haaf, Christina Mactal

2018-03-01

Although the risk of extravasation of a chemotherapy (anticancer) medication is low, the complications associated with these events can have a significant impact on morbidity and health care costs. Institutions that administer anticancer agents should ideally have a current guideline on the proper management of the inadvertent administration of these toxic medications into tissues surrounding blood vessels. It is imperative that the health care team involved in administering drugs used to treat cancer be educated on the risk factors, preventative strategies and treatment of anticancer extravasations, as well as practice safe and proper administration techniques. Anticancer agents are generally divided into classes based on their ability to cause tissue damage. The review of current published guidelines and available literature reveals a lack of consensus on how these medications should be classified. In addition, many recently approved drugs for the treatment of cancer may lack data to support their classification and management of extravasation events. The treatment of the majority of extravasations of anticancer agents involves nonpharmacological measures, potentially in the ambulatory care setting. Antidotes are available for the extravasation of a minority of vesicant agents in order to mitigate tissue damage. Due to the limited data and lack of consensus in published guidelines, a working group was established to put forth an institutional guideline on the management of anticancer extravasations.

Mono- and Dinuclear Phosphorescent Rhenium(I) Complexes: Impact of Subcellular Localization on Anticancer Mechanisms.

PubMed

Ye, Rui-Rong; Tan, Cai-Ping; Chen, Mu-He; Hao, Liang; Ji, Liang-Nian; Mao, Zong-Wan

2016-06-01

Elucidation of relationship among chemical structure, cellular uptake, localization, and biological activity of anticancer metal complexes is important for the understanding of their mechanisms of action. Organometallic rhenium(I) tricarbonyl compounds have emerged as potential multifunctional anticancer drug candidates that can integrate therapeutic and imaging capabilities in a single molecule. Herein, two mononuclear phosphorescent rhenium(I) complexes (Re1 and Re2), along with their corresponding dinuclear complexes (Re3 and Re4), were designed and synthesized as potent anticancer agents. The subcellular accumulation of Re1-Re4 was conveniently analyzed by confocal microscopy in situ in live cells by utilizing their intrinsic phosphorescence. We found that increased lipophilicity of the bidentate ligands could enhance their cellular uptake, leading to improved anticancer efficacy. The dinuclear complexes were more potent than the mononuclear counterparts. The molecular anticancer mechanisms of action evoked by Re3 and Re4 were explored in detail. Re3 with a lower lipophilicity localizes to lysosomes and induces caspase-independent apoptosis, whereas Re4 with higher lipophilicity specially accumulates in mitochondria and induces caspase-independent paraptosis in cancer cells. Our study demonstrates that subcellular localization is crucial for the anticancer mechanisms of these phosphorescent rhenium(I) complexes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Screening Active Compounds from Garcinia Species Native to China Reveals Novel Compounds Targeting the STAT/JAK Signaling Pathway

PubMed Central

Xu, Linfeng; Lao, Yuanzhi; Zhao, Yanhui; Qin, Jian; Fu, Wenwei; Zhang, Yingjia; Xu, Hongxi

2015-01-01

Natural compounds from medicinal plants are important resources for drug development. In a panel of human tumor cells, we screened a library of the natural products from Garcinia species which have anticancer potential to identify new potential therapeutic leads and discovered that caged xanthones were highly effective at suppressing multiple cancer cell lines. Their anticancer activities mainly depended on apoptosis pathways. For compounds in sensitive cancer line, their mechanisms of mode of action were evaluated. 33-Hydroxyepigambogic acid and 35-hydroxyepigambogic acid exhibited about 1 μM IC50 values against JAK2/JAK3 kinases and less than 1 μM IC50 values against NCI-H1650 cell which autocrined IL-6. Thus these two compounds provided a new antitumor molecular scaffold. Our report describes 33-hydroxyepigambogic acid and 35-hydroxyepigambogic acid that inhibited NCI-H1650 cell growth by suppressing constitutive STAT3 activation via direct inhibition of JAK kinase activity. PMID:26090459

O2⋅- and H2O2-Mediated Disruption of Fe Metabolism Causes the Differential Susceptibility of NSCLC and GBM Cancer Cells to Pharmacological Ascorbate.

PubMed

Schoenfeld, Joshua D; Sibenaller, Zita A; Mapuskar, Kranti A; Wagner, Brett A; Cramer-Morales, Kimberly L; Furqan, Muhammad; Sandhu, Sonia; Carlisle, Thomas L; Smith, Mark C; Abu Hejleh, Taher; Berg, Daniel J; Zhang, Jun; Keech, John; Parekh, Kalpaj R; Bhatia, Sudershan; Monga, Varun; Bodeker, Kellie L; Ahmann, Logan; Vollstedt, Sandy; Brown, Heather; Shanahan Kauffman, Erin P; Schall, Mary E; Hohl, Ray J; Clamon, Gerald H; Greenlee, Jeremy D; Howard, Matthew A; Schultz, Michael K; Smith, Brian J; Riley, Dennis P; Domann, Frederick E; Cullen, Joseph J; Buettner, Garry R; Buatti, John M; Spitz, Douglas R; Allen, Bryan G

2017-04-10

Pharmacological ascorbate has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer agent when combined with radiation and chemotherapy. The anti-cancer effects of ascorbate are hypothesized to involve the autoxidation of ascorbate leading to increased steady-state levels of H 2 O 2 ; however, the mechanism(s) for cancer cell-selective toxicity remain unknown. The current study shows that alterations in cancer cell mitochondrial oxidative metabolism resulting in increased levels of O 2 ⋅- and H 2 O 2 are capable of disrupting intracellular iron metabolism, thereby selectively sensitizing non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and glioblastoma (GBM) cells to ascorbate through pro-oxidant chemistry involving redox-active labile iron and H 2 O 2 . In addition, preclinical studies and clinical trials demonstrate the feasibility, selective toxicity, tolerability, and potential efficacy of pharmacological ascorbate in GBM and NSCLC therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of some dietary cucurbits.

PubMed

Sharma, Dhara; Rawat, Indu; Goel, H C

2015-04-01

In this study, we investigated few dietary cucurbits for anticancer activity by monitoring cytotoxic (MTT and LDH assays), apoptotic (caspase-3 and annexin-V assays), and also their anti-inflammatory effects by IL-8 cytokine assay. Aqua-alcoholic (50:50) whole extracts of cucurbits [Lagenaria siceraria (Ls), Luffa cylindrica (Lc) and Cucurbita pepo (Cp)] were evaluated in colon cancer cells (HT-29 and HCT-15) and were compared with isolated biomolecule, cucurbitacin-B (Cbit-B). MTT and LDH assays revealed that the cucurbit extracts and Cbit-B, in a concentration dependent manner, decreased the viability of HT-29 and HCT-15 cells substantially. The viability of lymphocytes was, however, only marginally decreased, yielding a potential advantage over the tumor cells. Caspase-3 assay revealed maximum apoptosis with Ls while annexin V assay demonstrated maximum efficacy of Lc in this context. These cucurbits have also shown decreased secretion of IL-8, thereby revealing their anti-inflammatory capability. The results have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of dietary cucurbits in inhibiting cancer and inflammatory cytokine.

Discovery and development of Seliciclib. How systems biology approaches can lead to better drug performance.

PubMed

Khalil, Hilal S; Mitev, Vanio; Vlaykova, Tatyana; Cavicchi, Laura; Zhelev, Nikolai

2015-05-20

Seliciclib (R-Roscovitine) was identified as an inhibitor of CDKs and has undergone drug development and clinical testing as an anticancer agent. In this review, the authors describe the discovery of Seliciclib and give a brief summary of the biology of the CDKs Seliciclib inhibits. An overview of the published in vitro and in vivo work supporting the development as an anti-cancer agent, from in vitro experiments to animal model studies ending with a summary of the clinical trial results and trials underway is presented. In addition some potential non-oncology applications are explored and the potential mode of action of Seliciclib in these areas is described. Finally the authors argue that optimisation of the therapeutic effects of kinase inhibitors such as Seliciclib could be enhanced using a systems biology approach involving mathematical modelling of the molecular pathways regulating cell growth and division. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A network-based drug repositioning infrastructure for precision cancer medicine through targeting significantly mutated genes in the human cancer genomes.

PubMed

Cheng, Feixiong; Zhao, Junfei; Fooksa, Michaela; Zhao, Zhongming

2016-07-01

Development of computational approaches and tools to effectively integrate multidomain data is urgently needed for the development of newly targeted cancer therapeutics. We proposed an integrative network-based infrastructure to identify new druggable targets and anticancer indications for existing drugs through targeting significantly mutated genes (SMGs) discovered in the human cancer genomes. The underlying assumption is that a drug would have a high potential for anticancer indication if its up-/down-regulated genes from the Connectivity Map tended to be SMGs or their neighbors in the human protein interaction network. We assembled and curated 693 SMGs in 29 cancer types and found 121 proteins currently targeted by known anticancer or noncancer (repurposed) drugs. We found that the approved or experimental cancer drugs could potentially target these SMGs in 33.3% of the mutated cancer samples, and this number increased to 68.0% by drug repositioning through surveying exome-sequencing data in approximately 5000 normal-tumor pairs from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Furthermore, we identified 284 potential new indications connecting 28 cancer types and 48 existing drugs (adjusted P < .05), with a 66.7% success rate validated by literature data. Several existing drugs (e.g., niclosamide, valproic acid, captopril, and resveratrol) were predicted to have potential indications for multiple cancer types. Finally, we used integrative analysis to showcase a potential mechanism-of-action for resveratrol in breast and lung cancer treatment whereby it targets several SMGs (ARNTL, ASPM, CTTN, EIF4G1, FOXP1, and STIP1). In summary, we demonstrated that our integrative network-based infrastructure is a promising strategy to identify potential druggable targets and uncover new indications for existing drugs to speed up molecularly targeted cancer therapeutics. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Anticancer Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza Alcohol Extract on Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells.

PubMed

Wang, Wen-Hung; Hsuan, Kuo-Yu; Chu, Ling-Ya; Lee, Chia-Ying; Tyan, Yu-Chang; Chen, Zong-Shiow; Tsai, Wan-Chi

2017-01-01

Researchers have reported significant effects from Danshen ( Salvia miltiorrhiza ) in terms of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis in breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinomas, promyelocytic leukemia, and clear cell ovary carcinomas. Here we report our data indicating that Danshen extracts, especially alcohol extract, significantly inhibited the proliferation of the human oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines HSC-3 and OC-2. We also observed that Danshen alcohol extract activated the caspase-3 apoptosis executor by impeding members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family, but not by regulating the Bcl-2-triggered mitochondrial pathway in OSCC cells. Our data also indicate that the extract exerted promising effects in vivo, with HSC-3 tumor xenograft growth being suppressed by 40% and 69% following treatment with Danshen alcohol extract at 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively, for 34 days. Combined, our results indicate appreciable anticancer activity and significant potential for Danshen alcohol extract as a natural antioxidant and herbal human oral cancer chemopreventive drug.

Silibinin stimluates apoptosis by inducing generation of ROS and ER stress in human choriocarcinoma cells.

