Displaying publications 381 - 400 of 812 in total

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  1. Mayer AMS, Hall ML, Lach J, Clifford J, Chandrasena K, Canton C, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2021 Sep 07;19(9).
    PMID: 34564169 DOI: 10.3390/md19090506
    Manzamines are complex polycyclic marine-derived β-carboline alkaloids with reported anticancer, immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, neuritogenic, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis suppression bioactivities, putatively associated with inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3, cyclin-dependent kinase 5, SIX1, and vacuolar ATPases. We hypothesized that additional, yet undiscovered molecular targets might be associated with Manzamine A's (MZA) reported pharmacological properties. We report here, for the first time, that MZA selectively inhibited a 90 kDa ribosomal protein kinase S6 (RSK1) when screened against a panel of 30 protein kinases, while in vitro RSK kinase assays demonstrated a 10-fold selectivity in the potency of MZA against RSK1 versus RSK2. The effect of MZA on inhibiting cellular RSK1 and RSK2 protein expression was validated in SiHa and CaSki human cervical carcinoma cell lines. MZA's differential binding and selectivity toward the two isoforms was also supported by computational docking experiments. Specifically, the RSK1-MZA (N- and C-termini) complexes appear to have stronger interactions and preferable energetics contrary to the RSK2-MZA ones. In addition, our computational strategy suggests that MZA binds to the N-terminal kinase domain of RSK1 rather than the C-terminal domain. RSK is a vertebrate family of cytosolic serine-threonine kinases that act downstream of the ras-ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) pathway, which phosphorylates substrates shown to regulate several cellular processes, including growth, survival, and proliferation. Consequently, our findings have led us to hypothesize that MZA and the currently known manzamine-type alkaloids isolated from several sponge genera may have novel pharmacological properties with unique molecular targets, and MZA provides a new tool for chemical-biology studies involving RSK1.
    Matched MeSH terms: Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  2. Karan D, Dubey S, Pirisi L, Nagel A, Pina I, Choo YM, et al.
    J Nat Prod, 2020 Feb 28;83(2):286-295.
    PMID: 32022559 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00577
    Natural products remain an important source of drug leads covering unique chemical space and providing significant therapeutic value for the control of cancer and infectious diseases resistant to current drugs. Here, we determined the antiproliferative activity of a natural product manzamine A (1) from an Indo-Pacific sponge following various in vitro cellular assays targeting cervical cancer (C33A, HeLa, SiHa, and CaSki). Our data demonstrated the antiproliferative effects of 1 at relatively low and non-cytotoxic concentrations (up to 4 μM). Mechanistic investigations confirmed that 1 blocked cell cycle progression in SiHa and CaSki cells at G1/S phase and regulated cell cycle-related genes, including restoration of p21 and p53 expression. In apoptotic assays, HeLa cells showed the highest sensitivity to 1 as compared to other cell types (C33A, SiHa, and CaSki). Interestingly, 1 decreased the levels of the oncoprotein SIX1, which is associated with oncogenesis in cervical cancer. To further investigate the structure-activity relationship among manzamine A (1) class with potential antiproliferative activity, molecular networking facilitated the efficient identification, dereplication, and assignment of structures from the manzamine class and revealed the significant potential in the design of optimized molecules for the treatment of cervical cancer. These data suggest that this sponge-derived natural product class warrants further attention regarding the design and development of novel manzamine analogues, which may be efficacious for preventive and therapeutic treatment of cancer. Additionally, this study reveals the significance of protecting fragile marine ecosystems from climate change-induced loss of species diversity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  3. Sisin NNT, Kong AR, Edinur HA, Jamil NIN, Che Mat NF
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2024 Jul;196(7):4234-4255.
