Cervical Cancer Cell Line HeLa Research Articles

Temporal regulation of gene expression and pathways in chemotherapy-induced senescence in HeLa cervical cancer cell line

Cellular senescence is the state of permanent growth arrest. Chemotherapeutic drugs induce senescence, known as therapy-induced senescence. Although there are studies deciphering processes in senescence, more studies providing detailed information on therapy-induced senescence at the transcriptome level are needed. In order to understand temporal molecular changes of doxorubicin treatment in the course of senescence formation, two data sets from HeLa cells at 16 h and 72 h doxorubicin treatment were analyzed. GO BP enrichment, KEGG pathways and hub genes specific to or shared between 16 h and 72 h doxorubicin treated HeLa cells were identified. Genes functioning in p53 signaling were upregulated only in 16 h, while genes functioning in extracellular matrix organization were upregulated only in 72 h doxorubicin treated HeLa cells. Wound healing genes were gradually upregulated from 16 h to 72 h doxorubicin treatment and metabolic pathways were downregulated at both. ncRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis GO BP terms were enriched in upregulated genes at 16 h, while these terms were enriched in downregulated genes at 72 h senescent HeLa cells. According to our results, genes functioning in p53 signaling may be involved in the induction of senescence, but may not be required to maintain senescence in HeLa cells.

Prevalence of PD-L1 in Cervical Cancer Patients and the Potential for Combining an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor With Lenvatinib.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. The potential for targeted therapy against the immune checkpoint programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and receptor tyrosine kinases was examined in cervical cancer patients and cell lines. On tissue microarrays, PD-L1 was analyzed in 123 samples of patients with cervical cancer using immunohistochemistry. In SiHa, HeLa, and CaSki cervical cancer cell lines we examined the combination of lenvatinib with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor using cell viability assays, the activation of cell signaling pathway proteins using western blots and gene expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. Of 113 evaluable samples, 90 (79.6%) had more than 1% PD-L1 positive cells. The single treatment with the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor resulted in the greatest reduction in growth for CaSki and lenvatinib in HeLa cells. In contrast, the combined treatment of lenvatinib with the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor demonstrated a significantly stronger impeded proliferation compared to the single treatment in all three cell lines. Moreover, the combined treatment caused significantly less phosphorylation of the signaling molecules ERK and S6 in SiHa and of S6 and STAT3 in HeLa cells but not in CaSki. All treatments diminished the mRNA levels of PD-L1, Il-8, and FGFR in SiHa cells. PD1 is frequently expressed in cervical cancer samples. Combining lenvatinib with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor diminished proliferation of cervical cancer cell lines. Consequently, this combination might be a promising option to treat cervical cancer. Signaling pathways involved in tumor cell growth are blocked by the combined treatment but still a model of the underlying mechanism cannot be drawn.

The CXCLs-CXCR2 axis modulates the cross-communication between tumor-associated neutrophils and tumor cells in cervical cancer

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to check the expression profile of the C-X-C motif chemokine ligands (CXCLs)-C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) axis in cervical cancer and to explore the cross-talk between cervical cancer cells and neutrophils via CXCLs-CXCR2 axis. Methods Available RNA-sequencing data based on bulk tissues and single-cell/nucleus RNA-sequencing data were used for bioinformatic analysis. Cervical cancer cell lines Hela and SiHa cells were utilized for in vitro and in vivo studies. Results Except for neutrophils, CXCR2 mRNA expression is limited in other types of cells in the cervical tumor microenvironment. CXCLs bind to CXCR2 and are mainly expressed by tumor cells. CXCL1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8, which are consistently associated with neutrophil infiltration, are also linked to poor prognosis. SB225002 (a CXCR2 inhibitor) treatment significantly impairs SiHa cell-induced neutrophil migration. CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL5, or CXCL8 neutralized conditioned medium from SiHa cells have weaker recruiting effects. The conditioned medium of neutrophils from healthy donors can slow cancer cell proliferation. Conditioned medium of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) can drastically enhance cervical cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions The CXCLs-CXCR2 axis is critical in neutrophil recruitment and tumor cell proliferation in the cervical cancer microenvironment.

