Publications by authors named "Piwen Wang"

The low bioavailability of most phytochemicals limits their anticancer effects in humans. The present study was designed to test whether combining arctigenin (Arc), a lignan mainly from the seed of , with green tea (GT) and quercetin (Q) enhances the chemopreventive effect on prostate cancer. We performed in vitro proliferation studies on different cell lines.

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Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death for men worldwide. The development of resistance, toxicity, and side effects of conventional therapies have made prostate cancer treatment become more intensive and aggressive. Many phytochemicals isolated from plants have shown to be tumor cytotoxic.

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Exosomes are a class of small membrane-bound extracellular vesicles released by almost all cell types and present in all body fluids. Based on the studies of exosome content and their interactions with recipient cells, exosomes are now thought to mediate "targeted" information transfer. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) carry a cargo of molecules different from that of normal cell-derived exosomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Diabetes is linked to a higher risk and worsened prognosis of breast cancer (BC), with no specific treatments currently available for BC related to diabetes.
  • The paper introduces a metabolic reprogramming strategy (MRS) utilizing metformin and an NF-κB inhibitor, which disrupts cancer cell metabolism by enhancing lactate production and blocking its export, leading to cell death.
  • An identified MCT4 inhibitor, CB-2, combined with metformin and trabectedin, shows strong potential for inhibiting BC cells, particularly under high glucose conditions typical of diabetic environments.
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The abnormal PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is one of the most common genomic abnormalities in breast cancers including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and pharmacologic inhibition of these aberrations has shown activity in TNBC patients. Here, we designed and identified a small-molecule Comp34 that suppresses both AKT and mTOR protein expression and exhibits robust cytotoxicity towards TNBC cells but not nontumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells. Mechanically, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) AL354740.

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Chemokines are a family of small cytokines, which guide a variety of immune/inflammatory cells to the site of tumor in tumorigenesis. A dysregulated expression of chemokines is implicated in different types of cancer including prostate cancer. The progression and metastasis of prostate cancer involve a complex network of chemokines that regulate the recruitment and trafficking of immune cells.

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We evaluated if chronic consumption of quercetin (Q) with green tea extract (GTE) enhances the bioavailability of GT polyphenols (GTPs) and reduces methylation activity as previously observed in mouse xenograft tumors. In this prospective, randomized, parallel design, placebo controlled study, thirty-one men with prostate cancer consumed daily 1 gram of GTE (830 mg of GTP) with 800 mg of Q (GT + Q) or placebo (GT + PL) for four weeks before prostatectomy. First morning voided urine was collected at baseline, 3 weeks and the day of surgery, and prostate tissue on the day of surgery.

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This study investigated the inhibitory effect of arctigenin, a novel anti-inflammatory lignan, on prostate cancer in obese conditions both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro obese models were established by co-culture of mouse adipocytes 3T3-L1 with androgen-sensitive LNCaP human prostate cancer cells, or by culturing LNCaP cells in adipocytes-conditioned medium. Arctigenin significantly inhibited LNCaP proliferation, along with decreased androgen receptor (AR) and increased Nkx3.

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Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes for mortalities worldwide. The most common cause of colorectal cancer mortality is hepatic metastasis. There has been a limited advancement in the targeted-therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer.

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The low bioavailability of most phytochemicals limits their translation to humans. We investigated whether arctigenin, a novel anti-inflammatory lignan from the seeds of , has favorable bioavailability/potency against prostate cancer. The anticarcinogenic activity of arctigenin was investigated both using the androgen-sensitive LNCaP and LAPC-4 human prostate cancer cells and pre-malignant WPE1-NA22 cells, and using xenograft mouse models.

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Background: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in most developed countries. This mortality is mainly due to the metastatic progression to the liver with frequent recurrence. Colorectal cancer remains a therapeutic challenge and this has intensified the search for new drug targets.

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Background: Chemotherapy with docetaxel (Doc) remains the standard treatment for metastatic and castration-resistance prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the clinical success of Doc is limited by its chemoresistance and side effects. This study investigated whether natural products green tea (GT) and quercetin (Q) enhance the therapeutic efficacy of Doc in CRPC in mouse models.

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Chemotherapy with docetaxel (Doc) is a standard treatment for metastatic and castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, chemoresistance and side effects of Doc limit its clinical success. We investigated whether natural products green tea (GT) and quercetin (Q), a flavonoid from apples and onions, will enhance the efficacy of Doc in androgen-independent (AI) prostate cancer cells.