    PMID: 37922032 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04762-w
    E6 and E7 human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoproteins play a significant role in the malignant transformation of infected cervical cancer cells via suppression of tumour suppressor pathways by targeting p53 and pRb, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of Oroxylum indicum (OI) leaves' methanol extract on SiHa cervical cancer cells. Expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, caspase (cas)-3, and cas-9), viral oncoproteins (E6 and E7), and tumour suppressor proteins (p53 and pRb) were evaluated using western blot analysis before and after E6/E7 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) transfection. In addition, the E6/E7 mRNA expression levels were assessed with real-time (RT)-PCR. The present study showed that the OI extract effectively hindered the proliferation of SiHa cells and instigated increments of cas-3 and cas-9 expressions but decreased the Bcl-2 expressions. The OI extract inhibited E6/E7 viral oncoproteins, leading to upregulation of p53 and pRb tumour suppressor genes in SiHa cells. Additionally, combinatorial treatment of OI extract and gossypin flavonoid induced restorations of p53 and pRb. Treatment with OI extract in siRNA-transfected cells also further suppressed E6/E7 expression levels and further upregulations of p53 and pRb proteins. In conclusion, OI extract treatment on siRNAs-transfected SiHa cells can additively and effectively block E6- and E7-dependent p53 and pRb degradations. All these data suggest that OI could be explored for its chemotherapeutic potential in cervical cancer cells with HPV-integrated genomes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy
  4. Ismail NI, Othman I, Abas F, H Lajis N, Naidu R
    Int J Mol Sci, 2019 May 17;20(10).
    PMID: 31108984 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102454
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the top three cancer with higher incident and mortality rate worldwide. It is estimated that about over than 1.1 million of death and 2.2 million new cases by the year 2030. The current treatment modalities with the usage of chemo drugs such as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI, surgery and radiotherapy, which are usually accompanied with major side effects, are rarely cured along with poor survival rate and at higher recurrence outcome. This trigger the needs of exploring new natural compounds with anti-cancer properties which possess fewer side effects. Curcumin, a common spice used in ancient medicine was found to induce apoptosis by targeting various molecules and signaling pathways involved in CRC. Disruption of the homeostatic balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis could be one of the promoting factors in colorectal cancer progression. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of apoptosis regulation by curcumin in CRC with regard to molecular targets and associated signaling pathways.
    Matched MeSH terms: Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy
  5. Chen Y, Tang WY, Tong X, Ji H
    Cancer Commun (Lond), 2019 10 01;39(1):53.
    PMID: 31570104 DOI: 10.1186/s40880-019-0402-8
    Despite the tremendous efforts for improving therapeutics of lung cancer patients, its prognosis remains disappointing. This can be largely attributed to the lack of comprehensive understanding of drug resistance leading to insufficient development of effective therapeutics in clinic. Based on the current progresses of lung cancer research, we classify drug resistance mechanisms into three different levels: molecular, cellular and pathological level. All these three levels have significantly contributed to the acquisition and evolution of drug resistance in clinic. Our understanding on drug resistance mechanisms has begun to change the way of clinical practice and improve patient prognosis. In this review, we focus on discussing the pathological changes linking to drug resistance as this has been largely overlooked in the past decades.
    Matched MeSH terms: Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  6. Razak NA, Abu N, Ho WY, Zamberi NR, Tan SW, Alitheen NB, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 Feb 06;9(1):1514.
    PMID: 30728391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37796-w
    Eupatorin has been reported with in vitro cytotoxic effect on several human cancer cells. However, reports on the mode of action and detail mechanism of eupatorin in vitro in breast cancer disease are limited. Hence, eupatorin's effect on the human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 was investigated. MTT assay showed that eupatorin had cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells but was non-toxic to the normal cells of MCF-10a in a time-dose dependent manner. At 24 h, the eupatorin showed mild cytotoxicity on both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with IC50 values higher than 20 μg/mL. After 48 h, eupatorin at 5 μg/mL inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells by 50% while the IC50 of MCF-10a was significantly (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy
  7. Leong SW, Chia SL, Abas F, Yusoff K
    Molecules, 2020 Aug 26;25(17).
