Homeobox (HOX) transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) is a long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) that is significantly overexpressed in breast and hepatocellular cancers. It remains unclear, however, whether HOTAIR plays an oncogenic role in human laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). We therefore investigated the expression and functional role of HOTAIR in LSCC. HOTAIR levels were significantly higher in LSCC than in corresponding adjacent non-neoplastic tissues, and patients with poor histological grade or advanced clinical stage had higher HOTAIR expression. Log-rank test showed a significant association between high levels of HOTAIR and poor prognosis in LSCC patients. Multivariate Cox analysis suggested that HOTAIR is an independent prognostic factor of LSCC. siRNA-mediated knockdown of HOTAIR led to reduced invasion and increased apoptosis of Hep-2 cells in vitro and significantly reduced growth of LSCC xenograft tumors in mice. Moreover, PTEN methylation was significantly reduced in Hep-2 cells depleted of HOTAIR. Taken together, these results suggest that the oncogenic role of HOTAIR in LSCC is related to promotion of PTEN methylation. HOTAIR could serve as a marker for LSCC prognosis and a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Long intergenic noncoding RNA HOTAIR is overexpressed and regulates PTEN methylation in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

The current mode of treatment based on synthetic drugs is expensive and also causes genetic and meta- bolic alterations. However, safe and sound mode of treatment is needed to control the diseases development and progression. In this regards, medicinal plant and its constituents play an important role in diseases management via modulation of biological activities. Ginger, the rhizome of the Zingiber officinale , has shown therapeutic role in the health management since ancient time and considered as potential chemopreventive agent. Numerous studies based on clinical trials and animal model has shown that ginger and its constituents shows significant role in the prevention of diseases via modulation of genetic and metabolic activities. In this review, we focused on the thera- peutics effects of ginger and its constituents in the diseases management, and its impact on genetic and metabolic activities.

http://www.ijppp.org/files/ijppp0000143.pdf

Active ingredients of ginger as potential candidates in the prevention and treatment of diseases via modulation of biological activities.

EMT in cervical cancer: Its role in tumour progression and response to therapy

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide, with concepts and knowledge about its prevention and treatment evolving rapidly. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a major factor that leads to cervical cancer, although HPV infection alone cannot cause the disease. In fact, HPV-driven cancer is a small probability event because most infections are transient and could be cleared spontaneously by host immune system. With persistent HPV infection, decades are required for progression to cervical cancer. Therefore, this long time window provides golden opportunity for clinical intervention, and the fundament here is to elucidate the carcinogenic pattern and applicable targets during HPV-host interaction. In this review, we discuss the key factors that contribute to the persistence of HPV and cervical carcinogenesis, emerging new concepts and technologies for cancer interventions, and more urgently, how these concepts and technologies might lead to clinical precision medicine which could provide prediction, prevention, and early treatment for patients.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cam4.1501

The precision prevention and therapy of HPV-related cervical cancer: new concepts and clinical implications.

The current mode of treatment of various diseases based on synthetic drugs is expensive, alters genetic and metabolic pathways and also shows adverse side effects. Thus, safe and effective approach is needed to prevent the diseases development and progression. In this vista, Natural products are good remedy in the treatment/management of diseases and they are affordable and effective without any adverse effects. Dates are main fruit in the Arabian Peninsula and are considered to be one of the most significant commercial crops and also have been documented in Holy Quran and modern scientific literatures. Earlier studies have shown that constituents of dates act as potent antioxidant, anti-tumour as well as anti-inflammatory, provide a suitable alternative therapy in various diseases cure. In this review, dates fruits has medicinal value are summarized in terms of therapeutic implications in the diseases control through anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and ant-diabetic effect.

