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Linum usitatissimum seed essential oil (LSEO) has been used to reduce the risk of prostate and colon cancer. In this study, we optimized the bio-accessibility and bio-compatibility of LSEO to evalu...

Herein reported are results of the chemical and biological investigation of red propolis collected at the Brazilian Northeast coastline. New propolones A-D (1-4), with a 3-{3-[(2-phenylbenzofuran-3-yl)methyl]phenyl}chromane skeleton; propolonones A-C (5-7), with a 3-[3-(3-benzylbenzofuran-2-yl)phenyl]chromane skeleton; and propolol A (8), with a 6-(3-benzylbenzofuran-2-yl)-3-phenylchromane skeleton, were isolated as constituents of Brazilian red propolis by cytotoxicity-guided assays and structurally identified by analysis of their spectroscopic data. Propolone B (2) and propolonone A (5) display significant cytotoxic activities against an ovarian cancer cell line expressing a multiple drug resistance phenotype when compared with doxorubicin.

In this study we investigated anticancer effect of Moringa oleifera leaf extract on A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. The leave of Moringa oleifera were grinded into powder and the phytochemicals were extracted using 80% ethanol. For fractionation and partitioning process four kinds of solvents were used in order: Petroleum ether, Dichloromethane, Ethyl acetate and Water extract until the extract is colorless or lightened. For cell proliferation assay all samples were dissolved in DimethylSulfoxide. Anticancer effect of Moringa oleifera were tested on A2780 ovarian cell line with four different extracts using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. The final result showed that on Petroleum Ether, Dichloromethane and Ethyl Acetate extracts as the concentration increases from 1 µg/ml, 2 µg/ml, 3 µg/ml, 4 µg/ml inhibited A2780, despite that in water extracts when the concentration decreases the inhibitory effect increases, however, Dichloromethane Extract has higher anticancer effect on A2780 ovarian cancer cell line with insignificant cytotoxicity to the normal cell.

꿀벌에 의해 생산되는 프로폴리스는 이미 항균, 항산화, 항염증, 항바이러스 그리고 항종양 등의 기능성으로 중요성이 증가하고 있으며, 인공적으로 생성된 화합물이 아닌 자연에서 얻어진 천연물이라는 점에서 특히 가치가 증가하고 있다. 그 중에서도 인류에게 대표적 난치병 질병 중의 하나인 암에 대한 항종양 특징은 화학적 예방 요법이라는 측면에서 중요성과 활용도가 주목받고 있다. 그러나 프로폴리스가 가지는 항종양 같은 현상적인 효과라던가 프로폴리스 구성 성분의 특징에 대해서만 연구가 이루어지고 있고, 암세포에서 나타나는 구체적인 분자 기전에 대해서는 아직까지도 연구가 미비한 상황이다. 본 연구에서는 암세포에 대해서 프로폴리스가 나타내는 구체적인 분자기전을 제시함으로써 어떤 메커니즘으로 의해 프로폴리스가 항암에 대해 효과를 나타내는지 확인하고자 하였다. 암세포에 대해서 확실한 항암 효과를 보이기 위해서는 프로폴리스의 세포 사멸 농도를 확인하고 그 안에서 이루어지는 단백질 분자의 발현 양상 또는 분자 기능의 활성화 등을 기본적으로 확인해야 한다. 수많은 단백질들이 암세포의 성장 및 분화에 관여하고 있지만 현실적으로 세포 내부의 모든 단백질의 기능을 확인하기엔 불가능하기 때문에 세포의 분열과 사멸에 관련된 기본적인 단백질과 더불어 암에 관련된 단백질의 활성화 등은 반드시 확인해야 한다. 따라서 본 연구에서 제시된 결과를 보면 프로폴리스가 암세포에 대해서 항암 효과를 보이기 위해서는 100 μg/mL의 농도에서 비로소 세포 사멸 현상을 나타낼 수가 있으며, 그에 따라 암세포 내부의 수많은 단백질의 변화가 나타남을 알 수 있다. 특히 주목할 점은 국내의 지역에 따라 수집된 프로폴리스의 항암 효과가 암세포 내부에서 작용할 때는 큰 차이를 보인다는 것이다. 이것은 매우 중요한 결과로서 각 지역에 식재된 밀원수에 따라 프로폴리스의 구성성분이 달라지는 것이며 그에 따라 프로폴리스의 기능성에 큰 차이를 나타낸다는 의미이다. 이는 프로폴리스가 가지는 기능에서 항암뿐만이 아니라 항염증, 항산화 그리고 항균 작용에서도 지역별로 구성된 식물상에 따라 기능성의 차이가 결정된다는 것이다. 역으로 추적해서 각 지역에서 나타난 프로폴리스의 기능성 차이를 확인하고 해당 지역의 식물상을 분석한다면 질병 또는 특정 기능성을 가진 프로폴리스를 생산할 수 있다는 의미가 될 것이다. 자궁경부암 세포에 대한 프로폴리스의 성장저해 효과는 확인했지만 아직도 확인해야 할 기전은 매우 다양하다. 세포는 내부의 신호 체계가 매우 복잡하고 단일 신호 체계가 아닌 다중 신호 체계를 가지고 있기 때문에, 프로폴리스에서 항암 효과가 나타난다고 하더라도 암세포는 다른 방향으로 anti-apoptitic signal을 생성할 수 있다. 따라서 다양한 신호 체계에 대한 암세포 내 단백질 발현에 대한 변화를 확인해야 하며, 추가로 단백질의 phosphorylation, acetylation, protein folding 그리고 mutation과 같은 기능성을 검증해야 한다. 이런 분석을 통해 프로폴리스의 구체적인 세포 신호 경로를 확인해야만 항암과 관련하여 약물을 제조할 때 손쉽게 표적 특이적인 신약 제조가 이루어질 수 있을 것이다. 특히 암은 조직별로 그 특성을 다르게 가질 수 있기 때문에 조직 특이적인 맞춤형 약제의 생산이 가능할 것이다. 따라서 본 연구에서 제시된 지역별 프로폴리스의 항암 분자 기전 분석에 더하여 해당 지역의 밀원수 분석 및 세포 내 단백질 변화추적을 기반으로 앞으로 더 많은 종류의 암세포 저해 기전을 밝힌다면 대표적 양봉 산물인 프로폴리스를 이용한 특정 암에 대한 효과적인 항암제의 개발이 가능할 것으로 보여진다.

