Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis and resistance to conventional therapies. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of natural compounds in enhancing the efficacy and reducing the side effects of conventional cancer treatments. Baicalin, a bioactive compound from Scutellaria baicalensis, exhibits significant anticancer properties. This study aimed to investigate the role of baicalin in modulating lung cancer cell behavior through the arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase (ALOX12)-mediated ferroptosis pathway. We employed cyber pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to predict and validate the interaction between baicalin and ALOX12. In vitro experiments were conducted on A549 lung cancer cells to assess the effects of baicalin on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The expression levels of ALOX12, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ferroptosis markers, such as Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long-Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4), were measured. Baicalin treatment significantly upregulated ALOX12 expression in lung cancer cells, and this upregulation was associated with a reduction in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, baicalin-induced ferroptosis was characterized by increased ROS levels, iron accumulation, and elevated expression of GPX4 and ACSL4. These findings suggest that baicalin enhances ferroptosis through ALOX12 activation, synergistically inhibiting cancer cell growth. Baicalin significantly upregulated ALOX12 expression, promoted ferroptosis, and inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 lung cancer cells. This finding provides evidence for the potential use of baicalin as a therapeutic agent for lung cancer and highlights the importance of ALOX12 in lung cancer treatment strategies.

This study explores the therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa L. and its key bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ). Pancreatic cancer presents a significant health challenge due to its aggressiveness and limited treatment options. N. sativa and its component TQ have demonstrated anticancer properties in other cancers, warranting exploration in pancreatic cancer models. To assess the antiproliferative, apoptotic, and anti-invasive effects of N. sativa extracts and TQ on pancreatic cancer cells, with a focus on modulating the NRF2/HO-1 and TNF-α signaling pathways. MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with essential and fixed oils, methanol extracts (from Türkiye and Syria), and TQ. Cell viability, apoptosis, and invasiveness were assessed via XTT, Annexin V, and Matrigel assays, respectively. Gene expression and cytokine levels were evaluated using RTqPCR and ELISA. HPLC was conducted to confirm TQ concentrations in extracts. The methanol extract of Türkiye-originated N. sativa seeds (TM) exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect, reducing cell viability in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 at 0.05 mg/mL, while TQ significantly decreased viability at 20 μM. TM reduced MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 invasiveness (42±1.23 and 35±0.73, respectively) and contained a higher concentration of TQ (7.9168 ± 0.0561%) compared to the Syria-originated extract (SM). The findings suggest that TM and TQ exhibit strong anticancer potential by modulating key signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer cells, supporting their potential for further development as therapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer treatment.

The emergence of acquired resistance to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) presents a significant barrier to effective treatment in lung adenocarcinoma. This study investigates the antitumor efficacy of FN-1501 and its potential synergistic interaction with Almonertinib (Alm) to combat this resistance. The impact of FN-1501 on lung adenocarcinoma and its synergistic effects with Almonertinib (Alm) were assessed through flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, CCK-8 assays, and clonogenic formation assays. Additionally, transcriptome analysis and network pharmacology were employed to elucidate the functional mechanisms by which FN-1501 may reverse EGFR-TKI acquired resistance. FN-1501 demonstrated the ability to inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and arrest the cell cycle. The combination of Alm and FN-1501 restored sensitivity in resistant cell lines. Mechanistic investigations indicated that this combination triggered ferroptosis via the FOXO1-mediated upregulation of NCOA4. In vivo experiments showed that the Alm+FN-1501 combination significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to either treatment alone. These results provide compelling evidence that targeting ferroptosis pathways could be a viable approach to overcoming resistance to EGFR-TKIs. The FOXO1/NCOA4 axis emerges as a critical component in this process, enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance. While these findings are promising, further research is needed to evaluate toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and the applicability of this strategy in a broader context of resistance. Identifying predictive biomarkers could help refine patient selection for this treatment approach. FN-1501 exhibits significant antitumor activity and, when combined with Alm, effectively reverses EGFR-TKI resistance by inducing ferroptosis, highlighting its potential for clinical application.

