Antineoplastic Properties by Proapoptotic Mechanisms Induction of Inula viscosa and Its Sesquiterpene Lactones Tomentosin and Inuviscolide

Cancer is a complex disease including approximately 200 different entities that can potentially affect all body tissues. Among the conventional treatments, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are most often applied to different types of cancers. Despite substantial advances in the development of innovative antineoplastic drugs, cancer remains one of the most significant causes of death, worldwide. The principal pitfall of successful cancer treatment is the intrinsic or acquired resistance to therapeutic agents. The development of more effective or synergistic therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes and minimize toxicity has become an urgent issue. Inula viscosa is widely distributed throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. Used as a medicinal plant in different countries, I. viscosa has been characterized for its complex chemical composition in order to identify the bioactive compounds responsible for its biological activities, including anticancer effects. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are natural, biologically active products that have attracted considerable attention due to their biological activities. SLs are alkylating agents that form covalent adducts with free cysteine residues within enzymes and key proteins favoring cancer cell cytotoxicity. They are effective inducers of apoptosis in several cancer cell types through different molecular mechanisms. This review focuses on recent advances in the cytotoxic effects of I. viscosa and SLs in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, with a special emphasis on their proapoptotic molecular mechanisms

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Two Canine Herpesvirus 1 (CaHV-1) Isolates and Clinicopathological Outcomes of Infection in French Bulldog Puppies

Canine herpesvirus 1 (CaHV-1) infects dogs, causing neonatal death and ocular, neurological, respiratory, and reproductive problems in adults. Although CaHV-1 is widespread in canine populations, only four studies have focused on the CaHV-1 whole genome. In such context, two CaHV-1 strains from both the kidney and spleen of 20-day-old deceased French Bulldog puppies were recently isolated in Sardinia, Italy. The extracted viral DNA underwent whole-genome sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The Italian CaHV-1 genomes were nearly identical (>99%), shared the same tree branch, and clustered near the ELAL-1 (MW353125) and BTU-1 (KX828242) strains, enlarging the completely separated clade discussed by Lewin et al., in 2020. This study aims to provide new insights on the evolution of the CaHV-1, based on high-resolution whole-genome phylogenetic analysis, and on its clinicopathological characterization during a fatal outbreak in puppies