Function In Cancer Treatment Research Articles

Advances in Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment: Targeting the Immune System to Fight Tumors

A revolutionary new method for treating cancer, immunotherapy uses the immune system to specifically target and kill tumor cells. Recent developments in immunotherapy and its function in cancer treatment are summarized in this article. This article provides a comprehensive overview of immunotherapeutic techniques, including bispecific antibodies, cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint combo therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, TIL therapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and cancer vaccines. It also discusses the mechanisms of action of these strategies and their clinical uses. Immunotherapy has shown tremendous promise in the treatment of many malignancies, according to recent important advances in the area as well as clinical data and case studies.

Tailored Covalent Organic Framework Platform: From Multistimuli, Targeted Dual Drug Delivery by Architecturally Engineering to Enhance Photothermal Tumor Therapy.

Engineering bulk covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to access specific morphological structures holds paramount significance in boosting their functions in cancer treatment; nevertheless, scant effort has been dedicated to exploring this realm. Herein, silica core-shell templates and multifunctional COF-based reticulated hollow nanospheres (HCOFs) are novelly designed as a versatile nanoplatform to investigate the simultaneous effect of dual-drug chemotherapy and photothermal ablation. Taking advantage of the distinct structural properties of the template, the resulting two-dimensional (2D) HCOF, featuring large internal voids and a peripheral interconnected mesoporous shell, presents intriguing benefits over its bulk counterparts for cancer treatment, including a well-defined morphology, an outstanding drug loading capability (99.6%) attributed to its ultrahigh surface area (2087 m2/g), great crystallinity, improved tumor accumulation, and an adjustable drug release profile. After being loaded with hydrophilic doxorubicin with a remarkable loading capacity, the obtained drug-loaded HCOFs were coated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to confer them with three properties, including pore entrance blockage, active-targeting capability, and improved biocompatibility via secondary modification, besides high near infrared (NIR) absorption for efficient photothermal hyperthermia cancer suppression. The resultant structure was functionalized with mono-6-thio-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a second pocket to load docetaxel as the hydrophobic anticancer agent (combination index = 0.33). The dual-drug-loaded HCOF displayed both pH- and near-infrared-responsive on-demand drug release. In vitro and in vivo evaluations unveiled the prominent synergistic performance of coloaded HCOF in cancer elimination upon NIR light irradiation. This work opens up a new avenue for exciting applications of structurally engineered HCOFs as hydrophobic/hydrophilic drug carriers as well as multimodal treatment agents.

Oxidative Stress and Cancer: Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and Analogues Against Cancer.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of bioactive molecules that are the by-products of many cellular functions. These molecules are present in normal cells at homeostatic levels but have been studied extensively in cancer due to their dysregulation resulting in pro- and anti-tumorigenic environments. Completely understanding the paradoxical nature of ROS in cancer is imperative to fully realize its modulation as cancer therapy. Studies into ROS have shown far-reaching effects in cancer, including how ROS levels regulate signaling, response to treatment, drug resistance, etc. Many drugs were studied with the hopes of regulating the ROS levels in cancer; however, patient response varied. Plant-derived medications offered new avenues of drug treatment over the last few decades, and the phytochemical Curcumin gained ground as an interesting cancer therapeutic. Curcumin is an active phenolic compound used in traditional medicine around the world. Although it suffers from a poor pharmacokinetic profile, Curcumin exerts anti-tumorigenic, as well as ROS-modulating activities. Analogs and derivatives of Curcumin are under development to improve upon its anti-cancer properties and enhance its bioavailability, currently a major limitation of its usage. This review highlights ROS function in cancer treatment focused on ROS, including Curcumin and its analogs.

The role of histone methylase and demethylase in antitumor immunity: A new direction for immunotherapy.

Epigenetic modifications may alter the proliferation and differentiation of normal cells, leading to malignant transformation. They can also affect normal stimulation, activation, and abnormal function of immune cells in the tissue microenvironment. Histone methylation, coordinated by histone methylase and histone demethylase to stabilize transcription levels in the promoter area, is one of the most common types of epigenetic alteration, which gained increasing interest. It can modify gene transcription through chromatin structure and affect cell fate, at the transcriptome or protein level. According to recent research, histone methylation modification can regulate tumor and immune cells affecting anti-tumor immune response. Consequently, it is critical to have a thorough grasp of the role of methylation function in cancer treatment. In this review, we discussed recent data on the mechanisms of histone methylation on factors associated with immune resistance of tumor cells and regulation of immune cell function.