Synthesis, Characterization, in silico DFT, Molecular docking, ADMET Profiling Studies and Toxicity Predictions of Ag(I) Complex Derived from 4‐Aminoacetophenone

AbstractThe reaction of the synthesized (E)‐1‐(4‐((2,4‐dihydroxy‐6‐methylphenyl)diazenyl)phenyl)ethan‐1‐one, (DMPDE) ligand with Ag(I) ion at room temperature resulted in the formation of the complex; [Ag(DMPDE)(H2O)2]. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, UV‐Vis, mass spectra, elemental analyses, thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), and molar conductance measurements were done to elucidate the structure of synthetic compounds. The results revealed an interesting geometrical variation; tetrahedral for Ag(I) complex. FT‐IR spectra demonstrated that the ligand (DMPDE) under investigation behaves as a bidentate ligand (N,O) through the nitrogen atom of the azo group which is the farthest of the acetophenone moiety and oxygen phenolic for benzene moiety and forms a stable five‐membered chelating ring. The electronic structure, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and quantum chemical calculations of the newly synthesized compounds are investigated theoretically at the DFT/B3LYP level of theory. Additionally, the ligand (DMPDE) and Ag(I) complex were screened against the growth of pathogenic bacteria [Actinomycosis (G+), E. Escherichia Coli (G−)] and fungi (Penicillium spp.) compared with the reference antibiotics, Chloramphenicol and Nystatin. Furthermore, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used to evaluate the antioxidant activities of the ligand and its complex, which showed they both possess significant antioxidant properties in comparison with L‐ascorbic acid (Vit. C) as standard. Based on docking studies, (DMPDE) and Ag(I) complex demonstrated a greater affinity for (PDB ID: 3T88), which corresponds to Escherichia coli protein (−6.7818 kcal/mol) and (−6.7928 kcal/mol), respectively. Interestingly, the most active Ag(I) complex inside the active site of cervical cancer receptor (PDB ID: 4XR8) demonstrated a higher binding energy (−6.2631 kcal/mol) than free ligand (−5.8561 kcal/mol). In silico, ADMET displayed that compounds obey the Lipinski rule and the “Veber's rule. Consequently, is likely to exhibit oral bioavailability with good LD50 and a safety profile that includes non‐cytotoxicity, non‐immunotoxicity, and non‐skin sensitization. Finally, the compounds synthesized showed significant anticancer activity in human cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and SiHa compared with positive controls (cisplatin) and normal human hepatic cells (WRL‐68). In the present study, all tested cancer cell lines showed promising activity against Ag(I) complex, whose IC50 value ranged from (61.02 to 71.09) μg/mL.

Antioxidant, Cytotoxicity, and Anti-inflammation Activities of Phenanthroline Adducts of Zn(II) and Ni(II) bis(N-alkyl-N-phenyldithiocarbamate)

In this study, 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline adducts of Ni(II) and Zn(II) of N-methyl or ethyl-N-phenyldithiocarbamate were synthesized and the final adducts were represented as [Zn(L1)2L3], [Zn(L2)2L3], [Ni(L1)2L3], [Ni(L2)2L3] (where L1 = methyl, L2 = ethyl, L3 = bathophenanthroline) and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis. Both the FT-IR and NMR analysis suggest that all the adducts possessed six coordination geometry by the metal atom centres upon the emergence of a new M-N bond. This was shown by the changes observed in the peaks and chemical shifts of the adducts in comparison to the parent complexes. The cytotoxicity, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using different assays to ascertain their biological properties. In all the assays, no noticeable trend was observed between the adducts of similar ligands and metals. Nevertheless, in the antioxidant assays, a good to moderate activity was observed, especially in the DPPH assay, which gave the best radical scavenging properties. Additionally, the estimated IC50 values of 0.011 and 14.76 µM were calculated for the cytotoxicity in the human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line for both [Zn(L1)2L3] and [Ni(L2)2L3] adducts, respectively, in comparison to 5-Flurouracil (17.48 µM). On the other hand, very low cytotoxicity was found for most of the adducts in the embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cell lines, especially for [Zn(L1)2L3], demonstrating its superior amongst the other adduct and the standard drug. Moreover, the adducts exhibited good to moderate anti-inflammatory properties compared to diclofenac, a controlled drug. These findings thus suggest that the adducts, particularly [Zn(L1)2L3], hold promise as potential anticancer agents and warrant further evaluation through clinical trials.

