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Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by oxidative stress have emerged as critical factors in the pathophysiology of malignancies. This study investigated the antioxidant and anticancer properties of zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line. Here, the bioinformatics approach was used to determine the top differentially expressed genes associated with oxidative stress. The ZnO-, Se-, and Ag-NPs were then synthesized via a green synthesis method and subsequently characterized using techniques, such as FTIR, XRD, DLS, zeta potential analysis, FESEM, and TEM. The antioxidant capacity of the NPs was evaluated using a DPPH scavenging assay and their effect on superoxide dismutase enzyme activity was determined. HDF and A2780 cells were treated with varying concentrations of ZnO-, Se-, and Ag-NPs, and cell viability and colony formation were assessed using MTT and clonogenic assays, respectively. Additionally, qPCR was performed to analyze the expression of the candidate genes NOX4, SOD2, and NR4A4. Characterization techniques confirmed the successful synthesis of pure, crystalline, and spherical NPs. Antioxidant assays demonstrated the significant antioxidant properties of ZnO-, Se-, and Ag-NPs. In vitro studies indicated that ZnO-, Se-, and Ag-NPs effectively inhibited cell proliferation and suppressed colony formation, likely owing to the downregulation of NOX4 and upregulation of SOD2 genes. Our findings suggest that ZnO-, Se-, and Ag-NPs may serve as promising anticancer agents for ovarian cancer and NOX4 downregulation and SOD2 upregulation can be proposed as oxidative stress biomarkers; however, further experimental investigation is required to elucidate the therapeutic potential of NPs and the early detection potential of biomarkers., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: We certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The current study aimed to determine the roles of pivotal and novel lncRNAs associated with the cell cycle in the occurrence and development of Colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: The TCGA-COAD project related to CRC was downloaded, and differential expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. A cell cycle-associated lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed, and two novel lncRNAs were selected. Two subnetworks were constructed for selected lncRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were illustrated for the genes in each sub-network. qPCR analysis was used to validate the expression levels of the selected lncRNAs in CRC tissues compared to those adjacent normal tissues., Results: The differential expression analysis identified 416 lncRNAs, 317 miRNAs, and 117 mRNAs. The ceRNA subnetwork genes were associated with different pathways, including cellular senescence, DNA replication, human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and oocyte meiosis. The bioinformatic results based on the TCGA project indicated the dysregulation of two novel lncRNAs, MIR29B2CHG and HELLPAR, in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, qPCR confirmed the dysregulation of lncRNAs in the CRC tissues. ROC curves revealed that both selected lncRNAs had acceptable specificity and sensitivity as biomarkers., Conclusion: In conclusion, novel cell cycle-associated lncRNAs have the potential to be understood as the underlying molecular mechanisms that influence CRC. Therefore, these lncRNAs can be considered as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Background: Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological cancers among women worldwide. Cisplatin (Cis) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used to treat several types of cancer. Silymarin (SLM) is an extract of medicinal plant Silybum marianum (milk thistle) with anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, antioxidant, and anticancer properties used alone or in combination with other drugs., Objective: This study aimed to explore the effects of co-treatment with SLM and Cis on A2780 human ovarian cancer cell lines., Methods: In this study, A2780 cells were treated with various concentrations of SLM and Cis, separately and in combination. Cell cytotoxicity, scratch, clonogenic, and flow-cytometry assays were accomplished to estimate cell viability, migration, colony formation, and apoptosis, respectively. Real-time PCR was utilized to determine the expression levels of miR-155 and miR-27a., Results: SLM significantly reduced the proliferation of A2780 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Combination treatment with SLM and Cis was more potent than either single treatment in reducing viability, suppressing migration, inhibiting colony formation, and promoting the induction of apoptosis. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed a significant decline in the expression levels of miR-155 and miR-27a in response to all separate and combined treatments, and co-treatment was more effective than individual treatments in altering miRNAs expression., Conclusion: Based on our findings, SLM boosts the anticancer activity of Cis and mitigates its side effects. Thus, the co-treatment of SLM and Cis can be proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for further investigation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of glycyrrhizic acid (GL) on the anticancer activity of cisplatin in A2780 ovarian cancer cells. Cultured A2780 cells were treated with different concentrations of GL and cisplatin individually and in combination. The MTT assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing, and clonogenic assay, were used to determine cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and colony formation, respectively. The effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were also evaluated. QPCR was used to study the effects of individual and combined treatments with GL and cisplatin on the expression levels of migration genes (MMP2 and MMP9), and some apoptosis pathway genes (caspase-3, -8, -9, and BCL2). A synergistic effect was observed between GL and cisplatin (CI < 1). Combination therapy was significantly more effective in reducing cell viability, suppressing migration and colony formation, inducing apoptosis, and altering gene expression compared to single therapies. GL significantly increased SOD activity. The relative expression of caspase -3, -8, and - 9 increased significantly, and the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 decreased significantly in the treated cells. Our results indicate that GL enhances the anticancer activity of cisplatin in the A2780 cell line. Therefore, the combination of GL and cisplatin can be proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction & Aim: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate among women worldwide. Quercetin/fisetin and naringenin, three well-known flavonoids, have been used to fight against various cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible synergism of quercetin/fisetin with naringenin on MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines., Methods: In this study, cultured MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different concentrations of quercetin/fisetin individually and in combination with naringenin. MTT assay and scratch assay was employed to determine cell viability and migration respectively. Real-time PCR was used to study the expression level of apoptosis genes and miR-1275 (tumor suppressor miRNA) and mir-27a-3p (oncogenic miRNA)., Results: A synergism effect of quercetin/fisetin and naringenin (CI < 1) was observed for both cell lines. Combination therapies were significantly more effective in cell growth reduction, migration suppression and apoptosis induction than single therapies. Gene expression analysis revealed the upregulation of miR-1275 and downregulation miR-27a-3p., Conclusion: Our results indicate that quercetin/fisetin enhances the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activities in combination with naringenin in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines. Therefore, the combination of Que/Fis and Nar can be proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for further investigations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)