Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, based on autologous cells’ reprogramming to the embryonic state, is a new approach in regenerative medicine. Current advances in iPSC technology hav...

In the last 2 decades, a wide variety of studies have been conducted on epigenetics and its role in various cancers. A major mechanism of epigenetic regulation is DNA methylation, including aberran...

Recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after conventional treatments is a crucial challenge. Despite the promising progress in advanced targeted therapies, HCC is the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Radionuclide therapy can potentially be a practical targeted approach to address this concern. Rhenium-188 (¹⁸⁸Re) is a β-emitting radionuclide used in the clinic to induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation. Although adherent cell cultures are efficient and reliable, appropriate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) contact is still lacking. Thus, we herein aimed to assess ¹⁸⁸Re as a potential therapeutic component for HCC in 2D and 3D models. The death rate in treated Huh7 and HepG2 lines was significantly higher than in untreated control groups using viability assay. After treatment with ¹⁸⁸ReO₄, Annexin/PI data indicated considerable apoptosis induction in HepG2 cells after 48 h but not Huh7 cells. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting data also showed increased apoptosis in response to ¹⁸⁸ReO₄ treatment. In Huh7 cells, exposure to an effective dose of ¹⁸⁸ReO₄ led to cell cycle arrest in the G2 phase. Moreover, colony formation assay confirmed post-exposure growth suppression in Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Then, the immunostaining displayed proliferation inhibition in the ¹⁸⁸ReO₄-treated cells on 3D scaffolds of liver ECM. The PI3-AKT signaling pathway was activated in 3D culture but not in 2D culture. In nude mice, Huh7 cells treated with an effective dose of ¹⁸⁸ReO₄ lost their tumor formation ability compared to the control group. These findings suggest that ¹⁸⁸ReO₄ can be a potential new therapeutic agent against HCC through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and inhibition of tumor formation. This approach can be effectively combined with antibodies and peptides for more selective and personalized therapy.

Microchips and their Significance in Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells and Monitoring of Cancers Microchips;cancer;circulating tumor cells;monitoring; In micro-fluid systems, fluids are injected into extremely narrow polymer channels in small amounts such as micro-, nano-, or pico-liter scales. These channels themselves are embedded on tiny chips. Various specialized structures in the chips including pumps, valves, and channels allow the chips to accept different types of fluids to be entered the channel and along with flowing through the channels, exert their effects in the framework of different reactions. The chips are generally crystal, silicon, or elastomer in texture. These highly organized structures are equipped with discharging channels through which products as well as wastes of the reactions are secreted out. A particular advantage regarding the use of fluids in micro-scales over macro-scales lies in the fact that these fluids are much better processed in the chips when they applied as micro-scales. When the laboratory is miniaturized as a microchip and solutions are injected on a micro-scale, this combination makes a specialized construction referred to as