Heat-Killed Enterococcus faecium KU22001 Having Effective Anti-Cancer Effects on HeLa Cell Lines at a Lower Temperature.

The anti-cancer effects of heat-killed Enterococcus faecium KU22001 (KU22001), KU22002, and KU22005 isolated from human infant feces were investigated. The anti-proliferative activity of these strains against various cancer cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay. To determine the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) with potential anti-cancer effect, ethanol precipitation and phenol-sulfuric acid method was used with the cell free supernatant of strains grown at 25°C or 37°C. The EPS yield of E. faecium strains was higher at 25°C than at 37°C. Among these E. faecium strains, KU22001 grown at 25°C was associated with the highest bax/bcl-2 ratio, effective apoptosis rate, cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and condensation of the nucleus in the cervical cancer HeLa cell line. In conclusion, these results suggest that KU22001 can be beneficial owing to the anti-cancer effects and production of functional materials, such as EPS.

Cytotoxic Evaluation, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and ADMET Prediction of Isolupalbigenin Isolated from Erythrina subumbrans (Hassk). Merr. (Fabaceae) Stem Bark: Unveiling Its Anticancer Efficacy.

Erythrina subumbrans, a medical plant found in sub-Saharan Africa and the Western Ghats of India, shows promise as a potential source of bioactive compounds to treat cancer. In our ongoing research on folk medical plants, we report the isolation of flavonoid compound from the stem bark of E. subumbrans along with its cytotoxic activity against breast cancer (MCF-7 and T47D), and cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines. This study aimed to isolate secondary metabolite from the stem bark of E. subumbrans and evaluate its cytotoxic activity to support the use of folk medicinal plants as alternative therapy against cancer. Isolupalbigenin was isolated from the stem bark of E. subumbrans by column chromatography. Cytotoxic activity against breast cancer (MCF-7 and T47D) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay, whereas the in silico study was evaluated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics against estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). The cytotoxic assay showed that isolupalbigenin inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cell with an IC50 of 31.62 µg∙mL-1, while showing no toxicity against normal human cells (Vero cell line). The molecular docking results suggested that isolupalbigenin can bind to ERα with a lower binding affinity than estradiol, whereas the stability of the isolupalbigenin-ERα complex was confirmed by molecular dynamic simulation with a median Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) of 2.80 Å. Toxicity prediction suggested that isolupalbigenin was less likely to cause hepatotoxicity or carcinogenicity, whereas pharmacokinetic prediction suggested that isolupalbigenin has high intestinal absorption with medium Caco2 permeability. In addition, isolupalbigenin was predicted to have a medium volume of distribution (Vd). Isolupalbigenin isolated from the stem bark of E. subumbrans with cytotoxic activity supports further development of plants from the genus Erythrina as a medicinal plant for alternative therapy against cancer.

A bio-ionic liquid based self-healable and adhesive ionic hydrogel for the on-demand transdermal delivery of a chemotherapeutic drug.

The non-invasive nature and potential for sustained release make transdermal drug administration an appealing treatment option for cancer therapy. However, the strong barrier of the stratum corneum (SC) poses a challenge for the penetration of hydrophilic chemotherapy drugs such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Due to its biocompatibility and capacity to increase drug solubility and permeability, especially when paired with chemical enhancers, such as oleic acid (OA), which is used in this work, choline glycinate ([Cho][Gly]) has emerged as a potential substance for transdermal drug delivery. In this work, we examined the possibility of transdermal delivery of 5-FU for the treatment of breast cancer using an ionic hydrogel formulation consisting of [Cho][Gly] with OA. Small angle neutron scattering, rheological analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering analysis were used to characterize the ionic hydrogel. The non-covalent interactions present between [Cho][Gly] and OA were investigated by computational simulations and FTIR spectroscopy methods. When subjected to in vitro drug permeation using goat skin in a Franz diffusion cell, the hydrogel demonstrated sustained release of 5-FU and effective permeability in the order: [Cho][Gly]-OA gel > [Cho][Gly] > PBS (control). The hydrogel also demonstrated 92% cell viability after 48 hours for the human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT cells) as well as the normal human cell line L-132. The breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and the cervical cancer cell line HeLa were used to study in vitro cytotoxicity that was considerably affected by the 5-FU-loaded hydrogel. These results indicate the potential of the hydrogel as a transdermal drug delivery vehicle for the treatment of breast cancer.