Therapeutic effects of date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) in the prevention of diseases via modulation of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumour activity

PTEN, a tumor-suppressor gene located on chromosome 10q23.3 is implicated in multiple tumors including cervical carcinoma. We examined 135 cervical cancer specimens for PTEN gene expression and promoter methylation using methylation-specific PCR and immunohistochemistry and also studied the mutation in PTEN gene through PCR-single-stranded conformational polymorphism. PTEN expression and its methylation status were also correlated with clinicopathologic parameters. The results showed an abnormal band on exon 5 and exon 9 of the PTEN gene. In PTEN gene, 61% specimen showed methylation. PTEN methylation was found in 39% cases of stage I, 60% of stage II, and 75% of stages III–IV. The correlation between PTEN methylation and clinical stage was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.003). Nuclear PTEN expression was detected in 84 of 135 (62%) cases of cervical carcinoma, and the remaining 51 of 135 (38%) cases were observed as expressional loss. The loss of PTEN expression was significantly correlated clinical stage (P = 0.001). Loss of PTEN expression was observed in 34 (41%) cases among 83 methylation positive cases, whereas among 52 methylation-negative cases, only 13 (25%) cases were seen as immunostaining negative with the statistically significant value (P = 0.05). Promoter methylation and loss of PTEN expression occur frequently in carcinoma of uterine cervix. Our results suggest that PTEN plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of cervical cancer.

Aberrant promoter methylation and inactivation of PTEN gene in cervical carcinoma from Indian population

Angiogenesis is a fundamental process in tumor growth and metastasis. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as prognostic indicator has been documented in many types of human tumors. However, the mechanisms responsible for angiogenesis in urinary bladder carcinoma patients are not well defined. Certain carcinogens in tobacco cause DNA damage and may produce specific mutations. In order to investigate the relationship between tobacco smoking, altered patterns of VEGF expression and apoptosis, we have analyzed a group of 125 incident patients with transitional cell carcinoma and 100 cases of control with inflammatory lesions of the bladder. We assessed VEGF overexpression by the use of anti- VEGF antibody through immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis by TUNEL Assay. Expression of VEGF and apoptosis was noticed in 43.2% and 52.8% cases respectively. Both VEGF and apoptosis increased with increasing tumor grade. Apoptosis was seen to be significantly higher in both sexes in the age group of ≥ 50 years (p 0.05) and significant association with apoptosis. These data support the hypothesis that certain carcinogens derived from cigarette smoking may induce VEGF mutations and apoptosis which in turn are involved in early steps of bladder carcinogenesis.

Expressional evaluation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein in urinary bladder carcinoma patients exposed to cigarette smoke.

Purpose
The tumor suppressor gene PTEN negatively regulates Akt, a downstream mediator phosphoinositol 3-kinase. Several studies have reported the role of PTEN gene in Akt downregulation and apoptosis induction in different cancers and cell lines. However, the role of loss of PTEN expression in Akt activation and spontaneous apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma clinical specimens is not well established.

PTEN-mediated AKT activation contributes to the reduced apoptosis among Indian oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Definite progress in understanding the etiology of cervical cancer has been achieved, and some types of human papillomavirus have been established as the central cause of cervical cancer worldwide. This study investigates the human papillomavirus infection and its correlation with apoptosis and clinicopathologic characteristics in squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix. Human papillomavirus typing was done by type-specific primers for high-risk human papillomavirus using standard polymerase chain reaction method. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin–dUTP nick end labeling assay. Human papillomavirus infection in tissue biopsy of cervical carcinoma was detected in 131 of 135 (97%) cases. Among the positive cases of human papillomavirus, 123 (94%) cases were human papillomavirus type 16, and five (4%) cases were human papillomavirus type 18. Out of 135 cervical carcinoma cases, 81 (60%) cases showed presence of apoptosis. The phenomenon of apoptosis was seen slightly higher in squamous cell carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma (40% in squamous cell carcinoma and 33% in adenocarcinoma). The human papillomavirus infection in cervical cancer might not play any role in the occurrence of apoptosis.

HPV typing and its relation with apoptosis in cervical carcinoma from Indian population

Background and aimsOral cancer is the second most common cancer in men and accounts for 50%-70% of the total cancer mortality in India. PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene that plays a critical role in...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.5301/JBM.5000030

Ashish K Mandal

Papers

Aberrant promoter methylation and inactivation of PTEN gene in cervical carcinoma from Indian population

Expressional evaluation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein in urinary bladder carcinoma patients exposed to cigarette smoke.

PTEN-mediated AKT activation contributes to the reduced apoptosis among Indian oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

HPV typing and its relation with apoptosis in cervical carcinoma from Indian population

Aberrant promoter methylation of PTEN gene among Indian patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma