Pharmacologically inducing anoikis offers novel therapeutic opportunities in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Tumor metastasis occurs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to tumor progression and therapeutic failure. Anoikis is a matrix detachment-induced apoptosis, also known as detachment-induced cell death, and mechanistically prevents tumor cells from escaping their native extracellular matrix to metastasize to new organs. Deciphering the regulators and mechanisms of anoikis in cancer metastasis is urgently needed to treat HCC. Several natural and synthetic products induce anoikis in HCC cells and in vivo models. Here, we first briefly summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of anoikis regulation and relevant regulators involved in HCC metastasis. Then we discuss the therapeutic potential of pharmacological induction of anoikis as a potential treatment against HCC. Finally, we discuss the key limitations of this therapeutic paradigm and propose possible strategies to overcome them. Cumulatively this review suggests that the pharmacological induction of anoikis can be used a promising therapeutic modality against HCC.

Contribution of Cd passivating functional bacterium H27 to tobacco growth under Cd stress.

The cadmium (Cd) embedded in tobacco not only affects yield and quality but also harms human health. Microbial remediation has attracted widespread attention due to its low cost and minimal risk of secondary pollution. Therefore, researching microbes capable of inhibiting crop absorption of heavy metals or removing heavy metals from the environment has significant practical implications. This study screened a strain named H27 with a Cd immobilization efficiency of up to 76.60%. Static cultivation experiments showed that immobilization of Cd by H27 is achieved through intracellular absorption, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and phosphate group reactions on the cell wall. The bacterium can also secrete extracellular substances to adsorb Cd and increase the environmental pH, reducing the bioavailability of Cd. H27 reduced the accumulation of Cd in the stems of hydroponically grown tobacco by 55.23% and decreased the expression of three Cd transport genes, HAM2, IRT1, and NRAMP1, in the roots. Additionally, H27 increased the mineralization rate of organic matter, increased the content of humic acid in the soil, promoted the formation of smaller soil particles, and enhanced the adsorption and fixation of Cd by soil components while simultaneously raising the pH of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils in tobacco growth environments. Both hydroponic and potted experiments showed that H27 alleviated the inhibitory effect of Cd on tobacco growth, significantly reducing Cd accumulation in various parts of tobacco and lowering the transfer coefficient of Cd within the tobacco plant. This study aims to effectively reduce the Cd content in tobacco using microbes, mitigate the harm of heavy metals in cigarettes to human health, and provide theoretical and practical basis for the application of microbial techniques to control heavy metal absorption in tobacco.

Inducing ferroptosis by traditional medicines: a novel approach to reverse chemoresistance in lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of global cancer-related deaths. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for the most common type of lung cancer, i.e., non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its therapeutic efficiency is limited by chemotherapeutic resistance. Therefore, it is vital to develop effective therapeutic modalities that bypass the common molecular mechanisms associated with chemotherapeutic resistance. Ferroptosis is a form of non-apoptotic regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation (LPO). Ferroptosis is crucial for the proper therapeutic efficacy of lung cancer-associated chemotherapies. If targeted as a novel therapeutic mechanism, ferroptosis modulators present new opportunities for increasing the therapeutic efficacy of lung cancer chemotherapy. Emerging studies have revealed that the pharmacological induction of ferroptosis using natural compounds boosts the efficacy of chemotherapy in lung cancer or drug-resistant cancer. In this review, we first discuss chemotherapeutic resistance (or chemoresistance) in lung cancer and introduce the core mechanisms behind ferroptosis. Then, we comprehensively summarize the small-molecule compounds sourced from traditional medicines that may boost the anti-tumor activity of current chemotherapeutic agents and overcome chemotherapeutic resistance in NSCLC. Cumulatively, we suggest that traditional medicines with ferroptosis-related anticancer activity could serve as a starting point to overcome chemotherapeutic resistance in NSCLC by inducing ferroptosis, highlighting new potential therapeutic regimens used to overcome chemoresistance in NSCLC.

