• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8119-8126
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• 2016

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Due to the toxic side effects of the commonly used chemotherapeutic drug cyclophosphamide (CTX), the use of herbal medicines with fewer side effects but having potential use as inducing anti-cancer outcomes in situ has become increasingly popular. The present study sought to investigate the effects of a methanolic extract of Bauhinia tomentosa against Dalton's ascites lymphoma (DAL) induced ascites as well as solid tumors in BALB/c mice. Specifically, B. tomentosa extract was administered intraperitonealy (IP) at 10 mg/kg. BW body weight starting just after tumor cell implantation and thereafter for 10 consecutive days. In the ascites tumor model hosts, administration of extract resulted in a 52% increase in the life span. In solid tumor models, co-administration of extract and CTX significantly reduced tumor volume (relative to in untreated hosts) by 73% compared to just by 52% when the extract alone was provided. Co-administration of the extract also mitigated CTX-induced toxicity, including decreases in WBC count, and in bone marrow cellularity and ${\alpha}$-esterase activity. Extract treatment also attenuated any increases in serum levels of $TNF{\alpha}$, iNOS, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, GM-CSF, and VEGF seen in tumor-bearing hosts. This study confirmed that, the potent antitumor activity of B.tomentosa extract may be associated with immune modulatory effects by regulating anti-oxidants and cytokine levels.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.213-217
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• 2006

Although AIMP1 (previously known as p43) is one of three auxiliary proteins bound to a macromolecular aminoacyl tRNA complex, it is also secreted as a cytokine controlling both angiogenesis and immune responses. Here we show that systemically administered purified recombinant human AIMP1 had anti-tumor activity in mouse xenograft models. In Meth A-bearing Balb/c mice, tumor volume increased about 28 fold in the vehicle treatment group, while an increase of about 16.7 fold was observed in the AIMP1-treated group. We also evaluated the anti-tumor activity of AIMP1 in combination with a sub-clinical dose of the cytotoxic anti-tumor drug, paclitaxel. The growth of NUGC-3 human stomach cancer cells was suppressed by 84% and 94% by the combinations of 5 mg/kg paclitaxel + 25 mg/kg AIMP1 (p = 0.03), and 5 mg/kg paclitaxel + 50 mg/kg AIMP1 (p = 0.02), respectively, while 5 mg/kg paclitaxel alone suppressed growth by only 54% (p = 0.02). A similar cooperative effect of AIMP1 and paclitaxel was observed in a lung cancer xenograft model. These results suggest that AIMP1 may be useful as a novel anti-tumor agent.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.459-465
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• 2008

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of in vivo administration of neem oil intra-peritoneally (i.p.) to mice bearing a progressively growing transplantable T cell lymphoma of spontaneous origin, designated as Daltons lymphoma (DL), on the tumor growth. Mice were administered various doses of neem oil mixed in groundnut oil, which was used as a diluting vehicle or for administration to control DL-bearing mice. Administration of neem oil resulted in an acceleration of tumor growth along with a reduction in the survival time of the tumor-bearing host. Neem oil administered DL-bearing mice showed an augmented apoptosis in splenocytes, bone marrow cells and thymocytes along with an inhibition in the anti-tumor functions of tumor-associated macrophages. Thus this study gives an altogether a novel information that neem oil instead of the popular belief of being anti-tumor and immunoaugmentary may in some tumor-bearing conditions, behave in an opposite way leading to an accelarated tumor progression along with a collapse of the host's anti-tumor machinery. These observations will thus have long lasting clinical significance, suggesting caution in use of neem oil for treatment of cancer.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 2006

Gastrodia elata Blume is a major imp0l1ant medicinal resource in Korea. In order to confirm the biological activities of Gastrodia elata Blume, we carried out various in vitro assays. Of them, anti-oxidant and anti-tumor activities were detected from assays. The prototype of Gastrodia elata Blume extracts was used for 1he evaluation of DPPH, FRAP, hydroxyradical scavenging assay as anti-oxidant assays, as well as anti-tumor asctivities as wound assay and invasion assay. As a result, the prototype of Gastrodia elata Blume extracts showed potent anti-oxidative activity and anti-tumor activity in vitro. These above results suggest that 1he Gastrodia elata Blume extracts could have potential to alleviate oxidation process, cell motility activity, and tumorigenesis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.456-465
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• 2023

Cervical tumors represent a prevalent form of cancer affecting women worldwide; current treatment options involve surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a crucial factor in cervical tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1/STK11) tumor suppressor protein on tumor angiogenesis have not been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of LKB1 in cervical tumor angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo in this study. Our results demonstrated that LKB1 inhibited cervical tumor angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of angiogenesis-related factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α. LKB1 directly affected both carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a significant reduction in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, LKB1 was found to bind to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and target the VEGFR-2-mediated protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in endothelial cells, thereby reducing cervical tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of LKB1 in cervical cancer. These findings will help develop new therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 2015

