• Molecules and Cells
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.119-123
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• 2008

Pyrimidine antagonists including 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) have been used in chemotherapy for cancer patients for over 40 years. 5-FU, especially, is a mainstay treatment for colorectal cancer. It is a pro-drug that is converted to the active drug via the nucleic acid biosynthetic pathway. The metabolites of 5-FU inhibit normal RNA and DNA function, and induce apoptosis of cancer cells. One of the major obstacles to successful chemotherapy is the resistance of cancer cells to anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, it is important to elucidate resistance mechanisms to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. We have used C. elegans as a model system to investigate the mechanism of resistance to 5-FU, which induces germ cell death and inhibits larval development in C. elegans. We screened 5-FU resistant mutants no longer arrested as larvae by 5-FU. We obtained 18 mutants out of 72,000 F1 individuals screened, and mapped them into three complementation groups. We propose that C. elegans could be a useful model system for studying mechanisms of resistance to anti-cancer drugs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.2213-2216
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• 2013

Recently, use of natural products available from marine sources, and especially algae products, are receiving more attention. Scientific evidence for claimed nutraceutical and therapeutical effects of one such marine algae product, fucoxanthin, is discussed in this paper with a summary of the currently available literature regarding its antioxidant, anti-obesity and anticancer activities. It is safe for use in humans, but as it has poor solubility a nano-suspension mode of delivery may be adopted to improve efficacy of supplments. We conclude from ourliterature review that the marine algae product fucoxanthin has significant antioxidant, anti-obesity and anticancer activity with established mechanisms of action.

• Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.1-5
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• 2017

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system and radical resection, which is available to very few patients, might be the only possibility for cure. Since therapeutic choices are limited at the advanced stage, prevention is more important for reducing incidence in high-risk individuals with family history of pancreatic cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high consumption of fish oil or ${\omega}3-polyunsaturated$ fatty acids reduces the risk of pancreatic cancers. Dietary fish oil supplementation has shown to suppress pancreatic cancer development in animal models. Previous experimental studies revealed that several hallmarks of cancer involved in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, such as the resistance to apoptosis, hyper-proliferation with abnormal $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling, expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors, and invasion. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a ${\omega}3-polyunsaturated$ fatty acid and rich in cold oceanic fish oil. DHA shows anti-cancer activity by inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis, inhibiting $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling, and decreasing extracellular matrix degradation and expression of pro-angiogenic factors in pancreatic cancer cells. This review will summarize anti-cancer mechanism of DHA in pancreatic carcinogenesis based on the recent studies.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.92-100
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• 2022

Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract (GBE) is an extract from leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree, widely used as a health supplement. GBE can inhibit the proliferation of several types of tumor cell. Although it is known to have anti-cancer effects in breast cancer and skin cancer, research related to gastric cancer is still insufficient. Based on results showing anti-cancer effects on solid cancer, we aimed to determine whether GBE has similar effects on gastric cancer. In this study, the anti-cancer effect of GBE in gastric adenocarcinoma was investigated by confirming the cell proliferation inhibitory effect of AGS cells. We also evaluated whether GBE regulates expression of the tumor suppressor protein p53 and Rb. GBE has apoptotic effects on AGS cells that were confirmed by changes in anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and pro-apoptosis protein Bax levels. Wound healing and cell migration were also decreased by treatment with GBE. Furthermore, we verified the effects of GBE on mitogenic signaling by investigating AKT target gene expression levels and revealed downregulated Sod2 and Bcl6 expression. We also confirmed that expression of inflammation-related genes decreased in a time-dependent manner. These results indicate that GBE has an anti-cancer effect on human gastric cancer cell lines. Further research on the mechanism of the anti-cancer effect will serve as basic data for possible anti-cancer drug development.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.5-12
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• 2009

Background : Anticancer effects of herbal medicine have been reported in various types of cancer, but the systematic approaches to explain molecular mechanism(s) are not established yet. Objective : To find the anticancer-effect and mechanism(s) of Water Extract of Coptis japonica (WECJ) colon cancer cell (SNU-81). Methods : We first selected 11 herbals, and anti-cancer effects of water-extracts from those herbals have been tested in human colon cancer cell line, SNU-81. Among the tested herbals, the WECJ significantly reduced proliferation of SNU-81. To establish a basis of understanding for anti-cancer mechanism, whole proteins have been obtained from SNU-81 harvested at 48 and 96 hrs after the treatment of WECJ, protein expression has been profiled by 2DE-based proteomic approach. Results : Various changes of the protein expression have been monitored, and most frequent dysregulation was found in the molecular chaperons including heat shock protein 90-alpha (Hsp90-alpha), 14-3-3 protein epsilon, T-complex protein 1 subunit alpha, protein disulfide-isomerase A3, and calreticulin. Interestingly, proliferation-associated protein 2G4 has been up-regulated, and it suggests the possible effect of Coptis japonica on ErbB3-regulated signal transduction pathway and growth control of human colon cancer cells. Conclusion : Based upon the present findings, the further study will focus on monitoring various cancer survival factors after artificial regulation of the proteins identified, and it would be the basis for the understanding of the Coptis japonica anti-cancer effect(s) at the molecular level.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.280-286
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• 2023

