Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and highly metastatic breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options. Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a worse prognosis in those with TNBC. Moringa oleifera (moringa) is a tropical edible plant used for both food and medicinal purposes and found to have anti-obesity and anti-cancer effects in vitro and in preclinical models. The anti-cancer effects of moringa seed extract alone and in combination with chemotherapy were evaluated in immunocompromised female mice with diet-induced obesity bearing MDA-MB-231-derived xenograft tumors. Moringa supplementation protected against high-fat diet- and chemotherapy-induced increases in fasting glucose and improved insulin sensitivity. Moringa supplementation alone did not attenuate tumor growth relative to chemotherapy alone, and in combination worsened tumor progression. Moringa supplementation alone reduced angiogenesis, but this effect was abrogated in combination with chemotherapy. Moringa supplementation may be an effective strategy to improve metabolic health in mice with obesity and TNBC and reduce angiogenesis in tumors, but may have a negative interaction when used as a concurrent complementary therapy. Caution should be taken when considering the consumption of moringa seed extracts while receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment. Further investigations of alternative timings of moringa therapy are warranted.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis after recurrence of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poor, and effective salvage regimens are urgently needed.METHODS: In phase 1 and pilot studies, the authors evaluated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose‐limiting toxicities (DLTs) of a 5‐day course of cladribine followed by topotecan in pediatric patients with recurrent/refractory AML. The cladribine dose was escalated as follows: 9.1, 13.6, 16.3, and 19.5 mg/m² per day (8.9 mg/m² per day in the pilot study). Outcome was analyzed according to the absence (Stratum 1) versus presence (Stratum 2) of previous allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Twenty‐six patients (20 in Stratum 1 and 6 in Stratum 2) were treated.RESULTS: The MTD was not reached in Stratum 1, but a DLT occurred at the lowest cladribine dosage (9.1 mg/m² per day) in Stratum 2. Febrile neutropenia was common in both strata. Nine (34.6%) of 26 patients experienced a complete response, and 7 (30.4%) achieved a partial response; 5 (19.2%) were long‐term survivors at the time of last follow‒up. Clinical outcome was not associated with cladribine or topotecan systemic exposure.CONCLUSIONS: The combination was well tolerated in Sratum 1, and the response rate was encouraging. This regimen offers a postrecurrence treatment alternative for patients, especially those who have received anthracycline‐containing chemotherapy. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

Background: Race modifies the association between anthropometric measures of obesity and cancer risk. However, the degree to which abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and total fat mass (FM) are associated with cancer risk is not known. Methods: The sample included 3,017 White and 1,347 Black adults who were assessed between 1995 and 2016 and followed for outcome assessment through 2017. Abdominal VAT and FM were measured using imaging techniques. The co-primary endpoints were diagnosis of histologically confirmed invasive cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) or death from cancer. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models quantified the HR of incident cancer and cancer mortality. Results: There were 353 incident cancer cases and 75 cancer deaths in an average of 12.9 years of follow-up. Both VAT [HR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09–1.36] and FM (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.10–1.43) were significantly associated with incident cancer, while VAT (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.01–1.61) was significantly associated with cancer mortality after adjustment for several covariates. VAT remained significantly associated with cancer incidence (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03–1.46) after additional inclusion of FM in the multivariable model, but not vice versa. There were no significant sex- or race-interactions. Conclusions: VAT was associated with risk of cancer and cancer mortality in this cohort, and the associations did not differ by sex or race. The association between VAT and incident cancer was largely independent of total FM. Impact: Our results suggest that utility of anthropometry in assessing obesity-related cancer risk may need to be further refined by including more direct measures of adiposity.

I am planning a pre-clinical study to compare the effect of two active drug compounds on a metabolic biomarker. We will be using 8 mice in each group. Is this sample size considered to be small? Sample size is one of the critical considerations in various types of biomedical research. Whether it is a pre-clinical study, a randomized controlled clinical trial, or an epidemiological investigation, the size of the sample has profound implications for the reliability, validity, and generalizability of study findings. In fact, sample size is not only a key consideration that influences the study's statistical power and precision, but also determines the study's capacity to draw meaningful conclusions and to extend the findings to a broader context. Although the absolute size of a study may differ, the interpretation of a "small" sample size is contingent upon the unique characteristics of distinct study type, outcome measurement, and study design. This article primarily explores what factors potentially contribute to whether a study is considered as "small" in the context of conducting effective biomedical research, rather than delving deep into statistical methodologies for analyzing data with a limited number of observations.

Objectives: Arginine is an amino-acid supplement and precursor for nitric-oxide synthesis, which affects various biologic processes. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of arginine supplementation on growth hormone (GH) and metabolic parameters. Methods: Thirty physically active, healthy men (age 18-39 y; body mass index: 18.5-25 kg/m2) were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Arginine (10 g) and placebo (0 g) beverages were consumed after an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 1.5, 3.0, and 24 h after supplementation. The primary outcomes were serum GH and metabolomics. Also, amino acids, glucose, insulin, triacylglycerols, thyroid hormones, testosterone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and mood state were assessed. Individuals with detectable increases in GH were analyzed separately (responders: n = 16; < 0.05 ng/mL at 1.5 h). Repeated-measure analyses of variance estimated the treatment effects at each timepoint. Results: Arginine levels increased at 1.5 h (146%) and 3.0 h (95%; P <= 0.001) and GH (193%) and thyroid -stimulating hormone (TSH; 10%) levels at 24 h (P < 0.05) after arginine versus placebo consumption. Arginine versus placebo increased glucose levels at 1.5 h (5%) and 3.0 h (3%; P <= 0.001). Arginine versus placebo did not affect other dependent measures, including mood state (P > 0.05), but changes in the urea, glutamate, and citric-acid pathways were observed. Among responders, arginine versus placebo increased GH at 1.5 h (37%), glucose at 1.5 h (4%) and 3.0 h (4%), and TSH at 24 h (9%; P < 0.05). Responders had higher levels of benzoate metabolites at baseline and 1.5 h, and an unknown compound (X-16124) at baseline, 1.5 h, and 24 h that corresponds to a class of gut microbes (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Arginine supplementation modestly increased GH, glucose, and TSH levels in younger men. Responders had higher benzoate metabolites and an unknown analyte attributed to the gut microbiome. Future studies should examine whether the increased prevalence of these gut microorganisms corresponds with GH response after arginine supplementation. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.