Targeting autophagy for breast cancer prevention and therapy: From classical methods to phytochemical agents.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous illness comprising diverse biological subtypes, each of which differs in incidence, response to therapies, and prognosis. Despite the presence of novel medications that effectively target vital cellular signaling pathways and their application in clinical practice, breast cancer can still develop resistance to therapies by various mechanisms. Autophagy is a conserved catabolic cellular process that maintains intracellular metabolic homeostasis by removing dysfunctional or unnecessary cellular materials to recycle cytosolic components.

Britannin suppresses MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting autophagy.

Objective: Breast cancer is the main reason for cancer-related death in women. Britannin is a sesquiterpene lactone compound derived from with anti-tumor properties. We aimed to explore the impacts of britannin on apoptosis and autophagy in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Sesquiterpene lactones as emerging biomolecules to cease cancer by targeting apoptosis.

Apoptosis is a programmed cell death comprising two signaling cascades including the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. This process has been shown to be involved in the therapy response of different cancer types, making it an effective target for treating cancer. Cancer has been considered a challenging issue in global health.

Gaillardin inhibits autophagy and induces apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by regulating JAK/STAT pathway.

Background: Gaillardin is a potent anti-cancer sesquiterpene lactone found in Inula oculus-christi.

Aim: The present study examined the effects of gaillardin on apoptosis and autophagy in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Methods: The MTT assay was used to unravel the antiproliferative effects of gaillardin on MCF-7 cells.

Long Non-Coding RNAs as Novel Targets for Phytochemicals to Cease Cancer Metastasis.

Metastasis is a multi-step phenomenon during cancer development leading to the propagation of cancer cells to distant organ(s). According to estimations, metastasis results in over 90% of cancer-associated death around the globe. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are a group of regulatory RNA molecules more than 200 base pairs in length.

Looking at Thyroid Cancer from the Tumor-Suppressor Genes Point of View.

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine malignancy and accounts for approximately 1% of all diagnosed cancers. A variety of mechanisms are involved in the transformation of a normal tissue into a malignant one. Loss of tumor-suppressor gene (TSG) function is one of these mechanisms.

Oral Contraceptive Steroids Promote Papillary Thyroid Cancer Metastasis by Targeting Angiogenesis and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent type of endocrine malignancy with the highest incidence rate among women under 45 years old. Ethinylestradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LNG) are two steroid components of low-dose oral contraceptives used all over the world. In this study, we aimed to examine the possible effects of the combination of these two steroids on metastasis and angiogenic factors in BCPAP papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cell line.

Naringenin enhances anti-proliferation effect of 1-ferrocenyl-3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl) propen-1-one on two different cells via targeting calmodulin signaling pathway.

Background: FMSP is a synthesized ferrocene derivative with anti-cancer characteristics on tumor cells. Naringenin is a polyphenolic flavonoid with anti-tumor ability.

Methods: Cell viability and proliferation of two cancer cells and a normal cell line after treatment with these agents were determined with MTT assay.

Anticancer properties of novel zinc oxide quantum dot nanoparticles against breast cancer stem-like cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an essential role in cancer development, metastasis, relapse, and resistance to treatment. In this article, the effects of three synthesized ZnO nanofluids on proliferation, apoptosis, and stemness markers of breast cancer stem-like cells are reported. The antiproliferative and apoptotic properties of ZnO nanoparticles were evaluated on breast cancer stem-like cell-enriched mammospheres by MTS assay and flowcytometry, respectively.

The Most Competent Plant-Derived Natural Products for Targeting Apoptosis in Cancer Therapy.

Cancer is a challenging problem for the global health community, and its increasing burden necessitates seeking novel and alternative therapies. Most cancers share six basic characteristics known as "cancer hallmarks", including uncontrolled proliferation, refractoriness to proliferation blockers, escaping apoptosis, unlimited proliferation, enhanced angiogenesis, and metastatic spread. Apoptosis, as one of the best-known programmed cell death processes, is generally promoted through two signaling pathways, including the intrinsic and extrinsic cascades.

Multivesicular Liposome (Depofoam) in Human Diseases.

Drug development is a key point in the research of new therapeutic treatments for increasing maximum drug loading and prolonged drug effect. Encapsulation of drugs into multivesicular liposomes (DepoFoam) is a nanotechnology that allow delivery of the active constituent at a sufficient concentration during the entire treatment period. This guarantees the reduction of drug administration frequency, a very important factor in a prolonged treatment.

