scholarly journals Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Expressing Aphrocallistes vastus Lectin as a Cancer Therapeutic Agent

Marine Drugs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Wu ◽  
Yulin Xiang ◽  
Tingting Liu ◽  
Xue Wang ◽  
Xiaoyuan Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Antitumor Activities ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Vaccinia Virus Vector ◽  
Erk Activity

Lectins display a variety of biological functions including insecticidal, antimicrobial, as well as antitumor activities. In this report, a gene encoding Aphrocallistes vastus lectin (AVL), a C-type lectin, was inserted into an oncolytic vaccinia virus vector (oncoVV) to form a recombinant virus oncoVV-AVL, which showed significant in vitro antiproliferative activity in a variety of cancer cell lines. Further investigations revealed that oncoVV-AVL replicated faster than oncoVV significantly in cancer cells. Intracellular signaling elements including NF-κB2, NIK, as well as ERK were determined to be altered by oncoVV-AVL. Virus replication upregulated by AVL was completely dependent on ERK activity. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed that oncoVV-AVL elicited significant antitumor effect in colorectal cancer and liver cancer mouse models. Our study might provide insights into a novel way of the utilization of marine lectin AVL in oncolytic viral therapies.

Nanocurcumin: A Double-Edged Sword for Microcancers

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (45) ◽  
pp. 5783-5792
Author(s):  
Kholood Abid Janjua ◽  
Adeeb Shehzad ◽  
Raheem Shahzad ◽  
Salman Ul Islam ◽  
Mazhar Ul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Dosage Forms ◽  
The Body ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Anticancer Effects

There is compelling evidence that drug molecules isolated from natural sources are hindered by low systemic bioavailability, poor absorption, and rapid elimination from the human body. Novel approaches are urgently needed that could enhance the retention time as well as the efficacy of natural products in the body. Among the various adopted approaches to meet this ever-increasing demand, nanoformulations show the most fascinating way of improving the bioavailability of dietary phytochemicals through modifying their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Curcumin, a yellowish pigment isolated from dried ground rhizomes of turmeric, exhibits tremendous pharmacological effects, including anticancer activities. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that curcumin mediates anticancer effects through the modulation (upregulation and/or downregulations) of several intracellular signaling pathways both at protein and mRNA levels. Scientists have introduced multiple modern techniques and novel dosage forms for enhancing the delivery, bioavailability, and efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of various malignancies. These novel dosage forms include nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, phospholipids, and curcumin-encapsulated polymer nanoparticles. Nanocurcumin has shown improved anticancer effects compared to conventional curcumin formulations. This review discusses the underlying molecular mechanism of various nanoformulations of curcumin for the treatment of different cancers. We hope that this study will make a road map for preclinical and clinical investigations of cancer and recommend nano curcumin as a drug of choice for cancer therapy.

scholarly journals The Role of Melatonin on NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Diseases

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1020
Author(s):  
Burak Ibrahim Arioz ◽  
Emre Tarakcioglu ◽  
Melis Olcum ◽  
Sermin Genc
Keyword(s):  
Nlrp3 Inflammasome ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Metabolic Stress ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Inflammasome Activation

NLRP3 inflammasome is a part of the innate immune system and responsible for the rapid identification and eradication of pathogenic microbes, metabolic stress products, reactive oxygen species, and other exogenous agents. NLRP3 inflammasome is overactivated in several neurodegenerative, cardiac, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases. Therefore, suppression of inflammasome activation is of utmost clinical importance. Melatonin is a ubiquitous hormone mainly produced in the pineal gland with circadian rhythm regulatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory functions. Melatonin is a natural product and safer than most chemicals to use for medicinal purposes. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have proved that melatonin alleviates NLRP3 inflammasome activity via various intracellular signaling pathways. In this review, the effect of melatonin on the NLRP3 inflammasome in the context of diseases will be discussed.

Nintedanib as a new therapeutic agent for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. S191
Author(s):  
P. Piñol ◽  
E. Fernández-Simón ◽  
X. Suárez ◽  
N. de Luna ◽  
A. Molins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
In Vivo Studies

c-Met Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides as a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Glioma: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Uptake, Effects, and Toxicity

2007 ◽  
Vol 141 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Hua Chu ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Yan-Bin Ma ◽  
Dong-Fu Feng ◽  
Zhi-An Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

scholarly journals Vasculoprotective and Neuroprotective Effects of Various Parts of Pomegranate: In Vitro, In Vivo, and Preclinical Studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Trapali ◽  
Vasiliki Lagouri
Keyword(s):  
Ellagic Acid ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Pomegranate Juice ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Hydrolysable Tannins ◽  
Main Components

