Traditional Chinese medicine for prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: A focus on epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant cancers worldwide. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which endows epithelial cells with mesenchymal properties, plays an important role in the early stages of metastasis. Conventional cancer therapies have promising effects, but issues remain, such as high rates of metastasis and drug resistance. Thus, exploring and evaluating new therapies is an urgent need. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been acknowledged for their multi-target and coordinated intervention effects against HCC. Accumulating evidence indicates that TCM can inhibit the malignancy of cells and the progression of EMT in HCC. However, studies on the effects of TCM on EMT in HCC are scarce. In this review, we summarized recent developments in anti-EMT TCMs and formulae, focusing on their underlying pharmacological mechanisms, to provide a foundation for further research on the exact mechanisms through which TCM affects EMT in HCC.     

Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis successfully treated with Chinese herbal medicine Pi-Yan-Ning: A case report

Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is a rare adverse cutaneous reaction with a low incidence and high mortality. Despite posing a serious threat to patients’ health and lives, there is no high-quality evidence for a standard treatment regimen. Here we report the case of a 62-year-old man with stage IV pancreatic cancer who experienced immunotherapy-induced SJS/TEN. After consensus-based regular treatments at a local hospital, his symptoms became worse. Thus, he consented to receive Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) therapy. The affected parts of the patient were treated with the CHM Pi-Yan-Ning which was applied externally for 20 min twice a day. After 7 days of treatment, the dead skin began peeling away from the former lesions that had covered his hands, feet, and lips, indicating that skin had regenerated. After 12 days of treatment, the patient’s skin was completely recovered. In this case, SJS/TEN was successfully treated with Pi-Yan-Ning, suggesting that there might be tremendous potential for the use of Pi-Yan-Ning in the treatment of severe skin reactions to drug treatments. Further basic investigations and clinical trials to explore the mechanism and efficacy are needed.     

大黄虫丸对小鼠Lewis肺癌CD44、VEGF及转移抑制的影响

目的:通过观察大黄虫丸对小鼠Lewis肺癌细胞黏附因子(CD44)、血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)及转移抑制的影响,初步探讨其抗肿瘤转移的机制。方法:造模后次日先随机分成5组,每组10只。根据预试结果确定高(H)、中(M)、低(S)剂量分别为0.18、0.09、0.045g/ml,以每只0.2ml灌胃10d;空白组小鼠以NS0.2ml灌胃10d;化疗组以50mg/kg CTX于第1d予腹腔给药。第11d处死小鼠,肺玻片压片法观察肺表面的转移灶结节并计数。以免疫组化法检测VEGF的表达;以流式细胞仪测定CD44的活性,初步探讨其抗肿瘤的机制及作用靶点。结果:实验组高(H)、中(M)、低(L)剂量组和化疗组肺自发转移抑制率分别为57.44%、55.32%、38.72%、60.00%。CD44值分别为(0.59±0.86)、(0.21±0.28)、(0.33±0.31)、(1.88±1.36)实验组(M)低于空白组(M)及化疗组(P<0.05)。实验组(M)与空白组比,VEGF阳性表达率明显降低,差异有显著性(P<0.05)。结论:大黄虫丸降低C57BL小鼠Lewis肺癌肺转移发生率,实验组(M)作用明显。实验组...