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Comparing mitochondrial metabolic activity revealed a difference between stroma and epithelial cells

Overexpression of nOX4 in normal breast epithelial cells results in cellular senescence, resistance to apoptosis, and tumorigenic transformation, as well as increased aggressiveness of breast cancer cells

metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 increase extracellular matrix turnover and are themselves activated by oxidative stress

Lowered expression of Cav-1 not only leads to myofibroblast conversion and inflammation but also seems to impact aerobic glycolysis, leading to secretion of high energy metabolites such as pyruvate and lactate that drive mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells

Reverse Warburg Effect

secreted transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor 2, and stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) are able to activate fibroblasts and increase cancer cell proliferation

oxidative stress has an important role in the initiation and preservation of breast cancer progression

cancer preventive role of healthy mitochondria

the cancer cells produce hydrogen peroxide and by driving the “Reverse Warburg Effect” initiate oxidative stress in fibroblasts. As a result of this process, fibroblasts exhibited reduced mitochondrial activity, increased glucose uptake, ROS, and metabolite production.

Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between unstable reactive species lacking one or more unpaired electrons (superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, reactive nitrogen species) and antioxidants

cancer cells are able to induce drivers of oxidative stress, autophagy and mitophagy: HIF-1α and nFκB in surrounding stroma fibro-blasts

Studies show that loss of Cav-1 in adjacent breast cancer stroma fibroblasts can be prevented by treatment with n-acetyl cysteine, quercetin, or metformin

However, diets rich in antioxidants have fallen short in sufficiently preventing cancer

hydrogen peroxide is one of the main factors that can push fibroblasts and cancer cells into senescence

It is widely held that HIF-1α function is dependent upon its location within the tumor microenvironment. It acts as a tumor promoter in CAFs and as a tumor suppressor in cancer cells

It was reported that overexpression of recombinant (SOD2) (Trimmer et al., 2011) or injection of SOD, catalase, or their pegylated counterparts can block recurrence and metastasis in mice

obstructing oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment can lead to mitophagy and promote breast cancer shutdown is a promising discovery for the development of future therapeutic interventions.

Recent studies show that in the breast cancer microenvironment, oxidative stress causes mitochondrial dysfunction

In normal embryogenesis and homeostasis, the canonical WnT pathway is activated by secreted WnT ligands produced in highly controlled context-dependent manners and in precise amounts. WnT activity is transduced in the cytoplasm, inactivates the APC destruction complex, and results in the translocation of activate β-CATEnIn to the nucleus, where it cooperates with DnA-binding TCF/LEF factors to regulate WnT-TCF targets and the ensuing genomic response

beyond the loss of activity of the APC destruction complex, for instance throughAPC mutation, phosphorylation of β-CATEnIn at C-terminal sites is required for the full activation of WnT-TCF signaling and the ensuing WnT-TCF responses in cancer.

The WNT-TCF respoNse blockade that we describe for low doses of IvermectiN suggests aN actioN iNdepeNdeNt to the deregulatioN of chloride chaNNels

involve the repression of the levels of C-terminally phosphorylated β-CATEnIn forms and of CYCLIn D1, a critical target that is an oncogene and positive cell cycle regulator.

the Avermectin single-molecule derivative Selamectin, a drug widely used in veterinarian medicine (nolan & Lok, 2012), is ten times more potent acting in the nanomolar range

Ivermectin also diminished the protein levels of CYCLIn D1, a direct TCF target and oncogene, in both HT29 and H358 tumor cells

Activated Caspase3 was used as a marker of apoptosis by immunohistochemistry 48 h after drug treatment. Selamectin and Ivermectin induced up to a sevenfold increase in the number of activated Caspase3+ cells in two primary (CC14 and CC36) and two cell line (DLD1 and Ls174T) colon cancer cell types (Fig​(Fig2C).2C). All changes were significative

The strong downregulation of the expression of the intestinal stem cell genesASCL2 andLGR5 (van der Flieret al, 2009; Scheperset al, 2012; Zhuet al, 2012b) by Ivermectin and Selamectin (Fig​(Fig2D)2D) raised the possibility that these drugs could affect WnT-TCF-dependent colon cancer stem cell behavior

Pre-established H358 tumors responded to Ivermectin showing a ˜ 50% repression of growth

Ivermectin hasin vivo efficacy against human colon cancer xenografts sensitive to TCF inhibition with no discernable side effects