68Ga-labeled TMTP1 radiotracer for PET imaging of cervical cancer.

Molecular imaging enables visualization and characterization of biological processes that influence tumor behavior and response to therapy. The TMTP1 (NVVRQ) peptide has shown remarkable affinity to highly metastatic tumors and and its potential receptor is aminopeptidase P2. In this study, we have designed and synthesized a 68Ga-labeled cyclic TMTP1 radiotracer (68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1), for PET imaging of cervical cancer. The goal of this study was to investigate the properties of this radiotracer and its tumor diagnostic potential. The radiochemical yield of 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 was high and the radiochemical purity was greater than 95%. The octanol-water partition coefficient for 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 was -2.76 ± 0.08 and 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 has showed excellent stability in in vitro studies. The cellular uptake and efflux of 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 in paired highly metastatic and lowly metastatic cervical cancer cell line HeLa and C-33A as well as normal cervical epithelial cell line End1 were measured in a γ counter. 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 exhibited higher uptake in HeLa cells than in C-33A cells. The binding to HeLa and C-33A cells could be blocked by excess TMTP1. On microPET images, HeLa tumors were clearly visualized within 60 min and the uptake of the radiotracer in HeLa tumors was higher than that of C-33A tumors. After blocking with TMTP1, HeLa tumors uptake was significantly reduced and the specificity 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 was thus validated. Overall, we have successfully synthesized 68Ga-DOTA-TMTP1 with high yield and high specific activity and have demonstrated its potential role for highly metastatic tumor-targeted diagnosis.

Diterpene alcohol fraction of Cyperus rotundus Linn essential oil regulates Bcl-2 and Bax expression inducing apoptosis on HeLa in vitro and in silico

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a crucial mechanism in preventing cancer growth, and one of the targets is reducing the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of fractions from nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) essential oil in inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the progression of cervical cancer. The researchers investigated the apoptosis-inducing activity of these fractions against the HeLa cervical cancer cell line using in vitro and in silico approaches. The cytotoxic effects were assessed through an MTT assay on HeLa cells cultured in 96-well plates. Additionally, flow cytometry with Annexin/PI staining was employed to analyze the induction of apoptosis by the fractions. The immunocytochemical staining of cells was also implemented to assess Bax and Bcl-2 expressions. The biologically active compound in fractions was screened using a molecular docking approach to Bcl-2 co-crystalized structure and their pharmacokinetics and toxicity profile were assessed. The cytotoxic activity differed significantly from each fraction. The highest cytotoxicity was observed in fraction 1 (IC50: 8.307 + 0.186 mcg/ml), and the lowest cytotoxicity was observed in fraction 4 (IC50:>500 mcg/ml). Fraction 1 decreased the Bcl-2 expression and increased the Bax expression. Molecular docking screening revealed that 5-(7a-isopropenyl-4,5-dimethyl-octahydro-inden-4-yl)-3-methyl-pent-2-en-1-ol was predicted as the main contributor to apoptosis-inducing activity of fraction 1. The supplementation of fraction 1 induces cell apoptosis on HeLa cells, indicating the potential of this fraction of nutsedge essential oil for developing an anti-cervical cancer agent.

Novel carboranyl-BODIPY conjugates: design, synthesis and anti-cancer activity.

