Liver fibrosis, driven by lipid dysregulation and chronic inflammation, remains a major global health burden with limited therapeutic options. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of cannabigerol (CBG), a minor non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, in mitigating hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. In hepatocytes exposed to palmitic and oleic acids (PA/OA), CBG significantly reduced lipid accumulation by suppressing lipogenesis and enhancing lipophagy. Mechanistic studies revealed that CBG directly activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), as confirmed by in vitro activity assay and molecular docking study. Additionally, CBG markedly suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL6, IL1B, and TNFA) and attenuated the activation of hepatic stellate cells. Importantly, both the lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects of CBG were abolished by co-treatment with the AMPK inhibitor compound C, confirming AMPK as a central mediator of actions of CBG. These findings highlight CBG as a promising therapeutic candidate for liver fibrosis, offering dual modulation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory signaling via AMPK activation.

To demonstrate the clinical usefulness of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) computerized tomography (CT) for irreversible electroporation (IRE) in prostate cancer patients. From January to May 2021, 17 men were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer through preoperative mpMRI and [¹⁸F] florastamin PSMA PET-CT imaging, followed by transperineal MRI-ultrasound fusion-guided biopsy. The patients underwent IRE focal therapy at the target lesions under general anesthesia. To evaluate the treatment outcome, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were followed up in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th months, and mpMRI was taken in the 1st and 12th months, followed by MR fusion biopsy in the 12th month post-IRE. The mean age of the patients was 66.1 ± 9.3 with a median PSA of 7.5 ng/ml. After the treatment, PSA nadir was 4.06 ± 3.4, and 11 (64.7%) achieved decline of PSA more than 50% from the baseline. Rate of negative biopsy for prostate cancer is 88% (15/17) at 12 months MR fusion biopsy after the IRE treatment. Among the relapsed cases, 1 (6.9%) patient recurred at margin of treated area, and 1 (6.9%) patient was from outfield recurrence. When excluding initial four patients, none of the patients had cancer recur. When treating with IRE focal therapy, PSMA-PET CT is a potentially valuable diagnostic approach for localizing prostate cancer; it supports the detection of lesions with conventional mpMRI, enabling to perform the procedure more completely.

Shin D, et al. World J Mens Health. 2023 Jan;41:e11. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.220112

[¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep, which enables targeted delivery of beta-particle radiation to prostate tumor cells, had been suggested as a promising therapeutic option for mCRPC. From November 2020 to March 2022, a total of 30 patients were enrolled for single dose of [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep RPT, 6 subjects in each of the 5 different activity groups of 1.9 GBq, 2.8 GBq, 3.7 GBq, 4.6 GBq, and 5.6 GBq. [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep was administered via venous injection, and patients were hospitalized for three days to monitor for any adverse effects. Serum PSA levels were followed up at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12, and PSMA PET/CT with [¹⁸F]Florastamin was obtained at baseline and again at weeks 4 and 8. The subjects required positive PSMA PET/CT prior to [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep administration. Among the 29 subjects who received [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep, 36 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 17 subjects (58.6%) and 4 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in 3 subjects (10.3%). Of the total 24 subjects who had full 12-week follow-up data, 16 (66.7%) showed decrease in PSA of any magnitude, and 9 (37.5%) showed a decrease in PSA by 50% or greater. A total of 5 of the 24 patients (20.8%) showed disease progression (PSA increase of 25% or higher from the baseline) at the 12th week following single dose of [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep. These data thus far suggest that [¹⁷⁷Lu]Ludotadipep could be a promising RPT agent with low toxicity in mCRPC patients who have not been responsive to conventional treatments.

Bae WJ, et al. World J Mens Health. 2023 May;41:e54. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.220241

Piao JJ, et al. World J Mens Health. 2025 Jan;43(1):228-238. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.230352