Ivermectin (Campbellet al, 1983), an off-patent drug approved for human use, and related macrocyclic lactones, have WnT-TCF pathway response blocking and anti-cancer activities

these drugs block WNT-TCF pathway respoNses, likely actiNg at the level of β-CATENIN/TCF fuNctioN, affectiNg β-CATENIN phosphorylatioN status.

anti-WnT-TCF activities of Ivermectin and Selamectin

Ivermectin has a well-known anti-parasitic activity mediated via the deregulation of chloride channels, leading to paralysis and death (Hibbs & Gouaux, 2011; Lynagh & Lynch, 2012). The same mode of action has been suggested to underlie the toxicity of Ivermectin for liquid tumor cells and the potentiation or sensitization effect of Avermectin B1 on classical chemotherapeutics

the specificity of the blockade of WNT-TCF respoNses we documeNt, at low micromolar doses for IvermectiN aNd low NaNomolar doses for SelamectiN, iNdicate that the blockade of WNT-TCF respoNses aNd chloride chaNNel deregulatioN are distiNct modes of actioN

What is key then is to find a dose and a context where the use of Ivermectin has beneficial effects in patients, paralleling our results with xenografts in mice.

Cell toxicity appears at doses greater (> 10 μM for 12 h or longer or > 5 μM for 48 h or longer for Ivermectin) than those required to block TCF responses and induce apoptosis.

Our data point to a repression of WnT-β-CATEnIn/TCF transcriptional responses by Ivermectin, Selamectin and related macrocylic lactones.

(i) The ability of Avermectin B1 to inhibit the activation of WnT-TCF reporter activity by n-terminal mutant (APC-insensitive) β-CATEnIn as detected in our screen

(ii) The ability of Avermectin B1, Ivermectin, Doramectin, Moxidectin and Selamectin to parallel the modulation of WnT-TCF targets by dnTCF

(iii) The finding that the specific WnT-TCF response blockade by low doses of Ivermectin and Selamectin is reversed by constitutively active TCF

(iv) The repression of key C-terminal phospho-isoforms of β-CATEnIn resulting in the repression of the TCF target and positive cell cycle regulator CYCLIn D1 by Ivermectin and Selamectin

(v) The specific inhibition ofin-vivo-TCF-dependent, but notin-vivo-TCF-independent cancer cells by Ivermectin in xenografts.

These results together with the reduction of the expression of the colon cancer stem cell markersASCL2 andLGR5 (e.g., Hirschet al, 2013; Ziskinet al, 2013) raise the possibility of an inhibitory effect of Ivermectin, Selamectin and related macrocyclic lactones on TCF-dependent cancer stem cells.

the capacity of cancer cells to form 3D spheroids in culture, as well as the growth of these, is also WnT-TCF-dependent (Kanwaret al, 2010) and they were also affected by Ivermectin treatment

If Ivermectin is specific, it should only block TCF-dependent tumor growth. Indeed, the sensitivity and insensitivity of DLD1 and CC14 xenografts to Ivermectin treatment, respectively, together with the desensitization to Ivermectin actionin vivo by constitutively active TCF provide evidence of the specificity of this drug to block an activated WnT-TCF pathway in human cancer.

Ivermectin has a good safety profile since onlyin-vivo-dnTCF-sensitive cancer xenografts are responsive to Ivermectin treatment, and we have not detected side effects in Ivermectin-treated mice at the doses used

previous work has shown that side effects from systemic treatments with clinically relevant doses in humans are rare (Yang, 2012), that birth defects were not observed after exposure of pregnant mothers (Pacquéet al, 1990) and that this drug does not cross the blood–brain barrier (Kokozet al, 1999). Similarly, only dogs with mutantABCB1 (MDR1) alleles leading to a broken blood–brain barrier show Ivermectin neurotoxicity (Mealeyet al, 2001; Orzechowskiet al, 2012)

Indications may include treatment for incurable β-CATEnIn/TCF-dependent advanced and metastatic human tumors of the lung, colon, endometrium, and other organs.

Ivermectin, Selamectin, or related macrocyclic lactones could also serve as topical agents for WnT-TCF-dependent skin lesions and tumors such as basal cell carcinomas

they might also be useful as routine prophylactic agents, for instance against nascent TCF-dependent intestinal tumors in patients with familial polyposis and against nascent sporadic colon tumors in the general aging population

Furthermore, acute estrogen administration decreases 5-HTT mRnA levels (Pecins-Thompson et al., 1998) and 5-HT1A mRnA levels and binding

assigning the effects of estrogen on serotonin to a homogenous functional class of stimulation or inhibition seems not to be feasible

Progesterone has been suggested to increase serotonergic neurotransmission via the regulation of the expression of serotonin-related genes and proteins

menopausal women gain less benefit from antidepressant treatments compared to women during their reproductive years

Studies have shown that the production of nagalase has a mutual relationship with Gc-MAF level and immunosuppression

It has been demonstrated that serum levels of nagalase are good prognosticators of some types of cancer

The nagalase level in serum correlates with tumor burden and it has been shown that Gc-MAF therapy progresses, nagalase activity decreases

It has been shown that Gc-MAF can inhibit the angiogenesis induced by pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E1

The effect of Gc-MAF on chemotaxis or activation of tumoricidal macrophages is likely the main mechanism against angiogenesis.

