The Role of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in the Growth of Cervical Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Recently developed vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus utilize endogenous production of the virus' spike protein (SP), allowing the host to develop an immune response. As a result of the novelty of this virus and its vaccines, little is known overall about the potential effects of the SP on the pathogenesis of neoplasia, either from vaccination or from infection. This study was designed to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 SP has any direct effect on SiHa cervical cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of SARS-CoV-2 SP on cervical cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated by using clonogenic cell survival assay, quick cell proliferation assay, and caspase-3 activity kits in a widely-used cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were also performed to determine the potential molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: The growth and proliferation of SiHa cancer cells were inhibited by SARS-CoV-2 SP. SARS-CoV-2 SP also induced apoptosis in SiHa cancer cells. The anti-proliferative effect of SARS-CoV-2 SP on SiHa cancer cells was associated with the up-regulation of the anti-proliferative molecule p53. The pro-apoptotic effect of SARS-CoV-2 SP on SiHa cells was associated with the up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic molecule TRAIL. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 SP inhibits the growth of cervical cancer via up-regulation of p53 and TRAIL. Further studies are needed to elaborate on the potential effects of the SARS-CoV-2 SP on other cancer cell lines and normal physiological cell lines for comparison.

Cytosolic pH is a direct nexus in linking environmental cues with insulin processing and secretion in pancreatic ß cells.

Pancreatic ß cells actively respond to glucose fluctuations through regulating insulin processing and secretion. However, how this process is elaborately tuned in circumstance of variable microenvironments as well as ß cell-intrinsic states and whether its dysfunction links to metabolic diseases remain largely elusive. Here, we show that the cytosolic pH (pHc) in ß cells is increased upon glucose challenge, which can be sensed by Smad5 via its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Lesion of Smad5 in ß cells results in hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance due to insulin processing and secretion deficiency. The role of Smad5 in regulating insulin processing and secretion attributes to its non-canonical function by regulating V-ATPase activity for granule acidification. Genetic mutation of Smad5 or administration of alkaline water to mirror cytosolic alkalization ameliorated glucose intolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-treated mice. Collectively, our findings suggest that pHc is a direct nexus in linking environmental cues with insulin processing and secretion in ß cells.

Determination of Ideal Factors for Early Adoption and Standardization of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for Respiratory System Infections.

BACKGROUND: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) demonstrates great promise as a diagnostic tool for determining the cause of pathogenic infections. The standard diagnostic procedures (SDP) include smears and cultures and are typically viewed as less sensitive and more time-consuming when compared to mNGS. There are concerns about the logistics and ease of transition from SDP to mNGS. mNGS lacks standardization of collection processes, databases, and sequencing. Additionally, there is the burden of training clinicians on interpreting mNGS results. OBJECTIVE: Until now, few studies have explored factors that could be used as early adoption candidates to ease the transition between SDP and mNGS. This study evaluated 123 patients who had received both SDP and mNGS and compared several variables across a diagnostic test evaluation. METHODS: The diagnostic test evaluation observed metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR, NLR), positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), and accuracy. Factors included various sample sources such as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung tissue, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). An additional factor observed was the patient's immune status. RESULTS: Pathogen detection was found to be significantly greater for mNGS for total patients, BALF sample source, CSF sample source, and non-immunocompromised patients (p<0.05). Pathogen detection was found to be insignificant for lung tissue sample sources and immunocompromised patients. Sensitivity, PLR, NLR, PPV, NPV, and accuracy appeared to be higher with mNGS for the total patients, BALF sample source, and non-immunocompromised patients when compared with SDP (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: With higher metrics in sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for overall patients, mNGS may prove a better diagnostic tool than SDP. When addressing sample sources, mNGS for BALF-collected samples appeared to have higher scores than SDP for the same metrics. When patients were in a non-immunocompromised state, mNGS also demonstrated greater diagnostic benefits to BALF and overall patients compared to SDP. This study demonstrates that using BALF as a sample source and selecting non-immunocompromised patients may prove beneficial as early adoption factors for mNGS standard protocol. Such a study may pave the road for mNGS as a routine clinical method for determining the exact pathogenic etiology of lung infections.

