Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death. Most cases of CRC are detected in Western countries, with its incidence increasing year by year. The probability of suffering from colorectal cancer is about 4%–5% and the risk for developing CRC is associated with personal features or habits such as age, chronic disease history and lifestyle. In this context, the gut microbiota has a relevant role, and dysbiosis situations can induce colonic carcinogenesis through a chronic inflammation mechanism. Some of the bacteria responsible for this multiphase process include Fusobacterium spp, Bacteroides fragilis and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. CRC is caused by mutations that target oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes and genes related to DNA repair mechanisms. Depending on the origin of the mutation, colorectal carcinomas can be classified as sporadic (70%); inherited (5%) and familial (25%). The pathogenic mechanisms leading to this situation can be included in three types, namely chromosomal instability (CIN), microsatellite instability (MSI) and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). Within these types of CRC, common mutations, chromosomal changes and translocations have been reported to affect important pathways (WNT, MAPK/PI3K, TGF-β, TP53), and mutations; in particular, genes such as c-MYC, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, PTEN, SMAD2 and SMAD4 can be used as predictive markers for patient outcome. In addition to gene mutations, alterations in ncRNAs, such as lncRNA or miRNA, can also contribute to different steps of the carcinogenesis process and have a predictive value when used as biomarkers. In consequence, different panels of genes and mRNA are being developed to improve prognosis and treatment selection. The choice of first-line treatment in CRC follows a multimodal approach based on tumour-related characteristics and usually comprises surgical resection followed by chemotherapy combined with monoclonal antibodies or proteins against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth receptor (EGFR). Besides traditional chemotherapy, alternative therapies (such as agarose tumour macrobeads, anti-inflammatory drugs, probiotics, and gold-based drugs) are currently being studied to increase treatment effectiveness and reduce side effects.

/pdf/colorectal-carcinoma-a-general-overview-and-future-2e96vugrtz.pdf

Colorectal Carcinoma: A General Overview and Future Perspectives in Colorectal Cancer

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Despite the significant development of methods of cancer healing during the past decades, chemotherapy still remains the main method for cancer treatment. Depending on the mechanism of action, commonly used chemotherapeutic agents can be divided into several classes (antimetabolites, alkylating agents, mitotic spindle inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, and others). Multidrug resistance (MDR) is responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients receiving traditional chemotherapeutics or novel targeted drugs. The mechanisms of MDR include elevated metabolism of xenobiotics, enhanced efflux of drugs, growth factors, increased DNA repair capacity, and genetic factors (gene mutations, amplifications, and epigenetic alterations). Rapidly increasing numbers of biomedical studies are focused on designing chemotherapeutics that are able to evade or reverse MDR. The aim of this review is not only to demonstrate the latest data on the mechanisms of cellular resistance to anticancer agents currently used in clinical treatment but also to present the mechanisms of action of novel potential antitumor drugs which have been designed to overcome these resistance mechanisms. Better understanding of the mechanisms of MDR and targets of novel chemotherapy agents should provide guidance for future research concerning new effective strategies in cancer treatment.

Mechanisms of Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy.

Owing to their tunable properties, controllable degradation, and ability to protect labile drugs, hydrogels are increasingly investigated as local drug delivery systems. However, a lack of standardized methodologies used to characterize and evaluate drug release poses significant difficulties when comparing findings from different investigations, preventing an accurate assessment of systems. Here, we review the commonly used analytical techniques for drug detection and quantification from hydrogel delivery systems. The experimental conditions of drug release in saline solutions and their impact are discussed, along with the main mathematical and statistical approaches to characterize drug release profiles. We also review methods to determine drug diffusion coefficients and in vitro and in vivo models used to assess drug release and efficacy with the goal to provide guidelines and harmonized practices when investigating novel hydrogel drug delivery systems.

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/12/12/1188/pdf

Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Systems: A Review of Current Characterization and Evaluation Techniques.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2022.08.022

New opportunities and challenges of natural products research: When target identification meets single-cell multiomics

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently occurring malignancy tumors with a high morbidity additionally, CRC patients may develop liver metastasis, which is the major cause of death. Despite significant advances in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the survival rate of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) patients remains very low. CRLM, as a complex cascade reaction process involving multiple factors and procedures, has complex and diverse molecular mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms/pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment of CRLM. We also focus on an overview of the recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of CRLM with a special emphasis on tumor microenvironment and promise of newer targeted therapies for CRLM, further improving the prognosis of CRLM patients. 

/pdf/colorectal-liver-metastasis-molecular-mechanism-and-3dz2ua1r.pdf

Colorectal liver metastasis: molecular mechanism and interventional therapy

Objectives
microRNAs (miRNAs), are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, and are involved in tumour development. The aim of this study was to investigate microRNA-497 (miR-497) expression and its role in development of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Materials and methods
RT-PCR was performed to detect expression of miR-497 in CRC cell lines (HCT8, LOVO, Ls-174, HCT116 and HT29) and in clinical cancer specimens. To further understand its role, we restored expression of miR-497 in the HCT116 cell line by transfection with miR-497 mimics or inhibitors. Effects of miR-497 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion of targets were also determined both in vitro and in vivo.