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Background: Preclinical and epidemiologic studies suggest chemopreventive effects of green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) in prostate cancer. In the current study we determined the effect of GT and BT consumption on biomarkers related to prostate cancer development and progression.

Methods: In this exploratory, open label, phase II trial 113 men diagnosed with prostate cancer were randomized to consume six cups daily of brewed GT, BT or water (control) prior to radical prostatectomy (RP).

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Scope: We investigated whether a combination of two promising chemopreventive agents arctigenin (Arc) and quercetin (Q) increases the anticarcinogenic potency at lower concentrations than necessary when used individually in prostate cancer.

Methods And Results: Androgen-dependent LAPC-4 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells were treated with low doses of Arc and Q alone or in combination for 48 h. The antiproliferative activity of Arc was 10- to 20-fold stronger than Q in both cell lines.

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The low bioavailability of most flavonoids limits their application as anti-carcinogenic agents in humans. A novel approach of treatment with a mixture of bioactive compounds that share molecular anti-carcinogenic targets may enhance the effect on these targets at low concentrations of individual compound, thereby overcoming the limitations of reduced bioavailability. We therefore investigated whether a combination of three natural products arctigenin (Arc), a novel anti-inflammatory lignan from the seeds of green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and curcumin (Cur) increases the chemopreventive potency of individual compounds.

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The chemopreventive activity of green tea (GT) is limited by the low bioavailability and extensive methylation of GT polyphenols (GTPs) in vivo. We determined whether a methylation inhibitor quercetin (Q) will enhance the chemoprevention of prostate cancer in vivo. Androgen-sensitive LAPC-4 prostate cancer cells were injected subcutaneously into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice one week before the intervention.

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Epigenetics describes heritable alterations of gene expression and chromatin organization without changes in DNA sequence. Both hypermethylation and hypomethylation of DNA can affect gene expression and the multistep process of carcinogenesis. Epigenetic changes are reversible and may be targeted by dietary interventions.

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Scope: Tea polyphenols are metabolized by the colonic microflora yielding phenolic metabolites, which may contribute to the health benefits of tea. We determined the serum and urine concentrations of phenolic acids, hippuric acid, and polyhydroxyphenyl-γ-valerolactones during green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) administration. The effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (3,4-DHPAA) alone and in combination on bioavailability, intracellular metabolism, and antiproliferative activity were determined in HCT-116 colon cancer cells.

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Acute and chronic inflammation and dyslipidemia play a critical role in the development of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Green tea polyphenols possess potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to the beneficial effects on heart health. The present study was carried out to determine if administration of a green tea extract (Polyphenon(®) E [PPE]; Mitsui Norin Co.

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We previously demonstrated that 50% of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was present in methylated form (4″-MeEGCG) in human prostate tissue, which is less bioactive. We therefore investigated whether quercetin, a natural inhibitor of catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), will inhibit EGCG methylation leading to enhanced antiproliferative activity of EGCG in prostate cancer cells. Incubation with both quercetin and EGCG for 2 h increased the cellular concentrations of EGCG by 4- to 8-fold and 6- to 10-fold in androgen-independent PC-3 cells and androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, respectively.

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The extensive methylation of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) in vivo may limit their chemopreventive potential. We investigated whether quercetin, a natural inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs), will differentially increase the intracellular concentration and decrease the methylation of GTPs in different cancer cell lines. Intrinsic COMT activity was lowest in lung cancer A549 cells, intermediate in kidney 786-O cells and highest in liver HepG2 cells.

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It has been demonstrated in various animal models that the oral administration of green tea (GT) extracts in drinking water can inhibit tumor growth, but the effects of brewed GT on factors promoting tumor growth, including oxidant damage of DNA and protein, angiogenesis and DNA methylation, have not been tested in an animal model. To explore these potential mechanisms, brewed GT was administered instead of drinking water to male severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with androgen-dependent human LAPC4 prostate cancer cell subcutaneous xenografts. Tumor volume was decreased significantly in mice consuming GT, and tumor size was significantly correlated with GT polyphenol (GTP) content in tumor tissue.

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The polyphenol compositions of green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) are very different due to post-harvest processing. GT contains higher concentrations of monomeric polyphenols, which affect numerous intracellular signaling pathways involved in prostate cancer (CaP) development. BT polymers, on the other hand, are poorly absorbed and are converted to phenolic acids by the colonic microflora.

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