Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry - Online First

Breast cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and represents a major burden to public health. Advances in understanding ferroptosis pathways and identifying new therapeutic targets raise hope for using ferroptosis modulators to treat untreatable diseases.

In this study, BALB/c mice were divided into several groups: model, Doxorubicin-treated, FINO2-treated, Pirfenidone-treated, and a combined Pirfenidone + FINO2 group. After treatment, we assessed iron content in cancer cells, fibrosis area, CD34 expression, and mRNA levels of solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11) and heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1).

Results showed that the average tumor size in the Pirfenidone + FINO2 group was significantly smaller than in the doxorubicin group. Treatments with FINO2, Pirfenidone, or their combination significantly increased iron content in cancer cells and reduced the fibrosis area. Co-treatment with FINO2 and Pirfenidone also led to notable decreases in CD34 expression and mRNA levels of SLC7A11 and HMOX1.

These findings suggest that FINO2 ferroptosis agonists, when combined with other anticancer agents like Pirfenidone, can enhance ferroptosis and reduce tumor fibrosis. Additionally, the overexpression of SLC7A11 and HMOX1 in breast cancer model mice is associated with increased tumor growth and reduced metastasis, indicating that targeting these proteins with specific inhibitors may be a promising strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Existing research has suggested that the JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/Caspase-1 pathway may account for the activation of HMC-1 mast cells under inflammatory circumstances, and our current study aims to validate whether Tomatidine could act as the candidate to modulate this pathway in Allergic Rhinitis (AR).

This study aimed to characterize the effect of Tomatidine on inflammation in C48/80-activated HMC-1 cells in vitro and to explore the underlying mechanisms involved.

The inflammation in HMC-1 cells was triggered via C48/80 induction to mimic the AR, and the effects of Tomatidine on the viability of HMC-1 cells were tested using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Thereafter, the concentrations of inflammation-related cytokines, Interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, as well as the histamine and β-hexosaminidase, were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The activation status of the JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/Caspase-1 pathway in HMC-1 cells following C48/80 and/or Tomatidine intervention was determined based on immunoblotting assay.

The viability was elevated in HMC-1 cells following C48/80-induced activation, and the concentration of inflammation-related cytokines and mediators was increased as well. Meanwhile, the protein levels of active Caspase-1 and the phosphorylation of JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/Caspase-1 pathway-related proteins were also observed in HMC-1 cells after the treatment of C48/80. On the contrary, Tomatidine intervention suppressed the viability and the concentration of inflammation-related cytokines and mediators of modeled HMC-1 cells and led to the inactivation of the JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/Caspase-1 pathway in modeled HMC-1 cells.

Our study demonstrates that Tomatidine can attenuate C48/80-induced inflammatory responses in HMC-1 cells in vitro, potentially through modulation of the JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/Caspase-1 signaling pathway. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting Tomatidine as a candidate for further investigation in allergic inflammation.

The dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) enzyme plays a crucial role in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway, catalysing the conversion of dihydroorotate to orotate in the cells. This pathway is important for the synthesis of nucleic acids and vital molecules essential for homeostasis, cellular functioning, and survival. So, targeting this enzyme can be an effective approach for the treatment of cancer, arthritis, malaria, viral or microbial infections, and other autoimmune diseases.

In this review, we have highlighted the therapeutic implications of DHODH inhibition in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis through an extensive literature survey from various scientific databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Embase, clinical trials.gov.in, Google Patents, etc.

We have tried to identify the pharmacophores from synthetic, phytochemical, and microbial origins, effective as DHODH inhibitors. The effect of structural changes on activity has been summarised, providing insights into the efficacy and mechanisms of these inhibitors at the molecular level. Furthermore, this review also presents a comprehensive analysis of clinical trials and patents related to DHODH inhibition to extract the valuable information to be used for clinical drug development in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

By integrating data from synthetic, plant, and microbial sources, along with clinical trial and patent outcomes, this review highlights the diverse role of DHODH. Its inhibition offers a more targeted approach to reduce the proliferation of rapidly dividing cells while sparing normal cells, modulating specific immune responses. But, limiting understanding of resistance mechanisms and potential for toxicity are the current challenges. It offers a roadmap for future research and drug discovery endeavours focused on harnessing the beneficial potential of DHODH inhibition, including the development of novel inhibitors with improved selectivity and pharmacokinetics across a wide array of pathological conditions.

Synthetic drugs are the drug of choice for topical treatment of psoriasis. However, these are associated with side effects; hence, there is a need to explore effective alternative treatments for psoriasis. Jasminum auriculatum has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine as an ingredient for managing numerous skin ailments like eczema and ringworm.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo study of ointments prepared from chloroform and methanolic extracts of Jasminum auriculatum for the treatment of psoriasis.

Initially, pharmacogenetic and physicochemical characterization of Jasminum auriculatum was performed to check their presence. The ointments prepared from chloroform and methanolic extracts of Jasminum auriculatum were screened for acute toxicity studies and antipsoriatic activity by IMQ-induced psoriasis in the Swiss albino mice ear model. The parameters like ear thickness, ear weight, erythema, scales, and infiltration (Permeation into the skin) were evaluated. The histopathological studies were also conducted to support the findings.

The plant showed the presence of pharmacogenetic structures like Trichomes, Palisade cells, Xylem, Collenchyma Tous cells, Parenchymatous cells, Fibers, Pericyclic cells, Stomata, Phloem, and Sclerenchyma Tous cells responsible for the presence of phytoconstituents having antipsoriatic activity. The signs and symptoms increased in imiquimod-induced animals, but ointment of chloroform and methanolic extract of Jasminum auriculatum reduced the skin thickness, redness, scaling, and erythema. The study reveals along with the progression of disease topical formulation of the extract showed the effect on animals in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological examination also supported the earlier results.

The present study demonstrates that ointments of chloroform and methanolic extract of Jasminum auriculatum are safe and effective in the treatment of psoriasis, as revealed by the in vivo study. These preclinical results could further be explored for the development of other topical formulations used in humans.

Ultrasonic extraction is a crucial technique for isolating active compounds from phytomedicine. However, as a batch process characterized by non-linearity and small sample size, it poses substantial challenges for real-time and prediction of extraction rates during the extraction of phytomedicinal. This work proposes an adaptive soft sensor for ultrasonic phytomedicine extraction.

An adaptive soft sensor based on an attention mechanism was first proposed. The attention mechanism calculates correlations between samples and assigns weights based on their similarity to the current query. Support vector regression (SVR) is then used to construct the soft sensor for extraction rate measurement. To further enhance sample information analysis, multi-head attention is employed. This allows the model to calculate the similarity between current queries and historical data across different feature spaces, thus improving the modeling capabilities of the intrinsic data structure. Finally, a dual-frequency ultrasonic extraction experiment of puerarin is designed and conducted. The experimental data is collected and labeled from different batches under varying initial extraction temperatures. This data is used to establish the soft sensor model and compare its performance.

The experimental results indicate that the proposed MHA-SVR model improved the coefficient of determination (R²) by 5.12% compared to the mainstream model and reduced the online prediction time by 88% compared to the JITL-SVR model. This work performance well exceeds the others while maintaining good real-time capabilities for the dual-frequency ultrasonic extraction of puerarin.

The multi-head attention and SVR-integrated soft sensor method proposed in this study effectively addresses the soft measurement challenges in online monitoring of multi-batch ultrasonic extraction processes. This approach demonstrates significant enhancement in extraction yield detection accuracy across varying batches and diverse initial operating conditions, thereby providing a robust technical solution for real-time quantification of extraction efficiency in botanical material processing.

Exploring the correlation between ovarian cancer and aging has great significance for understanding the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer and formulating targeted therapeutic regimens.

This computational study aims to identify and validate key genes in monocyte subtypes related to ovarian cancer and aging, exploring potential causal relationships.

We collected single-cell RNA sequencing data (GSE157007, GSE184880), GWAS data (14,049 samples and 40,941 controls from a European population), and eQTL data of ovarian cancer and aging. Using R software packages like Seurat and singleR, we conducted data integration, quality control, cell classification, and differential gene expression analysis to identify intersecting monocyte subtype genes in ovarian cancer and aging. We employed summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) analysis and Heterogeneity in Dependent Instruments (HEIDI) tests to pinpoint causal genes. Further single-cell functional analyses (gene switching, cell communication, metabolic pathway analysis), Bulk RNA sequencing validation, functional enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses elucidated these genes' biological roles.

The dataset included 123,280 cells, revealing differential gene expression in classical monocytes (104 genes), intermediate monocytes (43 genes), and myeloid dendritic cells (39 genes). SMR and HEIDI identified causal relationships for 7 genes in classical monocytes, 3 in intermediate monocytes, and 3 in myeloid dendritic cells with ovarian cancer. Bulk RNA seq validation confirmed six monocyte genes as causal in ovarian cancer and aging. TREM1, SERPINB2, and CD44 were upregulated, while DST was downregulated; SLC11A1 and PNRC1 showed contradictory patterns. Interactions with NK and T cells involved LGALS9 - CD44/45 receptors. Riboflavin metabolism was a common enriched pathway.

This study identified six specific monocyte genes as potential therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer and aging.

Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers globally and is considered a serious public health problem associated with high death rates. The current therapeutic regimes for skin cancer are limited by their low bioavailability, generation of resistance, or adverse side effects. Many fruit extract-based nutraceuticals hold potential as topical treatment methods. Pyrus communis (Pear) fruit extract is a rich source of cholinergic acid, presently used as therapy for various skin diseases. Thus, it qualifies as a promising candidate for skin cancer treatment.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Pyrus communis extract entrapped in ethosomes.

In this study, Pyrus communis fruit extract was formulated in ethosomes using the hot method and optimized using central composite design. The optimized ethosomes were characterized in vitro for particle size distribution, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, morphology, and particle stability.

Preliminary phytochemical screening results suggest that PCHE contains a significant amount of phenolic compounds compared to other extracts (PCEA and PCAE). The presence of these phenolic compounds contributes to the strong antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of PCHE, which are observed in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis through GC-MS has identified chlorogenic acid, arbutin, ursolic acid, quercetin, and epicatechin are present in PCHE. Based on the initial testing of the extracts, PCHE was chosen for the preparation of ethosomes. The optimized ethosomes were found to have a particle size of 699 nm and a zeta potential of -16.07. Transmission Electron Microscopy illustrated a closed, spherically symmetrical structure of the ethosomes. Additionally, the Franz diffusion cell analysis for percutaneous absorption using egg membrane indicated a steady-state flux of the drug from the ethosomes. The formulation's cytotoxicity potential was assessed using the epidermoid carcinoma cell line (A431) through the MTT assay. The results show that the ethosome formulations exhibit cytotoxic activity better than PCHE extract. 1

In sum, the result of this study clearly points out that Pyrus communis extract entrapped in ethosomes, prepared by hot method, displayed a cytotoxic potential against skin cancer cell lines. This ethosomal formulation can be harnessed for skin cancer therapy through further mechanistic analysis and animal studies.