PubMed

Ham, Jiyeon; Lim, Whasun; Bazer, Fuller W; Song, Gwonhwa

2018-02-01

Silibinin is a flavonolignan extracted from seeds of milk thistles. Traditionally, it has been used as a therapeutic agent for liver disorders, and now it is well-known for its anti-cancer effects. However, studies on anti-cancer effects of silibinin on choriocarcinoma are very limited. Therefore, we performed proliferation and apoptosis assays to determine effects of silibinin on the viability of human choriocarcinoma (JAR and JEG3) cells. Our results showed that silibinin significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in both JAR and JEG3 cells, and significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, silibinin disrupted mitochondrial function by inducing permeabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium ion efflux in JAR and JEG3 cells. Furthermore, silibinin-induced apoptosis in choriocarcinoma cells via AKT, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and unfolded protein response (UPR) signal transduction. Collectively, our results suggest that silibinin is a novel therapeutic agent or dietary supplement for management of human placental choriocarcinomas. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phytochemical screening, anti-oxidant activity and in vitro anticancer potential of ethanolic and water leaves extracts of Annona muricata (Graviola).

PubMed

Gavamukulya, Yahaya; Abou-Elella, Faten; Wamunyokoli, Fred; AEl-Shemy, Hany

2014-09-01

To determine the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and anticancer activities of ethanolic and water leaves extracts of Annona muricata (A. muricata) from the Eastern Uganda. Phytochemical screening was conducted using standard qualitative methods and a Chi-square goodness of fit test was used to assign the relative abundance of the different phytochemicals. The antioxidant activity was determined using the 2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and reducing power methods whereas the in vitro anticancer activity was determined using three different cell lines. Phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed that they were rich in secondary class metabolite compounds such as alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins and lactones, anthraquinones, tannins, cardiac glycosides, phenols and phytosterols. Total phenolics in the water extract were (683.69±0.09) μg/mL gallic acid equivalents (GAE) while it was (372.92±0.15) μg/mL GAE in the ethanolic extract. The reducing power was 216.41 μg/mL in the water extract and 470.51 μg/mL GAE in the ethanolic extract. In vitro antioxidant activity IC50 was 2.0456 mg/mL and 0.9077 mg/mL for ethanolic and water leaves extracts of A. muricata respectively. The ethanolic leaves extract was found to be selectively cytotoxic in vitro to tumor cell lines (EACC, MDA and SKBR3) with IC50 values of 335.85 μg/mL, 248.77 μg/mL, 202.33 μg/mL respectively, while it had no cytotoxic effect on normal spleen cells. The data also showed that water leaves extract of A. muricata had no anticancer effect at all tested concentrations. The results showed that A. muricata was a promising new antioxidant and anticancer agent. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sonodynamic therapy combined with novel anti-cancer agents, sanguinarine and ginger root extract: Synergistic increase in toxicity in the presence of PANC-1 cells in vitro.

PubMed

Prescott, Matthew; Mitchell, James; Totti, Stella; Lee, Judy; Velliou, Eirini; Bussemaker, Madeleine

2018-01-01

The presence of ultrasound-induced cavitation in sonodynamic therapy (SDT) treatments has previously enhanced the activity and delivery of certain sonosensitisers in biological systems. The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential for two novel anti-cancer agents from natural derivatives, sanguinarine and ginger root extract (GRE), as sonosensitisers in an SDT treatment with in vitro PANC-1 cells. Both anti-cancer compounds had a dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the presence of PANC-1 cells. A range of six discreet ultrasound power-frequency configurations were tested and it was found that the cell death caused directly by ultrasound was likely due to the sonomechanical effects of cavitation. Combined treatment used dosages of 100μM sanguinarine or 1mM of GRE with 15s sonication at 500kHz and 10W. The sanguinarine-SDT and GRE-SDT treatments showed a 6% and 17% synergistic increase in observed cell death, respectively. Therefore both sanguinarine and GRE were found to be effective sonosensitisers and warrant further development for SDT, with a view to maximising the magnitude of synergistic increase in toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Daucosterol inhibits cancer cell proliferation by inducing autophagy through reactive oxygen species-dependent manner.

PubMed

Zhao, Chuanke; She, Tiantian; Wang, Lixin; Su, Yahui; Qu, Like; Gao, Yujing; Xu, Shuo; Cai, Shaoqing; Shou, Chengchao

2015-09-15

This study aims to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of daucosterol and explore its possible mechanism. MTT and colony formation assay were performed to determine the effect of daucosterol on cancer cell proliferation in vitro. H22 allograft model was used for the assessment of its anti-cancer activity in vivo. Intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using DCFH-DA probe with flow cytometry system and a laser scanning confocal microscope. LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3)-II conversion was monitored with immunofluorescence and immunoblotting to demonstrate daucosterol-induced autophagy. We found that daucosterol inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and gastric cancer cell lines MGC803, BGC823 and AGS in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, daucosterol inhibits murine hepatoma H22 cell growth in ICR mice. Daucosterol treatment induces intracellular ROS generation and autophagy, but not apoptotic cell death. Treatment with ROS scavenger GSH (reduced glutathione), NAC (N-acetyl-l-cysteine) or autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) counteracted daucosterol-induced autophagy and growth inhibition in BGC823 and MCF-7 cancer cells. Daucosterol inhibits cancer cell proliferation by inducing autophagy through ROS-dependent manner and could be potentially developed as an anti-cancer agent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ligand anchored dendrimers based nanoconstructs for effective targeting to cancer cells.

PubMed

Gupta, Umesh; Dwivedi, Shailendra Kumar Dhar; Bid, Hemant Kumar; Konwar, Rituraj; Jain, N K

2010-06-30

Dendrimers are considered versatile carriers especially for the treatment of diseases like cancer, AIDS, malaria etc. Cancer is a worldwide threat particularly in developing countries. A breakthrough research in this regard is a prime requirement. In the present study, folic acid was conjugated to fifth generation polypropylene imine (PPI) dendrimers and characterized through IR, NMR ((13)C and (1)H), ESI mass spectroscopy as well as electron microscopic studies. Doxorubicin (DOX), an effective anticancer drug, was used in the present study to develop and explore the anticancer potential of the dendrimer based formulations. DOX was loaded (approximately 26 and 65%) to the PPI dendrimers as well as folate conjugated PPI (PPI-FA) dendrimers, respectively. These ligand conjugated dendrimers displayed very less (approximately 3 and 4%, respectively, for PPI-FA and PPI-FA-DOX) hemolysis. The developed formulation PPI-FA-DOX was stable enough. In vitro drug release of the formulation was found to be faster in the acidic media than at the higher pH. The prepared formulation displayed a higher cell uptake in MCF-7 cancer cell lines as evidenced by fluorescence studies. The results suggested that, in future, folic acid conjugated PPI dendrimers may emerge as a better choice for anticancer drug targeting. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical characterization, antioxidant, immune-regulating and anticancer activities of a novel bioactive polysaccharide from Chenopodium quinoa seeds.

PubMed

Hu, Yichen; Zhang, Jinming; Zou, Liang; Fu, Chaomei; Li, Peng; Zhao, Gang

2017-06-01

Chenopodium quinoa, a promising nutraceutical cereal, has attracted increasing research interest, yet its polysaccharides remains to get few systematic studies. In this study, we employed orthogonal experimental design to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction process for highest yield of C. quinoa polysaccharides. A novel C. quinoa polysaccharide (CQP) fraction with high content and low molecular weight (8852Da) was subsequently purified by column chromatography, constituted by galacturonic acid and glucose monosaccharides. The purified CQP exhibited significantly antioxidant effect against DPPH + and ABTS + , with even higher efficiency than some other reported polysaccharides. Moreover, CQP could promote the RAW264.7 macrophage proliferation, while suppress the nitri oxide production on inflammatory RAW264.7 macrophage in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In view of the pathological correlation of free radical, inflammation and carcinogenesis, the anticancer effect of CQP was further investigated on human liver cancer SMMC 7721 and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Interestingly, CQP displayed cytotoxicity against cancer cells, while none proliferation inhibition on normal cells. These results suggest that the bioactive polysaccharide from C. quinoa provided the promising potential as a natural antioxidant, immune-regulating and anticancer candidate for food and even drug application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ diselenide-crosslinked polymeric micelles for ROS-mediated anticancer drug delivery.

PubMed

Deepagan, V G; Kwon, Seunglee; You, Dong Gil; Nguyen, Van Quy; Um, Wooram; Ko, Hyewon; Lee, Hansang; Jo, Dong-Gyu; Kang, Young Mo; Park, Jae Hyung

2016-10-01

Stimuli-responsive micelles have emerged as the drug carrier for cancer therapy since they can exclusively release the drug via their structural changes in response to the specific stimuli of the target site. Herein, we developed the in situ diselenide-crosslinked micelles (DCMs), which are responsive to the abnormal ROS levels of tumoral region, as anticancer drug carriers. The DCMs were spontaneously derived from selenol-bearing triblock copolymers consisting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypeptide derivatives. During micelle formation, doxorubicine (DOX) was effectively encapsulated in the hydrophobic core, and diselenide crosslinks were formed in the shell. The DCMs maintained their structural integrity, at least for 6 days in physiological conditions, even in the presence of destabilizing agents. However, ROS-rich conditions triggered rapid release of DOX from the DOX-encapsulating DCMs (DOX-DCMs) because the hydrophobic diselenide bond was cleaved into hydrophilic selenic acid derivatives. Interestingly, after their systemic administration into the tumor-bearing mice, DOX-DCMs delivered significantly more drug to tumors (1.69-fold and 3.73-fold higher amount compared with their non-crosslinked counterparts and free drug, respectively) and effectively suppressed tumor growth. Overall, our data indicate that DCMs have great potential as drug carriers for anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The anticancer immune response of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and the genetic determinants of response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies in cancer patients

PubMed Central

Han, Weidong; Wang, Xian; Fang, Yong; Li, Da; Pan, Hongming; Zhang, Li

2015-01-01

The programmed death-1 (PD-1), a coinhibitory receptor expressed on activated T cells and B cells, is demonstrated to induce an immune-mediated response and play a critical role in tumor initiation and development. The cancer patients harboring PD-1 or PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression have often a poor prognosis and clinical outcome. Currently, targeting PD-1 pathway as a potential new anticancer strategy is attracting more and more attention in cancer treatment. Several monoclonal antibodies against PD-1 or PD-L1 have been reported to enhance anticancer immune responses and induce tumor cell death. Nonetheless, the precise molecular mechanisms by which PD-1 affects various cancers remain elusive. Moreover, this therapy is not effective for all the cancer patients and only a fraction of patients respond to the antibodies targeting PD-1 or PD-L1, indicating these antibodies may only works in a subset of certain cancers. Thus, understanding the novel function of PD-1 and genetic determinants of response to anti-PD-1 therapy will allow us to develop a more effective and individualized immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer. PMID:26305724

Improved Chemotherapeutic Activity by Morus alba Fruits through Immune Response of Toll-Like Receptor 4.

