The aim of this study is to identify the genetic alteration in SPARC gene family and its association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Head and neck cancer is a set of cancerous lesions arising from the squamous cell of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, nose throat, larynx and pharynx. SPARC gene encodes for cysteine rich acid matrix metalloprotein, osteonectin whose expression in metastatic OSCC (Oral squamous cell carcinoma) was found to be higher. This expression pattern also correlated with the worst pattern of invasion and differentiation of OSCC tumors. In line with the above facts, the present study was carried out to ascertain the gene alterations and their consequences. Also the putative association of gene alterations with HNSCC was analyzed using computational tools. The Cancer Gene Atlas (TCGA, Firehose Legacy) dataset hosted by the cBioportal server was used in the present study. The non-synonymous variants identified were further assessed for protein stability and pathogenicity employing IMutant and PROVEAN tools. Gene amplification was observed in the FSTL1 gene, which was also shown to present with the highest frequency of gene alterations (5%) among eight genes. Furthermore, the expression of the FSTL1 gene was found to differ significantly among different grades of HNSCC. In conclusion, the study throws light on the possible association of the FSTL1 gene of the SPARC family with HNSCC.

Background: Prostate cancer has become a major health problem globally during the last few decades. It is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men worldwide and the fifth most common cancer overall. Chemotherapy or other cancer treatments including androgen depletion therapy, show high toxicity and cause serious side effects in cancer patients. Thus, there have been many studies conducted to find various natural products as potential anticancer drug candidates with low toxicity and fewer side effects for the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer. The Digera muricata of the genus Digera Forssk and family Amaranthaceae Juss. is a wild edible plant. The  presence  of  phenol,  flavonoids, alkaloids,  terpenes,  sterols,  tannins,  glycosides  and  lignins is seen in Digera muricata leaf extract, which are reported to have cytotoxic activities. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study is to assess the cytotoxic effects of Digera muricata leaf extract on prostate cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic potency of Digera muricata leaf extract was carried out by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assay against the prostate cancer (PC-3) cell line. PC-3 cells were treated with different concentrations of Digera muricata leaf extract (25-150μg/ml) for 24h. Furthermore, the morphological changes were analysed using phase contrast microscopy and nuclear morphological changes examined using DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining under the fluorescence microscopy Results: The MTT assay showed decreased cell vitality with increased concentration of Digera muricata leaf extract. The morphological study showed that the number of cells decreased after treatment and the cells exhibited cell shrinkage and cytoplasmic membrane blebbing. The treated cells also showed condensed chromatin and nuclear fragmentation Conclusion: Within the limits of this study it can be demonstrated that the leaf extract of Digera muricata were cytotoxic and induced apoptosis to the cancer cells.