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                    <title><![CDATA[Colorectal Cancers]]></title>

                    <link>https://www.benthamscience.com</link>

                    <description>

                    RSS Feed for Disease Wise Article | BenthamScience

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                    <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 03:25:08 +0000</pubDate>

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                    <title><![CDATA[Colorectal Cancers]]></title>

                    <url>https://www.benthamscience.com</url>

                    <link>https://www.benthamscience.com</link>

                    </image><item><title><![CDATA[Causal Relationships of Chronic Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Digestive Tract Cancers: A Mendelian Randomization Study]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137275</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) manifest as prevalent gastrointestinal disorders, while digestive tract cancers (DTCs) present formidable challenges to global well-being. However, extant observational studies proffer uncertain insights into potential causal relationships of constipation and IBS with susceptibility to DTCs. </p> <p> Methods: We executed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to establish causal connections between these conditions and seven distinct categories of DTCs, including colorectal carcinoma (CRC), hepatocellular cancer (HCC), esophageal malignancy (ESCA), pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), biliary tract carcinoma (BTCs), gastric carcinoma (GC), and small intestine neoplasm (SIC). Leveraging instrumental variables (IVs) obtained from GWAS data of the FinnGen database, we employed a range of analytical methodologies, including inverse-variance weighting multiplicative random effects (IVW_MRE), inverse-variance weighting fixed effects (IVW_FE), maximum likelihood (ML), weighted median (WM), MR‒Egger regression, and the MR-PRESSO test. </p> <p> Results: We observed a substantial linkage between genetically predicted constipation and increased vulnerability to PAAD (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.422-3.69, P = 0.001) via the IVW method. Following the removal of outlier SNPs through MR-PRESSO, genetically predicted IBS was affiliated with an increased risk of CRC (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1-1.37, P = 0.05). Nonetheless, decisive causal correlations of constipation or IBS with other DTCs remain elusive. </p> <p> Conclusion: In summary, genetically predicted constipation was associated with an augmented PAAD risk, and IBS was associated with an increased CRC susceptibility within European cohorts, in agreement with some observational studies. Nevertheless, the causal associations of constipation and IBS with other DTCs remain inconclusive.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Pinworm (<i>Enterobius Vermicularis</i>) Infestation: An Updated Review]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138052</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Pinworm infestation is an important public health problem worldwide, especially among children 5 to 10 years of age in developing countries with temperate climates. The problem is often overlooked because of its mild or asymptomatic clinical manifestations. </p> <p> Objectives: The purpose of this article was to familiarize pediatricians with the diagnosis and management of pinworm infestation. </p> <p> Methods: A search was conducted in August 2023 in PubMed Clinical Queries using the key terms “Enterobius vermicularis,” OR “enterobiasis,” OR “pinworm.” The search strategy included all clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews published within the past 10 years. Only papers published in the English literature were included in this review. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of the present article. </p> <p> Results: Enterobiasis is a cosmopolitan parasitosis caused by Enterobius vermicularis. It affects approximately 30% of children worldwide and up to 60% of children in some developing countries. Predisposing factors include poor socioeconomic conditions, inadequate sanitation, poor personal hygiene, and overcrowding. Children aged 5 to 14 years have shown the highest prevalence of enterobiasis.. Egg transmission is mainly by the fecal-oral route. Approximately 30 to 40% of infested patients do not show any clinical symptoms of the disease. For symptomatic patients, the most common presenting symptom is nocturnal pruritus ani. The diagnosis of E. vermicularis infection is best established by the cellophane tape test. The sensitivity of one single test is around 50%; however, the sensitivity increases to approximately 90% with tests performed on three different mornings. If a worm is visualized in the perianal area or the stool, a pathological examination of the worm will yield a definitive diagnosis. As pinworms and eggs are not usually passed in the stool, examination of the stool is not recommended. The drugs of choice for the treatment of pinworm infestation are mebendazole (100 mg), pyrantel pamoate (11 mg/kg, maximum 1 g), and albendazole (400 mg), all of the above-mentioned drugs are given in a single dose and repeated in two weeks. Mebendazole and albendazole are both adulticidal and ovicidal, whereas pyrantel pamoate is only adulticidal. Given their safety and effectiveness, mebendazole and albendazole are currently the best available drugs for the treatment of pinworm infestation. For pregnant women, pyrantel is preferred to mebendazole and albendazole. Treatment of all household members should be considered, especially if there are multiple or repeated symptomatic infections because reinfection is common even when effective medication is given. </p> <p> Conclusion: In spite of effective treatment of pinworm infestation, recurrences are common. Recurrences are likely due to repeated cycles of reinfection (particularly, autoinfection) because of the short life span of adult pinworms. Good personal hygiene, such as frequent handwashing, especially after bowel movements and before meals, clipping of fingernails, avoidance of finger-sucking, nail-biting, and scratching in the anogenital area, are important preventive measures. Treatment of all household members should be considered, especially if there are multiple or repeated symptomatic infections.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[A Comparative Analysis of Renal Neoplasms with Immunohistochemistry
Study: Bahrain Experience]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136530</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: The incidence of renal neoplasms has been increasing globally. Immunohistochemistry aids in differentiating the subtypes of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC). <p> Objective: This study aimed to describe the demography of renal cancer in the Kingdom of Bahrain, comparing it to other regions worldwide, emphasizing the most common type of renal cancer, clinical presentation, and immunohistochemistry. <p> Methodology: This retrospective chart review comprises 74 Bahraini patients diagnosed with Renal neoplasms (from 2009-2019) at the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) Hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Variables collected include demographics, clinical presentation from patients’ electronic records and pathology registry, surgical management, immunohistochemistry, pathological staging, grading, and prognosis. IBM SPSS Statistics, version 28.0.0.0, was used. <p> Results: About 71 patients’ characteristics were analyzed; 63 had malignant neoplasms, and 8 had benign neoplasms. The mean age of patients with a malignant renal neoplasm was 56.38 (± 12.643). The most common presentation was an incidental finding (60.6% of lesions being right-sided). Clear Cell RCC was the most common malignant lesion (77.1%), and the most common stage was stage 1 (69.8%). CD10 and vimentin were 100% sensitive for Clear Cell RCC. No significant association was found between diabetes and a higher Fuhrman grade (3 or 4) (P = 0.066). <p> Conclusion: From 2009 to 2019, renal neoplasms incidence increased. The most common malignant neoplasm was clear cell RCC and among benign tumours was oncocytoma. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role in subtype determination. One recommendation would be to assess the incidence of renal neoplasms in other hospitals in Bahrain to establish more epidemiological data and compare our results with other Gulf hospitals.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Congenital Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Presentation, Etiology, Diagnosis and
Management]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/139402</link><description><![CDATA[Aortic aneurysms are common in adults due to atherosclerosis but are rare in children and young adults, often overlooked due to infrequent reporting. Acquired aneurysms are usually linked to factors like umbilical artery ligation, connective tissue diseases, or vasculitides. In contrast, the causes of congenital abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) remain unknown due to their extreme rarity. Only a few cases have been reported. Prompt diagnosis is essential when symptoms such as abdominal distention, vomiting, or abdominal pulsatility occur. Diagnosis is typically confirmed through ultrasonography and multi-slice spiral computed tomography angiographies (MCSTA). After detection, a comprehensive investigation is necessary to rule out acquired AAA causes. Managing congenital AAA requires a highly personalized approach, with early surgical repair using grafts as a recommended option. After an extensive analysis of numerous academic sources, we have comprehensively understood the epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnostic and treatment techniques for congenital abdominal aortic aneurysms.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[E7386 is not a Specific CBP/&#946;-Catenin Antagonist]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/132128</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background and Objective: The first clinically evaluated CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonist, PRI-724, displayed an excellent safety profile administered intravenously via continuous infusion. Eisai recently disclosed a third-generation, orally available, reportedly CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonist, E7386. However, several structural features and the reported cytotoxicity of E7386 were unexpected for a specific CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonist. Therefore, we undertook a comparison of E7386 versus the highly specific bona fide CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonists, ICG-001 and C82, the active agents derived from the prodrug PRI-724. <p> Introduction: CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonists rebalance the equilibrium between CBP/&#946;-catenin and p300/&#946;-catenin dependent transcription and may be able to treat or prevent many diseases of aging via maintenance of somatic stem cell pool and regulating mitochondrial function and metabolism involved in differentiation and immune cell function. The safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential of the specific CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonists, ICG-001, and the second-generation compound, C82, the active agent derived from the pro-drug PRI-724, have been studied extensively in a variety of preclinical disease models and in the clinic for oncology and hepatic fibrosis. However, the lack of oral bioavailability has hampered the further development of PRI-724. Thus, Eisai recently proposed a third-generation, orally available, reportedly CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonist E7386. Here, we have performed a comparative analysis of E7386 with the highly specific bona fide CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonists, ICG-001 and C82. <p> Methods: We utilized a series of previously validated biochemical and transcriptional assays to investigate the selective targeting of the CBP/&#946;-catenin interaction in conjunction with global transcriptional profiling to compare the three small molecules, ICG-001, C82, and E7386. <p> Result: Our data cast significant doubt that the mechanism of action of E7386 is via specific CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonism. <p> Conclusion: It can thus be concluded that E7386 is not a specific CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonist.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Quercetin Enhances 5-fluorouracil Sensitivity by Regulating the Autophagic
Flux and Inducing Drp-1 Mediated Mitochondrial Fragmentation in Colorectal
Cancer Cells]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138814</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: While chemotherapy treatment demonstrates its initial effectiveness in eliminating the majority of the tumor cell population, nevertheless, most patients relapse and eventually succumb to the disease upon its recurrence. One promising approach is to explore novel, effective chemotherapeutic adjuvants to enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. In the present study, we explored the effect of quercetin on the sensitivity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to conventional chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and the molecular mechanisms. <p> Methods: MTT assay, colony formation assay and Hoechst staining were performed to investigate the growth inhibition effect of quercetin alone or combined with 5-FU. The expression levels of apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins were assessed by western blotting. Intracellular ROS was detected using DCFH-DA. The change in the mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by a JC-1 probe. The effect of quercetin on mitochondrial morphology was examined using a mitochondrial-specific fluorescence probe, Mito-Tracker red. <p> Results: The results demonstrated quercetin induced apoptosis and autophagy, as well as imbalanced ROS, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and Drp-1-mediated mitochondrial fission in CRC cells. Autophagy blockage with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) enhanced quercetininduced cytotoxicity, indicating that quercetin induced cytoprotective autophagy. Meanwhile, quercetin enhanced the sensitivity of CRC cells to 5- FU via the induction of mitochondrial fragmentation, which could be further enhanced when the quercetin-induced protective autophagy was blocked by CQ. <p> Conclusions: The findings of the study suggested that quercetin could enhance the sensitivity of CRC cells to conventional agent 5-FU by regulating autophagy and Drp-1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation. Therefore, quercetin may act as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant. Moreover, the regulation of autophagic flux may be a potential therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[PF-04449913 Inhibits Proliferation and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer Cells by
Down-regulating MMP9 Expression through the ERK/p65 Pathway]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134613</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Introduction: Colorectal cancer remains a life-threatening malignancy with increasing morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, new and effective anticolorectal cancer therapeutics are urgently needed. <P> Methods: In this study, we have studied the anti-tumor properties and potential mechanisms of PF-04449913. Colorectal cancer cell viability was reduced by PF-04449913 in a dose-dependent manner. The migration and invasion ability of malignant colon cells were attenuated by the drug, as demonstrated by the Transwell test. Moreover, PF-04449913 repressed the phosphorylation levels of ERK and other proteins, and the expression levels of MMP9. The anti-tumor effects of the drug <i>in vivo</i> were demonstrated in BALB/c-nude mice models, and PF-04449913 inhibited the malignant phenotype of colorectal cancer cells, including reduction of tumor size and promotion of apoptosis. At the molecular level, PF-04449913 induced a significant decrease in ERK and p65 protein phosphorylation levels and inhibited MMP9 protein expression. <P> Results: Both <i>in vivo</i> and in vitro results showed PF-04449913 to demonstrate antitumor effects, which have been proposed to be mediated through blockade of the ERK/p65 signaling pathway, and subsequent repression of MMP9 expression. <P> Conclusion: Our study provides a new perspective on the potential clinical application of PF-04449913 in the treatment of colorectal cancer.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Maprotiline Prompts an Antitumour Effect by Inhibiting PD-L1 Expression in
Mice with Melanoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135227</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Research has revealed that the expression of PD-L1 is significantly upregulated in tumour cells and that the binding of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) to programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibits the response of T cells, thereby suppressing tumour immunity. Therefore, blocking PD-L1/PD-1 signalling has become an important target in clinical immunotherapy. Some old drugs, namely, non-anticancer drugs, have also been found to have antitumour effects, and maprotiline is one of them. Maprotiline is a tetracyclic antidepressant that has been widely used to treat depression. However, it has not yet been reported whether maprotiline can exert an antitumour effect on melanoma. <p> Objective: This study aimed to investigate the antitumour efficacy of maprotiline in mice with melanoma. <p> Methods: In this study, female C57BL/6 mice were used to establish a tumour-bearing animal model. After treatment with maprotiline, the survival rate of mice was recorded daily. The expression of relevant proteins was detected by Western blotting, the proportion of immune cells was detected by flow cytometry, and the infiltration of immune cells in tumour tissue was detected by immunofluorescence staining. <p> Results: Maprotiline was found to inhibit the proliferation and migration of B16 cells while increasing cell apoptosis. Importantly, treatment with maprotiline decreased the expression of PD-L1 and increased the proportion of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells in the spleen. It also increased the infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumour tissue. <p> Conclusion: Our research findings suggest that maprotiline enhances the antitumour immune response in mouse melanoma by inhibiting PD-L1 expression. This study may discover a new PD-L1 inhibitor, providing a novel therapeutic option for the clinical treatment of tumours.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Perspectives on the Role of P21-Activated Kinase 1 (PAK1) in the Intestinal
Anti-inflammatory and Antitumor Potential of Artepillin C]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/131219</link><description><![CDATA[The Brazilian biodiversity may bring new perspectives to the therapy of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and intestinal cancer. The effect of Brazilian Green Propolis in reducing ulcerative colitis in mice has already been described, as well as high amounts of the prenylated compound Artepellin C (ARC). The search for new pharmacological targets for IBD is also advancing. Among possibilities is the p21-activated kinase (PAK1), overexpressed and activated in the intestinal mucosa during IBD and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). PAK 1 contributes to tissue inflammation by reducing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor type &#947; (PPAR47) and increasing activation of nuclear factor (NF)-&#954;B. At least in vitro, inhibition of PAK1 has been reported to mitigate NF-&#954;B-mediated inflammation in intestinal cells and ARC inhibits PAK1 activation. Given this pharmacological potential of ARC and the role of PAK1 in IBD and CAC, this perspective collected information that encourages future research to test the hypothesis that ARC can maintain intestinal integrity under the inflammatory and neoplastic stimulus and that inhibition of PAK1/NF-&#954;B signaling and favoring PPAR-&#947; activity is pivotal in this action. Therefore, future studies employing in vitro and in vivo steps, using murine and human enterocytes and rodents submitted to ulcerative colitis and CAC models are incentivized by the data gathered here, favor retirar essas palavras: mostly in vitro studies, before clinical trials. Therefore, the perspective presented here points to an interesting path in the search for a drug useful in inflammatory and neoplastic intestinal diseases, which may have ARC as a prototype, acting on a target not yet explored clinically.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[A Deeply Quiescent Subset of CML LSC depend on FAO yet Avoid Deleterious
