Prostate Carcinogenesis: Insights in Relation to Epigenetics and Inflammation.

Prostate cancer is a multifactorial disease that mainly occurs due to the accumulation of somatic, genetic, and epigenetic changes, resulting in the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes. Mutations in genes, specifically those that control cell growth and division or the repair of damaged DNA, make the cells grow and divide uncontrollably to form a tumor. The risk of developing prostate cancer depends upon the gene that has undergone the mutation. Identifying such genetic risk factors for prostate cancer poses a challenge for the researchers. Besides genetic mutations, many epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation, histone modifications (methylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation, sumoylation, and phosphorylation) nucleosomal remodeling, and chromosomal looping, have significantly contributed to the onset of prostate cancer as well as the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. Chronic inflammation also plays a major role in the onset and progression of human cancer, via modifications in the tumor microenvironment by initiating epithelialmesenchymal transition and remodeling the extracellular matrix. In this article, the authors present a brief history of the mechanisms and potential links between the genetic aberrations, epigenetic changes, inflammation, and inflammasomes that are known to contribute to the prognosis of prostate cancer. Furthermore, the authors examine and discuss the clinical potential of prostate carcinogenesis in relation to epigenetics and inflammation for its diagnosis and treatment..

Targeting multiple oncogenic pathways for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of liver cancer diagnosed worldwide. HCC occurs due to chronic liver disease and is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin are currently used as first-line agents for HCC therapy, but these are non-selective cytotoxic molecules with significant side effects. Sorafenib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the only approved targeted drug for HCC patients. However, due to adverse side effects and limited efficacy, there is a need for the identification of novel pharmacological drugs beyond sorafenib. Several agents that target and inhibit various signaling pathways involved in HCC are currently being assessed for HCC treatment. In the present review article, we summarize the diverse signal transduction pathways responsible for initiation as well as progression of HCC and also the potential anticancer effects of selected targeted therapies that can be employed for HCC therapy.

Synthesis of lignan conjugates via cyclopropanation: Antimicrobial and antioxidant studies.

Ethyl 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(thiophene-2-carbonyl)cyclopropanecarboxylates 2(a-f) and ethyl 4-aryl-7-oxo-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-5-carboxylates 4(a-f) were synthesized by simple procedure. The synthesized new compounds were screened in vitro for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The compounds 2b and 4f showed excellent antibacterial activity; while 2b and 4f showed remarkable antifungal properties. The results of antioxidant activity studies revealed that compounds 4b and 4f manifested profound antioxidant potential. The docking studies were done for the final compounds. The ADME result indicates that all these molecules possess pharmaceutical properties in the range of 95% of drugs.