Inhibition of Oral Fibrinogenesis Through Transforming Growth Factor-Beta/SMAD2/3 Signalling Inhibition Using...

Area of Science:

• Oral pathology
• Natural product chemistry
• Fibrosis research

Background:

• Areca nut chewing causes oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a pre-cancerous condition prevalent in Southeast Asia.
• Tobacco use exacerbates malignant transformation risk in OSF patients.
• Mangosteen pericarp extract is investigated for its therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the anti-fibrosis effects of mangosteen pericarp extract on OSF.
• To assess its potential in preventing malignant transformation of OSF cells.

Main Methods:

• Ex vivo study on normal and fibrotic buccal mucosal fibroblasts.
• Cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, and migration assays.
• Gene expression analysis of TGF-β/Smad2 pathway, α-SMA, and type I collagen via real-time PCR.

Main Results:

• Mangosteen extract demonstrated higher cytotoxicity towards fibrotic cells than normal cells.
• Downregulation of TGF-β/Smad2 signaling pathway observed.
• Reduced expression of α-SMA and type I collagen in treated cells.

Conclusions:

• Mangosteen pericarp extract exhibits anti-fibrosis properties.
• It shows potential in preventing oral fibrogenesis and halting malignant transformation in OSF.