Publications by authors named "Gi Ming Lai"
Article Synopsis
- NF-κB activation contributes to severe inflammation in patients with respiratory viral infections, leading to critical health issues and fatalities.
- This study investigates the effects of banana plant extract (BPE) on reducing NF-κB activity and lung inflammation in mice exposed to a viral mimic, poly (I:C).
- Results indicate that BPE significantly decreases immune cell influx and pro-inflammatory cytokines while restoring anti-inflammatory markers, suggesting its potential in alleviating acute pulmonary inflammation through NF-κB signaling inhibition.
Article Synopsis
- Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cancer in men and poses significant treatment challenges when it progresses to an androgen-refractory state, reducing the effectiveness of standard therapies.
- Recent research is focusing on natural products, particularly dietary phytochemicals, to find better treatment strategies.
- This study demonstrated that combining lovastatin with a folk mushroom extract significantly improves treatment outcomes for androgen-refractory PC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and reducing key markers associated with cancer progression and stemness compared to using either treatment alone.
Article Synopsis
- Since 1995, Taiwan's annual cervical cytology testing for women aged 30 and older has led to a significant decline in cervical cancer cases and deaths.
- The introduction of an HPV vaccination program for girls aged 13-15 in 2018 is expected to lower the effectiveness of current cytology tests, prompting a need for a shift to more sensitive HPV-based testing methods.
- A panel of experts has provided policy recommendations for managing this transition, covering aspects like testing procedures, standards, and implementation, to sustain Taiwan's success in cervical cancer prevention.
Article Synopsis
- Cisplatin is a common chemotherapy drug used for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its effectiveness is often reduced due to the development of resistance in cancer stem cell-like populations.
- The study found that a combination of selenium yeast (Se-Y) and fish oil (FO) significantly enhances the apoptosis (programmed cell death) of resistant cancer cells, specifically A549 NSCLC sphere cells, by reversing their resistance to cisplatin.
- This nutrient combination works by counteracting key molecular features associated with resistance and cancer stem cell properties, suggesting it could improve treatment outcomes for NSCLC patients receiving cisplatin.
Article Synopsis
- The authors are issuing a correction to a previous paper they published.
- This erratum addresses specific errors or inaccuracies identified in the original document.
- The authors aim to clarify the information and ensure that readers have the most accurate version.
Article Synopsis
- - Breast and prostate cancer patients often face physical and psychological issues that can negatively impact their sleep quality.
- - This study utilized both objective (actigraphy device) and subjective (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire) methods to assess sleep quality in 40 cancer patients, revealing notable correlations between these measurements.
- - Findings indicated that combining both measurement types provides a more comprehensive understanding of sleep quality, which can aid in personalized care approaches to enhance cancer patients' quality of life.
Article Synopsis
- PG2, an injectable polysaccharide from traditional Chinese medicine, is known for its immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in managing cancer-related fatigue.
- In a study of lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549 and CL1-2), PG2 did not inhibit cell growth but significantly reduced cell migration and invasion while promoting the expression of E-cadherin and decreasing levels of vimentin and AXL.
- The mechanism involves the reduction of the inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), leading to decreased aggressiveness in cancer cells; this was confirmed in SCID mice, where PG2 treatment resulted in fewer lung and abdominal metastases.
Article Synopsis
- * This study investigates how combining omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish oil and selenium can reverse gefitinib resistance in HCC827 NSCLC cells by addressing specific cellular stress response elements.
- * The combination of fish oil and selenium enhances the effectiveness of gefitinib by promoting cell death and reducing markers associated with cancer stem cells and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, suggesting a potential strategy for overcoming treatment resistance in NSCLC.
Article Synopsis
- * The RNA binding protein PTBP1 has been identified as a key modulator that directly targets and decreases the stability of AXL mRNA, thereby inhibiting its expression.
- * Reduced levels of PTBP1 are associated with increased AXL expression in lung tumors, indicating that targeting the PTBP1-AXL pathway could lead to new cancer therapies aimed at combating metastasis and drug resistance.
Article Synopsis
- Malignant glioma (MG) is a challenging brain tumor that tends to recur despite aggressive treatments, highlighting the need for better therapeutic options.
- This study investigated the effects of oligo-fucoidan (OF), derived from brown seaweed, on MG cells and found that OF significantly reduced the growth of malignant cells while having a minimal impact on normal astrocyte cells.
- OF works by inhibiting specific proteins involved in DNA methylation and promoting differentiation markers; its effectiveness can be enhanced when used alongside existing clinical DNMT inhibitors like decitabine, suggesting a promising new treatment strategy for MG.
Article Synopsis
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer deaths, and Sorafenib was the only FDA-approved treatment for advanced cases until recently, highlighting the need for new therapies.
- This study developed a zebrafish drug screening platform to compare two new drugs, 419S1 and 420S1, with Sorafenib, finding that all three have anti-angiogenesis properties but 419S1 resulted in lower toxicity to both the liver and embryos.
- Ultimately, 419S1 and 420S1 showed better effectiveness in halting liver cancer growth compared to Sorafenib, suggesting the zebrafish model can aid in discovering safer and more effective treatments for HCC and personalized medicine
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that honokiol, a natural compound, significantly inhibits the growth of bladder cancer cells, particularly affecting specific cell lines like BFTC-905.
