A Thia-Analogous Indirubin -Glycoside Disrupts Mitochondrial Function and Causes the Death of Human Melanoma and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells.

Skin cancer is the most common malignant disease worldwide and, therefore, also poses a challenge from a pharmacotherapeutic perspective. Derivatives of indirubin are an interesting option in this context. In the present study, the effects of 3-[3'-oxo-benzo[]thiophen-2'-()-ylidene]-1-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-oxindole (KD87), a thia-analogous indirubin -glycoside, on the viability and mitochondrial properties of melanoma (A375) and squamous cell carcinoma cells (A431) of the skin were investigated.

The Combination of Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Suppresses Mitochondrial Respiration of Human Glioblastoma Cells via Downregulation of Specific Respiratory Chain Proteins.

Phytocannabinoids represent a promising approach in glioblastoma therapy. Previous work has shown that a combined treatment of glioblastoma cells with submaximal effective concentrations of psychoactive Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) greatly increases cell death. In the present work, the glioblastoma cell lines U251MG and U138MG were used to investigate whether the combination of THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio is associated with a disruption of cellular energy metabolism, and whether this is caused by affecting mitochondrial respiration.

A Sensitive LC-MS/MS Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Two Thia-Analogous Indirubin -Glycosides and Indirubin-3'-Monoxime in Plasma and Cell Culture Medium.

Indirubin was identified as an active component of Danggui Longhui Wan, an herbal mixture used in traditional Chinese medicine, and showed anticancer activity in clinical trials in patients with chronic leukemia. Investigations on the mechanisms of antitumor action of indirubins have mainly focused on the indirubin derivative indirubin-3'-monoxime (I3M). Meanwhile, antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties on cancer cells have also been demonstrated for several synthetic indirubin -glycosides.

Impact of Cannabinoid Compounds on Skin Cancer.

Drugs targeting the endocannabinoid system are of interest as potential systemic chemotherapeutic treatments and for palliative care in cancer. In this context, cannabinoid compounds have been successfully tested as a systemic therapeutic option in preclinical models over the past decades. Recent findings have suggested an essential function of the endocannabinoid system in the homeostasis of various skin functions and indicated that cannabinoids could also be considered for the treatment and prophylaxis of tumour diseases of the skin.

Platelet Induced Functional Alteration of CD4 and CD8 T Cells in HNSCC.

Platelets (PLT) are the second most abundant cell type in human blood and exert various immune-regulatory functions under both physiological and pathological conditions. In fact, immune cell regulation via platelets has been demonstrated in several studies within the past decade. However, the exact mechanisms behind T cell regulation remain poorly understood.

Tyrosinase and catechol oxidase activity of copper(I) complexes supported by imidazole-based ligands: structure-reactivity correlations.

Four new imidazole-based ligands, 4-((1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl)-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxyzole (L OL 1), 4-((1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl)-2-(tert-butyl)-4,5-dihydrooxyzole (L OL 2), 4-((1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl)-2-methyl-4,5-dihydrooxyzole (L OL 3), and N-(2,2-dimethylpropylidene)-2-(1-trityl-1H-imidazol-4-yl-)ethyl amine (L imz 1), have been synthesized. The corresponding copper(I) complexes [Cu(I)(L OL 1)(CH3CN)]PF6 (CuL OL 1), [Cu(I)(L OL 2)(CH3CN)]PF6 (CuL OL 2), [Cu(I)(L OL 3)(CH3CN)]PF6 (CuL OL 3), [Cu(I)(L imz 1)(CH3CN)2]PF6 (CuL imz 1) as well as the Cu(I) complex derived from the known ligand bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)methane (BIMZ), [Cu(I)(BIMZ)(CH3CN)]PF6 (CuBIMZ), are screened as catalysts for the oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC-H2) to 3,5-di-tert-butylquinone (3,5-DTBQ). The primary reaction product of these oxidations is 3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinone (3,5-DTBSQ) which slowly converts to 3,5-DTBQ.