PubMed

Chang, Bo Yoon; Kim, Seon Beom; Lee, Mi Kyeong; Park, Hyun; Kim, Sung Yeon

2015-10-13

Morus alba L. fruits have long been used in traditional medicine by many cultures. Their medicinal attributes include cardiovascular, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions. However, their mechanism of macrophage activation and anti-cancer effects remain unclear. The present study investigated the molecular mechanisms of immune stimulation and improved chemotherapeutic effect of M. alba L. fruit extract (MFE). MFE stimulated the production of cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and tumoricidal properties of macrophages. MFE activated macrophages through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKinase) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways downstream from toll-like receptor (TLR) 4. MFE was shown to exhibit cytotoxicity of CT26 cells via the activated macrophages, even though MFE did not directly affect CT26 cells. In a xenograft mouse model, MFE significantly enhanced anti-cancer activity combined with 5-fluorouracil and markedly promoted splenocyte proliferation, natural killer (NK) cell activity, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and IFN-γ production. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels were significantly increased. These results indicate the indirect anti-cancer activity of MFE through improved immune response mediated by TLR4 signaling. M. alba L. fruit extract might be a potential anti-tumor immunomodulatory candidate chemotherapy agent.

Improved Chemotherapeutic Activity by Morus alba Fruits through Immune Response of Toll-Like Receptor 4

PubMed Central

Chang, Bo Yoon; Kim, Seon Beom; Lee, Mi Kyeong; Park, Hyun; Kim, Sung Yeon

2015-01-01

Morus alba L. fruits have long been used in traditional medicine by many cultures. Their medicinal attributes include cardiovascular, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions. However, their mechanism of macrophage activation and anti-cancer effects remain unclear. The present study investigated the molecular mechanisms of immune stimulation and improved chemotherapeutic effect of M. alba L. fruit extract (MFE). MFE stimulated the production of cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and tumoricidal properties of macrophages. MFE activated macrophages through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKinase) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways downstream from toll-like receptor (TLR) 4. MFE was shown to exhibit cytotoxicity of CT26 cells via the activated macrophages, even though MFE did not directly affect CT26 cells. In a xenograft mouse model, MFE significantly enhanced anti-cancer activity combined with 5-fluorouracil and markedly promoted splenocyte proliferation, natural killer (NK) cell activity, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and IFN-γ production. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels were significantly increased. These results indicate the indirect anti-cancer activity of MFE through improved immune response mediated by TLR4 signaling. M. alba L. fruit extract might be a potential anti-tumor immunomodulatory candidate chemotherapy agent. PMID:26473845

Synthesis and Anti-cancer Activity of Novel Thiazolidinone Analogs of 6-Aminoflavone.

PubMed

Moorkoth, Sudheer

2015-01-01

Novel heterocyclic analogs were synthesized by combining a flavone nucleus and thiazolidinone ring in an effort to potentiate the existing anti-cancer activity of flavone. The syntheses of 6-aminoflavone, 6-amino-3-methoxyflavone, 6-amino-3-methoxy-3',4'-dimethxyflavone and their corresponding thiazolidinone analogs were performed. Fifteen novel analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity using cell-based assay techniques and in vivo testing. As expected, the analogs improved cytotoxicity and were shown to increase the life span of cancer-bearing mice. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays in HeLa, MDA-MB-435, and Vero cell lines. In vivo evaluation of anti-cancer activity performed in albino mice bearing Dalton's ascites carcinoma showed that the new analogs enhanced life span and prevented increases in body weight owing to tumor volumes. Moreover, cell-cycle analysis and Hoechst staining analysis proved the apoptotic potential of these analogs. Preliminary pharmacokinetic evaluation was carried out on the synthesized compounds to determine the lipophilicity and pKa. Lipophilicity was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and the results showed a direct correlation between the observed anti-cancer activity and log P value, while pKa values indicated the ionizing range which is a prediction tool for solubility and permeability.

Cytotoxic effects of Mangifera indica L. kernel extract on human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines) and bioactive constituents in the crude extract.

PubMed

Abdullah, Al-Shwyeh Hussah; Mohammed, Abdulkarim Sabo; Abdullah, Rasedee; Mirghani, Mohamed Elwathig Saeed; Al-Qubaisi, Mothanna

2014-06-25

Waterlily Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is thought to be antioxidant-rich, conferred by its functional phytochemicals. The potential anticancer effects of the ethanolic kernel extract on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) using MTT, anti-proliferation, neutral red (NR) uptake and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays were evaluated. Cytological studies on the breast cancer cells were also conducted, and phytochemical analyses of the extract were carried out to determine the likely bioactive compounds responsible for such effects. Results showed the extract induced cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 30 and 15 μg/mL, respectively. The extract showed significant toxicity towards both cell lines, with low toxicity to normal breast cells (MCF-10A). The cytotoxic effects on the cells were further confirmed by the NR uptake, antiproliferative and LDH release assays. Bioactive analyses revealed that many bioactives were present in the extract although butylated hydroxytoluene, a potent antioxidant, was the most abundant with 44.65%. M. indica extract appears to be more cytoxic to both estrogen positive and negative breast cancer cell lines than to normal breast cells. Synergistic effects of its antioxidant bioactives could have contributed to the cytotoxic effects of the extract. The extract of M. indica, therefore, has potential anticancer activity against breast cancer cells. This potential is worth studying further, and could have implications on future studies and eventually management of human breast cancers.

Cytotoxic effects of Mangifera indica L. kernel extract on human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines) and bioactive constituents in the crude extract

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Waterlily Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is thought to be antioxidant-rich, conferred by its functional phytochemicals. Methods The potential anticancer effects of the ethanolic kernel extract on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) using MTT, anti-proliferation, neutral red (NR) uptake and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays were evaluated. Cytological studies on the breast cancer cells were also conducted, and phytochemical analyses of the extract were carried out to determine the likely bioactive compounds responsible for such effects. Results Results showed the extract induced cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 30 and 15 μg/mL, respectively. The extract showed significant toxicity towards both cell lines, with low toxicity to normal breast cells (MCF-10A). The cytotoxic effects on the cells were further confirmed by the NR uptake, antiproliferative and LDH release assays. Bioactive analyses revealed that many bioactives were present in the extract although butylated hydroxytoluene, a potent antioxidant, was the most abundant with 44.65%. Conclusions M. indica extract appears to be more cytoxic to both estrogen positive and negative breast cancer cell lines than to normal breast cells. Synergistic effects of its antioxidant bioactives could have contributed to the cytotoxic effects of the extract. The extract of M. indica, therefore, has potential anticancer activity against breast cancer cells. This potential is worth studying further, and could have implications on future studies and eventually management of human breast cancers. PMID:24962691

Hydroquinone Exhibits In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Cancer Activity in Cancer Cells and Mice.

PubMed

Byeon, Se Eun; Yi, Young-Su; Lee, Jongsung; Yang, Woo Seok; Kim, Ji Hye; Kim, Jooyoung; Hong, Suntaek; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Cho, Jae Youl

2018-03-19

Hydroquinone (HQ, 1,4-benzenediol) is a hydroxylated benzene metabolite with various biological activities, including anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory functions. However, the anti-cancer activity of HQ is not well understood. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity of HQ was investigated in various cancer cells and tumor-bearing mouse models. HQ significantly induced the death of A431, SYF, B16F10, and MDA-MB-231 cells and also showed a synergistic effect on A431 cell death with other anti-cancer agents, such as adenosine-2',3'-dialdehyde and buthionine sulfoximine. In addition, HQ suppressed angiogenesis in fertilized chicken embryos. Moreover, HQ prevented lung metastasis of melanoma cells in mice in a dose-dependent manner without toxicity and adverse effects. HQ (10 mg/kg) also suppressed the generation of colon and reduced the thickness of colon tissues in azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-injected mice. This study strongly suggests that HQ possesses in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity and provides evidence that HQ could be developed as an effective and safe anti-cancer drug.

Anticancer and antimetastatic effects of cordycepin, an active component of Cordyceps sinensis.

PubMed

Nakamura, Kazuki; Shinozuka, Kazumasa; Yoshikawa, Noriko

2015-01-01

Cordyceps sinensis, a fungus that parasitizes on the larva of Lepidoptera, has been used as a valued traditional Chinese medicine. We investigated the effects of water extracts of Cordyceps sinensis (WECS), and particularly focused on its anticancer and antimetastatic actions. Based on in vitro studies, we report that WECS showed an anticancer action, and this action was antagonized by an adenosine A3 receptor antagonist. Moreover, this anticancer action of WECS was promoted by an adenosine deaminase inhibitor. These results suggest that one of the components of WECS with an anticancer action might be an adenosine or its derivatives. Therefore, we focused on cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) as one of the active ingredients of WECS. According to our experiments, cordycepin showed an anticancer effect through the stimulation of adenosine A3 receptor, followed by glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β activation and cyclin D1 suppression. Cordycepin also showed an antimetastatic action through inhibiting platelet aggregation induced by cancer cells and suppressing the invasiveness of cancer cells via inhibiting the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, and accelerating the secretion of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 from cancer cells. In conclusion, cordycepin, an active component of WECS, might be a candidate anticancer and antimetastatic agent. Copyright © 2014 Japanese Pharmacological Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anticancer effect and mechanism of polymer micelle-encapsulated quercetin on ovarian cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiang; Wang, Bilan; Wei, Xiawei; Men, Ke; Zheng, Fengjin; Zhou, Yingfeng; Zheng, Yu; Gou, Maling; Huang, Meijuan; Guo, Gang; Huang, Ning; Qian, Zhiyong; Wei, Yuquan

2012-10-01

Encapsulation of hydrophobic agents in polymer micelles can improve the water solubility of cargos, contributing to develop novel drugs. Quercetin (QU) is a hydrophobic agent with potential anticancer activity. In this work, we encapsulated QU into biodegradable monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MPEG-PCL) micelles and tried to provide proof-of-principle for treating ovarian cancer with this nano-formulation of quercetin. These QU loaded MPEG-PCL (QU/MPEG-PCL) micelles with drug loading of 6.9% had a mean particle size of 36 nm, rendering the complete dispersion of quercetin in water. QU inhibited the growth of A2780S ovarian cancer cells on a dose dependent manner in vitro. Intravenous administration of QU/MPEG-PCL micelles significantly suppressed the growth of established xenograft A2780S ovarian tumors through causing cancer cell apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis in vivo. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of quercetin on ovarian cancer cells was studied in vitro. Quercetin treatment induced the apoptosis of A2780S cells associated with activating caspase-3 and caspase-9. MCL-1 downregulation, Bcl-2 downregulation, Bax upregulation and mitochondrial transmembrane potential change were observed, suggesting that quercetin may induce apoptosis of A2780S cells through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Otherwise, quercetin treatment decreased phosphorylated p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphorylated Akt, contributing to inhibition of A2780S cell proliferation. Our data suggested that QU/MPEG-PCL micelles were a novel nano-formulation of quercetin with a potential clinical application in ovarian cancer therapy.

Anticancer potential against cervix cancer (HeLa) cell line of probiotic Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus paracasei strains isolated from human breast milk.