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the oldest edible fruits in the Mediterranean area and has been used extensively in the folk medicine. Popularity of pomegranate has increased especially in the last decade because of the health effects of the fruit. Polyphenols, represent the predominant class of phytochemicals of pomegranate, mainly consisting of hydrolysable tannins and ellagic acid. Pomegranate is a rich source of the ellagitannin punicalagin, which has aroused considerable interest in pomegranate fruit as a new therapeutic agent in recent years. Most studies on the effects of pomegranate juice have focused on its ability to cure diabetes and atherosclerosis. The present review summarizes some recent studies on the vasculoprotective and neuroprotective effect of various parts of pomegranate and its main compounds especially hydrolysable tannins ellagitannins, ellagic acid and their metabolites. The in vitro and in vivo studies, showed that the whole parts of pomegranate as well as its main components had a positive influence on blood glucose, lipid levels, oxidation stress and neuro/inflammatory biomarkers. They could be used as a future therapeutic agent towards several vascular and neurodegenerative disorders such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and Alzheimer.

scholarly journals Aspirin suppresses chemoresistance and enhances antitumor activity of 5-Fu in 5-Fu-resistant colorectal cancer by abolishing 5-Fu-induced NF-κB activation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinbo Fu ◽  
Yiming Xu ◽  
Yushan Yang ◽  
Yun Liu ◽  
Lulu Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Antitumor Activity ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Antitumor Activities ◽  
Tumor Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis ◽  
Resistant Cells

AbstractChemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu)-based chemotherapy is a leading obstacle in achieving effective treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). Typically, NF-κB activation induced by the chemotherapeutics themselves is an important cause resulting in chemoresistance. Specifically, NF-κB activation can inhibit tumor cell apoptosis and induce chemoresistance. Drugs that can prevent NF-κB activation induced by chemotherapeutics are urgently needed to overcome chemoresistance. Obviously, aspirin is one of these agents, which has been demonstrated to possess antitumor activities and as an inhibitor of NF-κB. The current study aimed to investigate whether aspirin was able to overcome the chemoresistance to 5-Fu in CRC, together with the potential synergistic mechanisms. Our results suggested that aspirin remarkably potentiated the inhibitory effect of 5-Fu on the growth and invasion of resistant cells in vitro. In vivo, aspirin markedly enhanced the antitumor activity of 5-Fu in suppressing tumor growth and metastasis, and down-regulating the expression of NF-κB-regulated genes in the 5-Fu-resistant cells. Obviously, aspirin completely eradicated the 5-Fu-induced NF-κB activation, without inducing pronounced adverse effects. Taken together, findings in this study suggest that aspirin can reverse chemoresistance and potentiate the antitumor effect of 5-Fu, which is achieved through abolishing the 5-Fu-induced NF-κB activation, suggesting that aspirin may be a promising adjuvant therapeutic agent for CRC.

Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy (MNGIE): Biochemical Features and Therapeutic Approaches

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 151-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Lara ◽  
M. L. Valentino ◽  
J. Torres-Torronteras ◽  
M. Hirano ◽  
R. Martí
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy ◽  
Mtdna Replication ◽  
Biochemical Features

Over the last 15 years, important research has expanded our knowledge of the clinical, molecular genetic, and biochemical features of mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE). The characterization of mitochondrial involvement in this disorder and the seminal determination of its genetic cause, have opened new possibilities for more detailed and deeper studies on the pathomechanisms in this progressive and fatal disease. It has been established that MNGIE is caused by mutations in the gene encoding thymidine phosphorylase (TP), which lead to absolute or nearly complete loss of its catalytic activity, producing systemic accumulations of its substrates, thymidine (dThd) and deoxyuridine (dUrd). Findings obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the biochemical imbalances specifically impair mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, repair, or both leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. We have proposed that therapy for MNGIE should be aimed at reducing the concentrations of these toxic nucleosides to normal or nearly normal levels. The first treatment, allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT) reported in 2006, produced a nearly full biochemical correction of the dThd and dUrd imbalances in blood. Clinical follow-up of this and other patients receiving alloSCT is necessary to determine whether this and other therapies based on a permanent restoration of TP will be effective treatment for MNGIE.

scholarly journals Cidofovir Resistance in Vaccinia Virus Is Linked to Diminished Virulencein Mice

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (19) ◽  
pp. 9391-9401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graciela Andrei ◽  
Don B. Gammon ◽  
Pierre Fiten ◽  
Erik De Clercq ◽  
Ghislain Opdenakker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
In Vitro Selection ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Recombinant Viruses ◽  
Substitution Mutations

