Exploring the Potential of Terpenoids as a Possible Treatment for Cancer: Structure-Activity Relationship and Mechanistic Studies.

Cancer stands as a significant global health challenge due to its mortality rates and the complexities involved in its treatment. Addressing issues, such as metastasis, recurrence, chemoresistance, and treatment-related toxicity, remains pivotal in cancer therapy advancement. Therefore, exploration of novel therapeutic agents has emerged as a priority. As the risk of cancer continues to rise, effective measures must be taken to combat it. One promising approach is to explore natural remedies, such as terpenoids, which have demonstrated anticancer activity. Utilizing terpenoids could aid in the development of potent compounds to fight cancer. By studying the structural makeup of various terpenoid derivatives from previous research, we can identify which structural groups are essential for their anticancer activity. This understanding of the structure-activity relationship is crucial for developing new, effective anticancer agents based on terpenoids. Terpenoids, a diverse class of plant-derived secondary metabolites composed of multiple isoprene units, have garnered attention for their potential anticancer and pharmacological qualities. Some terpenoids exhibit notable anticancer effects by concentrating on several stages of cancer development. They show promise in blocking the initiation of early carcinogenesis by the induction of cell cycle arrest, the inhibition of cancer cell differentiation, and the induction of apoptosis. This study delves into the investigation of specific terpenoids showcasing promising anticancer activity against prevalent malignancies, including breast, colon, ovarian, and lung cancers. The study also explores the relationship between the structure and activity of these compounds, which sheds light on how effective they are against a variety of cancer cell types. The comprehensive discussion centres on elucidating terpenoids with substantial potential for combating diverse cancer types, offering insights into their structural features and promising anticancer mechanisms.

An insight into recent updates on analytical techniques for bioactive alkaloids.

INTRODUCTION: Alkaloids represent a wide class of naturally existing nitrogen-containing organic compounds having diverse biological activities. They are primary bioactive substances extracted from diverse plant parts. Due to their diverse biological activities, they are frequently used as medicines. The alkaloids have diverse pharmacological impacts on the human body; alkaloids are used for prevention, treatment, and reduction of discomfort associated with chronic illnesses. As most alkaloids exist in plants in complex form, combined with numerous other natural plant components, it is essential to recognize and characterize these molecules using different analytical techniques. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to review the literature on the methods and protocols for the analysis of naturally occurring alkaloids. METHODS: We carried out a literature survey using the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and other relevant published materials. The keywords used in the searches were "alkaloids," "analytical methods," "HPLC method," "GC method," "electrochemical methods," and "bioanalytical methods," in various combinations. RESULTS: In this article, several classes of alkaloids are presented, along with their biological activities. Moreover, it includes a thorough explanation of chromatographic techniques, hyphenated techniques, electrochemical techniques, and current trending analytical methods utilized for the isolation, identification, and comprehensive characterization of alkaloids. CONCLUSIONS: The various analytical techniques play an important role in the identification as well as the characterization of various alkaloids from plants, plasma samples, and urine samples. The hyphenation of various chromatographic techniques with mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy plays a crucial role in the characterization of unknown compounds.

Breaking barriers with tofersen: Enhancing therapeutic opportunities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects adults, characterized by muscle weakness resulting from the specific death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. The pathogenesis of ALS is associated with the accumulation of mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) proteins and neurofilaments in motor neurons, highlighting the critical need for disease-modifying treatments. Current therapies, such as riluzole and edaravone, provide only symptomatic relief. Recently, tofersen gained approval from the US FDA under the brand name Qalsody as the first and only gene therapy for ALS, addressing a significant pathological aspect of the disease. METHODS: We carried out a literature survey using PubMed, Scopus, National Institutes of Health, and Biogen for articles published in the English language concerned with "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis", pathophysiology, current treatment, treatment under clinical trial, and the newly approved drug "tofersen" and its detailed summary. RESULTS: A comprehensive review of the literature on the pathophysiology, available treatment, and newly approved drug for this condition revealed convincing evidence that we are now able to better monitor and treat ALS. CONCLUSIONS: Although treatment of ALS is difficult, the newly approved drug tofersen has emerged as a potential therapy to slow down the progression of ALS by targeting SOD1 mRNA, representing a significant advancement in the treatment of ALS.