ROS by Suppressing Mitochondrial Complex I]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134302</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background and Objective: Disease relapse and therapy resistance remain serious impediments to treating cancer. Leukemia stem cells (LSC) are therapy resistant and the cause of relapse. A state of deep quiescence appears to enable cancer stem cells (CSC) to acquire new somatic mutations essential for disease progression and therapy resistance. Both normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and LSC share many common features, thereby complicating the safe elimination of LSC. A recent study demonstrated that long lived normal oocytes exist without mitochondrial complex I (MC-1), expressing it in a developmentally regulated fashion, thereby mitigating their vulnerability to ROS. Quiescent CSC rely on mitochondrial FAO, without complex I expression, thereby avoiding the generation of damaging ROS, similar to long lived normal human stem cells. A deeper understanding of the biology of therapy resistance is important for the development of optimal strategies to attain complete leukemia cures. <P> Methods: Here, using scRNA-sequencing and ATAC-seq on primary chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patient samples, combined with bioinformatics analyses, we further examine the heterogeneity of a previously characterized in vitro imatinib-selected CD34-CD38- CML LSC population. We utilized a series of functional analyses, including single-cell metabolomic and Seahorse analyses, to validate the existence of the deepest quiescent leukemia initiators (LI) subset. <P> Results: Current study revealed heterogeneity of therapy resistant LSC in CML patients and their existence of two functionally distinct states. The most deeply quiescent LI suppress the expression of MC-1, yet are highly dependent on fatty acid oxidation (FAO) for their metabolic requirements and ATAC-seq demonstrated increased chromatin accessibility in this population, all consistent with an extremely primitive, quiescent stemness transcriptional signature. Importantly, the specific CREB binding protein (CBP)/&#946;-catenin antagonist ICG-001 initiates the differentiation of LSC, including LI, decreases chromatin accessibility with differentiation and increasing expression of MC-1, CD34, CD38 and BCR-ABL1, thereby resensitizing them to imatinib. <P> Conclusion: We investigated the biological aspects related to LSC heterogeneity in CML patients and demonstrated the ability of specific small molecule CBP/&#946;-catenin antagonists to safely eliminate deeply quiescent therapy resistant CSC. These observations may represent an attractive generalizable therapeutic strategy that could help develop better protocols to eradicate the quiescent LSC population.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[At the Crossroads of TNF &#945; Signaling and Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134363</link><description><![CDATA[Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF&#945;) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine of the TNF superfamily. It regulates key cellular processes such as death, and proliferation besides its well-known role in immune response through activation of various intracellular signaling pathways (such as MAPK, Akt, NF-&#954;B, etc.) via complex formation by ligand-activated TNF&#945; receptors. TNF&#945; tightly regulates the activity of key signaling proteins via their phosphorylation and/or ubiquitination which culminate in specific cellular responses. Deregulated TNF&#945; signaling is implicated in inflammatory diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer. TNF&#945; has been shown to exert opposite effects on cancer cells since it activates prosurvival as well as anti-survival pathways depending on various contexts such as cell type, concentration, cell density, etc. A detailed understanding of TNF&#945; signaling phenomena is crucial for understanding its pleiotropic role in malignancies and its potential as a drug target or an anticancer therapeutic. This review enlightens complex cellular signaling pathways activated by TNF&#945; and further discusses its role in various cancers.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Regulating miRNAs Expression by Resveratrol: Novel Insights based on
Molecular Mechanism and Strategies for Cancer Therapy]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135470</link><description><![CDATA[Resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin found in a wide range of plants, including grapes, berries, and peanuts, is an extensively researched phytochemical with unique pharmacological capabilities and amazing potential to affect many targets in various cancers. Resveratrol's anti-cancer activities are due to its targeting of a variety of cellular and molecular mechanisms and crucial processes involved in cancer pathogenesis, such as the promotion of growth arrest, stimulation of apoptosis, suppression of cell proliferation, induction of autophagy, regulating oxidative stress and inflammation, and improving the influence of some of the other chemotherapeutic agents. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression by degrading mRNA or inhibiting translation. MiRNAs serve critical roles in a wide range of biological activities, and disruption of miRNA expression is strongly linked to cancer progression. Recent research has shown that resveratrol has anti-proliferative and/or pro-apoptotic properties via modulating the miRNA network, which leads to the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, the activation of apoptosis, or the increase of traditional cancer therapy effectiveness. As a result, employing resveratrol to target miRNAs will be a unique and potential anticancer approach. Here, we discuss the main advances in the modulation of miRNA expression by resveratrol, as well as the several miRNAs that may be influenced by resveratrol in different types of cancer and the significance of this natural drug as a promising strategy in cancer treatment.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Hsa_Circ_0000021 Sponges miR-3940-3p/KPNA2 Expression to Promote
Cervical Cancer Progression]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/129590</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a vital role in the occurrence of numerous cancers. However, its function and pattern of expression in cervical cancer (CC) remain unclear. This research aims to investigate the hsa_circ_000002’s regulatory mechanism in CC. <P> Methods: Hsa_circ_0000021, miR-3940-3p, and KPNA2 expression levels were estimated through qRT-PCR. Nuclear/cytoplasmic separation was conducted to find the subcellular location of hsa_circ_0000021. Western blot was done to estimate the levels of KPNA2 protein. CCK-8, BrdU, wound healing, transwell, and tumor xenograft assays were performed to study how hsa_circ_0000021/miR-3940-3P/KPNA2 function affect CC. Hsa_circ_0000021’s targeting relationships with miR-3940-3p and KPNA2 were ascertained through RIP and luciferase experiments. <P> Results: Hsa_circ_0000021 and KPNA2 were overexpressed and inversely associated with the levels of miR-3940-3p in CC. Knocking down either hsa_circ_0000021 or KPNA2 repressed the growth of CC tumors as well as the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CC cells. Silencing miR-3940-3p promoted the malignant proliferation of CC cells. Regarding its mechanism, hsa_circ_0000021 affected the malignant CC cell proliferation via the sponging of miR-3940-3p, which targeted KPNA2. <P> Conclusion: Hsa_circ_0000021 regulates the miR-3940-3p/KPNA2 axis to promote CC occurrence. This potentially is a novel target for CC treatment.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[IMPDH2 Positively Impacts the Proliferation Potential of Hepatoblastoma Cells
by Activating JunB Signaling Pathway]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138645</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: Amplification of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase II, EC 1,1,1,205 (IMPDH2) has been reported in various cancers, which results in transformation and tumorigenicity. In our current work, we have explored the oncogenic properties and the underlying pathophysiology of IMPDH2 in hepatoblastoma (HB). <P> Methods: To investigate IMPDH2 expression in HB tissues and prognostic significance in HB patients, gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) has been adopted. Immunohistochemistry has also helped to validate the protein expression of IMPDH2 in HB tissues. The effect of IMPDH2 overexpression or depletion on the proliferation of Hepatoblastoma cells in vitro has been evaluated by CCK8 assays and colony formation assays. Xenograft tumor growth of mice has been detected. Luciferase reporter assays have been conducted to determine the interaction of IMPDH2 and JunB, which was further asserted by pharmacological inhibition of JunB. <P> Results: IMPDH2 was highly expressed in HB tissues. Experimentally, the proliferation and colony formation of HuH6 cells were increased by IMPDH2 overexpression. Conversely, genetic inactivation of IMPDH2 impaired the proliferative efficiency and colony-forming rate of HepG2 cells. Besides, the luciferase reporter assay validated IMPDH2 overexpression to be associated with enhanced JunB transcriptional activity, while its activity was diminished in the case of IMPDH2 depletion. JunB inhibitor neutralized the IMPDH2-mediated increased phosphorylation of JunB. <P> Conclusion: Our findings, thus, suggest that IMPDH2 exhibits its oncogenic role in HB partially via JunB-dependent proliferation.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Molecular Insight into the Apoptotic Mechanism of Cancer Cells: An
Explicative Review]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137402</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Mitosis of somatic cells produces a daughter cell. Apoptosis, a naturally programmed cellular death mechanism, kills abnormal cells produced by mitosis. Cancer can develop when this equilibrium is disrupted, either by an upsurge in cell propagation or a reduction in tissue demise. Cancer therapy aims to cause cancer cells to die while inflicting little harm to healthy cells. This review of apoptotic mechanism processes improves our understanding of how certain malignancies begin and develop. The current cancer treatments can operate either by inducing apoptosis or causing direct cell damage. An insight into the resistance to apoptosis may explicate why malignancy treatments fail in some situations. New therapies grounded on our understanding of apoptotic processes are being developed to induce apoptosis of cancer cells while limiting the simultaneous death of normal cells. Various biological activities require redox equilibrium to function properly. <P> Antineoplastic medications that cause oxidative stress by raising ROS and blocking antioxidant mechanisms have recently attracted much interest. The rapid accumulation of ROS impairs redox balance and damages cancer cells severely. Here, we discuss ROS-instigating malignancy therapy and the antineoplastic mechanism used by prooxidative drugs.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[E2F1 Reduces Sorafenib’s Sensitivity of Esophageal Carcinoma Cells via
Modulating the miR-29c-3p/COL11A1 Signaling Axis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/130004</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Objective: Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is a common malignancy characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Our work managed to dissect the modulatory mechanism of E2F1/miR-29c-3p/COL11A1 in the malignant progression and sensitivity of ESCA cells to sorafenib. <P> Methods: Via bioinformatics approaches, we identified the target miRNA. Subsequently, CCK-8, cell cycle analysis, and flow cytometry were used to check the biological influences of miR-29c-3p on ESCA cells. TransmiR, mirDIP, miRPathDB, and miRDB databases were used as tools for the prediction of upstream transcription factors and downstream genes of miR-29c-3p. The targeting relationship of genes was detected via RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation, which was further validated by dual-luciferase assay. Finally, in vitro experiments revealed the way E2F1/miR-29c-3p/COL11A1 affected sorafenib’s sensitivity, and in vivo experiments were used to verify the way E2F1 and sorafenib impacted ESCA tumor growth. <P> Results: miR-29c-3p, downregulated in ESCA, could suppress ESCA cell viability, arrest the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase, and impel apoptosis. E2F1 was found to be upregulated in ESCA and it could abate the transcriptional activity of miR-29c-3p. COL11A1 was found to be a downstream target of miR-29c-3p to enhance cell viability, induce cell cycle arrest in S phase, and constrain apoptosis. Cellular and animal experiments together demonstrated that E2F1 abated the sorafenib’s sensitivity of ESCA cells via miR-29c-3p/COL11A1. <P> Conclusion: E2F1 affected the viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis of ESCA cells by modulating miR-29c-3p/COL11A1, and it attenuated the sensitivity of ESCA cells to sorafenib, shedding new light on the treatment of ESCA.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Advancements in the Research of GEF-H1: Biological Functions and Tumor
Associations]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138153</link><description><![CDATA[Guanine nucleotide exchange factor H1 (GEF-H1) is a unique protein modulated by the GDP/GTP exchange. As a regulator of the Rho-GTPase family, GEF-H1 can be activated through a microtubule-depended mechanism and phosphorylation regulation, enabling it to perform various pivotal biological functions across multiple cellular activities. These include the regulation of Rho-GTPase, cytoskeleton formation, cellular barrier, cell cycle, mitosis, cell differentiation, and vesicle trafficking. Recent studies have revealed its crucial effect on the tumor microenvironment (TME) components, promoting tumor initiation and progress. Consequently, an in-depth exploration of GEF-H1’s biological roles and association with tumors holds promise for its potential as a valuable molecular target in tumor treatment.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Natural Excipients: Role in Nano Drug Delivery System]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136751</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Excipients are increasingly employed in novel dosage forms to accomplish specialized roles, and they also directly or indirectly alter the extent and rate of drug release and absorption. The trend toward using plant-based and natural goods has raised demand and, in some ways, replaced synthetic additives with natural ones. Natural and semisynthetic materials offer various advantages over synthetic materials since they are chemically inert, less toxic, less expensive, biodegradable, increase product shelf life, and are widely accessible. </p> <p> Objectives: This review aims to cover the natural excipients’ role in nanoformulations and associated prospects.</p> <p> Methods: More than 500 manuscripts were collected from ScienceDirect, PubMed, google, and other sources; however the manuscripts were excluded based on their relevance to the subject and finally 80 manuscripts were analyzed for the data. </p> <p> Results: The substation of synthetic lipids with natural and semisynthetic for developing lipid-based nano drug delivery, and the use of gelatin and chitosan in developing encapsulated and nano particulates are a few examples to understand the above-mentioned transition. </p> <p> Conclusion: This review provides an overview of the types of excipients used in the formulation of novel drug delivery systems with special emphasis on their characteristics, safety aspects, benefits associated, and common methods through, which they are employed in nanoformulations.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Analysis of Anti-Cancer Effects in Grapefruit-based Drug Development:
A Narrative Review]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136555</link><description><![CDATA[Cancer remains a significant global health concern, and natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables have shown potential anti-cancer effects. Grapefruit (<i>Citrus paradisi</i>) has gained attention due to its rich phytochemical composition and biological activities, including anti-cancer properties. This narrative review analyzes the literature on grapefruit-based drug development and its potential as an adjunctive or alternative therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Grapefruit-derived compounds have been extensively studied for their anti-cancer effects, with preclinical studies showing promising outcomes in inhibiting cancer cell growth and proliferation. Compounds made from grapefruit also have anti-cancer effects. They do this in a number of ways, such as by affecting the cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis, and key signalling pathways. Petrified grapefruit compounds have potential synergistic effects with conventional chemotherapy drugs, enhancing cytotoxic effects while reducing adverse side effects. They have shown promising results in overcoming drug resistance, a major obstacle in cancer treatment. However, challenges such as bioavailability, drug interactions, and variability in compound composition remain. Overall, grapefruit-derived compounds possess significant anti-cancer properties and warrant further investigation for clinical application.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Targeted Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics: An Update]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138096</link><description><![CDATA[Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have become a key player in the growth of tumors, the spread of cancer, and the resistance to therapeutic interventions. Targeting these elusive cell populations has the potential to fundamentally alter cancer treatment plans. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells (TICs), are thought to play a role in both medication resistance and cancer recurrence. This is explained by their capacity to regenerate themselves and change into different kinds of cancer cells. Due to their higher expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane transporters, enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT) characteristics, improved immune evasion, activation of survival signaling pathways, and improved DNA repair mechanisms, CSCs exhibit extraordinary resistance to therapies. This comprehensive analysis delves into advancements in the domain of Targeted Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics, concentrating on unraveling the distinctive traits of CSCs and the therapeutic methods devised to eliminate them.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Nutraceuticals Health Benefits in Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137969</link><description><![CDATA[Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with multiple pathological components. Genetic abnormalities, infection or inflammation, poor diet, radiation exposure, work stress, and/or ingestion of toxic substances have all been associated with cancer development and progression. Early detection and treatment of cancer have been shown to increase the chances of survival and recovery and reduce the side effects of anticancer drugs. Anticancer drugs continue to cause negative side effects that negate treatment benefits in terms of hospitalization and survival. Many naturally occurring bioactive compounds are shown to have anticancer properties. That is, they can eliminate altered and cancer cells without harming their healthy counterparts. In particular, the following activities have been reported to support nutrition during cancer treatment: cell growth inhibition, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and minimized negative effects due to natural antioxidants. Keeping the side effects minimum helps patients adhere to anticancer therapy. Among currently available anticancer agents, dietary supplementation can be considered in conjunction with current chemotherapy to improve response and compliance in cancer patients. However, it should be noted that before discussing data from studies on bioactive plant supplements, it is important to ensure that the tests were performed according to protocol.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Metformin Inhibits NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Regulates Inflammatory Microenvironment to Delay the Progression of Colorectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138421</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor, with about one million people diagnosed with it worldwide each year. Recent studies have found that metformin can inhibit the production of inflammatory factors and regulate the polarization of immune cells. However, whether metformin can regulate the inflammatory microenvironment and delay the progression of colorectal cancer by inhibiting the inflammatory response has not been deeply studied yet. </p> <p> Objectives: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism by which metformin inhibits the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, regulates the inflammatory microenvironment, and delays the progression of colorectal cancer through <i>in vitro</i> cell experiments. </p> <p> Methods: In this research, NLRP3 was knocked down in human colorectal cancer cells, and metformin was added to them. Cell proliferation ability was detected by CCK8, and cell migration and invasion abilities were assessed by Transwell assay. The apoptosis rate was determined by flow cytometry. In addition, the expression of NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles and inflammatory factors in each group of cells was studied by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Finally, clinical colorectal cancer samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. </p> <p> Results: The results of the study showed that NLRP3 expression was significantly increased in colorectal cancer cell lines and human colorectal cancer tissues. Knockdown of NLRP3 significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, the proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells were also significantly reduced by the addition of metformin intervention. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and WB results demonstrated that the expression of IL-1&#946;, IL-6, TNF- &#945;, TGF-&#946;, and IL-10 was down-regulated in LS1034 tumor cells after NLRP3 knockdown. In addition, metformin intervention also resulted in different degrees of downregulation of NLRP3 and inflammatory factor expression (p &#960;0.05). Notably, the reduction in inflammatory factors was more pronounced after the combination of NLRP3 knockdown and metformin intervention. </p> <p> Conclusion: Metformin can inhibit the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, thereby suppressing the expression of inflammation-related factors, reducing the damage of the inflammatory microenvironment to normal cells, and delaying the progression of colorectal cancer.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Recent Advancement in Nanotechnological Approaches for Increasing the Effectiveness of Herbal Drugs in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138037</link><description><![CDATA[Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most prevalent cancer type and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The mortality rate from colon cancer has seen a significant increase, correlating with the widespread adoption of Western dietary habits and lifestyles. Medicinal plants, notably those containing functional phytochemicals like polysaccharides, exhibit antitumor and anti-apoptotic properties, offering potential for CRC prevention and treatment. Enhancing the efficacy of herbal medicines and addressing problems related to them could eventually become possible with the help of nanoscale drug delivery systems. Improved solubility and bioavailability, protection from toxicity, resistance to physical and chemical degradation, increased pharmacological activity, better distribution to tissue macrophages, and more stable are merely some of the benefits of developing nano dosage forms for herbal drugs in phyto-formulation research. The article has been drafted by gathering recent information available in Scopus, Science Direct, Pubmed, Medline and Web of Science databases. The inclusion criterion was an English language article showing the effective use of whole plant or herbal products in CRC. Original articles and short communications on <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> experiments were included. Exclusion criteria included irrelevant studies, insufficient data, and mushroom or algae investigations. Case reports/case series, and letters to editors were not included but used to discover applicable primary material. This review suggests medicinal plants can produce anti-CRC chemicals. Herbs and spices with antiproliferative and angiogenesis-inhibiting properties may be useful as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic therapies for colorectal cancer. This narrative review explores the usefulness of medicinal plants in the treatment of CRC using a novel drug delivery system. Nanotechnology is highlighted as a driving force behind the recent breakthroughs in CRC screening, diagnosis, and therapy. This review seeks to inform researchers on nanotechnology in CRC and inspire innovative nanotechnology-based therapies.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Acetaldehyde and Butyrate: Their Biological Effects on the Liver and the