In humic substances, fulvic acid (FA) is a subclass of diverse compounds known as humic substances, which are by-products of organic degradation from microorganisms. FA can suppress the proliferation of tumor cells. Despite numerous studies, the exact mechanism for the various effects of FA is not clearly understood. Based on results demonstrating anti-proliferation effects on human cancer, we investigated whether FA has similar effects on lung cancer in this study. Firstly, the anti-cancer effect of FA in pulmonary epithelial tumor cell lines (TC-1 cells) was examined by confirming its inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation of TC-1 cells. TC-1 cell proliferation was reduced by FA on a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. After 24 hours of FA treatment, cell morphological changes such as cell volume decrease, non-adherence and increased number of apoptotic cells were clearly observed. In addition, FA induced a DNA ladder pattern by increased of DNA fragments in TC-1 cells. In the intracellular regulatory pathway by FA, we confirmed that FA induced the reduction of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 protein levels. These results indicate that FA has anticancer effect by inducing intracellular apoptotic pathway. Further research on the mechanism of anticancer effects will be basic data for the development of potential anticancer drugs.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2
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• pp.245.1-245.1
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• 2002

It has been known that resveratrol, a phytoalexin present in grapes mainly, has antioxidant. anti-inflammatory, and cancer chemopreventive activity. One mechanism of its anti-inflammation and cancer prevention is considered to modulate cyclooxygense-2 (COX-2) activity. Since COX-2 plays an important role in inflammation and carcinogenesis, the potential COX-2 inhibitors have been considered as anti-inflammatory or cancer chemopreventive agents. (omitted)

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.479-491
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• 2023

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high incidence and is one of the highest mortality cancers when advanced stage is proceeded. However, Anti-cancer drugs available for treatment are limited and new anti-cancer drugs and new ways to treat them are minimal. We examined that the effects and possibility of Red Ginseng (RG, Panax ginseng Meyer) as new anti-cancer drug on HCC by combining network pharmacology and molecular biology. Materials and Methods: Network pharmacological analysis was employed to investigate the systems-level mechanism of RG focusing on HCC. Cytotoxicity of RG was determined by MTT analysis, which were also stained by annexin V/PI staining for apoptosis and acridine orange for autophagy. For the analyze mechanism of RG, we extracted protein and subjected to immunoblotting for apoptosis or autophagy related proteins. Results: We constructed compound-target network of RG and identified potential pathways related to HCC. RG inhibited growth of HCC through acceleration of cytotoxicity and reduction of wound healing ability of HCC. RG also increased apoptosis and autophagy through AMPK induction. In addition, its ingredients, 20S-PPD (protopanaxadiol) and 20S-PPT (protopanaxatriol), also induced AMPK mediated apoptosis and autophagy. Conclusion: RG effectively inhibited growth of HCC cells inducing apoptosis and autophagy via ATG/AMPK in HCC cells. Overall, our study suggests possibility as new anti-cancer drug on HCC by proof for the mechanism of the anti-cancer action of RG.

• 생약학회지
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2022

Sparassis crispa is an edible mushroom that has been widely utilized in Japan and Korea. It has various biological activities, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-allergic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer effects. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity and underlying molecular mechanism of chloroform fraction of methanol extract of S. crispa (CESP) against cervical cancer stem cells (CSCs), which contribute to tumor initiation, recurrence, and resistance to therapy of human cervical cancer. CESP effectively inhibited the proliferation, tumorsphere formation, and migration of HeLa-derived cervical CSCs by promoting apoptosis. In addition, CESP significantly downregulated the expression of key cancer stemness markers, including integrin α6, CD133, CD44, ALDH1A1, Nanog, Oct-4, and Sox-2, in HeLa-derived cervical CSCs. Furthermore, CESP remarkably suppressed in vivo tumor growth of HeLa-derived cervical CSCs in a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Therefore, our findings suggest that CESP has potential as a natural medicine for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer by targeting CSCs.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제33권12호
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• pp.978-986
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• 2023

선천면역체계에 의한 염증은 감염에 의해 매개되는 환경적 위험 요인에 대한 보호 메커니즘이며 암 발병을 포함한 다양한 인간 질병의 발병 원인이기도 하다. 지의류는 다양한 질병을 치료할 수 있는 가능성을 지닌 다양한 생체 활성분자를 가지고 있다는 측면에서 점점 더 주목받고 있다. 이끼류의 2차 대사산물이 지닌 항산화, 항염증 그리고 항암 활성에 대해서 널리 보고되었지만 아직까지 구체적인 메커니즘은 밝혀지지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 남극 지의류 Usnea aurantiaco-atra의 메탄올 추출물에 대한 항염증 및 항암 활성의 분자적 메커니즘을 조사하고자 하였다. 본 연구결과에 의하면 메탄올 추출물은 COX-2, IL-6, iNOS, TNF-α 및 NO 생성과 같은 주요 염증 지표들에 대해 농도 의존적으로 조절함으로써 항염증 활성을 나타냈다. 또한, 추출물이 농도 의존적으로 HCT116 결장암 세포에 대해 세포독성 활성을 가지며, caspase-3 활성화에 의한 세포사멸 유도를 통해 암세포의 증식을 현저히 감소시키는 것을 관찰했다. 이 연구에서 남극 이끼류인 Usnea aurantiaco-atra의 메탄올 추출물이 항염증과 항암 활성을 갖는다는 사실을 처음으로 보였으며 이러한 결과는 염증과 암 사이의 연관성을 뒷받침하는 분자 메커니즘에 대한 새로운 통찰력을 보여준다.