Michał Antoszczak

Role of Fisetin in Selected Malignant Neoplasms in Women

A promising therapeutic window and cost-effectiveness are just two of the potential advantages of using naturally derived drugs. Fisetin (3,3′,4′,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid of the flavonol group, commonly found in fruit and vegetables. In recent years, fisetin has gained wide attention across the scientific community because of its broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, including cytotoxic activity against most abundant cancers. By stimulating or inhibiting selected molecular targets or biochemical processes, fisetin could affect the reduction of metastasis or cancer progression, which indicates its chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive role. In this review, we have summarized the results of studies on the anticancer effects of fisetin on selected female malignancies, both in in vitro and in vivo tests, i.e., breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer, published over the past two decades. Until now, no article dedicated exclusively to the action of fisetin on female malignancies has appeared. This review also describes a growing number of nanodelivery systems designed to improve the bioavailability and solubility of this natural compound. The reported low toxicity and activity of fisetin on cancer cells indicate its valuable potential, but large-scale clinical trials are urgently needed to assess real chemotherapeutic efficacy of this flavonoid.

Overcoming Resistance to Platinum-Based Drugs in Ovarian Cancer by Salinomycin and Its Derivatives—An In Vitro Study

Polyether ionophore salinomycin (SAL) and its semi-synthetic derivatives are recognized as very promising anticancer drug candidates due to their activity against various types of cancer cells, including multidrug-resistant populations. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest among gynecologic malignancies, which is connected with the development of chemoresistant forms of the disease in over 70% of patients after initial treatment regimen. Thus, we decided to examine the anticancer properties of SAL and selected SAL derivatives against a series of drug-sensitive (A2780, SK-OV-3) and derived drug-resistant (A2780 CDDP, SK-OV-3 CDDP) ovarian cancer cell lines. Although SAL analogs showed less promising IC50 values than SAL, they were identified as the antitumor agents that significantly overcome the resistance to platinum-based drugs in ovarian cancer, more potent than unmodified SAL and commonly used anticancer drugs—5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, and cisplatin. Moreover, when compared with SAL used alone, our experiments proved for the first time increased selectivity of SAL-based dual therapy with 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine, especially towards A2780 cell line. Looking closer at the results, SAL acted synergistically with 5-fluorouracil towards the drug-resistant A2780 cell line. Our results suggest that combinations of SAL with other antineoplastics may become a new therapeutic option for patients with ovarian cancer.

Role of Vitamin K in Selected Malignant Neoplasms in Women

The main function of vitamin K in the human organism is its activity in the blood clotting cascade. Epidemiological studies suggest that reduced intake of vitamin K may contribute to an increased risk of geriatric diseases such as atherosclerosis, dementia, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. A growing number of studies also indicate that vitamin K may be involved not only in preventing the development of certain cancers but it may also support classical cancer chemotherapy. This review article summarizes the results of studies on the anticancer effects of vitamin K on selected female malignancies, i.e., breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer, published over the past 20 years. The promising effects of vitamin K on cancer cells observed so far indicate its great potential, but also the need for expansion of our knowledge in this area by conducting extensive research, including clinical trials.

Role of Epigallocatechin Gallate in Selected Malignant Neoplasms in Women

Tea is a significant source of flavonoids in the diet. Due to different production processes, the amount of bioactive compounds in unfermented (green) and (semi-)fermented tea differs. Importantly, green tea has a similar composition of phenolic compounds to fresh, unprocessed tea leaves. It consists primarily of monomeric flavan-3-ols, known as catechins, of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant. Thanks to its antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antiangiogenic properties, EGCG has attracted the scientific community’s attention to its potential use in preventing and/or combating cancer. In this review article, we summarize the literature reports found in the Google Scholar and PubMed databases on the anticancer effect of EGCG on selected malignant neoplasms in women, i.e., breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, which have been published over the last two decades. It needs to be emphasized that EGCG concentrations reported as effective against cancer cells are typically higher than those found in plasma after polyphenol administration. Moreover, the low bioavailability and absorption of EGCG appear to be the main reasons for the differences in the effects between in vitro and in vivo studies. In this context, we also decided to look at possible solutions to these problems, consisting of combining the polyphenol with other bioactive components or using nanotechnology. Despite the promising results of the studies conducted so far, mainly in vitro and on animal models, there is no doubt that further, broad-based activities are necessary to unequivocally assess the potential use of EGCG in oncological treatment to combat cancer in women.