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One of the goals for the development of more effective cancer therapies with reduced toxic side effects is the optimization of innovative treatments to selectively kill tumor cells. The use of nanovectors loaded with targeted therapeutic payloads is one of the most investigated strategies. In this paper superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated by a silica shell or uncoated, were functionalized with single-layer and bi-layer conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Silica was used to protect the magnetic core from oxidation, improve the stability of SPIONs and tailor their surface reactivity. CLA was used as novel grafting biomolecule for its anti-tumor activity and to improve particle dispersibility. Mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells were treated with these different SPIONs. SPIONs functionalized with the highest quantity of CLA and coated with silica shell were the most dispersed. Cell viability was reduced by SPIONs functionalized with CLA in comparison with cells which were untreated or treated with SPIONs without CLA. As regards the types of SPIONs functionalized with CLA, the lowest viability was observed in cells treated with uncoated SPIONs with the highest quantity of CLA. In conclusion, the silica shell free SPIONs functionalized with the highest amount of CLA can be suggested as therapeutic carriers because they have the best dispersion and ability to decrease 4T1 cell viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, highly resistant to all current anti-cancer treatments, necessitates new approaches promoting cell death. We hypothesized that combined actions of several Bioactive Food Components (BFCs) might provide specific lethal effect towards tumor cells, sparing healthy cells. Human tumor pancreatic cell lines were tested in vitro for sensitivity to resveratrol, capsaicin, piceatannol, and sulforaphane cytotoxic effects. Combination of two or three components showed striking synergetic effect with gemcitabine in vitro. Each BFC used alone did not affect pancreatic tumor growth in a preclinical in vivo model, whereas couples of BFCs had anti-tumor activity. In addition, tumor toxicity was similar using gemcitabine alone or a combination of BFCs and two thirds of gemcitabine dose. Moreover, BFCs enhanced fibrotic response as compared to gemcitabine treatment alone. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis increases were observed, while cell cycle was very mildly affected. This study raises the possibility to use BFCs as beneficial food complements in the therapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, especially for patients unable to receive full doses of chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of an effective treatment against advanced tumors remains a major challenge for cancer immunotherapy. We have previously developed a potent mannose-modified lipid calcium phosphate (LCP) nanoparticle (NP)-based Trp2 vaccine for melanoma therapy, but because this vaccine can induce a potent anti-tumor immune response only during the early stages of melanoma, poor tumor growth inhibition has been observed in more advanced melanoma models, likely due to the development of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). To effectively treat this aggressive tumor, a multi-target receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib base, was efficiently encapsulated into a targeted polymeric micelle nano-delivery system (SUN b-PM ), working in a synergistic manner with vaccine therapy in an advanced mouse melanoma model. SUN b-PM not only increased cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and decreased the number and percentage of MDSCs and Tregs in the TME, but also induced a shift in cytokine expression from Th2 to Th1 type while remodeling the tumor-associated fibroblasts, collagen, and blood vessels in the tumor. Additionally, inhibition of the Stat3 and AKT signaling pathways by SUN b-PM may induce tumor cell apoptosis or decrease tumor immune evasion. Our findings indicated that targeted delivery of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor to tumors can be used in a novel synergistic way to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of existing immune-based therapies for advanced melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells have been suggested to be more susceptible to oxidative damages and highly dependent on antioxidant capacity in comparison with normal cells, and thus targeting antioxidant enzymes has been a strategy for effective cancer treatment. Sulfiredoxin (Srx) is an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of sulfinylated peroxiredoxins and thereby reactivates them. In this study we developed a Srx inhibitor, K27 (N-[7-chloro-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-quinazolinyl]-N-(2-phenylethyl)-β-alanine), and showed that it induces the accumulation of sulfinylated peroxiredoxins and oxidative stress, which leads to mitochondrial damage and apoptotic death of cancer cells. The effects of K27 were significantly reversed by ectopic expression of Srx or antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine. In addition, K27 led to preferential death of tumorigenic cells over non-tumorigenic cells, and suppressed the growth of xenograft tumor without acute toxicity. Our results suggest that targeting Srx might be an effective therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment through redox-mediated cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is the third most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. Theanine from tea and its derivatives show some anticancer activities. However, the role of theanine and its derivatives against human cervical cancer and the molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. Thus, in this study, we aim to investigate the anticancer activities and underlying mechanisms of theanine and a theanine derivative, ethyl 6-bromocoumarin-3- carboxylyl L-theanine (TBrC), against human cervical cancer. In vitro and in vivo assays for cancer cell growth and migration have confirmed the inhibition of the cell growth and migration by TBrC and theanine in highly-metastatic human cervical cancer. TBrC displays much stronger activity than theanine on inhibition of the cell growth and migration as well as induction of apoptosis and regulation of related protein expressions in the human cervical cancer cells. TBrC and theanine greatly reduced endogenous and exogenous factors-stimulated cell migration and completely repressed HGF- and EGF+HGF-activated EGFR/Met-Akt/NF-κB signaling by reducing the phosphorylation and expressions of EGFR, Met, Akt, and NF-κB in cervical cancer cells. The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) knockdown decreased the cancer cell migration and NF-κB expression. The NF-κB knockdown reduced the cancer cell migration. TBrC and theanine reduced the EZH2 expression by more than 80%. In addition, TBrC and theanine significantly suppressed human cervical tumor growth in tumor-bearing nude mice without toxicity to the mice. Our results suggest that TBrC and theanine may have the potentials of the therapeutic and/or adjuvant therapeutic application in the treatment of human cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are potent immune-suppressive cells and present in most cancer patients. Recently, several studies have shown that curcumin inhibits the expansion of MDSCs in some cancers. However, it is not clear how curcumin modulates the suppressive function of MDSCs, and whether curcumin achieves anti-tumor effects via regulating the expansion of MDSCs in lung cancer. Here, our results showed that curcumin significantly inhibited tumor growth in a Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) isogenic tumor model. Curcumin reduced the accumulation of MDSCs in spleen and tumor tissue in LLC isogenic model. And curcumin promoted the maturation and differentiation of MDSCs in tumor tissue. Notably, curcumin inhibited the expression level of immune suppressive factors of MDSCs, arginase-1 (Arg-1) and ROS, in purified MDSCs from tumor tissue in vivo. Expectedly, curcumin also inhibited the immunosuppressive function of isolated MDSCs from tumor tissue and spleen of tumor bearing mice in vitro. Moreover, curcumin