PubMed

Riaz Rajoka, Muhammad Shahid; Zhao, Haobin; Lu, Yao; Lian, Ziyang; Li, Na; Hussain, Nazim; Shao, Dongyan; Jin, Mingliang; Li, Qi; Shi, Junling

2018-05-15

Lactic acid bacteria have been categorized as probiotics and play a crucial role in human health by stimulating the supply of nutrients, shaping the immune system, and preventing the colonization of pathogenic microbes. This study investigated the mechanisms for the action of three potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains: Lactobacillus casei SR1, Lactobacillus casei SR2, and Lactobacillus paracasei SR4 isolated from human breast milk. These Lactobacillus strains were identified via 16S DNA sequencing and characterized via biochemical assays including acid resistance, bile resistance, antioxidant activity, and antibiotic susceptibility. The bioactivity of the cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) secreted by these strains on the cervix cancer (HeLa) cell line was also evaluated via cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis analysis. The mechanism of anticancer activity was also investigated via RT-qPCR and western blotting. The results demonstrated that these newly isolated Lactobacillus strains from human milk displayed noticeable probiotic characteristics such as excellent antibiotic susceptibility, outstanding antioxidant activity, and promising resistance to low pH and high concentration of bile salts. The results of the conducted bioactivity assays verified that the CFCSs had acceptable anticancer effects on cervix cancer (HeLa) cells by upregulating the expression of apoptotic genes BAX, BAD, caspase3, caspase8, and caspase9 and by downregulating the expression of the BCl-2 gene. Overall, these results indicate that the Lactobacillus strains isolated from human breast milk could be considered as a topical medication with a potential therapeutic index due to their efficacy against cervix cancer cells.

Anticancer Properties of Distinct Antimalarial Drug Classes

PubMed Central

Hooft van Huijsduijnen, Rob; Guy, R. Kiplin; Chibale, Kelly; Haynes, Richard K.; Peitz, Ingmar; Kelter, Gerhard; Phillips, Margaret A.; Vennerstrom, Jonathan L.; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Wells, Timothy N. C.

2013-01-01

We have tested five distinct classes of established and experimental antimalarial drugs for their anticancer potential, using a panel of 91 human cancer lines. Three classes of drugs: artemisinins, synthetic peroxides and DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) inhibitors effected potent inhibition of proliferation with IC50s in the nM- low µM range, whereas a DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) and a putative kinase inhibitor displayed no activity. Furthermore, significant synergies were identified with erlotinib, imatinib, cisplatin, dasatinib and vincristine. Cluster analysis of the antimalarials based on their differential inhibition of the various cancer lines clearly segregated the synthetic peroxides OZ277 and OZ439 from the artemisinin cluster that included artesunate, dihydroartemisinin and artemisone, and from the DHFR inhibitors pyrimethamine and P218 (a parasite DHFR inhibitor), emphasizing their shared mode of action. In order to further understand the basis of the selectivity of these compounds against different cancers, microarray-based gene expression data for 85 of the used cell lines were generated. For each compound, distinct sets of genes were identified whose expression significantly correlated with compound sensitivity. Several of the antimalarials tested in this study have well-established and excellent safety profiles with a plasma exposure, when conservatively used in malaria, that is well above the IC50s that we identified in this study. Given their unique mode of action and potential for unique synergies with established anticancer drugs, our results provide a strong basis to further explore the potential application of these compounds in cancer in pre-clinical or and clinical settings. PMID:24391728

Promising Targets in Anti-cancer Drug Development: Recent Updates.

PubMed

Kumar, Bhupinder; Singh, Sandeep; Skvortsova, Ira; Kumar, Vinod

2017-01-01

Cancer is a multifactorial disease and its genesis and progression are extremely complex. The biggest problem in the anticancer drug development is acquiring of multidrug resistance and relapse. Classical chemotherapeutics directly target the DNA of the cell, while the contemporary anticancer drugs involve molecular-targeted therapy such as targeting the proteins possessing abnormal expression inside the cancer cells. Conventional strategies for the complete eradication of the cancer cells proved ineffective. Targeted chemotherapy was successful in certain malignancies however, the effectiveness has often been limited by drug resistance and side effects on normal tissues and cells. Since last few years, many promising drug targets have been identified for the effective treatment of cancer. The current review article describes some of these promising anticancer targets that include kinases, tubulin, cancer stem cells, monoclonal antibodies and vascular targeting agents. In addition, promising drug candidates under various phases of clinical trials are also described. Multi-acting drugs that simultaneously target different cancer cell signaling pathways may facilitate the process of effective anti-cancer drug development. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The comparison of anticancer activity of thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone on human breast adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Dehghani, Hossein; Hashemi, Mehrdad; Entezari, Maliheh; Mohsenifar, Afshin

2015-01-01

Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality in the world which is created by the effect of enviromental physico-chemical mutagen and carcinogen agents. The identification of new cytotoxic drugs with low side effects on immune system has developed as important area in new studies of pharmacology. Thymoquinone (TQ), derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also calledt black cumin) exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. In this study we employed nanogel-based nanoparticle approach to improve upon its effectiveness. Myristic acid-chitosan (MA-chitosan) nanogels were prepared by the technique of self-assembly. Thymoquinone was loaded into the nanogels. The surface morphology of the prepared nanoparticles was determined using SEM and TEM. The other objective of this study was to examine the in-vitro cytotoxic activity of cell death of Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7). Cytotoxicity and viability of Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and dye exclusion assay. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the particle diameter was between 150 to 200 nm. Proliferation of MCF7 cells was significantly inhibited by Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone in a concentration-dependent manner in defined times. There were significant differences in IC50 Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone. TQ-loaded nanoparticles proved more effective compared to TQ solution. The high drug-targeting potential and efficiency demonstrates the significant role of the anticancer properties of TQ-loaded nanoparticles.

The Comparison of Anticancer Activity of Thymoquinone and Nanothymoquinone on Human Breast Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Dehghani, Hossein; Hashemi, Mehrdad; Entezari, Maliheh; Mohsenifar, Afshin

2015-01-01

Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality in the world which is created by the effect of enviromental physico-chemical mutagen and carcinogen agents. The identification of new cytotoxic drugs with low side effects on immune system has developed as important area in new studies of pharmacology. Thymoquinone (TQ), derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also calledt black cumin) exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. In this study we employed nanogel-based nanoparticle approach to improve upon its effectiveness. Myristic acid-chitosan (MA-chitosan) nanogels were prepared by the technique of self-assembly. Thymoquinone was loaded into the nanogels. The surface morphology of the prepared nanoparticles was determined using SEM and TEM. The other objective of this study was to examine the in-vitro cytotoxic activity of cell death of Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7). Cytotoxicity and viability of Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and dye exclusion assay. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the particle diameter was between 150 to 200 nm. Proliferation of MCF7 cells was significantly inhibited by Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone in a concentration-dependent manner in defined times. There were significant differences in IC50 Thymoquinone and nanothymoquinone. TQ-loaded nanoparticles proved more effective compared to TQ solution. The high drug-targeting potential and efficiency demonstrates the significant role of the anticancer properties of TQ-loaded nanoparticles. PMID:25901162

Alkyne-substituted diminazene as G-quadruplex binders with anticancer activities.

PubMed

Wang, Changhao; Carter-Cooper, Brandon; Du, Yixuan; Zhou, Jie; Saeed, Musabbir A; Liu, Jinbing; Guo, Min; Roembke, Benjamin; Mikek, Clinton; Lewis, Edwin A; Lapidus, Rena G; Sintim, Herman O

2016-08-08

G-quadruplex ligands have been touted as potential anticancer agents, however, none of the reported G-quadruplex-interactive small molecules have gone past phase II clinical trials. Recently it was revealed that diminazene (berenil, DMZ) actually binds to G-quadruplexes 1000 times better than DNA duplexes, with dissociation constants approaching 1 nM. DMZ however does not have strong anticancer activities. In this paper, using a panel of biophysical tools, including NMR, FRET melting assay and FRET competition assay, we discovered that monoamidine analogues of DMZ bearing alkyne substitutes selectively bind to G-quadruplexes. The lead DMZ analogues were shown to be able to target c-MYC G-quadruplex both in vitro and in vivo. Alkyne DMZ analogues display respectable anticancer activities (single digit micromolar GI50) against ovarian (OVCAR-3), prostate (PC-3) and triple negative breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cell lines and represent interesting new leads to develop anticancer agents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid increases anti-cancer effect of tumor necrosis factor-α through up-regulation of TNF receptor 1 in lung cancer cells.

PubMed

You, Bo Ra; Han, Bo Ram; Park, Woo Hyun

2017-03-14

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor has anti-cancer effect. Here, we evaluated the effect of SAHA on HDAC activity and cell growth in many normal lung and cancer cells. We observed that the HDAC activities of lung cancer cells were higher than that of normal lung cells. SAHA inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells regardless of the inhibitory effect on HDAC. This agent induced a G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, which was accompanied by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP: ΔΨm) loss in lung cancer cells. However, SAHA did not induce cell death in normal lung cells. All tested caspase inhibitors prevented apoptotic cell death in SAHA-treated A549 and Calu-6 lung cancer cells. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) enhanced apoptosis in SAHA-treated lung cancer cells through caspase-8 and caspase-9 activations. Especially, SAHA increased the expression level of TNF-α receptor 1 (TNFR1), especially acetylation of the region of TNFR1 promoter -223/-29 in lung cancer cells. The down-regulation of TNFR1 suppressed apoptosis in TNF-α and SAHA-treated lung cancer cells. In conclusion, SAHA inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells via a G2/M phase arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis. SAHA also enhanced apoptotic effect of TNF-α in human lung cancer cells through up-regulation of TNFR1. TNF-α may be a key to improve anti-cancer effect of HDAC inhibitors.

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid increases anti-cancer effect of tumor necrosis factor-α through up-regulation of TNF receptor 1 in lung cancer cells

PubMed Central

You, Bo Ra; Han, Bo Ram; Park, Woo Hyun

2017-01-01

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor has anti-cancer effect. Here, we evaluated the effect of SAHA on HDAC activity and cell growth in many normal lung and cancer cells. We observed that the HDAC activities of lung cancer cells were higher than that of normal lung cells. SAHA inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells regardless of the inhibitory effect on HDAC. This agent induced a G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, which was accompanied by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP: ΔΨm) loss in lung cancer cells. However, SAHA did not induce cell death in normal lung cells. All tested caspase inhibitors prevented apoptotic cell death in SAHA-treated A549 and Calu-6 lung cancer cells. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) enhanced apoptosis in SAHA-treated lung cancer cells through caspase-8 and caspase-9 activations. Especially, SAHA increased the expression level of TNF-α receptor 1 (TNFR1), especially acetylation of the region of TNFR1 promoter −223/-29 in lung cancer cells. The down-regulation of TNFR1 suppressed apoptosis in TNF-α and SAHA-treated lung cancer cells. In conclusion, SAHA inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells via a G2/M phase arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis. SAHA also enhanced apoptotic effect of TNF-α in human lung cancer cells through up-regulation of TNFR1. TNF-α may be a key to improve anti-cancer effect of HDAC inhibitors. PMID:28099148

Essential Oils and Their Constituents as Anticancer Agents: A Mechanistic View

PubMed Central

Mantha, Anil K.

2014-01-01

Exploring natural plant products as an option to find new chemical entities as anticancer agents is one of the fastest growing areas of research. Recently, in the last decade, essential oils (EOs) have been under study for their use in cancer therapy and the present review is an attempt to collect and document the available studies indicating EOs and their constituents as anticancer agents. This review enlists nearly 130 studies of EOs from various plant species and their constituents that have been studied so far for their anticancer potential and these studies have been classified as in vitro and in vivo studies for EOs and their constituents. This review also highlights in-depth various mechanisms of action of different EOs and their constituents reported in the treatment strategies for different types of cancer. The current review indicates that EOs and their constituents act by multiple pathways and mechanisms involving apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic, increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), DNA repair modulation, and others to demonstrate their antiproliferative activity in the cancer cell. The effect of EOs and their constituents on tumour suppressor proteins (p53 and Akt), transcription factors (NF-κB and AP-1), MAPK-pathway, and detoxification enzymes like SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase has also been discussed. PMID:25003106

Anti-cancer activity of myricetin against human papillary thyroid cancer cells involves mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated apoptosis.