An antiferromagnetic spin phase change memory.

The electrical outputs of single-layer antiferromagnetic memory devices relying on the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect are typically rather small at room temperature. Here we report a new type of antiferromagnetic memory based on the spin phase change in a Mn-Ir binary intermetallic thin film at a composition within the phase boundary between its collinear and noncollinear phases. Via a small piezoelectric strain, the spin structure of this composition-boundary metal is reversibly interconverted, leading to a large nonvolatile room-temperature resistance modulation that is two orders of magnitude greater than the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect for a metal, mimicking the well-established phase change memory from a quantum spin degree of freedom. In addition, this antiferromagnetic spin phase change memory exhibits remarkable time and temperature stabilities, and is robust in a magnetic field high up to 60 T.

Analysis of vasoactive and oxidative stress indicators for evaluating the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure, and relation of vasoactive and oxidative stress indicators and cardiac function in obstructive sleep Apnea Syndrome patients.

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a breathing disorder during sleep. The work was to evaluate the relationship between vasoactive and oxidative stress indicators and cardiac function in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) patients. Methods: OSAS patients (n=120) were treated with CPAP from May 2021 to June 2022. According to the clinical efficacy, the patients were divided into effective and ineffective groups. Vasoactive factors and oxidative stress indices were compared between the two groups to evaluate their clinical efficacy. The changes in cardiac function indices in the two groups were tested, and the correlation between vasoactive factors and oxidative stress indices and cardiac function was analysed. Results: The effective rate of CPAP was 63.33% (76/120). Ang II, ET-1, and MDA levels were lower, and the SOD level was higher in the effective group than in the ineffective group after treatment. The AUC of the four indicators was all greater than 0.75. LPWT and IVST values of the effective group were lower than the ineffective group. A positive correlation was identified between the levels of Ang II, ET-1, and MDA with LPWT, between levels of ET-1 and MDA with IVST, and a negative correlation between SOD with LPWT and IVST. Conclusions: CPAP treatment can effectively improve vascular activity and reduce the oxidative stress response in OSAS patients, and the combined detection of vasoactive factors and oxidative stress indicators is valuable for evaluating the efficacy of CPAP and is related to the cardiac function of patients.

Application of machine learning in the analysis of multiparametric MRI data for the differentiation of treatment responses in breast cancer: retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to develop and validate a multiparametric MRI model employing machine learning to predict the effectiveness of treatment and the stage of breast cancer. METHODS: The study encompassed 400 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer, with 200 individuals allocated to both the control and experimental groups, undergoing examinations in Shenzhen, China, during the period 2017-2023. This study pertains to retrospective research. Multiparametric MRI was employed to extract data concerning tumor size, blood flow, and metabolism. RESULTS: The model achieved high accuracy, predicting treatment outcomes with an accuracy of 92%, sensitivity of 88%, and specificity of 95%. The model effectively classified breast cancer stages: stage I, 38% (P = 0.027); stage II, 72% (P = 0.014); stage III, 50% (P = 0.032); and stage IV, 45% (P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The developed model, utilizing multiparametric MRI and machine learning, exhibits high accuracy in predicting the effectiveness of treatment and breast cancer staging. These findings affirm the model's potential to enhance treatment strategies and personalize approaches for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Our study presents an innovative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, integrating MRI data with machine learning algorithms. We demonstrate that the developed model exhibits high accuracy in predicting treatment efficacy and differentiating cancer stages. This underscores the importance of utilizing MRI and machine learning algorithms to enhance the diagnosis and individualization of treatment for this disease.

Enhanced remediation of chlorpyrifos-contaminated soil by immobilized strain Bacillus H27.

Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide widely used in agricultural production with a relatively long residual half-life in soil. Addressing the problem of residual chlorpyrifos is of universal concern. In this study, rice hull biochar was used as an immobilized carrier to prepare the immobilized strain H27 for the remediation of chlorpyrifos-contamination soil. Soil microorganisms after remediation were investigated by ecotoxicological methods. The immobilized strain H27 had the highest removal rate of chlorpyrifos when 10% bacterial solution was added to the liquid medium containing 0.075-0.109 mm diameter biochar cultured for 22 hr. This study on the removal of chlorpyrifos by immobilized strain H27 showed that the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos in solution was 25 mg/L, and the removal rate reached 97.4% after 7 days of culture. In the soil, the removal rate of the immobilized bacteria group increased throughout the experiment, which was significantly higher than that of the free bacteria and biochar treatment groups. The Biolog-ECO test, T-RFLP and RT-RCR were used to study the effects of the soil microbial community and nitrogen cycling functional genes during chlorpyrifos degradation. It was found that ICP group had the highest diversity index among the four treatment groups. The microflora of segment containing 114 bp was the dominant bacterial community, and the dominant microflora of the immobilized bacteria group was more evenly distributed. The influence of each treatment group on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was greater than on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). This study offers a sound scientific basis for the practical application of immobilized bacteria to reduce residual soil pesticides.

Immune protection of three serine protease inhibitors vaccine in mice against Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

Bioactive molecules in tick saliva are considered to be key to successful feeding and further the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Problems such as pathogen transmission and animal weight loss result in tick infestation can cause tremendous economic losses to the livestock industry. Therefore, the development of a universal tick vaccine is urgently needed. In this paper, three serine protease inhibitor (serpin) proteins RMS-3, L7LRK7 and L7LTU1 were analyzed with bioinformatics methods. Subsequently the proteins were expressed and purified, and inoculated into Kunming mice for immune protection analysis. The amino acid sequence similarities between RMS-3, L7LRK7 and L7LTU1 were up to 90% in Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The recombinant RMS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 showed anticoagulant reaction function and could inhibit the activity of CD4+ lymphocytes, when inoculated into Kunming mice. Additionally, After the immunized mice were challenged with Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the percentage of larvae and nymphs that were fully engorged dropped to 40.87% (P < 0.05) and 87.68% (P > 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LRK7 immune group, 49.57% (P < 0.01) and 52.06% (P < 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LTU1 group, and 45.22% (P < 0.05) and 60.28% (P < 0.05) in the RmS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 immune group, in comparison with the control group. These data indicate that RmS-3 + L7LRK7 + L7LTU1 has good immune protection and has the potential to be developed into a vaccine against the larvae and nymphs of R. sanguineus.

Time-dependent CT score-based model for identifying severe/critical COVID-19 at a fever clinic after the emergence of Omicron variant.

Rationale and objectives: The computed tomography (CT) score has been used to evaluate the severity of COVID-19 during the pandemic; however, most studies have overlooked the impact of infection duration on the CT score. This study aimed to determine the optimal cutoff CT score value for identifying severe/critical COVID-19 during different stages of infection and to construct corresponding predictive models using radiological characteristics and clinical factors. Materials and methods: This retrospective study collected consecutive baseline chest CT images of confirmed COVID-19 patients from a fever clinic at a tertiary referral hospital from November 28, 2022, to January 8, 2023. Cohorts were divided into three subcohorts according to the time interval from symptom onset to CT examination at the hospital: early phase (0-3 days), intermediate phase (4-7 days), and late phase (8-14 days). The binary endpoints were mild/moderate and severe/critical infection. The CT scores and qualitative CT features were manually evaluated. A logistic regression analysis was performed on the CT score as determined by a visual assessment to predict severe/critical infection. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. The optimal cutoff value was determined by maximizing the Youden index in each subcohort. A radiology score and integrated models were then constructed by combining the qualitative CT features and clinical features, respectively, using multivariate logistic regression with stepwise elimination. Results: A total of 962 patients (aged, 61.7 ± 19.6 years; 490 men) were included; 179 (18.6%) were classified as severe/critical COVID-19, while 344 (35.8%) had a typical Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) COVID-19 appearance. The AUCs of the CT score models reached 0.91 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-0.94), 0.82 (95% CI 0.76-0.87), and 0.83 (95% CI 0.77-0.89) during the early, intermediate, and late phases, respectively. The best cutoff values of the CT scores during each phase were 1.5, 4.5, and 5.5. The predictive accuracies associated with the time-dependent cutoff values reached 88% (vs.78%), 73% (vs. 63%), and 87% (vs. 57%), which were greater than those associated with universal cutoff value (all P < 0.001). The radiology score models reached AUCs of 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.98), 0.90 (95% CI 0.87-0.94), and 0.89 (95% CI 0.84-0.94) during the early, intermediate, and late phases, respectively. The integrated models including demographic and clinical risk factors greatly enhanced the AUC during the intermediate and late phases compared with the values obtained with the radiology score models; however, an improvement in accuracy was not observed. Conclusion: The time interval between symptom onset and CT examination should be tracked to determine the cutoff value for the CT score for identifying severe/critical COVID-19. The radiology score combining qualitative CT features and the CT score complements clinical factors for identifying severe/critical COVID-19 patients and facilitates timely hierarchical diagnoses and treatment.

