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Cell death resistance is a key feature of tumor cells. One of the main anticancer therapies is increasing the susceptibility of cells to death. Cancer cells have developed a capability of tumor immune escape. Hence, restoring the immunogenicity of cancer cells can be suggested as an effective approach against cancer. Accumulating evidence proposes that several anticancer agents provoke the release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that are determinants of immunogenicity and stimulate immunogenic cell death (ICD). It has been suggested that ICD inducers are two different types according to their various activities. Here, we review the well-characterized DAMPs and focus on the different types of ICD inducers and recent combination therapies that can augment the immunogenicity of cancer cells.

Cancer is uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Nowadays, cancer is considered as a human tragedy and one of the most prevalent diseases in the wide, and its mortality resulting from cancer is being increased. It seems necessary to identify new strategies to prevent and treat such a deadly disease. Control survival and death of cancerous cell are important strategies in the management and therapy of cancer. Anticancer agents should kill the cancerous cell with the minimal side effect on normal cells that is possible through the induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis is known as programmed cell death in both normal and damaged tissues. This process includes some morphologically changes in cells such as rapid condensation and budding of the cell, formation of membrane-enclosed apoptotic bodies with well-preserved organelles. Induction of apoptosis is one of the most important markers of cytotoxic antitumor agents. Some natural compounds including plants induce apoptotic pathways that are blocked in cancer cells through various mechanisms in cancer cells. Multiple surveys reported that people with cancer commonly use herbs or herbal products. Vinca Alkaloids, Texans, podo phyllotoxin, Camptothecins have been clinically used as Plant derived anticancer agents. The present review summarizes the literature published so far regarding herbal medicine used as inducers of apoptosis in cancer.

Due to the widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, we are focusing more on side effects to immunizations that might affect people’s perceptions, and ultimately vaccine hesitancy. Machine learning (ML)-based predictive models using individual-level data serve as robust tools for predicting such events. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate machine learning models that could predict side effects using clinical and demographic characteristics from a public dataset after administering AstraZeneca and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines. The performance of ML models in predicting vaccine side effects varied across doses and types of side effects. For local side effects, SVM and GB excelled after the first dose (AUC = 0.77), while XGB and RF led after the second dose (AUC = 0.87), with SHAP analysis highlighting factors like age, symptom onset day, and vaccine type. Systemic side effects showed strong performance from SVM, GB, and LR for the first dose (AUC ~ 0.75–0.77), and LR and RF for the second dose (AUC = 0.80), influenced by factors such as first-dose effects and symptom duration. For total side effects, SVM, GB, and ANN performed best for the first dose (AUC = 0.82), while RF dominated for the second dose (AUC = 0.85), with SHAP analysis emphasizing symptom onset and prior dose effects. Machine learning models, specifically SVM and RF, have been demonstrated to provide promising and with reasonable accuracy in predicting COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects, including side effects. These predictive tools can support personalized vaccination strategies, enhance monitoring systems, and reduce public hesitancy by providing data-driven insights into post-vaccination responses.

The widespread success of platinum-based drugs in the clinical treatment of different neoplasia has led the inorganic metal complexes to be at the forefront of the fight against cancer. In this context, thiosemicarbazones and their metal derivatives serve as promising starting points for developing anticancer agents. In current study, the new fluorescent thiosemicarbazone ligand L and its complexes with some non-toxic first row transition metals such as Mn(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) metal ions were attained as L Mn , L Fe , L Ni , L Cu , and L Zn complexes. The molecular structures of the compounds were proved by chemico-physico techniques. The anti-proliferative activity of these compounds has been evaluated on human liposarcoma (SW-872) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) using the MTT assay. The morphology of cell death and cell cycle studied in SW-872 cancerous cells was performed via flow cytometry. Eventually, imaging of treated cancerous cells with L Mn and L Zn complexes was performed by fluorescence microscopy. Compounds were designed in order to achieve a hydrophilic/lipophilic balance and synthesized through a condensation reaction. All compounds revealed high solubility in water and remained stable for more than 72 h in water as a neutral biological solvent. L Mn and L Zn complexes manifested good activity on SW-872 cancerous cells after 48 h exposure time ( IC 50 : 134.8 ± 2.82 µg/mL and IC 50 : 144.6 ± 2.07 µg/mL, respectively). The morphology of cell death in SW-872 cancerous cells treated with the L Zn complex showed an apoptosis type cell death. Additionally, cell cycle studies declared the cell cycle arrest in the S phase for L Zn . In conclusion, the development of water-soluble thiosemicarbazone complexes with intrinsic fluorescent properties promises to facilitate the detection of these compounds in living cells, aiding the investigation of their wide-ranging biological activities.