Up and away with cervical cancer: IL-29 is a promising cytokine for immunotherapy of cervical cancer due to its powerful upregulation of p18, p27, and TRAILR1.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of female cancers worldwide. IL-29 is an interesting cytokine in the IFNλ family. Its role in the pathogenesis of neoplasia is complicated and has been studied in other cancers, such as lung cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. IL-29 has been previously reported to promote the growth of pancreatic cancer. However, the direct role of IL-29 in cervical cancer has not been studied yet. This study was performed to investigate the direct effect on cervical cancer cell growth. Clonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation, and caspase-3 activity kits were used to evaluate the effects of IL-29 on cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis of a well-studied cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. We further investigated the potential molecular mechanisms by using RT-PCR and IHC. We found that the percentage of colonies of SiHa cells was decreased in the presence of IL-29. This was consistent with a decreased OD value of cancer cells. Furthermore, the relative caspase-3 activity in cancer cells increased in the presence of IL-29. The anti-proliferative effect of IL-29 on cancer cells correlated with increased expression of the anti-proliferative molecules p18 and p27. The pro-apoptotic effect of IL-29 on cancer cells correlated with increased expression of the pro-apoptotic molecule TRAILR1. IL-29 inhibits cervical cancer cell growth by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting cell apoptosis. Thus, IL-29 might be a promising cytokine for immunotherapy of cervical cancer.

Unlocking the 'ova'-coming power: immunotherapy's role in shaping the future of ovarian cancer treatment.

Ovarian cancer is a prominent cancer worldwide with a relatively low survival rate for women diagnosed. Many individuals are diagnosed in the late stage of the disease and are prescribed a wide variety of treatment options. Current treatment options are primarily a combination of surgery and chemotherapy as well as a new but promising treatment involving immunotherapy. Nevertheless, contemporary therapeutic modalities exhibit a discernible lag in advancement when compared with the strides achieved in recent years in the context of other malignancies. Moreover, many surgery and chemotherapy options have a high risk for recurrence due to the late-stage diagnosis. Therefore, there is a necessity to further treatment options. There have been many new advancements in the field of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy has been approved for 16 various types of cancers and has shown significant treatment potential in many other cancers as well. Researchers have also found many promising outlooks for immunotherapy as a treatment for ovarian cancer. This review summarizes many of the new advancements in immunotherapy treatment options and could potentially offer valuable insights to gynecologists aimed at enhancing the efficacy of their treatment approaches for patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

A holistic approach to prostate cancer treatment: natural products as enhancers to a medically minded approach.

Prostate cancer (PC) has historically been the most diagnosed cancer in men. Though treatment for prostate cancer is often effective, it is also often very taxing on the body and commonly has negative quality of life implications. One such example is androgen suppression therapy (AST), which has severe side effects that can be mitigated through physical activity. Natural agents and protocols are increasingly studied for their merit against cancer and for their potential to treat cancer in ways that preserve the quality of life. Many agents and lifestyle choices have been shown to have success against prostate cancer. There is promising evidence that simple treatments such as green tea, pomegranate, and a regular exercise routine can be effective against prostate cancer. These treatments have the potential to enhance current treatment protocols. In this review, we will discuss the viability of many natural agents as treatments for prostate cancer and its complications.

Cognitive Functions in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome with Emphasis on Executive Functions and Decision-Making.

BACKGROUND: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have cognitive dysfunction in many aspects, however, these patients' decision-making function remains unclear. In this study, the Game of Dice Task (GDT) was used to investigate the function of decision making in patients with OSAS. METHODS: 30 participants with moderate to severe OSAS and 27 participants with no or mild OSAS diagnosed by sleep breathing monitor were selected from June 2021 to March 2022. Risky decision making was tested through the GDT with known risk probability. General demographic information and background cognitive functions, such as the overall cognitive functioning and executive functioning, were tested to establish baseline data. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in gender, age, and years of education between the two groups. During the GDT, the moderate to severe OSAS group opted for the safety option at a statistically significant lower rate when compared to the no or mild OSAS group (7.53 ± 4.43 vs. 10.26 ± 4.26, p = 0.022). The moderate to severe OSAS group utilized the higher risk option than the group with no or mild OSAS (10.47 ± 4.43 vs. 7.74 ± 4.26, p = 0.022). The utilization rate of negative feedback in the moderate and severe OSAS group was lower than that in the no or mild OSAS group (7.50, 52.50 vs. 28.57, 100.00, p = 0.001). At the end of the GDT, the moderate and severe OSAS group was more likely to have negative total assets than the patients with no or mild OSAS (-1846.67 ± 2587.20 vs. 300.00 ± 1509.97, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis shows that there is a negative correlation between the selection of risk options and negative feedback utilization in the GDT. CONCLUSION: Patients with moderate and severe OSAS displayed impaired decision-making throughout the study. Impaired decision-making is related to executive processes and may be caused by diminished prefrontal cortex functioning. However, the functions of memory, attention, language, abstraction, and orientation are relatively retained.

Artichoke as a melanoma growth inhibitor.