Gut Axis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137756</link><description><![CDATA[<P>The gut is the most accommodating environment in the human body for bacteria. The microbial community there is both dense and varied. The gut microbe forms an axis with the human liver, according to the theory of liver disease causation. The portal vein, systemic circulation, and biliary tract all provide bidirectional connections between the liver and the intestines. The liver secretes bile acid and a wide variety of bioactive mediators into the biliary tract and general circulation. <P> On the other hand, the portal vein carries microbial-produced endogenous compounds from the colon to the liver, where they might disrupt liver function. Acetyl-aldehyde and butyrate are two of the many byproducts produced by the microbiota in the human gut in response to indigestible food. In addition, these two waste products alter liver function and play an important role in maintaining intestinal health in humans. This paper reviews the literature on the link between butyrate and acetyl-aldehyde production in the human gut and the organ's role in the development of liver disease. Butyrate, acetyl-aldehyde, and liver disease all play roles in the gut-liver axis.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[T1 Mapping and Amide Proton Transfer Weighted Imaging for Predicting
Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Rectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138395</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Accurate preoperative judgment of lymph node (LN) metastasis is a critical step in creating a treatment strategy and evaluating prognosis in rectal cancer (RC) patients. <p> Objective: This study aimed to explore the value of T1 mapping and amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) imaging in predicting LN metastasis in patients with rectal cancer. <p> Methods: In a retrospective study, twenty-three patients with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent MRI and surgery from August 2019 to August 2021 were selected. Then, 3.0T/MR sequences included conventional sequences (T1WI, T2WI, and DWI), APTw imaging, and T1 mapping. Patients were divided into LN metastasis (group A) and non-LN metastasis groups (group B). The intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the inter-observer consistency. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between T1 and APT values. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the differential performance of each parameter and their combination. The difference between AUCs was compared using the DeLong test. <p> Results: The APT value in patients with LN metastasis was significantly higher than in those without LN metastasis group (P=0.020). Also, similar results were observed for the T1 values (P=0.001). The area under the ROC curve of the APT value in the prediction of LN metastasis was 0.794; when the cutoff value was 1.73%, the sensitivity and specificity were 71.4% and 88.9%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the T1 value was 0.913; when the cutoff value was 1367.36 ms, the sensitivity and specificity were 78.6% and 100.0%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of T1+APT was 0.929, with a sensitivity of 78.6% and specificity of 100.0%. <p> Conclusion: APT and T1 values show great diagnostic efficiency in predicting LN metastasis in rectal cancer.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Clinical Implementation of Dual-Energy CT Technical for Hepatobiliary
Imaging]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136997</link><description><![CDATA[Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) applies two energy spectra distributions to collect raw data based on traditional CT imaging. The application of hepatobiliary imaging, has the advantages of optimizing the scanning scheme, improving the imaging quality, highlighting the disease characterization, and increasing the detection rate of lesions. In order to summarize the clinical application value of DECT in hepatobiliary diseases, we searched the technical principles of DECT and its existing studies, case reports, and clinical guidelines in hepatobiliary imaging from 2010 to 2023 (especially in the past 5 years) through PubMed and CNKI, focusing on the clinical application of DECT in hepatobiliary diseases, including liver tumors, diffuse liver lesions, and biliary system lesions. The first part of this article briefly describes the basic concept and technical advantages of DECT. The following will be reviewed:the detection of lesions, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of lesions, hepatic steatosis, quantitative analysis of liver iron, and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of DECT in hepatobiliary imaging. Finally, the contents of this paper are summarized and the development prospect of DECT in hepatobiliary imaging is prospected.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Small Intestinal
Leiomyosarcoma with Hepatic Metastasis: A Clinical Report of One Case and
Review of the Literature]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135490</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Small intestinal leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical symptoms are atypical and can be complicated by gastrointestinal bleeding and intestinal obstruction. <p> Case Presentation: We report a case of a 73-year-old patient with small intestinal smooth muscle sarcoma with hepatic metastasis. No significant abnormalities were seen on examination of the abdomen. We performed abdominal enhancement CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and ultrasoundguided pelvic mass puncture biopsy, and we found a heterogeneous density and echogenicity of the pelvic mass, and the enhancement was progressive with sustained hyperenhancement. The postoperative pathology was smooth muscle sarcoma of the small intestine. The typical fast-in, fast-out bull's-eye sign of metastases, characterized the liver presented with multiple hypodense and echogenic nodules and the enhancement. The clinical presentation, imaging, histologic features, and treatment are also discussed in this article. <p> Conclusion: This article briefly reviews the literature on small intestinal leiomyosarcoma. The purpose of this case report is to emphasize the specificity of the case and evaluate the imaging presentation of ultrasound (US) and CEUS and the main differential diagnosis of this rare gastrointestinal tumor.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Identifying Tumor Deposits in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer:
using Multiplanar High-Resolution T2WI]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134064</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: The prognosis of postoperative tumor deposits (TDs) is worse than positive lymph node metastases alone. <p> Objective: To detect TDs by using multiplanar high-resolution T2-weighted imaging (HRT2WI). <p> Material and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 130 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Using pathology-proven tumor deposits (pTDs) as the gold standard, all patients were divided into the pTDs-negative and pTDs-positive groups, the correlation of clinicopathological factors and image features [such as MRI-detected tumor deposits (mTDs), MRI-detected metastatic lymph node (mLN), MRI-detected extramural vascular invasion (mEMVI), maximal extramural depth (EMD), etc.] with pTDs were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, and the nomogram was established based on the latter. The diagnostic efficiency was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and area under curve (AUC). <p> Results: mTDs, mLN, mEMVI, and EMD were significantly different between the pTDs-positive and pTDs-negative groups (P &#60; 0.05), with the AUC of 0.767, 0.746, 0.664 and 0.644, respectively. mTDs and mLN were independent risk factors for pTDs (odds ratio: 5.74 and 3.90, P &#60; 0.05). The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the nomogram were 0.814 (95% CI: 0.720 ~ 0.908), 73.9%, 79.4%, 93.4%, and 78.5%, respectively. Seventeen of 23 patients with pTDs were identified as mTDs, with a moderate agreement between pTDs and mTDs (Kappa=0.419). <p> Conclusion: Multiplanar HRT2WI can be used as a preoperative diagnostic tool to identify TDs in LARC. The combined model constructed by mTDs and mLN shows a good diagnostic performance for TDs.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Preoperative T-staging of Colorectal Cancer by Dual-energy Computed
Tomography: A Retrospective Study]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136893</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: Preoperative T-staging is essential for planning optimal treatment and care for colorectal cancer (CRC). <P> Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of Dual-energy CT (DECT) in preoperative T-staging of CRC. <P> Methods: The clinical data and DECT images of 37 patients with 39 CRC lesions were retrospectively analyzed. The performance of the DECT quantitative parameters in CRC T-staging was evaluated. Postoperative pathologic results were used as a gold standard. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of DECT parameters. P &#60; 0.05 was deemed significant. <P> Results: The overall accuracy of T-staging by DECT was 76.9%. The DECT parameters were significantly different between the T3 pericolic fat stranding, T4a pericolic fat stranding, and normal pericolic fat stranding. Arterial phase &#955;<sub>HU</sub> had the best diagnostic performance with a cut-off value of ≥0.967, resulting in a 70.6% sensitivity and a 100% specificity in differentiating between T3 and T4a stages of CRC. <P> Conclusion: DECT has high accuracy in the T-staging of CRC. Arterial phase λHU has the best diagnostic performance in differentiating between T3 and T4a stages of CRC.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Radiological Features of Rare Non-odontogenic Lesions of the Jaws]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134204</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: The jaws can be affected by several lesions that manifest in the oral cavity, but little is known about non-odontogenic benign and malignant lesions and their radiological findings. <P> Introduction: Our aim was to discuss the imaging findings of non-odontogenic jaw lesions to help the surgeon in the diagnosis and formulating a differential diagnosis for this vast spectrum of jaw lesions with overlapping clinical and imaging appearances. <P> Methods: CT and MR images of the mandible, maxillofacial region, and neck were retrieved from the archive of the Radiology Department of Pamukkale University for the duration between 2012-2023 and assessed. <P> Results: A total of 8125 CT and MR images were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 39.5 years in females and 43.2 in males, with a range varying from 15 to 72 years. Histopathologically approved benign and malignant non-odontogenic lesions were detected in only 19 patients out of 8125 images (0.23%). Osteomyelitis and abscess were the most common (n=3; 0.03%), followed by two cases (n=2; 0.02%) of each fibrous dysplasia, hemangioma, osteosarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and multiple myeloma, and one case (n=1; 0.01%) of each ossifying fibroma, osteoma, lymphoma, metastasis, and solitary bone cyst. <P> Conclusion: Although non-odontogenic benign and malignant lesions of the jaw are rare, awareness of the radiological features of these lesions plays an important role in their diagnosis and management.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging
combined with Texture Analysis in Predicting the Histological Grades of Rectal
Adenocarcinoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138541</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Purpose: To evaluate the predictive value of 3.0T MRI Intravoxel Incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-DWI) combined with texture analysis (TA) in the histological grade of rectal adenocarcinoma. <P> Methods: Seventy-one patients with rectal adenocarcinoma confirmed by pathology after surgical resection were collected retrospectively. According to pathology, they were divided into a poorly differentiated group (n=23) and a moderately differentiated group (n=48). The IVIM-DWI parameters and TA characteristics of the two groups were compared, and a prediction model was constructed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. ROC curves were plotted for each individual and combined parameter. <P> Results: There were statistically significant differences in D and D* values between the two groups (P < 0.05). The three texture parameters SmallAreaEmphasis, Median, and Maximum had statistically significant differences between groups (P = 0.01, 0.004, 0.009, respectively). The logistic regression prediction model showed that D*, the median, and the maximum value were significant independent predictors, and the AUC of the regression prediction model was 0.860, which was significantly higher than other single parameters. <P> Conclusion: 3.0T MRI IVIM-DWI parameters combined with TA can provide valuable information for predicting the histological grades of rectal adenocarcinoma one week before the operation.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Hounsfield Unit Variations-based Liver Lesions Detection and Classification
using Deep Learning]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/131326</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Deep learning-based diagnosis systems are useful to identify abnormalities in medical images with the greatly increased workload of doctors. Specifically, the rate of new cases and deaths from malignancies is rising for liver diseases. Early detection of liver lesions plays an extremely important role in effective treatment and gives a higher chance of survival for patients. Therefore, automatic detection and classification of common liver lesions are essential for doctors. In fact, radiologists mainly rely on Hounsfield Units to locate liver lesions but previous studies often pay little attention to this factor. <p> Methods: In this paper, we propose an improved method for the automatic classification of common liver lesions based on deep learning techniques and the variation of Hounsfield Unit densities on CT images with and without contrast. Hounsfield Unit is used to locate liver lesions accurately and support data labeling for classification. We construct a multi-phase classification model developed on the deep neural networks of Faster R-CNN, R-FCN, SSD, and Mask R-CNN with the transfer learning approach. <p> Results: The experiments are conducted on six scenarios with multi-phase CT images of common liver lesions. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the detection and classification of liver lesions compared with recent methods because its accuracy achieves up to 97.4%. <p> Conclusion: The proposed models are very useful to assist doctors in the automatic segmentation and classification of liver lesions to solve the problem of depending on the clinician’s experience in the diagnosis and treatment of liver lesions.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Computer-aided Diagnosis Systems for Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive
Study]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/131994</link><description><![CDATA[The American Cancer Society (ACS) reported in their Cancer Facts and Figures 2021 that prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of death among American men, with an average age of diagnosis being 66 years. This health issue predominantly affects older men and poses a significant challenge for radiologists, urologists, and oncologists when it comes to accurately diagnosing and treating it in a timely manner. Detecting PCa with precision and on time is crucial for proper treatment planning and reducing the increasing mortality rate. This paper focuses on a computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) system, which is discussed in detail with different phases specific to PCa. Each phase of CADx is comprehensively analyzed and evaluated based on recent state-of-the-art techniques in both quantitative and qualitative aspects. This study outlines significant research gaps and findings for every phase of CADx, providing valuable insights to biomedical engineers and researchers.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[GastroNet: A Custom Deep Learning Approach for Classification of Anomalies
in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Images]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134306</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Introduction: Among all cancer forms, gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is the most serious condition that spreads quickly and requires early detection. GI disorders claim the lives of up to nearly two million people worldwide. To lower the mortality rate from GI cancer, early detection is essential. <p> Methods: For the identification of GI illnesses, such as polyps, stomach ulcers, and bleeding, endoscopy is the gold standard in the medical imaging industry. The numerous images produced by endoscopy require an enormous amount of time for the specialist to diagnose the disease. It makes manual diagnosis difficult and has sparked research on automatic computer-based approaches to diagnose all the generated images quickly and accurately. AI-based algorithms have already been used in endoscopy images with promising outcomes and have enhanced disease identification and classification with precision. However, there are still a lot of issues to be solved, including figuring out potential biases in algorithms and improving interpretability and generalizability. <p> Results: The proposed GastroNet model creates a system for classifying digestive problems for the Kvasir Version 1 dataset. The framework consists of different CNN layers with multiple filters, and average max-pooling is used to extract image features. The optimization of network parameters is done using the Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) algorithm. <p> Conclusion: Finally, the robustness of the proposed model is compared with other state-of-the-art models like VGG 19, ResNet 50, Inception, and Xception in terms of evaluation metrics.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Correlation between Spectral CT Parameters and Ki67 Expression in
Hepatocellular Carcinoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135237</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between quantitative parameters of spectral CT and the Ki67 expression index of tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). <P> Methods: A total of 19 patients who underwent preoperative spectral CT dual-phase enhancement and who were diagnosed with HCC by postoperative pathology were prospectively selected. Patients with ≥10% Ki67-positive tumor cells formed a high-Ki67 group, and those with &#60;10% Ki67- positive cells formed a low-Ki67 group. The iodine concentrations (ICs) of the lesion and the descending aorta were measured during the arterial and venous phases. Relative iodine concentration (RIC) was calculated thus: RIC=IC<sub>lesion</sub>/IC<sub>descending aorta</sub>. CT values of the lesions at 40 and 70 keV were measured during the enhanced arterial and venous phases. The slope of the spectral curve (&#955;) was calculated thus: &#955; = (40 keV-70 keV) /(70-30). To compare the differences in quantitative parameters between the high- and low-Ki67 groups, either an independent samples t-test (normal distribution) or a Mann–Whitney U test (non-normal distribution) was used. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the effectiveness of spectral CT parameters in distinguishing between high-Ki67 and low-Ki67 groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between spectral CT quantitative parameters and Ki67 expression. <P> Results: IC, RIC and λ values for the high-Ki67 group in arterial and venous phases were higher than those for the low-Ki67 group, P &#60; 0.05. IC, RIC, and &#955; values in the arterial phase were 0.83, 0.89, and 0.75, respectively; in the venous phase, the values of these three parameters were 0.76, 0.77, and 0.69, respectively. IC, RIC, and λ were positively correlated with Ki67 expression in both arterial and venous phases, with a highest correlation of 0.82 for arterial-phase RIC. <P> Conclusion: The quantitative parameters of spectral CT in HCC were correlated with Ki67 expression. This finding may make it easier for clinicians to determine whether a tumor is high or low in Ki67 before surgery.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Renal Lesions with Low-level Enhancement on Contrast-enhanced CT Promotes
Early Detection of Drug-induced Kidney Injury in Patients Administered Anticancer
Drugs]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/139905</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Some patients with cancer-administered anti-cancer drugs may develop renal lesions with low-level enhancement on follow-up abdominal computed tomography (CT). <p> Objective: To explore the clinical significance of renal lesions with low-level enhancement on CT after exposure to anti-cancer drugs. <p> Methods: Medical records of patients with cancer who developed renal lesions on CT after exposure to anti-cancer drugs were retrospectively reviewed. Renal lesions were scored according to the extent of involvement, CT attenuation values of lesions and normal parenchyma were measured on precontrast CT and three phases of contrast-enhanced CT, and changes in serum creatinine (SCr) from one week before exposure to drugs to one week before and after the appearance of renal lesions were recorded. <p> Results: This study included 54 patients (86 lesions). Lesions were slightly lower density on pre-contrast CT, and less enhancing than normal renal parenchyma, especially in the delayed phase. Lesions were wedge-shaped, and involved the renal pyramid and associated renal cortex, as well as, were single or multiple, and occurred in the unilateral or bilateral kidneys. There were patchy and cord-like shadows of increased density in adjacent perirenal adipose tissue. During follow-up, lesions disappeared in 15 patients and persisted in 39 patients without significant progression. There were significant differences in renal lesions and normal renal parenchyma CT attenuation values in each phase of contrast-enhanced CT. Change in SCr level was significantly positively correlated with lesion score. <p> Conclusion: Renal lesions with low-level enhancement on CT suggest early drug-induced kidney injury. These findings will inform clinical decision-making.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Association of Body Composition Parameters Measured by Computed
