YANAN MA¹, SHANSHAN WANG^2,*, HUIGUO DING^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.3, pp. 463-471, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.048244

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis and high mortality worldwide. Although cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) plays an important role in the development of multiple tumors, the clinical implication and potential mechanisms of CSE in HCC development remain elusive. Methods: In our study, the CSE expression in HCC was analyzed in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets and further confirmed by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry assays in HCC samples. Furthermore, the associations between CSE expression and HCC malignancy as well as survival were analyzed in GSE14520 and validated in HCC patients. Finally, the… More >

JIYU WANG^1,#, LIUYING YI^2,#, KEKE HUANG¹, YANGYANG WANG¹, HUIPING WANG¹, ZHIMIN ZHAI^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.3, pp. 453-462, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.047871

Abstract Background: The primary cause of treatment failure in patients with refractory or relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) is resistance to current therapies, and therapy-induced senescence (TIS) stands out as a crucial mechanism contributing to tumor drug resistance. Here, we analyzed SENEX/Rho GTPase Activating Protein 18 (ARHGAP18) expression and prognostic significance in doxorubicin-induced B-NHL-TIS model and r/r B-NHL patients, investigating its target in B-NHL cell senescence and the effect of combining specific inhibitors on apoptosis resistance in B-NHL-TIS cells. Methods: Raji cells were transfected with the human SENEX shRNA recombinant lentiviral vector (Sh-SENEX) and the empty vector negative (NC) to… More >

JINGLONG CAO^1,#, SHUMEI LI^2,#, TONG ZHANG^1,#, JIAN LIU¹, WENSHUANG HOU¹, ANQI WANG¹, CHANG WANG^3,4,*, CHENGHAO JIN^1,3,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 313-325, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.043474

Abstract Background: Valtrate (Val) was extracted from the Valeriana jatamansi Jones plant, had good antitumor activity. However, its precise molecular mechanism in cancer cells was still unclear. This study investigated the effect of Val on gastric cancer (GC) cells and its potential molecular mechanism. Methods: Cell viability was examined by CCK-8 assay. Cell cycle, apoptosis, and Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were analyzed by flow cytometry. The migration effect of Val on AGS cells was analyzed by transwell and wound-healing assay. The expression levels of proteins were analyzed by western blot. Results: The cell viability assay results demonstrated that Val significantly… More > Graphic Abstract

ZHI ZHANG^1,#, XIAOSONG LI^1,2,#, YING ZHANG^1,2,#, HAO ZHU^1,2, ZHENGUO QIAO³, YANG LU⁴, XIUWEI MI⁴, HUIHUA CAO⁵, GENHAI SHEN^1,*, SONGBING HE^4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.2, pp. 353-360, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.042986

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) stands among the top prevalent cancers worldwide and holds a prominent position as a major contributor to cancer-related mortality globally. Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), a constituent of the interferon-inducible hematopoietic interferon-inducible nuclear antigens with 200 amino acid repeats protein family, contributes to both cancer progression and inflammasome activation. Despite this understanding, the precise biological functions and molecular mechanisms governed by AIM2 in CRC remain elusive. Consequently, this study endeavors to assess AIM2’s expression levels, explore its potential antitumor effects, elucidate associated cancer-related processes, and decipher the underlying signaling pathways in CRC. Our findings showed a reduced… More > Graphic Abstract

SEHER YILMAZ^1,2,*, ZÜLEYHA DOĞANYIĞIT³, MERT OCAK⁴, EVRIM SUNA ARIKAN SÖYLEMEZ⁵, ASLI OKAN OFLAMAZ³, SÜMEYYE UÇAR⁶, ŞÜKRÜ ATE޹, AMMAD AHMAD FAROOQI⁷

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 175-185, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.042350

Abstract Melatonin is a versatile indolamine synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland in response to the photoperiodic information received by the retinohypothalamic signaling pathway. Melatonin has many benefits, such as organizing circadian rhythms and acting as a powerful hormone. We aimed to show the antitumor effects of melatonin in both in vivo and in vitro models through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and the Argyrophilic Nucleolar Regulatory Region (AgNOR), using the Microcomputed Tomography (Micro CT). Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells were administered into the mice by subcutaneous injection. Animals with solid tumors were injected intraperitoneally with 50… More > Graphic Abstract

