JIAFU FENG^1,2,#,*, BEI XU^1,2,#, CHUNMEI DAI^1,2,#, YAODONG WANG^1,4, GANG XIE^1,5, WENYU YANG^1,2, BIN ZHANG^1,2, XIAOHAN LI⁶, JUN WANG³

Oncology Research, Vol.29, No.5, pp. 331-349, 2021, DOI:10.32604/or.2022.03554 - 10 October 2022

Abstract Due to its difficulty in early diagnosis and lack of sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains to be a frequent cause of cancer-related death. Here, we probed into new targets for its early diagnosis and treatment for RCC. microRNA (miRNA) data of M2-EVs and RCC were searched on the Gene Expression Omnibus database, followed by the prediction of the potential downstream target. Expression of target genes was measured via RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively. M2 macrophage was obtained via flow cytometry with M2-EVs extracted. The binding ability of miR-342-3p to NEDD4L… More >

ZAHRA NASRPOUR NAVAEI¹, GHAZALEH KHALILI-TANHA¹, AMIR SADRA ZANGOUEI², MOHAMMAD REZA ABBASZADEGAN³, MEYSAM MOGHBELI^1,3,*

Oncology Research, Vol.29, No.4, pp. 235-250, 2021, DOI:10.32604/or.2022.025323 - 31 August 2022

Abstract Chemotherapy is one of the main therapeutic modalities for cancer patients. Cisplatin (CDDP), as one of the first-line drugs, is of great importance in the chemotherapy of various tumors. However, a significant percentage of cancer patients are resistant to CDDP treatment. Due to the CDDP side effects on normal tissues, the diagnosis of CDDP resistance is required to suggest the most efficient therapeutic strategies for cancer patients. Several molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways are associated with CDDP response. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway has a pivotal role in the transmission of extracellular signals into the cells… More >

HASSAN M. OTIFI¹, MISHARI ALSHYARBA², MAJED AL FAYI^3,4, AYED A. DERA^3,4, PRASANNA RAJAGOPALAN^3,4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 217-227, 2021, DOI:10.32604/or.2022.03570 - 01 August 2022

Abstract Targeted therapies are gaining global attention to tackle Renal Cancer (RC). This study aims to screen FPMXY- 14 (novel arylidene analogue) for Akt inhibition by computational and in vitro methods. FPMXY-14 was subjected to proton NMR analysis and Mass spectrum analysis. Vero, HEK-293, Caki-1, and A498 cell lines were used. Akt enzyme inhibition was studied with the fluorescent-based kit assay. Modeller 9.19, Schrodinger 2018-1, LigPrep module, and Glide docking were used in computational analysis. The nuclear status was assessed by PI/Hoechst- 333258 staining, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays were performed using flow cytometry. Scratch wound and… More >

MESFER AL SHAHRANI^1,2,*, PRASANNA RAJAGOPALAN^1,2, MOHAMMAD ABOHASSAN¹, MOHAMMAD ALSHAHRANI¹, YASSER ALRAEY¹, REEM M. GAHTANI¹, SURESH RADHAKRISHNAN³, KHLOOD DAGREERY⁴

Oncology Research, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 149-157, 2021, DOI:10.32604/or.2022.03539 - 01 August 2022

Abstract Estrogen receptor (ER) α is expressed in a subset of patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, whereas Akt is predominantly expressed in most types of AML. Targeting AML with dual inhibitors is a novel approach to combat the disease. Herein, we examined a novel small molecule, 3-(4-isopropyl) benzylidene-8-ethoxy,6- methyl, chroman-4-one (SBL-060), capable of targeting AML cells by inhibiting ERα and Akt kinase. The chemical properties of SBL-060 were identified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹ H-NMR), ¹³C-NMR, and mass spectroscopy. In silico docking was performed using an automated protocol with AutoDock-VINA. THP-1 and HL-60 cell lines were… More >

DAN ZHANG¹, HAIJING LIU¹, ZHENNAN YI², YUANYUAN LU³, YANYAN CHEN⁴, WEIQIANG SU², HUIBING LIN², ZHIHUI ZHANG^5,*, WEI LEI^6,*

BIOCELL, Vol.45, No.3, pp. 617-625, 2021, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2021.012504 - 03 March 2021

Abstract Chemotherapy drug resistance is the main cause leading to the relapse and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Our study aimed to investigate the mechanism of pemetrexed resistance in NSCLC. Firstly, the pemetrexed (PEM)-resistant PC-9 and A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (PC-9/PEM and A549/PEM) were established. The expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) in PC-9/PEM, A549/PEM, A549, and PC-9 cells were analyzed by qRT-PCR and western blot. Then, cell viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion were performed on PEM-resistant cells transfected with TS siRNA. The role of EGFR in PEM resistance of PEM-resistant cells… More >

