Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fucoidan, the general term for sulfated polysaccharides, is reported to engage in various biological activities having anti-tumor, anti-coagulation and anti-viral effects. Though it has been investigated, the mechanism of its anti-tumor effects remains elusive. The current study examined the anti-tumor effects of fucoidan extracted from Okinawa mozuku on 15 human cancer cell lines (6 hepatocellular carcinomas, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 1 gallbladder cancer, 2 ovarian cancers, 1 hepatoblastoma, 1 neuroblastoma and 3 renal cancers) using an MTT assay. Changes in apoptosis and the cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results revealed that cell proliferation was suppressed in 13 cell lines in a time- and/or dose-dependent manner; this suppression was marked in the hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma cell lines. In contrast, proliferation of the neuroblastoma and 1 of the 2 ovarian carcinoma cell lines was not affected. The ratio of apoptotic cells significantly increased in 5 of the 6 hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, and the ratio of G2/M cells increased in the 3 hepatocellular cell lines examined. These observations indicate that fucoidan is a potential anti-tumor agent for the treatment of bile duct cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and gall-bladder carcinoma.
 ...
PMID:Fucoidan, a major component of brown seaweed, prohibits the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro. 2147 46

The tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor is a member of the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptors family and, together with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), plays an important role in the development of breast cancer, lung cancer, neuroblastoma, colorectal cancer, leukemia, cervical cancer, gallbladder cancer, gastric cancer, kidney cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, esophageal cancer, and head and neck cancer. Overexpression of these two factors has been associated with increased processes involved in carcinogenesis, such as invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, metastasis, cell proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, resistance to cell death due to loss of adhesion (anoikis), activation of cell proliferation pathways, regulation of tumor suppressor genes, and drug resistance, and is related to advanced clinical stage. Inhibition of the TrkB/BDNF axis using drugs in phase 1 studies, approved drugs, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) are promising strategies for the treatment of various malignant tumors in addition to increasing the sensitivity of cells resistant to chemotherapy, improving the effectiveness of drugs without increasing toxicity. Another factor related to poor cancer prognosis is the presence of cancer stem cells, having effects similar to the high expression of the TrkB/BDNF axis, on cancer. This review aimed to show the role of the TrkB/BDNF axis in several types of cancer, its possible use as a prognostic biomarker, the effects of inhibiting this axis, and its role in the cancer stem cells.
 ...
PMID:Role of Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cancer. 3291 46