Saraca indica

Medicinal plants are used as a complementary and alternative medicine in treatment of various diseases including cancer worldwide, because of their ease of accessibility and cost effectiveness. Multicomposed mixture of compounds present in a plant extract has synergistic activity, increases the therapeutic potential many folds, compensates toxicity, and increases bioavailability. Saraca indica (family Caesalpiniaceae) is one of the most ancient sacred plants with medicinal properties, exhibiting a number of pharmacological effects. Antioxidant, antibreast cancer activity and toxicological evaluation of Saraca indica bark extract (SIE) were carried out in the present study. The results of the study indicated that this herbal preparation has antioxidant and antibreast cancer activity. Toxicological studies suggest that SIE is safer to use and may have a potential to be used as complementary and alternative medicine for breast cancer therapy

The SWI/SNF ATPase Brm Is a Gatekeeper of Proliferative Control in Prostate Cancer

Factors that drive prostate cancer progression remain poorly defined, thus hindering the development of new therapeutic strategies. Disseminated tumors are treated through regimens that ablate androgen signaling, as prostate cancer cells require androgen for growth and survival. However, recurrent, incurable tumors that have bypassed the androgen requirement ultimately arise. This study reveals that the Brm ATPase, a component of selected SWI/SNF complexes, has significant antiproliferative functions in the prostate that protect against these transitions. First, we show that targeted ablation of Brm is causative for the development of prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Second, in vivo challenge revealed that Brm−/− epithelia acquire the capacity for lobe-specific, castration-resistant cellular proliferation. Third, investigation of human specimens revealed that Brm mRNA and protein levels are attenuated in prostate cancer. Fourth, Brm down-regulation was associated with an increased proliferative index, consistent with the mouse model. Lastly, gene expression profiling showed that Brm loss alters factors upstream of E2F1; this was confirmed in murine models, wherein Brm loss induced E2F1 deregulation in a tissue-specific manner. Combined, these data identify Brm as a major effector of serum androgen–induced proliferation in the prostate that is disrupted in human disease, and indicate that loss of Brm confers a proliferative advantage in prostate cancer

IL-10–producing Tfh cells accumulate with age and link inflammation with age-related immune suppression

Aging results in profound immune dysfunction, resulting in the decline of vaccine responsiveness previously attributed to irreversible defects in the immune system. In addition to increased interleukin-6 (IL-6), we found aged mice exhibit increased systemic IL-10 that requires forkhead box P3–negative (FoxP3−), but not FoxP3+, CD4+T cells. Most IL-10–producing cells manifested a T follicular helper (Tfh) phenotype and required the Tfh cytokines IL-6 and IL-21 for their accrual, so we refer to them as Tfh10 cells. IL-21 was also required to maintain normal serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10. Notably, antigen-specific Tfh10 cells arose after immunization of aged mice, and neutralization of IL-10 receptor signaling significantly restored Tfh-dependent antibody responses, whereas depletion of FoxP3+ regulatory and follicular regulatory cells did not. Thus, these data demonstrate that immune suppression with age is reversible and implicate Tfh10 cells as an intriguing link between “inflammaging” and impaired immune responses with age

Prospective study to evaluate the clinical outcome of intralesional interferon-α2b in the management of Peyronie's disease

Context: Interferon (IFN)-α2b in Peyronie's disease (PD). Aims: This study aims to evaluate clinical efficacy of the IFN-α2b in both subjective and objective manner for the treatment of PD and compared with previously used intralesional verapamil in terms of cost-benefit analysis. Settings and Design: Prospective study. Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted from January 2013 to July 2016 in the Department of Urology, Government Medical College, Kota, Rajasthan, India. We included patients with identifiable Peyronie's plaque with or without pain, curvature ranging between 30 and 90 degrees. We excluded patients with a calcified plaque and the ventral location of the plaque, any infective foci over the penis, erectile dysfunction due to other etiologies and patients who had received previous intralesional therapy. Patients were evaluated by clinical history, physical examination including plaque location, size, consistency, and penile curvature. Patients received intralesional IFN-α2b in a dose of 3 × 106 IU. Patients completed the visual analogue pain (VAS) score for pain, and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire at first visit as well as at follow-up of 1 month and 3 months. Statistical Analysis Used: Comparisons were performed using the paired Student's t-test and Chi-square tests as appropriate. Patient's objective and subjective clinical characteristics were described as a means (standard deviation). Results: We included 86 patients in this study. Patients had a mean age of 48.6 years, mean plaque volume 256 mm3, and disease duration of 15.2 years. After 1 month of treatment, there was a significant change in plaque volume 256–60.8 mm3; P < 0.01) and penile curvature 34.8–24.6°; P < 0.01). The patients reported significant improvement in pain score VAS and IIEF-5. Conclusions: IFN-α2b, as minimal invasive (intralesional) options for the treatment of PD, demonstrated significant improvement in plaque volume, penile curvature with minimal complications. Patients subjectively reported significant improvement in pain on erection and sexual activities. IFN-α2b and verapamil had an almost similar clinical outcome, but verapamil at much lower cost

Power of probiotics in periodontal disease

Probiotics, or health-beneficial microbes, have been around since the early twentieth century. In recent years, it has piqued the curiosity of researchers. The therapeutic paradigm has shifted from particular bacterial eradication to probiotics modifying bacterial ecology. Probiotics may be a viable field of investigation in periodontal care, especially with the rise in antibiotic resistance. Probiotics have considerable data to support their role in dental caries; however there is less evidence for their impact in periodontal disease. Thus, simply adding probiotic items to one's diet can halt, slow, or even dramatically delay the progression of periodontal illnesses, supporting a healthy lifestyle to combat periodontal infections. As their position in periodontics is still in its infancy, several issues have been raised about the benefits of probiotic supplementation. To assess their long-term repercussions for oral health and disease, a thorough understanding of the extensive ecological changes they cause in the mouth is required. The evidence for using probiotics to maintain oral health and prevent periodontal disease is reviewed in this research