Glycosylation plays a crucial role in cellular processes such as recognition and signaling, and its dysregulation is associated with tumor progression. Alpha-1,3-mannosyltransferase (ALG3) is a key enzyme in N-glycosylation, and its aberrant expression has been implicated in various malignancies. However, the mechanisms underlying ALG3-driven oncogenesis and the identification of potential ALG3 inhibitors remain largely unexplored. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the oncogenic role of ALG3 across different cancer types and identify potential inhibitors through bioinformatics analysis and molecular dockingcoupled dynamics simulations. Multiple cancer-related databases were analyzed to elucidate the oncogenic role of ALG and to assess its expression patterns, genetic alterations, and epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamics simulations were employed to identify small-molecule inhibitors targeting the human ALG3. Our findings demonstrated a significant upregulation of ALG3 at both transcript and protein levels in cancerous tissues compared to normal ones. High ALG3 expression correlated positively with tumor stage, grade, and metastasis while negatively influencing patient survival. Genetic analysis revealed that amplification was the most common alteration in ALG3, whereas DNA methylation played a key role in its upregulation. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation identified two mannosyltransferase inhibitors, Opn and Clo, as potential inhibitors of ALG3, suggesting their therapeutic potential. This study highlights the oncogenic role of ALG3 in a pan-cancer model and identifies its potential inhibitors. Our findings provide valuable insights into ALG3-driven tumorigenesis and suggest that targeting ALG3 could be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. The study first reported potential inhibitors of human ALG3 based on a molecular modelling approach. This opens the way for future experimental investigations of the testing of these lead compounds in ALG3-high cancer models.

Glioblastoma (GB) remains a formidable challenge in oncology, with current treatment approaches providing only marginal improvements in patient outcomes. Despite significant advances in understanding its molecular and genetic characteristics, median survival for untreated patients remains distressingly low, emphasizing the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. This review comprehensively examines the standard first-line treatments for GB, including surgery, concomitant radio-chemotherapy, and maintenance chemotherapy, while highlighting the limitations of these approaches. Consequently, we explore emerging novel therapeutic modalities such as Oncolytic Viral Therapy with genetically modified oncolytic viruses that enhance the capabilities of antigen- presenting cells. These cells migrate to lymph nodes to recruit cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes, directing them to the site of infection where they eradicate cells that promote tumour growth. Aptamer-based therapies, such as GMT-3, AS1411, GS24, GMT8, and Gint4.T, which exhibit specificity for their biological targets and can act as drug transporters by facilitating receptor-mediated transcytosis within the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier, thus improving drug delivery. Tumour-treating fields (TTFields) that have shown increased overall survival rates in patients. Personalized genomic medicine, driven by biomarkers, which provokes immune responses tailored to the tumour's specific antigens, thereby customizing patient-specific treatments to improve effectiveness. By synthesizing current evidence and recent breakthroughs, we underscore the potential use of advancing novel therapies to address the unmet clinical needs of GB patients and ultimately enhance their overall survival and quality of life.

Immunotherapy is becoming an alternative method for gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal, gastric, and liver cancers. This field of research focuses on utilizing the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. One important method is immune checkpoint inhibitors, which enable T cells to recognize and attack tumor cells by releasing the immune system's brakes. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is another approach that modifies a patient's T cells to express receptors specific to tumor-associated antigens. Some cancer vaccines have demonstrated positive results in clinical trials, particularly colorectal and gastric cancers. Despite progress, challenges exist in immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers, such as treatment resistance, limited biomarkers for patient selection, and identifying new targets. In this review, different immunotherapy methods for all types of gastrointestinal cancers will be studied, and the limitations and benefits of each will be discussed in detail. By delving into the various immunotherapy methods, their limitations, and benefits, this review offers valuable insights that could potentially shape the future of gastrointestinal cancer treatment. It not only sheds light on the promising advancements in immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, and cancer vaccines but also highlights the existing challenges that demand further research and innovation.

