Historically, natural products have represented a significant source of anticancer agents, with plant-derived drugs becoming increasingly explored. In particular, sanguinarine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid obtained from the root of Sanguinaria canadensis , and from other poppy Fumaria species, with recognized anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Recently, increasing evidence that sanguinarine exibits anticancer potential through its capability of inducing apoptosis and/or antiproliferative effects on tumor cells, has been proved. Moreover, its antitumor seems to be due not only to its pro-apoptotic and inhibitory effects on tumor growth, but also to its antiangiogenic and anti-invasive properties. Although the precise mechanisms underlying the antitumor activity of this compound remain not fully understood, in this review we will focus on the most recent findings about the cellular and molecular pathways affected by sanguinarine, together with the rationale of its potential application in clinic. The complex of data currently available suggest the potential application of sanguinarine as an adjuvant in the therapy of cancer, but further pre-clinical studies are needed before such an antitumor strategy can be effectively translated in the clinical practice.
Sixty-two strains of Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from 30 asymptomatic school children and 32 children with pharyngitis were characterized to analyze the involvement of 2 fibronectin-binding proteins (F/SfbI and PrtF2/PfbpI) in S. pyogenes colonizing asymptomatic carriers and to determine the possible association between these proteins and the genes associated with macrolide resistance. In this study, we demonstrated that the proportion of S. pyogenes strains carrying the pfbpI gene was significantly higher among asymptomatic carriers (80%) than among children with pharyngitis (53%; P<.05). With regard to the proportion of prtF1-positive strains, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups (70% vs. 69%, for asymptomatic carriers and children with pharyngitis, respectively). Another important finding is the significant association between macrolide resistance and protein F/SfbI (P<.001) in both groups. These results suggest that the presence of the pfbpI gene can be linked to the ability of S. pyogenes to persist in the throat of asymptomatic carriers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.