A series of four carboranyl-BODIPY conjugates (o-CB-10, m-CB-15, Me-o-CB-28, and Me-o-CB-35) and one phenylene-BODIPY conjugate (PB-20) were synthesized. The carboranyl-BODIPY conjugates incorporate boron clusters, specifically ortho- and meta-carboranes, covalently linked to BODIPY fluorophores while the phenylene-BODIPY conjugate features a phenylene ring covalently linked to BODIPY fluorophore. The newly synthesized conjugates were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 11B NMR, 19F NMR, FT-IR, and high-resolution mass spectral analysis. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized conjugates has been evaluated against the HeLa cervical cancer cell line. The study reveals that o-CB-10 shows a maximum cell death potential at lower concentrations (12.03 μM) and inhibited cell proliferation and migration in cancer (HeLa) cells. Additionally, flow cytometry study reveals that o-CB-10 and Me-o-CB-28 arrest the cell cycle at the S phase. The results indicate that the carboranyl-BODIPY conjugates have the potential to be effective anticancer agents.

AQP3 Promotes the Invasion and Metastasis in Cervical Cancer by Regulating NOX4-derived H2O2 Activation of Syk/PI3K/Akt Signaling Axis.

Unrestrained chronic inflammation leads to the abnormal activity of NOX4 and the subsequent production of excessive hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Excessive H2O2 signaling triggered by prolonged inflammation is thought to be one of the important reasons for the progression of some types of cancer including cervical cancer. Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) is a member of the water channel protein family, and it remains unknown whether AQP3 can regulate the transmembrane transport of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 4 (NOX4)-derived H2O2 induced by the stimulation of inflammatory factors to facilitate the malignant progression in cervical cancer. In this study, cervical cancer HeLa cell line was respectively treated with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) or lentivirus-shRNA- AQP3. Plate cloning, cell migration or transwell invasion assays, etc. were performed to detect the invasive and migration ability of the cells. Western blot and CO-IP were used to analyze the mechanism of AQP3 regulating H2O2 conduction. Finally, in vivo assays were performed for validation in nude mice. AQP3 Knockdown, DPI or NAC treatments all reduced intracellular H2O2 influx, and the activation of Syk/PI3K/Akt signal axis was inhibited, the migration and invasive ability of the cells was attenuated. In vivo assays confirmed that the excessive H2O2 transport through AQP3 enhanced the infiltration and metastasis of cervical cancer. These results suggest that AQP3 activates H2O2/Syk/PI3K/Akt signaling axis through regulating NOX4-derived H2O2 transport to contribute to the progression of cervical cancer, and AQP3 may be a potential target for the clinical treatment of advanced cervical cancer.

Zwitterionic Polysulfobetaine Inhibits Cancer Cell Migration Owing to Actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics.

Cell migration is an essential dynamic process for most living cells, mainly driven by the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton. To control actin dynamics, a molecular architecture that can serve as a nucleator has been designed by polymerizing sulfobetaine methacrylate. The synthesized zwitterionic polymer, poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PZI), effectively nucleates the polymerization process of G-actin and substantially accelerates the rate of polymerization. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and bioinformatics analysis indicated binding between PZI and monomeric G-actin. Thus, in vitro actin dynamics was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), pyrene-actin polymerization assay, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). Furthermore, a 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) fluorophore-containing monomeric unit was incorporated into the sulfobetaine zwitterionic architecture to visualize the effect of polymer in the cellular environment. The BODIPY-containing zwitterionic sulfobetaine polymer (PZI-F) successfully penetrated the cell and remained in the lysosome with minimal cytotoxicity. Confocal microscopy revealed the influence of this polymer on the cellular actin cytoskeleton dynamics. The PZI-F polymer was successfully able to inhibit the collective migration of the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa cell) and breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231 cell), as confirmed by a wound healing assay. Therefore, polyzwitterionic sulfobetaine could be explored as an inhibitor of cancer cell migration.

Isolation of an antitubercular protein from Staphylococcus hominis IS2 from the custard apple and evaluation of its biosafety

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. Traditional medicine poses a serious challenge to drug resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Hence, it is an urgent need to develop, novel the anti-mycobacterial compounds. In this study, a potent anti-mycobacterial compound producing Staphylococcus hominis IS2 was isolated from the custard apple exhibiting novel anti-mycobacterial activity than other isolates. The bacterial strain was cultured and anti-mycobacterial compound was purified by the combination of ammonium sulphate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The purified protein corresponding to 10 kDa presented anti-mycobacterial activity. It was further characterized and the difference in activity towards temperature and pH was observed (p < 0.01). The purified protein was analyzed using FT-IR and MALDI-TOF MS/MS analysis. Enzymatic treatment revealed the absence of carbohydrate moieties in the purified protein. The purified anti-mycobacterial protein presented anti-cancer activity against cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) and was dose-dependent (p < 0.01). Haemolytic assay and Zebra fish embryo studies revealed that the isolated protein is safe at lower doses.

