Arginine and sodium fluoride affect the microbial composition and reduce biofilm metabolism and enamel mineral loss in an oral microcosm model.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of arginine, with or without sodium fluoride (NaF; 1,450 ppm), on saliva-derived microcosm biofilms and enamel demineralization. METHODS: Saliva-derived biofilms were grown on bovine enamel blocks in 0.2 % sucrose-containing modified McBain medium, according to six experimental groups: control (McBain 0.2 %); 2.5 % arginine; 8 % arginine; NaF; 2.5 % arginine with NaF; and 8 % arginine with NaF. After 5 days of growth, biofilm viability was assessed by colony-forming units counting, laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to determine biofilm vitality and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production, while biofilm metabolism was evaluated using the resazurin assay and lactic acid quantification. Demineralization was evaluated by measuring pH in the culture medium and calcium release. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis' and Dunn's tests (p < 0.05). RESULTS: 8 % arginine with NaF showed the strongest reduction in total streptococci and total microorganism counts, with no significant difference compared to arginine without NaF. Neither 2.5 % arginine alone nor NaF alone significantly reduced microbial counts compared to the control, although in combination, a reduction in all microbial groups was observed. Similar trends were found for biofilm vitality and EPS, and calcium released to the growth medium. CONCLUSIONS: 8 % Arginine, with or without NaF, exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity and reduced enamel calcium loss. Also, NaF enhanced the effects of 2.5 % arginine, yielding similar results to 8 % arginine for most parameters analyzed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results provided further evidence on how arginine, with or without NaF, affects oral microcosm biofilms and enamel mineral loss.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of gambogenic acid derivatives: Unraveling their anti-cancer effects by inducing pyroptosis.

Gambogenic acid (GNA), a caged xanthone derived from Garcinia hanburyi, exhibits a wide range of anti-cancer properties. The caged skeleton of GNA serves as the fundamental pharmacophore responsible for its antitumor effects. However, limited exploration has focused on the structural modifications of GNA. This study endeavors to diversify the structure of GNA and enhance its anti-cancer efficacy. Sulfoximines, recognized as pivotal motifs in medicinal chemistry due to their outstanding properties, have featured in several anti-cancer drugs undergoing clinical trials. Accordingly, a series of 33 GNA derivatives combined with sulfoximines were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer effects against MIAPaCa2, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cells in vitro. The activity screening led to the identification of compound 12k, which exhibited the most potent anti-cancer effect. Mechanistic studies revealed that 12k primarily induced pyroptosis in MIAPaCa2 and MDA-MB-231 cells by activating the caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) pathway. These findings suggested that 12k is a promising drug candidate in cancer therapy and highlighted the potential of sulfoximines as a valuable functional group in drug discovery.

Unveiling Gambogenic Acid as a Promising Antitumor Compound: A Review.

Gambogenic acid is a derivative of gambogic acid, a polyprenylated xanthone isolated from Garcinia hanburyi. Compared with the more widely studied gambogic acid, gambogenic acid has demonstrated advantages such as a more potent antitumor effect and less systemic toxicity than gambogic acid according to early investigations. Therefore, the present review summarizes the effectiveness and mechanisms of gambogenic acid in different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, drug delivery systems to improve the bioavailability of gambogenic acid and its pharmacokinetic profile are included. Gambogenic acid has been applied to treat a wide range of cancers, such as lung, liver, colorectal, breast, gastric, bladder, and prostate cancers. Gambogenic acid exerts its antitumor effects as a novel class of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitors. It prevents cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and necroptosis and controlling the cell cycle as well as autophagy. Gambogenic acid also hinders tumor cell invasion and metastasis by downregulating metastasis-related proteins. Moreover, gambogenic acid increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy and has shown effects on multidrug resistance in malignancy. This review adds insights for the prevention and treatment of cancers using gambogenic acid.

Quantifying metabolic activity of Ascaris suum L3 using resazurin reduction.

