Research Articles (Basic Medical Sciences)
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Item Open Access Chronic diseases of lifestyle: A risk assessment and health promotion framework for a rural and urban primary health care setting in the Free State province, South Africa(MDPI, 2024) van Zyl, Sanet; Kruger, Willem H.; Walsh, Corinna M.๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of global mortality. The WHO projects a rise in NCD-related deaths from 36 million in 2018 to 55 million by 2030, with developing countries being the most affected. Effective community-based primary health care (PHC) can reduce the burden of chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDLs). This study aimed to develop a risk assessment and health promotion framework to strengthen CDL prevention and control in Free State (FS) communities in South Africa. ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ๐: A convergent mixed-method design was used. Quantitative analysis identified CDL risk factors in rural and urban FS settings, while qualitative focus group discussions explored participantsโ knowledge of CDLs and their experiences with program implementation. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐: Key findings highlighted differences in risk profiles, CDL training needs for PHC teams, patient education gaps, and curriculum development. Step 1 of the framework development identified differences and similarities in the CDL risk profiles of the study populations. Step 2 identified CDL training needs for PHC teams, patient educational needs, and CDL curriculum development needs. Step 3 revealed three main barriers: resource constraints, patient non-compliance, and the lack of supporting healthcare services. In Step 4, the six focus areas identified (steps 1โ3) were used to develop strategies for implementing a tailored, community-based, patient-centred approach. ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: The results provide valuable insights for improving PHC responses in resource-limited settings.Item Open Access Combination treatment with EGFR inhibitor and doxorubicin synergistically inhibits proliferation of MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells In Vitro(MDPI, 2024) Abrahams, Beynon; Gerber, Anthonie; Hiss, Donavon C.The role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in tumor progression and survival is often underplayed. Its expression and/or dysregulation is associated with disease advancement and poor patient outcome as well as drug resistance in breast cancer. EGFR is often overexpressed in breast cancer and particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which currently lacks molecular targets. We examined the synergistic potential of an EGFR inhibitor (EGFRi) in combination with doxorubicin (Dox) in estrogen-positive (ER+) MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell lines. The exposure of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 to EGFRi produced an ICโ โโ of 6.03 ยตM and 3.96 ยตM, respectively. Dox induced MDA-MB-231 (ICโ โ 9.67 ยตM) and MCF-7 (ICโ โ 1.4 ยตM) cytotoxicity. Combinations of EGFRi-Dox significantly reduced the ICโ โ in MCF-7 (0.46 ยตM) and MBA-MB 231 (0.01 ยตM). Synergistic drug interactions in both cell lines were confirmed using the Bliss independence model. Pro-apoptotic Caspase-3/7 activation occurred in MCF-7 at 0.1โ10 ยตM of EGFRi and Dox single treatments, whilst 1 ฮผM Dox yielded a more potent effect on MDA-MB-231. EGFRi and Dox individually and in combination downregulated the EGFR gene expression in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (p < 0.001). This study demonstrates EGFRiโs potential for eliciting synergistic interactions with Dox, causing enhanced growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, and downregulation of EGFR in both cell lines.Item Open Access Moringa oleifera and autophagy: evidence from in vitro studies on chaperone-mediated autophagy in HepGโ Cancer cells(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023) Bopape, Matlola; Tiloke, Charlette; Ntsapi, ClaudiaHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer in Sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa (SA). Given the limitations in current HCC therapeutics, there is an increasing need for alternative adjuvant therapeutic options. As such, several cell survival mechanisms, such as autophagy, have been identified as potential adjuvant therapeutic targets in HCC treatment. Of the three most established autophagic pathways, the upregulation of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) has been extensively described in various cancer cells, including HCC cells. CMA promotes tumor growth and chemotherapeutic drug resistance, thus contributing to HCC tumorigenesis. Therefore, the modulation of CMA serves as a promising adjuvant target for current HCC therapeutic strategies. Phytochemical extracts found in the medicinal plant, Moringa oleifera (MO), have been shown to induce apoptosis in numerous cancer cells, including HCC. MO leaves have the greatest abundance of phytochemicals displaying anticancer potential. However, the potential interaction between the pro-apoptotic effects of MO aqueous leaf extract and the survival-promoting role of CMA in an in vitro model of HCC remains unclear. This review aims to summarize the latest findings on the role of CMA, and MO in the progression of HCC.