scholarly journals Emergent Nanotechnological Strategies for Systemic Chemotherapy against Melanoma

Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinta Oliveira Pinho ◽  
Mariana Matias ◽  
Maria Manuela Gaspar

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer, being one of the deadliest cancers in the world. The current treatment options involve surgery, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and the use of chemotherapeutic agents. Although the last approach is the most used, the high toxicity and the lack of efficacy in advanced stages of the disease have demanded the search for novel bioactive molecules and/or efficient drug delivery systems. The current review aims to discuss the most recent advances on the elucidation of potential targets for melanoma treatment, such as aquaporin-3 and tyrosinase. In addition, the role of nanotechnology as a valuable strategy to effectively deliver selective drugs is emphasized, either incorporating/encapsulating synthetic molecules or natural-derived compounds in lipid-based nanosystems such as liposomes. Nanoformulated compounds have been explored for their improved anticancer activity against melanoma and promising results have been obtained. Indeed, they displayed improved physicochemical properties and higher accumulation in tumoral tissues, which potentiated the efficacy of the compounds in pre-clinical experiments. Overall, these experiments opened new doors for the discovery and development of more effective drug formulations for melanoma treatment.

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pubudu Bulathsinghala ◽  
Kostas N. Syrigos ◽  
Muhammad W. Saif

Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy of poor prognosis which is mostly diagnosed at advanced stages. Current treatment modalities are very limited creating great interest for novel preventive and therapeutic options. Vitamin D seems to have a protective effect against pancreatic cancer by participating in numerous proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, prodifferentiating, and immunomodulating mechanisms. 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum concentrations are currently the best indicator of vitamin D status. There are three main sources of vitamin D: sun exposure, diet,and dietary supplements. Sun exposure has been associated with lower incidence of pancreatic cancer in ecological studies. Increased vitamin D levels seem to protect against pancreatic cancer, but caution is needed as excessive dietary intake may have opposite results. Future studies will verify the role of vitamin D in the prevention and therapy of pancreatic cancer and will lead to guidelines on adequate sun exposure and vitamin D dietary intake.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Liu ◽  
Qingbai Liu ◽  
Bin Yan ◽  
Ziqiang Zhu ◽  
Yaozeng Xu

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is a very common joint disease that often affects middle-aged to elderly people. However, current treatment options for OA are predominantly palliative. Thus, understanding its pathological process and exploring its potential therapeutic approaches are of great importance. Rat chondrocytes were isolated and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to mimic OA. The effects of H2O2 on ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, proliferation, inflammatory cytokine release, and pyroptosis were measured. USP7 was knocked down (KD) or overexpressed to investigate the role of USP7 in OA. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was used to study the interaction between USP7 and NAD(P)H oxidases (NOX)4 as well as NOX4 ubiquitination. NOX4 inhibitor was applied to study the involvement of NOX4 in USP7-mediated OA development. USP7 inhibitor was given to OA animals to further investigate the role of USP7 in OA in vivo. Moreover, H2O2 treatment significantly increased USP7 expression, enhanced ROS levels, and inhibited proliferation in rat chondrocytes. The overexpression of USP7 enhanced pyroptosis, ROS production, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 levels, and the expression level of NLRP3, GSDMD-N, active caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 1, and MMP13, which was abolished by ROS inhibition. The USP7 KD protected rat chondrocytes against H2O2-induced injury. Co-IP results showed that USP7 interacted with NOX4, and USP7 KD enhanced NOX4 ubiquitinylation. The inhibition of NOX4 blocked the pro-OA effect of USP7. Moreover, the USP7 inhibitor given to OA animals suppressed OA in vivo. USP7 inhibited NOX4 ubiquitination for degradation which leads to elevated ROS production. ROS subsequently activates NLPR3 inflammasome, leading to enhanced production of IL-1β and IL-18, GSDMD-N-dependent pyroptosis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Thus, UPS7 contributes to the progression of OA via NOX4/ROS/NLPR3 axis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Roytman ◽  
Andrew B. Tassler ◽  
Ashutosh Kacker ◽  
Theodore H. Schwartz ◽  
Georgiana A. Dobri ◽  
...  