Flexible cellulose nanofibers/MXene composite films for UV-shielding packaging.

Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) based films are promising packaging materials, but the lack of special functions (especially UV-shielding property) usually restrict their further applications. In this work, MXene was incorporated into the CNF film by a direct solvent volatilization induced film forming method to study its UV-shielding property for the first time, which avoided the using of a vacuum filtration equipment. The composite films containing glycerin could be folded repeatedly without breaking, showing good flexibility. The structure and properties of MXene/CNF composite films (CMF) were characterized systematically. The results showed that MXene distributed uniformly in the CNF film matrix and there was strong hydrogen bonding interaction between CNF and MXene. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composite films could reach 117.5 MPa and 2.23 GPa, which was 54.1 % and 59.2 % higher than those of pure CNF film, respectively. With the increase of MXene content, both the UVA and UVB shielding percentages increased significantly from 17.2 % and 25.5 % to 100.0 %, showing excellent UV-shielding property. Moreover, CMF exhibited a low oxygen permeability (OP) value of 0.39 cc µm d-1 m-2 kPa-1, a low water vapor permeability (WVP) value of 5.13 × 10-11 g-1s-1Pa-1 and a high antibacterial rate against E. coli (94.1 % at 24 h), showing potential application in the packaging field.

[Research Process on the Combined Pollution of Microplastics and Typical Pollutants in Agricultural Soils].

As a new type of environmental persistent pollutant， microplastics can not only have adverse effects on the ecosystem but also form complex pollution with co-existing pollutants in the surrounding environment， resulting in higher ecological and health risks. Based on the perspective of agroecosystems， this study focused on the combined pollution of heavy metals， pesticides， and antibiotics， which are three typical pollutants of farmland soil， as well as microplastics and discussed the adsorption-desorption behavior of heavy metals， pesticides， and antibiotics on microplastics. The influence of the structure and properties of microplastics， the physicochemical properties of pollutants， and environmental conditions on the adsorption and desorption behavior of heavy metals， pesticides， and antibiotics on microplastics was discussed. The influence of microplastics on the bioavailability of heavy metals， pesticides， and antibiotics in farmland soil and the internal mechanism were expounded. The existing problems and shortcomings of current research were pointed out， and the future research direction was proposed. This study can provide a scientific reference for ecological risk assessment of the combined pollution of microplastics and typical pollutants in farmland soil.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Encephalitis in People Living with HIV: Case Report and Literature Review.

With the increase in the number of cases of autoimmune encephalitis (AE), the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of people living with HIV (PLWH) showing abnormal behavior, cognitive impairment or abnormal movements should be actively screened for the antibody panel of AE. Early recognition and treatment can prevent severe seizures or coma and markedly improve the prognosis of patients. The first-line immunotherapy for AE includes intravenous methylprednisolone and immunoglobulin. However, whether long-time immunosuppressive maintenance therapy is needed is debated. For PLWH, immunosuppressive therapy and even steroids could be more challenging. Here, we review and summarize the clinical characteristics often reported cases and report one case from our center to improve the diagnosis and treatment of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis in PLWH.

