{"title":"Retraction Notice to Single-cell RNA-sequencing Analysis Reveals the Promoting Role of the Hedgehog Pathway in Epithelial Cells during Cervical Cancer Progression.","authors":"Chen Ji, Yiyi Wang, Yingchun Jiang, Yan Wang","doi":"10.2174/0929867332999250923165204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867332999250923165204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article titled \"Single-cell RNA-sequencing Analysis Reveals the Promoting Role of the Hedgehog Pathway in Epithelial Cells during Cervical Cancer Progression\", published in Volume 32, Issue 33, 2025 of Current Medicinal Chemistry (10.2174/0109298673333784240819063118). The authors have requested the retraction of this article due to insufficient rigor in the data analysis, which prevented the conclusions from being reliably supported. Specifically, the study lacked adequate validation, omitted essential clinical correlation, and was affected by potential technical biases. The authors sincerely apologize to the editors and readers for this oversight. The Bentham Editorial Policy on Retraction can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php. BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER: It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure, or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication, the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145130175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Harnessing Vitamin C: Unveiling Its Potential in Cancer Prevention and Treatment.","authors":"Antara Roy, Dilip K Maiti, Bimal Krishna Banik","doi":"10.2174/0109298673411854250808061949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673411854250808061949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The strong antioxidant vitamin C has been researched for its potential use in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Scavenging free radicals and lowering oxidative stress, which is essential in carcinogenesis, helps to protect cells. Excessive levels of vitamin C can produce hydrogen peroxide and selectively kill cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment by exerting pro-oxidant effects. Normal cells might be spared, indicating a possible window for treatment. Additionally, vitamin C affects important cellular functions that contribute to the development of tumors, including angiogenesis, inflammation, immune response modulation, and epigenetic regulation. Sensitizing tumor cells or shielding healthy tissue from harm caused by treatment may increase the effectiveness of traditional cancer treatments. Recent clinical investigations have revisited the use of high-dose intravenous vitamin C in both monotherapy and combination regimens. While some trials report improvements in quality of life, reduced chemotherapy side effects, and extended survival in specific cancer types, robust evidence of a consistent anticancer effect remains lacking due to variability in study design, cancer type, dosing protocols, and patient populations. Nonetheless, these studies have renewed interest in understanding the pharmacodynamics and clinical utility of vitamin C in oncology. Vitamin C should be considered an investigational approach rather than a standard component of cancer therapy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biochemical properties of Vitamin C, its anticancer mechanisms, experimental evidence, clinical data, controversies, and future directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cancer Stem Cell-targeted Antibody-drug Conjugates for Cancer Immunotherapy.","authors":"Gyas Khan, Ali Hanbashi, Wedad Mawkili, Faroq Kamli, Md Sajid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Amani Khardali, Nawazish Alam, Prawez Alam, Md Sadique Hussain","doi":"10.2174/0109298673393449250818052754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673393449250818052754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer stem cells (CSCs) participate in cancer initiation, metastasis, and therapy tolerance, presenting a formidable challenge in cancer treatment. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have been established as a potential strategy for selectively targeting and eradicating CSCs, thereby overcoming resistance mechanisms and preventing tumor recurrence. ADCs integrate a monoclonal antibody specific to CSC surface markers, such as CD44, CD133, EpCAM, and ALDH1, with a potent cytotoxic payload linked by a stable chemical linker. Upon antigen binding, ADCs undergo receptor-mediated internalization, leading to intracellular payload release and CSC apoptosis. Recent advances in ADC technology have enhanced selectivity and efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicity. Preclinical studies demonstrate that CSC-targeted ADCs, including CD133- and CD44-directed therapies, effectively deplete CSC populations in glioblastoma, breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. EpCAM-targeted ADCs have also shown efficacy in epithelial tumors with potential synergy in combination immunotherapies. Moreover, emerging approaches, such as bispecific antibodies and optimized linker chemistry, further refine CSC-targeted ADCs for clinical applications. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including CSC heterogeneity, immune evasion, and limitations in biomarker specificity. Addressing these hurdles requires continued innovation in ADC engineering, novel payloads, and combinatory strategies with immune checkpoint inhibitors or CAR-T cell therapies. While clinical evaluations are still in the early phases, preliminary trials underscore the potential of CSC-targeted ADCs in revolutionizing precision oncology. This review explores the mechanisms, recent developments, and prospects of CSC-targeted ADCs, highlighting their transformative potential in cancer immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ivan Denisovich Antipenko, Julia Alekseevna Makarova, Maxim Yurievich Shkurnikov, Alexander Grigorievich Tonevitsky