BACKGROUND: Helminth infections are an important public health problem in humans and have an even greater impact on domestic animal and livestock welfare. Current readouts for anthelmintic drug screening assays are stage development, migration, or motility that can be subjective, laborious, and low in throughput. The aim of this study was to apply and optimize a fluorometric technique using resazurin for evaluating changes in the metabolic activity of Ascaris suum third-stage larvae (L3), a parasite of high economic relevance in swine. METHODS: Ascaris suum L3 were mechanically hatched from 6- to 8-week embryonated and sucrose-gradient-enriched eggs. Resazurin dye and A. suum L3 were titrated in 96-well microtiter plates, and resazurin reduction activity was assessed by fluorometry after 24 h of incubation. Fluorescence microscopy was used to localize the resazurin reduction site within the larvae. Finally, we exposed A. suum L3 to various stress conditions including heat, methanol, and anthelmintics, and investigated their impact on larval metabolism through resazurin reduction activity. RESULTS: We show that the non-fluorescent dye resazurin is reduced inside vital A. suum L3 to fluorescent resorufin and released into the culture media. Optimal assay parameters are 100-1000 L3 per well, a resazurin concentration of 7.5 µg/ml, and incubation at 37 °C/5% CO2 for 24 h. An intact L2 sheath around the L3 of A. suum completely prevents the uptake of resazurin, while in unsheathed L3, the most intense fluorescence signal is observed along the larval midgut. L3 exposed to methanol or heat show a gradually decreased resazurin reduction activity. In addition, 24 h exposure to ivermectin at 0.625 µM, mebendazole at 5 µM, and thiabendazole from 10 to 100 µM significantly decreased larval metabolic activity by 55%, 73%, and 70% to 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our results show that both metabolic stressors and anthelmintic drugs significantly and reproducibly reduce the resazurin reduction activity of A. suum L3, making the proposed assay a sensitive and easy-to-use method to evaluate metabolic activity of A. suum L3 in vitro.

Anti-tumor Effect of Gambogenic Acid and Its Effect on CYP2C and CYP3A after Oral Administration.

Gambogenic acid (GNA), which has a broad spectrum of anti-tumor activity, is considered as a potential anticancer ingredient. In this study, we examined the anti-tumor effect and the effect of GNA on CYP and pregnane X receptor (PXR). In anti-tumor experiments, an A549 cells tumor-bearing nude mice model was established. Tumor weights and volumes were measured. Inhibition ratio (IR) was calculated. In a pharmacokinetic study, after intragastrical administration of GNA in rats, a cocktail method was adopted to evaluate the activities of CYP2C6, 2C11 and 3A1; RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB) assays were applied to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. Compared with injection, oral administration also can inhibit tumor growth. Moreover, GNA increased the activities of CYP2C11 and CYP3A1 in the high-dose group as well as the mRNA and protein expression levels. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PXR were also slightly induced. Our study suggested that, oral administration of GNA was effective in inhibiting tumor growth in mice and could induced the activities of CYP2C and CYP3A in rats.

The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Novel 9-Arylxanthenedione-Based Allosteric Modulators for the δ-Opioid Receptor.

Chronic pain and depression are both widely prevalent comorbid medical conditions. While efficient, µ-opioid receptor-based medications are associated with life-threatening side effects, including respiratory depression, dependence, and addiction. The δ-opioid receptor is a promising alternative biological target for chronic pain and depression due to its significantly reduced on-target side effects compared to the µ-opioid receptor. A previous study identified two δ-opioid receptor positive allosteric modulators. Herein, we report the design of five series of compounds targeting previously unexplored regions of the originally described SAR. Analogs were assessed for their ability to potentiate the agonist response of Leu-enkephalin. Of the 30 analogs, compound 6g displayed trends toward enhancing the ERK1/2 phosphorylation signaling compared to cAMP inhibition, while compound 11c exhibited a trend in shifting the signaling bias toward cAMP inhibition. Both 6g and 11c emerged as promising tool compounds toward the design of prospective therapeutics requiring specific downstream signaling attributes.

Penicixanthene E, a new xanthene isolated from a mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp.

