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Topic Review
Treatment of irAE Colitis
Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment has shown revolutionary therapeutic effects in various carcinomas. However, immune-related adverse events (irAE) following the treatment can sometimes lead to treatment discontinuation. One such frequently encountered adverse event is immune-related colitis (irAE colitis). Corticosteroids (CS) are the first-line treatment for irAE colitis, but we often encounter CS-refractory or resistant cases. Application of multiple biologics has been proposed as a therapeutic drug to be administered after CS treatment; however, the efficacy and safety of biologics for patients with irAE colitis who do not respond to CS have not been established. The treatment regimens available for irAE colitis is summarized, focusing on the mechanism of action of corticosteroids, infliximab, vedolizumab, and other drugs.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Peptide Drug Conjugates in Cancer Therapy
Drug conjugates have become a significant focus of research in the field of targeted medicine for cancer treatments. Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), a subset of drug conjugates, are composed of carrier peptides ranging from 5 to 30 amino acid residues, toxic payloads, and linkers that connect the payload to the peptide. PDCs are further broken down into cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and cell-targeting peptides (CTPs), each having their own differences in the delivery of cytotoxic payloads. Generally, PDCs as compared to other drug conjugates—like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)—have advantages in tumor penetration, ease of synthesis and cost, and reduced off-target effects. Further, as compared to traditional cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy and radiation), PDCs have higher specificity for the target cancer with generally less toxic side effects in smaller doses. 
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Melatonin in the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process taking place during carcinogenesis. The phenotypic changes include the acquisition of new properties such as increased motility and polarity, leading to invasiveness and the formation of metastasis and chemo- and radioresistance. During the process, epithelial markers are lost whilst mesenchymal markers are overexpressed. EMT-related transcription factors are induced and multiple signaling pathways are activated. Several microRNAs are altered during the transition. Many of these molecules are regulated by melatonin, the pineal hormone, thus behaving as an inhibitor of the EMT in cancer progression. 
  • 1.4K
  • 12 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Gut and Intratumoral Microbiomes in Tumor Metastasis
Cancer cell dissemination involves invasion, migration, resistance to stressors in the circulation, extravasation, colonization, and other functions responsible for macroscopic metastases. By enhancing invasiveness, motility, and intravasation, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process promotes the generation of circulating tumor cells and their collective migration. Preclinical and clinical studies have documented intensive crosstalk between the gut microbiome, host organism, and immune system. According to the findings, polymorphic microbes might play diverse roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and therapy response. Microbial imbalances and changes in the levels of bacterial metabolites and toxins promote cancer progression via EMT and angiogenesis. In contrast, a favorable microbial composition, together with microbiota-derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), can attenuate the processes of tumor initiation, disease progression, and the formation of distant metastases.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Apr 2024
Topic Review
Ionizing Radiation and Complex DDR
Ionizing radiation is a common tool in medical procedures. Monte Carlo (MC) techniques are widely used when dosimetry is the matter of investigation. The scientific community has invested, over the last 30 years, a lot of effort into improving the knowledge of radiation biology. 
  • 1.4K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Intrinsically Fluorescent Anti-Cancer Drugs
About one-third of the total protein targets in the pharmaceutical research sector are kinase-based. While kinases have been attractive targets to combat many diseases, including cancer, selective kinase inhibition has been challenging, because of the high degree of structural homology in the active site where many kinase inhibitors bind. Spectroscopic approaches such as infrared, Raman, NMR and fluorescence have the potential to provide significant insights into drug-target and drug-non-target interactions because of sensitivity to molecular environment. 
  • 1.4K
  • 25 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Salt-Tolerant Plants for Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Halophytes and xerophytes, plants with adequate tolerance to high salinity with strong ability to survive in drought ecosystem, have been recognized for their nutritional and medicinal values owing to their comparatively higher productions of secondary metabolites, primarily the phenolics, and the flavonoids, as compared to the normal vegetation in other climatic regions. Given the consistent increases in desertification around the world, which are associated with increasing salinity, high temperature, and water scarcity, the survival of halophytes due to their secondary metabolic contents has prioritized these plant species, which have now become increasingly important for environmental protection, land reclamation, and food and animal-feed security, with their primary utility in traditional societies as sources of drugs. On the medicinal herbs front, because the fight against cancer is still ongoing, there is an urgent need for development of more efficient, safe, and novel chemotherapeutic agents, than those currently available.
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Locally Advanced Head, Neck Cancers
Locally advanced head and neck cancer is a unique challenge for cancer management in the Covid-19 situation. The negative consequences of delaying radio-chemotherapy treatment make it necessary to prioritize these patients, the continuation of radiotherapy being indicated even if SARS-CoV-2 infection is confirmed in the case of patients with moderate and mild symptoms.
  • 1.4K
  • 01 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Anticancer Potential of Furanocoumarins
       Cancer is one of the most extreme medical conditions in both developing and developed countries around the world, causing millions of deaths each year. Chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are key for treatment approaches, but both have numerous adverse health effects. Furthermore, the resistance of cancerous cells to anticancer medication leads to treatment failure. The rising burden of cancer overall requires novel efficacious treatment modalities. Natural medications offer feasible alternative options against malignancy in contrast to western medication.        This review highlights the potential for furanocoumarins to be clinically beneficial in cancer, particularly given their specificity to tumor cells (while sparing normal cells). In vitro investigations have shown that furanocoumarins affect a range of cellular mechanisms, such as apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest. ER stress induction mainly caused by NF-κB inactivation, PI3K/Akt inhibition, and p53 modulation. Furanocoumarins are also effective in different MDR cancers that are the main cause of anticancer therapeutics failure.       Compounds in this class have also have been shown to positively synergize with commonly used anticancer drugs. The fast absorption of furanocoumarins from food into the human bloodstream is also noteworthy.  Furanocoumarins, by inhibiting CYP P450 3A4, not only have anticancer properties but also when co-administered with a low bioavailability anticancer compound can increase oral bioavailability. To date, most focus has been on in vitro studies, making it hard to reach solid conclusions on the efficacy of furanocoumarins in vivo.       Nonetheless, studies aimed at characterizing furanocoumarin’s efficacy in vivo as well as clinical studies are encouraging, supporting the need for future studies to better characterize furanocoumarin’s potential as efficacious anticancer treatment modalities.