{"title":"The Impact of IGFBP6 Knockdown on Cholesterol Metabolism in Breast Cancer Cells.","authors":"Ivan Denisovich Antipenko, Julia Alekseevna Makarova, Maxim Yurievich Shkurnikov, Alexander Grigorievich Tonevitsky","doi":"10.2174/0109298673396050250729132235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673396050250729132235","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cholesterol plays a key role in maintaining tumor cell homeostasis. Reduced IGFBP6 expression is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence. Previous studies showed that IGFBP6 knockdown decreases cholesterol levels in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. This study aimed to investigate how IGFBP6 influences genes involved in cholesterol metabolism.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with IGFBP6 knockdown. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed, with selected gene expression validated by RT-PCR. Correlations between IGFBP6 and cholesterol-related genes were evaluated using public RNA-seq datasets.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>IGFBP6 knockdown in MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in a threefold decrease in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression and a twofold reduction in LDLR adaptor protein (LDLRAP1) mRNA levels, both responsible for exogenous cholesterol uptake. Meanwhile, PCSK9 expression increased 11-fold (p-adj = 1.4E-93), further limiting uptake. Despite the upregulation of genes involved in endogenous cholesterol synthesis (HMGCS1, HMGCR, FDFT1, SQLE, DHCR24), total cholesterol content in knockdown cells decreased, leading to activation of the sterol-dependent transcription factor SREBF1 (OR = 6.44; p-adj = 0.036). Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between IGFBP6 expression and cholesterol synthesis genes in basal-like breast cancer.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The altered expression profile of multiple cholesterol metabolism-related genes with known prognostic value aligns with a transcriptional program typical of poor-outcome basal-like tumors. These findings support the role of IGFBP6 as a regulator of lipid metabolism and a potential biomarker for therapeutic stratification.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results of this study indicate that the reduction in cholesterol levels observed in breast cancer cells following IGFBP6 knockdown is primarily due to decreased exogenous uptake. These findings highlight the role of IGFBP6 in regulating cholesterol metabolism and further explain its clinical significance in predicting breast cancer recurrence and progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[18F]FDG PET/CT versus Bone Scintigraphy for the Diagnosis of Bone Metastasis in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Xinmin Wang, Yufei Xu, Jing Jing","doi":"10.2174/0109298673374240250812022451","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673374240250812022451","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Breast cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, with advanced cases often leading to bone metastases that significantly affect prognosis and quality of life. This meta-analysis and systematic review aims to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of [18F]FDG PET/CT and bone scintigraphy for detecting bone metastases in breast cancer patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies published up to February 2025. Relevant articles were identified using a combination of subject-specific and free-text keywords, including \"breast cancer,\" \"positron emission tomography,\" \"bone scintigraphy,\" and \"bone metastasis.\" Studies assessing the diagnostic utility of [18F]FDG PET/CT and bone scintigraphy in detecting bone metastases were included. A bivariate random-effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored using meta- regression analysis. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS- 2) tool was applied to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1407 publications were initially retrieved, and 13 studies involving 892 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled diagnostic performance for [18F]FDG PET/CT demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.81-0.96) and a specificity of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.93-1.00), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97-0.99). In comparison, bone scintigraphy showed a sensitivity of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.89), specificity of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73-0.87), and an AUC of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91). Despite its higher diagnostic accuracy, PET/CT exhibited notable heterogeneity across studies, potentially influenced by differences in patient populations and imaging interpretation criteria.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our meta-analysis demonstrated the superior diagnostic performance of [18F]FDG PET/CT over bone scintigraphy, likely attributable to its enhanced sensitivity for osteolytic lesions and integrated anatomical-functional imaging. Nevertheless, considerable inter-study heterogeneity and incomplete clinical data reporting limit the generalizability and robustness, warranting further standardized prospective investigations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that [18F]FDG PET/CT offers superior diagnostic accuracy compared to bone scintigraphy for detecting bone metastases in breast cancer patients. However, its clinical application requires further validation through large-scale, prospective studies. Additionally, considerations such as cost-effectiveness and accessibility must be addressed before widespread clinical adoption.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New Indazole Derivatives as Potential Scaffolds for the Development of Anticancer, Antiviral, and Anti-tuberculosis Chemotherapeutic Compounds.","authors":"Khandazhinskaya Anastasia, Kondrashova Evgenya, Sokhraneva Vera, Novikova Olga, Velikorodnaya Yulia, Gorshenin Andrey, Andreevskaya Sofia, Smirnova Tatyana, Moroz Maxim, Kirillov Ilya, Fedyakina Irina, Chizhov Alexandr, Kochetkov Sergey, Matyugina Elena","doi":"10.2174/0109298673389070250822065247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673389070250822065247","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Chemotherapy remains essential despite advances in immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and biological therapy. However, the wide range of chemical drugs is limited by a narrow therapeutic index, low selectivity, and the development of resistance. In this regard, new high-efficiency drugs are in extremely high demand. The indazole moiety, a scaffold found in many biologically active compounds, was selected for use in new drug design.