We examined the anti-inflammatory effect and anti-tumor activity of Tetragonia tetragonioides crude extracts and fractions. The anti-inflammatory activity of T. tetragonioides was exuded through the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $1{\mu}g/ml$), induced nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ production. The production of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ also decreased in LPS induced RAW264.7 cells after treatment with polysaccharide (PS) fraction. Furthermore, the hexane (HX) fraction strongly inhibited the granulocytes macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production. In ICR mice previously inoculated with Sarcoma 180, the life prolongation effects were 16.67% with an intraperitoneal injection of methanol (MeOH) extract and polysaccharide fraction at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. The results are an important preliminary step toward the development of effective anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agents using T. tetragonioides.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3397-3401
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• 2014

Determining cell quantity is a common problem in cytology research and anti-tumor drug development. A simple and low-cost method was developed to determine monolayer and adherent-growth cell quantities. The cell nucleus is located in the cytoplasm, and is independent. Thus, the nucleus cannot make contact even if the cell density is heavy. This phenomenon is the foundation of accurate cell-nucleus recognition. The cell nucleus is easily recognizable in images after fluorescent staining because it is independent. A one-to-one relationship exists between the nucleus and the cell; therefore, this method can be used to determine the quantity of proliferating cells. Results indicated that the activity of the histone deacetylase inhibitor Z1 was effective after this method was used. The nude-mouse xenograft model also revealed the potent anti-tumor activity of Z1. This research presents a new anti-tumor-drug evaluation method.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3041-3044
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• 2013

Background: The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase enzymes. Recent studies have shown that aspirin could be used as an anti-tumor drug. Triptolide, the major compound extracted from the Chinese herb Tripteryglum wilfordii Hook.f, has now been shown that it can inhibit tumor growth. The aim of this study was to analyze the anti-tumor efficiency of aspirin and triptolide in cervical cancer cells. Methods: Viability of cervical cancer cell lines was assessed by the MTT method at various concentrations of aspirin and triptolide. Siha and HeLa cell apoptotic analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Real time-PCR and Western Blotting were used to analyze the expression of Bcl-2/Bax, Cyclin D1 and p16. Results: Viability in the combination group was significantly decreased as compared with either drug used alone. Expression change of Bcl-2/Bax, CyclinD1 and p16 appeared to play an important role in the synergistic killing effect on cervical cancer cell apoptosis. Conclusion: Aspirin and triptolide combination treatment may have synergistic anti-tumor effects on cervical cancer cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.39-49
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• 2009

Objective : Phyllostachyos Folium (PF) has been used to treat patients with febrile disease consuming the body fluids marked by fever with restlessness, thirst etc. In the theory of herbology, PF can clear away heat and promote the production of the body fluids, relieve restlessness. Recently PF is known to have anti-bacterial, anti-oxidantic effects. Methods : The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of PF on solid tumor in mice in terms of immune-potentiating and direct cytotoxic action of PF in vitro and vivo study. The present author investigated thymocyte and splenocyte proliferation to confirm immune-potentiating activity of PF and also investigated tumor/body weight ratio and survival rates in tumor bearing mice. Result : In this study, administration of PF decreased tumor/body weight ratio significantly, and prolonged survival duration compared to non-treated control. In addition, treatment with PF suppressed proliferation rate of Sarcoma 180 (S-180) cells significantly, and elevated proliferation rates of thymocytes isolated from normal mice. These results were co-related with in vivo study. Conclusion : In conclusion, these results suggest that PF is useful to treat patient with solid tumor, because PF has direct toxic action for tumor cell and immune -potentiating action for T cells. Further study will need to elucidate exact mechanisms related in anti-cancer action of PF.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.265-276
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• 2014

The interactions between B7 molecules and CD28-family receptors are crucial in the regulation of adaptive cellular immunity. In cancer, the aberrant expression of co-inhibitory B7 molecules has been attributed to reduced anti-tumor immunity and cancer immune evasion, prompting the development of cancer therapeutics that can restore T cell function. Murine tumor models have provided significant support for the targeting of multiple immune checkpoints involving CTLA-4, PD-1, ICOS, B7-H3 and B7-H4 during tumor growth, and clinical studies investigating the therapeutic effects of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade have shown exceptionally promising results in patients with advanced melanoma and other cancers. The expression pattern of co-inhibitory B7 ligands in the tumor microenvironment has also been largely correlated with poor patient prognosis, and recent evidence suggests that the presence of several B7 molecules may predict the responsiveness of immunotherapies that rely on pre-existing tumor-associated immune responses. While monotherapies blocking T cell co-inhibition have beneficial effects in reducing tumor burden, combinatorial immunotherapy targeting multiple immune checkpoints involved in various stages of the anti-tumor response has led to the most substantial impact on tumor reduction. In this review, we will examine the contributions of B7- and CD28-family members in the context of cancer development, and discuss the implications of current human findings in cancer immunotherapy.