ABSTRACT
The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].
ABSTRACT
Pancreatic cancer is one of the fatal causes of global cancer-related deaths. Although surgery and chemotherapy are standard treatment options, post-treatment outcomes often end in a poor prognosis. In the present study, we investigated anti-pancreatic cancer and amelioration of radiation-induced oxidative damage by crocin. Crocin is a carotenoid isolated from the dietary herb saffron, a prospect for novel leads as an anti-cancer agent. Crocin significantly reduced cell viability of BXPC3 and Capan-2 by triggering caspase signaling via the downregulation of Bcl-2. It modulated the expression of cell cycle signaling proteins P53, P21, P27, CDK2, c-MYC, Cyt-c and P38. Concomitantly, crocin treatment-induced apoptosis by inducing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. Microarray analysis of the expression signature of genes induced by crocin showed a substantial number of genes involved in cell signaling pathways and checkpoints (723) are significantly affected by crocin. In mice bearing pancreatic tumors, crocin significantly reduced tumor burden without a change in body weight. Additionally, it showed significant protection against radiation-induced hepatic oxidative damage, reduced the levels of hepatic toxicity and preserved liver morphology. These findings indicate that crocin has a potential role in the treatment, prevention and management of pancreatic cancer.
Subject(s)
Carotenoids/therapeutic use , Liver Diseases/etiology , Liver Diseases/prevention & control , Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pancreatic Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Radiation Injuries/prevention & control , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Survival/drug effects , Crocus/chemistry , Cytochromes c/metabolism , Female , Humans , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects , Mice , Mice, Nude , Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Signal Transduction/genetics , Transcriptome , Xenograft Model Antitumor AssaysABSTRACT
Chemical modification of the surface of viruses, both the interior and the exterior, imparts new functionalities, that have potential applications in nanomedicine. In this study, we developed novel virus-based nanomaterials as a contrast agent for computed tomography (CT) imaging in vitro. The gold-coated cowpea mosaic virus (Au-CPMV) particles were generated by the electrostatic adsorption of positively charged electrolyte on the virus capsid with the subsequent incubation and reduction of anionic gold complexes. Au-CPMV particles as a CT contrast agent offer a fast scan time (less than 2 min), low cost, and biocompatibility and allow for high-resolution imaging with ca. 150 Hounsfield units (HU). The Au-CPMV surface was further modified allowing for the incorporation of targeting molecules of specific cell types.