While the vaccination was introduced as a promising tool to control the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, concerns about vaccine-related side effects had grown. Due to the widespread administration of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide for the first time, it was necessary to evaluate the safety and potential side effects in recipients. This study aims to assess, the incidence of adverse effects following Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination and identify their related factors. In this cross-sectional survey-based study, 453 volunteers participated, including 235 men and 218 women. The reported adverse reactions from recipients of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccine were collected by using a questionnaire. The findings showed that the incidence of adverse reactions, such as neurological, systematic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and local symptoms were significantly higher after the first dose compared to the second dose. Systematic symptoms were the most prevalent reported side effects after the first and second dose injection. The demographical study of participants showed that individuals aged 18–34 and females were more prone to present adverse events following vaccination. However, no significant relationship was found between the occurrence of side effects and the recipients’ body mass index. Despite the life-saving role of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, it may have some adverse reactions in recipients. The severity and frequency of side effects were different. So, they were dependent on several factors, including gender and age. Altogether, post-vaccination adverse reactions were mild and tolerable.

Oleuropein is the main compound in olives, producing a relatively bitter taste for unprocessed and raw olives. It has been dramatically applied in herbal and traditional medicine and contains several biological functions, anti‐inflammatory effects, antimicrobial characteristics, and anticancer and antioxidant activities. The present study dealt with the cytotoxic effect, reactive oxygen species (ROS) suppressor, and wound‐healing activity of oleuropein on normal skin cells. Oleuropein’s cytotoxic and apoptotic effects were evaluated using MTT, flow cytometry, and DAPI staining. Moreover, oleuropein’s possible free radical scavenging properties were studied through several methods, including the 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ABTS tests. The scratch assay was performed for wound‐healing features, and qRT‐PCR evaluated the expression of apoptosis‐associated genes. Oleuropein was found to have a cytotoxic effect on skin cells at higher exposure doses. Apoptosis was induced in the flow cytometry histogram of the cells treated with oleuropein. The results also revealed the strong anti‐inflammation and antioxidant effect of oleuropein. They suggested that more studies are necessary to assess the possible pharmacological use of oleuropein to prevent or decrease skin‐related diseases.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) ranks fourth in global mortality rates and fifth in prevalence, making it one of the most common cancers worldwide. Recent clinical studies have highlighted the potential of immunotherapies as a promising approach to treating GC. This study aims to shed light on the most impactful therapeutic strategies in the context of GC immunotherapy, highlighting both established and emerging approaches. Main body This review examines over 160 clinical studies conducted globally, focusing on the effectiveness of various immunotherapy modalities, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature was performed using databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. The selection criteria included peer-reviewed articles published primarily within the last 10 years, with a focus on studies that provided insights into targeted therapies and their mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles. The findings indicate that these immunotherapy strategies can enhance treatment outcomes for GC, aligning with current treatment guidelines. ICIs like pembrolizumab and nivolumab have shown significant survival benefits in specific GC subgroups. Cancer vaccines and CAR-T cell therapies demonstrate potential, while mAbs targeting HER2 and VEGFR pathways enhance outcomes in combination regimens. We discuss the latest advancements and challenges in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for GC. Given the evolving nature of this field, this research emphasizes significant evidence-based therapies and those currently under evaluation rather than providing an exhaustive overview. Challenges include resistance mechanisms, immunosuppressive tumor environments, and inconsistent results from combination therapies. Biomarker-driven approaches and further research into emerging modalities like CAR-T cells and cancer vaccines are critical for optimizing treatments. Conclusions Immunotherapy is reshaping GC management by improving survival and quality of life. Ongoing research and clinical evaluations are crucial for refining personalized and effective therapies.

