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Objective: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a prominent liver disease in contemporary society because of the changing dieting styles. Complicated syndromes often accompanied by obesity and diabetes makes no standard treatment for NASH. Therefore, we investigated the potential role of Antrodia cinnamomea mycelium (ACM) as nutraceutical supplementation in the treatment of NASH in this 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Method: 28 Participants were treated with three capsules per day containing either 420 mg of ACM or 420 mg of starch as a placebo. The participants were required to follow a predetermined regular visit to hospital every three months during the intervention period (6 months). During each study visit, subjects underwent anthropometric measurements and blood testing for biochemical analysis, immune function assay, inflammatory cytokines assay, and FibroMax test.Results: The ACM supplemented group had a significant improvement in steatosis and decreased in the inflammatory marker of TNF-α after three and six months. NASH patients who received ACM showed a significant decrease in the SteatoTest mean value from 0.66 at baseline to 0.49 at 6 months (p < 0.029) and the ActiTest mean value decreased from 0.46 at baseline to 0.30 at 6 months (p < 0.029).Conclusion: This is the first clinical investigation that explores the hepatoprotective effect of A. cinnamomea mycelium in patients with NASH. No participants experienced any adverse events during the study, which suggested that ACM is a safe alternative treatment for NASH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Traditional chemotherapies are still far from satisfactory due to the development of drug resistance and side effects derived from non-specific targeting of healthy normal cells. Recent reports suggest that combined physical and chemical approaches in cancer therapy may have synergistic advantage such as hyperthermia and chemotherapy especially when both approaches are delivered under synchronized manner. In addition, previous studies reported that CD44 plays multiple functions in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression. CD44 can be triggered to internalize by extracellular matrix or antibody and to form the transcriptional complex. Their nuclear translocation could turn on cancer reprogramming genes. In this study, we use this internalization pathway to design a novel hyperthermo-chemotherapy that shuttled the oligonucleotide magnetite nanoparticles from cell membrane to the nucleus. Materials and methods: The designed nanoparticle includes a high-saturation magnetization (94emu/g) magnetite nanocrystals core conjugated with polynucleotide loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) shells and anti-CD44 mAb. We used two OSCC cell lines (OEC-M1 and HSC-3) and two normal cells (NHOK and HUVEC) in targeting internalization study. We utilized radiofrequency (RF) to induce magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) and evaluated the efficacy in HSC-3 bearing NOD/SCID mice. Results: In the in vitro study, we discovered internalization of the membrane CD44 in OSCC cells significantly high than normal cells. The cytotoxicity text showed OSCC cells present significantly lower than normal cells after nanoparticle treatment. We further confirmed nanoparticle treatment combined RF can decrease cell viability in a time-dependent manner. The in vivo results showed only a single dose I.V. injection combined RF treatment caused tumor cell damage and decrease in tumor volume. Conclusion: This novel therapy consists of two stages: First, the CD44 induced internalization of the nanoparticle could augment both extra-and intracellular MHT by RF in oral cancer. Second, the 5-FU released during MHT provides effective chemotherapy to retard tumor re-progression. We anticipate such achievements could inspire further nano drug delivery strategy to advance oral cancer therapeutics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In response to the growing demand for immune-related products, this study evaluated the safety and immune-modulating potential of three newly discovered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains (GKM3, GKK1, and GKD7) through toxicity tests and whole-genome sequencing. Safety evaluations, including the analysis of antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, plasmids, and prophages, classified these strains as safe for human consumption. Acute oral toxicity tests further supported their safety. To evaluate their immune-modulating potential, dendritic cells were exposed to these strains, and the secretion of key cytokines (IFN-β and IL-12) was measured. Among the strains, GKK1 exhibited the highest enhancement of IFN-β and IL-12 production, suggesting its potential as an immune-stimulating probiotic. Bioinformatics analysis revealed potential metabolic pathways and secondary metabolites, including predicted bacteriocins, associated with immune modulation. The presence of a nitrate reductase region in the GKK1 strain indicated its ability to produce nitric oxide, a critical molecule involved in immune regulation and host defense. The presence of glucorhamnan-related gene clusters in GKK1 also suggested immune-enhancing effects. Nitrate reductase expression was confirmed using qPCR, with the highest levels detected in GKK1. Moreover, this study is the first to show an anti-inflammatory effect of plantaricin A, linked to its presence in strain GKM3 and its potential therapeutic applications due to sequence similarity to known anti-inflammatory peptides. Overall, these three L. plantarum strains demonstrated a safe profile and GKK1 showed potential as an immunity-enhancing probiotic. However, additional investigation is required to confirm the involvement of specific metabolic pathways, secondary metabolites, and bacteriocins in immune responses.

Objective: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a prominent liver disease in contemporary society because of the changing dieting styles. Complicated syndromes often accompanied by obesity and diabetes makes no standard treatment for NASH. Therefore, we investigated the potential role of Antrodia cinnamomea mycelium (ACM) as nutraceutical supplementation in the treatment of NASH in this 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study., Method: 28 Participants were treated with three capsules per day containing either 420 mg of ACM or 420 mg of starch as a placebo. The participants were required to follow a predetermined regular visit to hospital every three months during the intervention period (6 months). During each study visit, subjects underwent anthropometric measurements and blood testing for biochemical analysis, immune function assay, inflammatory cytokines assay, and FibroMax test., Results: The ACM supplemented group had a significant improvement in steatosis and decreased in the inflammatory marker of TNF-α after three and six months. NASH patients who received ACM showed a significant decrease in the SteatoTest mean value from 0.66 at baseline to 0.49 at 6 months ( p  < 0.029) and the ActiTest mean value decreased from 0.46 at baseline to 0.30 at 6 months ( p  < 0.029)., Conclusion: This is the first clinical investigation that explores the hepatoprotective effect of A. cinnamomea mycelium in patients with NASH. No participants experienced any adverse events during the study, which suggested that ACM is a safe alternative treatment for NASH.