decreased the level of IL-6 in the tumor tissue and serum from LLC-bearing mice. Taken together, curcumin indeed possesses anti-cancer effect and inhibits the accumulation and function of MDSCs. And curcumin reduces the level of IL-6 in tumor-bearing mice to impair the expansion and function of MDSCs. These results suggest that inhibition of MDSCs in tumor is requisite for controlling lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maleimide-conjugating closo-dodecaborate sodium form 5c (MID) synthesized by the nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of closo-dodecaborate-1,4-dioxane complex 2 with tetrabutylammonium (TBA) azide was found to conjugate to free SH of cysteine and lysine residues in BSA under physiological conditions, forming highly boronated BSA that showed high and selective accumulation in tumor and significant tumor growth inhibition in colon 26 tumor-bearing mice subjected to thermal neutron irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play critical roles in regulating gene expression in tumor development. Natural compound andrographolide (Andro), isolated from medicinal herb Andrographis paniculata , was reported to inhibit hepatoma tumor growth in our previous studies. The present study aims to observe the altered miRNAs profile and related signaling pathways involved in Andro-induced inhibition on hepatoma tumor growth. Results The inhibition on hepatoma tumor growth induced by Andro (10 mg/kg) was found in a xenograft mouse tumor model in vivo . The results of miRNAs chip analysis showed that the expression of 22 miRNAs was increased, whereas the expression of other 10 miRNAs was decreased after Andro treatment. Further, the increased expression of miR-222-3p, miR-106b-5p, miR-30b-5p, and miR-23a-5p was confirmed in hepatoma Hep3B and SMCC7721 cells in vitro after cells were treated with Andro (50 μM) for the indicated time. Functional annotation of the target genes based on the differentially expressed miRNAs demonstrated that the majority of the genes were involved in a variety of signaling pathways, including miRNAs in cancer, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPAKs), focal adhesion. Furthermore, the expression of 24 target genes (total 31) involved in above signaling pathways based on miRNAs analysis was found to be consistent with the alteration of miRNAs. Conclusions The results demonstrate that Andro alters the expression of miRNAs profile and downstream signals, which may contribute to its inhibition on hepatoma tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, resveratrol-loaded nanocapsules were developed and its antitumor activity tested on a melanoma mice model. These nanocapsules were spherically-shaped and presented suitable size, negative charge and high encapsulation efficiency for their use as a modified-release system of resveratrol. Nanoencapsulation leads to the drug amorphization. Resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles reduced cell viability of murine melanoma cells. There was a decrease in tumor volume, an increase in the necrotic area and inflammatory infiltrate of melanoma when resveratrol-loaded nanocapsules were compared to free resveratrol in treated mice. Nanoencapsulation of resveratrol also prevented metastasis and pulmonary hemorrhage. This modified-release technology containing resveratrol can be used as a feasible approach in order to inhibit murine melanoma tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of Silymarin in a mouse model of colon cancer xenograft of Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells. Silymarin significantly suppressed tumor growth and induced apoptosis of cells in tumor tissues at a dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg. Silymarin treatment enhanced the infiltration and function of CD8 + T cells. In the meantime, Silymarin decreased the level of IL-10 while elevated the level of IL-2 and IFN-γ in the serum of tumor-bearing mice. Finally, Silymarin reduced the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in the tumor tissue and also the mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthases-2 (iNOS2), arginase-1 (Arg-1) and MMP9, which indicated that the function of MDSC in tumor tissues were suppressed. Altogether, our data here showed that Silymarin inhibited the MDSC and promoted the infiltration and function of CD8 +  T cells thus suppressed the growth of LLC xenografts, which provides evidence for the possible use of Silymarin against lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The V600E BRAF oncogenic mutation is detected in a wide range of human cancers and induces hyperactivation of the downstream MEK–ERK signalling cascade. Although output of the BRAF–MEK–ERK pathway is regulated by feed-forward RAF activity, feedback control also plays an important role. One such feedback pathway has been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and involves ERK-mediated phosphorylation of BRAF within a CDC4 phosphodegron (CPD), targeting BRAF for degradation via CDC4 (also known as FBXW7), a component of the SKP1/CUL1/F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Here we investigate this pathway in mammalian cells. Short-term expression of autochthonous V600E BRAF in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) leads to down-regulation of BRAF protein levels in a proteasome-dependent manner and V600E BRAF has a reduced half-life compared to WT BRAF in HEK293 T cells. These effects were reversed by treatment with the MEK inhibitor PD184352. We have identified the equivalent CPD at residues 400–405 in human BRAF and have found that mutation of ERK phosphorylation sites at residues T401 and S405 in V600E BRAF increases the half-life of the protein. While BRAF and FBXW7 co-immunoprecipitated, the overexpression of FBXW7 did not influence the half-life of either WT BRAF or V600E BRAF. Furthermore, disruption of the substrate-binding site of mouse FBXW7 using the R482Q mutation did not affect the interaction with BRAF and the expression levels of WT BRAF and V600E BRAF were not altered in MEFs derived from mice with the homozygous knockin R482Q FBXW7 mutation. Overall these data confirm the existence of a negative feedback pathway by which BRAF protein stability is regulated by ERK. However, unlike the situation in C. elegans , FBXW7 does not play a unique role in mediating subsequent BRAF degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many viral proteins exhibit selective cytotoxicity for tumor cells without affecting the normal diploid cells. The apoptin protein of chicken infectious anemia virus is one of such proteins, which has been shown to kill tumor cells specifically. However, an effective cancer treatment strategy also requires assistance from the immune system. Recently, poly (I:C) has been shown to be an effective cancer vaccine adjuvant. Aim In this study, we assessed the anti-tumor potential of apoptin gene transfer alone and in combination with poly (I:C) in a 4T1 mouse mammary tumor model. Methods 4T1 cells were used to induce mammary tumor in Balb/c mice. Mice bearing tumors were divided into 6 groups, and each group received six intratumoral injections during a period of one month. After the last immunization, the animals were sacrificed, and peripheral blood, spleen, lungs, liver, heart, kidney and tumor tissues were collected for immunological, molecular and pathological analysis. Results We report that intratumoral administration of apoptin plasmid along with poly (I:C) not only significantly inhibited the growth of mammary tumor, but also induced a potent anti-tumor immune response as indicated by the increase in blood CD4 +, CD8 + cells and infiltration of immune cells in the tumor tissue. Further, blood serum analysis of the cytokines revealed increased secretion of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-2). Conclusions The results of our study demonstrate that the inclusion of poly (I:C) significantly enhanced the anti-tumor activity of apoptin mainly by inducing a potent anti-tumor immune response. Therefore, we report the use of apoptin and poly (I:C) combination as a novel and powerful strategy for cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oncogenic phosphatase of regenerating liver 2 (PRL-2) has been shown to regulate intracellular magnesium levels by forming a complex through an extended amino