Tomography with Cancer Stage, Prognosis, and Survival in Patients with Renal
Cell Carcinoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/139399</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Objective: This study aims to investigate the association of preoperative body composition parameters, measured by computed tomography in patients undergoing surgery for renal cell carcinoma, with its stage and to survey the relationship with postoperative hospitalization duration and survival. <P> Methods: Demographic data, pathology results, cancer stages, and hospitalization duration of 104 patients undergoing surgery at the urology clinic due to renal cell carcinoma between 2019 and 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. On computed tomography scans acquired during diagnosis, visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue, total adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle area were measured. The ratios of body composition parameters were computed. <P> Results: When the correlation between survival time and body composition in deceased patients was analysed, a moderate but significant correlation was observed between skeletal muscle area value and total adipose tissue / skeletal muscle area ratio (r=0.630, p=0.001; r=0.598, p=0.002). A significant and strong correlation was observed between total adipose tissue value and survival (r=0.704, p<0.001). Subcutaneous adipose tissue / skeletal muscle area was found to be an independent risk factor associated with mortality, and a ratio of 0.98 or less increased the mortality risk approximately 16-fold. <P> Conclusion: The relationship between body composition parameters measured by computed tomography, which can be easily evaluated pre-treatment, and mortality, postoperative recovery and length of hospital stay can be evaluated, giving clinicians an idea about the potential difficulties that patients may encounter during the treatment process. For this purpose, the subcutaneous adipose tissue / skeletal muscle area ratio is the most helpful parameter that can be used.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Value of Radiological Imaging in Assessing Extrarenal Fat and Renal Vein
Invasion in Renal Cell Carcinoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135514</link><description><![CDATA[Renal cell carcinoma with extrarenal fat (perinephric or renal sinus fat) and renal vein invasion is the main evidence for the T3a stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system. Extrarenal fat invasion of renal cell carcinoma is defined as the presence of perinephric fat invasion or renal sinus fat invasion. Renal vein invasion is defined as the presence of main or segmental (branch) renal vein invasion. Accurate assessment of extrarenal fat and renal vein invasion is crucial for urologists to adopt the optimal therapeutic schedule, including radical nephrectomy or nephron-sparing treatments. Currently, imaging is still the most widely used means of examination for diagnosis and staging of renal cell carcinoma, especially multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Therefore, we have, herein, summarized the latest progress and the future direction regarding imaging for assessing perinephric or renal sinus fat and renal vein invasion of renal cell carcinoma to assist clinical treatment selection and patient risk stratification.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Clinical Presentations, MDCT Features, and Treatment of Three Types of Adult
Intussusceptions Based on the Location]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138627</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Purpose: This study aimed to explore the similarities and differences in clinical presentations, multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) features, and treatment of three types of adult intussusceptions based on location. <P> Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 184 adult patients with 192 intussusceptions. Depending on the location, intussusceptions were classified as enteric, ileocolic, and colonic types. The similarities and differences of clinical presentations, MDCT features, and treatment of three types of adult intussusception were compared. Meanwhile, the three types of intussusceptions were further divided into surgical and conservative groups based on the treatment. Uni- and multivariate logistic analyses were used to identify risk factors for intussusception requiring surgery. <P> Results: Enteric and ileocolic intussusceptions were mainly presented with abdominal pain (78.46% and 85.71%). Hematochezia/melena (64.29%) was the main symptom of colonic intussusception. On MDCT, ileocolic intussusceptions were longer in length and had more signs of intestinal necrosis (hypodense layer, fluid collection and no/poor bowel wall enhancement) than enteric and colonic intussusceptions. Moreover, it was found that 93.88% (46/49) of ileocolic intussusception and 98.59% (70/71) of colonic intussusception belonged to the surgical group, whereas only 43.06% (31/72) of enteric intussusception belonged to the surgical group. Intussusception length (OR=1.171, P=0.028) and discernible lead point on MDCT (OR=21.003, P&#60;0.001) were reliable indicators of enteric intussusception requiring surgery. <P> Conclusion: Ileocolic intussusception may be more prone to intestinal necrosis than enteric and colonic intussusceptions, requiring more attention from clinicians. Surgery remains the treatment of choice for most ileocolic and colonic intussusceptions. Less than half of enteric intussusceptions require surgery, and MDCT features are effective in identifying them.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Deep Learning Mammography Classification with a Small Set of Data]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/133566</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among women. In addition, 1 in 8 women and 1 in 833 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. The detection of breast cancer can not only lower treatment costs but also increase survival rates. Due to increased cancer awareness, more women are undergoing breast cancer screening, leading to more cases being diagnosed worldwide, but doctors' ability to analyze these images is limited. As a result, they get overloaded leading to misinterpretations. The advent of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) minimized man’s involvement and achieved good results. CAD helps medical doctors automatically detect and analyze abnormalities found in the breast. Such abnormalities may be benign or malignant tumors. <p> Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using seven layers to classify breast cancer as either benign or malignant using mammograms. <p> Materials and Methods: The open-source MIAS dataset of 322 images was used for our study, of which 207 were normal images and 115 were abnormal images. The proposed CNN model convolves an image into seven layers that extract features from the input images, and these features are used to classify breast cancer as malignant or benign. <p> Results: The proposed CNN used a limited data set and achieved the best result compared to previous work. The method achieved results with a 0.39% loss, 99.89% accuracy, 99.85% precision, 99.89% recall, 99.87% F1-score, and an area under the curve noted to be 100.0%. <p> Conclusion: CNN uses a small amount of data to determine abnormalities; the method will assist a medical doctor in determining whether or not a specific patient has cancer.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[18 F-FDG PET/MRI of Primary Hepatic Malignancies: Differential Diagnosis
and Histologic Grading]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/131582</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Distinguishing between IHCC and HCC is important because of their differences in treatment and prognosis. The hybrid Positron Emission Tomography/magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) system has become more widely accessible, with oncological imaging becoming one of its most promising applications. <p> Objective: The objective of this study was to see how well 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/MRI could be used for differential diagnosis and histologic grading of primary hepatic malignancies. <p> Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 64 patients (53 patients with HCC, 11 patients with IHCC) with histologically proven primary hepatic malignancies using 18F-FDG/MRI. The Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC), Coefficient of Variance (CV) of the ADC, and standardized uptake value (SUV) were calculated. <p> Results: The mean SUVmax value was higher for IHCC (7.7 ± 3.4) than for HCC (5.2 ± 3.1) (p = 0.019). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.737, an optimal 6.98 cut-off value providing 72% sensitivity and 79% specificity. The ADCcv value in IHCC was statistically significantly higher than in HCC (p=0.014). ADC mean values in HCCs were significantly higher in low-grade tumors than in high-grade tumors. The AUC value was 0.73, and the optimal cut-off point was 1.20x10-6 mm2/s, giving 62% sensitivity and 72% specificity. The SUVmax value was also found to be statistically significantly higher in the high-grade group. The ADCcv value in the HCC low-grade group was found to be lower than in the highgrade group (p=0.036). <p> Conclusion: 18F FDG PET/MRI is a novel imaging technique that can aid in the differentiation of primary hepatic neoplasms as well as tumor-grade estimation.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Image Quality Improvement of Low-dose Abdominal CT using Deep Learning
Image Reconstruction Compared with the Second Generation Iterative
Reconstruction]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/132054</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Whether deep learning-based CT reconstruction could improve lesion conspicuity on abdominal CT when the radiation dose is reduced is controversial. <p> Objectives: To determine whether DLIR can provide better image quality and reduce radiation dose in contrast-enhanced abdominal CT compared with the second generation of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR-V). <p> Aims: This study aims to determine whether deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) can improve image quality. <p> Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 102 patients were included, who underwent abdominal CT using a DLIR-equipped 256-row scanner and routine CT of the same protocol on the same vendor&#039;s 64-row scanner within four months. The CT data from the 256-row scanner were reconstructed into ASiR-V with three blending levels (AV30, AV60, and AV100), and DLIR images with three strength levels (DLIR-L, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H). The routine CT data were reconstructed into AV30, AV60, and AV100. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the liver, overall image quality, subjective noise, lesion conspicuity, and plasticity in the portal venous phase (PVP) of ASiR-V from both scanners and DLIR were compared. <p> Results: The mean effective radiation dose of PVP of the 256-row scanner was significantly lower than that of the routine CT (6.3±2.0 mSv vs. 2.4±0.6 mSv; p< 0.001). The mean CNR, image quality, subjective noise, and lesion conspicuity of ASiR-V images of the 256-row scanner were significantly lower than those of ASiR-V images at the same blending factor of routine CT, but significantly improved with DLIR algorithms. DLIR-H showed higher CNR, better image quality, and subjective noise than AV30 from routine CT, whereas plasticity was significantly better for AV30. <p> Conclusion: DLIR can be used for improving image quality and reducing radiation dose in abdominal CT, compared with ASIR-V.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Synchronous Double Primary Malignant Tumors and their Possible Shared
Genes: A Rare Clinical Entity]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135236</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Objective: This study sought to analyze the <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images of synchronous colorectal cancer (CRC) and renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and identify the shared genes between these two types of cancer through bioinformatic analysis. <p> Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a patient with synchronous CRC and ccRCC who underwent <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT before treatment. Databases were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes between CRC and ccRCC, and co-expression genes were extracted for RCC and CRC. <p> Results: <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT revealed intense metabolic activity in the primary colorectal lesion (SUVmax 13.2), while a left renal mass (diameter = 35 mm) was observed with no significant uptake. Contrast-enhanced CT during the arterial phase showed heterogeneous intense enhancement of the renal lesion, and the lesion washed out earlier than in the renal cortex in the nephrographic and excretory phases, indicating ccRCC. The histopathological results confirmed synchronous double primary malignant tumors. Our bioinformatic analysis results showed that synchronous occurrence of CRC and ccRCC may correlate with simultaneous expression of Carbonic Anhydrase 9 (CA9), integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP), and Fibrinogen &#947; chain (FGG). <p> Conclusion: <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT combined with contrast-enhanced CT is an effective diagnostic tool in evaluating synchronous CRC and RCC. By analyzing this clinical case and conducting bioinformatic analysis, we improved our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying synchronous tumors.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Primary Thymic Mucinous Adenocarcinoma with Extensive Punctate and
Amorphous Calcifications: A Case Report]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/132326</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: Primary thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. The tumor may present as a heterogeneous solid or cystic mass accompanied by calcifications. However, clinical and radiologic features of the tumor are not well known due to the rarity of the disease, which makes accurate diagnosis difficult. <P> Case Presentation: Here we present a rare case of primary thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma in the anterior mediastinum, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Chest computed tomography revealed a large anterior mediastinal mass with extensive calcifications with poor enhancement. MRI showed that anterior mediastinal mass showed intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images (T1WI), high SI on T2-weighted images (T2WI), and heterogeneous enhancement. Biopsy was performed and the anterior mediastinal tumor was diagnosed as thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma by histopathologic examination and immunohistochemical staining. <P> Conclusion: Thymic mucinous adenocarcinomas could be included in differential diagnoses of anterior mediastinal tumors showing extensive calcification, and common imaging findings of mucinous adenocarcinoma such as T2 high signal intensity and heterogeneous enhancement on MRI may be helpful to diagnose thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Objective Value of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) Map from
Ultrahigh b-value Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI) in 3T MRI could be a
Non-invasive Specific Biomarker for Prostate Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/132980</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Objective: This article aims to explore the ADC value of ultrahigh b-value DWI and the diagnostic cutoff point in prostate cancer. <P> Methods: A total of 78 patients were included in this study. T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (1000 s/mm<sup>2</sup>), and DWI with ultrahigh b-values of 2000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> and 3000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> were performed in each patient. With reference biopsy as the gold standard, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)s of each b-value DWI image were analyzed. According to different b-value receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the ADC diagnostic cutoff point for prostate cancer was determined. <P> Results: A total of 154 lesions were identified as prostate cancer. The ADC values for conventional DWI and ultrahigh b-value DWI with 2000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> and 3000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> were 1.097×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (1.040-1.153), 0.809×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (0.766-0.851) and 0.622×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (0.591-0.652), respectively, in the peripheral zone and 1.085×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (1.022-1.147), 0.815×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (0.770-0.861) and 0.651×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s (0.617-0.685) in the transition zone. The area under the curve (AUC)s of the ADC values from ultrahigh b-value DWI (2000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> and 3000 s/mm<sup>2</sup>) were 0.824 and 0.852 in the peripheral zone and 0.905 for the ADC values from ultrahigh b-value DWI (3000 s/mm<sup>2</sup>) in the transition zone. In the peripheral zone, the ADC diagnostic cutoff values for prostate cancer were 0.75×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s and 0.685×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s in DWI at 2000 s/mm<sup>2</sup> and 3000 s/mm<sup>2</sup>, respectively, and the diagnosis of transition zone cancer was 0.8×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s and 0.634×10<sup>-3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s, respectively. <P> Conclusion: The ADC values from ultrahigh b-value DWI demonstrated better consistency and diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Short-term Efficacy of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) and Gd-
EOB-DTPA-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Fusion Imagingguided
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Colorectal Liver Metastasis
(CRLM)]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/130698</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Objective: This study is to explore the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) / Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion imaging-guided(fusion group)radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus conventional ultrasound imaging-guided (conventional group) RFA for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) in a short-term. <p> Methods: From December 2020 to December 2021, patients who underwent imaging-guided RFA of CRLM at our hospital with available CT/MRI images were enrolled consecutively. 22 patients with 46 lesions had undergone conventional group RFA whereas 29 patients with 63 lesions had undergone fusion group RFA. The lesion detection rate, technical success, local tumor progression (LTP) and complications were calculated. <p> Results: In this retrospective study, 51 patients with 130 lesions were diagnosed with CRLM. However, there were 12 lesions and 9 lesions invisible in the conventional group and fusion group, respectively. The lesion detection rate on the fusion imaging was significantly higher than on the US or CEUS in the fusion group (P&#60;0.05). There were no significant differences of the detection rate between the conventional group and the fusion group (P=0.207). In both groups, the technical success rate was 100%. For local tumor progression (LTP), there were no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The complications after ablation had no significant differences between the two groups (P=0.97). <p> Conclusion: CEUS/ Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI fusion imaging is a safe and effective method for RFA in the management of CRLM patients, and it may improve the therapeutic effect by detecting small lesions early.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[SegEIR-Net: A Robust Histopathology Image Analysis Framework for Accurate
Breast Cancer Classification]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138388</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Breast Cancer (BC) is a significant threat affecting women globally. An accurate and reliable disease classification method is required to get an early diagnosis. However, existing approaches lack accurate and robust classification. <p> Objective: This study aims to design a model to classify BC Histopathology images accurately by leveraging segmentation techniques. <p> Methods: This work proposes a combined segmentation and classification approach for classifying BC using histopathology images to address these issues. Chan-Vese algorithm is used for segmentation to accurately delineate regions of interest within the histopathology images, followed by the proposed SegEIR-Net (Segmentation using EfficientNet, InceptionNet, and ResNet) for classification. Bilateral Filtering is also employed for noise reduction. The proposed model uses three significant networks, ResNet, InceptionNet, and EfficientNet, concatenates the outputs from each block followed by Dense and Dropout layers. The model is trained on the breakHis dataset for four different magnifications and tested on BACH (BreAst Cancer Histology) and UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara) datasets. <p> Results: SegEIR-Net performs better than the existing State-of-the-Art (SOTA) methods in terms of accuracy on all three datasets, proving the robustness of the proposed model. The accuracy achieved on breakHis dataset are 98.66%, 98.39%, 97.52%, 95.22% on different magnifications, and 93.33% and 96.55% on BACH and UCSB datasets. <p> Conclusion: These performance results indicate the robustness of the proposed SegEIR-Net framework in accurately classifying BC from histopathology images.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Dual-energy Spectral CT Imaging of Primary Anorectal Malignant Melanoma:
A Case Report]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134127</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Primary anorectal malignant melanoma (ARMM) is a rare tumor. It is often misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids, polyps or colorectal cancer due to the lack of specificity of their clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations. <p> Case Presentation: In this study, we reported an 83-year-old female patient with ARMM. Computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed uneven thickening of the intestinal wall about 7.0 cm from the anal margin, and no typical T1 high signal was seen on MRI. Dual-energy spectral CT showed that the effective atomic number (Zeff) of the tumor and the iodine concentration in the arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP) were different from other rectal malignancies reported in the previous literature. Sigmoidoscopy showed a large polypoid mass approximately 7.0 cm from the anal verge. Immunohistochemical staining showed that about 60% of Melan A and HMB-45 were positive, S-100 protein and Ki-67 were positive, and the pathological diagnosis was ARMM. <p> Conclusion: This was the first dual-energy spectral CT imaging report of ARMM. The Zeff and iodine concentration in the arterial phase and venous phase could help distinguish between ARMM and other rectal malignancies.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[MRI-based Texture Analysis in Differentiation of Benign and Malignant
Vertebral Compression Fractures]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138780</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Introduction: The diagnosis and characterization of vertebral compression fractures are very important for clinical management. In this evaluation, which is usually performed with diagnostic (conventional) imaging, the findings are not always typical or diagnostic. Therefore, it is important to have new information to support imaging findings. Texture analysis is a method that can evaluate information contained in diagnostic images and is not visually noticeable. This study aimed to evaluate the magnetic resonance images of cases diagnosed with vertebral compression fractures by the texture analysis method, compare them with histopathological data, and investigate the effectiveness of this method in the differentiation of benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures. <p> Methods: Fifty-five patients with a total of 56 vertebral compression fractures were included in the study. Magnetic resonance images were examined and segmented using Local Image Feature Extraction (LIFEx) software, which is an open-source program for texture analysis. The results were compared with the histopathological diagnosis. <p> Results: The application of the Decision Tree algorithm to the dataset yielded impressively accurate predictions (≈95% in accuracy, precision, and recall). <p> Conclusion: Interpreting tissue analysis parameters together with conventional magnetic resonance imaging findings can improve the abilities of radiologists, lead to accurate diagnoses, and prevent unnecessary invasive procedures. Further prospective trials in larger populations are needed to verify the role and performance of texture analysis in patients with vertebral compression fractures.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Lung Cancer Detection from CT Images: Modified Adaptive Threshold
Segmentation with Support Vector Machines and Artificial Neural Network
Classifier]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/132897</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: The most difficult aspect of diagnosing lung cancer is early diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, each year, there are around 11 million newly diagnosed instances of cancer worldwide. Radiologists often turn to Computed Tomography (CT) scans to diagnose respiratory conditions, which can reveal if lung tissue remains normal or abnormal. However, there is an increased chance of inaccuracy and delay; therefore, radiologists are concerned with the physical segmentation of nodules. <P> Objective: The objective of the research is to implement an advanced modified threshold segmentation and classification model for early and accurate detection of lung cancer from CT images. <P> Methods: Using the Support Vector Machines (SVM) classifier as well as the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) classifier, the authors propose using Modified adaptive threshold segmentation as a segmentation approach for cancer detection. Here, Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) datasets, a collection of CT scans, are used as the video frames in an investigation to authorize the recitation of the suggested technique. <P> Results: Both quantitative as well as qualitative analyses are used to analyze the segmentation function of the anticipated algorithm. Both the ANN and SVM classifiers used in the suggested technique for lung cancer diagnosis achieve world-record levels of accuracy, with the former achieving a 96.3% detection rate and the latter a 97% rate of accuracy. <P> Conclusion: This innovation may have a major impact on the worldwide rate of lung cancer rate due to its ability to detect lung tumors in their earliest stages when they are most amenable to being avoided and treated. This method is useful because it provides more information and facilitates quick, precise decision-making for doctors diagnosing lung cancer in their patients.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Research Progress in Tumor Diagnosis Based on Raman Spectroscopy]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/133568</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Cancer is a major disease that threatens human life and health. Raman spectroscopy can provide an effective detection method. <p> Objective: The study aimed to introduce the application of Raman spectroscopy to tumor detection. We have introduced the current mainstream Raman spectroscopy technology and related application research. <p> Methods: This article has first introduced the grim situation of malignant tumors in the world. The advantages of tumor diagnosis based on Raman spectroscopy have also been analyzed. Secondly, various Raman spectroscopy techniques applied in the medical field are introduced. Several studies on the application of Raman spectroscopy to tumors in different parts of the human body are discussed. Then the advantages of combining deep learning with Raman spectroscopy in the diagnosis of tumors are discussed. Finally, the related problems of tumor diagnosis methods based on Raman spectroscopy are pointed out. This may provide useful clues for future work. <p> Conclusion: Raman spectroscopy can be an effective method for diagnosing tumors. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy diagnosis combined with deep learning can provide more convenient and accurate detection results.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Efficiency of the CT Radiomics Model in Assessing the Microsatellite
Instability of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134063</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Objective: This study aims to investigate the efficiency of a radiomics model in identifying high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and microsatellite stability (MSS) of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) according to machine learning radiomics features of enhanced CT liver images. <p> Materials and Methods: A total of 12 patients with MSI-H CRLM and 96 patients with MSS CRLM were randomly divided into the training group and internal validation group according to the ratio of 7: 3 (training: 75 cases, validation: 33 cases). From the enhanced CT (portal phase) image data of patients, 788 radiomics features were extracted, and a random forest model was established with the optimal features selected. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the model’s diagnostic efficacy. <p> Results: The training group comprised 8 patients with MSI-H CRLM and 67 patients with MSS CRLM, and the internal validation group included 4 patients with MSI-H CRLM and 29 patients with MSS CRLM. After feature selection, 7 radiomics features good for distinguishing MSI-H CRLM and MSS CRLM were screened out. The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the random forest model had the AUC (area under the ROC curve) value 0.88, accuracy 0.85, sensitivity 0.85, specificity 0.92, and F1 score 0.88 in the training group. The model had an AUC value of 0.75, accuracy of 0.74, sensitivity of 0.81, specificity of 0.85, and F1_score of 0.78 in the internal validation group in identifying the MSI-H from the MSS CRLM. In order to evaluate the robustness of the overall model, the 788 features obtained were all applied to the 5-fold cross-validation, with the model being built on the random forest and analyzed with the ROC curve analysis. The AUC value of the model was 0.86 (P<0.05), accuracy value 0.91, sensitivity 0.60, and specificity 0.95. <p> Conclusion: The random forest prediction model built on the radiometric features extracted from enhanced CT images can be used to identify the MSI-H from the MSS CRLM and may provide effective guidance for clinical immunotherapy of CRLM patients with unknown MSI status.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Computer Tomography (CT)-based Screening of Hospitalized Patients with
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Complicated by Bronchiectasis
Phenotype during Acute Exacerbation: A Clinical Analysis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/131578</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: In the past, many experts considered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis to be separate, chronic respiratory diseases. Nonetheless, the widespread use of high-resolution lung computed tomography (CT) has led to the discovery that these diseases can occur alone or together. <p> Aim: The current study aimed to compare the effects of nutritional status on the clinical outcomes in moderate to severe COPD patients with bronchiectasis. <p> Objective: This study identifies the nutritional risk in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during acute exacerbation screened using computer tomography (CT). Also, determines its correlation with disease progression. <p> Materials and Methods: NRS 2002 (Nutrition Risk Screening Evaluation Tool) was used to determine and evaluate the nutritional risk status in 182 hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during an acute exacerbation. Selected patients were divided into the nutritional risk (NR) group and the non-nutritional risk (NNR) group according to their nutritional status determined by NRS 2002. The body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), pre albumin (PAB), lymphocyte count (TLC), FEV1/FVC, FEV1% predicted, PEF% predicted, blood gas analysis, number of acute exacerbations in the past year, number of respiratory failure cases, number of anti-infection days, and length of hospitalization of the two groups were observed. <p> Results: The hospitalized patients in acute exacerbation of moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype had a nutritional risk of 62.64%. BMI, ALB, PAB, TLC, FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC, PEF% predicted, blood gas analysis, number of acute exacerbations in the past year, number of respiratory failure cases, number of anti-infection days, and length of hospitalization were statistically significantly different between the NR group and NNR group (P&#60;0.05). <p> Conclusion: Hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COPD complicated by bronchiectasis phenotype during acute exacerbation are often associated with nutritional risk. An increase in nutritional risk reduces the level of pulmonary function of the patient and elevates the risk for repeated acute exacerbations, which predispose the patient to respiratory failure, thereby increasing the length of hospitalization. Therefore, the nutritional risk status of COPD patients with bronchiectasis was closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of the disease.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Primary Pulmonary Enteric Adenocarcinoma: Rare Imaging Findings]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138467</link><description><![CDATA[<P> Introduction: Pulmonary enteric adenocarcinoma (PEAC) is an extremely rare variant of lung adenocarcinoma characterized by pathological features similar to those of colorectal adenocarcinoma. It is mostly observed on computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT as solitary or multiple nodules/masses in the lung. It tends to grow rapidly and is difficult to distinguish from lung metastatic colorectal cancer. Herein, we have presented a case of PEAC with special imaging findings. <P> Case Presentation: A chest CT scan of a 72-year-old man with suspected chronic pneumonia revealed a well-defined consolidation in the upper lobe of the left lung. The lesion was slightly enlarged at the 9-month follow-up, and low FDG accumulation was subsequently observed using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT scans. The patient was later diagnosed with PEAC through percutaneous lung biopsy. <P> Conclusion: Our case has demonstrated specific imaging findings of PEAC.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Computational Molecular Docking and <i>In-Silico</i>, ADMET Prediction Studies of
Quinoline Derivatives as EPHB4 Inhibitor]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138993</link><description><![CDATA[<P>Background: The creation and development of novel chemical entities is made possible by numerous computer-aided drug design techniques. The ability to visualize the ligand-target interaction and forecast the important holding pocket locations and affinities of ligands to their intended macromolecules is made possible by pharmacophore-based drug design and understanding <i>in-silico</i> methodologies. <P> Objective: The aim of the current investigation was to find novel 2-chloroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives that target the Ephrin B4 (EPHB4) receptor to treat cancer. <P> Materials and Methods: Chem Axon Marvin Sketch 5.11.5 was used to create derivatives of 2-chloroquinoline-3-carboxamide. The physicochemical characteristics of compounds as well as their toxicity were predicted using SwissADME& the admet SAR online software’s. Molecular docking technology was used to examine the ligand-receptor interactions of 2-chloroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives with the target receptor (PDB- 6FNM) using a variety of software’s, including Autodock1.1.2,Procheck, ProtParam tool, Biovia Discovery Studio Visualizer v20.1.0.19295, MGL Tools 1.5.6, PyMOL, and were all included. <P> Results: All developed compounds were determined to be orally bioavailable, less toxic, and have acceptable pharmacokinetic properties according to in silico studies. In comparison to the traditional medication Erdafitnib, all new compounds displayed higher docking scores. <P> Conclusion: The increase in binding energy and the number of H-bonds created by novel derivatives with interactions at distances below 3.40A provide a helpful starting point for formulating and synthesizing compounds that are most suitable for additional research. The application of the 2- chloroquinoline-3-carboxamide moiety as a potential new cancer treatment candidate is supported by its pharmacokinetics &toxicological profile, which may aid medicinal chemists in conducting more in-depth in vitro, in vivo chemical and pharmacological studies.</P>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Imaging Changes in Liver After Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer: A Case
Report]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136385</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colon cancer with liver metastasis is a common occurrence in clinical practice. The presence of liver metastasis has a significant impact on the treatment strategy of patients, so the first step is to diagnose whether it is liver metastasis. Imaging is one of the auxiliary methods for diagnosing liver metastases, but due to the presence of different diseases with the same shadow, we need to be cautious when using imaging methods for the diagnosis of liver metastases. <p> Case Presentation: We report a 53-year-old female patient with sigmoid colon cancer and perforation who underwent a surgical operation. Three years after the operation, reexamination of the liver through computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagery scanning revealed multiple progressive liver lesions. However, the liver biopsy did not show malignant changes. Repeated analysis of the patient's liver magnetic resonance imaging revealed that multiple liver nodules were significantly enhanced in the arterial phase and that the portal vein density/signal ratio was higher than that of the liver parenchyma. The coincidence of doughnut-shaped nodules and high signal in the hepatobiliary phase, combined with the results of pathological liver puncture examination, led to nodular regenerative hyperplasia being considered as a possible diagnosis. <p> Conclusion: A review of the relevant literature showed that following oxaliplatin chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, it is not uncommon for doughnut-shaped nodules with obvious enhancement in the middle hepatic artery phase and high signal intensity in the hepatobiliary phase to develop. Such changes should be paid sufficient attention by radiologists.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Clinical Usefulness of Ultrasound Elastography in Colonic Diseases: A Narrative
Review]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/130535</link><description><![CDATA[Ultrasound elastography is an innovation of ultrasound technology that has developed since the 1990s. It has been successfully applied for many organs, such as the thyroid, breast, liver, prostate, and muscle systems, providing qualitative and quantitative information about tissue stiffness for clinical diagnoses. For colorectal tumors, ultrasound elastography can distinguish colon adenoma from colon adenocarcinoma and predict the chemotherapeutic effects of colon cancer by monitoring the stiffness changes of cancer tissue. In Crohn’s disease, ultrasound elastography helps assess the stages of the course and guides further treatment strategies. Compared with colonoscopy, ultrasound elastography frees patients from the fears of uncomfortable procedures and enables operators to comprehensively observe the bowel wall and the surrounding structures. In this review, we introduced the principles and the pathological bases of ultrasound elastography and compared the diagnostic efficacies of colonoscopy with colonic ultrasound elastography. Meanwhile, we summarized the ultrasonography of colonic diseases and reviewed the clinical usefulness of ultrasound elastography in colonic diseases.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Insights into the Biological Properties of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells: Implications for Cancer Progression and Therapy]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137701</link><description><![CDATA[Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second prevalent cancer in men. Recent studies have highlighted the critical role of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) in driving tumor initiation and metastasis of the prostate tissue. PCSCs are a rare population of cells in the prostate that possess self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, making them a potential therapeutic target for effective PCa treatment. Therefore, targeting PCSCs might be a novel strategy for the treatment of PCs. Research has shown that various signaling pathways, such as Notch, SHH, TGF-β, Wnt, STAT3, AKT, and EGFR, are involved in regulating PCSC proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, non-coding RNAs, such as long ncRNAs and miRNAs, have emerged as critical regulators of PCSC pathogenesis and drug resistance. Here, we highlight that targeting these pathways could offer new opportunities for the management of PCa. This review summarizes the current knowledge surrounding the essential signaling pathways implicated in PCSC tumorigenesis and invasiveness.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Hypoxia Affects Mitochondrial Stress and Facilitates Tumor Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer Through Slug SUMOylation]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136334</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant tumor. Slug has been found to display a key role in diversified cancers, but its relevant regulatory mechanisms in CRC development are not fully explored. </p> <p> Objective: Hence, exploring the function and regulatory mechanisms of Slug is critical for the treatment of CRC. </p> <p> Methods: Protein expressions of Slug, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, Snail, HIF-1&#945;, SUMO- 1, Drp1, Opa1, Mfn1/2, PGC-1&#945;, NRF1, and TFAM were measured through western blot. To evaluate the protein expression of Slug and SUMO-1, an immunofluorescence assay was used. Cell migration ability was tested through transwell assay. The SUMOylation of Slug was examined through CO-IP assay. </p> <p> Results: Slug displayed higher expression and facilitated tumor metastasis in CRC. In addition, hypoxia treatment was discovered to upregulate HIF-1&#945;, Slug, and SUMO-1 levels, as well as induce Slug SUMOylation. Slug SUMOylation markedly affected mitochondrial biosynthesis, fusion, and mitogen-related protein expression levels to trigger mitochondrial stress. Additionally, the induced mitochondrial stress by hypoxia could be rescued by Slug inhibition and TAK-981 treatment. </p> <p> Conclusion: Our study expounded that hypoxia affects mitochondrial stress and facilitates tumor metastasis of CRC through Slug SUMOylation.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Mechanisms of Anti-PD Therapy Resistance in Digestive System Neoplasms]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137016</link><description><![CDATA[Digestive system neoplasms are highly heterogeneous and exhibit complex resistance mechanisms that render anti-programmed cell death protein (PD) therapies poorly effective. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in tumor development, apart from supplying energy for tumor proliferation and impeding the body's anti-tumor immune response, the TME actively facilitates tumor progression and immune escape via diverse pathways, which include the modulation of heritable gene expression alterations and the intricate interplay with the gut microbiota. In this review, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms underlying drug resistance in digestive tumors, focusing on immune-mediated resistance, microbial crosstalk, metabolism, and epigenetics. We will highlight the unique characteristics of each digestive tumor and emphasize the significance of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Furthermore, we will discuss the current therapeutic strategies that hold promise for combination with cancer immune normalization therapies. This review aims to provide a thorough understanding of the resistance mechanisms in digestive tumors and offer insights into potential therapeutic interventions.