Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Puerarin inhibits Benign prostatic hyperplasia through regulating HIF-1α-HIF-1β/ AKT1/AP-1.
Gu M, et al
Researchers investigated whether puerarin, a natural compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, could treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition causing urinary problems in aging men. The study focused on how low-oxygen (hypoxic) conditions in prostate tissue drive abnormal cell growth, new blood vessel formation, and tissue transformation — processes linked to BPH progression — through a molecular signaling chain involving HIF-1α, HIF-1β, AKT1, and AP-1. Using laboratory cell models, mouse models of BPH, and human tissue samples, the researchers found that puerarin significantly reduced cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by suppressing the HIF-1α–HIF-1β/AKT1/AP-1 signaling axis. Critically, blocking HIF-1β completely halted the disease-driving effects of HIF-1α, highlighting the HIF-1α/HIF-1β protein pair as a key therapeutic target. These findings suggest that puerarin, a plant-derived compound with established anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, may offer a new, mechanistically grounded treatment option for patients suffering from BPH.
Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
Source →New insights into prostate cancer progression: a focus on vitamin D signaling.
Friedrich V, et al
A new review published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology examines the mechanisms driving prostate cancer progression, with a particular focus on the role of vitamin D signaling. Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men in Western countries, and while treatments for localized disease are generally effective, advanced forms of the disease frequently develop resistance to therapy and carry poor prognoses. The authors synthesize current knowledge on how prostate cancer progresses, the treatments currently available, and preclinical research approaches being explored. A central finding of the review is that vitamin D signaling plays a potentially important role in tumor development and progression, suggesting it could serve as a target for new therapeutic strategies. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may help identify biomarkers capable of predicting how a patient's tumor will evolve, ultimately enabling more personalized and effective treatment decisions.
The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology
Source →An Artificial Intelligence Optimized Hepatic Differentiation Unveils NR5A2 and AP-1 Transcriptional Regulation in Hepatic Maturation.
Huo Z, et al
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that dramatically improves the process of growing liver cells in the laboratory from human pluripotent stem cells, which are cells capable of becoming virtually any cell type in the body. The AI analyzes phase-contrast microscope images of developing liver precursor cells to predict and guide the differentiation process, eliminating the need for complex staining procedures and achieving an exceptional purity of 90–95% mature hepatocyte-like cells. Using this optimized protocol alongside advanced genomic techniques including single-cell RNA sequencing, the team identified two key molecular regulators—the transcription factors NR5A2 and AP-1—that play pivotal roles in driving the maturation of liver cells. Safety testing confirmed that the modified protocol does not induce genetic mutations or tumor formation, an important milestone for potential clinical applications. These findings could accelerate the development of patient-specific liver cell therapies and more reliable laboratory models for drug testing, offering new hope for the millions of patients worldwide suffering from chronic liver disease.
The Journal of biological chemistry
Source →Klotho-derived peptide preserves erectile function by limiting fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of penile smooth muscle cells in cavernous nerve injured-rats through suppression of the TGF-β1/TGF-β type II receptor signaling.
Xi Y, et al
Researchers investigated whether a peptide derived from the anti-aging protein Klotho could protect erectile function in rats whose cavernous nerves were surgically damaged, mimicking the nerve injury that commonly causes erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. The study found that rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury developed severe erectile dysfunction accompanied by penile tissue changes including reduced smooth muscle, decreased nitric oxide synthase expression, increased fibrosis, oxidative stress, and cell death driven by TGF-β1 signaling. Treatment with the Klotho-derived peptide (KP) significantly reversed these functional and structural changes, restoring erectile responses and healthier penile tissue architecture. At the cellular level, KP suppressed the TGF-β type II receptor, which in turn blocked the pro-fibrotic and pro-apoptotic Smad2/JNK pathway while reactivating the cell-survival PI3K/AKT pathway in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells. These findings are clinically meaningful because neurogenic erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer surgery remains a major quality-of-life problem with limited treatment options, and KP represents a novel, mechanism-based therapeutic candidate targeting the root molecular causes of post-prostatectomy penile damage.
European journal of pharmacology
Source →Manufacturing of PSMA-T4 radiopharmaceutical kit for 99mTc labelling as an investigational medicinal product - considerations regarding compliance with GMP.
Janota B, et al
Researchers developed and validated a radiopharmaceutical kit for producing [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-T4, a new imaging agent designed to detect prostate cancer by targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed in both primary and metastatic prostate tumors. Unlike the more expensive gallium-68-based agents, this technetium-99m-based tracer offers a lower-cost alternative that is compatible with widely available SPECT/CT imaging equipment. The single-vial lyophilized kit was manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions and demonstrated high radiochemical purity, stability, low bioburden, and full compliance with European Pharmacopoeia standards. First-in-human clinical studies confirmed the tracer's safety and high diagnostic accuracy in identifying local recurrences and distant metastases of prostate cancer, enabling better treatment planning. Ongoing phase II/III clinical trials (NCT05847166) are now evaluating its broader diagnostic performance, with the goal of transitioning [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-T4 from an investigational product to a fully approved radiopharmaceutical for routine prostate cancer imaging.
European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences
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