Accessing Apoptosis Induction and Metastasis Inhibition Effect of Magnolol on Triple Negative Breast Cancer In Vitro.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of breast cancer that still requires improvement in treatment. Magnolol extract, derived from the bark of Magnolia officinalis, has traditionally been used in Asia to treat sleeping disorders and anxiety, and as an anti-inflammatory agent. Several reports have indicated that magnolol may have the potential to inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and glioblastoma. However, the anti-tumor effect of magnolol on TNBC remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we used two TNBC cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and 4T1, to examine the cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and metastasis effects of magnolol. These were evaluated using MTT assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and invasion/migration transwell assay, respectively. RESULTS: Magnolol significantly induced cytotoxicity and extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis in both TNBC cell lines. It also decreased metastasis and associated protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the anti-tumor effect was associated with the inactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Magnolol may not only induce cell death in TNBC through apoptosis signaling activation but also by down-regulating EGFR/JAK/STAT3 signaling, which mediates TNBC progression.

Actin-like Protein 6A Expression Correlates with Cancer Stem Cell-like Features and Poor Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological cancers, often diagnosed at the late stage and lacking an effective targeted therapy. Although the study of malignant features of cancer, considered to be cancer stem cells (CSCs), is emerging, the aim of this study was to predict and explore the possible mechanism and clinical value of genetic markers in the development of ovarian cancer from a combined database with CSCs features. The common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected in GSE185833 and GSE176246 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The GSE185833 dataset was created to reveal gene expression profiles of peritoneal metastasis tissues using single-cell sequencing, and the GSE176246 dataset was determined from gene expression profiles of chemotherapy-refractory ovarian cancer cell lines compared with ovarian cancer cell lines by RNA-seq analysis. By analyzing the correlation between common DEGs and prognosis of ovarian cancer and its possible pathways and functions were predicted by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression levels of 11 genetic markers were significantly elevated in highly invasive and chemoresistant ovarian cancer. The expression of Actin-like protein 6A (ACTL6A) was found to be correlated with survival prognosis, and the total survival time of the patients with high expression of ACTL6A was shorter than those with low expression. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that ACTL6A positively enriched the gene set of 'Cell cycle' and ACTL6A negatively enriched the gene set of focal adhesion. CP724714, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitor, could serve as a therapeutic option when ACTL6A levels are high in ovarian cancer cells. The high expression of ACTL6A is a poor prognostic factor in ovarian cancer and may serve as an effective biomarker for predicting treatment-refractory, metastasis, and prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. The use of HER2 inhibitors is a promising therapeutic strategy against chemoresistant ovarian cancer.

Uterine smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential: A review of current knowledge.

Uterine smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential is a subtype of uterine smooth muscle neoplasms. It is characterized by distinct pathologic findings with morphologic features intermediate between those of benign leiomyoma and malignant leiomyosarcoma. Clinically, STUMP is rare and its clinical picture is comparable to that of leiomyoma, with diagnosis typically being made postoperatively. Most patients with STUMP are uneventful after tumor resection. However, a small portion of patients may experience recurrence that may even lead to mortality. Given the uncommon occurrence of STUMP and the low frequency of malignant potential, currently there is still no standard guideline in treating patients with this disease and this can be challenging for physicians. Moreover, because cases are rarely available for study, investigating this tumor is difficult. Thus, matters such as the pathologic diagnostic criteria, strategy of clinical management, identification of prognostic factors, and the pathogenesis of this disease remain to be clarified. We collected and analyzed recently published case series studies of STUMP to obtain up-to-date clinical information. The current status of research in various basic and clinical aspects of this tumor was also reviewed.

Continuous oral cyclophosphamide as salvage or maintenance therapy in ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube cancers: A retrospective, single institute study.

OBJECTIVE: Most patients with recurrent ovarian cancer are treated with multiple regimens of intravenous salvage chemotherapy. These anticancer agents often cause severe toxicities and offset their therapeutic effects. The present study assessed the experience of a single institute regarding the safety and treatment outcomes of continuous oral cyclophosphamide in patients with ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who received oral cyclophosphamide as salvage or maintenance therapy. All the patients had received platinum plus paclitaxel as the front line chemotherapy before being enrolled in the study. Oral cyclophosphamide 50 or 100 mg daily was administered. The response rate, progression-free survival, and side effects were evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty patients were eligible for analysis, and 18 patients (90%) initially had FIGO stage IIIC disease. Most patients were heavily pretreated with the median number of previous chemotherapy regimens being 4 (range 1-8). Seventeen patients received oral cyclophosphamide as salvage therapy. Complete and partial responses were obtained in 3 and 2 patients, respectively. Five patients were classified as having stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 15 weeks (range 5-60 weeks). Three patients received oral cyclophosphamide as maintenance therapy in the remission status. The remission duration was maintained for 18, 28, and 67 weeks. Grade 2-3 myelosuppression was the only side effect. CONCLUSION: Continuous oral cyclophosphamide can be used as an alternative salvage therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer with an acceptable response rate and toxicity. Additional clinical trials are required to evaluate its efficacy as maintenance therapy.

Minilaparotomy-assisted LAVH for a very large fibroid.

We present the case report of a minilaparotomy-assisted LAVH carried out for the largest uterine myoma ever reported, with size equivalent to a full-term gestation.

Laparoscopic management of a large viable cornual pregnancy.

We present herein a case report of a viable cornual pregnancy rupture, inducing massive hemoperitoneum, treated laparoscopically.