After the global panic created by COVID-19, the monkeypox (Mpox) virus emerged as a new challenge for the world population. As of 19 January 2023, a total of 84,733 cases across 110 countries/territories including 80 deaths has been reported. The virus has been transmitted to nonendemic countries in a short span of 6 months warranting WHO to declare Mpox, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 23 July 2022. As the Mpox virus is crossing geographical boundaries without established transmission patterns, there is an urgent need for new scientific strategies from global researchers to contain it before turning into the next pandemic. The control of Mpox outbreaks primarily relies on various public health measures such as proper surveillance, contact tracing, rapid diagnosis, isolation and care of patients, and vaccination. At present, there are three vaccines viz. ACAM2000, MVABN, and LC16 are in consideration and have been approved in several jurisdictions for ongoing Mpox outbreak. Prioritization of individuals along with the production of specific Mpox vaccine is need of the hour to meet out the global demand of Mpox vaccination.

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Background: Breast cancer is an important problem in human females and therapies used for treatment often found to produce side effects. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Saussurea costus root extract (SC) against metastatic breast cancer to the lungs. Methods: The anti-neoplastic activity of SC extract was assessed by calculating the % cytotoxicity on Leydig cell testicular tumour cells-540 (LC-540). The anti-metastatic effect of SC extract at 3 different doses (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg BW) for a period of 18 weeks against 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) induced mammary tumours in Sprague Dawley (SD) female rats was studied through radiography, gross lesion scoring, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (MMP-9). Result: SC extract exhibited the highest anti-neoplastic activity in a time and concentration-dependent manner. After 72 h of duration SC extract exhibited highest anti-neoplastic activity at 200 μg of concentration. On radiological and gross pathological examination, the inhibition of metastases was maximal in the rats treated with highest dose of the extract as compared with only DMBA treated group. The histopathological changes and immunohistochemical expression of metastases marker MMP-9 in lung tissue were more severe in the rats treated with DMBA only and were reduced in the groups treated with SC extract in a dose-dependent manner. SC extract has potential anti-neoplastic activity and prevents the rate of metastases from mammary tumours to lungs. Further research in exploring the possible therapeutic usage of SC extract against various neoplastic conditions is warranted.

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