PubMed

Ha, Tae Kwun; Jung, Inae; Kim, Mi Eun; Bae, Sung Kwon; Lee, Jun Sik

2017-07-01

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and can range in severity from relatively slow-growing occult differentiated thyroid cancer to uniformly aggressive and fatal anaplastic thyroid cancer. A subset of patients with papillary thyroid cancer present with aggressive disease that is refractory to conventional treatment. Myricetin is a flavonol compound found in a variety of berries as well as walnuts and herbs. Previous studies have demonstrated that myricetin exhibits anti-cancer activity against several tumor types. However, an anti-cancer effect of myricetin against human papillary thyroid cancer (HPTC) cells has not been established. The present investigation was undertaken to gain insights into the molecular mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of myricetin against HPTC cells. We examined the cytotoxicity, DNA damaging, and cell cycle arresting activities of myricetin using SNU-790 HPTC cells. We found that myricetin exhibited cytotoxicity and induced DNA condensation in SNU-790 HPTC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, myricetin up-regulated the activation of caspase cascades and the Bax:Bcl-2 expression ratio. In addition, myricetin induced the release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and altered the mitochondrial membrane potential. Our results suggest that myricetin induces the death of SNU-790 HPTC cells and thus may prove useful in the development of therapeutic agents for human thyroid cancers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Surface engineering of macrophages with nanoparticles to generate a cell-nanoparticle hybrid vehicle for hypoxia-targeted drug delivery.

PubMed

Holden, Christopher A; Yuan, Quan; Yeudall, W Andrew; Lebman, Deborah A; Yang, Hu

2010-02-02

Tumors frequently contain hypoxic regions that result from a shortage of oxygen due to poorly organized tumor vasculature. Cancer cells in these areas are resistant to radiation- and chemotherapy, limiting the treatment efficacy. Macrophages have inherent hypoxia-targeting ability and hold great advantages for targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics to cancer cells in hypoxic areas. However, most anticancer drugs cannot be directly loaded into macrophages because of their toxicity. In this work, we designed a novel drug delivery vehicle by hybridizing macrophages with nanoparticles through cell surface modification. Nanoparticles immobilized on the cell surface provide numerous new sites for anticancer drug loading, hence potentially minimizing the toxic effect of anticancer drugs on the viability and hypoxia-targeting ability of the macrophage vehicles. In particular, quantum dots and 5-(aminoacetamido) fluorescein-labeled polyamidoamine dendrimer G4.5, both of which were coated with amine-derivatized polyethylene glycol, were immobilized to the sodium periodate-treated surface of RAW264.7 macrophages through a transient Schiff base linkage. Further, a reducing agent, sodium cyanoborohydride, was applied to reduce Schiff bases to stable secondary amine linkages. The distribution of nanoparticles on the cell surface was confirmed by fluorescence imaging, and it was found to be dependent on the stability of the linkages coupling nanoparticles to the cell surface.

Three-dimensional prostate tumor model based on a hyaluronic acid-alginate hydrogel for evaluation of anti-cancer drug efficacy.

PubMed

Tang, Yadong; Huang, Boxin; Dong, Yuqin; Wang, Wenlong; Zheng, Xi; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Kun; Du, Zhiyun

2017-10-01

In vitro cell-based assays are widely applied to evaluate anti-cancer drug efficacy. However, the conventional approaches are mostly based on two-dimensional (2D) culture systems, making it difficult to recapitulate the in vivo tumor scenario because of spatial limitations. Here, we develop an in vitro three-dimensional (3D) prostate tumor model based on a hyaluronic acid (HA)-alginate hybrid hydrogel to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo anticancer drug evaluations. In situ encapsulation of PCa cells was achieved by mixing HA and alginate aqueous solutions in the presence of cells and then crosslinking with calcium ions. Unlike in 2D culture, cells were found to aggregate into spheroids in a 3D matrix. The expression of epithelial to mesenchyme transition (EMT) biomarkers was found to be largely enhanced, indicating an increased invasion and metastasis potential in the hydrogel matrix. A significant up-regulation of proangiogenic growth factors (IL-8, VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was observed in 3D-cultured PCa cells. The results of anti-cancer drug evaluation suggested a higher drug tolerance within the 3D tumor model compared to conventional 2D-cultured cells. Finally, we found that the drug effect within the in vitro 3D cancer model based on HA-alginate matrix exhibited better predictability for in vivo drug efficacy.

Oxymatrine induces apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells through guanine nucleotide depletion.

PubMed

Li, Mu; Su, Bao-Shan; Chang, Li-Hua; Gao, Qing; Chen, Kun-Lun; An, Peng; Huang, Chen; Yang, Jun; Li, Zong-Fang

2014-02-01

Oxymatrine is an alkaloid obtained primarily from Sophora roots and has been shown to show anticancer effects in various cancers. However, the cellular and molecular effects of this agent on cervical cancer have been poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the antitumor effect of oxymatrine on a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Our results showed that application of oxymatrine significantly inhibited the cell growth and tumorigenesis in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis through caspase-dependent pathways as determined using flow cytometry and TUNEL staining analysis. To define the proteins potentially related to the mechanisms of action, proteomic analysis was utilized to detect proteins altered by oxymatrine. As the downregulated gene, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase type II (IMPDH2) was responsible for oxymatrine-induced mitochondrial-related apoptosis. Moreover, oxymatrine depleted intracellular guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) levels by effective IMPDH inhibition. Functional analyses further showed that oxymatrine and tiazofurin, an inhibitor of IMPDH2, sensitized resistant HeLa/DDP cells to cisplatin. In addition, the expression of IMPDH2 in cervical cancer was significantly higher than that in the normal cervical epithelium. Taken together, these findings suggest that targeting of IMPDH2 by potential pharmacological inhibitors, oxymatrine in combination with chemotherapy, might be a promising means of overcoming chemoresistance in cervical cancer with high IMPDH2 expression, and may thus provide new insights into the mechanism of oxyamtrine-induced anticancer effects.

Chemical Proteomic Approaches Targeting Cancer Stem Cells: A Review of Current Literature.

PubMed

Jung, Hye Jin

2017-01-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed as central drivers of tumor initiation, progression, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, identifying stem-like cells within cancers and understanding their properties is crucial for the development of effective anticancer therapies. Recently, chemical proteomics has become a powerful tool to efficiently determine protein networks responsible for CSC pathophysiology and comprehensively elucidate molecular mechanisms of drug action against CSCs. This review provides an overview of major methodologies utilized in chemical proteomic approaches. In addition, recent successful chemical proteomic applications targeting CSCs are highlighted. Future direction of potential CSC research by integrating chemical genomic and proteomic data obtained from a single biological sample of CSCs are also suggested in this review. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

The application of new nanocomposites: Enhancement effect of polylactide nanofibers/nano-TiO 2 blends on biorecognition of anticancer drug daunorubicin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Min; Pan, Chao; Chen, Chen; Li, Jingyuan; Wang, Xuemei; Gu, Zhongze

2008-11-01

In this contribution, the blending of nano-titanium dioxide (TiO 2) and polylactide (PLA) nanofibers has been adopted as a new nanomaterial to facilitate the biorecognition of an anticancer drug daunorubicin. Our observations demonstrate that upon application of the nano-TiO 2-PLA polymer nanocomposites, the drug molecules could be readily self-assembled on the surface of the new nanocomposites so that considerably enhanced detection sensitivity for the DNA binding behavior could be observed for the relative biorecognition. These results may also imply some potential valuable application of the blending of nano-TiO 2 and PLA nanofibers as a kind of drug carriers in view of the respective good biocompatibility and large surface area of the new nanocomposites.

Synthesis and in vitro anti-proliferative effects of 3-(hetero)aryl substituted 3-[(prop-2-ynyloxy)(thiophen-2-yl)methyl]pyridine derivatives on various cancer cell lines.

PubMed

Reddy Chamakura, Upendar; Sailaja, E; Dulla, Balakrishna; Kalle, Arunasree M; Bhavani, S; Rambabu, D; Kapavarapu, Ravikumar; Rao, M V Basaveswara; Pal, Manojit

2014-03-01

A series of 3-(hetero)aryl substituted 3-[(prop-2-ynyloxy)(thiophen-2-yl)methyl]pyridine derivatives were designed as potential anticancer agents. These compounds were conveniently prepared by using Pd/C-Cu mediated Sonogashira type coupling as a key step. Many of these compounds were found to be promising when tested for their in vitro anti-proliferative properties against six cancer cell lines. All these compounds were found to be selective towards the growth inhibition of cancer cells with IC50 values in the range of 0.9-1.7 μM (against MDA-MB 231 and MCF7 cells), comparable to the known anticancer drug doxorubicin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Platinum, palladium, gold and ruthenium complexes as anticancer agents: Current clinical uses, cytotoxicity studies and future perspectives.

PubMed

Lazarević, Tatjana; Rilak, Ana; Bugarčić, Živadin D

2017-12-15

Metallodrugs offer potential for unique mechanism of drug action based on the choice of the metal, its oxidation state, the types and number of coordinated ligands and the coordination geometry. This review illustrates notable recent progress in the field of medicinal bioinorganic chemistry as many new approaches to the design of innovative metal-based anticancer drugs are emerging. Current research addressing the problems associated with platinum drugs has focused on other metal-based therapeutics that have different modes of action and on prodrug and targeting strategies in an effort to diminish the side-effects of cisplatin chemotherapy. Examples of metal compounds and chelating agents currently in clinical use, clinical trials or preclinical development are highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nucleic Acid Aptamer-Guided Cancer Therapeutics and Diagnostics: the Next Generation of Cancer Medicine

PubMed Central

Xiang, Dongxi; Shigdar, Sarah; Qiao, Greg; Wang, Tao; Kouzani, Abbas Z.; Zhou, Shu-Feng; Kong, Lingxue; Li, Yong; Pu, Chunwen; Duan, Wei

2015-01-01

Conventional anticancer therapies, such as chemo- and/or radio-therapy are often unable to completely eradicate cancers due to abnormal tumor microenvironment, as well as increased drug/radiation resistance. More effective therapeutic strategies for overcoming these obstacles are urgently in demand. Aptamers, as chemical antibodies that bind to targets with high affinity and specificity, are a promising new and novel agent for both cancer diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Aptamer-based cancer cell targeting facilitates the development of active targeting in which aptamer-mediated drug delivery could provide promising anticancer outcomes. This review is to update the current progress of aptamer-based cancer diagnosis and aptamer-mediated active targeting for cancer therapy in vivo, exploring the potential of this novel form of targeted cancer therapy. PMID:25553096

Nucleic acid aptamer-guided cancer therapeutics and diagnostics: the next generation of cancer medicine.