    PMID: 32858795 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173877
    In the present study, we investigated the in-vitro anti-cancer potential of six diarylpentanoids against a panel of BRAF- and KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer cell lines including T84, SW620, LoVo, HT29, NCI-H508, RKO, and LS411N cells. Structure-activity relationship study suggested that the insertions of tetrahydro-4H-thiopyran-4-one and brominated phenyl moieties are essential for better cytotoxicity. Among the evaluated analogs, 2e has been identified as the lead compound due to its low IC50 values of approximately 1 µM across all cancer cell lines and high chemotherapeutic index of 7.1. Anti-proliferative studies on LoVo cells showed that 2e could inhibit cell proliferation and colony formations by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. Subsequent cell apoptosis assay confirmed that 2e is a Bcl-2 inhibitor that could induce intrinsic cell apoptosis by creating a cellular redox imbalance through its direct inhibition on the Bcl-2 protein. Further molecular docking studies revealed that the bromophenyl moieties of 2e could interact with the Bcl-2 surface pocket through hydrophobic interaction, while the tetrahydro-4H-thiopyran-4-one fragment could form additional Pi-sulfur and Pi-alkyl interactions in the same binding site. In all, the present results suggest that 2e could be a potent lead that deserves further modification and investigation in the development of a new Bcl-2 inhibitor.
    Matched MeSH terms: Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  8. Ruman U, Fakurazi S, Masarudin MJ, Hussein MZ
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2020;15:1437-1456.
    PMID: 32184597 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S236927
    The development of therapeutics and theranostic nanodrug delivery systems have posed a challenging task for the current researchers due to the requirement of having various nanocarriers and active agents for better therapy, imaging, and controlled release of drugs efficiently in one platform. The conventional liver cancer chemotherapy has many negative effects such as multiple drug resistance (MDR), high clearance rate, severe side effects, unwanted drug distribution to the specific site of liver cancer and low concentration of drug that finally reaches liver cancer cells. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel strategies and novel nanocarriers that will carry the drug molecules specific to the affected cancerous hepatocytes in an adequate amount and duration within the therapeutic window. Therapeutics and theranostic systems have advantages over conventional chemotherapy due to the high efficacy of drug loading or drug encapsulation efficiency, high cellular uptake, high drug release, and minimum side effects. These nanocarriers possess high drug accumulation in the tumor area while minimizing toxic effects on healthy tissues. This review focuses on the current research on nanocarrier-based therapeutics and theranostic drug delivery systems excluding the negative consequences of nanotechnology in the field of drug delivery systems. However, clinical developments of theranostics nanocarriers for liver cancer are considered outside of the scope of this article. This review discusses only the recent developments of nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems for liver cancer therapy and diagnosis. The negative consequences of individual nanocarrier in the drug delivery system will also not be covered in this review.
    Matched MeSH terms: Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  9. Kotyla PJ, Engelmann M, Giemza-Stokłosa J, Wnuk B, Islam MA
    Int J Mol Sci, 2021 Feb 28;22(5).
    PMID: 33671049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052449
    Recent advances in immunology enabled the characterization of several signal transmitting pathways responsible for proper cytokine and chemokine signaling. Among them, Janus kinases (JAKs) are essential components of receptor activation systems. The discovery of JAK kinases enabled the synthesis of JAK kinase inhibitors (JAKi or Jakinibs), which have proven to be efficacious in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and several rheumatological disorders and continue to be investigated in many clinical indications. Blocking multiple cytokines belonging to several cytokine families with a single small molecule may, however, create a potential risk for the patients. Recently, a higher risk of thromboembolic complications, namely, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, has been recognized as the main concern during treatment with Jakinibs. At present, it is not entirely clear whether this increased risk is related to direct cytokine blockade, the presence of concomitant diseases in treated patients or other unknown circumstances that work together to increase the risk of this side effect. In this review, we discuss data on the risk of thromboembolic side effects, with special emphasis on the mechanism that may be responsible for this increased risk. Many indirect data indicate that higher thromboembolic risk may be related to the specificity of JAK inhibitor action, such that preferentially blocking one signaling pathway upsets the balance between pro and anti-thrombotic activities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  10. Liew K, Yu GQS, Wei Pua LJ, Wong LZ, Tham SY, Hii LW, et al.
