From Significance of the study to Public health relevance:
Given that: (i) each year nearly 14 million people are diagnosed with cancer globally, and little more than half of them will die; (ii) cancer deaths globally are expected to be doubled by 2030; (iii) most of the cancer patients die due to metastasis; (iv) cancer treatment causes the highest economic loss compared to all the known causes of death worldwide, there is an urgent need to find: (i) bio-molecules that drive metastatic process; and the the way to prevent their expression; (ii) a way to activate immune system to combat cancer (Cancer immunotherapy); (ii) a cheaper alternative to the existing expensive anticancer drugs; (ii) a side-effect-free natural product-based drug; (iii) increase the therapeutic index of anticancer drugs; and (iv) a way to effectively treat and prevent metastatic progression and relapse of advanced/drug-resistant cancers.
Research findings to Therapeutic opportunity:
The antimalarial drug Artemisinin, discovered by Chinese chemist Tu Youyu, for which she won Noble prize in 2015, has also been shown to function as an anti-cancer agent. However, the detailed mechanistic insights is yet to emerge.
A number of studies suggests that Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of Artemisinin, inhibits tumor cell proliferation. However, the mechanism of action is far from clear.
This study suggests that Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), by regulating the expression of its target genes, it may increase the expression of metastasis/tumor suppressors BTG2 and INK4a (fig. 1).
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Fig1. Mechanistic insights into how Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) functions as an anti-metastasis agent. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) increases the expression of metastasis suppressors BTG2 and INK4a via down regulation of its target genes.
Thereby, it may: (a) inhibit cell cycle progression; and (d) suppress migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Thus, pharmacological formulations encompassing “Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) or its analogs, either alone or in combination with other anticancer drugs” may be used to inhibit the progression of invasive tumors.
Details of the research findings:
Idea Proposed/Formulated (with experimental evidence) by:
Dr L Boominathan Ph.D.
Amount: $2
Undisclosed mechanistic information: How Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) increases the expression of metastasis/tumor suppressors BTG2 and INK4a
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References:
Citation: Boominathan, L., Natural product-derived therapy for Metastatic cancers: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of Artemisinin isolated from Artemisia Annua L, increases the expression of metastasis/tumor suppressors BTG2 and INK4a, inhibits cell cycle progression, and suppresses migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells via up regulation of its target gene, 5/July/2017, 1.00 am, Genome-2-Bio-Medicine Discovery center (GBMD), http://genomediscovery.org
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