Melanoma is the most lethal malignancy in skin cancers. About 97,610 new cases of melanoma are projected to occur in the United States (US) in 2023. Artichoke is a very popular plant widely consumed in the US due to its nutrition. In recent years, it has been shown that artichoke shows powerful anti-cancer effects on cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, and leukemia. However, there is little known about its effect on melanoma. This study was designed to investigate if artichoke extract (AE) has any direct effect on the growth of melanoma. Clonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation, and caspase-3 activity kits were used to evaluate the effects AE has on cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis of the widely studied melanoma cell line HTB-72. We further investigated the possible molecular mechanisms using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The percentage of colonies of HTB-72 melanoma cells decreased significantly after treated with AE. This was paralleled with the decrease in the optic density (OD) value of cancer cells after treatment with AE. This was further supported by the decreased expression of PCNA mRNA after treated with AE. Furthermore, the cellular caspase-3 activity increased after treated with AE. The anti-proliferative effect of AE on melanoma cells correlated with increased p21, p27, and decreased CDK4. The pro-apoptotic effect of AE on melanoma cells correlated with decreased survivin. Artichoke inhibits growth of melanoma by inhibition of proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. Such a study might be helpful to develop a new promising treatment for melanoma.

Olive: A Potential Suppressor for Cervical Cancer by Upregulation of P21.

Background Cervical cancer is the second deadliest for women between the ages of 20 and 39 years. Even with prevention tactics for screening, incident rates and mortality of cervical cancer remain high. Olive has been shown to have many beneficial effects in humans concerning cardiovascular disease and inflammation. Despite these promising benefits, little is known about its effect on cervical cancer. This study examined the effects and mechanism of effects of olive extract (OE) on the HeLa cervical cancer cell line. Methodology We utilized clonogenic survival assay, quick cell proliferation assay, and caspase-3 activity to investigate the effect of OE on the proliferation and apoptosis of the cervical cancer cell line HeLa. To investigate the mechanisms behind these findings, Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were performed. Results OE inhibited the growth and proliferation of HeLa cells. In comparison to the control, the percentage of colonies, as well as the optical density of the cervical cancer cells, was found to be decreased. In addition, the relative activity of caspase-3, a marker for apoptosis, was increased after treatment with OE. The anti-proliferative effect of OE on HeLa cells correlated with the increase of an anti-proliferative molecule p21. However, the pro-apoptotic effect of OE was not correlated with the change in major pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic molecules examined in this study. Conclusions Our study suggests that OE inhibits the growth of HeLa cervical cancer cells by upregulation of p21. Further investigation of the effects of OE on cervical cancer and other cancers is warranted by these results.

Photodynamic Therapy, Probiotics, Acetic Acid, and Essential Oil in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds Infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

As a prevalent medical problem that burdens millions of patients across the world, chronic wounds pose a challenge to the healthcare system. These wounds, often existing as a comorbidity, are vulnerable to infections. Consequently, infections hinder the healing process and complicate clinical management and treatment. While antibiotic drugs remain a popular treatment for infected chronic wounds, the recent rise of antibiotic-resistant strains has hastened the need for alternative treatments. Future impacts of chronic wounds are likely to increase with aging populations and growing obesity rates. With the need for more effective novel treatments, promising research into various wound therapies has seen an increased demand. This review summarizes photodynamic therapy, probiotics, acetic acid, and essential oil studies as developing antibiotic-free treatments for chronic wounds infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Clinicians may find this review informative by gaining a better understanding of the state of current research into various antibiotic-free treatments. Furthermore. this review provides clinical significance, as clinicians may seek to implement photodynamic therapy, probiotics, acetic acid, or essential oils into their own practice.

Say 'No' to Cancer and 'Yes' to Cranberry: The Role of Cranberry Extract in Inhibition of Growth of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality due to cancer death. Treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still challenging. Cranberries contain many rich bioactive components that may help fight cancer. The action of cranberry against some cancer types has been reported, however, its role in lung cancer has only been investigated in large-cell lung cancer. In this study, we expanded current research on the role of cranberry in LUAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A549 LUAD cancer cells were treated with commercial cranberry extract (CE). Proliferation of A549 cells was measured with a clonogenic survival assay and quick proliferation assay. Caspase-3 activity was used to evaluate apoptosis of A549 cells. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was conducted to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms involved in the action of CE. RESULTS: Treatment of LUAD with CE reduced the percentage of A549 colonies. This was consistent with the decrease in the optic density of cancer cells after treatment with CE. Caspase-3 activity increased after treatment with CE. The anti-proliferative effect of CE on A549 cells correlated with reduced expression of pro-proliferation molecules cyclin E, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and CDK4. The pro-apoptotic effect of CE on A549 cells correlated with the reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic molecule caspase 8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (FLIP). CONCLUSION: CE had an inhibitory effect on the growth of LUAD cells by modulation of both pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic molecules. Our research hopes to guide future treatment options for LUAD.

