Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) mediates resistance to EGFR inhibition in non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are current standard of care for patients with EGFR mutation and metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), but most patients using EGFR TKIs acquire resistance later. So, overcoming resistance of EGFR TKIs has become an important issue in the treatment of NSCLC. Previously, therapeutics targeting Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) have been successful in treating several hematologic malignancies.

γ-Mangostin isolated from L. suppresses inflammation and alleviates symptoms of osteoarthritis via modulating miR-124-3p/IL-6/NF-κB signaling.

Osteoarthritis (OA) a disease associated with joints and become severe with age, due to softening, inflammation and degradation of cartilage in joints. The agents that can target OA is needed, specifically without any side effects. L.

CD47-SIRPα Signaling Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Cancer Stemness and Links to a Poor Prognosis in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with high mortality rates, is one of the most diagnosed head and neck cancers. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) are two keys for therapy-resistance, relapse, and distant metastasis. Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrantly expressed cluster of differentiation (CD)47 is associated with cell-death evasion and metastasis; however, the role of CD47 in the generation of CSCs in OSCC is not clear.

(PG2) Enhances the M1 Polarization of Macrophages, Functional Maturation of Dendritic Cells, and T Cell-Mediated Anticancer Immune Responses in Patients with Lung Cancer.

Background: Recently, we demonstrated that (PG2), the active ingredient in dried roots of ameliorates cancer symptom clusters and improves quality of life (QoL) in patients with metastatic disease by modulating inflammatory cascade against the background roles of inflammatory cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in tumor initiation, metastasis, and progression. Nevertheless, the role of PG2 in the modulation of anticancer immunogenicity and therapeutic response remains relatively underexplored and unclear.

Purpose: The present study investigates how and to what extent PG2 modulates cellular and biochemical components of the inflammatory cascade and enhances anticancer immunity, as well as the therapeutic implication of these bio-events in patients with lung cancer.

(PG2) Ameliorates Cancer Symptom Clusters, as well as Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Metastatic Disease, through Modulation of the Inflammatory Cascade.

: Improving patients' quality of life (QoL) is a principal objective of all treatment in any clinical setting, including oncology practices. Cancer-associated inflammation is implicated in disease progression and worsening of patients' QoL. Conventional anticancer therapeutics while selectively eliminating cancerous cells, are evaded by stem cell-like cells, and associated with varying degrees of adverse effects, thus reducing patients' QoL.

Enhancement by Nano-Diamino-Tetrac of Antiproliferative Action of Gefitinib on Colorectal Cancer Cells: Mediation by EGFR Sialylation and PI3K Activation.

Drug resistance complicates the clinical use of gefitinib. Tetraiodothyroacetic acid (tetrac) and nano-diamino-tetrac (NDAT) have been shown in vitro and in xenografts to have antiproliferative/angiogenic properties and to potentiate antiproliferative activity of other anticancer agents. In the current study, we investigated the effects of NDAT on the anticancer activities of gefitinib in human colorectal cancer cells.

Histone demethylase JARID1B/KDM5B promotes aggressiveness of non-small cell lung cancer and serves as a good prognostic predictor.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recently, epigenetic dysregulation has been known to promote tumor progression and therefore may be a therapeutic target for anticancer therapy. JARID1B, a member of histone demethylases, has been found to be related to tumorigenesis in certain kinds of cancers.

Aberrant KDM5B expression promotes aggressive breast cancer through MALAT1 overexpression and downregulation of hsa-miR-448.

Background: Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) possess cell dedifferentiation characteristics, carry out activities connate to those of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and are associated with increased metastasis, as well as, poor clinical prognosis. The regulatory mechanism of this highly malignant phenotype is still poorly characterized. Accruing evidence support the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as potent regulators of CSC and metastatic gene expression, with their dysregulation implicated in tumorigenesis and disease progression.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B inhibits colorectal cancer tumorigenesis and suppresses cancer stem-like phenotype.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB), closely related to the better known antroquinonol, is a bioactive isolate of the mycelia of Antrodia camphorata, a Taiwanese mushroom with documented anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, vasorelaxative, and recently demonstrated, antiproliferative activity. Based on its traditional use, we hypothesized that 4-AAQB may play an active role in the suppression of cellular transformation, tumor aggression and progression, as well as chemoresistance in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative role of 4-AAQB and its underlying molecular mechanism.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor ibrutinib suppresses stem-like traits in ovarian cancer.

According to a Prognoscan database, upregulation of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is associated with low overall survival in ovarian cancer patients. We found that spheroids-forming ovarian cancer cell, which highly expressed cancer stem-like cell (CSC) markers and Btk, were cisplatin resistant. We next treated CSCs and non-CSCs by a combination of ibrutinib and cisplatin.