Anticancer Perspectives of Sanguinarine: A Review

Background: Sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid extracted from Sanguinaria canadensis has been found to show an inhibitory role on proapoptotic and growth inhibitory activities in various tumor cells of experimental subjects. Objective: This review highlights and summarizes the effects of sanguinarine against cancers alongside the possible mechanisms involved as depicted in various in vitro and in vivo models. Results: Sanguinarine shows anticancer activities via various mechanisms like inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, aberrantly activated signal transduction pathways, sang-mediated angiogenesis, and induction of cell death and tumor suppressors’ expressions. It also enhances the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics via sensitizing cancer cells against these drugs, hence improving their pharmacological attributes. Conclusion: Due to the significant role of sanguinarine against various types of cancer, it can be explored for its potential functions in cancer treatment.

Polyherbal effect between Phyllanthus urinaria and Curcuma longa as an Anticancer and Antioxidant

A combination of herbals medicines is an alternative treatment choice for developing anticancer therapy because of its benefits, active compounds, and non-toxic side effect. This study investigates the anticancer and antioxidant activity of Phyllanthus urinaria and Curcuma longa water extract combination. The analysis of their bio-active components was done using LC-HRMS. The biological activity prediction was made using PassOnline and Cytoscape. Anticancer activity, apoptosis, and cell cycle assay were tested on treated T47D breast cancer cells line with the combination herbal extract and individual herbal extract compare to the untreated and cisplatin-treated control cells. This study also determined the antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid total assay. The result showed that these herbs' compounds were predicted to have a biological function in cancer treatment. The herbal combination has efficiency inducing apoptosis with more than 50% compared to the individual herbal treatment and untreated control cells. Cell cycle analysis shows these herbals affect cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase compared to the control cells. The antioxidant activity and total phenol and flavonoid of P. urinaria and C. longa combination positively correlate with the anticancer activity result. Compusyn test results on cell toxicity parameters showed that the combination of both herbs had an additive effect (C = 1). Although this combination has no synergism effect, the water extract of P. urinaria and C. longa combination can be an anticancer agent.

Application of functionalized carbon dots in detection, diagnostic, disease treatment, and desalination: a review

Particularly in recent years, fluorescence carbon dots (CDs) were in the central point of scientist’s focus. However, some difficulties may exist concerning CDs. For example, their targeting by other analytes usually goes wrong due to the absence of specific recognition groups on the surface of CDs. Furthermore, due to low quantum yield, they cannot be conducive to bioimaging. Additionally, they do not have biological functionality that originated from poor interaction with biological agents. For improvement of the luminescence properties and extending of new applications for CDs, the functionalisation of CDs has attracted many interests. Functionalised CDs have promising applications. The present paper has reviewed different published reports considering applications of functionalised CDs. In this comprehensive article, first the functionalisation mechanisms of CDs are discussed. Then, the functionalised CDs for detection applications including biochemical and chemical detections are reviewed. After that, functionalised CDs for diagnostic applications are reviewed. In this part functionalised CDs for fluorescence imaging probes, functionalised CDs for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging and functionalised CDs for photoacoustic imaging probes are discussed. Later, functionalised CDs for disease treatment including drug delivery and photothermal therapy applications are reviewed to elucidate the importance of their function in cancer treatment. Finally, the applications of functionalised CDs for water desalination are reviewed.

Chlorogenic acid intercalated Gadolinium–Zinc/Aluminium layered double hydroxide and gold nanohybrid for MR imaging and drug delivery

A theranostic nanodelivery system for simultaneous therapeutics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic agents’ delivery was successful synthesized, using Zn/Al−layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the nano-carrier, chlorogenic acid (CA) as the therapeutic agent and gadolinium as the diagnostic contrast agent. The contrast of the MR image was improved with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which were coated on the surface of the nanohybrid (ZAGCAu). The kinetic release study was conducted with UV–Vis spectrophotometer and high release was observed (up to 90%). Other characterizations conducted on the nanohybrid include; HRTEM, XRD, FTIR, FESEM and Elemental analysis, which all confirmed the theranostic nanohybrid development (ZAGCAu). Cell viability test (in vitro) was also carried out with ZAGCAu on normal cell lines (3T3) and liver cancer cell lines (HepG2). The results indicated relative cytotoxicity against HepG2 and slight toxicity on the 3T3. The preliminary MRI contrast property of the ZAGCAu was tested to ascertain the inherent signal optimization on a 3 T MRI machine. Various concentrations of the ZAGCAu indicated enhanced T1 and T2 signals in comparison with the Gd and water references used. The preliminary studies conducted on the ZAGCAu nanohybrid developed in this work shows its potentiality as a future theranostic agent for simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic functions in cancer treatment.

