Piperlongumine (PL), a natural alkaloid from Piper longum L., possesses the highly selective and effective anticancer property. However, the effect of PL on ovarian cancer cells is still unknown. In this study, we firstly demonstrate that PL selectively inhibited cell growth of human ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, PL notably induced cell apoptosis, G2/M phase arrest, and accumulation of the intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with antioxidant N-acety-L-cysteine could totally reverse the PL-induced ROS accumulation and cell apoptosis. In addition, low dose of PL/cisplatin or paclitaxel combination therapies had a synergistic antigrowth effect on human ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, our study provides new therapeutic potential of PL on human ovarian cancer.

Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally derived phytoalexin stilbene isolated from grapes and other plants, playing an important role in human health and is well known for its extensive bioactivities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, anticancer. In addition to resveratrol, scientists also pay attention to resveratrol oligomers, derivatives of resveratrol, which are characterized by the polymerization of two to eight, or even more resveratrol units, and are the largest group of oligomeric stilbenes. Resveratrol oligomers have multiple beneficial properties, of which some are superior in activity, stability, and selectivity compared with resveratrol. The complicated structures and diverse biological activities are of significant interest for drug research and development and may provide promising prospects as cancer preventive and therapeutical agents. This review presents an overview on preventive or anticancer properties of resveratrol oligomers.

Background Bone destruction is one of many severe complications that occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and current therapies are unable to cure this manifestation. This study here aims to determine whether GMSC can directly inhibit osteoclast formation and eventually attenuate osteoclastogenesis and bone erosion in an inflammatory milieu. Method GMSC were co-cultured with osteoclast precursors with or without CD39 inhibitor, CD73 inhibitor or adenosine receptors inhibitors pretreatment and osteoclast formation were evaluated in vitro . 2×10^6 GMSC per mouse were transferred to CIA mice and pathology scores, the frequency of osteoclasts, bone erosion in joints were assessed in vivo . Finding GMSC but not control cells, markedly suppressed human or mice osteoclastogenesis in vitro . GMSC treatment also resulted in a dramatically decreased level of NF-κB p65/p50 in osteoclasts in vitro . Infusion of GMSC to CIA significantly attenuated the severity of arthritis, pathology scores, frequency of osteoclasts, particularly bone erosion, as well as a decreased expression of RANKL in synovial tissues in vivo . Blockade of CD39/CD73 or adenosine receptors has significantly abrogated the suppressive ability of GMSC in vitro and therapeutic effect of GMSC on bone erosion during CIA in vivo . Interpretation GMSC inhibit osteoclast formation in vitro and in vivo partially via CD39-CD73-adenosine signals. Manipulation of GMSC may have a therapeutic implication on rheumatoid arthritis and other bone erosion related diseases. Fund This study was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0105801 to F.H); the Zhujiang Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent Team Award of Guangdong Province (2016 ZT 06S 252 to F·H) and National Institutes of Health (R01 AR059103, R61 AR073409 and NIH Star Award to S.G.Z).

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) playing a crucial role in the maintenance of immune tolerance and prevention of autoimmune diseases consist of thymus-derived naturally-occurring CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells (nTreg) and those that can be induced ex vivo with TGF-β (iTreg). Although both Treg subsets share similar phenotypes and functional characteristics, they also have potential biologic differences on their biology. The role of iTreg in regulating B cells remains unclear so far. The suppression assays of Treg subsets on activation, proliferation and antibodies production of B cells were measured using a Treg and B cell co-culture system in vitro. Transwell and antibody blockade experiments were performed to assess the roles of cell contact and soluble cytokines. Treg were adoptively transferred to lupus mice to assess in vivo effects on B cells. Like nTreg, iTreg subset also directly suppressed activation and proliferation of B cells. nTreg subset suppressed B cell responses through cytotoxic manner related to expression of Granzyme A, Granzyme B and Perforin; while the role of iTreg subset on B cells did not involve in cytotoxic action, but depending on TGF-β signaling. Furthermore, iTreg subset can significantly suppress antibody produced by lupus B cells in vitro. Comparison experiments using autoantibodies microarrays demonstrated that adoptive transfer of iTreg had a superior effect than nTreg subset on suppressing lupus B cell responses in vivo. Our data implicate a role and advantage of iTreg subset in treating B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, boosting the translational potential of these findings.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal of woman cancers, and its clinical therapeutic outcome currently is unsatisfied. Dinaciclib, a novel small molecule inhibitor of CDK1, CDK2, CDK5 and CDK9, is assessed in clinical trials for the treatment of several types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects and mechanisms of dinaciclib alone or combined with cisplatin in ovarian cancer. Dinaciclib alone actively induced cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with the increased intracellular ROS levels, which were accompanied by obvious alterations of related proteins such as CDKs, Cyclins, Mcl-1, XIAP and survivin. Pretreatment with N-acety-L-cysteine significantly blocked ROS generation but only partially rescued apoptosis triggered by dinaciclib. Moreover, the combination of dinaciclib with cisplatin synergistically promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and inhibited the subcutaneous xenograft growth of ovarian cancer in nude mice. Altogether, dinaciclib potently synergizes with cisplatin in preclinical models of ovarian cancer, indicating this beneficial combinational therapy may be a promising strategy for treatment of ovarian cancer.

Triptolide and celastrol are two main active compounds isolated from Thunder God Vine with the potent anticancer activity. However, the anticancer effect of triptolide in combination with celastrol is still unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that the combination of triptolide with celastrol synergistically induced cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis with the increased intracellular ROS accumulation in cancer cells. Pretreatment with ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine dramatically blocked the apoptosis induced by co-treatment with triptolide and celastrol. Treatment with celastrol alone led to the decreased expressions of HSP90 client proteins including survivin, AKT, EGFR, which was enhanced by the addition of triptolide. Additionally, the celastrol-induced expression of HSP70 and HSP27 was abrogated by triptolide. In the nude mice with xenograft tumors, the lower-dose combination of triptolide with celastrol significantly inhibited the growth of tumors without obvious toxicity. Overall, triptolide in combination with celastrol showed outstanding synergistic anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that this beneficial combination may offer a promising treatment option for cancer patients.

Highlights d High salt restrains thymic regulatory T cell (tTreg) cell function d High salt does not affect induced Treg (iTreg) cell function d High salt promotes Th17 development via SGK1

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with one of the worst prognoses. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are emerging as an important regulator of gene expression and function, leading to the development of cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between lncRNA and HCC and to further guide clinical therapy. lncRNA in HCC and adjacent tissues were screened, and the correlation between lncRNA‐PDPK2P expression in liver tissues and the pathological characteristics and severity of HCC was assessed. The effects of PDPK2P on HCC proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and invasion were also systematically investigated via CCK‐8 assay, flow cytometry, scratch wound healing, and transwell assay, respectively. The relationship between PDPK2P and PDK1 was verified by RNA pull‐down, rescue experiments and western blot. lncRNA‐PDPK2P was highly expressed in HCC tissues with a distinct positive correlation between PDPK2P and PDK1, and the upregulation was clinically associated with a larger tumor embolus, low differentiation, and poor survival. Mechanistically, lncRNA‐PDPK2P interacted with PDK1 and promoted HCC progression through the PDK1/AKT/caspase 3 signaling pathway. lncRNA‐PDPK2P can promote HCC progression, suggesting it may be a clinically valuable biomarker and serve as a molecular target for the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.