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Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer and resistance to the conventional chemotherapy is the major cause for its poor prognosis. Metabolic perturbations leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species activate NRF2-dependent anti-oxidative responses to survive oxidative stress. This protective function of NRF2 is the primary cause for therapy resistance in cancer as anti-cancer agents such as BRAF inhibitors also induce NRF2-dependent antioxidative response. We had reported that type I interferons produced upon activation of STING, abrogates NRF2 function. Therefore, we investigated if STING agonists such as the newly developed dimeric aminobenzimidazole (diABZI) could sensitize melanoma cells to the clinically used BRAF inhibitors. Our results reveal that pharmacological activation of STING by diABZI, down regulates NRF2-dependent anti-oxidative responses and potentiates cell-death in melanoma cells when used in combination with BRAF inhibitors.

The antihyperglycemic effect of ethanolic extract of flowers of Musa sapientum (Musaceae), a herb (used in Indian folklore medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus) in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of the ethanolic extract showed significant (p < 0.001) blood glucose lowering effect at 200 mg/kg in alloxan induced diabetic rats (120 mg/kg, i.p.) and the extract was also found to significantly (p < 0.001) scavenge oxygen free radicals, viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and also protein, malondialdehyde and ascorbic acid in vivo. Musa sapientum induced blood sugar reduction may be due to possible inhibition of free radicals and subsequent inhibition of tissue damage induced by alloxan. The antidiabetic activity observed in this plant may be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, steroid and glycoside principles.

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