Environmental-related doses of afidopyropen induced toxicity effects in earthworms (Eisenia fetida).

Afidopyropen has high activity against pests. However, it poses potential risks to the soil ecology after entering the environment. The toxicity of afidopyropen to earthworms (Eisenia fetida) was studied for the first time in this study. The results showed that afidopyropen had low level of acute toxicity to E. fetida. Under the stimulation of chronic toxicity, the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) level activated the antioxidant and detoxification system, which led to the increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. Lipid peroxidation and DNA damage were characterized by the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents. Meanwhile, the functional genes SOD, CAT, GST, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), transcriptionally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), and annetocin (ANN) played a synergistic role in antioxidant defense. However, the comprehensive toxicity of high concentration still increased on the 28th day. In addition, strong histopathological damage in the body wall and intestine was observed, accompanied by weight loss, which indicated that afidopyropen inhibited the growth of E. fetida. The molecular docking revealed that afidopyrene combined with the surface structure of SOD and GST proteins, which made SOD and GST become sensitive biomarkers reflecting the toxicity of afidopyropen to E. fetida. Summing up, afidopyropen destroys the homeostasis of E. fetida through chronic toxic. These results provide theoretical data for evaluating the environmental risk of afidopyropen to soil ecosystem.

Neferine Targeted the NLRC5/NLRP3 Pathway to Inhibit M1-type Polarization and Pyroptosis of Macrophages to Improve Hyperuricemic Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Neferine (Nef) has a renal protective effect. This research intended to explore the impact of Nef on hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN). METHODS: Adenine and potassium oxonate were administered to SD rats to induce the HN model. Bone marrow macrophages (BMDM) and NRK-52E were used to construct a transwell co-culture system. The polarization of BMDM and apoptosis levels were detected using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Renal pathological changes were detected using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining. Biochemical methods were adopted to detect serum in rats. CCK-8 and EDU staining were used to assess cell activity and proliferation. RT-qPCR and western blot were adopted to detect NLRC5, NLRP3, pyroptosis, proliferation, and apoptosis-related factor levels. RESULTS: After Nef treatment, renal injury and fibrosis in HN rats were inhibited, and UA concentration, urinary protein, BUN, and CRE levels were decreased. After Nef intervention, M1 markers, pyroptosis-related factors, and NLRC5 levels in BMDM stimulated with uric acid (UA) treatment were decreased. Meanwhile, the proliferation level of NRK-52E cells co-cultured with UA-treated BMDM was increased, but the apoptosis level was decreased. After NLRC5 overexpression, Nef-induced regulation was reversed, accompanied by increased NLRP3 levels. After NLRP3 was knocked down, the levels of M1-type markers and pyroptosis-related factors were reduced in BMDM. CONCLUSION: Nef improved HN by inhibiting macrophages polarized to M1-type and pyroptosis by targeting the NLRC5/NLRP3 pathway. This research provides a scientific theoretical basis for the treatment of HN.

Bioactivity and mechanism of action of sanguinarine and its derivatives in the past 10 years.

Sanguinarine is a quaternary ammonium benzophenanthine alkaloid found in traditional herbs such as Chelidonium, Corydalis, Sanguinarum, and Borovula. It has been proven to possess broad-spectrum biological activities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiosteoporosis, neuroprotective, and antipathogenic microorganism activities. In this paper, recent progress on the biological activity and mechanism of action of sanguinarine and its derivatives over the past ten years is reviewed. The results showed that the biological activities of hematarginine and its derivatives are related mainly to the JAK/STAT, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, TGF-ß, MAPK and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways. The limitations of using sanguinarine in clinical application are also discussed, and the research prospects of this subject are outlined. In general, sanguinarine, a natural medicine, has many pharmacological effects, but its toxicity and safety in clinical application still need to be further studied. This review provides useful information for the development of sanguinarine-based bioactive agents.