    Cancer Lett, 2021 Apr 28;504:81-90.
    PMID: 33587980 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.02.006
    Despite recent in advances in the management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), development of targeted therapy remains challenging particularly in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. To search for clinically relevant targets for the treatment of NPC, we carried out parallel genome-wide functional screens to identified essential genes that are required for NPC cells proliferation and cisplatin resistance. We identified lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) as a key vulnerability of both proliferation and cisplatin resistance. Depletion of endogenous LCK or treatment of cells with LCK inhibitor induced tumor-specific cell death and synergized cisplatin sensitivity in EBV-positive C666-1 and EBV-negative SUNE1 cells. Further analyses demonstrated that LCK is regulating the proliferation and cisplatin resistance through activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Taken together, our study provides a molecular basis for targeting LCK and STAT5 signaling as potential druggable targets for the management of NPC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  11. Nalairndran G, Chung I, Abdul Razack AH, Chung FF, Hii LW, Lim WM, et al.
    J Cell Mol Med, 2021 Sep;25(17):8187-8200.
    PMID: 34322995 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16684
    Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common malignancy and is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality among men globally. Docetaxel-based therapy remains the first-line treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, dose-limiting toxicity including neutropenia, myelosuppression and neurotoxicity is the major reason for docetaxel dose reductions and fewer cycles administered, despite a recent study showing a clear survival benefit with increased total number of docetaxel cycles in PCa patients. Although previous studies have attempted to improve the efficacy and reduce docetaxel toxicity through drug combination, no drug has yet demonstrated improved overall survival in clinical trial, highlighting the challenges of improving the activity of docetaxel monotherapy in PCa. Herein, we identified 15 lethality hits for which inhibition could enhance docetaxel sensitivity in PCa cells via a high-throughput kinome-wide loss-of-function screen. Further drug-gene interactions analyses identified Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) as a viable druggable target with existing experimental inhibitors and FDA-approved drugs. We demonstrated that depletion of endogenous JAK1 enhanced docetaxel-induced apoptosis in PCa cells. Furthermore, inhibition of JAK1/2 by baricitinib and ruxolitinib synergizes docetaxel sensitivity in both androgen receptor (AR)-negative DU145 and PC3 cells, but not in the AR-positive LNCaP cells. In contrast, no synergistic effects were observed in cells treated with JAK2-specific inhibitor, fedratinib, suggesting that the synergistic effects are mainly mediated through JAK1 inhibition. In conclusion, the combination therapy with JAK1 inhibitors and docetaxel could be a useful therapeutic strategy in the treatment of prostate cancers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  12. Al-Fahdawi MQ, Rasedee A, Al-Qubaisi MS, Alhassan FH, Rosli R, El Zowalaty ME, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2015;10:5739-50.
    PMID: 26425082 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S82586
    Iron-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles with both Lewis and Brønsted acidic sites were prepared by a hydrothermal impregnation method followed by calcination at 650°C for 5 hours, and their cytotoxicity properties against cancer cell lines were determined. The characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brauner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta size potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cytotoxicity of iron-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays against three human cancer cell lines (breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells, colon carcinoma HT29 cells, and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells) and two normal human cell lines (normal hepatocyte Chang cells and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVECs]). The results suggest for the first time that iron-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles are cytotoxic to MDA-MB231 and HepG2 cancer cells but have less toxicity to HT29 and normal cells at concentrations from 7.8 μg/mL to 500 μg/mL. The morphology of the treated cells was also studied, and the results supported those from the cytotoxicity study in that the nanoparticle-treated HepG2 and MDA-MB231 cells had more dramatic changes in cell morphology than the HT29 cells. In this manner, this study provides the first evidence that iron-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles should be further studied for a wide range of cancer applications without detrimental effects on healthy cell functions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  13. Rudramurthy GR, Swamy MK
    J Biol Inorg Chem, 2018 Dec;23(8):1185-1204.
