Retraction Note to: Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides induce G/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells.

The authors have retracted this article because of overlap in images within the publication and with another previously published article. It was brought to our attention that there are inconsistencies in Figs. 3, 5 and 6.

Thymoquinone: fifty years of success in the battle against cancer models.

Thymoquinone (TQ), the main active constituent of black seed essential oil, exhibits promising effects against inflammatory diseases and cancer. TQ, modulates signaling pathways that are key to cancer progression, and enhances the anticancer potential of clinical drugs while reducing their toxic side effects. Considering that TQ was isolated 50 years ago, this review focuses on TQ's chemical and pharmacological properties and the latest advances in TQ analog design and nanoformulation.

Thymoquinone induces apoptosis in malignant T-cells via generation of ROS.

We show that HTLV-1 negative leukemia cells are more sensitive to TQ due to higher levels of drug-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). PreG1 population in HTLV-1 negative Jurkat and CEM was higher than HTLV-1 transformed HuT-102 and MT-2 cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were more resistant.

Sage components enhance cell death through nuclear factor kappa-B signaling.

The sage components linalyl acetate (Ly) and alpha-terpineol (Te) exhibit synergistic anti-proliferative effects. We investigated the effects of Ly and Te on NF-kappaB signaling in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Ly and Te combinations dose-dependently reduced HCT-116 viability at non-cytotoxic concentrations.

Anti colon cancer components from Lebanese sage (Salvia libanotica) essential oil: Mechanistic basis.

Lebanese sage essential oil possesses antitumor properties, however, the bioactive components and antitumor mechanisms are not known. Here we show that combining the three sage bioactive compounds, Linalyl acetate (Ly), Terpeniol (Te) and Camphor (Ca), caused synergistic inhibition of the growth of two isogenic human colon cancer cell lines HCT-116 (p53(+/+) and p53(-/-)) and had no effect on growth of FHs74Int normal human intestinal cell line. In p53(+/+) cells, the combination of Ly + Te + Ca (10(-3) M of each) caused significant accumulation of cells in PreG(1) (64% at 48 hours); less preG(1) increase was observed in response to Ly + Te (25%) or Ly + Ca (14%).

Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides induce G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells.

We have recently shown that quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide (QdNO) derivatives, namely 2-benzoyl-3-phenyl-6,7-dichloroquinoxaline 1,4-dioxide (DCQ), 2-benzoyl-3-phenyl-quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide (BPQ) and 2-acetyl-3-methyl-quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide (AMQ), suppress the growth of T-84 human colon cancer cells. Here we show that the growth-suppressive effects of QdNOs are due to their ability to induce cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. While AMQ blocked more than 60% of cells at the G2/M phase without inducing apoptosis, DCQ caused a significant increase in apoptotic cells with no noticeable effects on the cycling of cells.

Hypoxic cells in tumors as a target for cancer therapy.

Hypoxic cells that are found in solid tumors are resistant to anticancer drugs and radiation therapy. Thus, for effective anticancer chemotherapy, it is important to identify drugs with selective toxicity towards hypoxic cells. The recent development of new drugs that are toxic only when activated in the hypoxic cell opens a new era of cancer treatment.

Molecular pathway for thymoquinone-induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in neoplastic keratinocytes.

Thymoquinone (TQ), the most abundant constituent in black seed, was shown to possess potent chemopreventive activities against DMBA-initiated TPA-promoted skin tumors in mice. Despite the potential interest in TQ as a skin antineoplastic agent, its mechanism of action has not been examined yet. Using primary mouse keratinocytes, papilloma (SP-1) and spindle (I7) carcinoma cells, we studied the cellular and molecular events involved in TQ's antineoplastic activity.

Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides: hypoxia-selective therapeutic agents.

A problem that confronts clinicians in the treatment of cancer is the resistance of hypoxic tumors to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Thus, the development of new drugs that are toxic to hypoxic cells found in solid tumors is an important objective for effective anticancer chemotherapy. We recently showed that the heterocyclic aromatic N-oxides, quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides (QdNOs), are cytotoxic to tumor cells cultured under hypoxia.