PO-004 The influence of lifestyle on the quality of life of breast cancer patients

Objective To explore the effects of healthy lifestyle such as exercise and diet on health-related quality of life in patients with breast cancer. 
 Methods 427 breast cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria were investigated and analyzed. All the patients were collected in the department of oncology of a third-class first-class hospital from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
 The cancer treatment quality of life core scale (EORTC QLQ-C30) and cancer treatment function evaluation system scale (FACT-B) were used to investigate and collect the questionnaire for statistical analysis of all data.
 Results The scores of health-related quality of life were higher in regular exercise than those in non-regular exercise. Patients who ate more than 300g of vegetables per day had higher health-related quality of life scores. The scores of health-related quality of life were higher in patients who ate more than 200g fruit per day (p<0.05). Patients with two healthy lifestyles had higher health-related quality of life scores than patients with one healthy lifestyle (p<0.05).
 Conclusions Multi-frequency exercise and adequate intake of vegetables and fruits play a positive role in the health-related quality of life of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer patients with two healthy lifestyles had significantly better health-related quality of life than patients with one healthy lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle with adequate exercise and adequate intake of fruits and vegetables should be paid more attention to in improving the health-related quality of life of breast cancer patients.

Alpha-mangostin inhibits the migration and invasion of A549 lung cancer cells.

Several studies have indicated that α-mangostin exerts anti-metastasis and anti-subsistence effects on several types of cancer cells. Especially, the anti-metastatic effect of α-mangostin on cancer cells is a prospective function in cancer treatment. However, the metastasis process is complicated, and includes migration, invasion, intravasation, and extravasation; thus, the main target of anti-metastatic effect of α-mangostin is not known. In this study, we investigated the effects of α-mangostin on the invasion, subsistence, and migration of lung cancer cells under co-culture conditions with normal cells and regular mono-culture conditions. We found that α-mangostin killed the lung cancer and normal cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the alteration in the surface mechanical properties of cells was examined by using atomic force microscopy. Although the α-mangostin concentrations of 5 and 10 µM did not affect the short-term cell viability, they considerably decreased the Young’s modulus of lung cancer cells implying a decline in cell surface actin cytoskeletal properties. Additionally, these concentrations of α-mangostin inhibited the migration of lung cancer cells. In co-culture conditions (cancer cells with normal cells), the invasive activities of cancer cells on normal cells were discernibly observed, and was inhibited after treatment with 5 and 10 µM of α-mangostin. Taken together, α-mangostin suppressed the subsistence of lung cancer cells and displayed anti-metastatic activities by inhibiting the migration and invasion, and reducing the actin cytoskeleton of cancer cells. Our findings suggest that α-mangostin could be a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.

Alterations in expression levels of genes in p53-related pathways determined using RNA-Seq analysis in patients with breast cancer following CIK therapy.

The present study aimed at investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms for patients following cytokine-induced killer (CIK) therapy, particularly involving the alterations in p53-associated signaling pathways, to elucidate whether CIK therapy serves a function in cancer treatment. Samples of blood were collected from patients with breast cancer prior to and following CIK therapy. Two group samples were used for RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to determine the alterations in gene expression levels following CIK therapy and one for the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), to analyze the reliability of RNA-Seq results. The genes that may encode proteins associated with p53 pathways were selected and analyzed. The expression levels of 8 genes were analyzed, including tumor suppressor protein 53 (TP53), murine double minute homolog 2 (MDM2), ribosomal protein L11 (RPL11), ribosomal protein S23 (RPS23), sirtuin 1, histone deacetylase 1, tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and alterations in expression levels following CIK therapy were determined. However, only RPL11 and RPS23 were identified to exhibit marked alterations in expression levels (FDR <0.05), which was considered to be due to individual distinctions. qPCR analysis revealed that the expression levels of the RPL11, TP53 and TSC1 genes were downregulated, and those of the RPS23 and MDM2 genes were upregulated following CIK therapy. Only MDM2 exhibited a marked alteration in the gene expression level following CIK therapy. Alterations in the expression levels of TP53, RPL11 and TSC1 were associated with those of MDM2, RPS23 and mTOR, respectively.