ATTALLA EL-KOTT^1,2, EMAN ELBEALY³, FAHMY ELSAID^1,4, HAITHAM EL-MEKKAWY¹, ABD-EL-KARIM ABD-LATEIF⁵, ABDULALI TAWEEL⁶, HEBA KHALIFA², AHMAD KANDEEL⁵, KAREEM MORSY^1,7, ESSAM IBRAHIM^1,8,9, MASHAEL MOHAMMED BIN-MEFERIJ^10,*

BIOCELL, Vol.45, No.1, pp. 89-101, 2021, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2021.012516 - 26 January 2021

Abstract This study investigates if the anti-tumor effect of Pterostilbene in the SKOV3 ovarian cancer (OC) cell line involves inhibition of cell metabolism and tested in this effect involves modulating AMPK and Akt-induced regulation of mTORC1. Initially, SKOV3 cells were cultured in the humidified conditions in DMEM media for 24 h with or without increasing concentration of Pterostilbene. Then, the cells were incubated with Pterostilbene (IC₅₀ = 50 µM) under similar conditions with or without pre-incubation with Dorsomorphin, an AMPK inhibitor. In a dose-dependent manner, Pterostilbene inhibited SKOV3 cell survival and increased their lysate levels of lactate… More >

Huasong Liu^*1, Jun Zhang^*1, Xiangyu Luo^*, Min Zeng^*, Liqiang Xu^*, Qunxian Zhang^*, Hua Liu^*, Jialong Guo^*, Lanlan Xu^†

Oncology Research, Vol.28, No.1, pp. 65-73, 2020, DOI:10.3727/096504019X15656904013079

Abstract Emerging evidence has demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) mediate the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) via various pathophysiological pathways. This study explored the impact of the lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 on cisplatin resistance in ESCC and its possible mechanisms. Upregulation of FOXD2-AS was detected in patients with ESCC and ESCC cells that are resistant to cisplatin. In an in vitro assay, knockdown of FOXD2-AS1 noticeably inhibited cell invasion and growth, triggered cell death, and repressed the stimulation of the Akt/mTOR axis in cisplatin-resistant ESCC cells (TE-1/DDP). Conversely, the overexpression of FOXD2-AS1 remarkably increased cell More >

Majed Al Fayi^*†, Ahmad Alamri^*, Prasanna Rajagopalan^*†

Oncology Research, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 177-189, 2020, DOI:10.3727/096504019X15746768080428

Abstract Drug discovery research to fight lung cancer is incessantly challenged by drug resistance. In this study, we used drug-resistant lung cancer stem like cells (A549-CS) to compare the efficacy of standard drugs like cisplatin (DDP) and gemcitabine (GEM) with a novel arylidene derivative IOX-101. A549-CS was derived from regular A549 cells by growing in special media. Resistance proteins were detected using Western blotting. Cell proliferations were assessed by MTT assay. Cytokine release was enumerated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of drugs on apoptosis and cell cycle was studied with flow cytometry protocols. Apoptosis-related proteins,… More >

ZiJun Liao^*†, Qi Zheng^†, Ting Wei^‡, YanBing Zhang^†, JieQun Ma^†, Zheng Zhao^§, HaiFeng Sun^§, KeJun Nan^*

Oncology Research, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 147-159, 2020, DOI:10.3727/096504019X15732109856009

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. miR-561 has been reported to be downregulated in gastric cancer and affects cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. However, the role and underlying molecular mechanism of miR-561 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unknown and need to be further elucidated. In this study, we discovered that miR-561 expression was downregulated in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The overexpression of miR-561 inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and cell cycle G1 /S transition and induced apoptosis. The inhibition of miR-561 facilitated cell proliferation and G1 /S… More >

Yangmei Zhang^*1, Xichang Zhou^†1, Long Cheng^†, Xiang Wang^*, Qinglin Zhang^‡, Youwei Zhang^*, Sanyuan Sun^*

Oncology Research, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 213-223, 2020, DOI:10.3727/096504019X15668125347026

Abstract PRKAA1 (protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit 1) is a catalytic subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a key role in regulating cellular energy metabolism through phosphorylation, and genetic variations in the PRKAA1 have been found to be associated with gastric cancer risk. However, the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of PRKAA1 on gastric cancer tumorigenesis, especially the proliferation and apoptosis, are not fully understood. Our data showed that PRKAA1 is highly expressed in BGC- 823 and MKN45 cells and is expressed low in SGC-7901 and MGC-803 cells in comparison with the other gastric… More >