Results
miR-497 expression decreased in 34 CRC tissues compared to non-tumour tissues and in tumour cell lines. Overexpression of miR-497 did not inhibit cancer cell growth but suppressed metastasis and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) was confirmed to be a target of miR-497. Furthermore, we found overexpression of miR-497 altered expression of key molecules of the VEGF-A/ERK/MMP-9 signalling pathway.

Conclusions
Thus our results provide evidence that miR-497 might function as a metastasis suppressor in CRC. Targeting miR-497 may provide a strategy for blocking its metastasis.

/pdf/microrna-497-inhibits-invasion-and-metastasis-of-colorectal-309t25kgzx.pdf

microRNA-497 inhibits invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Background. Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common symptom in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Objective. To determine the clinical efficacy of auricular acupressure therapy on pruritus in hemodialysis patients and to explore possible underlying mechanisms. Methods. Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis at a referral medical center were recruited and assigned to intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 30) groups. The intervention group underwent auricular acupressure treatment three times a week for six weeks. Auricular acupressure was not applied to patients in the control group. However, tape without Vaccaria seeds was applied to the same six auricular acupoints as the intervention group. Pruritus scores were assessed using VAS scores, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to measure levels of other possible contributory biochemical factors. Results. There was a significant difference in mean VAS scores between the postintervention and control groups during follow-up (3.844 ± 1.687 versus 5.567 ± 2.285, F = 22.32, P < 0.0001). Compared to the control group, serum histamine levels in the postintervention group at the six-week follow-up had decreased significantly (F = 5.01, P = 0.0290). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that auricular acupressure may be a useful treatment in the multidisciplinary management of UP in ESRD patients.

/pdf/effect-of-auricular-acupressure-on-uremic-pruritus-in-2b44yv9a3b.pdf

Effect of Auricular Acupressure on Uremic Pruritus in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Despite the status of cisplatin (DDP) as a classical chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, the development of multidrug resistance often leads to a failure of DDP therapy Here we found that phosphorylated cofilin-1 (p-cofilin-1) was overexpressed in the DDP-resistant human gastric cancer cell lines SGC7901/DDP and BGC823/DDP, relative to the respective parent cell lines (SGC7901 and BGC823), and that DDP induced the dephosphorylation of p-cofilin-1 in both parent lines but not in the DDP-resistant lines However, we noted that the traditional Chinese medicine formula Zuo Jin Wan (ZJW) could induce the dephosphorylation of p-cofilin-1 and promote cofilin-1 translocation from the cytoplasm into the mitochondria in both SGC7901/DDP and BGC823/DDP cells This mitochondrial translocation of cofilin-1 was found to induce the conversion of filamentous actin to globular-actin, activate mitochondrial damage and calcium overloading, and induce the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway We further observed that these effects of ZJW on DDP-resistant human gastric cancer cell lines could be reversed via transfection with cofilin-1-specific siRNA, or treatment with a PP1 and PP2A inhibitor These results suggest that ZJW is an effective drug therapy for patients with DDP-resistant gastric cancer

/pdf/the-zuo-jin-wan-formula-induces-mitochondrial-apoptosis-of-3wv7nipyhk.pdf

The Zuo Jin Wan Formula Induces Mitochondrial Apoptosis of Cisplatin-Resistant Gastric Cancer Cells via Cofilin-1.

We report on the fabrication of a multifunctional polymeric prodrug covalently linked with an anticancer drug (bufalin, BUF) and tumor-targeting peptide (RGD) and investigate its anticancer performance against colon cancer in mice. The polymerizable monomer, 3-((2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl) thio)propanoic acid (BSMA), was synthesized first. Atom radical transfer polymerization (ATRP) of BSMA and oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) afforded random copolymers, P(OEGMA-co-BSMA). The polymeric prodrug of BUF, P(OEGMA-co-BUF), was obtained by an esterification reaction between the carboxyl groups of P(OEGMA-co-BSMA) and the hydroxyl group of BUF. Finally, a tumor-targeting polymeric prodrug, P(OEGMA-co-BUF-co-RGD), was obtained via an aminolysis reaction of P(OEGMA-co-BUF) in the presence of RGD and the final drug content was determined to be ∼32.9 wt%. In aqueous media, P(OEGMA-co-BUF-co-RGD) self-assembles into micelles and the hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) of the micelles was determined to be ∼33.0 (±2.5) nm by dynamic laser light scattering (LLS). It was demonstrated that the tumor-targeting polymeric prodrug showed improved anticancer performance both in vitro and in vivo in comparison with that of free BUF.

Esterase-responsive polymeric prodrug-based tumor targeting nanoparticles for improved anti-tumor performance against colon cancer

Increasing the anticancer performance of bufalin (BUF) by introducing an endosome-escaping polymer and tumor-targeting peptide in the design of a polymeric prodrug.

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

Shi Xiaojing

Author Tools

Chat about Author