ABSTRACT Cidofovir [(S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine (HPMPC)] is recognized as a promising drug for the treatment of poxvirus infections, but drug resistance can arise by a mechanism that is poorly understood. We show here that in vitro selection for high levels of resistance to HPMPC produces viruses encoding two substitution mutations in the virus DNA polymerase (E9L) gene. These mutations are located within the regions of the gene encoding the 3′-5′ exonuclease (A314T) and polymerase (A684V) catalytic domains. These mutant viruses exhibited cross-resistance to other nucleoside phosphonate drugs, while they remained sensitive to other unrelated DNA polymerase inhibitors. Marker rescue experiments were used to transfer A314T and/or A684V alleles into a vaccinia virus Western Reserve strain. Either mutation alone could confer a drug resistance phenotype, although the degree of resistance was significantly lower than when virus encoded both mutations. The A684V substitution, but not the A314T change, also conferred a spontaneous mutator phenotype. All of the HPMPC-resistant recombinant viruses exhibited reduced virulence in mice, demonstrating that these E9L mutations are inextricably linked to reduced fitness in vivo. HPMPC, at a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight/day for 5 days, still protected mice against intranasal challenge with the drug-resistant virus with A314T and A684V mutations. Our studies show that proposed drug therapies offer a reasonable likelihood of controlling orthopoxvirus infections, even if the viruses encode drug resistance markers.

scholarly journals Yeast-Based Genetic System for Functional Analysis of Poxvirus mRNA Cap Methyltransferase

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (13) ◽  
pp. 7300-7307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayanendu Saha ◽  
Stewart Shuman ◽  
Beate Schwer
Keyword(s):  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Genetic System ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Methyltransferase Activity ◽  
Mrna Capping ◽  
Capping Enzyme ◽  
Capping Enzymes

ABSTRACT Structural differences between poxvirus and human mRNA capping enzymes recommend cap formation as a target for antipoxviral drug discovery. Genetic and pharmacologic analysis of the poxvirus capping enzymes requires in vivo assays in which the readout depends on the capacity of the viral enzyme to catalyze cap synthesis. Here we have used the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a genetic model for the study of poxvirus cap guanine-N7 methyltransferase. The S. cerevisiae capping system consists of separate triphosphatase (Cet1), guanylyltransferase (Ceg1), and methyltransferase (Abd1) components. All three activities are essential for cell growth. We report that the methyltransferase domain of vaccinia virus capping enzyme (composed of catalytic vD1-C and stimulatory vD12 subunits) can function in lieu of yeast Abd1. Coexpression of both vaccinia virus subunits is required for complementation of the growth of abd1Δ cells. Previously described mutations of vD1-C and vD12 that eliminate or reduce methyltransferase activity in vitro either abolish abd1Δ complementation or elicit conditional growth defects. We have used the yeast complementation assay as the primary screen in a new round of alanine scanning of the catalytic subunit. We thereby identified several new amino acids that are critical for cap methylation activity in vivo. Studies of recombinant proteins show that the lethal vD1-C mutations do not preclude heterodimerization with vD12 but either eliminate or reduce cap methyltransferase activity in vitro.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of Vaccinia Virus B5R Protein: Essential Role in Virus Envelopment Is Independent of a Large Portion of the Extracellular Domain

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 294-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Herrera ◽  
María del Mar Lorenzo ◽  
Rafael Blasco ◽  
Stuart N. Isaacs
Keyword(s):  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Gradient Centrifugation ◽  
Extracellular Domain ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Enveloped Virus ◽  
Vaccinia Viruses ◽  
Infected Cells

ABSTRACT Vaccinia virus has two forms of infectious virions: the intracellular mature virus and the extracellular enveloped virus (EEV). EEV is critical for cell-to-cell and long-range spread of the virus. The B5R open reading frame (ORF) encodes a membrane protein that is essential for EEV formation. Deletion of the B5R ORF results in a dramatic reduction of EEV, and as a consequence, the virus produces small plaques in vitro and is highly attenuated in vivo. The extracellular portion of B5R is composed mainly of four domains that are similar to the short consensus repeats (SCRs) present in complement regulatory proteins. To determine the contribution of these putative SCR domains to EEV formation, we constructed recombinant vaccinia viruses that replaced the wild-type B5R gene with a mutated gene encoding a B5R protein lacking the SCRs. The resulting recombinant viruses produced large plaques, indicating efficient cell-to-cell spread in vitro, and gradient centrifugation of supernatants from infected cells confirmed that EEV was formed. In contrast, phalloidin staining of infected cells showed that the virus lacking the SCR domains was deficient in the induction of thick actin bundles. Thus, the highly conserved SCR domains present in the extracellular portion of the B5R protein are dispensable for EEV formation. This indicates that the B5R protein is a key viral protein with multiple functions in the process of virus envelopment and release. In addition, given the similarity of the extracellular domain to complement control proteins, the B5R protein may be involved in viral evasion from host immune responses.

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