Erlotinib combination with a mitochondria-targeted ubiquinone effectively suppresses pancreatic cancer cell survival.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Increased activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is often observed in pancreatic cancer, and the small molecule EGFR inhibitor erlotinib has been approved for pancreatic cancer therapy by the food and drug administration. Nevertheless, erlotinib alone is ineffective and should be combined with other drugs to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Selpercatinib combination with the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ effectively suppresses RET-mutant thyroid cancer.

Genetic alternation of REarranged during Transfection (RET) that leads to constitutive RET activation is a crucial etiological factor for thyroid cancer. RET is known to regulate mitochondrial processes, although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We previously showed that the multi-kinase inhibitors vandetanib and cabozantinib increase the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ) in RET-mutated thyroid tumor cells and that this effect can be exploited to increase mitochondrial enrichment of Δψ-sensitive agents in the tumor cells.

The involvement of N-G,N-G-dimethyarginine dimethylhydrolase 1 in the proliferative effect of Astragali radix on cardiac cells.

Aim Of The Study: Astragali radix (AR) is a widely used traditional medicine in oriental countries for treating various diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated the effects of AR extracts on rat cardiomyocytes and H9C2 cardiac cells as well as identified many target genes that mediate the effect of AR.

Materials And Methods: The effect of AR extracts on cell proliferation was assessed and cDNA microarray technique was used to analyse the differential gene expressions upon AR treatment in cardiac cells.

Pamidronate, farnesyl transferase, and geranylgeranyl transferase-I inhibitors affects cell proliferation, apoptosis, and OPG/RANKL mRNA expression in stromal cells of giant cell tumor of bone.

Giant cell tumor (GCT) is the most common nonmalignant primary bone tumor reported in Hong Kong. It usually affects young adults between the ages of 20 and 40. This tumor is well known for its potential to recur following treatment.

Epigenetic regulation of neonatal cardiomyocytes differentiation.

The relationship between DNA methylation, histone modifications and terminal differentiation in cardiomyocytes was investigated in this study. The upregulation of methylation-related proteins, including DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1, methyl-CpG binding domain proteins 1, 2 and 3, and the increase in global methylation during rat neonatal heart development were observed. Moreover, an increase in DNA synthesis and a delay in differentiation were found in 5-azacytidine (5-azaC)-treated cardiomyocytes.

Immunomodulatory effects of esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin) on murine lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages.

Coumarins belong to a diverse group of naturally occurring non-nutrient phytochemicals known as benzo-alpha-pyrones. In this study, esculetin, a 6,7-dihydroxy derivative of coumarin with pleiotropic biological activities, was found to have no significant cytotoxic effect on normal murine macrophages, but it could increase the in vivo migration of the thioglycollate-elicited macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, esculetin significantly increased the endocytic activity, and augmented the nitric oxide production and iNOS gene expression in LPS-treated macrophages.