PubMed

Xiang, Dongxi; Shigdar, Sarah; Qiao, Greg; Wang, Tao; Kouzani, Abbas Z; Zhou, Shu-Feng; Kong, Lingxue; Li, Yong; Pu, Chunwen; Duan, Wei

2015-01-01

Conventional anticancer therapies, such as chemo- and/or radio-therapy are often unable to completely eradicate cancers due to abnormal tumor microenvironment, as well as increased drug/radiation resistance. More effective therapeutic strategies for overcoming these obstacles are urgently in demand. Aptamers, as chemical antibodies that bind to targets with high affinity and specificity, are a promising new and novel agent for both cancer diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Aptamer-based cancer cell targeting facilitates the development of active targeting in which aptamer-mediated drug delivery could provide promising anticancer outcomes. This review is to update the current progress of aptamer-based cancer diagnosis and aptamer-mediated active targeting for cancer therapy in vivo, exploring the potential of this novel form of targeted cancer therapy.

Integrating virtual screening and biochemical experimental approach to identify potential anti-cancer agents from drug databank.

PubMed

Deka, Suman Jyoti; Roy, Ashalata; Manna, Debasis; Trivedi, Vishal

2018-06-01

Chemical libraries constitute a reservoir of pharmacophoric molecules to identify potent anti-cancer agents. Virtual screening of heterocyclic compound library in conjugation with the agonist-competition assay, toxicity-carcinogenicity analysis, and string-based structural searches enabled us to identify several drugs as potential anti-cancer agents targeting protein kinase C (PKC) as a target. Molecular modeling study indicates that Cinnarizine fits well within the PKC C2 domain and exhibits extensive interaction with the protein residues. Molecular dynamics simulation of PKC-Cinnarizine complex at different temperatures (300, 325, 350, 375, and 400[Formula: see text]K) confirms that Cinnarizine fits nicely into the C2 domain and forms a stable complex. The drug Cinnarizine was found to bind PKC with a dissociation constant Kd of [Formula: see text]M. The breast cancer cells stimulated with Cinnarizine causes translocation of PKC-[Formula: see text] to the plasma membrane as revealed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence studies. Cinnarizine also dose dependently reduced the viability of MDAMB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC[Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]g/mL, respectively. It is due to the disturbance of cell cycle of breast cancer cells with reduction of S-phase and accumulation of cells in G1-phase. It disturbs mitochondrial membrane potentials to release cytochrome C into the cytosol and activates caspase-3 to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The cell death was due to induction of apoptosis involving mitochondrial pathway. Hence, the current study has assigned an additional role to Cinnarizine as an activator of PKC and potentials of the approach to identify new molecules for anti-cancer therapy. Thus, in silico screening along with biochemical experimentation is a robust approach to assign additional roles to the drugs present in the databank for anti-cancer therapy.

Cytotoxic, Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Perillyl Alcohol and Its Biotransformation Metabolite on A549 and HepG2 Cancer Cell Lines.

PubMed

Oturanel, Ceren E; Kıran, İsmail; Özşen, Özge; Çiftçi, Gülşen A; Atlı, Özlem

2017-01-01

A monoterpene, perillyl alcohol, has attracted attention in medicinal chemistry since it exhibited chemo-preventive and therapeutic properties against a variety of cancers. In the present work, it was aimed to obtain derivatives of perillyl alcohol through microbial biotransformation and investigate their anticancer activities against A549 and HepG2 cancer cell lines. Biotransformation studies were carried out in a α-medium for 7 days at 25oC. XTT assay was performed to investigate the anticancer activities of perillyl alcohol and its biotransformation metabolite, dehydroperillic acid, against A549 and HepG2 cell lines and their selectivity using healthy cell line, NIH/3T3. Cell proliferation ELISA, BRDU (colorimetric) assay was used for measurement of proliferation in replicative cells in which DNA synthesis occurs. Flow cytometric analyses were also carried out for measuring apoptotic cell percentages, caspase 3 activation and mitochondrial membrane potential. Biotransformation of perillyl alcohol with Fusarium culmorum yielded dehydroperillic acid in a yield of 20.4 %. In in vitro anticancer studies, perillyl alcohol was found to exert cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line with an IC50 value of 409.2 μg/mL. However, this effect was not found to be selective because of its higher IC50 (250 μg/mL) value against NIH/3T3 cell line. On the other hand, dehydroperillic acid was found to be effective and also selective against A549 cell line with an IC50 value of 125 μg/mL and a selectivity index (SI) value of 400. Apoptosis inducing effects of dehydroperillic acid was better in A549 cell line. Dehydroperillic acid may be a good candidate for therapy of lung adenocarcinoma and may show this anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Aronia melanocarpa Juice Induces a Redox-Sensitive p73-Related Caspase 3-Dependent Apoptosis in Human Leukemia Cells

PubMed Central

Sharif, Tanveer; Alhosin, Mahmoud; Auger, Cyril; Minker, Carole; Kim, Jong-Hun; Etienne-Selloum, Nelly; Bories, Pierre; Gronemeyer, Hinrich; Lobstein, Annelise; Bronner, Christian; Fuhrmann, Guy; Schini-Kerth, Valérie B.

2012-01-01

Polyphenols are natural compounds widely present in fruits and vegetables, which have antimutagenic and anticancer properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the anticancer effect of a polyphenol-rich Aronia melanocarpa juice (AMJ) containing 7.15 g/L of polyphenols in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat cell line, and, if so, to clarify the underlying mechanism and to identify the active polyphenols involved. AMJ inhibited cell proliferation, which was associated with cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, and caused the induction of apoptosis. These effects were associated with an upregulation of the expression of tumor suppressor p73 and active caspase 3, and a downregulation of the expression of cyclin B1 and the epigenetic integrator UHRF1. AMJ significantly increased the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and caused the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. Treatment with intracellular ROS scavengers prevented the AMJ-induced apoptosis and upregulation of the expression of p73 and active caspase 3. The fractionation of the AMJ and the use of identified isolated compounds indicated that the anticancer activity was associated predominantly with chlorogenic acids, some cyanidin glycosides, and derivatives of quercetin. AMJ treatment also induced apoptosis of different human lymphoblastic leukemia cells (HSB-2, Molt-4 and CCRF-CEM). In addition, AMJ exerted a strong pro-apoptotic effect in human primary lymphoblastic leukemia cells but not in human normal primary T-lymphocytes. Thus, the present findings indicate that AMJ exhibits strong anticancer activity through a redox-sensitive mechanism in the p53-deficient Jurkat cells and that this effect involves several types of polyphenols. They further suggest that AMJ has chemotherapeutic properties against acute lymphoblastic leukemia by selectively targeting lymphoblast-derived tumor cells. PMID:22412883

Polymeric Nano-Encapsulation of Curcumin Enhances its Anti-Cancer Activity in Breast (MDA-MB231) and Lung (A549) Cancer Cells Through Reduction in Expression of HIF-1α and Nuclear p65 (Rel A).

PubMed

Khan, Mohammed N; Haggag, Yusuf A; Lane, Majella E; McCarron, Paul A; Tambuwala, Murtaza M

2018-02-14

The anti-cancer potential of curcumin, a natural NFκβ inhibitor, has been reported extensively in breast, lung and other cancers. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin is enhanced when formulated in a nanoparticulate carrier. However, the mechanism of action of curcumin at the molecular level in the hypoxic tumour micro-environment is not fully understood. Hence, the aim of our study was to investigate the mechanism of action of curcumin formulated as nanoparticles in in vitro models of breast and lung cancer under an hypoxic microenvironment. Biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA nanoparticles (NP), loaded with curcumin (cur-PLGA-NP), were fabricated using a solvent evaporation technique to overcome solubility issues and to facilitate intracellular curcumin delivery. Cytotoxicity of free curcumin and cur-PLGA-NP was evaluated in MDA-MB-231 and A549 cell lines using migration, invasion and colony formation assays. All treatments were performed under an hypoxic micro-environment and whole cell lysates from controls and test groups were used to determine the expression of HIF-1α and p65 levels using ELISA assays. A ten-fold increase in solubility, three-fold increase in anti-cancer activity and a significant reduction in the levels of cellular HIF-1α and nuclear p65 (Rel A) were observed for cur-PLGA-NP, when compared to free curcumin. Our findings indicate that curcumin can effectively lower the elevated levels of HIF-1α and nuclear p65 (Rel A) in breast and lung cancer cells under an hypoxic tumour micro-environment when delivered in nanoparticulate form. This applied means of colloidal delivery could explain the improved anti-cancer efficacy of curcumin and has further potential applications in enhancing the activity of anti-cancer agents of low solubility. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Phloretin exhibits an anticancer effect and enhances the anticancer ability of cisplatin on non-small cell lung cancer cell lines by regulating expression of apoptotic pathways and matrix metalloproteinases.

PubMed

Ma, Lijie; Wang, Ruixuan; Nan, Yandong; Li, Wangping; Wang, Qingwei; Jin, Faguang

2016-02-01

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80-85% of all lung cancer cases and the prognosis of NSCLC patients is unsatisfactory since 5-year survival rate of NSCLC is still as low as 11%. Natural compounds derived from plants with few or no side effects have been recognized as alternative or auxiliary cure for cancer patients. Phloretin is such an agent possessing various pharmacological activities; however, there is scarce information on its anticancer effects on NSCLC. It was evaluated and confirmed, in the present study, that phloretin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in A549, Calu-1, H838 and H520 cells in a dose-dependent manner, phloretin also suppressed the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. We further confirmed that phloretin dose-dependently suppressed the expression of Bcl-2, increased the protein expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and -9, and deregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 on gene and protein levels. Besides, evaluations revealed that phloretin enhanced the anticancer effects of cisplatin on inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Moreover, phloretin facilitated the effects of cisplatin on deregulation of Bcl-2, MMP-2 and -9, and upregulation of cleaved-caspase-3 and -9. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that phloretin possessed anticancer effects and enhanced the anticancer effects of cisplatin on NSCLC cell lines by suppressing proliferation, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting invasion and migration of the cells through regulating apoptotic pathways and MMPs.

Potential Anticancer Properties of Grape Antioxidants

PubMed Central

Zhou, Kequan; Raffoul, Julian J.

2012-01-01

Dietary intake of foods rich in antioxidant properties is suggested to be cancer protective. Foods rich in antioxidant properties include grape (Vitis vinifera), one of the world's largest fruit crops and most commonly consumed fruits in the world. The composition and cancer-protective effects of major phenolic antioxidants in grape skin and seed extracts are discussed in this review. Grape skin and seed extracts exert strong free radical scavenging and chelating activities and inhibit lipid oxidation in various food and cell models in vitro. The use of grape antioxidants are promising against a broad range of cancer cells by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream pathways, inhibiting over-expression of COX-2 and prostaglandin E2 receptors, or modifying estrogen receptor pathways, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Interestingly, some of these activities were also demonstrated in animal models. However, in vivo studies have demonstrated inconsistent antioxidant efficacy. Nonetheless, a growing body of evidence from human clinical trials has demonstrated that consumption of grape, wine and grape juice exerts many health-promoting and possible anti-cancer effects. Thus, grape skin and seed extracts have great potential in cancer prevention and further investigation into this exciting field is warranted. PMID:22919383

Novel catalytic micromotor of porous zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 for precise drug delivery.