Ovatodiolide sensitizes aggressive breast cancer cells to doxorubicin, eliminates their cancer stem cell-like phenotype, and reduces doxorubicin-associated toxicity.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is chemotherapy-refractory and associated with poor clinical prognosis. Doxorubicin (Doxo), a class I anthracycline and first-line anticancer agent, effective against a wide spectrum of neoplasms including breast carcinoma, is associated with several cumulative dose-dependent adverse effects, including cardiomyopathy, typhilitis, and acute myelotoxicity. This study evaluated the usability of Ovatodiolide (Ova) in sensitizing TNBC cells to Doxo cytotoxicity, so as to reduce Doxo effective dose and consequently its adverse effects.

JARID1B Expression Plays a Critical Role in Chemoresistance and Stem Cell-Like Phenotype of Neuroblastoma Cells.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common neural crest-derived extracranial solid cancer in children. Among all childhood cancers, NB causes devastating loss of young lives as it accounts for 15% of childhood cancer mortality. Neuroblastoma, especially high-risk stage 4 NB with MYCN amplification has limited treatment options and associated with poor prognosis.

Pterostilbene inhibits triple-negative breast cancer metastasis via inducing microRNA-205 expression and negatively modulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females in economically developing countries. Greater than 95% of breast malignancies are of epithelial origin; the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to initiate the metastatic process in breast carcinoma and remains the key target for drug development. Here, we examine the anti-metastatic potential of pterostilbene in modulating EMT process in breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Pterostilbene suppressed irradiation-resistant glioma stem cells by modulating GRP78/miR-205 axis.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type characterized by relapse and resistance even with the combination of radio- and chemotherapy. The presence of glioma stem cells (GSCs) has been shown to contribute to tumorigenesis, recurrence and treatment resistance. Particularly, CD133-positive glioma cells have been shown to represent the subpopulation that confers glioma radioresistance and suggested to be the source of tumor recurrence after radiation.

Tumor-associated macrophages in stage IIIA pN2 non-small cell lung cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery.

Purpose: Most of the patients with stage IIIA pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop recurrence after surgery. It is not clear whether post neoadjuvant chemotherapy tumor-associated macrophages is associated with recurrence.

Patients And Methods: Stage IIIA pN2 NSCLC patients underwent cisplatin/docetaxel neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery were retrospectively enrolled.

Destruxin B inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays an important role in the carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling molecules are attractive candidates for the development of targeted therapies for this disease. The present study showed that destruxin B (DB) inhibits the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of HCC cells by decreasing the protein expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and increasing the expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax.

Characterization of the interactions between protein and carbon black.

A considerable amount of studies have been conducted to investigate the interactions of biological fluids with nanoparticle surfaces, which exhibit a high affinity for proteins and particles. However, the mechanisms underlying these interactions have not been elucidated, particularly as they relate to human health. Using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and mice bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as models for protein-particle conjugates, we characterized the physicochemical modifications of carbon blacks (CB) with 23nm or 65nm in diameter after protein treatment.

Serum protein oxidation by diesel exhaust particles: effects on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in vitro.

Considerable evidence shows a key role for protein modification in the adverse effects of chemicals; however, the interaction of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) with proteins and the resulting biological activity remains unclear. DEP and carbon black (CB) suspensions with and without bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used to elucidate the biological effects of air pollutants. The DEP and CB samples were then divided into suspensions and supernatants.

A preclinical evaluation of antimycin a as a potential antilung cancer stem cell agent.

Drug resistance and tumor recurrence are major obstacles in treating lung cancer patients. Accumulating evidence considers lung cancer stem cells (CSCs) as the major contributor to these clinical challenges. Agents that can target lung CSCs could potentially provide a more effective treatment than traditional chemotherapy.

Pterostilbene, a bioactive component of blueberries, suppresses the generation of breast cancer stem cells within tumor microenvironment and metastasis via modulating NF-κB/microRNA 448 circuit.

Scope: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been shown to promote metastasis and malignancy. Pterostilbene, a natural stilbene isolated from blueberries, has been suggested for anti-cancer effects. Here, we explored the potential cancer stem cells (CSCs)/TAM modulating effects of pterostilbene in breast cancer.

High mitochondrial DNA copy number and bioenergetic function are associated with tumor invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

We previously reported a gradual increase of relative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number during the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Because mitochondria are the intracellular organelles responsible for ATP production, we investigated the associations among mtDNA copy number, mitochondrial bioenergetic function, tumor invasion and the expression levels of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in a series of seven ESCC cell lines, including 48T, 81T, 146T, TE1, TE2, TE6 and TE9. Among them, TE1 had the highest relative mtDNA copy number of 240.

Trifluoperazine, an antipsychotic agent, inhibits cancer stem cell growth and overcomes drug resistance of lung cancer.

Rationale: Cancer stem cell (CSC) theory has drawn much attention, with evidence supporting the contribution of stem cells to tumor initiation, relapse, and therapy resistance.

Objectives: To screen drugs that target CSCs to improve the current treatment outcome and overcome drug resistance in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: We used publicly available embryonic stem cell and CSC-associated gene signatures to query the Connectivity Map for potential drugs that can, at least in part, reverse the gene expression profile of CSCs.