One new xanthene derivative, named penicixanthene E (1), together with one known compound 2, was isolated from the EtOAc extract of the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. GXIMD 03101, which was identified from the mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius L. collected in the South China Sea. The structure of 1 was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectral interpretation and HREISMS data. The absolute configurations of C-9 and C-11 in 1 were proposed based on electronic circular dichroism (ECD), but the configuration at C-3 in 1 was unassigned. Compound 1 represents a xanthene derivative that was first reported, in which carbon-carbon double bond has been reduced. The cytotoxic activities of all compounds were evaluated, the result showed that compound 1 has weak activity against pancreatic cancer SW1990.

BioMOF-Mn: An Antimicrobial Agent and an Efficient Nanocatalyst for Domino One-Pot Preparation of Xanthene Derivatives.

In this paper, a new Mn-based metal-organic framework [UoB-6] was obtained via a one-step ultrasonic irradiation method with the ligand (H2bdda: 4,4'-(1,4-phenylenebis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))dibenzoic acid. The structural integrity of the synthesized BioMOF-Mn was corroborated by FT-IR, EDX, ICP, XRD, TEM, DLS, FESEM, and BET-BJH analyses. The aerobic oxidative domino reaction of benzyl alcohols or aldehydes with dimedone derivatives was performed in the presence of the UoB-6 catalyst to produce xanthene derivatives in good yields. Hot filtration and Hg poisoning tests proved the heterogeneous nature of the catalyst. Novel synthesized xanthene-based bis-aldehydes were introduced as potent HDAC1 inhibitors according to molecular docking calculations. Finally, the inhibitory activities of Mn-MOF nanoparticles were evaluated on Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The MIC, MBC, and MFC values were determined from 2048 to 4096 µg·mL-1 according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods. The inhibitory effects of antimicrobial agents can be exacerbated when loaded on BioMOFs.

Revisiting the Resazurin-Based Sensing of Cellular Viability: Widening the Application Horizon.

Since 1991, the NAD(P)H-aided conversion of resazurin to fluorescent resorufin has been widely used to measure viability based on the metabolic activity in mammalian cell culture and primary cells. However, different research groups have used divergent assay protocols, scarcely reporting the systematic optimization of the assay. Here, we perform extensive studies to fine-tune the experimental protocols utilizing resazurin-based viability sensing. Specifically, we focus on (A) optimization of the assay dynamic range in individual cell lines for the correct measurement of cytostatic and cytotoxic properties of the compounds; (B) dependence of the dynamic range on the physical quantity detected (fluorescence intensity versus change of absorbance spectrum); (C) calibration of the assay for the correct interpretation of data measured in hypoxic conditions; and (D) possibilities for combining the resazurin assay with other methods including measurement of necrosis and apoptosis. We also demonstrate the enhanced precision and flexibility of the resazurin-based assay regarding the readout format and kinetic measurement mode as compared to the widely used analogous assay which utilizes tetrazolium dye MTT. The discussed assay optimization guidelines provide useful instructions for the beginners in the field and for the experienced scientists exploring new ways for measurement of cellular viability using resazurin.

Discovery of potent antiproliferative agents from selected oxygen heterocycles as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors from the U.S. National Cancer Institute database by in silico screening and bioactivity evaluation.

A similarity search was conducted on the U.S. Enhanced National Cancer Institute Database Browser 2.2 to find structures related to 1,5-dihydroxy-9H-xanthen-9-one, a previously established EGFR-TK inhibitor. Compounds were virtually screened and selected for bioactivity testing revealed 5 candidates, mostly displayed stronger antiproliferative activities than erlotinib with IC50 values between 0.95 and 17.71 µM against overexpressed EGFR-TK cancer cell lines: A431 and HeLa. NSC107228 displayed the strongest antiproliferative effects with IC50 values of 2.84 and 0.95 µM against A431 and HeLa cancer cell lines, respectively. Three compounds, NSC81111, NSC381467 and NSC114126 inhibited EGFR-TK with IC50 values between 0.15 and 30.18 nM. NSC81111 was the best inhibitor with IC50 = 0.15 nM. Molecular docking analysis of the 3 compounds predicted hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions with key residues were important for the bioactivities observed. Furthermore, calculations of the physicochemical properties suggest the compounds are drug-like and are potentially active orally.

Facile and divergent optimization of chromazonarol enabled the identification of simplified drimane meroterpenoids as novel pharmaceutical leads.

