Regulation of microRNA using promising dietary phytochemicals: Possible preventive and treatment option of malignant mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Regulation of microRNA using promising dietary phytochemicals: Possible preventive and treatment option of malignant mesothelioma, by M.A. Sayeed, M. Bracci, G. Lucarini, et al (Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & Pharmacothérapie, 2017).

The study

• Authors: M.A. Sayeed, M. Bracci, G. Lucarini, R. Lazzarini, R. Di Primio, L. Santarelli
• Journal: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & Pharmacothérapie
• Published: 2017;94:1197-1224
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 28 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a very aggressive, lethal cancer, and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Development of multi-drug resistance, therapy related side-effects, and disease recurrence after therapy are the major problems for the successful treatment of MM. Emerging evidence indicates that dietary phytochemicals can exert anti-cancer activities by regulating microRNA expression. Until now, only one dietary phytochemical (ursolic acid) has been reported to have MM microRNA regulatory ability. A large number of dietary phytochemicals still remain to be tested. In this paper, we have introduced some dietary phytochemicals (curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, genistein, pterostilbene, resveratrol, capsaicin, ellagic acid, benzyl isothiocyanate, phenethyl isothiocyanate, sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, 3,3'-diindolylmethane, diallyl disulphide, betulinic acid, and oleanolic acid) which have shown microRNA regulatory activities in various cancers and could regulate MM microRNAs. In addition to microRNA regulatory activities, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, genistein, resveratrol, phenethyl isothiocyanate, and sulforaphane have anti-mesothelioma potentials, and pterostilbene, capsaicin, ellagic acid, benzyl isothiocyanate, indole-3-carbinol, 3,3'-diindolylmethane, diallyl disulphide, betulinic acid, and oleanolic acid have potentials to inhibit cancer by regulating the expression of various genes which are also known to be aberrant in MM.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

In plain English

This article is a review, not an original study. The authors gathered published laboratory research on 17 plant compounds found in foods, such as curcumin from turmeric, EGCG from green tea, resveratrol, quercetin and sulforaphane. The review looked at how these compounds affect microRNAs, small molecules that help control which genes are active in cancer cells. It did not examine asbestos exposure or treat any patients. The authors reported that only one compound, ursolic acid, had been tested for effects on microRNAs in malignant mesothelioma. In one cell study it raised a microRNA called let-7b and led to programmed cell death. Seven other compounds had shown anti-mesothelioma effects in earlier studies, mostly in mesothelioma cells grown in the laboratory. Nine more had acted on genes known to be abnormal in mesothelioma, but only in other cancers. All 16 had changed microRNAs in other cancers. The authors concluded that these compounds may be promising for controlling mesothelioma and should be tested. They noted low bioavailability (how much of a compound the body can use) and poor potency as challenges.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative review of published in vitro (cell) and in vivo (animal) studies; no search method or number of included studies is stated
• Who was studied: Published laboratory studies using malignant mesothelioma cell lines (e.g. MSTO-211H, H2452, SPC212, REN), some mice, and cell lines and animals from many other cancers
• Exposure: Dietary plant compounds (phytochemicals): ursolic acid plus curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, genistein, pterostilbene, resveratrol, capsaicin, ellagic acid, benzyl isothiocyanate, phenethyl isothiocyanate, sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, 3,3'-diindolylmethane, diallyl disulphide, betulinic acid and oleanolic acid. Asbestos exposure was not studied.
• Main results:
  • Only ursolic acid had been tested against mesothelioma microRNAs. In one cited study it increased let-7b in mesothelioma H2452 cells, which led to apoptosis (programmed cell death).
  • Based on earlier studies, mostly in mesothelioma cell lines, the authors stated that seven compounds have anti-mesothelioma activity.
  • In studies of other cancers, a further set of compounds acted on genes that are also abnormal in mesothelioma.
  • All 16 suggested compounds had shown microRNA effects in other cancers but had not been tested against mesothelioma microRNAs.
  • The authors judged curcumin, EGCG and resveratrol more promising than the others because they had been tested against more microRNAs.
  • Cited reports suggested that quercetin, resveratrol and PEITC can strengthen the anti-mesothelioma activity of cisplatin.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that dietary phytochemicals may be promising agents for controlling malignant mesothelioma, and that studying their microRNA effects might lead to prevention strategies.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Low bioavailability and poor potency of dietary phytochemicals
  • Most of the compounds have not yet been tested against mesothelioma microRNAs
  • The authors call for further studies of the anti-mesothelioma effects

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Malignant Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma.

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