Modulation of carcinogenesis with selected GRAS nutraceuticals via Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Keap1-Nrf2 is a fundamental signaling cascade known to promote or prevent carcinogenesis. Extensive studies identify the key target of modulatory aspects of Keap1-Nrf2 signaling against cancer. Nutraceuticals are those dietary agents with many health benefits that have immense potential for cancer chemoprevention. The nutritional supplements known as nutraceuticals are found to be one of the most promising chemoprevention agents. Upon investigating the dual nature of Nrf2, it became clear that, in addition to shielding normal cells from numerous stresses, Nrf2 may also promote the growth of tumors. In the present review, we performed a systematic analysis of the role of 12 different nutraceuticals like curcumin, sulforaphane, resveratrol, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from fish oil, lycopene, soybean, kaempferol, allicin, thymoquinone, quercetin, gingerol, and piperine in modulating the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling mechanism. Among these, 12 Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) certified nutraceuticals, sulforaphane is the most extensively studied compound in modulating Keap1-Nrf signaling. Even though there is much evidence at preclinical levels, further high-quality research is still required to validate the potential role of these nutraceuticals in Keap1-Nrf2 modulation.

Lysosome-targeting luminescent lanthanide complexes: from molecular design to bioimaging.

Lysosomes are essential acidic cytoplasmic membrane-bound organelles in human cells that play a critical role in many cellular events. A comprehensive understanding of lysosome-specific imaging can ultimately help us to design robust organelle-targeting therapeutic reagents for various underlying human diseases. Luminescent lanthanide molecular materials serve as an important and upcoming class of probes for cellular imaging applications with unique luminescent photophysical features such as sharp emission profiles from the visible to near-infrared spectral regions, long decay lifetimes, attractive quantum yields, large Stokes shifts, and a low propensity to photobleaching. For the last few years, a wide variety of lysosome-targeting luminescent lanthanide probes have been engineered and utilized for the imaging of hypochlorous acid and nitric oxide at the sub-cellular level and these advances are summarized in this review. The design strategies of lanthanide molecular probes, co-localization detection and lysosomal probity assay methods are briefly highlighted. Finally, the future challenges in the development of lysosome-targeting luminescent lanthanide complexes are outlined and emphasized to inspire the design of a new generation of organelle-targeting metal complexes.