(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits nasopharyngeal cancer stem cell self-renewal and migration and reverses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via NF-κB p65 inactivation.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory states that many types of cancer, including nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), are initiated from and maintained by CSCs, which may be responsible for tumor relapse and resistance to therapy. It is imperative that nasopharyngeal cancer stem cells (NPCSCs) be specifically targeted to eradicate NPC and prevent recurrence. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits cancer progression by attenuating NF-κB p65 activity, which is upregulated in CSCs and plays an important role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The purpose of this study is to confirm the self-renewal and migration inhibitory effects of EGCG toward NPCSCs and to clarify its mechanism of activity. We enriched and characterized NPCSCs by collecting spheroid-derived cells grown in serum-free medium (SFM) and examined the effects of EGCG on the characteristics of NPCSCs and studied the underlying mechanisms using soft agar colony assays, transwell migration assays, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and xenograft studies. NPC spheroids enriched from NPC cell lines acquired CSC traits and underwent EMT. EGCG inhibited the NPCSCs' self-renewal and migration and reversed EMT, and combined treatment with EGCG and cisplatin reduced the growth of CSC tumor xenografts. Moreover, EGCG inhibited NF-κB p65 activity by modulating the cellular localization of p65 and decreasing the transcriptional regulation of NF-κB p65 on Twist1 expression. NF-κB p65 is a novel therapeutic target in NPCSCs, and the inhibition of activated NF-κB p65 in CSCs by EGCG may offer an effective treatment for NPC.

Ganodermasides E-H, four new ergosterol derivatives from the endophytic fungus Epicoccum poae DJ-F associated with Euphorbia royleana.

Ganodermasides E-H (1-4), four new ergosterol derivatives and two known ones (5 and 6) were isolated from the fermentation of the endophytic fungus Epicoccum poae DJ-F in the stems of Euphorbia royleana Boiss. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, including extensive 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS techniques. All the isolated compounds were tested for their vitro antibacterial activity. Compounds 1-6 showed weak inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas syringae, and Ralstonia solanacearum with MIC values ranging from 0.4 to 3.6 mM.

Hsa_circ_0101996 combined with hsa_circ_0101119 in peripheral whole blood can serve as the potential biomarkers for human cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Previous study suggests changes in circRNAs in tumor tissues from cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) patients. However, little is known about the diagnostic value of circRNAs in CSCC. To assess the potential application of circRNAs as diagnostic tools in CSCC, the circulating circRNAs in peripheral whole blood were carried out. METHODS: Five up-regulated circRNAs in peripheral whole blood from 87 patients with CSCC and 55 healthy controls were first identified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The diagnostic value was evaluated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curves (AUC). RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, hsa_circ_0101996, hsa_circ_0104649, hsa_circ_0104443 and hsa_circ_0101119 expression were significantly up-regulated in peripheral whole blood from CSCC patients. ROC analysis showed that hsa_circ_0101996 and hsa_circ_0101119 could distinguish CSCC patients from healthy controls with high AUC (0.906 and 0.887, respectively). Intriguingly, the combination of hsa_circ_0101996 and hsa_circ_0101119 markedly improved AUC (0.964). CONCLUSION: All of the findings suggest that hsa_circ_0101996 combined with hsa_circ_0101119 can serve as potential biomarkers for CSCC detection.