The heterogeneous and dynamic tumor microenvironment has significant impact on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, drug response, and is probably associated with entering dormancy and recurrence. However, these complex settings are hard to recapitulate in vitro. In this study, we mimic different restriction forces that tumor cells are exposed to using a physiologically relevant 3D model with tunable mechanical stiffness. Breast cancer MDA-MB-231, colon cancer HCT-116 and pancreatic cancer CFPAC cells embedded in the stiffer gels exhibit a changed morphology and cluster formation, prolonged doubling time, and a slower metabolism rate, recapitulating the pathway from competency to dormancy. Altering environmental restriction allows them to re-enter and exit dormant conditions and change their sensitivities to drugs such as paclitaxol and gemcitabine. Cells surviving drug treatments can still regain competent growth and form tumors in vivo. We have successfully developed an in vitro 3D model to mimic the effects of matrix restriction on tumor cells and this high throughput model can be used to study tumor cellular functions and their drug responses in their different states. This all in one platform may aid effective drug development.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an amphipathic molecule widely used as a solvent for water-insoluble substances, cryopreserving, and cell-biological therapies. It has known properties as an inducer of cellular differentiation, a free radical scavenger, and a radioprotectant. In addition, DMSO is used for its various therapeutic and pharmaceutical properties, such as anti-inflammatory, local and systemic analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and membrane penetration enhancement agents. DMSO treatment can be given orally, intravenously, or topically for a wide range of indications. The administration of DMSO exhibits favorable outcomes in human eye diseases with low to none observed ocular or systemic ocular toxicity. Nevertheless, DMSO is an essential and nonpatentable potential therapeutic agent that remains underexplored and ignored by pharmaceutical developers and ophthalmologists. This current review takes data from experimental and clinical studies that have been published to substantiate the potential therapeutic efficacy of DMSO and stimulate the research of its application in clinical ophthalmology. Given that DMSO is inexpensive, safe, and easily formulated into therapeutic medicinal products and conventional ophthalmological drugs, this compound should be further explored and studied in the treatment of a variety of acute and chronic ocular disorders.

The pandemic of novel coronavirus caused COVID-19 had resulted in a high number of hospitalizations and deaths and caused a devastating toll on human and society health. The symptoms of the infected patients vary significantly, from life-threatening to mild or even asymptomatic. This clinical observation led to hypothesize on the critical role of host innate immunity in the disease development and progression. As the first defense barrier against microorganisms, the innate immune reaction determines not only the viral infection rate but also immune-mediated response. Therefore, promote healthy behaviors to enhance innate immunity with functional food and nutritional agents may be a rational strategy for minimizing damages caused by viruses to global health.

One of the major hallmarks of many cancer cells is dedifferentiated cells (immature cells) with little or no resemblance to normal cells. Besides the poor differentiation, malignant cells also have important features such as aggressiveness and resistance to different therapeutics. Differentiation potentiators hold great promise for cancer treatment. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a well-characterized pharmaceutical solvent. It is used as a component of numerous cancer therapeutic approaches, including cancer treatment and several approved cancer immune therapeutics such as Car-T cell therapy and the FDA-approved drug Mekinist (trametinib DMSO) for melanoma treatment. It is also biologically recognized as a pharmaceutical solvent and cryoprotectant. In the current literature, there are no mentions of DMSO’s possible ability to potentiate therapeutic activity as a component of these cancer treatments. This review aimed to summarize scientific evidence and substantiate the concept that DMSO can contribute positively to the overall efficacy of cancer treatment as an adjuvant that is safe, inexpensive, and an effective differentiation-inducing therapeutic agent.

Fenbendazole is a benzimidazole anthelmintic agent commonly used to treat animal parasitic infections. In humans, other benzimidazoles, such as mebendazole and albendazole, are used as antiparasitic agents. Since fenbendazole is not currently approved by the FDA or EMA, its pharmacokinetics and safety in humans have yet to be well-documented in medical literature. Despite this, insights can be drawn from existing in vitro and in vivo animal studies on its pharmacokinetics. Given the low cost of fenbendazole, its high safety profile, accessibility, and unique anti-proliferative activities, fenbendazole would be the preferred benzimidazole compound to treat cancer. To ensure patient safety in the repurposing use of fenbendazole, it is crucial to perform clinical trials to assess its potential anticancer effects, optimal doses, therapeutic regimen, and tolerance profiles. This review focuses on the pharmacokinetics of orally administered fenbendazole and its promising anticancer biological activities, such as inhibiting glycolysis, down-regulating glucose uptake, inducing oxidative stress, and enhancing apoptosis in published experimental studies. Additionally, we evaluated the toxicity profile of fenbendazole and discussed possibilities for improving the bioavailability of the drug, enhancing its efficacy, and reducing potential toxicity.