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Objective(s): Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women, and current treatments are inadequate due to unwarranted side effects and lack of specificity resulting in off target consequences. Artesunate is a synthetic anti-malarial drug that exerts inhibitory effects on cancer cell lines via apoptosis and has been used treating some cancers. This study investigated the anticancer effects of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with chitosan, polyethylene glycol, folic acid, and artesunate in vivo and in vitro. Materials and Methods: Nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation; morphology and size were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the presence of the components was verified by nanoscale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). 4T1 murine mammary tumor cells were treated with nanoparticles, and cell viability was determined by MTT assay. 4T1 cells were also subcutaneously injected into BALB/c mice, and magnetic resonance imaging was carried out two weeks later to determine tumor size among the groups. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-4 levels (in splenocytes culture supernatant) were measured by ELISA, and tumors, surrounding tissues, and mouse livers were histopathologically studied. Results: The nanoparticle made in this article had good anticancer effects and caused apoptosis in cancer cells in breast cancer, and also strengthened the cellular immune system and further increased interferon gamma and increased the half-life of mice with cancer, while this nanoparticle It did not have the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Conclusion: Artesunate-containing nanoparticles decreased 4T1 cell viability and increased apoptosis to a greater extent than nanoparticles without the drug. In vivo, artesunate nanoparticles showed no toxicity and were more effective in decreasing tumor size than control. They were also associated with increased survival, increased IFN-γ, and decreased IL-4 levels in the spleen. The findings show the drug targets cancer cells effectively with minimal side effects due to its herbal nature and targeted nano delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular communications between breast cancer and fibroblast cells were reported to be involved in cancer proliferation, growth, and therapy resistance. The hallmarks of cancer-fibroblast interactions, consisting of caveolin 1 (Cav1) and mono-carboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) (metabolic coupling markers), along with IL-6, TGFβ, and lactate secretion, are considered robust biomarkers predicting recurrence and metastasis. In order to promote a novel phenotype in normal fibroblasts, we predicted that breast cancer cells could be able to cause loss of Cav1 and increase of MCT4, as well as elevate IL-6 and TGFβ in nearby normal fibroblasts. We created a co-culture model using breast cancer (4T1) and normal fibroblast (NIH3T3) cell lines cultured under specific experimental conditions in order to directly test our theory. Moreover, we show that long-term co-culture of breast cancer cells and normal fibroblasts promotes loss of Cav1 and gain of MCT4 in adjacent fibroblasts and increase lactate secretion. These results were validated using the monoculture of each group separately as a control. In this system, we show that metformin inhibits IL-6 and TGFβ secretion and re-expresses Cav1 in both cells. However, MCT4 and lactate stayed high after treatment with metformin. In conclusion, our work shows that co-culture with breast cancer cells may cause significant alterations in the phenotype and secretion of normal fibroblasts. Metformin, however, may change this state and affect fibroblasts' acquired phenotypes. Moreover, mitochondrial inhibition by metformin after 8 days of treatment, significantly hinders tumor growth in mouse model of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The use of shark cartilage as a supplementary treatment has a long yet unresolved history in the realm of complementary-alternative medicine. This study aimed to investigate the impact of concentrated and purified extracts from Persian Gulf shark cartilage (PGSC) on oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (specifically, the KB cell line) induced in an animal model. Methods Ectopic tumors of oral cavity SCC were induced in eight nude mice through the heterotransplantation of the KB cell line. Once the tumor volume reached 100 mm3, the mice were randomly divided into two groups: treatment and control. The treatment group received shark cartilage at a dosage of 50 mg/kg body weight, while the control group received a phosphate buffer. The drug was administered daily for four days via the intraperitoneal route. Following this, the drug administration was halted for a period of five days before resuming (as per the NCI protocol). After 54 days, the animals were sacrificed, and their tumors were sent for immunohistochemical evaluation using Ki-67 and CD34 markers. Results The findings revealed a significant reduction in intratumoral blood vessels in the treatment group compared to the control group (P-value = 0.001). While there was a decrease in both the size of the tumor and the proliferation of tumor cells, this reduction was not statistically significant. The average proliferation index was 13.33% for the treatment group and 33.33% for the control group. Conclusion Significant decrease in intra-tumoral vascularity can control tumor spreading and metastasis, potentially playing an important role in cancer management of oral cavity SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]