scholarly journals Melatonin as an Adjuvant to Antiangiogenic Cancer Treatments

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3263
Author(s):  
Alicia González ◽  
Carolina Alonso-González ◽  
Alicia González-González ◽  
Javier Menéndez-Menéndez ◽  
Samuel Cos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Anticancer Effect ◽  
Cancer Treatments ◽  
Melatonin Administration ◽  
Effects Of Radiation

Melatonin is a hormone with different functions, antitumor actions being one of the most studied. Among its antitumor mechanisms is its ability to inhibit angiogenesis. Melatonin shows antiangiogenic effects in several types of tumors. Combination of melatonin and chemotherapeutic agents have a synergistic effect inhibiting angiogenesis. One of the undesirable effects of chemotherapy is the induction of pro-angiogenic factors, whilst the addition of melatonin is able to overcome these undesirable effects. This protective effect of the pineal hormone against angiogenesis might be one of the mechanisms underlying its anticancer effect, explaining, at least in part, why melatonin administration increases the sensitivity of tumors to the inhibitory effects exerted by ordinary chemotherapeutic agents. Melatonin has the ability to turn cancer totally resistant to chemotherapeutic agents into a more sensitive chemotherapy state. Definitely, melatonin regulates the expression and/or activity of many factors involved in angiogenesis which levels are affected (either positively or negatively) by chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, the pineal hormone has been proposed as a radiosensitizer, increasing the oncostatic effects of radiation on tumor cells. This review serves as a synopsis of the interaction between melatonin and angiogenesis, and we will outline some antiangiogenic mechanisms through which melatonin sensitizes cancer cells to treatments, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingnan Xu ◽  
Zhuo Song ◽  
Qiujun Guo ◽  
Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Cancer Treatments ◽  
New Strategy

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

Natural-Derived Molecules as a Potential Adjuvant in Chemotherapy: Normal Cell Protectors and Cancer Cell Sensitizers

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajib Hossain ◽  
Muhammad Torequl Islam ◽  
Mohammad S. Mubarak ◽  
Divya Jain ◽  
Rasel Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Polyphenolic Compounds ◽  
Anticancer Effect ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
Normal Cells ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Global Threat

Background: Cancer is a global threat to humans and a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer treatment includes, among other things, the use of chemotherapeutic agents, compounds that are vital for treating and preventing cancer. However, chemotherapeutic agents produce oxidative stress along with other side effects that would affect the human body. Objective: To reduce the oxidative stress of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer and normal cells by naturally derived compounds with anti-cancer properties, and protect normal cells from the oxidation process. Therefore, the need to develop more potent chemotherapeutics with fewer side effects has become increasingly important. Method: Recent literature dealing with the antioxidant and anticancer activities of the naturally naturally-derived compounds: morin, myricetin, malvidin, naringin, eriodictyol, isovitexin, daidzein, naringenin, chrysin, and fisetin has been surveyed and examined in this review. For this, data were gathered from different search engines, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scifinder, among others. Additionally, several patient offices such as WIPO, CIPO, and USPTO were consulted to obtain published articles related to these compounds. Result: Numerous plants contain flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds such as morin, myricetin, malvidin, naringin, eriodictyol, isovitexin, daidzein, naringenin, chrysin, and fisetin, which exhibit ‎antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic actions via several mechanisms. These compounds show sensitizers of cancer cells and protectors of healthy cells. Moreover, these compounds can reduce oxidative stress, which is accelerated by chemotherapeutics and exhibit a potent anticancer effect on cancer cells. Conclusions: Based on these findings, more research is recommended to explore and evaluate such flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Berberine Inspired Anticancer Approaches: From Drug Combination to Novel Formulation Technology and Derivatization

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon Habtemariam
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Cell Cycle Checkpoint ◽  
Anticancer Effect ◽  
Cancer Cell Growth ◽  
Cellular Targets ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

Berberine is multifunctional natural product with potential to treat diverse pathological conditions. Its broad-spectrum anticancer effect through direct effect on cancer cell growth and metastasis have been established both in vitro and in vivo. The cellular targets that account to the anticancer effect of berberine are incredibly large and range from kinases (protein kinase B (Akt), mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), cell cycle checkpoint kinases, etc.) and transcription factors to genes and protein regulators of cell survival, motility and death. The direct effect of berberine in cancer cells is however relatively weak and occur at moderate concentration range (10–100 µM) in most cancer cells. The poor pharmacokinetics profile resulting from poor absorption, efflux by permeability-glycoprotein (P-gc) and extensive metabolism in intestinal and hepatic cells are other dimensions of berberine’s limitation as anticancer agent. This communication addresses the research efforts during the last two decades that were devoted to enhancing the anticancer potential of berberine. Strategies highlighted include using berberine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents either to reduce toxic side effects or enhance their anticancer effects; the various novel formulation approaches which by order of magnitude improved the pharmacokinetics of berberine; and semisynthetic approaches that enhanced potency by up to 100-fold.

scholarly journals Secondary Metabolites of Saussurea costus Leaf Extract Induce Apoptosis in Breast, Liver, and Colon Cancer Cells by Caspase-3-Dependent Intrinsic Pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali A. Shati ◽  
Mohammed A. Alkahtani ◽  
Mohamed Y. Alfaifi ◽  
Serag Eldin I. Elbehairi ◽  
Fahmy G. Elsaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Anticancer Agent ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Intrinsic Pathway ◽  
Anticancer Effect

