Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as promising multifunctional agents in biomedical applications due to their notable antimicrobial and anticancer properties. In this study, we present a green, sustainable, and cost-effective method for synthesizing AgNPs using the bulb extract of Anemone coronaria, an underutilized plant part that allows year-round resource-efficient production. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The nanoparticles exhibited a characteristic UV–Vis absorption peak at 425 nm, spherical morphology with an average size of 29 nm, and a face-centered cubic crystalline structure. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of phytochemicals involved in the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects on cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and gene expression analyses further validated their anticancer efficacy. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential and biocompatibility of Anemone coronaria-derived AgNPs, offering a green nanotechnological approach for future biomedical applications.

Stem cells are extensively being studied as promising biological therapeutic candidates in cancer treatment. In various cancer types, some studies show proliferative effects while others show inhibitory effects of MSCs on tumors. Some studies have reported that MSCs isolated from different sources display different anti-cancer properties. Tonsils are one of the secondary lymphoid organs that form an important part of the immune system and located at the mucosal interface. The relation between secondary lymphoid organs and cancer progression lead us to investigate the effect of tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSC) on cancer treatment. Therefore, we aimed to determine the anti-tumoral effects of tonsil-derived MSCs cultured at febrile temperature on hematological cancer cell lines. We found that co-culture of K562 cells and MOLT-4 with T-MSCs significantly decreased the viable cell number post 7 days of the culture under the febrile and normal culture conditions. Besides, the T-MSC co-culture not only induced the apoptosis on K562 and MOLT-4 cells but also, induced the cell cycle arrest at G2-M phase on MOLT-4 cells. The apoptotic effect of T-MSC co-culture under febrile stimulation was confirmed by upregulation of Bax, c-myc genes for K562 cells and upregulation of Bax, p53 and c-myc genes for MOLT-4 cells in transcriptional level. Our study has contributed to highlight the effect of the cellular interaction between the T-MSCs and human hematological cancer cells during in vitro co-culture under hyperthermia for tumor progression. In the light of these results, we indicated that tonsil-derived MSCs have promising therapeutic potential for cancer therapy.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have significant therapeutic potential in gene therapy. In vitro replicative senescence causes a decrease in the proliferation capacity of MSCs and changes in stem cell properties. In this study, adenoid tissue was focused as a new MSC source. The stem cell properties and the proliferation potential of adenoid-derived MSCs after the long-term in vitro replicative senescence were investigated. Adenoid-derived MSCs (A-MSCs) were cultured up to passage 20 and were analysed for cell morphology, proliferative capacity, differentiation potential, and surface marker expression. In addition, the expression profile of cell cycle, apoptosis, and senescence-related genes were evaluated. After in vitro replicative senescence, A-MSCs did not show any significant morphological differences. The proliferation potential of A-MSCs was rapid up to passage 16, and a reduction in the proliferation potential of senescent cells in vitro was observed depending on the passage number. The differentiation potential of late-passage A-MSCs was also reduced compared to early-passage cells. A-MSCs also provided significant closure at the 8th hour in early passages in terms of closure of the scratch area, while late passage A-MSCs exhibited a similar closure profile at the 24th hour. At the transcriptional level, the upregulation of the BAX gene and the downregulation of the p21 and p53 genes suggest that late-passage A-MSCs may not exhibit a senescence profile. In conclusion, A-MSCs have significant potential for clinical use due to the sustainability of MSC properties and their ability to proliferate and migrate with long-term culture.