acid loop present in the Bateman module of the CNNM3 magnesium transporter. Here we identified highly conserved residues located on this amino acid loop critical for the binding with PRL-2. A single point mutation (D426A) of one of those critical amino acids was found to completely disrupt PRL-2human Cyclin M 3 (CNNM3) complex formation. Whole-cell voltage clamping revealed that expression of CNNM3 influenced the surface current, whereas overexpression of the binding mutant had no effect, indicating that the binding of PRL-2 to CNNM3 is important for the activity of the complex. Interestingly, overexpression of the CNNM3 D426A-binding mutant in cancer cells decreased their ability to proliferate under magnesium-deprived situations and under anchorageindependent growth conditions, demonstrating a PRL- 2CNNM3 complex-dependent oncogenic advantage in a more stringent environment. We further confirmed the importance of this complex in vivo using an orthotopic xenograft breast cancer model. Finally, because molecular modeling showed that the Asp-426 side chain inCNNM3buries into the catalytic cavity of PRL-2, we showed that a PRL inhibitor could abrogate complex formation, resulting in a decrease in proliferation of human breast cancer cells. In summary, we provide evidence that this fundamental regulatory aspect of PRL-2 in cancer cells could potentially lead to broadly applicable and innovative therapeutic avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a solid tumor malignancy associated with major morbidity and mortality. In this study, we determined that human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma-derived HSC-3 cells contain a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) characterized by a high level of CD44v3 and aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1) expression. Importantly, matrix hyaluronan (HA) induces the up-regulation of stem cell markers that display the hallmark CSC properties. Histone methyltransferase, DOT1L, is also upregulated by HA in CSCs (isolated from HSC-3 cells). Further analyses indicate that the stimulation of microRNA-10b (miR- 10b) expression is DOT1L-specific and HA/CD44-dependent in CSCs. This process subsequently results in the overexpression of RhoGTPases and survival proteins leading to tumor cell invasion and cisplatin resistance. Treatment of CSCs with DOT1Lspecific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) effectively blocks HA/CD44-mediated expression of DOT1L, miR-10b production, and RhoGTPase/survival protein up-regulation as well as reduces tumor cell invasion and enhances chemosensitivity. CSCs were also transfected with a specific anti-miR-10b inhibitor to silence miR-10b expression and block its target functions. Our results demonstrate that the anti-miR-10 inhibitor not only decreases RhoGTPase/survival protein expression and tumor cell invasion, but also increases chemosensitivity in HA-treated CSCs. Taken together, these findings strongly support the contention that histone methyltransferase, DOT1L-associated epigenetic changes induced by HA play pivotal roles in miR-10 production leading to upregulation of RhoGTPase and survival proteins. All of these events are critically important for the acquisition of cancer stem cell properties, including self-renewal, tumor cell invasion, and chemotherapy resistance in HA/CD44-activated head and neck cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceritinib, an ALK inhibitor, was hurriedly approved by the US FDA last year, and demonstrates impressive results in EML4-ALK positive patients. To get a superior ALK inhibitor, we synthesized several ceritinib derivatives with minor modifications to the phenylpiperidine moiety. Biochemical and cellular assays demonstrated the improved activity of KRCA-386 over that of ceritinib. KRCA-386 has superior inhibitory activity against ALK mutants commonly found in crizotinib-resistant patients. Particularly, KRCA-386 has considerably greater activity than ceritinib against the G1202R mutant, one of the most challenging mutations to overcome. The cell cycle analysis indicates that ALK inhibitors induce G1/S arrest, resulting in apoptosis. The in vivo xenograft data also demonstrate that KRCA-386 is significantly better than ceritinib. KRCA-386 dosed at 25 mpk caused 105% tumor growth inhibition (TGI) compared to 72% TGI with ceritinib dosed at 25 mpk. (n = 8, P = 0.010) The kinase profiling assay revealed that several kinases, which are known to be critical for tumor growth, are inhibited by KRCA-386, but not by ceritinib. We anticipate that this characteristic of KRCA-386 enhances its in vivo efficacy. In addition, KRCA-386 shows excellent blood brain barrier penetration compared to ceritinib. These results suggest that KRCA-386 could be useful for crizotinib-resistant patients with brain metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of substituted N -(4-(2-(4-benzylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy)phenyl)- N -methylquinazolin-4-amines were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity. Among them, compound 7a exhibited the best potency, with IC 50 values of 0.029–0.147 μM against four types of cancer cell lines. In addition, 7a was confirmed that it could arrest the cell cycle at G 2 /M phase and trigger apoptosis. Indirect immunofluorescence staining revealed its anti-tubulin property. Importantly, 7a significantly inhibited tumor growths in HepG2 xenograft models without causing significant loss of body weight, suggesting that 7a is a promising new anticancer agent to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum based combination regimens are first-line treatment option in treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but the clinical utility has been limited because of their toxicities. Many reports indicated that patients with tumors can benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy drugs. The aim of this study was to confirm adjuvant chemotherapy of HSS with docetaxel plus cisplatin (DP) against NSCLC by evaluating antitumor activity and attenuated effect. In vivo SPC-A-1 xenograft model was established to evaluate antitumor activity and toxicity of HSS along or combination with DP. Evaluation indexes include the relative tumor proliferation rate, tumor growth inhibition rate, body weight, food consumption, hematological and biochemical analysis. HSS treatment showed inhibited tumor growth and increased tumor inhibition of DP treatment at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. No significant toxicity was found in HSS-treated mice, but significant toxicity was found in DP-treated mice. HSS combination with DP could reduce toxicity of DP treatment by improving body weight and food consumption, and increasing the number of WBC and PLT, decreasing the level of ALT, AST and BUN. HSS combined with DP treatment has additive effect which contributes to enhance tumor growth inhibition of DP treatment and attenuated effect which contributes to reduce toxicity of DP treatment. These findings indicate potential benefit for use of HSS adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) is known to influence growth and migration of hepatocellular tumors; however, its role in hepatoblastoma remains poorly understood. This study investigated the regulatory role of TLR4 in proliferation and chemoresistance of HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells. Treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR4 agonist, was found to significantly upregulate TLR4 expression in HepG2 cells, but not in malignant Huh-7 and Sk-Hep1 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Additionally, IL-6 enhanced LPS-induced TLR4 upregulation. LPS-stimulated TLR4 activation increased proliferation, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, and NO production in HepG2 cells. Chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin and doxorubicin, effectively inhibited TLR4 expression in HepG2 cells. Characterization of LPS-induced signaling activation and blockade with kinase inhibitors revealed the involvement of Akt and MAPK pathways in LPS-enhanced NO release from, and proliferation of HepG2 cells. Mechanistically, gene modifications as a result of TLR4 transfection and siRNA-mediated knockdown further demonstrated a crucial role for TLR4 in the regulation of NOS expression, cell proliferation, and