Role of Antioxidant Vitamins and Other Micronutrients on Regulations of Specific Genes and Signaling Pathways in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer.

Cancer is an escalating global issue, with 19.3 million new cases and 9.9 million deaths in 2020. Therefore, effective approaches to prevent cancer are urgently required. Diet plays a significant role in determining cancer risk. Nutrients and food bioactives influence specific signaling pathways in the body. Recently, there have been significant advances in cancer prevention research through nutrigenomics or with the effects of dietary components on the genome. Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases were used to search for peer-reviewed articles between 2017 and 2023. Criteria used were vitamins, minerals, tumors, cancer, genes, inflammation, signaling pathways, and nutrigenomics. Among the total of 1857 articles available, the highest relevant 90 articles that specifically discussed signaling pathways and genes on cancer cell lines and human cancer patients were selected and reviewed. Food sources are rich in antioxidant micronutrients, which are effective in activating or regulating signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis and cancer therapy by activating enzymes such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase C (PKC), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). The micronutrients are involved in the regulation of ß-catenin (WNT/ß-catenin) including mutations in Kras and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alongside inhibition of the NF-kB pathway. The most common mechanism of cancer prevention by these micronutrients is their antioxidative, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis effects. This review discusses how nutrigenomics is essential and beneficial for developing cancer prevention and treatment approaches.

A Dietary Antioxidant Formulation Ameliorates DNA Damage Caused by γ-Irradiation in Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells In Vitro.

Antioxidants can be used as radioprotectants to reduce DNA damage due to exposure to radiation that could result in malignancies, including lung cancer. Mortality rates are consistently higher in lung cancer, which is usually diagnosed at later stages of cancer development and progression. In this preliminary study, we examined the potential of an antioxidant formulation (AOX2) to reduce DNA damage using a cell model of human normal bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Cells were exposed to γ-irradiation or smoke-related hydrocarbon 4[(acetoxymethyl)nitrosamino]-1 (3-pyridyl) 1-butanone (NNKOAc) to induce DNA damage. We monitored intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and evidence of genotoxic damage including DNA fragmentation ELISA, γ-H2AX immunofluorescence, and comet assays. Pre-incubation of the cells with AOX2 before exposure to γ-irradiation and NNKOAc significantly reduced DNA damage. The dietary antioxidant preparation AOX2 significantly reduced the induction of the tumor suppressor protein p53 and DNA damage-associated γ-H2AX phosphorylation by radiation and the NNKOAc treatment. Thus, AOX2 has the potential to act as a chemoprotectant by lowering ROS levels and DNA damage caused by exposure to radiation or chemical carcinogens.

Microsurgical clipping and endovascular coiling of intracranial aneurysms: a critical review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Although endovascular coiling has been used for 15 years in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, fewer than 60 published studies have directly compared microsurgical clipping and endovascular coiling, and only two studies have used a randomized, prospective design. The objective of this review is to weigh evidence for the efficacy of endovascular coiling compared with microsurgical clipping based on published head-to-head comparisons. METHODS: Two major electronic databases, PubMed and Cochrane Library, were queried using search terms such as "coiling," "clipping," "microsurgical," "endovascular," "Guglielmi," and "intracranial aneurysm." Relevant randomized trials and observational, cohort, and case studies of unruptured and ruptured aneurysms were considered for analysis. Data from included studies were summarized qualitatively, addressing study methodologies, patient demographics, study techniques/equipment, and outcome measures. RESULTS: Forty-seven studies were included in the final count, including two prospective randomized trials, 23 prospective observational studies, 20 retrospective observational studies, and two studies that used a combination of prospective and retrospective data. In total, 18 studies found outcomes to be equivalent in the coiled and clipped groups, 18 studies favored coiling, 10 studies favored clipping, and one study had no conclusion (in terms of a comparison). CONCLUSION: The earliest randomized prospective study by Koivisto et al. found clinical and angiographic results between the two methodologies to be statistically equivalent. The more recent and larger randomized, prospective study from the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial group suggests that endovascular coiling is statistically superior to microsurgical clipping in clinical outcomes, although the recently published long-term follow-up of International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial patients documents higher recurrence and rehemorrhage rates after endovascular coiling. Although there is no clear consensus in these two studies or in the 45 observational studies included, clinically useful information can be extracted to improve shared decision making and interaction between interventionalists and neurosurgeons, create more individualized treatment algorithms, and enhance future research.

Cold defect on bone scan in a vertebral body after percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty using bone cements is increasingly being used to stabilize osteoporotic spinal compression fractures. Although the scintigraphic appearance of compression fractures has been well-described, the post-vertebroplasty bone scan appearance has not. This case report describes a characteristic cold defect of a vertebral body after percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Endovascular treatment of vertebral artery origin lesions.

Endovascular management of vertebral artery stenosis has been shown to have significantly better outcomes than surgical therapy or medical therapy alone. The average mortality is zero and morbidity is about 1%. There is a 97% procedural success rate. The issue is a restenosis rate that is between 30% and 41%. This article will discuss the indications, procedure, and treatment options.

Bone cements: review of their physiochemical and biochemical properties in percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an effective treatment for aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, spinal metastases, and myelomas. As percutaneous vertebroplasty is more commonly performed to treat various forms of back pain, new or modified cements are being used. This review examines the physiochemical and biomechanical properties of various bone cements and additives.

Image-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for osteoid osteomas.

The authors present a retrospective analysis of the technical and clinical successes, complications, and clinical follow-up of image-guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation of osteoid osteomas. Nine patients with osteoid osteomas underwent image-guided localization of osteoid osteomas. Outpatient percutaneous therapy (13 procedures) was performed under general anesthesia after image-guided localization of the nidus. Initial technical success was achieved in seven of nine patients. Two initial technical and clinical failures occurred early in this experience because of failure to adequately enter the nidus with use of fluoroscopic imaging alone. Clinical success was achieved in eight of nine patients. No major immediate or delayed complications were observed.