The occurrence of gain of function mutations in STAT5B has been associated to survival, and drug resistance in Leukemia. In silico screening of compounds having inhibitory potential towards mutated proteins, can be helpful in the development of specific inhibitors. This study was designed to screen selected JAK-STAT mutations in leukemia patients and virtual exploration of molecular interaction of potential inhibitors with their mutated products. In total 276 patients were randomly recruited for this study. Demographic and clinical data were summarized. The genetic status of JAK1V623A, JAK2 S473 and STAT5BN642H were screened through allele specific PCR. In-silico analysis was performed on wild type and mutant protein sequences retrieved from Protein databank. The ligands and protein were prepared through standard protocols, and docking was performed through Auto Dock Vina 1.2.0. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia comprises 70% of the total patients. Male to female ratio was 3:1. All the patients were homozygous for JAK1V623A, JAK2 S473 major allele. However, 6 patients (5 male, 1 female) with ALL were STAT5BN642H+. The molecular docking of the ligands to wild type and STAT5BN642H+revealed that AC- 4-130, Pimozide, Indirubin and Stafib-2 have higher but differential docking affinities for SH2-domain of both normal and mutated STAT5B. However, AC-4-130 has a higher affinity for wild type and Stafib-2 has stable molecular interaction with STAT5BN642H+. The aggressive form of pediatric leukemia, carrying STAT5BN642H+ mutation is identified in the studied population. It is predicted that AC-14-30 and stafib-2 have potential for inhibition of constitutively active STAT5B if optimized for use in combination therapy.

Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in regulating key cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, apoptosis, embryonic development, spliceosome assembly, and gene expression. Notably, MELK is overexpressed in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), an aggressive malignancy associated with poor prognosis, high drug resistance, and limited treatment options. Given its critical role in TNBC pathogenesis, MELK has emerged as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. This review explores the molecular functions of MELK, its involvement in oncogenic signaling pathways, and the development of MELK-targeting small-molecule inhibitors. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to evaluate current knowledge on MELK, including its molecular functions, interactions within signaling pathways, role in TNBC progression, and potential as a therapeutic target. Relevant databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, were searched for studies related to MELK expression, signaling mechanisms, and experimental therapeutic approaches. MELK plays a central role in oncogenic signaling pathways that drive TNBC proliferation and survival. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that MELK inhibition can suppress TNBC cell growth and enhance chemotherapy efficacy. Several small-molecule inhibitors targeting MELK have shown promising anti-tumor activity in preclinical models. However, challenges remain in translating these findings into clinical applications due to drug specificity limitations and resistance mechanisms. MELK is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in TNBC. However, further research is required to refine MELK inhibitors, enhance clinical efficacy, and overcome drug resistance mechanisms. Targeting MELK could offer a novel therapeutic strategy to improve TNBC treatment outcomes.

The Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain, the most conserved region of STAT5a/b (aa 573-712), is crucial for receptor-specific recruitment and STAT5 dimerization, making it a therapeutic target in prostate cancer (PCa). This study explored the SH2 domain of STAT5a and carried out the identification of natural STAT5a inhibitors. Using template-based homology modeling, we constructed the structure of human STAT5a (VP1P) and compared it with its 3D crystal of the STAT5a protein obtained from the RCSB database and the model generated by the AlphaFold database. In this study, we carried out molecular docking studies using AutoDock Vina on the top 500 natural compounds identified through a pharmacophore search of the ZINC database using ZINCPharmer. Furthermore, the top ten compounds with the highest binding energies were evaluated for their drug-likeness and ADMET properties using SWISS ADME and ProTox-II, followed by 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the Desmond module of the Schrodinger suite. Docking studies revealed Pedunculagin (-10.5 kcal/mol), Folic acid (-10.1 kcal/mol), Chebulinic acid (-10.0 kcal/mol), Chebulagic acid (-9.8 kcal/mol), and Oleandrin (-9.8 kcal/mol) as the top candidates, compared to the STAT5 inhibitor (Phase-II Clinical Trial) (-8.5 kcal/mol). ADMET analysis confirmed their safety profiles. MD simulations showed stable protein-ligand complexes, with all compounds interacting with the conserved Arg638 residue at the active site, similar to the STAT5 inhibitor. Pedunculagin demonstrated the strongest binding energy and stability, making it a promising candidate for further development as a novel lead compound to disrupt STAT5a/b dimerization in PCa therapy.