Ovarian cancer is known as a “silent killer” because of its nonspecific symptoms and generally late diagnosis due to the lack of reliable early detection tools. Medical detection canines have been shown to recognize the odor profile of malignant tumors of many types, including ovarian cancer, and may be utilized to help produce a much-needed early detection system for ovarian cancer. One significant drawback, however, is that to train detection canines on the odor signature of ovarian cancer, different samples or sets of samples must be used in every training session so that the canines do not begin to recognize an individual patient's odor signature or attune to patient-specific noncancerous olfactory cues. Therefore, numerous patient-derived samples must be obtained and stored for use in the training process. Ovarian cancer cell lines may be able to solve this obstacle, as they have low sample-to-sample variability and do not present patient-specific confounding olfactory cues. In this study, we attempted to train three medical detection dogs to alert to an ovarian cancer cell line (OVKATE) but not the culture media or nonmalignant cultured fallopian tube cells. Only one dog was able to discriminate between OVKATE and culture media and was able to be tested on other ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-4, OVCAR-8, and SK-OV-3). The dog's responses suggest a common or related olfactory signature of malignant ovarian cancer cell lines. We then tested whether an OVKATE-trained dog recognized the blood plasma of patients with confirmed ovarian cancer. We did not find strong evidence that the dog recognized the blood plasma of a patient with confirmed ovarian cancer within three testing trials, with the dog only hesitating at the target odor, suggesting that while training on the cell lines may prepare medical dedication canines to recognize the blood plasma of patient with ovarian cancer, it is not a spontaneous switch to blood plasma. Despite this outcome, the behavior of the dog led us to believe that this method could help further the use of medical detection canines to inform the production of early detection tools for ovarian cancer, which would lead to earlier diagnoses and more favorable outcomes from therapy.