Background: Cyclodextrin based nanosponge (CDNS) as a novel delivery system has not been compared in terms of antioxidant and cytotoxicity potentials with its individual components. Given that oxidative stress and cytotoxicity play pivotal roles in various diseases, the authors sought to evaluate the properties of the synthesized CDNSs and their components, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). These carriers have been widely used in pharmaceutical sciences for various purposes. Demonstrating their remarkable characteristics can guide researchers in making accurate applications and selections. Methods: Two types of CDNSs were synthesized with different cross-linker ratios. The analysis involved dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and solid-state NMR methods. The antioxidant activity was determined through DPPH scavenging activity, glutathione peroxidase assay, and detection of reactive oxygen species levels. Additionally, the cellular cytotoxicity of the materials was characterized using the MTT test. Results: The results confirmed the synthesis of CDNSs with 1:2 and 1:4 β-CD:CDI molar ratios. The antioxidant results revealed that β-CD and CDI exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to CDNSs with 1:2 and 1:4 ratios. Based on the MTT results, all four compounds demonstrated almost complete cytocompatibility with at least 50% cell viability. Conclusion: Following the successful synthesis of CDNSs, it can be inferred that these materials are non-toxic. However, the process of nanosponging did not enhance the antioxidant activity of β-CD and CDI.

Growing evidence suggests that dysregulated microRNAs were critical in the development of tumors and the progression number of malignancies. This research aimed to check the effect of microRNA 320a-3p transfection on gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. Following transfection, the efficacy was determined by the RT-PCR method. After that, MTT, scratch assay, DAPI staining, RT-PCR, and flow cytometry were used respectively. The results demonstrated that the viability of GC cells considerably decreased following transfection. Moreover, microRNA 320a-3p transfection significantly suppressed cell migration and induced apoptosis in these cells. We found that transfection of microRNA 320a-3p remarkably decreased PD-L1 gene expression and influenced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related and apoptotic gene expressions. The findings propose that microRNA 320a-3p could decrease cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis by increasing TP53 and CASP3 expression levels in GC cells. Notably, microRNA 320a-3p might be a potential target in GC immunotherapy by suppressing the PD-L1 gene expression.

Background The second most prevalent cause of cancer-related fatalities worldwide and the third most often diagnosed malignancy is colorectal cancer (CRC). The treatment of colorectal cancer has been transformed by recent developments in antibody-based therapeutics, such as antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) and non-conjugated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This review aims to elucidate the most impactful therapeutic strategies in CRC immunotherapy, emphasizing both established and emerging approaches. Main body With an emphasis on nonconjugated mAbs (such as bevacizumab and cetuximab) and ADCs (such as Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan), this study examines more than 150 clinical trials and peer-reviewed publications from sources including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The selection criteria included studies published within the last decade, emphasizing mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles. Non-conjugated mAbs target specific tumor antigens to inhibit signaling pathways and stimulate immune-mediated cytotoxicity, while ADCs combine mAbs with cytotoxic payloads for precise tumor cell elimination. Clinical trials have demonstrated significant survival benefits with these agents in biomarker-selected populations, particularly in HER2 -positive and microsatellite instability-high ( MSI-H/dMMR ) CRC subgroups. Challenges include drug resistance, variable antigen expression, and adverse effects, underscoring the need for biomarker-driven approaches and combination therapies. Conclusions Immunotherapy, particularly non-conjugated mAbs and ADCs, transforms CRC treatment by improving survival and quality of life. Ongoing research is essential to address resistance mechanisms, optimize combination regimens, and integrate personalized therapies into clinical practice.