    PMID: 30097748 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-018-1600-6
    Nanotechnology advancements have led to the development of its allied fields, such as nanoparticle synthesis and their applications in the field of biomedicine. Nanotechnology driven innovations have given a hope to the patients as well as physicians in solving the complex medical problems. Nanoparticles with a size ranging from 0.2 to 100 nm are associated with an increased surface to volume ratio. Moreover, the physico-chemical and biological properties of nanoparticles can be modified depending on the applications. Different nanoparticles have been documented with a wide range of applications in various fields of medicine and biology including cancer therapy, drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, biomolecules detection, and also as antimicrobial agents. However, the development of stable and effective nanoparticles requires a profound knowledge on both physico-chemical features of nanomaterials and their intended applications. Further, the health risks associated with the use of engineered nanoparticles needs a serious attention.
    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy
  14. Abd Wahab NA, Lajis NH, Abas F, Othman I, Naidu R
    Nutrients, 2020 Mar 02;12(3).
    PMID: 32131560 DOI: 10.3390/nu12030679
    Prostate cancer (PCa) is a heterogeneous disease and ranked as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males worldwide. The global burden of PCa keeps rising regardless of the emerging cutting-edge technologies for treatment and drug designation. There are a number of treatment options which are effectively treating localised and androgen-dependent PCa (ADPC) through hormonal and surgery treatments. However, over time, these cancerous cells progress to androgen-independent PCa (AIPC) which continuously grow despite hormone depletion. At this particular stage, androgen depletion therapy (ADT) is no longer effective as these cancerous cells are rendered hormone-insensitive and capable of growing in the absence of androgen. AIPC is a lethal type of disease which leads to poor prognosis and is a major contributor to PCa death rates. A natural product-derived compound, curcumin has been identified as a pleiotropic compound which capable of influencing and modulating a diverse range of molecular targets and signalling pathways in order to exhibit its medicinal properties. Due to such multi-targeted behaviour, its benefits are paramount in combating a wide range of diseases including inflammation and cancer disease. Curcumin exhibits anti-cancer properties by suppressing cancer cells growth and survival, inflammation, invasion, cell proliferation as well as possesses the ability to induce apoptosis in malignant cells. In this review, we investigate the mechanism of curcumin by modulating multiple signalling pathways such as androgen receptor (AR) signalling, activating protein-1 (AP-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/the serine/threonine kinase (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), wingless (Wnt)/ß-catenin signalling, and molecular targets including nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and cyclin D1 which are implicated in the development and progression of both types of PCa, ADPC and AIPC. In addition, the role of microRNAs and clinical trials on the anti-cancer effects of curcumin in PCa patients were also reviewed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  15. Nair AS, Sekar M, Gan SH, Kumarasamy V, Subramaniyan V, Wu YS, et al.
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2024;18:3295-3313.
    PMID: 39081702 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S463545
    Lawsone, a naturally occurring organic compound also called hennotannic acid, obtained mainly from Lawsonia inermis (Henna). It is a potential drug-like molecule with unique chemical and biological characteristics. Traditionally, henna is used in hair and skin coloring and is also a medicinal herb for various diseases. It is also widely used as a starting material for the synthesis of various drug molecules. In this review, we investigate on the chemistry, biosynthesis, physical and biological properties of lawsone. The results showed that lawsone has potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor properties. It also induces cell cycle inhibition and programmed cell death in cancer, making it a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Additionally, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production makes it an essential treatment for inflammatory diseases. Exploration of its biosynthetic pathway can pave the way for its development into targets for new drug development. In future, well-thought-out clinical studies should be made to verify its safety and efficacy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy
  16. Dai R, Liu M, Nik Nabil WN, Xi Z, Xu H
    Molecules, 2021 Feb 19;26(4).
