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Gum arabic/acacia (GA), derived from Acacia trees, is a versatile natural product offering a broad spectrum of applications. Its rich content of soluble dietary fibers, coupled with a low caloric profile, renders GA a valuable dietary component associated with numerous health benefits. Furthermore, its fermentation by gut microbiota yields short-chain fatty acids, renowned for their positive impact on health. Immunomodulation, a crucially regulated mechanism in the body, serves to fend off pathogenic infections by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, prolonged synthesis of these cytokines can lead to chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and potentially contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify plant-based biomolecules that can effectively reduce inflammation and inhibit inflammation-induced complications or disorders. In this context, edible biomolecules like GA are gaining prominence for their noteworthy immunomodulatory properties. Therefore, in the present review we have explored the role of GA in immunomodulation, inflammation, and inflammation-associated metabolic diseases, and cancer., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Obtaining a clear view of the cells of interest in diagnostic cytology can be challenging when specimens are contaminated with blood or other obscuring cells. In this study, we present a powerful technique for the selective capture of diagnostic epithelial cells directly on a microscope slide, highlighting its applications in urine cytology and immunocytochemistry (ICC). Using phage-display biopanning, we identified and synthesized a series of peptides that bind with high affinity to urothelial cells but not blood cells. We developed methods for conjugating the peptides to glass slides, and we used these slides to selectively capture both normal and cancerous epithelial cells from urine contaminated with blood cells. Unlike non-selective microscope slides, the peptide-conjugated slides selectively retained the cells of interest, recovering up to 75% of urothelial cells, while up to 98% of blood cells were washed away. The slides are compatible with Papanicolaou and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for cytology preparations, as well as ICC for detecting membrane-associated and nuclear cancer markers. We successfully detected the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen and survivin, two commonly measured bladder cancer markers. In addition to bladder cancer diagnostics, this technology has broad applications for increasing the quality of sample preparations in slide-based diagnostic testing.

Smad ubiquitin regulatory factors (Smurfs) belong to the HECT- family of E3 ubiquitin ligases and comprise mainly of two members, Smurf1 and Smurf2. Initially, Smurfs have been implicated in determining the competence of cells to respond to TGF-β/BMP signaling pathway. Nevertheless, the intrinsic catalytic activity has extended the repertoire of Smurf substrates beyond the TGF-β/BMP super family expanding its realm further to epigenetic modifications of histones governing the chromatin landscape. Through regulation of a large number of proteins in multiple cellular compartments, Smurfs regulate diverse cellular processes, including cell-cycle progression, cell proliferation, differentiation, DNA damage response, maintenance of genomic stability, and metastasis. As the genomic ablation of Smurfs leads to global changes in histone modifications and predisposition to a wide spectrum of tumors, Smurfs are also considered to have a novel tumor suppressor function. This review focuses on regulation network and biological functions of Smurfs in connection with its role in cancer progression. By providing a portrait of their protein targets, we intend to link the substrate specificity of Smurfs with their contribution to tumorigenesis. Since the regulation and biological functions of Smurfs are quite complex, understanding the oncogenic potential of these E3 ubiquitin ligases may facilitate the development of mechanism-based drugs in cancer treatment., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) belongs to the family of nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs), which directly regulate transcription of target genes. The regulatory role of this receptor on lipid metabolism and insulin sensitization is well established. Recently, the overexpression of this receptor in many human cancers has been identified and understanding its biological significance forms the current theme. PPARgamma activation by specific agonists leads to growth inhibition, apoptosis and differentiation of tumor cells. PPARgamma possess evident tumor promoting properties but the receptor independent effects of its ligands compound the understanding of its biology in cancers. This review highlights the multifaceted role of PPARgamma in cancer progression with specific reference to colon, breast, gastric, lung and urological cancers. Molecular events as well as the mediators involved are analyzed in detail along with PPARgamma independent effects of ligands under each cancer type. The crucial cross talk that exists between Wnt and PPARgamma signaling is also summarized. An attempt has been made to identify the existing lacunae in understanding the biology of PPARgamma in cancers along with suggestions for possible rectification.