Influence of palliative care on the psychological condition and quality of life of the elderly patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies

Objective To analyze the influence of palliative care on the psychological condition and quality of life of the elderly patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies. Methods A total of 106 cases of elderly patients with advanced gynecologic malignant tumor treated in our hospital from September 2014 to September 2015 were divided into two groups by the method of mathematical table.The control group included 72 patients who were given the routine nursing care.While the observation group included 34 patients who adopted the palliative care.The psychological condition and quality of life was evaluated by the self-assessment lists of Symptom Check List-90(SCL-90) and cancer treatment function evaluation system of general scale (Functional Assessment of Cancertherapy-Generic Scale, FACT-G), and the psychological condition and quality of life of the two groups before and after nursing was observed and compared. Results After treatment, the scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic of observation group was significantly lower than that before the treatment and than that of the control group after treatment .Comparison within groups before and after nursing and comparison between groups was made and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). After treatment, the physical dimension, social /family dimension, the emotional dimension and functional dimensions of the observation group were significantly higher than that before nursing and higher than that of the control group before and after nursing.Comparison within groups before and after nursing and comparison between groups was made and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion The palliative care plays an active role for the elderly patients with advanced gynecological cancer, which can effectively control the symptoms, significantly improve the patients' mental state, helping patients achieve the best quality of life.And it is necessary to carry out clinical development. Key words: Elderly patients with advanced gynecological cancer; Palliative care; Mental state; Quality of life

Enhancement of radiosensitization by metal-based nanoparticles in cancer radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy performs an important function in cancer treatment. However, resistance of tumor cells to radiation therapy still remains a serious concern, so the study of radiosensitizers has emerged as a persistent hotspot in radiation oncology. Along with the rapid advancement of nanotechnology in recent years, the potential value of nanoparticles as novel radiosensitizers has been discovered. This review summarizes the latest experimental findings both in vitro and in vivo and attempts to highlight the underlying mechanisms of response in nanoparticle radiosensitization.

Targeting EGFR in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is extremely poor, and current systemic therapies provide marginal survival benefits for treated patients. The era of targeted therapies has offered a new avenue to search for potentially more effective strategies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the erbB/human epidermal growth factor receptor family of tyrosine kinases, which includes erbB2/HER2, erbB3/HER3 and erbB4/HER4. Epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression may be detected in up to 90% of pancreatic tumors. Two pharmacologic approaches have been successfully used to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor function in cancer treatment: neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and small molecule tyrosine inhibitors. The randomized trials studying the addition of EGFR targeted agents to gemcitabine compared with gemcitabine alone have been disappointing, although results with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib were statistically significant but clinically of marginal benefit. In this article, we review the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling network in pancreatic cancer, the strategies to increase the effectiveness of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, and the clinical trials of these inhibitors in pancreatic cancer.

A census of mitotic cancer genes: new insights into tumor cell biology and cancer therapy

Tumor cell proliferation is frequently associated with genetic or epigenetic alterations in key regulators of the cell cycle. Most known oncogenes and tumor suppressors target entry into the cell cycle and control the G(1)/S transition. However, tumor-associated alterations in spindle formation or chromosome segregation are also frequent and may result in chromosomal instability. In fact, a few centrosomal or mitotic proteins such as aurora A, polo-like kinase 1 and PTTG1 (securin) have been reported to act as oncogenes. Some spindle checkpoint regulators such as the BUB kinases or MAD2 protect cells from aberrant chromosome segregation and may therefore function as suppressors of malignant transformation. However, few cancer-associated mutations in these or other mitotic regulators have been described thus far and many of these molecules do not fit into the classical definition of 'oncogenes' or 'tumor suppressor genes'. In some cases, both over-expression and decreased expression of these genes result in mitotic arrest. Moreover, some mitotic regulators such as MAD2 are either up- or down-regulated depending on the tumor types and, in both cases, these alterations result in chromosomal imbalances and tumor development. Minor changes in protein levels that do not compromise cell viability might therefore be sufficient to dysregulate the mitotic cycle and induce genomic instability. Despite the limited knowledge on the molecular basis of these processes, the clinical success of mitotic poisons such as taxanes reinforces the interest in these molecules, their involvement in human cancer and the therapeutic opportunities to modulate their function in cancer treatment.