The diversity of drimane hydroquinones was significantly expanded by the facile construction of (+)-chromazonarol relevant natural products, isomers, and analogues for the discovery of new pharmaceutical leads. The structure-activity relationship of (+)-chromazonarol relevant (non)-natural products was delineated via the synergistic interaction of the programmable synthesis and bioactivity-guided screening. The first divergent derivatization of (+)-chromazonarol demonstrated that the phenolic hydroxyl group is one inviolable requirement for antifungal effect. Pinpoint modification of (+)-yahazunol manifested the position of hydroxyl group was crucial for both antifungal and antitumor activities. (+)-Albaconol, (+)-neoalbaconol, and two (+)-yahazunol isomers (24 and 25) proved to be the novel pharmaceutical leads. The probable macromolecular targets were estimated to deliver new information about the biological potentials resident in (+)-yahazunol relevant products. This work also featured the first synthesis of (+)-albaconol and (+)-neoalbaconol, the first biological exploration of (+)-dictyvaric acid and improved preparation of (+)-8-epi-puupehedione and a promising pelorol analogue.

Impact of the ACE2 activator xanthenone on tacrolimus nephrotoxicity: Modulation of uric acid/ERK/p38 MAPK and Nrf2/SOD3/GCLC signaling pathways.

AIMS: The calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus is an effective and widely used immunosuppressant after organ transplantation to reduce graft rejection. However, its nephrotoxic effect could compel the patients to treatment discontinuation. The beneficial effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the kidney and other organs have been investigated in several studies, but its role in tacrolimus nephrotoxicity still needs to be elucidated. Our study was designed to investigate effects of the ACE2 activator xanthenone on tacrolimus-induced renal injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were administered xanthenone (2 mg/kg) concurrently with tacrolimus (1 mg/kg) for 3 weeks, then blood and kidney tissue samples were collected for biochemical and molecular investigations. KEY FINDINGS: Co-administration of xanthenone significantly improved renal functions in tacrolimus-treated rats, where serum creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels were close to those of the normal control. Besides, xanthenone reduced renal angiotensin (ANG) II content, while elevated ANG (1-7). Relative protein expressions of p-ERK/ERK and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK inflammatory signals were downregulated upon xanthenone administration with tacrolimus. In addition, xanthenone reinforced antioxidant defense against tacrolimus by enhancing protein expression of the transcription factor Nrf2 with subsequently increased mRNA expressions of the antioxidants SOD3 and GCLC. SIGNIFICANCE: These protective effects of xanthenone could be attributed to ANG II degradation to ANG (1-7) by ACE2 activation resulting in regulated inflammatory and oxidative responses in the kidney. Therefore, administration of xanthenone along with tacrolimus could be a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce the adverse effects and increase the tolerability to tacrolimus immunosuppressive therapy.

Graded heterogeneity of metabotropic signaling underlies a continuum of cell-intrinsic temporal responses in unipolar brush cells.

Many neuron types consist of populations with continuously varying molecular properties. Here, we show a continuum of postsynaptic molecular properties in three types of neurons and assess the functional correlates in cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBCs). While UBCs are generally thought to form discrete functional subtypes, with mossy fiber (MF) activation increasing firing in ON-UBCs and suppressing firing in OFF-UBCs, recent work also points to a heterogeneity of response profiles. Indeed, we find a continuum of response profiles that reflect the graded and inversely correlated expression of excitatory mGluR1 and inhibitory mGluR2/3 pathways. MFs coactivate mGluR2/3 and mGluR1 in many UBCs, leading to sequential inhibition-excitation because mGluR2/3-currents are faster. Additionally, we show that DAG-kinase controls mGluR1 response duration, and that graded DAG kinase levels correlate with systematic variation of response duration over two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that continuous variations in metabotropic signaling can generate a stable cell-autonomous basis for temporal integration and learning over multiple time scales.

Allosteric modulators enhance agonist efficacy by increasing the residence time of a GPCR in the active state.