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[UBE2L3 Suppresses Oxidative Stress-regulated Necroptosis to Accelerate Osteosarcoma Progression]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138650</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Osteosarcoma is a highly invasive bone marrow stromal tumor with limited treatment options. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development and progression of tumors, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Recent studies have revealed the significant involvement of UBE2L3 in oxidative stress, but its specific role in osteosarcoma remains poorly investigated. </p> <p> Objective: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms by which UBE2L3 promotes oxidative stress-regulated necroptosis to accelerate the progression of osteosarcoma using in vitro cell experiments. </p> <p> Methods: Human osteoblast hFOB1.19 cells and various human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63, U2OS, SJSA-1, HOS, and 143B) were cultured in vitro. Plasmids silencing UBE2L3 and negative control plasmids were transfected into U2OS and HOS cells. The cells were divided into the following groups: U2OS cell group, HOS cell group, si-NC-U2OS cell group, si-UBE2L3-U2OS cell group, si-NC-HOS cell group, and si-UBE2L3-HOS cell group. Cell viability and proliferation capacity were measured using the Tunnel method and clonogenic assay. Cell migration and invasion abilities were assessed by Transwell and scratch assays. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, and ROS levels were detected using immunofluorescence. The oxidative stress levels in various cell groups and the expression changes of necroptosis-related proteins were assessed by PCR and WB. Through these experiments, we aim to evaluate the impact of oxidative stress on necroptosis and uncover the specific mechanisms by which targeted regulation of oxidative stress promotes tumor cell necroptosis as a potential therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma. </p> <p> Results: The mRNA expression levels of UBE2L3 in human osteosarcoma cell lines were significantly higher than those in human osteoblast hFOB1.19 cells (p &#60;0.01). UBE2L3 expression was significantly decreased in U2OS and HOS cells transfected with si-UBE2L3, indicating the successful construction of stable cell lines with depleted UBE2L3. Tunnel assay results showed a significant increase in the number of red fluorescent-labeled cells in si-UBE2L3 groups compared to si-NC groups in both cell lines, suggesting a pronounced inhibition of cell viability. Transwell assay demonstrated a significant reduction in invasion and migration capabilities of si-UBE2L3 groups in osteosarcoma cells. The clonogenic assay revealed significant suppression of proliferation and clonogenic ability in both U2OS and HOS cells upon UBE2L3 knockdown. Flow cytometry confirmed that UBE2L3 knockdown significantly enhanced apoptosis in U2OS and HOS cells. Immunofluorescence results showed that UBE2L3 silencing promoted oxidative stress levels in osteosarcoma cells and facilitated tumor cell death. WB analysis indicated a significant increase in phosphorylation levels of necroptosis-related proteins, RIP1, RIP3, and MLKL, in both osteosarcoma cell lines after UBE2L3 knockdown. In addition, the expression of necrosis-associated proteins was inhibited by the addition of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). </p> <p> Conclusion: UBE2L3 is upregulated in osteosarcoma cells, and silencing of UBE2L3 promotes oxidative stress in these cells, leading to enhanced necroptosis and delayed progression of osteosarcoma.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Single-cell Technology in Stem Cell Research]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137519</link><description><![CDATA[Single-cell technology (SCT), which enables the examination of the fundamental units comprising biological organs, tissues, and cells, has emerged as a powerful tool, particularly in the field of biology, with a profound impact on stem cell research. This innovative technology opens new pathways for acquiring cell-specific data and gaining insights into the molecular pathways governing organ function and biology. SCT is not only frequently used to explore rare and diverse cell types, including stem cells, but it also unveils the intricacies of cellular diversity and dynamics. This perspective, crucial for advancing stem cell research, facilitates non-invasive analyses of molecular dynamics and cellular functions over time. Despite numerous investigations into potential stem cell therapies for genetic disorders, degenerative conditions, and severe injuries, the number of approved stem cell-based treatments remains limited. This limitation is attributed to the various heterogeneities present among stem cell sources, hindering their widespread clinical utilization. Furthermore, stem cell research is intimately connected with cutting-edge technologies, such as microfluidic organoids, CRISPR technology, and cell/tissue engineering. Each strategy developed to overcome the constraints of stem cell research has the potential to significantly impact advanced stem cell therapies. Drawing on the advantages and progress achieved through SCT-based approaches, this study aims to provide an overview of the advancements and concepts associated with the utilization of SCT in stem cell research and its related fields.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Effect of Pioglitazone and Cetuximab on Colon Cancer Stem-like Cell (CCSLCs) Properties]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138254</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: One of the main reasons for cancer resistance to chemotherapy is the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer tissues. It is also believed that CSCs are the unique originators of all tumor cells. On the other hand, the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition pathway (EMT) can act as the main agent of metastasis. Therefore, it is possible that targeting CSCs as well as the EMT pathway could help in cancer therapy. Considering that CSCs constitute only a small percentage of the total tumor mass, enrichment before study is necessary. In our previous study, CSCs were enriched in the human colon cancer cell line HT29 by induction of EMT. These CSC-enriched HT29 cells with mesenchymal morphology were named “HT29-shE”. In the present study, these cells were used to investigate the effect of Pioglitazone (Pio) and Cetuximab (Cet) in order to find CSC and EMT targeting agents. </p> <p> Methods: The viability and IC<sub>50</sub> rate of cells treated with different concentrations of Pio and Cet were evaluated using the MTT test. EMT and CSC markers and cell morphology were assessed in Pio and Cet treated and untreated HT29-shE cells using flow cytometry, realtime PCR, immunocytochemistry, and microscopic monitoring. </p> <p> Results: The findings showed that Pio and Cet at concentrations of 250 μM and 40 μg/ml, respectively, decrease cell viability by 50%. Also, they were able to reduce the expression of CSC markers (CD133 and CD44) in the CSC enriched HT29 cell line. Furthermore, Pio and Cet could efficiently reduce the expression of vimentin as a mesenchymal marker and significantly upregulate the expression of E-cadherin as an epidermal marker of EMT and its reverse mesenchymal- toepithelial transition (MET). In addition, the mesenchymal morphology of HT29-shE changed into epithelial morphology after Cet treatment. </p> <p> Conclusion: Pio and Cet could inhibit EMT and reduce CSC markers in the EMT induced/CSC enriched cell line. We expect that focus on finding EMT/CSC-targeting agents like these drugs can be helpful for cancer treatment.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Construction of an Oxidative Stress Risk Model to Analyze the Correlation Between Liver Cancer and Tumor Immunity]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138591</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most lethal cancers globally. Despite advancements in immunotherapy, the prognosis for patients with HCC continues to be poor. As oxidative stress plays a significant role in the onset and progression of various diseases, including metabolism-related HCC, comprehending its mechanism in HCC is critical for effective diagnosis and treatment. </p> <p> Methods: This study utilized the TCGA dataset and a collection of oxidative stress genes to identify the expression of oxidative stress-related genes in HCC and their association with overall survival using diverse bioinformatics methods. A novel prognostic risk model was developed, and the TCGA cohort was divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on each tumor sample's risk score. Levels of immune cell infiltration and the expression of immune checkpoint-related genes in different risk subgroups were analyzed to investigate the potential link between tumor immunity and oxidative stress-related features. The expression of model genes in actual samples was validated through immunohistochemistry, and their mRNA and protein expression levels were measured in cell cultures. </p> <p> Results: Four oxidative stress-related genes (EZH2, ANKZF1, G6PD, and HMOX1) were identified and utilized to create a predictive risk model for HCC patient overall survival, which was subsequently validated in an independent cohort. A correlation was found between the expression of these prognostic genes and the infiltration of tumor immune cells. Elevated expression of EZH2, ANKZF1, G6PD, and HMOX1 was observed in both HCC tissues and cell lines. </p> <p> Conclusion: The combined assessment of EZH2, ANKZF1, G6PD, and HMOX1 gene expression can serve as an oxidative stress risk model for assessing HCC prognosis. Furthermore, there is a correlation between the expression of these risk model genes and tumor immunity.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[An Overview of the Dichotomous Role of Microbiota in Cancer Progression and Management]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138672</link><description><![CDATA[It is a well-known fact that cancer is considered the second leading cause of mortality across the globe. Although the human oral cavity and intestine are the natural habitat of thousands of microbes, dysbiosis results in malignancies, such as oral squamous cell carcinoma and colorectal cancer. Amongst the intestinal microbes, <i>H. pylori</i> is a deadly carcinogen. Also, causative pathogens for the development of pancreatic and colorectal cancer are found in the oral cavity, such as <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> and <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i>. Many periodontopathic micro- organisms, like <i>Streptococcus</i> sp., Peptostreptococcus sp., Prevotella sp., Fusobacterium sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis, strongly have an impact on the development of oral cancers. Three basic mechanisms are involved in pathogen-mediated cancer development, like chronic inflammation-mediated angiogenesis, inhibition of cellular apoptosis, and release of carcinogenic by-products. Microbiota has a dichotomous role to play in cancer, i.e., microbiota can be used for cancer management too. Shreds of evidence are there to support the fact that microbiota enhances the chemotherapeutic drug efficacy. This review presents the possible mechanism of the oncogenic effect of microbiota with emphasis on the oral microbiome and also attempts to explain the intricate role of microbiota in cancer management.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Chemistry, Isolation, and Pharmaceutical Applications of Inulin]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137261</link><description><![CDATA[Inulin (IN) is a prebiotic oligosaccharide reported in diverse sources of nature. The major sources encompass chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, barley, garlic, rye, and wheat. The literature also reported its promising biological activities, e.g., antidiabetic, anticancer, antioxidant, immuneregulator and prebiotic for improving intestinal function, regulation of blood lipids, and so on. IN’s molecular flexibility, stabilization, and drug-targeting potential make it a unique polymer in pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical engineering. Further, its nutritional value and diagnostic application also widen its scope in food and medical sciences. The hydroxyl groups present in its structure offer chemical modifications, which could benefit advanced drug delivery such as controlled and sustained drug delivery, enhancement of bioavailability, cellular uptake, etc. This work reviews the isolation and purification of IN. The study also provides glimpses of the chemistry, chemical modification, and applications in pharmaceutical sciences and drug delivery.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Review on Advances in Pediatric Endoscopy in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137673</link><description><![CDATA[Over the past decades, an increased importance has been given to gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy in the management of children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), considering that mucosal healing has been recognized as the optimal endpoint in the treat-to-target paradigm. The recent advances in technology and anesthesia have facilitated the comprehensive evaluation of the GI tract. In this review, we will discuss the role of ileocolonoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, and device-assisted enteroscopy in the work-up and management of pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, with particular attention on non-invasive endoscopic techniques, such as wireless capsule endoscopy. We will also analyze the most commonly used endoscopic scoring systems, including small bowel scoring systems and endoscopic recurrence grading of neo-terminal ileum CD. Moreover, we will focus on the endoscopic management of complications, such as strictures, that commonly require surgery. Lastly, we will discuss cancer surveillance in children with IBD, with particular consideration of the role of high-definition endoscopic equipment and chromoendoscopy in dysplasia detection rates.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Alterations of the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Following: A Opportunity for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137470</link><description><![CDATA[Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a commonly diagnosed cancer responsible for numerous deaths worldwide. In recent decades, technological advances implicated in considering the molecular pathways underlying CRC pathogenesis. Several investigations have identified various mechanisms involved in CRC and have paved the way for new therapeutics and early diagnosis. Gut microbiome play a crucial role in intestinal inflammation and can be associated with colitis colorectal cancer. In this review, we narrated the role of the microbiome population and their metabolome profile as a new screening method for early detection of CRC.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[A Concise Review of Synthetic Strategy, Mechanism of Action, and SAR Studies of Phthalazine Derivatives as Anticancer Agent]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135641</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer is the third foremost cause of death in women and men. Globally, about 1.94 million colon cancer cases were diagnosed and around 0.93 million patients died in the previous year. </p> <p> Introduction: Several drugs have been permitted by the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of colorectal cancer. The main difficulties of current drugs are the expansion of resistance issues, target selectivity issues and toxicity issues. The existing therapies, such as surgery and hormonal therapy, are in use but exhibit numerous adverse effects, such as pharmacokinetic issues and pharmacodynamic issues. Hence, hereby is a crucial requirement of novel moieties that are peaceable and efficient in the handling of colorectal cancer. </p> <p> Methods: Phthalazine derivatives have expanded admiration over a few years due to their efficient anticancer significance. These Phthalazine derivatives exhibit anticancer activity by targeting various mechanisms such as apoptosis induction, tubulin polymerization inhibition, EGFR inhibition, and aurora kinase inhibition. </p> <p> Results: In this study, we have focused on the Structural Activity relationship, numerous synthetic strategies and mechanism of action of phthalazine derivatives for potential treatment of cancer. </p> <p> Conclusion: Among some of phthalazine derivative compounds not only induced antiproliferative activity even also improve bioavailability and reduce side effects, like 4-(phthalazine-1-yl) aniline with (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.22 ± 0.11 μM), and 4-phthalazin-1-yl-amino) benzonitrile (IC<sub>50</sub> = 1.20 μM), 4-((5- methyl-pyrazole-3-yl) amino)-2-phenylphthalazin-1-one (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.031 μM) and 4-((5-methyl-pyrazole- 3-yl) amino)-2-(p-tolyl)phthalazin-1-one (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.065 μM). Therefore, this study would be the inspiration for the betterment of human health.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Role of Neuronal Pathways in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Targets for Prevention and Treatment]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135301</link><description><![CDATA[In recent decades, the mortality and morbidity of Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer have remarkably increased, especially in younger individuals. Recent studies revealed that neuronal connections play an active part in GI tumor initiation and progression. Also, studies showed neurotransmitters and neuropeptides drive the activation of various oncogenic pathways downstream of neural receptors within cancer cells, underscoring the importance of neural signaling pathways in GI tumor malignancy. These studies show that the humoral and nervous pathways can transfer signals of tumors to the brain. But, the exact mechanism of this regulation from the brain to the gut is still unknown. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of the neuronal pathway in the regulation of promotion or suppression of GI cancer and oncogene activation, and we summarize recent findings linking the nervous system to GI tumor progression and highlight the importance of targeting neural mechanisms in GI tumor therapy.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Medicinal Plant-rich Diet: A Potential Therapeutic Role in Colorectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134599</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer is estimated to become the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Since most of the available therapies affect vital organs such as heart and liver, herbal remedies as a substitute therapy have been reported in several evidence-based studies. </p> <p> Objective: Medicinal plants exhibit a diverse range of bioactive elements known for their medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. Phytochemicals present in medicinal plants significantly trigger different signaling pathways, contributing to their therapeutic activities. This review covers a comprehensive summary of the therapeutic potential of an herbal diet in treating colorectal cancer and other ailments. Special attention will be given to exploring the interactions of medicinal plants with the microbiota and their associations with cancer pathways. </p> <p> Conclusion: A medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds is a therapeutic option for colorectal cancer and potent cardioprotective and hepatoprotective agents. These bioactive compounds have demonstrated the ability to impede the growth of cancerous cells and trigger apoptosis. Our findings suggest that pomegranate, garlic, soybean, olive, green tea, papaya, and grapes are potential medicinal plants for combating cancer and related side effects. Bioactive compounds can modulate the gut microbiota's metabolism, and short-chain fatty acid production shows cardioprotective effects and reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. Hence, it can be stated that the interaction between a medicinal plant-rich diet and the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in preventing colorectal cancer and cardiac arrest.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Exosomal microRNA-99b-5p Promotes Cell Growth of High Glucose-treated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Modulating THAP Domain Containing 2 Expression]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137032</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Introduction: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-exos) may function as novel candidates for treating diabetic wounds due to their ability to promote angiogenesis. </p> <p> Materials and Methods: This study investigated the effects of BMSC-exos on the growth and metastasis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with high glucose (HG). The exosomes were separated from BMSCs and identified. The cell phenotype was detected by 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine, wound healing, and transwell assays, while the number of tubes was measured <i>via</i> tube formation assay. </p> <p> Result: The RNA and protein expression levels were studied using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, whereas integration of microRNA-99b-5p (miR-99b-5p) with THAP domain containing 2 (THAP2) was confirmed <i>via</i> dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. Results of transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed that exosomes were successfully separated from BMSCs and endocytosed into the cytoplasm by HUVECs. Similarly, BMSC-exos were found to promote the growth of HG-treated HUVECs, while their growth was inhibited by suppressing miR-99b-5p. THAP2 was found to bind to miR-99b-5p, where THAP2 inhibition reversed the miR-99b-5p-induced effects on cell growth, migration, and tube numbers. </p> <p> Conclusion: In conclusion, miR-99b-5p in BMSC-exo protects HUVECs by negatively regulating THAP2 expression.