MARIA-LUISA VEISAGA^1,2, MARIAM AHUMADA², STACY SORIANO², LEONARDO ACUNA³, WEI ZHANG³, IVY LEUNG², ROBERT BARNUM², MANUEL A. BARBIERI^1,2,3,4,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.8, pp. 1835-1852, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.029076

Abstract Backgorund: Fruits and seed extracts of Annona montana have significant cytotoxic potential in several cancer cells. This study evaluates the effect of A. montana leaves hexane extract on several signaling cascades and gene expression in metastatic breast cancer cells upon insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) stimulation. Methods: MTT assay was performed to determine the proliferation of cancer cells. Propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry analysis of Annexin V binding was utilized to measure the progression of the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis. Protein expression and phosphorylation were determined by western blotting analysis to examine the underlying cellular mechanism triggered… More >

LIN QIU^1,#, ANQI TAO^1,#, XIAOQIAN SUN^4,5, FEI LIU¹, XIANPENG GE^2,3,*, CUIYING LI^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.5, pp. 715-752, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.029443

Abstract We analyzed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and clinical data from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Genomic Data Commons (GDC) portal to investigate the prognostic value of anoikis-related genes (ARGs) in HNSCC and develop new targeted drugs. Differentially expressed ARGs were screened using bioinformatics methods; subsequently, a prognostic model including three ARGs (CDKN2A, BIRC5, and PLAU) was constructed. Our results showed that the model-based risk score was a good prognostic indicator, and the potential of the three ARGs in HNSCC prognosis was validated by the TISCH database, the model’s accuracy was validated in two… More >

YAPING GAN^1,2,#, TING LIU^3,#, WEIFENG FENG^1,#, LIANG WANG⁴, LI LI⁵, YINGXIA NING^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.3, pp. 333-343, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028694

Abstract Various therapeutic strategies have been developed to overcome ovarian cancer. However, the prognoses resulting from these strategies are still unclear. In the present work, we screened 54 small molecule compounds approved by the FDA to identify novel agents that could inhibit the viability of human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Among these, we identified disulfiram (DSF), an old alcohol-abuse drug, as a potential inducer of cell death in ovarian cancer. Mechanistically, DSF treatment significantly reduced the expression of the anti-apoptosis marker B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) and increase the expression of the apoptotic molecules Bcl2 associated X (Bax) and cleaved caspase-3 to promote… More >

ZICHEN SHAO^1,2,#, CHUNG-YI CHEN^3,#, XUZHOU CHEN¹, HANWU CHEN¹, MENGQIAO SU^1,2, HUI SUN^1,2, YIDAN LI^1,2, BINGHUA TU¹, ZITONG WANG¹, CHI-MING LIU^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1389-1396, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028222

Abstract Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in middle-aged and elderly men. Enlargement of the prostate causes lower urinary tract symptoms. Capsaicin is a phytochemical extracted from chili peppers and exerts many pharmacological actions, such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects. Methods: Our study investigated the effect of capsaicin in vitro and in a mouse model in vivo. A prostatic stromal myofibroblast cell line (WPMY-1) was co-incubated with testosterone (1 µM) and different concentrations of capsaicin (10–100 µM) for 24 and 48 h. Capsaicin (10–100 µM) significantly inhibited testosterone-treated WPMY-1 cell growth at 48 h by MTT assay. The… More >

MIAOMIAO LI^1,#, ZILIN ZHENG^1,#, JUNYI KE¹, JIEYI LUO¹, FAN JIANG¹, YANXIA QU¹, BING ZHU², YINGHUA LI^2,*, LIANDONG ZUO^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.6, pp. 1397-1405, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027971

Abstract Background: Nano-selenium has been widely used in antiviral and anticancer therapy, and has the advantages of good targeting and low toxicity. For the first time, we combined male reproduction with nano-selenium to investigate its antioxidant effect. This study investigated the protective effect of lentinan functionalized selenium nanoparticles on oxidative stress injury of the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced Leydig cell line, TM3. Methods: The suitable concentration of nano-selenium treatment to promote cell proliferation was also discussed. The concentration of 4 μM could significantly promote the growth of TM3 cells. Oxidative stress damage was caused using an 800 μM concentration of hydrogen peroxide.… More >