chemoresistance in HepG2 cells. These findings suggest that targeting TLR4 expression and its cognate signaling may modulate proliferation and chemosensitivity in hepatoblastoma cells and serve as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most common cause of death among women. KIF3C, a member of kinesin superfamily, functions as a motor protein involved in axonal transport in neuronal cells. To explore the expression, regulation and mechanism of KIF3C in breast cancer, 4 breast cancer cell lines and 93 cases of primary breast cancer and paired adjacent tissues were examined. Immunohistochemistry, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, flow cytometry, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation techniques and xenograft mice model were used. We found that KIF3C was over-expressed in breast cancer tissues and such high KIF3C expression was also associated with tumor recurrence and lymph node metastasis. Silencing of KIF3C by shRNA inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by inhibiting TGF-β signaling and suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation through inducing G 2 /M phase arrest. The tumor size was smaller and the number of lung metastatic nodules was less in KIF3C depletion MDA-MB-231 cell xenograft mice than in negative control group. These results suggested that high expression of KIF3C in breast cancer may be associated with the tumor progression and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) receptor, involved in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated vascular permeability and tumor angiogenesis, is targeted by peptides that bind to its VEGF-binding site. However, these peptides also cross-react with the structurally related receptor, NRP2. Here, we describe an immunoglobulin Fc-fused peptide, Fc-TPP11, which specifically binds to the VEGF-binding site of NRP1 with approximately 2 nM affinity, but negligibly to that of NRP2. Fc-TPP11 triggered NRP1-dependent signaling, enhanced vascular permeability via vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin downregulation, and increased paracellular permeability via E-cadherin downregulation in tumor tissues. Fc-TPP11 also significantly enhanced the tumor penetration of co-injected anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin, leading to the improved in vivo anti-tumor efficacy. Fc-TPP11 was easily adapted to the full-length anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) cetuximab (Erbitux), cetuximab-TPP11, exhibiting more than 2-fold improved tumor penetration than the parent cetuximab. Fc-TPP11 exhibited a similar whole-body half-life to that of intact Fc in tumor bearing mice. In addition to the tumor-penetrating activity, Fc-TPP11 suppressed VEGF-dependent angiogenesis by blocking VEGF binding to NRP1, thereby inhibiting tumor growth without promoting metastasis in the mouse model. Our results show that NRP1-specific, high-affinity binding of Fc-TPP11, is useful to validate NRP1 signaling, independent of NRP2. Thus, Fc-TPP11 can be used as a tumor penetration-promoting agent with anti-angiogenic activity or directly adapted to mAb-TPP11 format for more potent anti-cancer antibody therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most malignant cancers in the world and 5-year survival rate has not been significantly improved with conventional chemotherapy. Targeting treatment may be a promising alternative to enhance the antitumor efficacy. Present study was aimed at establishing a targeting nanodrug delivery system for SCLC therapy. A targeting peptide (AHSGMYP, named AP), screened in H446 cells by phage display technology, was conjugated to the docetaxel (DTX) encapsulated polylactic acid nanoparticles (DN) to prepare the targeting DTX nanoparticles (AP-DN). Cell cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, therapeutic efficacy and biodistribution of AP-DN were investigated in vitro and in vivo experiment. The mean particle size of AP-DN was 260 nm with encapsulation efficiency >94% and a sustained release profile. Cytotoxicity of AP-DN against H446 cell was superior to that of DTX and DN. AP-DN exhibited excellent antitumor efficacy and particularly effectively inhibited the liver metastases with better tolerance. Results of cellular uptake and biodistribution indicated that the excellent antitumor efficacy of AP-DN was attributed to both the increased accumulation of drug and cellular uptake. To our knowledge, this is the first report on establishing SCLC targeting delivery system which offers a potential therapeutic alterative for SCLC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the molecular mechanism of endostatin's anti-cancer activity, the role of its Zn bound N-terminal loop has not been completely clarified. To investigate whether Zn binding or the N-terminal loop is involved in the anti-cancer properties of endostatin, we compared the structure and biological activity of a native Zn binding endostatin peptide (ES-Zn) with three variants: a Zn free variant (ES), a variant containing both a Zn binding site and a disulfide bond (ES-SSZn), and a variant including a disulfide loop but incapable of Zn binding (ES-SS). Spectroscopic studies indicated that ES-Zn and ES-SS consist of random coil and β structures, whereas ES-SSZn and ES fold into random coils. Theoretical analysis proposed that ES-Zn and ES-SS have a similar binding site to α V β 3 integrin. The anti-proliferative activity of endostatin was retained by all peptides except ES, and the in vitro anti-angiogenic property was preserved in ES-Zn and ES-SS. Remarkably, breast tumor growth and CD31 activity were inhibited more effectively by ES-SS than by ES-Zn. Therefore, a correlation exists between the N-terminal loop and anti-cancer properties of endostatin fragment and a disulfide loop may be more promising than a Zn binding loop for inhibiting tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XP-V) is a rare genetic disease, characterized by sunlight sensitivity and predisposition to cutaneous malignancies. XP-V is caused by a deficiency in DNA polymerase eta (Polη) that plays a pivotal role in translesion synthesis by bypassing UV-induced pyrimidine dimers. Previously we identified a new Polη variant containing two missense mutations, one mutation within the bipartite NLS (T692A) and a second mutation on the stop codon (X714W) leading to a longer protein with an extra 8 amino acids (721 instead of 713 AA). First biochemical analysis revealed that this Polη missense variant was barely detectable by western blot. As this mutant is extremely unstable and is nearly undetectable, a definitive measure of its functional deficit in cells has not been explored. Here we report the molecular and cellular characterization of this missense variant. In cell free extracts, the extra 8 amino acids in the C-terminal of Polη 721 only slightly reduce the bypass efficiency through CPD lesions. In vivo , Polη 721 accumulates in replication factories and interacts with mUb-PCNA albeit at lower level than Polη wt . XP-V cells overexpressing Polη 721 were only slightly UV-sensitive. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that Polη 721 is functional and that the patient displays a XP-V phenotype because the mutant protein is excessively unstable. We then investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in this excessive proteolysis. We showed that Polη 721 is degraded by the proteasome in an ubiquitin-dependent manner and that this proteolysis is independent of the E3 ligases, CRL4 cdt2 and Pirh2, reported to promote Polη degradation. We then demonstrated that the extra 8 amino acids of Polη 721 do not act as a degron but rather induce a conformational change of the Polη C-terminus exposing its bipartite NLS as well as a sequence close to its UBZ to the ubiquitin/proteasome system. Interestingly we showed that the clinically approved proteasome inhibitor, Bortezomib restores the levels of Polη 721 suggesting that this might be a therapeutic approach to preventing tumor development in certain XP-V patients harboring missense mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deregulated signaling via receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways is prevalent in numerous types of human cancers and is commonly correlated with worst prognosis, resistance to various treatment modalities and increased mortality. Likewise, hypoxic tumors are often manifested by aggressive mode of growth and progression following an adaptive genetic reprogramming with consequent transcriptional activation of genes encoding proteins, which support tumor survival under low oxygen-related conditions. Consequently, both the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) system, which is the major mediator of hypoxia-related signaling, and numerous RTK systems are considered critical molecular targets in current cancer therapy. It is now evident that there is an intricate molecular crosstalk between RTKs and hypoxia-related signaling in the sense that hypoxia can activate expression of particular RTKs and/or their corresponding ligands, while some RTK systems have been shown to trigger activation of the HIF machinery. Moreover, signaling regulation of some RTK systems under hypoxic conditions has also been documented to take place in a HIF-independent manner. With this review we aim at overviewing the most current observations on that topic and highlight the importance of the potential co-drugging the HIF system along with particular relevant RTKs for better tumor growth control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Many types of human cancers having hyperactivated Wnt signaling display no causative alterations in known effectors of this pathway. Here, we report a function of TGIF in Wnt signaling. TGIF associates with and diverts Axin1 and Axin2 from the β-catenin destruction complex, therefore allowing β-catenin accrual. Intriguingly, activation of Wnt signaling induces the expression of TGIF, which unveils a feed-forward loop that ensures effective integration of Wnt signaling. In triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), elevated levels of TGIF correlate with high Wnt signaling and poor survival of patients. Moreover, genetic experiments revealed that Tgif1 ablation impeded mammary tumor development in MMTV-Wnt1 mice, further underscoring a requirement of TGIF for oncogenic Wnt signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) has recently been considered as a potential oncogene in human cancers. Recently, increasing evidences have shown that IF1 is overexpressed in human cancers and promotes tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, we found that the expression levels of IF1 protein and mRNA in gastric cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in matched adjacent nontumor tissues. Clinical association analysis revealed that the positive expression of IF1 was correlated with large tumor size, lymph node metastasis, venous infiltration and advanced TNM tumor stage in gastric cancer. Furthermore, IF1 was an independent prognostic marker for predicting 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival of gastric cancer patients. In vitro studies found that IF1 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells. In a nude mouse xenograft model, IF1 knockdown prominently slowed down tumor growth with reduced number of Ki-67 positive cancer cells and elevated number of TUNEL positive cancer cells. Otherwise, IF1 knockdown evidently reduced SGC-7901 cell migration and invasion. In conclusion, these results indicate that IF1 may serve as a prognostic marker and promotes tumor growth and metastasis in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe the effects of Taxol on endothelioma cell growth and migration in vitro and on vascular tumor growth in vivo. The effects of Taxol on endothelioma cell growth were determined using the crystal violet assay, while cell migration was measured using the xCELLIgence Real-Time Cell Analysis system. To study the effects of Taxol on tumor growth, mice were inoculated with endothelioma cells to induce vascular tumor development and were treated with the drug. At termination, tissue samples from Taxol-treated and control mice were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological examination, while blood samples were collected for hematological analysis, as well as for the analysis of the expression of angiogenic markers. In vitro, Taxol inhibited cell growth and migration. The drug also inhibited vascular tumor growth in mice, and this correlated with a recovery of mice from thrombocytopenia. Array analysis of blood samples from mice revealed that there was an increase in the expression of platelet factor 4 and a suppression of the proangiogenic molecule basic fibroblast growth factor in Taxol-treated animals. Our findings suggest that Taxol may have potential in the treatment of vascular tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERBB4, one of four ErbB receptor tyrosine kinase family members, plays an important role in the etiology and progression of lung cancer. In this study, we found that the ERBB4 protein levels were consistently upregulated in lung cancer tissues, whereas the mRNA levels varied randomly, suggesting that a post-transcriptional mechanism was involved in regulating ERBB4 expression. Because microRNAs (miRNAs) are powerful post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, we used bioinformatic analyses to search for miRNAs that can potentially target ERBB4. We identified specific targeting sites for miR-193a-3p in the 3-untranslated region (3-UTR) of ERBB4. We further identified an inverse correlation between miR-193a-3p levels and ERBB4 protein levels, but not mRNA levels, in lung cancer tissue samples. By overexpressing or knocking down miR-193a-3p in lung cancer cells, we experimentally confirmed that miR-193a-3p directly recognizes the 3-UTR of the ERBB4 transcript and regulates ERBB4 expression. Furthermore, the biological consequences of the targeting of ERBB4 by miR-193a-3p were examined in vitro via cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis assays and in vivo using a mouse xenograft tumor model. We demonstrated that the repression of ERBB4 by miR-193a-3p suppressed proliferation and invasion and promoted apoptosis in lung cancer cells and that miR-193a-3p exerted an anti-tumor effect by negatively regulating ERBB4 in xenograft mice. Taken together, our findings provide the first clues regarding the role of miR-193a-3p as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer through the inhibition of ERBB4 translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer pain is a deleterious consequence of tumor growth and related inflammation. Opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs provide first line treatment for cancer pain, but both are limited by side effects. Fufang Kushen injection (FKI) is GMP produced, traditional Chinese medicine used alone or with chemotherapy to reduce cancer-associated pain. FKI limited mouse sarcoma growth both in vivo and in vitro , in part, by reducing the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT kinases and BAD. FKI inhibited TRPV1 mediated capsaicin-induced ERK phosphorylation and reduced tumor-induced proinflammatory cytokine production. Thus, FKI limited cancer pain both directly by blocking TRPV1 signaling and indirectly by reducing tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common malignant tumor, glioma has long been a refractory disease in the field of neurosurgery. Exploration of its etiology, pathogenesis, biological characteristics, and new treatment measures is a hot topic as well as a problem most difficult to solve in the neurosurgical division. In recent years, the role of Nodal and its feedback inhibitor Lefty in tumors has drawn more and more attention and may form a new target for cancer therapy. Western blot detection indicated that there was almost no expression of Lefty protein in glioma cells. Transfection of Lefty-overexpressing vector into GBM8401 and GBM glioma cells significantly decreased the expression of Nodal. Nodal can significantly increase the phosphorylation levels of Smad2 and Smad3 and activate the ERK1/2 pathway; meanwhile, Nodal promotes the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells and inhibits their apoptosis. However, when cells were co-transfected with both Lefty- and Nodal-overexpressing vectors, Lefty inhibited the above effects of Nodal in glioma cells, hence significantly reduced the levels of phosphorylated Smad2, Smad3, and ERK1/2, inhibited the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, and increased their apoptosis. These results indicate that