Exploration of 4-Chloro-3-nitrocoumarin: Spectroscopic Analysis, DFT Insights, Molecular Docking, Assessments of Antibacterial and In Vitro Anticancer Activities as a Potent Bioactive Agent

The detailed theoretical and experimental (FT-IR, FT-Raman, UV-visible) spectroscopy analyses of the 4-Chloro-3-nitrocoumarin (CNC) molecule were carried out. The CNC compound's pharmacological properties were also investigated utilizing antibacterial and anticancer activity investigations. Initially, the CNC molecule was optimized by the density functional theory B3LYP method with a cc-pVTZ basis set using the Gaussian 09W program. The optimized molecular structure provides the harmonic vibrational frequencies of the CNC molecule. The observed and computed vibrational wavenumbers were assigned and found to be well correlated. UV-Vis absorption spectrum analysis indicates that the molecule contains π→π* electronic transition. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) analysis indicates that the LUMO of CNC molecule is mainly located over the nitro group, it indicates that the nitro group is particularly prone to accepting electrons from other molecules and participate in chemical reactions where acts as an electrophile. Mulliken atomic charge distribution analysis further confirms the FMOs results. The antibacterial test results validate that the CNC molecule exhibits a stronger inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus compared to the other tested bacteria. In vitro anticancer cytotoxicity analysis clearly evidences that the CNC compound inhibits the growth of HeLa cervical cancer cell lines more than A549 lung cancer cell lines. In silico molecular docking study further validates that the CNC molecule inhibits the function of the p38a Mitogen-activated protein kinase 14, which has been associated with cervical cancer. As a result, the present study paves the way for the development of new drugs to treat cervical cancer.&#x0D; Keywords: 4-Chloro-3-nitrocoumarin; DFT; FT-IR; FT-Raman; Anticancer; Molecular docking; Cervical cancer drug.

KTt-45, a T-type calcium channel blocker, acts as an anticancer agent by inducing apoptosis on HeLa cervical cancer cell line

The abnormal expression in the T-type calcium channels is involved in various cancer types, thus inhibiting T-type calcium channels is one of approaches in cancer treatment. The fact that KTt-45 acted as a T-type calcium channel inhibitor as well as a pain-relief agent prompts us to address if KTt-45 plays any role against cancer cells. The results showed that KTt-45 caused cytotoxic effects towards HeLa cervical, Raji lymphoma, MCF-7 breast cancer, and A549 lung cancer cell lines with IC50 values less than 100 μM, in which highly selective toxicity was against HeLa cells (IC50 = 37.4 μM, SI > 3.2). Strikingly, the KTt-45 induced an accumulation of cytoplasmic vacuoles after 48 h treatment and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis activation as evidenced by morphological features, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and significant activation of caspase-9 as well as caspase-3. In conclusion, KTt-45 could inhibit cell growth and trigger mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in HeLa cervical cancer cells. The results, taken together, strongly demonstrated that KTt-45 is a potential agent for further study on anticancer drug development which not only targets cancer cells but also helps to relieve neuropathic pain in cancer patients.

Cis-regulatory effect of HPV integration is constrained by host chromatin architecture in cervical cancers.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the primary drivers of cervical cancers, and often HPV DNA gets integrated into the host genome. Although the oncogenic impact of HPV encoded genes is relatively well known, the cis-regulatory effect of integrated HPV DNA on host chromatin structure and gene regulation remains less understood. We investigated genome-wide patterns of HPV integrations and associated host gene expression changes in the context of host chromatin states and topologically associating domains (TADs). HPV integrations were significantly enriched in active chromatin regions and depleted in inactive ones. Interestingly, regardless of chromatin state, genomic regions flanking HPV integrations showed transcriptional upregulation. Nevertheless, upregulation (both local and long-range) was mostly confined to TADs with integration, but not affecting adjacent TADs. Few TADs showed recurrent integrations associated with overexpression of oncogenes within them (e.g. MYC, PVT1, TP63 and ERBB2) regardless of proximity. Hi-C and 4C-seq analyses in cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) demonstrated chromatin looping interactions between integrated HPV and MYC/PVT1 regions (~ 500 kb apart), leading to allele-specific overexpression. Based on these, we propose HPV integrations can trigger multimodal oncogenic activation to promote cancer progression.

