Prostate cancer is a significant global health problem, being the second most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of death in men worldwide. Standard chemotherapy, though effective, often lacks selectivity for tumor cells, resulting in dose-limiting side effects. To address this, innovative biomedical approaches such as electrochemotherapy and electromagnetic hyperthermia have emerged. Electrochemotherapy improves drug delivery by facilitating electroporation, thereby increasing intracellular concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents. This approach reduces dosages and associated adverse effects. Meanwhile, electromagnetic hyperthermia raises the temperature of tumor cells, enhancing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. While previous research has demonstrated the inhibitory effects of magnetic hyperthermia on prostate cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo, and its synergy with chemotherapy has shown enhanced tumor remission, limited studies have focused on electrochemotherapy alone or in combination with hyperthermia in prostate cancer models. This study aims to assess the synergistic effects of electromagnetic hyperthermia, with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and electrochemotherapy, with electroporation and the chemotherapeutic drugs bleomycin and cisplatin, on the prostate cancer-derived cell line DU-145/GFP and prostate-derived cell line RWPE-1. Results indicate enhanced cytotoxicity with both treatments (bleomycin and cisplatin) by adding electroporation, demonstrating a particularly pronounced effect with bleomycin. Combining electroporation with hyperthermia significantly augments cytotoxicity. Moreover, electroporation effectively reduced the time of exposure to electromagnetic hyperthermia while magnifying its cytotoxic effects. Future research in in vivo trials may reveal additional insights into the combined effects of these therapies.

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Mexico, primarily due to persistent infection with high-risk Alpha-papillomavirus genotypes, such as HPV16 and 18. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revealed a high prevalence of Beta- and Gamma-HPVs, mainly Beta-2 types 38b, 80, 107, and 122, in cervical cancer samples from Mexico. Our group previously reported that HPVs 38b, 107, and 122 possess transforming properties in primary fibroblasts; however, the oncogenic potential of E6/E7-HPV80 has not yet been elucidated. For this purpose, primary human fibroblasts were transduced with E6/E7-HPV80 (FB-E6/E7-HPV80), and functional assays were conducted to evaluate changes in proliferation, metabolic activity, and cell migration. RNA-seq analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched pathways. Fibroblasts transduced with E6/E7-HPV16 (FB-E6/E7-HPV16) or empty vector (FB-pLVX) served as controls. FB-E6/E7-HPV80 extended their lifespan and exhibited increased proliferation, metabolic activity, and migration capacity. RNA-seq analysis identified 196 upregulated DEGs (such as GPAT2, MST1R, ACAN, SLCO4A1, and CHRNA3) and 887 downregulated DEGs (such as KLHDC7B, TRIM58, CST1, FBLL1, INHBE, and TMEM132D) shared between FB-E6/E7-HPV80 and FB-E6/E7-HPV16. Enriched pathways included p53, TNF, IL-17, apoptosis, cell cycle, etc. These findings suggest that E6/E7-HPV80 exhibits transforming capabilities that could play an important role in cervical carcinogenesis.

Background/Objectives: Melanoma affects both sexes, and its incidence has increased in recent years. It is currently among the most common types of cancer. Standard chemotherapy, although effective, often lacks selectivity for tumor cells, resulting in dose-limiting side effects. Electrochemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia have been investigated as innovative biomedical approaches. Electrochemotherapy improves drug delivery by facilitating electroporation, thereby increasing intracellular concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents and reducing associated adverse effects. Furthermore, electroporation enhances sensitivity to magnetic hyperthermia. However, few studies have focused on the combination of electroporation and hyperthermia in melanoma models. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of intratumoral administration of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), electroporation (EP), and magnetic hyperthermia (EHP) on fluorescent melanoma tumors generated with the MV3-GFP cell line. Methods: Fluorescent melanoma tumors were generated using the MV3-GFP cell line. Treatments included SPIONs alone, SPIONs combined with hyperthermia, and SPIONs combined with electroporation and hyperthermia. Tumor size was monitored over 21 and 28 days. Results: SPIONs alone did not affect tumor growth (665 mm³). SPIONs plus hyperthermia reduced tumor size to 126.5 mm³ at day 21. The combination of SPIONs, electroporation, and hyperthermia produced a pronounced antitumoral effect, with tumor size decreasing to 95.5 mm³ at day 14 and 6.8 mm³ at day 21, followed by complete tumor disappearance by day 28. Electroporation significantly enhanced the antitumoral activity of the combined treatment. Conclusions: The combination of SPIONs, electroporation, and magnetic hyperthermia shows significant synergistic antitumoral activity in a melanoma model. These findings support further investigation in larger and more comprehensive in vivo studies to better understand the therapeutic potential of these combined approaches.

