Shikonin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen synergistically inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells through activating apoptosis signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Tamoxifen (TAM) is a cell type-specific anti-estrogen and is applied to improve the survival of patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER +) breast cancer. However, long-term TAM use can induce serious drug resistance, leading to breast cancer recurrence and death in patients. Further, it is almost useless among patients with estrogen receptor negative (ER -) breast cancer.

Preparation and Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-Based Amphiphilic Polyurethane Elastomers.

Amphiphilic polyurethane elastomers (APUE) were synthesized using a two-step polyaddition reaction based on the hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) soft segments with the molecular weights ('s) of 2000 and 1000, respectively. The effects of the PDMS/PEG contents on the properties and structures of the APUE were investigated. It was found that the APUE possessed high elongation, moderate tensile strength, and good thermal properties.

Self-healing zwitterionic sulfobetaine nanocomposite hydrogels with good mechanical properties.

The development of zwitterionic hydrogels possessing both excellent self-healing and mechanical properties is of great significance. Herein, a class of zwitterionic sulfobetaine nanocomposite hydrogels was prepared by UV-initiated copolymerisation of zwitterionic sulfobetaine monomer ,-dimethyl--(3-methacrylamidopropyl)--(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium betaine (DMAPMAPS) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in the presence of exfoliated clay platelets uniformly dispersed in an aqueous medium. The effects of the hydrogel compositions, including the DMAPMAPS/HEMA mass ratio and the amount of clay, on the self-healing behaviors and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated.

Novel Podophyllotoxin Derivatives as Potential Tubulin Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Antiproliferative Activity Evaluation.

A number of podophyllotoxin derivatives (3A-3J) had been designed and synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated in this study. Moreover, the antiproliferation activities of these compounds against four human cancer cell lines (HepG2, HeLa, A549, and MCF-7) were also tested. The results indicated that the most promising compound 3D displayed potent inhibitory activity over the four human cancer cell lines and was further demonstrated to have potent tubulin polymerization inhibitory effects without damaging the non-cancer cells.