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The Role of Natural Products in Cancer Therapy and Prevention

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2024) | Viewed by 1638

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, Via Salvador Allende, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
Interests: biochemistry; lemon peel polyphenol extract; Annurca apple polyphenols; colon cancer; matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2/9; cell invasiveness; natural anti-metastatic agent

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, the identification and study of natural products (NPs) derived from natural resources, such as microbes and plants from terrestrial and marine environments, has led to important contributions in pharmacotherapy. Nowadays, NPs play a major role in cancer treatment by modulating the cancer microenvironment and different signaling pathways: cell death pathways (apoptosis and autophagy), cell growth, proliferation and differentiation pathways, remodeling of extracellular matrices pathways (metastasis formation), and inflammatory processes. The rapid development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and their undesirable side effects makes it necessary to continue to advance the discovery and development of novel drugs with greater therapeutic efficiency and fewer side effects for cancer therapy.

I invite researchers to contribute original research articles as well as review articles to this Special Issue, which will increase knowledge and new perspectives about new strategies in the isolation and characterization of new bioactive natural compounds, new biological targets, and pharmacological effects.

Dr. Valentina Pagliara
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • natural products
  • cell invasiveness
  • natural anti-metastatic agent
  • signaling pathways
  • cancer therapy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2361 KiB  
Article
Fermented Wheat Germ Protein with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor AR42 Demonstrates Enhanced Cytotoxicity against Lymphoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
by Joshua F. Meckler, Daniel J. Levis, Yanguo Kong, Robert T. O’Donnell, Daniel P. Vang and Joseph M. Tuscano
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(14), 7866; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25147866 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 292
Abstract
Current treatments for lymphoma are plagued by substantial toxicity and the inability to overcome drug resistance, leading to eventual relapse and rationalizing the development of novel, less toxic therapeutics and drug combinations. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are a broad class of epigenetic modulators [...] Read more.
Current treatments for lymphoma are plagued by substantial toxicity and the inability to overcome drug resistance, leading to eventual relapse and rationalizing the development of novel, less toxic therapeutics and drug combinations. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are a broad class of epigenetic modulators that have been studied in multiple tumor types, including lymphoma. Currently, HDACis are FDA-approved for treating relapsed T-cell lymphomas and multiple myeloma, with ongoing trials in other lymphomas and solid tumors. As single agents, HDACis frequently elicit toxic side effects and have limited efficacy; therefore, many current treatment strategies focus on combinations to boost efficacy while attempting to minimize toxicity. Fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE) is a complementary agent that has shown efficacy in several malignancies, including lymphoma. Here, we utilize a more potent FWGE derivative, known as fermented wheat germ protein (FWGP), in combination with the HDACi AR42, to assess for enhanced activity. We report increased in vitro killing, cell cycle arrest, and in vivo efficacy for this combination compared to each agent alone with minimal toxicity, suggesting a potentially new, minimally toxic treatment modality for lymphoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Natural Products in Cancer Therapy and Prevention)
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18 pages, 8718 KiB  
Article
Oleate Promotes Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Migration by Enhancing Filopodia Formation through a PLD/Cdc42-Dependent Pathway
by Zhiqiang Guo, Karl-Frédérik Bergeron and Catherine Mounier
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(7), 3956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073956 - 2 Apr 2024
Viewed by 979
Abstract
Breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), poses a global health challenge. Emerging evidence has established a positive association between elevated levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) and its product oleate (OA) with cancer development and metastasis. SCD1/OA leads to alterations in migration [...] Read more.
Breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), poses a global health challenge. Emerging evidence has established a positive association between elevated levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) and its product oleate (OA) with cancer development and metastasis. SCD1/OA leads to alterations in migration speed, direction, and cell morphology in TNBC cells, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. To address this gap, we aim to investigate the impact of OA on remodeling the actin structure in TNBC cell lines, and the underlying signaling. Using TNBC cell lines and bioinformatics tools, we show that OA stimulation induces rapid cell membrane ruffling and enhances filopodia formation. OA treatment triggers the subcellular translocation of Arp2/3 complex and Cdc42. Inhibiting Cdc42, not the Arp2/3 complex, effectively abolishes OA-induced filopodia formation and cell migration. Additionally, our findings suggest that phospholipase D is involved in Cdc42-dependent filopodia formation and cell migration. Lastly, the elevated expression of Cdc42 in breast tumor tissues is associated with a lower survival rate in TNBC patients. Our study outlines a new signaling pathway in the OA-induced migration of TNBC cells, via the promotion of Cdc42-dependent filopodia formation, providing a novel insight for therapeutic strategies in TNBC treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Natural Products in Cancer Therapy and Prevention)
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