ABSTRACT
AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of a new treatment modality, cellular immune therapy based on personalized peptide vaccination (PPV-DC-CTL) combined with radiotherapy, for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A total of nine patients with advanced HCC were enrolled. Multidisciplinary consultation confirmed that all the patients definitely had no opportunity of surgery, because four patients had multiple liver metastases (the number of liver lesions > 3), one patient had liver metastases and portal vein tumor thrombosis, one patient had lung and bone metastases, two patients had liver and lung metastases and one patient had liver metastasis and peritoneal metastasis. Patients with metastasis were treated with precise radiotherapy combined with PPV-DC-CTL. RESULTS: Following radiotherapy and one to three cycles of PPV-DC-CTL treatment, AFP levels were significantly decreased in six patients and imaging assessment of the lesions showed a partial response (PR) in three patients and stable disease in the other three patients. The response rate was 33% and disease control rate was 66%. This regimen was found to be safe and well tolerated. None of the patients developed liver or kidney side effects. Only one patient developed grade II bone marrow suppression and the remaining patients had no significant hematological side effects. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy combined with PPV-DC-CTL provides a new therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced HCC, which is well tolerated, safe, feasible and effective.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms/therapy , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy , Liver Neoplasms/therapy , Lung Neoplasms/therapy , Peptides/therapeutic use , Peritoneal Neoplasms/therapy , Precision Medicine/methods , Vaccination/methods , Adult , Aged , Bone Marrow/drug effects , Bone Neoplasms/blood , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/blood , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Combined Modality Therapy/adverse effects , Combined Modality Therapy/methods , Female , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/blood , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Lung Neoplasms/blood , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Peritoneal Neoplasms/blood , Peritoneal Neoplasms/secondary , Portal Vein/pathology , Precision Medicine/adverse effects , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Radiotherapy/methods , Vaccination/adverse effects , Venous Thrombosis/etiology , Venous Thrombosis/therapy , alpha-Fetoproteins/analysisABSTRACT
The antibacterial activity of 80% ethanol extracts of 10 medicinal plants collected in Yunnan (Southwest China), was tested against clinical isolates of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains. Their MIC values ranged between 1.56-12.50 mg/mL. The most active plant extract was Chelidonium majus L. (MIC = 1.56 mg/mL). Two potent isoquinoline alkaloids, 8-hydroxydihydrosanguinarine and 8-hydroxydihydrochelerythrine, were identified as the major active principles through bioassay-guided fractionation and identification of the active ethyl acetate fraction from C. majus, with minimum MIC/MBC values of 15.63/62.50 mg/mL.
Subject(s)
Plant Extracts/pharmacology , beta-Lactamases/metabolism , Alkaloids/pharmacology , Chelidonium/drug effects , Chelidonium/enzymology , Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings/chemistry , Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings/pharmacology , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Cucurbitacin B is an anti-cancer drug candidate and its efficacy has been demonstrated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To explore its mechanism against HCC, BEL-7402 cells were treated with cucurbitacin B in vitro. Treatment with cucurbitacin B induced S phase arrest and apoptosis. The growth inhibition effect was associated with cyclin D1 and cdc-2 down regulations. Western blotting analysis of cell signaling molecules indicated that cucurbitacin B inhibited c-Raf activation without affecting STAT3 phosphorylation. Moreover, in vivo study demonstrated that cucurbitacin B is effective against BEL-7402 xenograft when administrated orally.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Apoptosis/drug effects , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Cell Cycle/drug effects , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , S Phase/drug effects , Triterpenes/pharmacology , Triterpenes/therapeutic use , Administration, Oral , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Blotting, Western , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy , Cell Division/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Flow Cytometry , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy , Mice , Mice, Nude , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf/metabolism , STAT3 Transcription Factor/drug effects , STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism , Transplantation, HeterologousABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study describes the antibacterial effect of extracts and compounds isolated from the aerial part of Chelidonium majus Linn. (Papaveraceae) acting against clinical strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). METHODS: The activities were evaluated by using the macrobroth dilution method and reported as the MICs/MBCs. RESULTS: Bioassay-guided fractionation of the most active extract from the aerial parts (EtOAc) led to the isolation of benzo[c]phenanthridine-type alkaloids 8-hydroxydihydrosanguinarine (hhS), 8-hydroxydihydrochelerythrine (hhC), which were potently active against MRSA strains. CONCLUSIONS: The selective antibacterial activity reported in this paper for 8-hydroxylated benzo[c]phenanthridine-type alkaloids isolated from C.majus opens the possibility that they could be helpful for the developing of new antibacterial agents for treating the infection of MRSA which has created nosocomial problem worldwide.