The dual HCK/BTK inhibitor KIN-8194 impairs growth and integrin-mediated adhesion of BTKi-resistant mantle cell lymphoma.

Although Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors (BTKi) have significantly improved patient prognosis, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is still considered incurable due to primary and acquired resistance. We have recently shown that aberrant expression of the Src-family tyrosine kinase hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK) in MCL correlates with poor prognosis, and that genetic HCK perturbation impairs growth and integrin-mediated adhesion of MCL cells. Here, we show that KIN-8194, a dual inhibitor of BTK and HCK with in vivo activity against Myd88-L265P-driven diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, has a potent growth inhibitory effect in MCL cell lines and primary MCL cells, irrespective of their sensitivity to BTKi (ibrutinib and acalabrutinib). In BTKi-resistant cells this is mediated by inhibition of HCK, which results in repression of AKT-S6 signaling. In addition, KIN-8194 inhibits integrin-mediated adhesion of BTKi-sensitive and insensitive MCL cells to fibronectin and stromal cells in an HCK-dependent manner. Finally, we show that MCL cells with acquired BTKi resistance retain their sensitivity to KIN-8194. Taken together, our data demonstrate that KIN-8194 inhibits growth and integrin-mediated adhesion of BTKi-sensitive MCL cells, as well as MCL cells with primary or acquired BTKi resistance. This renders KIN-8194 a promising novel treatment for MCL patients.

Effect of Vaginal Microecological Alterations on Female Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to investigate the correlation between endogenous vaginal microecological alterations and female pelvic organ prolapse (POP). METHODS: Patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy were retrospectively analyzed as the POP group (n = 30) and the non-POP group (n = 30). The vaginal microbial metabolites and enzyme levels were tested using the dry chemoenzymatic method. The mRNA and protein expression were tested using real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. SPSS version 25.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0 were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the non-POP group, the vaginal pH, H2O2 positivity and leukocyte esterase positivity were higher in patients with POP (all p < 0.05). Further analysis showed that patients with pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) stage IV had higher rates of vaginal pH, H2O2 positivity and leukocyte esterase positivity than those with POP-Q stage III. Additionally, the mRNA expression of decorin (DCN), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in uterosacral ligament tissues were higher, whereas collagen I and III were lower. Similarly, the positive expression of MMP-3 in uterosacral ligament tissue was significantly upregulated in the POP group compared with the non-POP group (p = 0.035), whereas collagen I (p = 0.004) and collagen III (p = 0.019) in uterosacral ligament tissue were significantly downregulated in the POP group. Correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant correlation between vaginal microecology and collagen metabolism. In addition, MMP-3 correlated negatively with collagen I and collagen III (p = 0.002, r = -0.533; p = 0.002, r = -0.534 respectively), whereas collagen I correlated positively with collagen III (p = 0.001, r = 0.578). CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal microecological dysbiosis affects the occurrence of female POP, which could be considered a novel therapeutic option.

Synthesis of Novel Acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic Acid Derivatives as Potential Anti-GBM Agents.

Acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid (AKBA) is known to inhibit the growth of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and subcutaneous GBM. A series of acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid (AKBA) derivatives containing the oxime-ester functionality or amide side chains were synthesized, and their anti-GBM activities were evaluated. Some of these compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity against cell proliferation in U87 and U251 GBM cell lines, with IC50 values in the micromolar concentration range. Cellular thermal shift analysis showed that A-01 and A-10 improved the thermal stability of FOXM1, indicating that these highly active compounds may directly bind to FOXM1 in cells. Docking studies of the two most active compounds, A-01 and A-10, revealed key interactions between these compounds and the active site of FOXM1, in which the amide moiety at the C-24 position was essential for improving the activity. These results suggested that A-10 is a suitable lead molecule for the development of FOXM1 inhibitors. Thus, the rational design of AKBA derivatives with amide side chains holds significant potential for discovering of a new class of triterpenoids capable of inhibiting GBM cell proliferation.