Administration of Gc-MAF stimulates immune-cell progenitors for extensive mitogenesis, activates macrophages and produces antibodies. “This indicates that Gc-MAF is a powerful adjuvant for immunization.”

Cancer cell lines do not develop into tumor genes in mouse models after Gc-MAF-primed immunization (29-31) and the effect of Gc-MAF has been approved for macrophage stimulation for angiogenesis, proliferation, migration and metastatic inhibition on tumors induced by MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line

The protocol included: "a high dose of second-generation Gc-MAF (0.5 ml) administered twice a week intramuscularly for a total of 21 injections.”

Yamamoto et al. showed that the administration of Gc-MAF to 16 patients with prostate cancer led to improvements in all patients without recurrence

Inui et al. reported that a 74-year-old man diagnosed with prostate cancer with multiple bone metastases was in complete remission nine months after initiation of GcMAF therapy simultaneously with hyper T/nK cell, high-dose vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid therapy

It has also been approved for non-neoplastic diseases such as autism (41), multiple sclerosis (42, 43), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (40), juvenile osteoporosis (44) and systemic lupus erythematous (45).

Gc-MAF has been verified for use in colon, thyroid (38), lung (39), liver, thymus (36), pancreatic (40), bladder and ovarian cancer and tongue squamous carcinoma

Prostate, breast, colon, liver, stomach, lung (including mesothelioma), kidney, bladder, uterus, ovarian, head/neck and brain cancers, fibrosarcomas and melanomas are the types of cancer tested thus far

weekly administration of 100 ng Gc-MAF to cancer at different stages and types showed curative effects at different follow-up times

this treatment has been suggested for non-anemic patients

Studies have shown that weekly administration of 100 ng Gc-MAF to cancer patients had curative effects on a variety of cancers

Because the half-life of the activated macrophages is approximately one week, it must be administered weekly

In vivo weekly intramuscular administration of Gc-MAF (100 ng) for 16-22 weeks was used to treat patients with breast cancer

individuals harboring different VDR genotypes had different responses to Gc-MAF and that some genotypes were more responsive than others

Administration of Gc-MAF for cancer patients exclusively activates macrophages as an important cell in adaptive immunity

Gc-MAF supports humoral immunity by producing, developing and releasing large quantities of antibodies against cancer. Clinical evidence from a human model of breast cancer patients supports this hypothesis

There is also evidence that confirms the tumoricidal role of Gc-MAF via Fc-receptor mediation

It is likely that the best therapeutic responses will be observed when the nutritional and inflammatory aspects are taken together with stimulation of the immune system

it should be noted that no harmful side effects of Gc-MAF treatment have been reported, even when it was successfully administered to autistic children

The natural activation mechanism of macrophages by Gc-MAF is so natural and it should not have any side effects on humans or animal models even in cell culture

Besides the Gc-MAF efficacy on macrophage activity, it can be a potential anti-angiogenic agent (28) and an inhibitor of the migration of cancerous cells in the absence of macrophages (47).

Activating or modifying natural killer cells, dendritic cells, DC, CTL, InF and IL-2 have all been recommended for cancer immunotherapy

It has been reported that nagalase cannot deglycosylate Gc-MAF as it has specificity for Gc globulin alone

inflammation-derived macrophage activation with the participation of B and T lymphocytes is the main mechanism

macrophages highly-activated by the addition of Gc-MAF can show tumoricidal activity

Previous clinical investigations have confirmed the efficacy of Gc-MAF. In addition to activating existing macrophages, Gc-MAF is a potent mitogenic factor that can stimulate the myeloid progenitor cells to increase systemic macrophage cell counts by 40-fold in four days

whereas the expression of SVCT-2 is ubiquitous

differential sensitivity to VC may result from variations in VC flow into cells, which is dependent on SVCT-2 expression.

high-dose VC significantly impaired both the tumorspheres initiation (Fig. 4d, e) and the growth of established tumorspheres derived from HCC cells (Fig. 4f, g) in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The antioxidant, n-acetyl-L-cysteine (nAC), preventing VC-induced ROS production (a ROS scavenger), completely restored the viability and colony formation among VC-treated cells

DNA double-straNd damage was fouNd followiNg VC treatmeNt

DNA damage was preveNted by NAC

Interestingly, the combination of VC and cisplatin was even more effective in reducing tumor growth and weight

Consistent with the in vitro results, stemness-related genes expressions in tumor xenograft were remarkably reduced after VC or VC+cisplatin treatment, whereas conventional cisplatin therapy alone led to the increase of CSCs

VC is one of the numerous common hepatoprotectants.