Anti-Breast Cancer Activities of Ketoprofen-RGD Conjugate by Targeting Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells and Parental Cells.

Background: Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) play an important role in various stages of cancer development, advancement, and therapy resistance. Ketoprofen-RGD has been revealed to act as an anti-cancer agent against some tumors.

Objective: We aimed to explore the effects of a novel Ketoprofen-RGD compound on the suppression of Breast Cancer Stem-like Cells (BCSCs) and their parental cells.

Plant natural products with anti-thyroid cancer activity.

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine malignancy, with more than 500,000 cases per year worldwide. Differentiated thyroid cancers are the most common forms with best prognosis, while poorly/undifferentiated ones are rare (2% of all thyroid cancer), aggressive, frequently metastasize and have a worse prognosis. For aggressive, metastatic and advanced thyroid cancer novel antitumor molecules are urgently needed and phytochemical products can be a rational and extensive source, since secondary plant metabolites can guarantee the necessary biochemical variability for therapeutic purpose.

Papillary Thyroid Cancer-Promoting Activities of Combined Oral Contraceptive Components.

Background: Thyroid cancer is more common in women at reproductive age, suggesting the relationship between its high-incidence and therapeutic use of hormonal medications, such as oral contraceptives (OCPs). The aim of this study was to identify the effect of low-dose combined OCP (LD-COC) on proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) BCPAP cell line.

Materials And Methods: BCPAP cells were cultured and treated with the combination of 90nM levonorgestrel (LNG) and 20nM ethinylestradiol (EE) for 48 hours.

Metastatic propagation of thyroid cancer; organ tropism and major modulators.

Thyroid cancer, as the most prevalent endocrine malignancy, comprises nearly 1% of all cancers in the world. The metastatic propagation of thyroid cancer is under the control of a number of modulating processes and factors such as signaling pathways and their components, cell division regulators, metabolic reprogramming factors, extracellular matrix remodelers, epithelial to mesenchymal transition modulators, epigenetic mechanisms, hypoxia and cytokines. Identifying the exact molecular mechanisms of these dysregulated processes could help to discover the key targets for therapeutic purposes and utilizing them as diagnostic, prognostic and predictors of the clinical course of patients.

Anti-Breast Cancer Activities of 8-Hydroxydaidzein by Targeting Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells.

Purpose: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in various stages of cancer development and therapy refractoriness. 8-Hydroxydaidzein (8-OHD) has revealed anti-cancer activity in different tumors. Accordingly, we aimed to assess the effects of 8-OHD on the suppression of breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs).

LncRNAs as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Thyroid Cancer.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common cancer of endocrine system. TC can be subdivided into 4 different entities, papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Among them, anaplastic thyroid cancer has the poorest prognosis.

Possible antioxidant mechanism of coenzyme Q10 in diabetes: impact on Sirt1/Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Oxidative stress is a major complication in diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate potential antioxidant activity of coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10) against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in diabetic rat and unraveling its mechanism of action by focusing on silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mRNA expression level. Furthermore, the activity of two Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) in the liver of diabetic rats was studied.

Liposomal Cytarabine as Cancer Therapy: From Chemistry to Medicine.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The main modality to fight against cancer is surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and more recently targeted therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy, which play important roles in treating cancer patients. In the last decades, chemotherapy has been well developed.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancer: a comprehensive review.

The Metastatic progression of solid tumors, such as thyroid cancer is a complex process which involves various factors. Current understanding on the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in thyroid carcinomas suggests that EMT is implicated in the progression from follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) to poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). According to the literature, the initiation of the EMT program in thyroid epithelial cells elevates the number of stem cells, which contribute to recurrent and metastatic diseases.

The roles and role-players in thyroid cancer angiogenesis.

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer worldwide. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of tumors. Over the past years, cancer research has focused on the ability of tumors to induce newly formed blood vessel, because tumor growth and the process of cancer metastasis mainly depends on angiogenesis.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as a target for botanicals in cancer metastasis.

Background: The plant kingdom represents an unlimited source of phytotherapeutics with promising perspectives in the field of anticancer drug discovery.

Purpose: In this view, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) represents a novel and major target in anticancer therapy. Therefore, this narrative review aims to provide an updated overview on the bioactive phytochemicals with anti-EMT activity.

Oxidant and antioxidant status in coronary artery disease.

Formation of atherosclerotic plaques is the major cause of coronary artery disease (CAD). Several lines of study have revealed the role of oxidative stress in CAD pathogenesis. In the present study the aim was to investigate the oxidative and antioxidative markers in CAD patients and a control population.