Much hope in drug development comes from the discovery of positive allosteric modulators (PAM) that display target subtype selectivity and act by increasing agonist potency and efficacy. How such compounds can allosterically influence agonist action remains unclear. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu) are G protein-coupled receptors that represent promising targets for brain diseases, and for which PAMs acting in the transmembrane domain have been developed. Here, we explore the effect of a PAM on the structural dynamics of mGlu2 in optimized detergent micelles using single molecule FRET at submillisecond timescales. We show that glutamate only partially stabilizes the extracellular domains in the active state. Full activation is only observed in the presence of a PAM or the Gi protein. Our results provide important insights on the role of allosteric modulators in mGlu activation, by stabilizing the active state of a receptor that is otherwise rapidly oscillating between active and inactive states.

Metabolic acidosis regulates RGS16 and G protein signaling in osteoblasts.

Chronic metabolic acidosis stimulates cell-mediated net Ca2+ efflux from bone mediated by increased osteoblastic cyclooxygenase 2, leading to prostaglandin E2-induced stimulation of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand-induced osteoclastic bone resorption. Ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor-1 (OGR1), an osteoblastic H+-sensing G protein-coupled receptor, is activated by acidosis and leads to increased bone resorption. As regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins limit GPCR signaling, we tested whether RGS proteins themselves are regulated by metabolic acidosis. Primary osteoblasts were isolated from neonatal mouse calvariae and incubated in physiological neutral or acidic (MET) medium. Cells were collected, and RNA was extracted for real-time PCR analysis with mRNA levels normalized to ribosomal protein L13a. RGS1, RGS2, RGS3, RGS4, RGS10, RGS11, and RGS18 mRNA did not differ between MET and neutral medium; however, by 30 min, MET decreased RGS16, which persisted for 60 min and 3 h. Incubation of osteoblasts with the OGR1 inhibitor CuCl2 inhibited the MET-induced increase in RGS16 mRNA. Gallein, a specific inhibitor of Gßγ signaling, was used to determine if downstream signaling by the ßγ-subunit was critical for the response to acidosis. Gallein decreased net Ca2+ efflux from calvariae and cyclooxygenase 2 and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand gene expression from isolated osteoblasts. These results indicate that regulation of RGS16 plays an important role in modulating the response of the osteoblastic GPCR OGR1 to metabolic acidosis and subsequent stimulation of osteoclastic bone resorption.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results presented in this study indicate that regulation of regulator of G protein signaling 16 and G protein signaling in the osteoblast plays an important role in modulating the response of osteoblastic ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1) to metabolic acidosis and the subsequent stimulation of osteoclastic bone resorption. Further characterization of the regulation of OGR1 in metabolic acidosis-induced bone resorption will help in understanding bone loss in acidotic patients with chronic kidney disease.

Interlaboratory study for the evaluation of three microtiter plate-based biofilm quantification methods.

Microtiter plate methods are commonly used for biofilm assessment. However, results obtained with these methods have often been difficult to reproduce. Hence, it is important to obtain a better understanding of the repeatability and reproducibility of these methods. An interlaboratory study was performed in five different laboratories to evaluate the reproducibility and responsiveness of three methods to quantify Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation in 96-well microtiter plates: crystal violet, resazurin, and plate counts. An inter-lab protocol was developed for the study. The protocol was separated into three steps: biofilm growth, biofilm challenge, biofilm assessment. For control experiments participants performed the growth and assessment steps only. For treatment experiments, all three steps were performed and the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in killing S. aureus biofilms was evaluated. In control experiments, on the log10-scale, the reproducibility SD (SR) was 0.44 for crystal violet, 0.53 for resazurin, and 0.92 for the plate counts. In the treatment experiments, plate counts had the best responsiveness to different levels of efficacy and also the best reproducibility with respect to responsiveness (Slope/SR = 1.02), making it the more reliable method to use in an antimicrobial efficacy test. This study showed that the microtiter plate is a versatile and easy-to-use biofilm reactor, which exhibits good repeatability and reproducibility for different types of assessment methods, as long as a suitable experimental design and statistical analysis is applied.