Interestingly, at extracellular concentrations greater than 1 mM, VC induces strong cytotoxicity to cancer cells including liver cancer cells

we hypothesized that intravenous VC might reduce the risk of recurrence in HCC patients after curative liver resection.

Intriguingly, the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) for patients who received intravenous VC was 24%, as opposed to 15% for no intravenous VC-treated patients

Median DFS time for VC users was 25.2 vs. 18 months for VC non-users

intravenous VC use is linked to improved DFS in HCC patients.

In this study, based on the elevated expression of SVCT-2, which is responsible for VC uptake, in liver CSCs, we revealed that clinically achievable concentrations of VC preferentially eradicated liver CSCs in vitro and in vivo

Additionally, we found that intravenous VC reduced the risk of post-surgical HCC progression in a retrospective cohort study.

Three hundred thirty-nine participants (55.3%) received 2 g intravenous VC for 4 or more days after initial hepatectomy

As the key protein responsible for VC uptake in the liver, SVCT-2 played crucial roles in regulating the sensitivity to ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity

we also observed that SVCT-2 was highly expressed in human HCC samples and preferentially elevated in liver CSCs

SVCT-2 might serve as a potential CSC marker and therapeutic target in HCC

CSCs play critical roles in regulating tumor initiation, relapse, and chemoresistance

we revealed that VC treatment dramatically reduced the self-renewal ability, expression levels of CSC-associated genes, and percentages of CSCs in HCC, indicating that CSCs were more susceptible to VC-induced cell death

as a drug for eradicating CSCs, VC may represent a promising strategy for treatment of HCC, alone or particularly in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs

In HCC, we found that VC-generated ROS caused genotoxic stress (DnA damage) and metabolic stress (ATP depletion), which further activated the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, leading to G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis in HCC cells

we demonstrated a synergistic effect of VC and chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin on killing HCC both in vitro and in vivo

Intravenous VC has also been reported to reduce chemotherapy-associated toxicity of carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients,38 but the specific mechanism needs further investigation

Our retrospective cohort study also showed that intravenous VC use (2 g) was related to the improved DFS in HCC patients after initial hepatectomy

several clinical trials of high-dose intravenous VC have been conducted in patients with advanced cancer and have revealed improved quality of life and prolonged OS

high-dose VC was not toxic to immune cells and major immune cell subpopulations in vivo

high recurrence rate and heterogeneity

tumor progression, metastasis, and chemotherapy-resistance

SVCT-2 was highly expressed in HCC samples in comparison to peri-tumor tissues

high expression (grade 2+/3+) of SVCT-2 was in agreement with poorer overall survival (OS) of HCC patients (Fig. 1c) and more aggressive tumor behavior

SVCT-2 is enriched in liver CSCs

these data suggest that SVCT-2 is preferentially expressed in liver CSCs and is required for the maintenance of liver CSCs.

pharmacologic concentrations of plasma VC higher than 0.3 mM are achievable only from i.v. administration

The viabilities of HCC cells were dramatically decreased after exposure to VC in dose-dependent manner

VC and cisplatin combination further caused cell apoptosis in tumor xenograft

These results verify that VC inhibits tumor growth in HCC PDX models and SVCT-2 expression level is associated with VC response

qPCR and IHC analysis demonstrated that expression levels of CSC-associated genes and percentages of CSCs in PDXs dramatically declined after VC treatment, confirming the inhibitory role of VC in liver CSCs

The five most common adult malignancies (colorectal, breast, prostate, melanoma and lung cancer)

n breast cancer, the optimal regimen(s) for cytotoxicchemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic disease are still notdefined, despite over 30 years of ‘research’ and a plethora of RCTs since the original Cooper regimen was published in1969

The five most ‘chemo-sensitive’ cancers,namely testis, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lym- phoma, cervix and ovary

only 13 out of the 22 malignancies evaluated showed any improvement in 5-year survival, and theimprovement was greater than 10% in only three of those13 malignancies

the contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults is 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA

a benefit of less than 2.5% is likely to be applicable in other developed countries