PubMed

Wang, Linlin; Zhu, Hongli; Shi, Ying; Ge, You; Feng, Xiaomiao; Liu, Ruiqing; Li, Yi; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui

2018-06-07

Micromotors hold promise as drug carriers for targeted drug delivery owing to the characteristics of self-propulsion and directional navigation. However, several defects still exist, including high cost, short movement life, low drug loading and slow release rate. Herein, a novel catalytic micromotor based on porous zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) synthesized by a greatly simplified wet chemical method assisted with ultrasonication is described as an efficient anticancer drug carrier. These porous micromotors display effective autonomous motion in hydrogen peroxide and long durable movement life of up to 90 min. Moreover, the multifunctional micromotor ZIF-67/Fe3O4/DOX exhibits excellent performance in precise drug delivery under external magnetic field with high drug loading capacity of fluorescent anticancer drug DOX up to 682 μg mg-1 owing to its porous nature, high surface area and rapid drug release based on dual stimulus of catalytic reaction and solvent effects. Therefore, these porous ZIF-67-based catalytic micromotors combine the domains of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and micomotors, thus developing potential resources for micromotors and holding great potential as label-free and precisely controlled high-quality candidates of drug delivery systems for biomedical applications.

The green tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate induces cell cycle arrest and shows potential synergism with cisplatin in biliary tract cancer cells.

PubMed

Mayr, Christian; Wagner, Andrej; Neureiter, Daniel; Pichler, Martin; Jakab, Martin; Illig, Romana; Berr, Frieder; Kiesslich, Tobias

2015-06-23

The green tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was shown to effectively inhibit tumor growth in various types of cancer including biliary tract cancer (BTC). For most BTC patients only palliative therapy is possible, leading to a median survival of about one year. Chemoresistance is a major problem that contributes to the high mortality rates of BTC. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of EGCG alone or in combination with cisplatin on eight BTC cell lines and to investigate the cellular anti-cancer mechanisms of EGCG. The effect of EGCG treatment alone or in combination with the standard chemotherapeutic cisplatin on cell viability was analyzed in eight BTC cell lines. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of EGCG on caspase activity, cell cycle distribution and gene expression in the BTC cell line TFK-1. EGCG significantly reduced cell viability in all eight BTC cell lines (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01, respectively, for most cell lines and EGCG concentrations > 5 μM). Combined EGCG and cisplatin treatment showed a synergistic cytotoxic effect in five cell lines and an antagonistic effect in two cell lines. Furthermore, EGCG reduced the mRNA levels of various cell cycle-related genes, while increasing the expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21 and the apoptosis-related death receptor 5 (p < 0.05). This observation was accompanied by an increase in caspase activity and cells in the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle, indicating induction of apoptosis. EGCG also induced a down-regulation of expression of stem cell-related genes and genes that are associated with an aggressive clinical character of the tumor, such as cd133 and abcg2. EGCG shows various anti-cancer effects in BTC cell lines and might therefore be a potential anticancer drug for future studies in BTC. Additionally, EGCG displays a synergistic cytotoxic effect with cisplatin in most tested BTC cell lines. Graphical abstract Summary illustration.

Anticancer effect of curcumin inhibits cell growth through miR-21/PTEN/Akt pathway in breast cancer cell.

PubMed

Wang, Xinzheng; Hang, Yakai; Liu, Jinbiao; Hou, Yongqiang; Wang, Ning; Wang, Mingjun

2017-06-01

Curcumin is a polyphenol extracted from turmeric, which that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Curcumin has numerous effects, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-oxidative and antimicrobial effects. However, the effects of curcumin on human breast cancer cells remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects and the mechanisms by which curcumin affects breast cancer cells. The anticancer effect of curcumin on cell viability and cytotoxicity on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was analyzed using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays, respectively. Cell apoptosis of MCF-7 cells was detected using flow cytometry, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindolestaining assay and caspase-3/9 activity kits. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression in MCF-7 cells. The protein expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and phospho-protein kinase B (pAkt) was determined by western blot analysis. miR-21 was transfected into MCF-7 cells and the anticancer effect of curcumin on cell viability and the expression of PTEN and pAkt was analyzed. The present results demonstrated that curcumin inhibited cell viability and induced cytotoxicity of MCF-7 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, by inducing apoptosis and increasing caspase-3/9 activities. In addition, curcumin downregulated miR-21 expression in MCF-7 cells by upregulating the PTEN/Akt signaling pathway. The present study has for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, revealed the anticancer effect of curcumin in suppressing breast cancer cell growth, and has elucidated that the miR-21/PTEN/Akt signaling pathway is a key mechanism for the anticancer effects of curcumin.

Ribonuclease binase inhibits primary tumor growth and metastases via apoptosis induction in tumor cells.

PubMed

Mironova, Nadezhda L; Petrushanko, Irina Y; Patutina, Olga A; Sen'kova, Aexandra V; Simonenko, Olga V; Mitkevich, Vladimir A; Markov, Oleg V; Zenkova, Marina A; Makarov, Alexander A

2013-07-01

Exogenous ribonucleases are known to inhibit tumor growth via apoptosis induction in tumor cells, allowing to consider them as promising anticancer drugs for clinical application. In this work the antitumor potential of binase was evaluated in vivo and the mechanism of cytotoxic effect of binase on tumor cells was comprehensively studied in vitro. We investigated tumoricidal activity of binase using three murine tumor models of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), lymphosarcoma RLS 40 and melanoma B-16. We show for the first time that intraperitoneal injection of binase at a dose range 0.1-5 mg/kg results in retardation of primary tumor growth up to 45% in LLC and RLS 40 and inhibits metastasis up to 50% in LLC and RLS 40 and up to 70% in B-16 melanoma. Binase does not exhibit overall toxic effect and displays a general systemic and immunomodulatory effects. Treatment of RLS 40-bearing animals with binase together with polychemotherapy revealed that binase decreases the hepatotoxicity of polychemotherapy while maintaining its antitumor effect. It was demonstrated that the cytotoxic effect of binase is realized via the induction of the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Activation of intrinsic apoptotic pathway is manifested by a drop of mitochondrial potential, increase in calcium concentration and inhibition of respiratory activity. Subsequent synthesis of TNF-α in the cells under the action of binase triggers extrinsic apoptotic pathway through the binding of TNF with cell-death receptors and activation of caspase 8. Thus binase is a potential anticancer therapeutics inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.

Screening and evaluation of antiparasitic and in vitro anticancer activities of Panamanian endophytic fungi.

PubMed

Martínez-Luis, Sergio; Cherigo, Lilia; Higginbotham, Sarah; Arnold, Elizabeth; Spadafora, Carmenza; Ibañez, Alicia; Gerwick, William H; Cubilla-Rios, Luis

2011-06-01

Many compounds produced by fungi have relevant pharmaceutical applications. The purpose of this study was to collect and isolate endophytic fungi from different regions of Panama and then to test their potential therapeutic activities against Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma cruzi as well as their anticancer activities in MCF-7 cells. Of the 25 fungal isolates obtained, ten of them had good anti-parasitic potential, showing selective activity against L. donovani; four had significant anti-malarial activity; and three inhibited the growth of T. cruzi. Anticancer activity was demonstrated in four isolates. Of the active isolates, Edenia sp. strain F0755, Xylaria sp. strain F1220, Aspergillus sp. strain F1544, Mycoleptodiscus sp. strain F0194, Phomopsis sp. strain F1566, Pycnoporus sp. strain F0305, and Diaporthe sp. strain F1647 showed the most promise based on their selective bioactivity and lack of toxicity in the assays.

Aristoforin, a novel stable derivative of hyperforin, is a potent anticancer agent.

PubMed

Gartner, Michael; Müller, Thomas; Simon, Jan C; Giannis, Athanassios; Sleeman, Jonathan P

2005-01-01

Hyperforin, a natural product of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), has a number of pharmacological activities, including antidepressive and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, hyperforin has pronounced antitumor properties against different tumor cell lines, both in vitro and in vivo. Despite being a promising novel anticancer agent, the poor solubility and stability of hyperforin in aqueous solution limits its potential clinical application. In this study, we present the synthesis of hyperforin derivatives with improved pharmacological activity. The synthesized compounds were tested for their solubility and stability properties. They were also investigated for their antitumor properties, both in vitro and in vivo. One of these hyperforin derivatives, Aristoforin, is more soluble in aqueous solution than hyperforin and is additionally highly stable. Importantly, it retains the antitumor properties of the parental compound without inducing toxicity in experimental animals. These data strongly suggest that Aristoforin has potential as an anticancer drug.

Prediction of anticancer activity of diterpenes isolated from the paraiban flora through a PLS model and molecular surfaces.

PubMed

Scotti, Luciana; Scotti, Marcus T; Ishiki, Hamilton; Junior, Francisco J B M; dos, Santos Paula F; Tavares, Josean F; da Silva, Marcelo S

2014-05-01

The aim of this work was to predict the anticancer potential of 3 atisane, and 3 trachylobane diterpene compounds extracted from the roots of Xylopia langsdorffiana. The prediction of anticancer activity as expressed against PC-3 tumor cells was made using a PLS model built with 26 diterpenes in the training set. Significant statistical measures were obtained. The six investigated diterpenes were applied to the model and their activities against PC-3 cells were calculated. All the diterpenes were active, with atisane diterpenes showing the higher pICso values. In human prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells, the apoptosis mechanism is related to an inhibition of IKK/NF-KB. Antioxidant potential implies a greater electronic molecular atmosphere (increased donor electron capacity), which can reduce radical reactivity, and facilitate post donation charge accommodation. Molecular surfaces indicated a much greater electronic cloud over atisane diterpenes.

Screening for Anti-Cancer Compounds in Marine Organisms in Oman

PubMed Central

Dobretsov, Sergey; Tamimi, Yahya; Al-Kindi, Mohamed A.; Burney, Ikram

2016-01-01

Objectives: Marine organisms are a rich source of bioactive molecules with potential applications in medicine, biotechnology and industry; however, few bioactive compounds have been isolated from organisms inhabiting the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. This study aimed to isolate and screen the anti-cancer activity of compounds and extracts from 40 natural products of marine organisms collected from the Gulf of Oman. Methods: This study was carried out between January 2012 and December 2014 at the Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Fungi, bacteria, sponges, algae, soft corals, tunicates, bryozoans, mangrove tree samples and sea cucumbers were collected from seawater at Marina Bandar Al-Rowdha and Bandar Al-Khayran in Oman. Bacteria and fungi were isolated using a marine broth and organisms were extracted with methanol and ethyl acetate. Compounds were identified from spectroscopic data. The anti-cancer activity of the compounds and extracts was tested in a Michigan Cancer Foundation (MCF)-7 cell line breast adenocarcinoma model. Results: Eight pure compounds and 32 extracts were investigated. Of these, 22.5% showed strong or medium anti-cancer activity, with malformin A, kuanoniamine D, hymenialdisine and gallic acid showing the greatest activity, as well as the soft coral Sarcophyton sp. extract. Treatment of MCF-7 cells at different concentrations of Sarcophyton sp. extracts indicated the induction of concentration-dependent cell death. Ultrastructural analysis highlighted the presence of nuclear fragmentation, membrane protrusion, blebbing and chromatic segregation at the nuclear membrane, which are typical characteristics of cell death by apoptosis induction. Conclusion: Some Omani marine organisms showed high anti-cancer potential. The efficacy, specificity and molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer compounds from Omani marine organisms on various cancer models should be investigated in future in vitro and in vivo studies. PMID:27226907

Medicinal plants combating against cancer--a green anticancer approach.