in glioma cells, Lefty inhibits Nodal-mediated activation of Smad and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, thereby suppressing the promoting effect of Nodal on tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diterpenoid, adenanthin, represses tumor growth and prolongs survival in mouse promyelocytic leukemia models (Liu et al., Nat. Chem. Biol. 8, 486, 2012). It was proposed that this was done by inactivating peroxiredoxins (Prxs) 1 and 2 through the formation of an adduct specifically on the resolving Cys residue. We confirmed that adenanthin underwent Michael addition to isolated Prx2, thereby inhibiting oxidation to a disulfide-linked dimer. However, contrary to the original report, both the peroxidatic and the resolving Cys residues could be derivatized. Glutathione also formed an adenanthin adduct, reacting with a second-order rate constant of 25±5 M –1 s –1 . With 50 µM adenanthin, the peroxidatic and resolving Cys of Prx2 reacted with half-times of 7 and 40 min, respectively, compared with 10 min for GSH. When erythrocytes or Jurkat T cells were treated with adenanthin, we saw no evidence for a reaction with Prxs 1 or 2. Instead, adenanthin caused time- and concentration-dependent loss of GSH followed by dimerization of the Prxs. Prxs undergo continuous oxidation in cells and are normally recycled by thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin. Our results indicate that Prx reduction was inhibited. We observed rapid inhibition of purified thioredoxin reductase (half-time 5 min with 2 µM adenanthin) and in cells, thioredoxin reductase was much more sensitive than GSH and loss of both preceded accumulation of oxidized Prxs. Thus, adenanthin is not a specific Prx inhibitor, and its reported antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects are more likely to involve more general inhibition of thioredoxin and/or glutathione redox pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) is a promising strategy to control the growth of tumors that are dependent on aberrant signaling in the MEK pathway. Cobimetinib (GDC-0973) ( S )-[3,4-Difluoro-2-(2-fluoro-4-iodo-phenylamino)-phenyl]-(( S )-3-hydroxy-3-piperidin-2-yl-azetidin-1-yl)-methanone) inhibits proliferation of a variety of human tumor cell lines by inhibiting MEK1 and MEK2. A specific high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric assay was developed and validated for the determination of cobimetinib in human plasma. The overall mean recovery using protein precipitation extraction with acetonitrile was found to be 54.1%. The calibration curve was ranged from 0.20 to 100 ng/mL. The LLOQ was sensitive enough to detect terminal phase concentrations of the drug. The intra- and inter-assay precision (%CV) was within 10.3% and 9.5% for cobimetinib. The assay accuracy (%RE) was within ±13.7% of the nominal concentration values for cobimetinib with the normal analytical QCs. The developed assay was successfully used to analyze the human plasma samples (for pharmacokinetic analysis) from clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between cancer and the immune system is a complex one. The immune system can prevent tumour growth by eliminating cancer cells but this editing process ultimately results in poorly immunogenic cells remaining allowing for unchallenged tumour growth. In light of this, the focus of cancer treatment should be to maximise cancer elimination and the prevention of escape mechanisms. In this review we will examine current and emerging ablative treatment modalities that induce Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD), a special type of cell death that allows for immune cell involvement and the generation of an anti-tumour specific immune response. When paired with immune modulating agents, capable of potentiating the immune response and reversing the immune-suppressive environment created by tumours, we may be looking at the future of anti-cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase isoforms (SHMT1 & SHMT2α), which serve as scaffold protein for the formation of a multi-enzyme complex and generate one-carbon unit for the de novo thymidylate biosynthesis pathway during DNA synthesis, are vitamin B 6 (VB 6 )-dependent enzyme. Cancer cells with high proliferation intensity need increased SHMT activation which enforces the facilitated-diffusion of VB 6 for the continuous functioning of thymidylate synthase cycle. Therefore, SHMT knockdown presents an alternative approach to prevent DNA synthesis in cancer cells; however, its potential to inhibit cancer growth remains unknown so far. Here we demonstrated that VB 6 coupled to poly(ester amine) (VBPEA) enforces a high level of VTC (VB 6 -transporting membrane carriers)-mediated endocytosis of the complexed SHMT1 siRNA (siSHMT1) to interrupt the thymidylate biosynthesis pathway of cancer cells. The detrimental effect of SHMT1 knockdown on the disintegration of multi-enzyme complex resulted in cell cycle arrest and a decrease in cell's genomic DNA content, leading to enhanced apoptotic events in cancer cells. A reduction in tumor size was observed with constant SHMT1 suppression in xenograft mice. This study illustrates how silencing the SHMT1 expression inhibits cancer growth and the increased VB 6 channeling for sustenance of cancer cells promotes VB 6 -coupled vector to elicit enhanced delivery of siSHMT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have generated a polyclonal antibody against a novel immunomodulator, neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP) that can react to a specific 47 kDa subunit of NLGP. Generated anti-NLGP antibody (primarily IgG2a) was tested for its anti-tumor activity in murine carcinoma (EC, CT-26), sarcoma (S180) and melanoma (B16Mel) tumor models. Surprisingly, tumor growth restriction was only observed in CT-26 carcinoma models, without any alteration in other tumor systems. Comparative examination of antigenicity between four different tumor models revealed high expression of CEA-like protein on the surface of CT-26 tumors. Subsequent examination of the cross-reactivity of anti-NLGP antibody with purified or cell bound CEA revealed prominent recognition of CEA by anti-NLGP antibody, as detected by ELISA, Western Blotting and immunohistochemistry. This recognition seems to be responsible for anti-tumor function of anti-NLGP antibody only on CEA-like protein expressing CT-26 tumor models, as confirmed by ADCC reaction in CEA + tumor systems where dependency to anti-NLGP antibody is equivalent to anti-CEA antibody. Obtained result with enormous therapeutic potential for CEA + tumors may be explained in view of the epitope spreading concept, however, further investigation is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to investigate the anticancer effects of baicalein (Bai) and its two sulfated derivatives, namely baicalein-7-O-sulfate (BoS) and baicalein-8-sodium sulfonate (BcS). BcS was shown to exhibit stronger growth inhibition against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, compared with structurally related Bai and BoS, where IC 50 values of BoS, Bai and BcS were 97.7, 68.3 and 30.4 μM, respectively. BoS, Bai and BcS were further shown to mediate the cell-cycle arrest principally in G0/G1-phase within 12 h of treatment with MCF-7 cells, and after 12 h, they arrested principally in S-phase. It was also found that 17.7%, 44.9% and 70.5% of MCF-7 cells entered the early phase of apoptosis when treated with 200 μM BoS, Bai and BcS for 24 h, followed by an intracellular ROS generation. BcS displays strong antitumor effect through ROS-dependent apoptosis pathway in MCF-7 cells, and has promising potential to be developed as an antitumor compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In a genome-wide survey on somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs) of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in 2,394 tumor specimens from 12 cancer types, we found that about 21.8% of lncRNA genes were located in regions with focal SCNAs. By integrating bioinformatics analyses of lncRNA SCNAs and expression with functional screening assays, we identified an oncogene, f ocally a mplified l ncRNA on chromosome 1 ( FAL1 ), whose copy number and expression are correlated with outcomes in ovarian cancer. FAL1 associates with the epigenetic repressor BMI1 and regulates its stability in order to modulate the transcription of a number of genes including CDKN1A . The oncogenic activity of FAL1 is partially attributable to its repression of p21. FAL1 -specific siRNAs significantly inhibit tumor growth in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