The past, present, and future of immunotherapy for endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Incidences of endometrial adenocarcinoma are increasing in the USA with poor prognosis for patients with advanced disease. The current treatment standard is surgery including total hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy with surgical staging and adjunct treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation. However, these methods do not present as an effective treatment option for poorly differentiated advanced cancers. Advancements in immunotherapy now offer a new approach for various types of cancer and specifically show promise in the treatment of endometrial adenocarcinoma. This review summarizes immunotherapeutic treatment options relevant to endometrial adenocarcinoma, such as immune checkpoint blockades, bispecific T-cell engager antibodies, vaccinations, and adoptive cell transfer. This study could be helpful for clinicians to identify treatment options more suitable for women with late-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma.

IL-32 and its paradoxical role in neoplasia.

Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is an interleukin cytokine usually linked to inflammation. In recent years, it has been found that IL-32 exhibits both pro- and anti-tumor effects. Although most of those effects from IL-32 appear to favor tumor growth, some isoforms have shown to favor tumor suppression. This suggests that the role of IL-32 in neoplasia is very complex. Thus, the role of IL-32 in these various cancers and protein pathways makes it a very crucial component to consider when looking at potential therapeutic options in tumor treatment. In this review, we will explore what is currently known about IL-32, including its relationship with tumorigenesis and the potential for IL-32 to enhance local and systemic anti-tumor immune responses. Such a study might be helpful to accelerate the development of IL-32-based immunotherapies.

The Novel Use of IL-28 as an Effective Radiosensitizer in Pancreatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pancreatic cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer in the world, yet the five-year survival outcome rate of less than 5% urges for improvement in medical interventions of pancreatic cancer. Currently, high dose radiation therapy (RT) is used as an adjuvant treatment; however, the high level of RT required to treat advanced neoplasms leads to high incidence rates of side effects. In recent years, the utilization of cytokines as radiosensitizing agents has been studied, in order to reduce the amount of radiation required. However, few studies have examined IL-28 regarding its potential as a radiosensitizer. This study is the first to utilize IL-28 as a radiosensitizing agent in pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiaPaCa-2, a widely used pancreatic cancer cell line was used in this study. Clonogenic survival and cell proliferation assays were used to evaluate growth and proliferation of MiaPaCa-2 cells. Caspase-3 activity assay was used to evaluate apoptosis of MiaPaCa-2 cells and RT-PCR was used to study the possible molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: Our results showed that IL-28/RT enhanced RT-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of MiaPaCa-2 cells. Furthermore, compared to RT alone, we found that IL-28/RT up-regulated the mRNA expression of TRAILR1 and P21, while down-regulating mRNA expression of P18 and survivin in MiaPaCa-2 cells. CONCLUSION: IL-28 has the potential to be used as a radiosensitizer for pancreatic cancer and warrants further investigation.

The past, present, and future of immunotherapy for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is prevalent worldwide, with various factors influencing the survival rate of late-stage metastatic cases. Current standard treatments include surgical removal, adjuvant chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Novel immunotherapy research shows promising results for various cancer types, including colorectal cancer. Current immunotherapy options are limited to specific molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer, while the remaining are limited to standard protocol. This review article summarizes approved, developing, and potential sources for novel colorectal cancer immunotherapy treatment through active-specific, checkpoint inhibitor, cytokine, cytotoxic, and adoptive T-cell immunotherapy. Such a study would be beneficial to patients with colorectal cancer.

Hypoimmunogenic human pluripotent stem cells are valid cell sources for cell therapeutics with normal self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacity.

Hypoimmunogenic human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are expected to serve as an unlimited cell source for generating universally compatible "off-the-shelf" cell grafts. However, whether the engineered hypoimmunogenic hPSCs still preserve their advantages of unlimited self-renewal and multilineage differentiation to yield functional tissue cells remains unclear. Here, we systematically studied the self-renewal and differentiation potency of three types of hypoimmunogenic hPSCs, established through the biallelic lesion of B2M gene to remove all surface expression of classical and nonclassical HLA class I molecules (B2Mnull), biallelic homologous recombination of nonclassical HLA-G1 to the B2M loci to knockout B2M while expressing membrane-bound ß2m-HLA-G1 fusion proteins (B2MmHLAG), and ectopic expression of soluble and secreted ß2m-HLA-G5 fusion proteins in B2MmHLAG hPSCs (B2Mm/sHLAG) in the most widely used WA09 human embryonic stem cells. Our results showed that hypoimmunogenic hPSCs with variable expression patterns of HLA molecules and immune compromising spectrums retained their normal self-renewal capacity and three-germ-layer differentiation potency. More importantly, as exemplified by neurons, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, hypoimmunogenic hPSC-derived tissue cells were fully functional as of their morphology, electrophysiological properties, macromolecule transportation and metabolic regulation. Our findings thus indicate that engineered hypoimmunogenic hPSCs hold great promise of serving as an unlimited universal cell source for cell therapeutics.