Inhibition of metabotropic glutamate receptor III facilitates sensitization to alkylating chemotherapeutics in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most malignant tumor of the central nervous system, is marked by its dynamic response to microenvironmental niches. In particular, this cellular plasticity contributes to the development of an immediate resistance during tumor treatment. Novel insights into the developmental trajectory exhibited by GBM show a strong capability to respond to its microenvironment by clonal selection of specific phenotypes. Using the same mechanisms, malignant GBM do develop intrinsic mechanisms to resist chemotherapeutic treatments. This resistance was reported to be sustained by the paracrine and autocrine glutamate signaling via ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. However, the extent to which glutamatergic signaling modulates the chemoresistance and transcriptional profile of the GBM remains unexplored. In this study we aimed to map the manifold effects of glutamate signaling in GBM as the basis to further discover the regulatory role and interactions of specific receptors, within the GBM microenvironment. Our work provides insights into glutamate release dynamics, representing its importance for GBM growth, viability, and migration. Based on newly published multi-omic datasets, we explored the and characterized the functions of different ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, of which the metabotropic receptor 3 (GRM3) is highlighted through its modulatory role in maintaining the ability of GBM cells to evade standard alkylating chemotherapeutics. We addressed the clinical relevance of GRM3 receptor expression in GBM and provide a proof of concept where we manipulate intrinsic mechanisms of chemoresistance, driving GBM towards chemo-sensitization through GRM3 receptor inhibition. Finally, we validated our findings in our novel human organotypic section-based tumor model, where GBM growth and proliferation was significantly reduced when GRM3 inhibition was combined with temozolomide application. Our findings present a new picture of how glutamate signaling via mGluR3 interacts with the phenotypical GBM transcriptional programs in light of recently published GBM cell-state discoveries.

Gambogic acid and gambogenic acid induce a thiol-dependent heat shock response and disrupt the interaction between HSP90 and HSF1 or HSF2.

Cancer cells rely on heat shock proteins (HSPs) for growth and survival. Especially HSP90 has multiple client proteins and plays a critical role in malignant transformation, and therefore different types of HSP90 inhibitors are being developed. The bioactive natural compound gambogic acid (GB) is a prenylated xanthone with antitumor activity, and it has been proposed to function as an HSP90 inhibitor. However, there are contradicting reports whether GB induces a heat shock response (HSR), which is cytoprotective for cancer cells and therefore a potentially problematic feature for an anticancer drug. In this study, we show that GB and a structurally related compound, called gambogenic acid (GBA), induce a robust HSR, in a thiol-dependent manner. Using heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) or HSF2 knockout cells, we show that the GB or GBA-induced HSR is HSF1-dependent. Intriguingly, using closed form ATP-bound HSP90 mutants that can be co-precipitated with HSF1, a known facilitator of cancer, we show that also endogenous HSF2 co-precipitates with HSP90. GB and GBA treatment disrupt the interaction between HSP90 and HSF1 and HSP90 and HSF2. Our study implies that these compounds should be used cautiously if developed for cancer therapies, since GB and its derivative GBA are strong inducers of the HSR, in multiple cell types, by involving the dissociation of a HSP90-HSF1/HSF2 complex.

Flavonoid-Inspired Vascular Disrupting Agents: Exploring Flavone-8-Acetic Acid and Derivatives in the New Century.

Naturally occurring flavonoids are found as secondary metabolites in a wide number of plants exploited for both medicine and food and have long been known to be endowed with multiple biological activities, making them useful tools for the treatment of different pathologies. Due to the versatility of the scaffolds and the vast possibilities of appropriate decoration, they have also been regarded as fruitful sources of lead compounds and excellent chemical platforms for the development of bioactive synthetic compounds. Flavone-8-acetic acid (FAA) and 5,6-dimethylxanthone acetic acid (DMXAA) emerged for their antitumour potential due to the induction of cytokines and consequent rapid haemorrhagic necrosis of murine tumour vasculature, and different series of derivatives have been designed thereafter. Although the promising DMXAA failed in phase III clinical trials because of strict species-specificity, a boost in research came from the recent identification of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), responsible for supporting tumoural innate immune responses, as a possible biological target. Consequently, in the last decade a renewal of interest for these flavonoid-based structures was noticed, and novel derivatives have been synthesised and evaluated for a deeper understanding of the molecular features needed for affecting human cells. Undoubtedly, these natural-derived molecules deserve further investigation and still appear attractive in an anticancer perspective.