Ovarian cancer is one of the commonly diagnosed cancers among women. Chemoresistant is an essential reason for treatment failure and high mortality. Emerging evidence connects epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) like changes and acquisition of chemoresistance in cancer. DNA methylation influences cellular processes including EMT. Here, we investigate EMT like changes in cisplatin-resistant A2780 ovarian cancer cells (A2780cis), and we study the DNA methylation role in EMT master genes regulation. Cell viability assay was carried to test the sensitivity of A2780, and A2780cis human cancer cell lines to cisplatin compared to other cancer cell lines. Differential mRNA expression of EMT markers using qPCR was conducted to investigate EMT like changes. The role of CpGs methylation in gene expression regulation was investigated by 5-azacytidine (5-aza) treatment. DNA methylation changes in EMT genes were identified using Methylscreen assay between A2780 and A2780cis cells. A2780cis maintains its cisplatin tolerance ability and exhibits phenotypic changes congruent with EMT. Methylscreen assay and qPCR study revealed DNA hypermethylation in promoters of epithelial adhesion molecules CDH1 and EPCAM in A2780cis compared to the cisplatin-sensitive parental cells, these changes were concomitant with gene expression down-regulation. DNA hypomethylation associated with transcription up-regulation of the mesenchymal marker TWIST2 was observed in the resistant cells. Azacytidine treatment confirmed the DNA methylation role in the regulation of gene expression of CDH1, EPCAM and TWIST2 genes. A2780cis cell line undergoes EMT like changes, and EMT master genes are regulated by DNA methylation. A better perception of the molecular alterations which correlate with chemoresistance may lead to therapeutic benefits such as chemosensitivity restoration.

Objectives: We tested if METCAM/MUC18 overexpression also plays a suppressor role in another human ovarian cancer cell line, BG-1, in addition to the SK-OV3 cell line.

β-Galactosidase (β-gal) is an important biomarker for primary ovarian cancers and cell senescence; however, a fast response fluorescent probe for ratiometric monitoring is still rare. A novel, ratiometric water-soluble fluorescent probe (FLM) for β-gal was developed. The emission ratio F550/F450 reached the maxima at about 5 min and can be used for real-time detection of β-gal; the ratio gained an ultimate enhancement of about 260-fold. The ratio (F550/F450) displayed brilliant β-gal-dependent performance and responded linearly with β-gal activity. The probe showed wonderful biocompatibility and was successfully used for the bioimaging of endogenous β-gal in the human ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR-3.

Significance: Commercial lasers, lamps, and light-emitting diode (LED) light sources have stimulated the clinical translation of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Yet, the continued exploration of new photosensitizers (PSs) for PDT often requires separate activation wavelengths for each agent being investigated. Customized light sources for such research frequently come at significant financial or technical cost, especially when compounded over many agents and wavelengths. Aim: LEDs offer potential as a cost-effective tool for new PS and multi-PS photodynamic research. A low-cost-per-wavelength tool leveraging high-power LEDs to facilitate efficient and versatile research is needed to further accelerate research in the field. Approach: We developed and validated a high-power LED array system for benchtop PDT with a modular design for efficient switching between wavelengths that overcome many challenges in light source design. We describe the assembly of a low-cost LED module plus the supporting infrastructure, software, and protocols to streamline typical in vitro PDT experimentation. Results: The LED array system is stable at intensities in excess of 100 mW/cm2 with 2.3% variation across the illumination field, competitive with other custom and commercial devices. To demonstrate efficacy and versatility, a primary ovarian cancer cell line was treated with two widely used PSs, aminolevulinic acid and verteporfin, using the LED modules at a clinically relevant 50 J/cm2 light dose that induced over 90% cell death for each treatment. Conclusions: Our work provides the community with a tool for new PS and multi-PS benchtop photodynamic research that, unlike most commercial light sources, affords the user a low barrier to entry and low-cost-per-wavelength with the goal of illuminating new insights at the forefront of PDT.

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies, presenting a major threat to women's life and health. It is essential to study the mechanisms of drug resistance to chemotherapy to identify ways to enhance drug-sensitivity. In recent years, many studies have shown that Smac/DIABLO is closely related to tumor drug resistance. Smac/DIABLO expression is markedly different between drug-resistant and chemo sensitive tumor cells. Up-regulation of Smac/DIABLO has been shown to increase tumor cell chemotherapy sensitivity. We found that Smac, combined with DDP greatly inhibited proliferation of subcutaneous xenografts of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3/DDP without side effects. Mechanistic studies showed that Smac can inhibit the expression of Survivin, promote cell apoptosis of drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells and reverse the drug resistance.