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Six new indazole derivatives were synthesized via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling starting from bromoindazole. Their antiviral (against influenza A and SARS-CoV-2), antibacterial (against M. tuberculosis), and antiproliferative activities (against neuroblastoma, glioma, leukemia cell lines) were evaluated in vitro. Acute toxicity was assessed in mice of both sexes via single intragastric administration, with toxicometric parameters and pathomorphological changes studied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>6-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-indazole (8) suppressed the reproduction of the influenza virus at non-toxic doses to the MDCK cells and showed cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines, with an IC50 between 4 and 14 μM. However, it exhibited significant acute toxicity in mice (LD50 40 mg/kg), causing systemic organ damage.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Derivative 8 demonstrated promising antiviral and antiproliferative activities but exhibited considerable acute toxicity in vivo. The antiviral efficacy, although lower than oseltamivir, is meaningful and justifies further optimization and investigation. Its antibacterial activity against M. tuberculosis adds to its potential as a multifunctional agent.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While derivative 8 has shown potential as an antiviral and anticancer agent, its high toxicity highlights the need for further studies to define a safe and effective therapeutic window. Overall, the indazole scaffold remains a valuable platform for the development of new therapeutic compounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145014080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andre L S Santos, Lívia S Ramos, Thais P Mello, Livia Viganor, Noely M B M Nonato, Raizza E E Pinheiro, Marta H Branquinha
{"title":"Azole Antifungals Under Pressure: Therapeutic Challenges and Multifaceted Resistance Mechanisms.","authors":"Andre L S Santos, Lívia S Ramos, Thais P Mello, Livia Viganor, Noely M B M Nonato, Raizza E E Pinheiro, Marta H Branquinha","doi":"10.2174/0109298673413219250826055238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673413219250826055238","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal infections have increased markedly in both incidence and severity over recent decades, driven in part by the emergence of novel pathogenic species harboring sophisticated resistance mechanisms against commonly used antifungal agents. This alarming trend is especially pronounced with azoles, which remain widely used in clinical settings due to their broad-spectrum activity and favorable oral bioavailability. Azoles exert their antifungal effect by inhibiting lanosterol 14α-demethylase, a key enzyme in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, thereby compromising the integrity, fluidity, and functionality of the fungal cell membrane. However, the escalating prevalence of multidrug-resistant fungal strains, particularly those resistant to azoles, has significantly complicated therapeutic strategies and represents a growing threat to global public health. This perspective explores the diverse and increasingly complex mechanisms of azole resistance in clinically relevant fungi, particularly species of Candida and Aspergillus, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, novel therapeutic approaches, and responsible antifungal stewardship.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Circulating proteins and bone mineral density: A Proteome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study.","authors":"Tianyi Wang, Liu Liu, Ruiying Han, Yikai He, Yubin Cao, Ding Bai, Yongwen Guo","doi":"10.2174/0109298673385463250811030618","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673385463250811030618","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Current osteoporosis medications often prove ineffective for various reasons. Alongside optimizing available agents, new genetic targets should be proposed for drug development. Mendelian randomization (MR) may resolve throughput and confounding issues in traditional observational studies for druggable targets.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed two-sample MR with protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) data as exposures and six bone mineral density (BMD) sites as outcomes. By meta-analyzing pQTL evidence, validating eQTL evidence, conducting MR sensitivity tests, and assessing druggability, key druggable targets for BMD were identified. Additionally, we performed functional analysis, drug repurposing annotation, transcriptome analysis, in-house PCR, ELISA, and micro-CT validation to further investigate the functionality and expression levels of these targets across different tissues and conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 5,928 pQTLs from deCODE and UKB-PPP datasets, 16 were identified as prioritized targets with significant meta pQTL evidence. Tyrosine-protein kinase Lyn (LYN, meta beta -0.09, 95% CI -0.13 to -0.05), Chondroadherin (CHAD, meta beta -0.39, 95% CI -0.18 to -0.20), Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 19 (TNFRSF19, meta beta -0.03, 95% CI -0.05 to -0.02), and Transforming growth factor beta induced (TGFBI, meta beta -0.04, 95% CI -0.06 to -0.03) were identified as key druggable targets for BMD. R-spondin-3 (RSPO3) and SPARC-related modular calcium- binding protein 2 (SMOC2) were also suggested with consistent MR associations with previous studies.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We identified four novel BMD-related targets (CHAD, LYN, TGFBI, TNFRSF19) through pQTL meta-analysis, and validated RSPO3/SMOC2's positive effects. By integrating multi-tissue transcriptomics and OVX experiments, we further revealed elevated expression of TNFRSF19/TGFBI negatively correlated with BMD, providing new therapeutic insights.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This large-scale Proteome-Wide MR study introduced novel targets for BMD and osteoporosis at transcriptional and translational levels, presenting new prospects for drug repurposing and development.</p>","PeriodicalId":10984,"journal":{"name":"Current medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}