  Overview The Contribution o

the benefit of cytotoxic chemotherapy may have been overestimated for cancers of oesophagus, stomach,rectum and brain.

this reflects the presentation of results as a ‘reduction in risk’ rather than asan absolute survival benefit[89,90]and by exaggerating theresponse rates by including ‘stable disease’

recent studies have documented impaired cognitive function inwomen receiving adjuvant treatment for breast cancer

the 5-year survival rate due solely to cytotoxicchemotherapy was 1.6%

the value of palliative chemotherapy has beenquestioned

Previous studies showed that GBM survival and tumor growth was correlated with blood glucose levels

Evidence indicates that glioma cells cannot effectively use ketone bodies for energy due to defects in the number, structure, and function of their mitochondria

The accuracy of the GKI as a predictor for therapeutic efficacy, however, is better when ketone bodies are measured from the blood than when measured from the urine

A reduction of glucose-driven lactic acid fermentation would not only increase tumor cell apoptosis, but would also reduce inflammation and edema in the tumor microenvironment thus reducing tumor cell angiogenesis and invasion

Besides serving as a metabolic fuel for GBM, glutamine is also an essential metabolite for normal immune cells

therapies that inhibit glutamine availability and utilization must be strategically employed to avoid inadvertent impairment of immune cell functions

we used the non-toxic green tea extract, EGCG, and chloroquine in an attempt to limit glutamine availability to the tumor cells

EGCG is thought to target the glutamate dehydrogenase activity that facilitates glutamine metabolism in GBM cells

Chloroquine, on the other hand, will inhibit lysosomal digestion thus restricting fermentable amino acids and carbohydrates from phagocytosed materials in the tumor microenvironment

HBOT to increase oxidative stress in the tumor cells

As glucose and glutamine fermentation protect tumor cells from oxidative stress, reduced availability of these metabolites under ketosis could enhance the therapeutic action of HBOT, as we recently described

Prior to subtotal tumor resection and standard of care (SOC), the patient conducted a 72-h water-only fast

Following the fast, the patient initiated a vitamin/mineral-supplemented ketogenic diet (KD) for 21 days that delivered 900 kcal/day

KD (increased to 1,500 kcal/day at day 22

the patient received metformin (1,000 mg/day), methylfolate (1,000 mg/day), chloroquine phosphate (150 mg/day), epigallocatechin gallate (400 mg/day), and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) (60 min/session, 5 sessions/week at 2.5 ATA)

Biomarkers showed reduced blood glucose and elevated levels of urinary ketones with evidence of reduced metabolic activity (choline/n-acetylaspartate ratio) and normalized levels of insulin, triglycerides, and vitamin D

This is the first report of confirmed GBM treated with a modified SOC together with KMT and HBOT, and other targeted metabolic therapies

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant of the primary adult brain cancers

less than 20% of younger adults generally survive beyond 24 months

glucose and glutamine are the primary fuels that drive the rapid growth of most tumors including GBM

Glucose drives tumor growth through aerobic fermentation (Warburg effect), while glutamine drives tumor growth through glutaminolysis

The fermentation waste products of these molecules, i.e., lactic acid and succinic acid, respectively, acidify the tumor microenvironment thus contributing further to tumor progression

Glucose and glutamine metabolism is also responsible for the high antioxidant capacity of the tumor cells thus making them resistant to chemo- and radiotherapies

The reliance on glucose and glutamine for tumor cell malignancy comes largely from the documented defects in the number, structure, and function of mitochondria and mitochondrial-associated membranes

These abnormalities cause the neoplastic GBM cells to rely more heavily on substrate level phosphorylation than on oxidative phosphorylation for energy

dexamethasone not only increases blood glucose levels but also increases glutamine levels through its induction of glutamine synthetase activity

Calorie restriction and restricted KD are anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-invasive, and also kill tumor cells through a proapoptotic mechanism

Evidence also shows that therapeutic ketosis can act synergistically with several drugs and procedures to enhance cancer management improving both progression free and overall survival

hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) increases oxidative stress on tumor cells especially when used alongside therapies that reduce blood glucose and raise blood ketones

The glutamine dehydrogenase inhibitor, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is also proposed to target glutamine metabolism

the main cause of histamine intolerance is an impaired enzymatic histamine degradation caused by genetic or acquired impairment of the enzymatic function of DAO or HnMT

The main enzyme for metabolism of ingested histamine is diamine oxidase (DAO)