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Cancer Stem Cells and Treatment of Cancer: An Update and Future Perspectives]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134877</link><description><![CDATA[Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an essential role in tumour progression and metastasis. Stem cell ability of self-renewal enables it to persist over time, thereby contributing to cancer relapse or recurrence and also resistance to current therapies. Therefore, targeting CSCs emerged as a promising strategy of cancer treatment. CSCs exhibit differentiation, self-renewal, and plasticity, they contribute to formation of malignant tumours, also favors, metastasis, heterogeneity, multidrug resistance, and radiation resistance. Coventional cancer treatments predominantly target cancer cells that are not CSCs, CSCs frequently survive, eventually leading to relapse. This article focuses on the development of novel therapeutic strategies that combine conventional treatments and CSC inhibitors to eradicate cancer cells and CSCs, for the better and permanent treatment. However, the diversity of CSCs is a significant obstacle in the development of CSC-targeted therapies, necessitating extensive research for a better understanding and exploration of therapeutic approaches. Future development of CSC-targeted therapies will rely heavily on overcoming this obstacle.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Identifying Dental Pulp Stem Cell as a Novel Therapeutic trategy for Digestive Diseases]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136270</link><description><![CDATA[Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified as potential therapeutics for various diseases. In contrast to other sources of MSCs, dental stem cells (DSCs) have received increased attention due to their high activity and easy accessibility. Among them, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) exhibit superior self-renewal, multipotency, immunomodulatory, and regenerative capacities. Following their inspiring performance in animal models and clinical trials, DPSCs show pharmacological potential in regenerative medicine. In this review, we have generalized the sources, heterogeneity, and biological characteristics of DPSCs, as well as compared them with other types of dental stem cells. In addition, we summarized the application of DPSCs in digestive diseases (such as liver, esophageal, and intestinal diseases), highlighting their regenerative and pharmacological potential based on the existing preclinical and clinical evidence. Specifically, DPSCs can be home to injured or inflamed tissues and exert repair and regeneration functions by facilitating immune regulation, anti-inflammation, and directional differentiation. Although DPSCs have a rosy prospect, future studies should handle the underlying drawbacks and pave the way for the identification of DPSCs as novel regenerative medicine.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Insight to Biofabrication of Liver Microtissues for Disease Modeling: Challenges and Opportunities]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135203</link><description><![CDATA[In the last decade, liver diseases with high mortality rates have become one of the most important health problems in the world. Organ transplantation is currently considered the most effective treatment for compensatory liver failure. An increasing number of patients and shortage of donors has led to the attention of reconstructive medicine methods researchers. The biggest challenge in the development of drugs effective in chronic liver disease is the lack of a suitable preclinical model that can mimic the microenvironment of liver problems. Organoid technology is a rapidly evolving field that enables researchers to reconstruct, evaluate, and manipulate intricate biological processes <i>in vitro</i>. These systems provide a biomimetic model for studying the intercellular interactions necessary for proper organ function and architecture in vivo. Liver organoids, formed by the self-assembly of hepatocytes, are microtissues and can exhibit specific liver characteristics for a long time <i>in vitro</i>. Hepatic organoids are identified as an impressive tool for evaluating potential cures and modeling liver diseases. Modeling various liver diseases, including tumors, fibrosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver, etc., allows the study of the effects of various drugs on these diseases in personalized medicine. Here, we summarize the literature relating to the hepatic stem cell microenvironment and the formation of liver Organoids.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Association between NADPH Oxidase 2 (NOX2) and Drug Resistance in Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138532</link><description><![CDATA[NADPH oxidase, as a major source of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), assumes an important role in the immune response and oxidative stress response of the body. NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) is the first and most representative member of the NADPH oxidase family, and its effects on the development of tumor cells are gaining more and more attention. Our previous study suggested that NCF4 polymorphism in p40phox, a key subunit of NOX2, affected the outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with rituximab. It hypothesized that NOX2-mediated ROS could enhance the cytotoxic effects of some anti-tumor drugs in favor of patients with tumors. Several reviews have summarized the role of NOX2 and its congeners-mediated ROS in anti-tumor therapy, but few studies focused on the relationship between the expression of NOX2 and anti-tumor drug resistance. In this article, we systematically introduced the NOX family, represented by NOX2, and a classification of the latest inhibitors and agonists of NOX2. It will help researchers to have a more rational and objective understanding of the dual role of NOX2 in tumor drug resistance and is expected to provide new ideas for oncology treatment and overcoming drug resistance in cancer.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[H3K27ac-activated LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 Facilitated the Progression of Colorectal Cancer Cells <i>via</i> MicroRNA-126-5p/FAM3C Axis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138414</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Objective: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are of great importance in the process of colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis and progression. However, the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of the majority of lncRNAs in CRC still lack clarity. </p> <p> Methods: A Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to detect lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 expression in CRC cell lines. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry were used to examine the biological functions of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 in the proliferation and apoptosis of CRC cells. RT-qPCR and western blot were implemented for the detection of cell proliferation-, apoptosis-related proteins, and FAM3C. Bioinformatics analysis and dual- luciferase reporter assays were utilized to identify the mutual regulatory mechanism of ceRNAs. </p> <p> Results: lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 notably elevated in CRC cell lines and the silenced of NUTM2A- AS1 declined proliferation and facilitated apoptosis. Mechanistically, NUTM2A-AS1 was transcriptionally activated by histone H3 on lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) enriched at its promoter region, and NUTM2A-AS1 acted as a sponge for miR-126-5p, leading to the upregulation of FAM3C expression in CRC cell lines. </p> <p> Conclusion: Our research proposed NUTM2A-AS1 as an oncogenic lncRNA that facilitates CRC malignancy by upregulating FAM3C expression, which might provide new insight and a promising therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Prognostic Value and Clinical Significance of lncRNA SNHG5 Expression in Patients with Multiple Malignancies: A Bioinformatic and Meta-analysis]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138740</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (lncRNA SNHG5) has been identified as both a promising target for treatment and a predictor of prognosis in diverse types of cancer. The objective of this study was to assess whether lncRNA SNHG5 expression can be utilized as a prognostic biomarker for human cancer. </p> <p> Methods: To ensure a thorough search of the literature for relevant English studies published before July 2023, several databases were searched, including PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. The study evaluated the impact of lncRNA SNHG5 on the overall survival (OS) of cancer by calculating the pooled hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To further confirm the accuracy of the findings, the study investigated the expression profile and prognostic significance of lncRNA SNHG5 through the use of GenomicScape, OncoLnc, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and GEPIA databases. </p> <p> Results: In this study, 995 patients were examined across a total of fourteen original studies. The findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between heightened lncRNA SNHG5 expression and reduced OS, as evidenced by both univariate and multivariate analyses (HR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.44-2.49; p &#60; 0.001; HR = 3.97; 95% CI, 1.80-8.73; p &#60; 0.001, respectively). Pooled OR analysis showed a significant association between over-expression of lncRNA SNHG5 with advanced histological grade (OR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.11-0.71; p = 0.007), present lymph node metastasis (LNM; OR = 4.28; 95% CI, 2.47-7.43; p &#60; 0.001), and smoking history (OR = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15-0.49; p &#60; 0.001). Bioinformatic databases confirmed that elevated SNHG5 expression was significantly linked to poor prognosis in cancer patients, including colorectal cancer (CRC), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and esophageal adenocarcinoma (ESAD), and a longer OS in patients with uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). </p> <p> Conclusion: These results suggest that lncRNA SNHG5 may serve as an adverse prognostic biomarker in several human cancers. Further investigations are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that link lncRNA SNHG5 to multiple malignancies.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Role of NADPH Quinone Reductase 1 (NQO1) Polymorphism in Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138310</link><description><![CDATA[Most cancer deaths are related to gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Several environmental and genetic factors are effective in the occurrence of GI cancers, such as esophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers. In addition to risk factors related to lifestyle, reactive oxygen species (ROS) also play a role in GI cancers, and an increase in the amount of free radicals can lead to oxidative stress and increase the probability of malignancies. NQO1 is part of the body's antioxidant defense system that protects cells against mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. NQO1 is responsible for reducing quinones to hydroquinone and preventing the generation of ROS by catalyzing the reaction. The existence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NADPH Quinone Reductase 1 (NQO1), such as 609C>T NQO1, leads to a decrease in NQO1 enzyme activity. Some NQO1 polymorphisms may increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer. So, the C609T polymorphism in the NQO1 gene has been found to be effective in causing gastrointestinal cancers. On the other hand, it is very important to know the role of biomarkers in the prognosis and management of cancer treatment. Therefore, this study investigated the role of NQO1 as a biomarker in the management of gastrointestinal cancers (prevention, diagnosis and treatment).]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Transcription Factor MAZ Potentiates the Upregulated NEIL3-mediated Aerobic Glycolysis, thereby Promoting Angiogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138449</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by high vascularity and notable abnormality of blood vessels, where angiogenesis is a key process in tumorigenesis and metastasis. The main functions of Nei Like DNA Glycosylase 3 (NEIL3) include DNA alcoholization repair, immune response regulation, nervous system development and function, and DNA damage signal transduction. However, the underlying mechanism of high expression NEIL3 in the development and progression of HCC and whether the absence or silencing of NEIL3 inhibits the development of cancer remain unclear. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which increased NEIL3 expression promotes cancer development is needed. </p> <p> Methods: Expression of NEIL3 and its upstream transcription factor MAZ in HCC tumor tissues was analyzed in bioinformatics efforts, while validation was done by qRT-PCR and western blot in HCC cell lines. The migration and tube formation capacity of HUVEC cells were analyzed by Transwell and tube formation assays. Glycolytic capacity was analyzed by extracellular acidification rate, glucose uptake, and lactate production levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were utilized to investigate specific interactions between MAZ and NEIL3. </p> <p> Results: NEIL3 and MAZ were substantially upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. NEIL3 was involved in modulating the glycolysis pathway, suppression of which reversed the stimulative impact of NEIL3 overexpression on migration and angiogenesis in HUVEC cells. MAZ bound to the promoter of NEIL3 to facilitate NEIL3 transcription. Silencing MAZ reduced NEIL3 expression and suppressed the glycolysis pathway, HUVEC cell migration, and angiogenesis. </p> <p> Conclusion: MAZ potentiated the upregulated NEIL3-mediated glycolysis pathway and HCC angiogenesis. This study provided a rationale for the MAZ/NEIL3/glycolysis pathway as a possible option for anti-angiogenesis therapy in HCC.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[A Comprehensive Study of <i>Allium Sativum Linn</i>]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136410</link><description><![CDATA[<i>Allium Sativum</i>, commonly known as garlic, has been employed for ages for both cuisines and restorative purposes. Many sulfur-containing phytochemical constituents are abundant in garlic and they are responsible for its many pharmacological properties. The most extensively studied compound in garlic is allicin, however, other forms of garlic such as aged garlic, raw garlic, and oil maceration of garlic, have their own unique chemical properties. Garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, improve insulin sensitivity, inhibit cell proliferation, enhance peristalsis motion, modulate acetylcholine, and inhibit lipid oxidation. Apart from all its traditional therapeutic activity, it has much more potential for further study such as cancer treatment with lesser side-effects, improving mitochondrial dysfunction in Huntington’s disease, enhancement psoriasis treatment, affinity to treat glomerular disease, and vast scope in polycystic ovary syndrome and in uterine contraction. This review talks about pharmacology activities, future aspects, phytochemicals, and the privileged aspects of <i>Allium Sativum</i>.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges of Functional Foods and
Nutraceuticals During COVID-19 Pandemic]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138829</link><description><![CDATA[The novel Coronavirus has brought global mortality, disruption, and a significant loss of life. A compromised immune system is a known risk factor for all viral influenza infections. Due to the perceived “immune-boosting” properties of nutraceutical products, sales of dietary supplements have grown globally. In recent years, consumers have increasingly demanded nutraceutical products rather than curative synthetic medicines for preventive therapies for the coronavirus disease outbreak of 2019 (COVID-19). Healthy foods and nutraceuticals have become daily diet plans for consumers. Although there has been an increase in demand, there is no such regulation and harmonized process, which stands as a barrier to the approval of these products. Therefore, many misbranded and spurious products are entering the market, which may harm consumers. This article focuses on the role of functional foods and nutraceutical in the management of COVID-19 also focuses on the different nutraceutical regulations in each country and compare the similarities and differences of the following countries: India, the USA (United States of America), the EU (European Union), and China. The comparative study of nutraceutical regulations in India, the USA, Europe, and China shows that there is a difference regarding the nutraceutical regulations; however, despite the differences, it is observed that it has the same underlying objective, i.e., ensuring the safety of the consumers by maintaining the product quality.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Curcumin and Curcumin Derivatives for Therapeutic Applications:
<i>In vitro</i> and <i>In vivo</i> Studies]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137990</link><description><![CDATA[Curcumin is a naturally derived phytochemical compound obtained from the turmeric plant <i>Curcuma longa L.</i> (Zingiberaceae family), which is a popular spice and food color and has been actively researched for decades. It has been shown to have a variety of pharmacological properties both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. Several investigations have shown that curcumin's metabolites contribute to its pharmacological effectiveness. Curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity when used alone or in conjunction with conventional treatments. There are various unique and diverse pharmacological effects of curcumin against various disease conditions like diabetes, inflammation, cancer, malaria, and Alzheimer's. The <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its pharmacological effects are reviewed. Based on data from the clinical and experimental evaluation of curcumin in animal models and human subjects, the review summarizes the pharmacological effect of curcumin and its derivatives concerning anti-tumor property, their mechanism of action, and their cellular target. The current research focuses on identifying curcumin's function in the immune system's cascade and determining the ideal effective dose (ED50). Through <i>in-vitro</i> and <i>in-vivo</i> experiments, the current study aims to comprehend and establish the role of curcumin in the healing of disease conditions.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Organoids Research for Colorectal Cancer: Promising Approach for
Precision Medicine, their Applications and Future Perspectives]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134712</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) constructs designed to emulate the complexity and functionality of organs in the body. Organoids have recently been used as powerful instruments for modeling and investigating several diseases, including colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is caused by altering colonic epithelial cells, which produce adenomas and carcinomas. </p> <p> Objective: The objective of present study was to investigate impact of organoids on colorectal cancer and their therapeutic outcome in cancer research. Organoids can be grown from stem cells in vitro, which closely resemble the structure and function of the organ they are derived from. They have been used in a variety of research applications, including disease modeling, drug screening, and personalized medicine. Organoids have allowed researchers to understand better the mechanisms underlying colorectal cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to therapy. </p> <p> Methods: The literature review was surveyed, and keywords related to cancer management, organoids, modelling, personized medicine, 3D structures were screened for colorectal cancer management were screened in SCI-hub, SCOPUS, WOS, and ABC Journals. </p> <p> Results: The findings of studies suggested that organoids derived from patient tumors can recapitulate the histopathology and genetic alterations of the original tumor, making them a valuable tool for personalized medicine. </p> <p> Conclusion: Organoids have been used to develop high-throughput drug screening assays and investigate the tumor microenvironment's contribution to colorectal cancer progression. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the use of organoids to study colorectal cancer and discuss their potential applications in the clinic.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Discerning the Multi-dimensional Role of <i>Salicin</i>: Bioactive Glycoside
Beyond Analgesic: Different Perspectives]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136239</link><description><![CDATA[Salicin is a glycoside that can be found in several Salix and Populus species. Salicin is also connected to the glycoside populin, commonly known as benzoyl Salicin, in the Salicaceae tree barks. D-glucose is a component of the alcoholic glycoside Salicin (C<sub>13</sub>H<sub>18</sub>O<sub>7</sub>). The willow tree, as well as other trees like poplar and aspen, contains the natural chemical Salicin, which is a member of the salicylate family. Salicin is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic used in conventional medicine, and it served as the inspiration for the creation of aspirin. This molecule may have important human pharmacological actions that need to be considered in determining the efficacy and safety of willow herbal medicines. The extracts obtained from the bark of the tree, belonging to the Saliceae family in different solvents have been known for possessing many important medicinal values by potent pharmacological actions. The current effort deals with exquisite detailed aspects and concerns related to Salicin, which will be fruitful for the futuristic approaches to Salicin.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Clinical Significance of HHLA2 as a Novel Therapeutic Target for
