Androgens play a central role in prostate development and prostate cancer proliferation. Induction of telomerase is an early event in prostate carcino‐genesis and is considered as a marker for both primary tumors and metastases. Interestingly, several reports suggest that telomerase activity is regulated by andro‐gens in vivo. Here, we show that the wild‐type (WT) human androgen receptor (AR) inhibits the expression of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase activity via inhibition of hTERT promoter activity in the presence of androgen receptor agonists. However, pure androgen antagonists failed to repress hTERT transcription. The androgen‐mediated repression of hTERT is abrogated in a human prostate cancer cell line exhibiting hormone‐dependent growth, which expresses a mutant AR (T877A) frequently occurring in prostate cancer. We reveal that this single amino acid exchange is sufficient for the lack of transrepression. Interestingly, chromatin immunopre‐cipitation data suggest that, in contrast to the WT AR, the mutant AR is recruited less efficiently to the hTERT promoter in vivo, indicating that loss of transrepression results from reduced chromatin recruitment. Thus, our findings suggest that the WT AR inhibits expression of hTERT, which is indicative of a protective mechanism, whereas the T877A mutation of AR not only broadens the ligand spectrum of the receptor but abrogates this inhibitory mechanism in prostate cancer cells. This novel role of AR mutations in prostate cancer development suggests the benefit to a search for new AR antagonists that inhibit transactivation but allow transrepression. Moehren, U., Papaioannou, M., Reeb, C. A., Grasselli, A., Nanni, S., Asim, M., Roell, D., Prade, I., Farsetti, A., Baniahmad, A. Wild‐type but not mutant androgen receptor inhibits expression of the hTERT telomerase subunit: a novel role of AR mutation for prostate cancer development. FASEB J. 22, 1258–1267 (2008)

Extracts from Pygeum africanum are used in the treatment of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer (Pca), major health problems of men in Western countries. The ligand‐activated human androgen receptor (AR) supports the growth of the prostate gland. Inhibition of human AR by androgen ablation therapy and by applying synthetic anti‐androgens is therefore the primary goal in treatment of patients. Here, we show that atraric acid (AA) isolated from bark material of Pygeum africanum has anti‐androgenic activity, inhibiting the transactivation mediated by the ligand‐activated human AR. This androgen antagonistic activity is receptor specific and does not inhibit the closely related glucocorticoid or progesterone receptors. Mechanistically, AA inhibits nuclear transport of AR. Importantly, AA is able to efficiently repress the growth of both the androgen‐dependent LNCaP and also the androgen‐independent C4–2 Pca cells but not that of PC3 or CV1 cells lacking AR. In line with this, AA inhibits the expression of the endogenous prostate specific antigen gene in both LNCaP und C4–2 cells. Analyses of cell invasion revealed that AA inhibits the invasiveness of LNCaP cells through extracellular matrix. Thus, this study provides a molecular insight for AA as a natural anti‐androgenic compound and may serve as a basis for AA derivatives as a new chemical lead structure for novel therapeutic compounds as AR antagonists, that can be used for prophylaxis or treatment of prostatic diseases.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by widespread immune dysregulation and the production of autoantibodies targeting nuclear, cytoplasmic, and cell surface antigens. These autoantibodies are central to disease pathogenesis, contribute to immune complex formation and organ damage, and serve as essential diagnostic and prognostic markers. Their detection supports disease classification, guides clinical decision-making, and offers insight into disease activity and therapeutic response. Traditional markers such as anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-dsDNA, and anti-Sm antibodies remain diagnostic cornerstones, but growing attention is given to anti-C1q, anti-nucleosome antibodies (ANuA), anti-ribosomal P, antiphospholipid, and anti-cytokine antibodies due to their associations with specific disease phenotypes and activity. These markers may reflect disease activity, specific organ involvement, or predict flares. The mechanisms underlying their persistence include B cell tolerance failure and long-lived plasma cell activity. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on the major autoantibodies in SLE, appraise available detection methods, highlight their clinical utility and limitations and present evidence on the association between antibodies and disease phenotypes.

Extracts from Pygeum africanum, Serenoa repens and Cucurbita pepo are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). The activity of the androgen receptor (AR) is known to control growth of the prostate. Here, we examined extracts of these plants for their antiandrogenic activity using an AR responsive reporter gene assay for drug discovery. A selective dichloromethane extract from the stem barks of Pygeum africanum revealed the highest antiandrogenic effect. Bioactivity-directed fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of N-butylbenzenesulfonamide (NBBS) indicating that extracts of the stem bark of P. africanum harbour androgen antagonistic activity. This compound may provide a novel approach for the prevention and treatment of BPH and human PCa. AR:human androgen receptor BPH:benign prostate hyperplasia C. pep:Cucurbita pepo IPSS:international prostate symptom score NBBS:N-butylbenzenesulfonamide P. africanum:Pygeum africanum PCa:prostate cancer QoL:quality of life R1881:methyltrienolone RLU:relative light units S. repens:Serenoa repens

Background: The insufficient reliability of preoperative imaging technology and limited convenience of intraoperative visualizing techniques have been associated with difficulty in surgical navigation in neck endocrine surgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has stood out as the real-time intraoperative guide amidst research for novel modalities, with an emerging use in endocrine surgery. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases, to identify published studies on parathyroid and thyroid operations employing ICG. Well-described articles were selected according to 7 criteria and analyzed per operation type and organ structure. Results: Twenty-one articles matched our selection criteria. Dosage, equipment, and techniques are well-described in literature. ICG was found to significantly enhance the surgical experience and outcomes. Occasional discrepancy among studies was attributed to the lack of standard quantification of values and divergence of study designs. Conclusion: The most successful applications of ICG are: Future research is needed for standard quantification of fluorescence intensity and objective comparisons.