News Release

How do four caged xanthones inhibit cholangiocarcinoma cell growth?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

World Journal of Gastroenterology

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumor, characterized by a poor prognosis and unresponsive to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, searching for novel and effective therapeutic agents for CCA is necessary. In previous studies, several caged xanthones from G. hanburyi have been reported to be potent antiproliferatives as well as having anticancer and anti-tumor activities and they induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. However, the molecular target of these compounds remains unclear.

A research article to be published on May 14, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. Chariya Hahnvajanawong and her colleagues of the Khon Kaen University and Mahidol University found that the four caged xanthones can significantly inhibit the growth of CCA cell lines by modulating the expression of apoptotic-regulated genes and proteins.

This is the first report which shows that these compounds induce apoptosis by increasing the levels of proteins which promote apoptosis (Bax, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), activated caspase-9 and -3) while decreasing the levels of proteins which inhibit apoptosis (Bcl-2 and survivin).

In the view of the authors, the chemical structure diversity of the four compounds reflects the biological activities. At the molecular level, isomorellinol exhibited the highest potential, indicating that functional groups on the prenyl side chain may be important.

It is premature to conclude what the definite structure-activity relationship may be, but this preliminary insight provides a basis for further medicinal chemistry studies. Based on these results, the authors suggest that these four caged xanthones are compounds with great promise and may serve as a potential source and lead-structure for the development of a drug for the treatment of CCA.

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Reference: Hahnvajanawong C, Boonyanugomol W, Nasomyon T, Loilome W, Namwat N, Anantachoke N, Tassaneeyakul W, Sripa B, Namwat W, Reutrakul V. Apoptotic activity of caged xanthones from Garcinia hanburyi in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(18): 2235-2243 www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i18/2235.htm

Correspondence to: Vichai Reutrakul, PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mahidol University, 272 Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. scvrt@mahidol.ac.th Telephone: +66-2-2015152 Fax: +66-2-6445126

About World Journal of Gastroenterology

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

About The WJG Press

The WJG Press mainly publishes World Journal of Gastroenterology.


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