Blockade of angiogenin by thalidomide inhibits the tumorigenesis of murine hemangioendothelioma.

Thalidomide, a well-known immunomodulatory compound, has an anti-angiogenic activity, which may be utilized for the treatment of angiogenesis-related diseases such as hemangioendothelioma. The aim of the present study was to investigate both the antitumor role of thalidomide on hemangioendothelioma and the underlying mechanism. By using the xenograft mouse model, we found that thalidomide can inhibit the progression of hemangioendothelioma in vivo. Moreover, thalidomide shows no effect on the proliferation of hemangioendothelioma endothelial cell (EOMA), but significantly impairs the pro-angiogenic capacity of the EOMA cells in vitro. By qRT-PCR screening, we observed that the expression of angiogenin was downregulated by thalidomide treatment. We next performed tissue array analysis and found a positive correlation between angiogenin expression level and hemangioendothelioma occurrence in patients. Moreover, we confirmed that the antitumoral role of thalidomide is dependent on angiogenin expression both in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, we concluded that thalidomide can inhibit the progression of hemangioendothelioma by downregulating the expression of pro-angiogenic factor angiogenin and therefore can be used as a potent therapeutic to treat hemangioendothelioma.

Evidence for anti-cancer properties of blueberries: a mini-review.

Blueberries are amongst the most commonly consumed berries in the United States. Berries in general are rich in phenolic compounds, which are known for their high antioxidant capacity. Specifically, evidence from in vitro, in vivo and a few clinical studies suggest that blueberries and their active constituents show promise as effective anti-cancer agents, both in the form of functional foods and as nutritional supplements. Some of the mechanisms by which blueberries have been shown to prevent carcinogenesis include inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory molecules, oxidative stress and products of oxidative stress such as DNA damage, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. This review will focus on the preclinical and clinical evidence that supports blueberries as an anti-cancer fruit, as well as expressing the need for more preclinical studies and the conduction of clinical studies with respect to the cancer preventive ability of blueberries.

Targeting rictor inhibits mouse vascular tumor cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo.

Vascular tumor is an abnormal buildup of blood vessels in the skin or internal organs that can lead to disfigurement and/or life-threatening consequences. The mechanism of hemangiogenesis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the role of rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR (Rictor) in control of vascular tumor malignant biological behavior and cell signaling mechanism in Mouse Hemangioendothelioma Endothelial Cells (EOMA cells) and nude mouse model. Knocking down rictor was mediated by lentivirus shRNA. The role and mechanism of rictor in vascular tumor were assessed by western blotting, wst-1 proliferation assay, matrigel invasion assay and xenograft vascular tumor growth. Our results in vitro showed that loss of rictor down-regulated phosphorylation of AKT and S6 by which EOMA cells growth and proliferation were greatly suppressed. Knock down of rictor also inhibited the invasion of EOMA cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that knock down of rictor inhibited xenograft vascular tumor growth in nude mice. Taken together, we purpose that rictor contributed to vascular tumor growth and progression. Targeting rictor becomes an effective strategy in vascular tumor treatment.