Background. Apoptosis, a major form of programmed cell death, plays a vital role in regulating tissue development and maintenance of homeostasis in eukaryotes. Apoptosis can occur via a death receptor-dependent extrinsic or a mitochondrial-dependent intrinsic pathway and can be induced by various chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, the anticancer activity of Saussurea costus and its mode of intervention in human cancer cells of breast, colon, and liver were investigated. Results. In this study, the bioactives of S. costus leaves were extensively extracted in five solvents of different polarity. The cytotoxicity and anticancer effect of the extracted secondary metabolites were investigated against breast (MCF-7), liver (HepG2), and colon (HCT116) cancer cell lines using a Sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay. Secondary metabolites extracted using hexane, methanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform had the highest cytotoxicity and thus the greatest anticancer effect on all the cancer cell lines tested (IC50; ranging from 0.25 to 2.5 μg/ml), while butanol was comparatively less active (IC50; ranging from 23.2 to 25.5 μg/ml). Further investigation using DNA flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy revealed that the extract arrested the cells in the G1 phase of cell cycle and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the elevated expression level of proapoptotic proteins and decreased expression level of antiapoptotic proteins confirmed that the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway was involved in mediating the apoptosis of cancer cells upon treatment with S. costus extract. These results altogether suggest that S. costus could be a potential anticancer agent. Conclusion. These results suggest that the S. costus extract is the potential source of the secondary metabolites that could be used as anticancer agent to treat diverse cancers of breast, colon, and liver.

scholarly journals Alternative RNA Splicing—The Trojan Horse of Cancer Cells in Chemotherapy

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1085
Author(s):  
Nikolay Mehterov ◽  
Maria Kazakova ◽  
Yordan Sbirkov ◽  
Boyan Vladimirov ◽  
Nikolay Belev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Human Genes ◽  
Splicing Variants ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Aberrant Rna

Almost all transcribed human genes undergo alternative RNA splicing, which increases the diversity of the coding and non-coding cellular landscape. The resultant gene products might have distinctly different and, in some cases, even opposite functions. Therefore, the abnormal regulation of alternative splicing plays a crucial role in malignant transformation, development, and progression, a fact supported by the distinct splicing profiles identified in both healthy and tumor cells. Drug resistance, resulting in treatment failure, still remains a major challenge for current cancer therapy. Furthermore, tumor cells often take advantage of aberrant RNA splicing to overcome the toxicity of the administered chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, deciphering the alternative RNA splicing variants in tumor cells would provide opportunities for designing novel therapeutics combating cancer more efficiently. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive outline of the recent findings in alternative splicing in the most common neoplasms, including lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, glioma, colon, and blood malignancies. Molecular mechanisms developed by cancer cells to promote oncogenesis as well as to evade anticancer drug treatment and the subsequent chemotherapy failure are also discussed. Taken together, these findings offer novel opportunities for future studies and the development of targeted therapy for cancer-specific splicing variants.

Role of exosomes in diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-405
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Fontana ◽  
Olga A. Babenko
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Diagnosis And Therapy ◽  
The Future ◽  
Important Direction ◽  
Potential Biomarkers

Aim of this letter is to attract the attention of journal readers to the study of exosomes as an important direction in the development of Oncology, in particular, in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Exosomes are produced by tumor cells and regulate proliferation, metastasis, and the development of chemoresistance. Their extraction from biological fluids allows further use of these vesicles as potential biomarkers of prostate cancer. In the future, exosomes can be successfully used in the delivery of drugs and other anti-tumor substances to cancer cells.

Inhibitory effects of Actinidia Chinensis planch root extracts (acRoots) on human lung cancer cells through retinoic acid receptor beta

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingyan Wang ◽  
Jiayun Hou ◽  
Minghuan Zheng ◽  
Lin Shi
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Retinoic Acid Receptor ◽  
Lung Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Lung Cancer ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
The Core ◽  
Human Lung Cancer Cells ◽  
Receptor Beta

Actinidia Chinensis Planch roots (acRoots) are used to treat many cancers, although the anti-tumor mechanism by which acRoots inhibit cancer cell growth remains unclear. The present study aims at investigating inhibitory effects of acRoots on human lung cancer cells and potential mechanisms. Our data demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of acRoots on lung cancer cells depend on genetic backgrounds and phenotypes of cells. We furthermore found the expression of metabolism-associated gene profiles varied between acRoots-hypersensitive (H460) or hyposensitive lung cancer cells (H1299) after screening lung cancer cells with different genetic backgrounds. We selected retinoic acid receptor beta (RARB) as the core target within metabolism-associated core gene networks and evaluated RARB changes and roles in cells treated with acRoots at different concentrations and timeframes. Hypersensitive cancer cells with the deletion of RARB expression did not response to the treatment with acRoots, while RARB deletion did not change effects of acRoots on hyposensitive cells. Thus, it seems that RARB as the core target within metabolism-associated networks plays important roles in the regulation of lung cancer cell sensitivity to acRoots.

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