CTHRC1 Is Associated With Immune Escape and Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) promotes tumor progression by regulating the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment. However, the function of CTHRC1 in gastric cancer (GC) and its relationship with tumor-infiltrating immune cells remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The difference in expression of CTHRC1 in GC and adjacent non-tumor tissues was analyzed by R software and verified by the online database Oncomine. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was selected for evaluating the impact of CTHRC1 expression on the survival of GC and verified by the Kaplan-Meier plotter. The relationship between CTHRC1 expression and clinicopathological parameters was assessed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. The correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells was analyzed by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to screen the signaling pathways between low and high CTHRC1 expression datasets. RESULTS: The expression of CTHRC1 in GC tissue was higher than that in adjacent non-tumor tissues. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with higher CTHRC1 expression had a worse prognosis. The univariate and multivariate Cox analyses showed that high expression of CTHRC1 was an important independent predictor of poor overall survival in GC. The TIMER database analysis revealed that CTHRC1 was associated with five tumor immunosuppressive cells in GC. The GSEA indicated that 10 signaling pathways were enriched in samples with a high CTHRC1 expression phenotype. CONCLUSION: CTHRC1 might be a new prognostic biomarker for CG and might be a potential target for treatment of GC.

The past, present, and future of immunotherapy for bladder tumors.

Bladder cancer is a prominent cancer worldwide with a relatively low survival rate for patients with increased stage and metastasis. Current treatments are based on surgical removal, bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Immunotherapy, and platinum-based chemotherapy. However, treatment resistance due to genetic instability of bladder tumors, as well as intolerance to treatment adverse effects leads to the necessity to further treatment options. New advancements in immunotherapy are on the rise for treatment of various cancers and specifically has shown promise in the treatment of bladder cancer. This review summarizes these new advancements in treatment options involving cytokines and cytokine blockade. Such a study might be helpful for urologists to manage patients with bladder cancer more effectively.

Immunotherapy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Current Agents and Potential Molecular Targets.

From radiation therapy and surgery to chemotherapy and targeted therapy, the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has remarkably evolved over the past few decades. In recent years, immunotherapy has become an increasingly attractive area of interest in the treatment of NSCLC, especially those in advanced stages. Cytokine and immune checkpoint inhibitors are among the most studied immunotherapies for many cancer types. Herein, we provide an overview of current popular cytokine and checkpoint inhibitor treatment regimens available for patients with NSCLC. Ongoing clinic trials and novel molecular targets that are discussed here could lead to promising new treatment options for NSCLC. The evidence summarized in this review might be helpful for clinicians to better manage patients with NSCLC.

Mangosteen Inhibits Growth and Survival of Cervical Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. Late-stage cervical cancer treatment has been largely unsuccessful, and urgent anti-cancer therapy is needed. Mangosteen, a tropical fruit, has been studied and found to be rich in xanthones, known anti-cancer compounds. This study was designed to investigate the effect of mangosteen extract (ME) on SiHa cervical cancer cells and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clonogenic survival assay, Quick Cell Proliferation Assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and caspase-3 activity kits were used to investigate the in vitro role of ME treatment in SiHa cervical cancer cell growth. We further investigated the possible molecular mechanisms using RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was done with unpaired two-tailed Student's t-test and significance at p-value <0.05; each experiment was repeated three times. RESULTS: Our study found that the growth and proliferation of SiHa cervical cancer cells was inhibited by ME. ME also induced apoptosis in SiHa cervical cancer cells. The anti-proliferative effect of ME on cervical cancer cells was associated with statistically significant (p<0.05) down-regulation of the pro-proliferative molecules cyclin B, cyclin D and cyclin E. The pro-apoptotic effect of ME was associated with statistically significant (p<0.05) down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic molecules flice-like inhibitory protein (FLIP) and survivin. CONCLUSION: ME impedes the growth and survival of SiHa cervical cancer cells by down-regulating cyclin B, cyclin D, cyclin E as well as FLIP and survivin. ME may be a promising strategy for targeted cancer immunotherapy development.