    PMID: 33669877 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041113
    Mycomedicine is a unique class of natural medicine that has been widely used in Asian countries for thousands of years. Modern mycomedicine consists of fruiting bodies, spores, or other tissues of medicinal fungi, as well as bioactive components extracted from them, including polysaccharides and, triterpenoids, etc. Since the discovery of the famous fungal extract, penicillin, by Alexander Fleming in the late 19th century, researchers have realised the significant antibiotic and other medicinal values of fungal extracts. As medicinal fungi and fungal metabolites can induce apoptosis or autophagy, enhance the immune response, and reduce metastatic potential, several types of mushrooms, such as Ganoderma lucidum and Grifola frondosa, have been extensively investigated, and anti-cancer drugs have been developed from their extracts. Although some studies have highlighted the anti-cancer properties of a single, specific mushroom, only limited reviews have summarised diverse medicinal fungi as mycomedicine. In this review, we not only list the structures and functions of pharmaceutically active components isolated from mycomedicine, but also summarise the mechanisms underlying the potent bioactivities of several representative mushrooms in the Kingdom Fungi against various types of tumour.
    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  17. Lua PL, Salihah N, Mazlan N
    Complement Ther Med, 2015 Jun;23(3):396-404.
    PMID: 26051575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.03.009
    OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of inhaled ginger aromatherapy on nausea, vomiting and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chemotherapy breast cancer patients.

    DESIGN: Single-blind, controlled, randomized cross-over study. Patients received 5-day aromatherapy treatment using either ginger essential oil or fragrance-matched artificial placebo (ginger fragrance oil) which was instilled in a necklace in an order dictated by the treatment group sequence.

    SETTING: Two oncology clinics in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VAS nausea score, frequency of vomiting and HRQoL profile (EORTC QLQ-C30 scores).

    RESULTS: Sixty female patients completed the study (age=47.3±9.26 years; Malay=98.3%; on highly emetogenic chemotherapy=86.7%). The VAS nausea score was significantly lower after ginger essential oil inhalation compared to placebo during acute phase (P=0.040) but not sustained for overall treatment effect (treatment effect: F=1.82, P=0.183; time effect: F=43.98, P<0.001; treatment×time effect: F=2.04; P=0.102). Similarly, there was no significant effect of aromatherapy on vomiting [F(1, 58)=0.29, P=0.594]. However, a statistically significant change from baseline for global health status (P<0.001) was detected after ginger essential oil inhalation. A clinically relevant 10 points improvement on role functioning (P=0.002) and appetite loss (P<0.001) were also documented while patients were on ginger essential oil.

    CONCLUSION: At present time, the evidence derived from this study is not sufficiently convincing that inhaled ginger aromatherapy is an effective complementary therapy for CINV. The findings for HRQoL were however encouraging with significant improvement in several domains.

    Matched MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy
  18. Hakim L, Alias E, Makpol S, Ngah WZ, Morad NA, Yusof YA
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(11):4651-7.
    PMID: 24969899
    The development of chemopreventive approaches using a concoction of phytochemicals is potentially viable for combating many types of cancer including colon carcinogenesis. This study evaluated the anti-proliferative effects of ginger and Gelam honey and its efficacy in enhancing the anti-cancer effects of 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) against a colorectal cancer cell line, HCT 116. Cell viability was measured via MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulphenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay showing ginger inhibiting the growth of HCT 116 cells more potently (IC50 of 3mg/mL) in comparison to Gelam honey (IC50 of 75 mg/mL). Combined treatment of the two compounds (3mg/mL ginger+75 mg/mL Gelam honey) synergistically lowered the IC50 of Gelam honey to 22 mg/mL. Combination with 35 mg/mL Gelam honey markedly enhanced 5-FU inhibiting effects on the growth of HCT 116 cells. Subsequent analysis on the induction of cellular apoptosis suggested that individual treatment of ginger and Gelam honey produced higher apoptosis than 5-FU alone. In addition, treatment with the combination of two natural compounds increased the apoptotic rate of HCT 116 cells dose- dependently while treatment of either ginger or Gelam honey combined with 5-FU only showed modest changes. Combination index analysis showed the combination effect of both natural compounds to be synergistic in their inhibitory action against HCT 116 colon cancer cells (CI 0.96 < 1). In conclusion, combined treatment of Gelam honey and ginger extract could potentially enhance the chemotherapeutic effect of 5-FU against colorectal cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
  19. Toh HC, Yang MH, Wang HM, Hsieh CY, Chitapanarux I, Ho KF, et al.
    Ann Oncol, 2024 Dec;35(12):1181-1190.