Design, synthesis and bioevaluation of novel prenylated chalcones derivatives as potential antitumor agents

A series of novel prenylated chalcone derivatives with broad spectrum anticancer potential were designed and synthesized. Some of the synthesized target compounds showed potent anti-proliferative activities toward LNCaP (prostate cancer cell line), K562 (human leukemia cells), A549 (human lung carcinoma cell line) and HeLa (cervical cancer cell line) cell lines. Among of the active compounds, (E)-1-(4-(2-(diethylamino)ethoxy)-2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-3-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)-3-(pyridin-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (C36) was directly interacted with protein kinase B (PKB), also known as AKT, significantly inhibited the pPI3K, pAKT(Ser473) protein levels to repress the growth of cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, arresting cell cycle. Our studies provide support for prenylated chalcone derivatives potential applications in cancer treatment as a potential AKT inhibitor.

Evaluation of Cytotoxic, COX Inhibitory, and Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Isoxazole-carboxamide Derivatives

Abstract: Isoxazole derivatives are one of the heterocyclic structures that have various biological activities. Objective: This study aimed to design and synthesize novel isoxazole derivatives and evaluate their cytotoxic, cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities. Methods: Coupling reactions of aniline derivatives and isoxazole carboxylic acid have been established to synthesize chloro-fluorophenyl-isoxazole carboxamide derivatives. The synthesized compounds were characterized using 1H, 13C-NMR, IR, and HRMS spectrum analysis and evaluated by MTS, COX kit, and antimicrobial microdilution assays. Results: The synthesized compounds showed moderate to potent cytotoxic activity against all the screened cancer cell lines (except 2b against HepG2) with an IC50 range of 0.107-77.83 μg/ml. The results showed that the most potent compound against cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) was the 2b compound, with an IC50 value of 0.11±0.10 μg/ml, which is less than the IC50 for the potent anticancer drug Doxorubicin. While the 2a and 2b compounds have potential antiproliferative activities against Hep3B with IC50 doses of 2.774±0.53 and 3.621±1.56 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, 2c compound was the most active against MCF7, with an IC50 value of 1.59±1.60 μg/ml. In addition, the most potent isoxazole derivative against the COX1 enzyme was the 2b compound, with an IC50 value of 0.391 μg/ml, and compound 2a had a good selectivity ratio of 1.44 compared to the Ketoprofen positive control. However, compound 2c showed antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an MIC value of 2.0 mg/ml in comparison to the antifungal drug Fluconazole (MIC = 1.65 mg/ml). Conclusion: The synthesized compounds could be candidates for anticancer drugs in the future, and other analogues and cytotoxicity evaluations should be conducted.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 1-Substituted (R)-6-(2?-Cyano-1?-Pyrrolidin-yl)-4-(3?- Hydroxyadamantan-1?-yl)-3-phenyl-1,2,4-triazines

A series of various 1-substituted (R)-6-(2?-cyano-1?-pyrrolidin-yl)-4-(3?-hydroxy adamantan-1?-yl)-3-phenyl- 1,2,4-triazines (5a-i) was synthesized by the reaction of (R)-6-(2?-cyano-1?-pyrrolidin-yl)-4-(3?-hydroxy adamantan-1?- yl)-3-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazine (4) with heterocyclic halogenated compounds (R-X) in the presence of potassium carbonate. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated biologically and also determined In vitro cytotoxicity of compounds 5a, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5g, and 5h against human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Among all the synthesized compounds, some compounds exhibited potent antimicrobial activity as well as cytotoxicity.. KEYWORDS :1,2,4-Triazine, Adamantanol, Biological activities, Pyrrolidine.