BACKGROUNDEsthesioneuroblastoma (ENB), also known as olfactory neuroblastoma, is a rare sinonasal neuroectodermal malignancy with a slow onset of symptoms, favorable 5-year survival, and a propensity for delayed locoregional recurrence. Current treatment options include resection, adjuvant radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy; however, because of its rarity and location, determining the optimal treatment for ENB has been challenging.OBSERVATIONSENBs strongly express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), particularly SSTR2, providing a molecular target for imaging and therapy.LESSONsThe authors present a case series of ENBs imaged with [68Ga]-DOTATATE PET/MRI and PET/CT and discuss the emerging role of [68Ga]-DOTATATE PET for ENB diagnosis, staging, and treatment response monitoring.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9136
Author(s):  
Amanda Kornel ◽  
Danja J. Den Hartogh ◽  
Panagiota Klentrou ◽  
Evangelia Tsiani

Bone is a highly dynamic tissue that is constantly adapting to micro-changes to facilitate movement. When the balance between bone building and resorption shifts more towards bone resorption, the result is reduced bone density and mineralization, as seen in osteoporosis or osteopenia. Current treatment strategies aimed to improve bone homeostasis and turnover are lacking in efficacy, resulting in the search for new preventative and nutraceutical treatment options. The myokine irisin, since its discovery in 2012, has been shown to play an important role in many tissues including muscle, adipose, and bone. Evidence indicate that irisin is associated with increased bone formation and decreased bone resorption, leading to reduced risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. In addition, low serum irisin levels have been found in individuals with osteoporosis and osteopenia. Irisin targets key signaling proteins, promoting osteoblastogenesis and reducing osteoclastogenesis. The present review summarizes the existing evidence regarding the effects of irisin on bone homeostasis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1757-1769
Author(s):  
Preeti Tanaji Mane ◽  
Sangram Prakash Patil ◽  
Balaji Sopanrao Wakure ◽  
Pravin Shridhar Wakte

Breast cancer has messed the life of a greater number of women being the most common cancer affecting them worldwide. A number of risk factors contribute the breast malignancy, however, genetic drift is accountable the most. Depending on the cell origin, invasiveness and receptors involved, breast cancer is classified into various subtypes. The accurate diagnosis of breast cancer is important as it defines the prognosis and directs the type of treatment required. A number of major signaling pathways involved in breast tumorigenesis and its development include estrogen receptors (ERs), HER2, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, Hedgehog (Hh), PI3K and mTOR pathway. Furthermore, certain enzymes like Cyclin dependent kinases and breast tumor kinases also play a vital role in cell cycle regulation and therefore, in the development of breast neoplasms. Recent studies have also enlightened the role of non-coding RNAs in breast cancer development. This review discusses various aspects of breast cancer such as its etiology, subtypes, various signaling pathways involved, targets projected by these pathways and the current treatment options based on a few of these targets. Also, the role of different genes, enzymes and non-coding RNAs related to breast tumorigenesis and development is discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Kos-Kudła ◽  
Jarosław Ćwikła ◽  
Marek Ruchała ◽  
Alicja Hubalewska-Dydejczyk ◽  
Barbara Jarzab ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2305
Author(s):  
Futaba Inoue ◽  
Kenbun Sone ◽  
Yusuke Toyohara ◽  
Yu Takahashi ◽  
Asako Kukita ◽  
...  

Endometrial cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed gynecological malignancies worldwide. However, its prognosis in advanced stages is poor, and there are only few available treatment options when it recurs. Epigenetic changes in gene function, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA, have been studied for the last two decades. Epigenetic dysregulation is often reported in the development and progression of various cancers. Recently, epigenetic changes in endometrial cancer have also been discussed. In this review, we give the main points of the role of DNA methylation and histone modification in endometrial cancer, the diagnostic tools to determine these modifications, and inhibitors targeting epigenetic regulators that are currently in preclinical studies and clinical trials.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis C. Kotsopoulos ◽  
Ali Kucukmetin ◽  
Asima Mukhopadhyay ◽  
John Lunec ◽  
Nicola J. Curtin

AbstractTreatment options for disease recurrence of women treated for locally advanced and advanced cervical cancer are very limited—largely palliative chemotherapy. The low efficacy of the currently available drugs raises the need for new targeted agents. Poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) have emerged as a promising class of chemotherapeutic agents in cancers associated with defects in DNA repair. Their therapeutic potential in cervical cancer is currently being evaluated in 3 ongoing clinical trials. Here we review the available information regarding all the aspects of PARP in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer, from expression and the mechanism of action to the role of the polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as the potential of the inhibitors. We finally propose a new unifying theory regarding the role of PARPs in the development of cervical carcinomas.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyu Li ◽  
Binning Wu ◽  
Wenyi Fu ◽  
Lavanya Reddivari

Ulcerative colitis (UC), which is a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a chronic relapsing disorder of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of people worldwide. Alternative natural therapies, including dietary changes, are being investigated to manage or treat UC since current treatment options have serious negative side effects. There is growing evidence from animal studies and human clinical trials that diets rich in anthocyanins, which are pigments in fruits and vegetables, protect against inflammation and increased gut permeability as well as improve colon health through their ability to alter bacterial metabolism and the microbial milieu within the intestines. In this review, the structure and bioactivity of anthocyanins, the role of inflammation and gut bacterial dysbiosis in UC pathogenesis, and their regulation by the dietary anthocyanins are discussed, which suggests the feasibility of dietary strategies for UC mitigation.


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