PubMed

Sultana, Sabira; Asif, Hafiz Muhammad; Nazar, Hafiz Muhammad Irfan; Akhtar, Naveed; Rehman, Jalil Ur; Rehman, Riaz Ur

2014-01-01

Cancer is the most deadly disease that causes the serious health problems, physical disabilities, mortalities, and morbidities around the world. It is the second leading cause of death all over the world. Although great advancement have been made in the treatment of cancer progression, still significant deficiencies and room for improvement remain. Chemotherapy produced a number of undesired and toxic side effects. Natural therapies, such as the use of plant-derived products in the treatment of cancer, may reduce adverse and toxic side effects. However, many plants exist that have shown very promising anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo but their active anticancer principle have yet to be evaluated. Combined efforts of botanist, pharmacologist and chemists are required to find new lead anticancer constituent to fight disease. This review will help researchers in the finding of new bioactive molecules as it will focus on various plants evaluated for anticancer properties in vitro and in vivo.

Natural Compounds as Anticancer Agents Targeting DNA Topoisomerases

PubMed Central

Jain, Chetan Kumar; Majumder, Hemanta Kumar; Roychoudhury, Susanta

2017-01-01

DNA topoisomerases are important cellular enzymes found in almost all types of living cells (eukaryotic and prokaryotic). These enzymes are essential for various DNA metabolic processes e.g. replication, transcription, recombination, chromosomal decatenation etc. These enzymes are important molecular drug targets and inhibitors of these enzymes are widely used as effective anticancer and antibacterial drugs. However, topoisomerase inhibitors have some therapeutic limitations and they exert serious side effects during cancer chemotherapy. Thus, development of novel anticancer topoisomerase inhibitors is necessary for improving cancer chemotherapy. Nature serves as a repertoire of structurally and chemically diverse molecules and in the recent years many DNA topoisomerase inhibitors have been identified from natural sources. The present review discusses anticancer properties and therapeutic importance of eighteen recently identified natural topoisomerase inhibitors (from the year 2009 to 2015). Structural characteristics of these novel inhibitors provide backbones for designing and developing new anticancer drugs. PMID:28503091

DEPTOR-related mTOR suppression is involved in metformin's anti-cancer action in human liver cancer cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Obara, Akio; Fujita, Yoshihito; Abudukadier, Abulizi

Metformin, one of the most commonly used drugs for patients with type 2 diabetes, recently has received much attention regarding its anti-cancer action. It is thought that the suppression of mTOR signaling is involved in metformin's anti-cancer action. Although liver cancer is one of the most responsive types of cancer for reduction of incidence by metformin, the molecular mechanism of the suppression of mTOR in liver remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the suppressing effect of metformin on mTOR signaling and cell proliferation using human liver cancer cells. Metformin suppressed phosphorylation of p70-S6 kinase, and ribosomemore » protein S6, downstream targets of mTOR, and suppressed cell proliferation. We found that DEPTOR, an endogenous substrate of mTOR suppression, is involved in the suppressing effect of metformin on mTOR signaling and cell proliferation in human liver cancer cells. Metformin increases the protein levels of DEPTOR, intensifies binding to mTOR, and exerts a suppressing effect on mTOR signaling. This increasing effect of DEPTOR by metformin is regulated by the proteasome degradation system; the suppressing effect of metformin on mTOR signaling and cell proliferation is in a DEPTOR-dependent manner. Furthermore, metformin exerts a suppressing effect on proteasome activity, DEPTOR-related mTOR signaling, and cell proliferation in an AMPK-dependent manner. We conclude that DEPTOR-related mTOR suppression is involved in metformin's anti-cancer action in liver, and could be a novel target for anti-cancer therapy. - Highlights: • We elucidated a novel pathway of metformin's anti-cancer action in HCC cells. • DEPTOR is involved in the suppressing effect of metformin on mTOR signaling. • Metformin increases DEPTOR protein levels via suppression of proteasome activity. • DEPTOR-related mTOR suppression is involved in metformin's anti-cancer action.« less

Smart tetrazole-based antibacterial nanoparticles as multifunctional drug carriers for cancer combination therapy.

PubMed

Zakerzadeh, Elham; Salehi, Roya; Mahkam, Mehrdad

2017-12-01

Due to multidrug resistance of cancer tissues and immune-suppression of cancerous patients during chemotherapy in one hand and the use of tetrazole derivatives in medicine because of its anticancer, antifungal, and antiviral properties, on the other, we were encouraged to design novel smart antibacterial nanocomposites-based polymer of tetrazole as dual anticancer drug delivery systems. The structures of nanocomposites characterized by FTIR, 1 H NMR, FESEM-EDX, and TGA analyzes and antibacterial activity of smart carriers were evaluated by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against some bacteria and fungi. Then, the pH-responsive manner of both nanocomposites was proved by checking their release profiles at pH of the physiological environment (pH 7.4) and pH of tumor tissues (mildly acidic). Finally, the potential antitumoral activity of these nanocomposite systems against MCF7 cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay and cell cycle studies. The results demonstrated that the novel developed nanocomposites not only meet our expectations about simultaneous release of two anticancer drugs according to the predicted profile but also showed antibacterial and anticancer properties in vitro experimental. Moreover, it was proved that these carriers have tremendous potential in multifunctional drug delivery in cancer therapy.

Andrographolide, a potential cancer therapeutic agent isolated from Andrographis paniculata.

PubMed

Rajagopal, Sriram; Kumar, R Ajaya; Deevi, Dhanvanthri S; Satyanarayana, Chitkala; Rajagopalan, R

2003-01-01

Andrographis paniculata plant extract is known to possess a variety of pharmacological activities. Andrographolide, the major constituent of the extract is implicated towards its pharmacological activity. We studied the cellular processes and targets modulated by andrographolide treatment in human cancer and immune cells. Andrographolide treatment inhibited the in vitro proliferation of different tumor cell lines, representing various types of cancers. The compound exerts direct anticancer activity on cancer cells by cell-cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase through induction of cell-cycle inhibitory protein p27 and decreased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4). Immunostimulatory activity of andrographolide is evidenced by increased proliferation of lymphocytes and production of interleukin-2. Andrographolide also enhanced the tumor necrosis factor-alpha production and CD marker expression, resulting in increased cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes against cancer cells, which may contribute for its indirect anticancer activity. The in vivo anticancer activity of the compound is further substantiated against B16F0 melanoma syngenic and HT-29 xenograft models. These results suggest that andrographolide is an interesting pharmacophore with anticancer and immunomodulatory activities and hence has the potential for being developed as a cancer therapeutic agent.

Nano anti-cancer drugs: pros and cons and future perspectives.

PubMed

Ali, Imran

2011-02-01

For last one decade, scientists are working for developing nano anti-cancer drugs with claim of ideal ones due to their targeted chemotherapic nature. These drugs have many beneficial properties such as targeted drug delivery and gene therapy modalities with minimum side effects. This article describes pros and cons and future perspectives of nano anti-cancer drugs. Efforts have been made to address importance, special features, toxicities (general, blood identities, immune system and environmental) and future perspectives of nano anti-cancer drugs. It was concluded that nano anti-cancer drugs may be magic bullet drugs for cancer treatment leading to bright future of the whole world.

Lung cancer and β-glucans: review of potential therapeutic applications.

PubMed

Roudi, Raheleh; Mohammadi, Shahla Roudbar; Roudbary, Maryam; Mohsenzadegan, Monireh

2017-08-01

The potential of natural substances with immunotherapeutic properties has long been studied. β-glucans, a cell wall component of certain bacteria and fungi, potentiate the immune system against microbes and toxic substances. Moreover, β-glucans are known to exhibit direct anticancer effects and can suppress cancer proliferation through immunomodulatory pathways. Mortality of lung cancer has been alarmingly increasingly worldwide; therefore, treatment of lung cancer is an urgent necessity. Numerous researchers are now dedicated to using β-glucans as a therapy for lung cancer. In the present attempt, we have reviewed the studies addressing therapeutic effects of β-glucans in primary and metastatic lung cancer published in the time period of 1991-2016.

Recent Progress in Functional Micellar Carriers with Intrinsic Therapeutic Activities for Anticancer Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Qu, Ying; Chu, BingYang; Shi, Kun; Peng, JinRong; Qian, ZhiYong

2017-12-01

Polymeric micelles have presented superior delivery properties for poorly water-soluble chemotherapeutic agents. However, it remains discouraging that there may be some additional short or long-term toxicities caused by the metabolites of high quantities of carriers. If carriers had simultaneous therapeutic effects with the drug, these issues would not be a concern. For this, carriers not only simply act as drug carriers, but also exert an intrinsic therapeutic effect as a therapeutic agent. The functional micellar carriers would be beneficial to maximize the anticancer effect, overcome the drug resistance and reduce the systemic toxicity. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent progress on the development of functional micellar carriers with intrinsic anticancer activities for the delivery of anticancer drugs. This review focuses on the design strategies, properties of carriers and the drug loading behavior. In addition, the combinational therapeutic effects between carriers and chemotherapeutic agents are also discussed.

Haberlea rhodopensis: pharmaceutical and medical potential as a food additive.

PubMed

Todorova, Roumiana; Atanasov, Atanas T

2016-01-01

This review discusses the potential of Haberlea rhodopensis as a food additive. The following are described: plant distribution, reproduction, cultivation, propagation and resurrection properties; extraction, isolation and screening of biologically active compounds; metabolite changes during dehydration; phytotherapy-related properties such as antioxidant potential and free radical-scavenging activities, antioxidant skin effect, antibacterial activity, cytotoxic activity and cancer-modulating effect, radioprotective effect, chemoprotective effect, immunologic effect; present use in homoeopathy and cosmetics, pharmacological and economical importance; perspectives based on the ethnobotanical data for medicinal, cosmetic or ritual attributes. H. rhodopensis showed unique medical and pharmaceutical potential, related to antioxidant, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, anticancer, radioprotective, chemoprotective and immunological properties. H. rhodopensis extracts lack any cytotoxic activity and could be used in phytotherapy. The metabolic profiling of H. rhodopensis extracts revealed the presence of biologically active compounds, possessing antiradical and other physiological activities, useful for design of in vitro synthesised analogues and drugs.

The application of polysaccharide-based nanogels in peptides/proteins and anticancer drugs delivery.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Pan, Jifei; Dong, Shibo; Li, Zhaoming

2017-09-01

Finding adequate carriers for proteins/peptides and anticancer drugs delivery has become an urgent need, owing to the growing number of therapeutic macromolecules and the increasing amount of cancer incidence. Polysaccharide-based nanogels have attracted interest as carriers for proteins/peptides and anticancer drugs because of their characteristic properties like biodegradability, biocompatibility, stimuli-responsive behaviour, softness and swelling to help achieve a controlled, triggered response at the target site. In addition, the groups of the polysaccharide backbone are able to be modified to develop functional nanogels. Some polysaccharides have the intrinsic ability to recognise specific cell types, allowing the design of targeted drug delivery systems through receptor-mediated endocytosis. This review is aimed at describing and exploring the potential of polysaccharides that are used in nanogels which can help to deliver proteins/peptides and anticancer drugs.