Xuelian Du

Xiao-Liu Tang (XLT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula that suppresses the progression of cervical cancer by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell migration

Xiao-Liu Tang (XLT), a formulation grounded in the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of Qi-Blood, has shown promise in alleviating endometriosis-related symptoms through clinical observations, with emerging evidence supporting its anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic properties. Endometriosis shares oncogenic pathological hallmarks with gynecological malignancies-including evasion of apoptosis, and invasive potential. Building on TCM's multi-target therapeutic paradigm and the mechanistic parallels between these conditions, we hypothesize that XLT may exert broad anti-neoplastic effects. This study investigates its efficacy and molecular mechanisms in cervical cancer model. This study examined the anti-tumor effects and underlying mechanisms of XLT against cervical cancer. The in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of XLT was assessed using a TC-1 cervical cancer allograft mouse model. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms, we performed in vitro investigations using transcriptomic analysis, transwell in vitro cell migration assays, wound healing assays, and CCK-8 proliferation assays. XLT demonstrated a 64.93 % inhibition of tumor growth (P < 0.05), without significant changes in body weight or general behavior in treated mice. Cell-based experiments showed significant suppression of tumor cell proliferation and migration. Molecular analysis showed XLT upregulated Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 expression while modulating the JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Transcriptomic profiling identified regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cytoskeletal organization, apoptosis and verified JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling. XLT has anti-tumor effects by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting migration of tumor cells. The formula showed notable efficacy, comparable to conventional treatments (chemotherapy) but with greater safety, suggesting that it may be suitable for clinical translation in the treatment of cervical cancer.

Postoperative Adjuvant Treatments for Cervical Cancer: A Network Meta-Analysis

This study aimed to perform a comprehensive network meta-analysis assessing the efficacy and safety of 5 postoperative adjuvant therapies (PATs) for early-stage cervical cancer, comparing their effects on survival and adverse outcomes to identify the therapy with the most significant survival benefit. We comprehensively searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and CBM for randomized controlled trials on PATs-including concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT), radiation therapy (RT), chemotherapy (CT), sequential chemoradiation therapy (SCRT), and CCRT followed by consolidation chemotherapy (CCRT + CT)-in patients with cervical cancer from inception to October 2024. Study bias was assessed with the Cochrane ROB.2. A Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis was conducted for indirect comparisons, with τ