Colorectal Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138193</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high-indence malignance of the digestive system with a high mortality rate in the world. </p> <p> Aims: The results are desired to provide an important theoretical basis for discovering new therapeutic targets for CRC. </p> <p> Objectives: The expression of human endogenous retrovirus-H-long terminal repeat association protein 2 (HHLA2) in human CRC was detected to explore its correlationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients and its potential in treating CRC. </p> <p> Methods: Western blot was employed to detect HHLA2 expression in fresh tissues obtained from 6 CRC patients' excisions, including cancer, paracancer, and normal issues. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to determine HHLA2 expression in paraffin-embedded specimens of 139 patients with colorectal cancer, and its relationship with the clinicopathological profiles and survival was analyzed. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting HHLA2 was used to transfect CRC cells to silent HHLA2. MTT, plate colony formation, cell scratch, and Transwell assay were conducted to observe the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. </p> <p> Results: HHLA2 protein was expressed in human colorectal cancer tissues, paracancer tissues and normal tissues, which was significantly upregulated in cancer tissues (P < 0.01). HHLA2 expression level in CRC tissues showed a close correlationship with the invasion depth of the tumor (P = 0.000), metastasis of regional lymph nodes (P = 0.018), clinical stage (P = 0.010), and patient survival (P = 0.011). Correlation with gender (P = 0.873), age (P = 0.864), location of the tumor (P = 0.768), degree of tumor differentiation (P = 0.569) and distant metastasis (P = 0.494) exhibited no significance. The survival time of CRC patients with high and low HHLA2 expression groups was 43.231 months and 55.649 months, respectively, with a statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.001). Silencing HHLA2 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells significantly. </p> <p> Conclusion: HHLA2 is overexpressed in CRC tissues which is associated with poor prognosis of patients. HHLA2 might be recognized as a new candidate for adjuvant diagnosis and prognosis of CRC, as well as a promised new target for immunotherapy of CRC.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Angiogenesis and Pancreatic Cancer: Novel Approaches to Overcome
Treatment Resistance]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138224</link><description><![CDATA[Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is acknowledged as a significant contributor to global cancer- related mortality and is widely recognized as one of the most challenging malignant diseases to treat. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is the most common type of PCa, is highly aggressive and is mostly incurable. The poor prognosis of this neoplasm is exacerbated by the prevalence of angiogenic molecules, which contribute to stromal stiffness and immune escape. PDAC overexpresses various proangiogenic proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and the levels of these molecules correlate with poor prognosis and treatment resistance. Moreover, VEGF-targeting anti-angiogenesis treatments are associated with the onset of resistance due to the development of hypoxia, which in turn induces the production of angiogenic molecules. Furthermore, excessive angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of the second most common form of PCa, namely, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET). In this review, the role of angiogenesis regulators in promoting disease progression in PCa, and the impact of these molecules on resistance to gemcitabine and various therapies against PCa are discussed. Finally, the use of anti-angiogenic agents in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted therapeutic molecules is discussed as a novel solution to overcome current treatment limitations in PCa.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases as Two Sides of Chronic Inflammation
and the Method of Therapy]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138112</link><description><![CDATA[Chronic inflammation is associated with a prolonged increase in various inflammatory factors. According to clinical data, it can be linked with both cancer and autoimmune diseases in the same patients. This raises the critical question of how chronic inflammation relates to seemingly opposing diseases - tumors, in which there is immunosuppression, and autoimmune diseases, in which there is over-activation of the immune system. In this review, we consider chronic inflammation as a prerequisite for both immune suppression and an increased likelihood of autoimmune damage. We also discuss potential disease-modifying therapies targeting chronic inflammation, which can be helpful for both cancer and autoimmunity. On the one hand, pro-inflammatory factors persisting in the areas of chronic inflammation stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory factors due to a negative feedback loop, eliciting immune suppression. On the other hand, chronic inflammation can bring the baseline immunity closer to the threshold level required for triggering an autoimmune response using the bystander activation of immune cells. Focusing on the role of chronic inflammation in cancer and autoimmune diseases may open prospects for more intensive drug discovery for chronic inflammation.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Vitamin B12 Protects against Genotoxicity Induced by Cisplatin]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138192</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Cisplatin is an effective synthetic chemotherapeutic drug used for cancer treatment. Vitamin B12 has been shown to possess anti-genotoxic activity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin B12 on chromosomal damage induced by cisplatin. </p> <p> Methods: The level of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs) were measured in cultured human blood lymphocytes treated with cisplatin and/or vitamin B12. </p> <p> Results: The results showed a significantly elevated frequency of CAs and SCEs of cisplatin-treated cultures compared to the control (P &#60; 0.05). The CAs and SCEs induced by cisplatin were significantly lowered by pretreatment of cell cultures with vitamin B12. In addition, cisplatin caused a slight reduction in the mitotic index (MI), while vitamin B12 did not modulate the effect of cisplatin on MI. </p> <p> Conclusion: Vitamin B12 can protect human lymphocytes against genotoxicity associated with cisplatin.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Study Deciphering the Crucial Involvement of Notch Signaling Pathway in
Human Cancers]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/136234</link><description><![CDATA[In recent years, dysregulation of the notch pathway has been associated with the development and progression of various cancers. Notch signaling is involved in several cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, and its abnormal activation can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and tumorigenesis. In various human cancers, the Notch pathway has been shown to have both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive effects, depending on the context and stage of cancer development. Notch signaling has been implicated in tumor initiation, cancer cell proliferation, cell migration and maintenance of cancer stem cells in several human cancers, including leukemia, breast, pancreatic and lung cancer. Understanding the role of the Notch pathway in cancer development and progression may provide new opportunities for the development of potent targeted therapies for cancer treatment. Several drugs targeting the Notch pathway are currently in preclinical or clinical development and may hold promise for anticancer therapy in the future.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Non-Canonical Targets of MicroRNAs: Role in Transcriptional Regulation,
Disease Pathogenesis and Potential for Therapeutic Targets]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137623</link><description><![CDATA[MicroRNAs are a class of regulatory, non-coding small ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules found in eukaryotes. Dysregulated expression of microRNAs can lead to downregulation or upregulation of their target gene. In general, microRNAs bind with the Argonaute protein and its interacting partners to form a silencing complex. This silencing complex binds with fully or partial complementary sequences in the 3’-UTR of their cognate target mRNAs and leads to degradation of the transcripts or translational inhibition, respectively. However, recent developments point towards the ability of these microRNAs to bind to the promoters, enhancers or coding sequences, leading to upregulation of their target genes. This review briefly summarizes the various non-canonical binding sites of microRNAs and their regulatory roles in various diseased conditions.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Bile Acid Nanoparticles - An Emerging Approach for Site Specific Drug Targeting]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137143</link><description><![CDATA[Bile acids, a group of steroidal acids present in the bile act as biological surfactants and ligands for bile acid transporter proteins for signalling molecules to perform various paracrine and endocrine functions. The enterohepatic circulation of bile acids can be exploited to develop attractive drug delivery approaches with improved targetability of facial amphiphiles and enhanced drug bioavailability by improving absorption and metabolic stability. The effectiveness, safety and targetability of nanoparticles conjugated with bile acids and salts have been discussed in the present review. Various modifications of bile acids promoting absorption and oral bioavailability of drugs for treatment of various disease conditions such as cancer, diabetes and psychosis has also been discussed. Additionally, neuroprotective effect of bile acids and salts has demonstrated utility in various neurodegenerative disorders. Nanoparticles based on bile acids and salts represent an area of emergent interest due to their unique and modifiable properties for improving effectiveness of drugs.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Nanomedicine as a Better Therapeutic Approach: An Overview]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137587</link><description><![CDATA[The fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine have undergone a revolution. There has been a striking rise in authorized nanomedicines since 1980. Apart from functioning as therapeutic agents, they also act as carriers for delivering various active pharmaceuticals to target organs. The ultimate goal of nanomedicine has always been the generation of translational technologies that can improve current therapies. Nanocrystals, nanotubes, liposomes, exosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, and metallic and magnetic nanoparticles are examples of nanostructures that are now in the market as well as in ongoing research. The preparation of these nanomaterials requires consideration of a number of difficulties. Only a few of these nanomaterials were successful in obtaining marketing permission after passing all required toxicological and ethical evaluations and making them affordable to users and, at the same time, profitable to investors. Cancer, central nervous system (CNS) diseases, and cardiovascular (CVS) diseases represented the primary targets of nanotechnology applied to medicine. Therefore, this review article is focused on providing a summary of several nano-based delivery systems, including their limitations and prospects in different therapeutic fields.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Power of the Underutilized and Neglected Medicinal Plants and
Herbs of the Middle East]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138687</link><description><![CDATA[The Middle east and North Africa harbour many native species with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. Since the beginning of history, food and herbal medicinal plants have been an essential part of human lives and the traditional Middle Eastern healthcare system. The notable medicinal plants that have been mentioned in the Bible, which are common in West Asia and some regions of North Africa, are <i>Aloe vera</i>, anise, balm, cassia, cinnamon, cumin, flax, and fig. Chemical components of <i>Aloe vera</i> are aloin, sinapinic acid, catechin, chromone, myricetin, quercitrin and syringic acid. Anethole, safrole, and estragole are the main chemical components of anise. The chemical components of cassia are coumarin, emodin, cinnamyl alcohol, and cinnamaldehyde. The major chemical ingredients of cumin are terpinene, cuminaldehyde, sabinene, thujene, and thymoquinone. The goal of this article is to review the considerable health benefits and pharmaceutical benefits of medicinal herbs and plants that have been neglected and underutilized in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as to promote their utilization. On the basis of the results, the experimented neglected medicinal plant can offer various advantages when used together with conventional medicinal treatments for various health conditions, such as palliative care in managing the side effects of conventional treatments, access to a wider range of treatments, increased patient satisfaction, and improved emotional and mental well-being. Moreover, consuming medicinal plants may help to manage and prevent diabetes, cancer, and heart disease with notable anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Recent Approaches on Molecular Markers, Treatment and Novel Drug
Delivery System Used for the Management of Colorectal Cancer:
A Comprehensive Review]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137828</link><description><![CDATA[Colorectal cancer affects 1 in 25 females and 1 in 24 males, making it the third most frequent cancer with over 6,08,030 deaths worldwide, despite advancements in detection and treatments, including surgery, chemotherapeutics, radiotherapy, and immune therapeutics. Novel potential agents have increased survival in acute and chronic disease conditions, with a higher risk of side effects and cost. However, metastatic disease has an insignificant long-term diagnosis, and significant challenges remain due to last-stage diagnosis and treatment failure. Early detection, survival, and treatment efficacy are all improved by biomarkers. The advancement of cancer biomarkers' molecular pathology and genomics during the last three decades has improved therapy. Clinically useful prognostic biomarkers assist clinical judgment, for example, by predicting the success of EGFR-inhibiting antibodies in the presence of KRAS gene mutations. Few biomarkers are currently used in clinical settings, so further research is still needed. Nanocarriers, with materials like Carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles, provide targeted CRC drug delivery and diagnostics. Light-responsive drugs with gold and silica nanoparticles effectively target and destroy CRC cells. We evaluate the potential use of the long non-coding RNA (non-coding RNA) oncogene plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarker, along with the latest nanotech breakthroughs in CRC diagnosis and treatment.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Cancer Stem Cells in Carcinogenesis and Potential Role in Pancreatic Cancer]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134521</link><description><![CDATA[A poor prognosis is associated with pancreatic cancer because of resistance during treatment and early distant metastases. The discovery of cancer stem cells has opened up novel avenues for research into the biology and treatment of cancer. Many investigations have pointed out the role of these types of stem cells in the oncogenesis and progression of hematologic and solid malignancies, specifically. Due to the existence of cancer stem cells in the proliferation and preservation of pancreatic tumors, such malignancies could be difficult to eradicate using conventional treatment techniques like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is hypothesized that pancreatic malignancies originate from a limited population of aberrant cancer stem cells to promote carcinogenesis, tumour metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. This review examines the role of pancreatic cancer stem cells in this disease and their significance in carcinogenesis, as well as the signals which modulate them, and also examines the ongoing clinical studies that are now being conducted with pancreatic stem cells.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Emerging Therapeutic Approaches Targeting Ferroptosis in Cancer:
Focus on Immunotherapy and Nanotechnology]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/137977</link><description><![CDATA[Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of programmed cell death characterized by iron overload, ROS accumulation, and lipid peroxidation. It is distinguished by unique morphological, biochemical, and genetic features and stands apart from other known regulated cell death mechanisms. Studies have demonstrated a close association between ferroptosis and various cancers, including liver cancer, lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer. Inducing ferroptosis has shown promising results in inhibiting tumor growth and reversing tumor progression. However, the challenge lies in regulating ferroptosis in vivo due to the scarcity of potent compounds that can activate it. Integrating emerging biomedical discoveries and technological innovations with conventional therapies is imperative. Notably, considerable progress has been made in cancer treatment by leveraging immunotherapy and nanotechnology to trigger ferroptosis. This review explores the relationship between ferroptosis and emerging immunotherapies and nanotechnologies, along with their potential underlying mechanisms, offering valuable insights for developing novel cancer treatment strategies.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Essential Fatty Acids along the Women’s Life Cycle and Promotion of a
Well-balanced Metabolism]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/135152</link><description><![CDATA[Linoleic acid (&#969;-6 LA) and &#945;-linolenic acid (&#969;-3 ALA) are essential fatty acids (EFA) for human beings. They must be consumed through diet and then extensively metabolized, a process that plays a fundamental role in health and eventually in disease prevention. Given the numerous changes depending on age and sex, EFA metabolic adaptations require further investigations along the women’s life cycle, from onset to decline of the reproductive age. Thus, this review explains women’s life cycle stages and their involvement in diet intake, digestion and absorption, the role of microbiota, metabolism, bioavailability, and EFA fate and major metabolites. This knowledge is crucial to promoting lipid homeostasis according to female physiology through well- directed health strategies. Concerning this, the promotion of breastfeeding, nutrition, and physical activity is cardinal to counteract ALA deficiency, LA/ALA imbalance, and the release of unhealthy derivatives. These perturbations arise after menopause that compromise both lipogenic and lipolytic pathways. The close interplay of diet, age, female organism, and microbiota also plays a central role in regulating lipid metabolism. Consequently, future studies are encouraged to propose efficient interventions for each stage of women's cycle. In this sense, plant-derived foods and products are promising to be included in women’s nutrition to improve EFA metabolism.]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[The Effect of Coronavirus Pandemic on the Treatment of Gynecological
and Breast Cancers]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/134050</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, various groups, including women with cancer, were affected as a high-risk group in terms of disease diagnosis and treatment. Despite the importance of therapeutic changes in cancers, such as breast and gynecological cancer, there is no comprehensive study in this regard that also refers to the coronavirus. The need for a deep understanding of the impact of coronavirus on the treatment plan of this group of patients caused the researcher to design and implement this study that aims to investigate the treatment challenge among cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p> <p> Materials and Methods: To answer the study question, a comprehensive search was carried out in databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus, using keywords, including cancer, gynecologic cancer, breast cancer, treatment, delay, and modification. Full-texted, English language and original articles were included in this study. </p> <p> Results: In total, 27 articles were selected for the study. The findings of this study revealed that COVID-19 greatly affects the treatment of gynecology and breast cancer. These patients experience delay or modification of cancer treatment. Increased time between diagnosis and treatment, delay, change or cancellation of surgery and change in treatment plan are the most important changes in cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p> <p> Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various aspects of gynecology and breast cancer care worldwide. In the current pandemic, there has been a significant delay in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological and breast cancer, which, due to its higher morbidity and mortality, has made the condition more difficult for cancer patients and treatment teams.</p>]]></description> </item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i> Polyphenols in
Targeting Biomarkers of Colorectal Cancer: An <i>In-silico</i> Evaluation]]></title><link>https://www.benthamscience.comarticle/138292</link><description><![CDATA[<p>Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major contributor to cancer-related deaths worldwide, driving the need for effective anticancer therapies with fewer side effects. The exploration of Ginkgo biloba, a natural source, offers a hopeful avenue for novel treatments targeting key colorectal biomarkers involved in CRC treatment. </p> <p> Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the binding affinity of natural molecules derived from <i>G. biloba</i> to essential biomarkers associated with CRC, including Kirsten rat sarcoma virus, neuroblastoma RAS mutations, serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, and deleted colorectal cancer, using molecular docking. The focus of this research was to evaluate how effectively these molecules bind to specified targets in order to identify potential inhibitors for the treatment of CRC. </p> <p> Methods: A total of 152 polyphenolic compounds from G. biloba were selected and subjected to molecular docking simulations to evaluate their interactions with CRC-related biomarkers. The docking results were analysed to identify ligands exhibiting strong affinities towards the targeted genes, suggesting potential inhibitory effects. </p> <p> Results: Docking simulations unveiled the strong binding affinities between selected polyphenolic compounds derived from <i>G. biloba</i> and genes associated with CRC. The complex glycoside structures that are found in flavonols are of significant importance. These compounds, including derivatives with distinctive arrangements, exhibited promising docking scores, signifying substantial interactions with the targeted biomarkers. </p> <p> Conclusion: The study demonstrates the potential of <i>G. biloba</i>-derived molecules as effective anticancer agents for colorectal cancer. The identified ligands exhibit strong interactions with crucial CRC-related biomarkers, suggesting potential inhibition ability. Further <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> investigations are needed to validate and build upon these promising findings, advancing the development of novel and efficient CRC therapies.</p>]]></description> </item></channel></rss>