XMD8-92 is a kinase inhibitor with anti-cancer activity against lung and cervical cancers, but its effect on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown. Doublecortin-like kinase1 (DCLK1) is upregulated in various cancers including PDAC. In this study, we showed that XMD8-92 inhibits AsPC-1 cancer cell proliferation and tumor xenograft growth. XMD8-92 treated tumors demonstrated significant downregulation of DCLK1 and several of its downstream targets (including c-MYC, KRAS, NOTCH1, ZEB1, ZEB2, SNAIL, SLUG, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, KLF4, LIN28, VEGFR1, and VEGFR2) via upregulation of tumor suppressor miRNAs let-7a, miR-144, miR-200a-c, and miR-143/145; it did not however affect BMK1 downstream genes p21 and p53. These data taken together suggest that XMD8-92 treatment results in inhibition of DCLK1 and downstream oncogenic pathways (EMT, pluripotency, angiogenesis and anti-apoptotic), and is a promising chemotherapeutic agent against PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Artemisinin (ART) is an iron-dependent anti-cancer drug. However, simultaneous delivery of hydrophobic ART and Fe2+ ions into cancer cells remains a major challenge. Herein, we reported Fe3O4@C/Ag@mSiO2 (FCA@mSiO2) multifunctional nanocarriers which can load ART as high as 484 mg/g. Moreover, FCA@mSiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated pH-responsive Fe2+ release, the concentration of Fe2+ ions can reach 2.765 nmol/L in HeLa cells cultured with FCA@mSiO2 nanoparticles. The antitumor efficacy of ART-loaded FCA@mSiO2 nanoparticles measured by MTT assay was significantly enhanced compared with free ART. It was suggested that the ART-loaded FCA@mSiO2 nanoparticles are internalized by HeLa cells and located at the acidic compartments of endosomes and lysosomes, releasing Fe2+ ions to non-enzymatically convert ART to toxic products for killing cancer cells. This result provides a way for using promising natural drugs in anti-cancer therapeutics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Addition of a MEK inhibitor to a BRAF inhibitor enhances tumour growth inhibition, delays acquired resistance, and abrogates paradoxical activation of the MAPK pathway in preclinical models of BRAF-mutated melanoma. We assessed the safety and efficacy of combined BRAF inhibition with vemurafenib and MEK inhibition with cobimetinib in patients with advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma. Methods: We undertook a phase 1b study in patients with advanced BRAFV600-mutated melanoma. We included individuals who had either recently progressed on vemurafenib or never received a BRAF inhibitor. In the dose-escalation phase of our study, patients received vemurafenib 720 mg or 960 mg twice a day continuously and cobimetinib 60 mg, 80 mg, or 100 mg once a day for either 14 days on and 14 days off (14/14), 21 days on and 7 days off (21/7), or continuously (28/0). The primary endpoint was safety of the drug combination and to identify dose-limiting toxic effects and the maximum tolerated dose. Efficacy was a key secondary endpoint. All patients treated with vemurafenib and cobimetinib were included in safety and efficacy analyses (intention-to-treat). The study completed accrual and all analyses are final. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01271803. Findings: 129 patients were treated at ten dosing regimens combining vemurafenib and cobimetinib: 66 had recently progressed on vemurafenib and 63 had never received a BRAF inhibitor. Dose-limiting toxic effects arose in four patients. One patient on a schedule of vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day and cobimetinib 80 mg once a day 14/14 had grade 3 fatigue for more than 7 days; one patient on a schedule of vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day and cobimetinib 60 mg once a day 21/7 had a grade 3 prolongation of QTc; and two patients on a schedule of vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day and cobimetinib 60 mg 28/0 had dose-limiting toxic effects--one developed grade 3 stomatitis and fatigue and one developed arthralgia and myalgia. The maximum tolerated dose was established as vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day in combination with cobimetinib 60 mg 21/7. Across all dosing regimens, the most common adverse events were diarrhoea (83 patients, 64%), non-acneiform rash (77 patients, 60%), liver enzyme abnormalities (64 patients, 50%), fatigue (62 patients, 48%), nausea (58 patients, 45%), and photosensitivity (52 patients, 40%). Most adverse events were mild-to-moderate in severity. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (12 patients, 9%; all grade 3), raised amounts of alkaline phosphatase (11 patients, 9%]), and anaemia (nine patients, 7%). Confirmed objective responses were recorded in ten (15%) of 66 patients who had recently progressed on vemurafenib, with a median progression-free survival of 2·8 months (95% CI 2·6-3·4). Confirmed objective responses were noted in 55 (87%) of 63 patients who had never received a BRAF inhibitor, including six (10%) who had a complete response; median progression-free survival was 13·7 months (95% CI 10·1-17·5). Interpretation: The combination of vemurafenib and cobimetinib was safe and tolerable when administered at the respective maximum tolerated doses. The combination has promising antitumour activity and further clinical development is warranted in patients with advanced BRAFV600-mutated melanoma, particularly in those who have never received a BRAF inhibitor; confirmatory clinical testing is ongoing. Funding: F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To investigate the protective effect of bilberry extracts (BBE) and enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ) on the hepatocarcinogenic process involving oxidative stress responses, we used a two-stage hepatocarcinogenesis model in N-diethylnitrosamine-initiated and piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-promoted rats. We examined the modifying effect of co-administration with BBE or EMIQ on the liver tissue environment including oxidative stress responses, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/Akt and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signalings on the induction mechanism of preneoplastic lesions during early stages of hepatocellular tumor promotion. PBO increased the numbers and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)+ liver cell foci and the numbers of Ki-67+ proliferating cells within GST-P+ foci. Co-administration of BBE or EMIQ suppressed these effects with the reductions of GST-P+ foci (area) to 48.9–49.4% and Ki-67+ cells to 55.5–61.4% of the PBO-promoted cases. Neither BBE nor EMIQ decreased microsomal reactive oxygen species induced by PBO. However, only EMIQ suppressed the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances to 78.4% of the PBO-promoted cases. PBO increased the incidences of phospho-PTEN– foci, phospho-Akt substrate+ foci, phospho-Smad3– foci and Smad4– foci in GST-P+ foci. Both BBE and EMIQ decreased the incidences of phospho-PTEN– foci in GST-P+ foci to 59.8–72.2% and Smad4– foci to 62.4–71.5% of the PBO-promoted cases, and BBE also suppressed the incidence of phospho-Akt substrate+ foci in GST-P+ foci to 75.2–75.7% of the PBO-promoted cases. These results suggest that PBO-induced tumor promotion involves facilitation of PTEN/Akt and disruptive TGF-β/Smad signalings without relation to oxidative stress responses, but this promotion was suppressed by co-treatment with BBE or EMIQ through suppression of cell proliferation activity of preneoplastic liver cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In an effort to expand the structure–activity relationship of the natural anticancer compound piperlongumine, we have prepared sixteen novel piperlongumine derivatives with halogen or morpholine substituents at C2 and alkyl substituents at C7. Most of 2-halogenated piperlongumines showed potent in vitro activity against four cancer cells and modest selectivity for lung normal cells. The highly active anticancer