Bunge and its constituent timosaponin-AIII induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most recalcitrant and lethal of all cancers. We examined the effects of (AA) and timosaponin-AIII (TAIII), a steroidal saponin present in AA, on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and aimed to elucidate their potential apoptotic mechanisms of action. Viability assays and cell cycle analysis revealed that both AA and TAIII significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression compared to treatment with gemcitabine, the standard chemotherapeutic agent for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Circulating PANDER concentration is associated with increased HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in Type 2 diabetic subjects.

Aim: PANcreatic-DERived factor (PANDER, FAM3B) is a novel hormone that regulates glucose levels via interaction with both the endocrine pancreas and liver. Prior studies examining PANDER were primarily conducted in murine models or but little is known regarding the circulating concentration of PANDER in humans, especially with regard to the association of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or overall glycemic regulation. To address this limitation, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of circulating serum PANDER concentration in association with other hormones that serve as either markers of insulin resistance (insulin and adiponectin) or to metabolic parameters of glycemic control such as fasting HbA1c and blood glucose (FBG).