- * Honokiol causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in bladder cancer cells, showing that it triggers mitochondrial dysfunction and may have therapeutic potential in treating bladder cancer. *
Article Synopsis
- Radiotherapy used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can cause severe side effects, including acute hepatitis and chronic fibrosis.
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), specifically the medicinal fungus known as ACE, has shown promising anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-cancer effects.
- In studies, ACE demonstrated protective effects against radiotoxicity in liver cells and tumor-bearing mice by eliminating harmful free radicals and reducing acute hepatitis symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the use of a novel microtube array membrane (MTAM) in conjunction with a hollow fiber assay (HFA) for personalized cancer treatment, focusing on tumor-specific therapies instead of broad-spectrum cytotoxic drugs.
- Researchers sterilized and implanted the MTAM loaded with cancer cells into mice, administering anticancer drugs and then measuring tumor cell viability, demonstrating that MTAM provides an excellent substrate for various cancer cell types.
- MTAM/HFA showed enhanced drug sensitivity compared to traditional HFA systems, with shorter test durations under 14 days, making it a promising tool for advancing personalized medicine and improving cancer treatment outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Cancer-related fatigue and fear of recurrence greatly impact the quality of life for cancer survivors; this study evaluated physical and psychological rehabilitation methods to address these issues.
- A longitudinal study involving 80 participants tested Qigong exercise and stress management interventions over 12 weeks, measuring their effects on fatigue, fear of recurrence, quality of life, and heart rate variability.
- Results showed improvements in physical and psychological functions after the interventions, with ongoing benefits in heart rate variability, supporting the need for continued professional-led rehabilitation activities for cancer survivors.
Article Synopsis
- Selenium has been studied for cancer prevention and treatment, but its clinical effectiveness remains uncertain; recent research aimed to enhance its efficacy by combining selenium yeast with fish oil in lung adenocarcinoma cells.
- The combination of selenium yeast and fish oil showed a synergistic effect, leading to increased apoptosis and growth inhibition in cancer cells while being ineffective in normal fetal lung fibroblast cells.
- The study revealed that this synergy activates certain pathways, notably involving AMPK, which enhances pro-apoptotic markers and reduces protective proteins, indicating potential for using this combination in lung adenocarcinoma treatment.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effects of CDA-2, a human urine extract, on PC12 cells undergoing apoptosis due to serum deprivation.
- The results showed that CDA-2 can reduce cell death in a dose-dependent manner and promotes changes in cell morphology similar to nerve growth factor (NGF), but it does not lead to cell proliferation like NGF does.
- The mechanism behind CDA-2's effects appears to involve the activation of the ERK signaling pathway, which is important for cell differentiation.
Article Synopsis
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, and current therapies targeting certain pathways are insufficient for most patients, highlighting the need for new treatments.
- The study investigated the effects of a medicinal fungus-derived extract, HS7, on NSCLC cells, revealing that it significantly inhibits key cancer-related signaling pathways (AKT-mTOR, ERK, and STAT3) and promotes cell death.
- HS7 showed potential as an alternative treatment for NSCLC, especially for cases resistant to existing tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), by inducing important cell cycle regulators and suppressing cancer cell proliferation.
Article Synopsis
- - KG-135, a formulation containing specific ginsenosides, inhibits lung cancer cells (A549) by arresting the cell cycle in the G1 phase and promoting the tumor suppressor FOXO3a, while showing limited apoptosis.
- - The study found that KG-135 induces autophagy in an unusual manner, increasing the autophagy marker LC3-II and the protein p62, rather than the typical marker Beclin-1.
- - Blocking autophagy with hydroxychloroquine enhances KG-135's ability to activate apoptotic pathways, leading to increased apoptosis, suggesting that combining KG-135 with autophagy inhibitors could be an effective cancer treatment strategy.
Activation of p53/miR-34a Tumor Suppressor Axis by Chinese Herbal Formula JP-1 in A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
December 2016
Article Synopsis
- * MiR-34a, a crucial tumor suppressor influenced by the p53 gene, is often underexpressed in LADC, and promoting its activity may counteract cancer cell growth and spread.
- * A Chinese herbal formula called JP-1 has been shown to enhance the p53/miR-34a pathway in LADC cells, leading to reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis, highlighting its potential as a supportive treatment option for this deadly cancer.
Chinese Herbal Mixture, Tien-Hsien Liquid, Induces G2/M Cycle Arrest and Radiosensitivity in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells through Mechanisms Involving DNMT1 and Rad51 Downregulation.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
August 2016
Article Synopsis
- * In research involving MCF-7 breast cancer cells, THL was found to downregulate DNMT1, a protein that is typically overexpressed in cancer, leading to the activation of tumor suppressors like p21 and p15.
- * THL not only halted the cell cycle at the G2/M phase but also enhanced the effectiveness of radiation therapy by increasing cell death and reducing DNA repair protein Rad51 levels, suggesting its potential as a valuable cancer treatment and a candidate for further clinical trials.
Article Synopsis
- Honokiol, derived from Magnolia officinalis, shows promise for cancer treatment by targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis.
- In laboratory studies, honokiol induced apoptosis in CSCs by affecting key signaling pathways and stemness markers, resulting in reduced tumor growth.
- The findings indicate honokiol's potential as a treatment for oral cancer by inhibiting CSC activity and tumor angiogenesis, suggesting its role as a possible integrative medicine.