Background/Objectives: Melanoma affects both sexes, and its incidence has increased in recent years. It is currently among the most common types of cancer. Standard chemotherapy, although effective, often lacks selectivity for tumor cells, resulting in dose-limiting side effects. Electrochemotherapy and electromagnetic hyperthermia have been investigated as innovative biomedical approaches. Electrochemotherapy improves drug delivery by facilitating electroporation, thereby increasing intracellular concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents and reducing associated adverse effects. Furthermore, electroporation enhances sensitivity to electromagnetic hyperthermia. However, few studies have focused on the combination of electroporation and hyperthermia in melanoma models. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of intratumoral administration of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), electroporation (EP), and electromagnetic hyperthermia (EHP) on fluorescent melanoma tumors generated with the MV3-GFP cell line. Methods: Fluorescent melanoma tumors were generated using the MV3-GFP cell line. Treatments included SPIONs alone, SPIONs combined with hyperthermia, and SPIONs combined with electroporation and hyperthermia. Tumor size was monitored over 21 and 28 days. Results: SPIONs alone did not affect tumor growth (665 mm³). SPIONs plus hyperthermia reduced tumor size to 126.5 mm³ at day 21. The combination of SPIONs, electroporation, and hyperthermia produced a pronounced antitumoral effect, with tumor size decreasing to 95.5 mm³ at day 14 and 6.8 mm³ at day 21, followed by complete tumor disappearance by day 28. Electroporation significantly enhanced the antitumoral activity of the combined treatment. Conclusions: The combination of SPIONs, electroporation, and electromagnetic hyperthermia shows significant synergistic antitumoral activity in a melanoma model. These findings support further investigation in larger and more comprehensive in vivo studies to better understand the therapeutic potential of these combined approaches.

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Background: Cervical cancer (CC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, primarily driven by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types. Given that natural products with selective antitumour properties offer potential for novel therapies, we evaluated the cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and molecular effects of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) on HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) and nontumorigenic keratinocytes (HaCaT). Methods: Cells were exposed to a range of dilutions of CEO. Cell viability was determined by WST-1 and sulforhodamine B assays. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V/PI staining, caspase-3/8/9 activation, and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) loss by flow cytometry. Proliferation was measured using EdU incorporation, and senescence was measured by β-galactosidase activity. Genome-wide transcriptional changes and HPV E6/E7 oncogene expression were analysed by RNA-Seq and validated with qPCR. Results: CEO induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity and inhibited proliferation in cervical cancer cells, while HaCaT cells were significantly more resistant. Apoptosis was evidenced by Annexin V/PI positivity, activation of caspases -8, -9, and -3, and significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. No significant senescence induction was observed. Additionally, CEO also significantly downregulated HPV E6 / E7 oncogene expression in HeLa and SiHa cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed broad differential gene expression, including upregulation of stress and apoptosis-related genes and downregulation of proliferation, oxidative phosphorylation, and viral-related pathways. Conclusion: CEO exerts selective cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on cervical cancer cells by triggering mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and suppressing HPV oncogenes. These findings support CEO as a potential source of bioactive compounds for complementary strategies against HPV-related malignancies.