compound 11h exhibited obvious ROS elevation and excellent in vivo antitumor potency with suppressed tumor growth by 48.58% at the dose of 2 mg/kg. The results indicated that halogen substituents as electrophilic group at C2 played an important role in increasing cytotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common solid cancer worldwide. Sorafenib, a small multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved therapy for advanced HCC. The clinical benefit of sorafenib is offset by the acquisition of sorafenib resistance. Understanding of the molecular mechanism of STAT3 over expression in sorafenib resistance is critical if the clinical benefits of this drug are to be improved. In this study, we explored our hypothesis that loss of RFX-1/SHP-1 and further increase of p-STAT3 as a result of sorafenib treatment induces sorafenib resistance as a cytoprotective response effect, thereby, limiting sorafenib sensitivity and efficiency. We found that knockdown of RFX-1 protected HCC cells against sorafenib-induced cell apoptosis and SHP-1 activity was required for the process. SC-2001, a molecule with similar structure to obatoclax, synergistically suppressed tumor growth when used in combination with sorafenib in vitro and overcame sorafenib resistance through up-regulating RFX-1 and SHP-1 resulting in tumor suppression and mediation of dephosphorylation of STAT3. In addition, sustained sorafenib treatment in HCC led to increased p-STAT3 which was a key mediator of sorafenib sensitivity. The combination of SC-2001 and sorafenib strongly inhibited tumor growth in both wild-type and sorafenib-resistant HCC cell bearing xenograft models. These results demonstrate that inactivation of RFX/ SHP-1 induced by sustained sorafenib treatment confers sorafenib resistance to HCC through p-STAT3 up-regulation. These effects can be overcome by SC-2001 through RFX-1/SHP-1 dependent p-STAT3 suppression. In conclusion, the use of SC-2001 in combination with sorafenib may constitute a new strategy for HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family signaling are drivers of tumorigenesis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Previous studies have demonstrated that combinatorial treatment of PDAC xenografts with the mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor trametinib and the dual EGFR/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitor lapatinib provided more effective inhibition than either treatment alone. In this study, we have used the therapeutic antibodies, panitumumab (specific for EGFR) and trastuzumab (specific for HER2), to probe the role of EGFR and HER2 signaling in the proliferation of patient derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. We show that dual anti-EGFR and anti-HER2 therapy significantly augmented the growth inhibitory effects of the MEK1/2 inhibitor trametinib in three different PDX tumors. While significant growth inhibition was observed in both KRAS mutant xenograft groups receiving trametinib and dual antibody therapy (tumors 366 and 608), tumor regression was observed in the KRAS wild-type xenografts (tumor 738) treated in the same manner. Dual antibody therapy in conjunction with trametinib was equally or more effective at inhibiting tumor growth and with lower apparent toxicity than trametinib plus lapatinib. Together, these studies provide further support for a role for EGFR and HER2 in pancreatic cancer proliferation and underscore the importance of therapeutic intervention in both the KRAS-rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase (RAF)-MEK-ERK and EGFRHER2 pathways to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Patched 1 (Ptch1) receptor has a pivotal role in inhibiting the activity of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway and is therefore critical in preventing the onset of many human developmental disorders and tumor formation. However, the functional role of the mammalian Ptch2 paralogue remains elusive, particularly the extent to which it contributes to regulating the spatial and temporal activity of Hh signaling. Here we demonstrate in three independent mouse models of epidermal development that in vivo ablation of both Ptch receptors results in a more severe phenotype than loss of Ptch1 alone. Our studies indicate that concomitant loss of Ptch1 and Ptch2 activity inhibits epidermal lineage specification and differentiation. These results reveal that repression of Hh signaling through a dynamic Ptch regulatory network is a crucial event in lineage fate determination in the skin. In general, our findings implicate Ptch receptor redundancy as a key issue in elucidating the cellular origin of Hh-induced tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tumor growth inhibition and anti-metastatic effects of peach polyphenolics were investigated in vivo using a xenograft model and MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells. Results showed that tumor growth and lung metastasis were inhibited in vivo by peach polyphenolics in a dose range of 0.8–1.6 mg/day, and these effects were mediated by inhibition of metalloproteinases gene expression. Modulation of metalloproteinase-2, metalloproteinase-3 and metalloproteinase-13 gene expression may be some of the molecular targets for anti-metastatic activity of peach polyphenolics. Therefore, these compounds may constitute a novel chemopreventive tool to reduce the risk of metastasis in the combination therapy when primary cancer is diagnosed. Conversion to equivalent human intake for future clinical studies using the body surface area normalization method gave a dose of ~370.6 mg/day for a human adult of 60 kg, which can be supplied by consuming two to three peach fruit per day or alternatively using a dietary supplement peach polyphenol extract powder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Oral cancer is a public health problem with high prevalence in the population. Local tumor control is best achieved by complete surgical resection with adequate margins. A disease-free surgical margin correlates with a lower rate of local recurrence and a higher rate of disease-free survival. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that can aid in real-time cancer detection. The technique, which evaluates the biochemical composition and structure of tissue fluorescence, is relatively simple, fast and, accurate. Objectives: This study aimed to compare oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions to surgical margins and the mucosa of healthy volunteers by fluorescence spectroscopy. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 56 individuals, 28 with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 28 healthy volunteers with normal oral mucosa. Thirty six cases (64.3%) were male and the mean age was 60.9years old. The spectra were classified and compared to histopathology to determine fluorescence efficiency for diagnostic discrimination of tumors. Results: In the analysis of the other cases we observed discrimination between normal mucosa, injury and margins. At two-year follow up, three individuals had local recurrence, and in two cases investigation fluorescence in the corresponding area showed qualitative differences in spectra between the recurrence area and the area without recurrence at the same anatomical site in the same patient. Conclusion: In situ analysis of oral mucosa showed the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool that can aid in discrimination of altered mucosa and normal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] PSG-1 inhibited tumor growth and resulted in tumor apoptosis. [•] PSG-1 caused a marked increase in cAMP and PKA activities and the PKA protein level. [•] PSG-1 decreased cGMP, PKC activities, PKC protein expression and intracellular [Ca2+]i. [•] PSG-1 improved the immune system function in tumor-bearing mice. [•] PSG-1 has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for carcinoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Elmiron administration increases the numbers of splenic macrophages and NK cells in female mice. [•] Elmiron administration increased the macrophage phagocytosis and NK cell activity in female mice. [•] Elmiron administration at 500mg/kg or 1000mg/kg caused decreases in growth of B16F10 melanoma tumors in female mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]