    PMID: 39241963 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2024.08.2344
    BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (EBV-CTL) is an autologous adoptive T-cell immunotherapy generated from the blood of individuals and manufactured without genetic modification. In a previous phase II trial of locally recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) patients, first-line gemcitabine and carboplatin (GC) and EBV-CTL combination demonstrated objective antitumor EBV-CTL activity and a favorable safety profile. The present study explored whether this combined first-line chemo-immunotherapy strategy would produce superior clinical efficacy and better quality of life compared with conventional chemotherapy treatment.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, phase III trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of GC followed by EBV-CTL versus GC alone as first-line treatment of R/M NPC patients. Thirty clinical sites in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the USA were included. Subjects were randomized to first-line GC (four cycles) and EBV-CTL (six cycles) or GC (six cycles) in a 1 : 1 ratio. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and secondary outcomes included progression-free survival, objective response rate, clinical benefit rate, quality of life, and safety.

    CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT02578641.

    RESULTS: A total of 330 subjects with NPC were enrolled. Most subjects in both treatment arms received four or more cycles of chemotherapy and most subjects in the GC + EBV-CTL group received two or more infusions of EBV-CTL. The central Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility produced sufficient EBV-CTL for 94% of GC + EBV-CTL subjects. The median OS was 25.0 months in the GC + EBV-CTL group and 24.9 months in the GC group (hazard ratio = 1.19; 95% confidence interval 0.91-1.56; P = 0.194). Only one subject experienced a grade 2 serious adverse event related to EBV-CTL.

    CONCLUSIONS: GC + EBV-CTL in subjects with R/M NPC demonstrated a favorable safety profile but no overall improvement in OS versus chemotherapy. This is the largest adoptive T-cell therapy trial reported in solid tumors to date.

    Matched MeSH terms: Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/drug therapy
  20. Sundararajan V, Sarkar FH, Ramasamy TS
    Cell Oncol (Dordr), 2018 06;41(3):223-252.
    PMID: 29667069 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-018-0378-4
    BACKGROUND: Recent advances in cancer biology have highlighted the relevance of exosomes and nanovesicles as carriers of genetic and biological messages between cancer cells and their immediate and/or distant environments. It has been found that these molecular cues may play significant roles in cancer progression and metastasis. Cancer cells secrete exosomes containing diverse molecules that can be transferred to recipient cells and/or vice versa to induce a plethora of biological processes, including angiogenesis, metastasis formation, therapeutic resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and epigenetic/stemness (re)programming. While exosomes interact with cells within the tumour microenvironment to promote tumour growth, these vesicles can also facilitate the process of distant metastasis by mediating the formation of pre-metastatic niches. Next to their tumour promoting effects, exosomes have been found to serve as potential tools for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The ease of isolating exosomes and their content from different body fluids has led to the identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarker signatures, as well as to predictive biomarker signatures for therapeutic responses. Exosomes can also be used as cargos to deliver therapeutic anti-cancer drugs, and they can be engineered to serve as vaccines for immunotherapy. Additionally, it has been found that inhibition of exosome secretion, and thus the transfer of oncogenic molecules, holds promise for inhibiting tumour growth. Here we provide recent information on the diverse roles of exosomes in various cellular and systemic processes governing cancer progression, and discuss novel strategies to halt this progression using exosome-based targeted therapies and methods to inhibit exosome secretion and the transfer of pro-tumorigenic molecules.

    CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the important role of exosomes in cancer progression and its implications for (non-invasive) diagnostics and the development of novel therapeutic strategies, as well as its current and future applications in clinical trials.

    Matched MeSH terms: Neoplasms/drug therapy
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