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Smoothened-Dependent/-Independent Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
The Hedgehog (Hh)-glioma-associated oncogene homolog (GLI) signaling pathway is highly conserved among mammals, with crucial roles in regulating embryonic development as well as in cancer initiation and progression. The GLI transcription factors (GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3) are effectors of the Hh pathway and are regulated via Smoothened (SMO)-dependent and SMO-independent mechanisms. The SMO-dependent route involves the common Hh-PTCH-SMO axis, and mutations or transcriptional and epigenetic dysregulation at these levels lead to the constitutive activation of GLI transcription factors. Conversely, the SMO-independent route involves the SMO bypass regulation of GLI transcription factors by external signaling pathways and their interacting proteins or by epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of GLI transcription factors expression. Both routes of GLI activation, when dysregulated, have been heavily implicated in tumorigenesis of many known cancers, making them important targets for cancer treatment. 
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Novel Selective RET Inhibitors
RET-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) pralsetinib and selpercatinib, are effective against the RET V804L/M gatekeeper mutants. However, adaptive mutations that cause resistance at the solvent front RET G810 residue have been found, pointing to the need for the development of the next-generation of RET-specific TKIs. 
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Tumor Cells with Macrophages
The biological nature of the various populations of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) within the blood is still not well understood. Tumor cell fusion with immune cells is a longstanding hypothesis that has caught more attention in recent times. Specifically, fusion of tumor cells with macrophages might lead to the development of metastasis by acquiring features such as genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity, chemotherapeutic resistance, and immune tolerance. A unique circulating cell population has been identified as being potential fusions cells, characterized by distinct, large, polymorphonuclear cancer-associated cells with a dual epithelial and macrophage phenotype. Artificial fusion of tumor cells with macrophages leads to migratory, invasive, and metastatic phenotypes. Further studies might investigate whether these have a potential impact on the immune response towards the cancer. Such fusion cells could be a key component in cancer metastasis, and therefore, evolve as a diagnostic and therapeutic target in cancer precision medicine.
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
ERK/MAPK Pathway in Gastric Cancer
Gastric Cancer (GC) is turning out today to be one of the most important welfare issues for both Asian and European countries. Indeed, while the vast majority of the disease burden is located in China and in Pacific and East Asia, GC in European countries still account for about 100.000 deaths per year. With this review article, we aimed to focus the attention on one of the most complex cellular pathways involved in GC proliferation, invasion, migration and metastasis: the MAP Kinases. Such large kinases family is to date constantly studied, since their discovery more than 30 years ago, due to the important role that it plays in the regulation of physiological and pathological processes. Interactions with other cellular proteins as well as miRNAs and lncRNAs may modulate their expression influencing the cellular biological features. Here, we summarize the most important and recent studies involving MAPK in GC. At the same time, we need to underlie that, differently from cancers arising from other tissues, where MAPK pathways seems to be a gold target for anticancer therapies, GC seems to be unique in any aspect. Our aim is to review the current knowledge in MAPK pathways alterations leading to GC, including H. pylori MAPK-triggering to derail from gastric normal epithelium to GC and to encourage researches involved in MAPK signal transduction, that seems to definitely sustain GC development.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Current Challenges in Breast Implantation
Breast implantation (BI) is the most common plastic surgery worldwide performed among women. Generally, BI is performed both in aesthetic and oncoplastic procedures. 
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Breast-Conserving Surgery
Breast-conserving surgery’s main goal is to fully remove the tumor with clear margins, while avoiding resection of healthy breast tissue in order to achieve better cosmetic results. 
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Multiplex Tissue Imaging
Multiplex spatial analysis methods have recently been developed; these have offered insight into how cellular crosstalk dynamics and heterogeneity affect cancer prognoses and responses to treatment. Multiplex (imaging) technologies and computational analysis methods allow for the spatial visualization and quantification of cell–cell interactions and properties. These technological advances allow for the discovery of cellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment and provide detailed single-cell information on properties that define cellular behavior.
  • 1.4K
  • 08 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of membranous cell-derived structures, including cargo-oriented exosomes and microvesicles. EVs are functionally associated with intercellular communication and play an essential role in multiple physiopathological conditions. Shedding of EVs is frequently increased in malignancies and their content, including proteins and nucleic acids, altered during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. EVs-mediated intercellular communication between tumor cells and between tumor and stromal cells can modulate, through cargo miRNA, the survival, progression, and drug resistance in cancer conditions. These consolidated suggestions and EVs’ stability in bodily fluids have led to extensive investigations on the potential employment of circulating EVs-derived miRNAs as tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic vehicles. 
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Cutting-Edge: Preclinical and Clinical Development of Opdualag
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized medical practice in oncology since the FDA approval of the first ICI 11 years ago. In light of this, Lymphocyte-Activation Gene 3 (LAG-3) is one of the most important next-generation immune checkpoint molecules, playing a similar role as Programmed cell Death protein 1 (PD-1) and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4). 19 LAG-3 targeting molecules are being evaluated at 108 clinical trials which are demonstrating positive results, including promising bispecific molecules targeting LAG-3 simultaneously with other ICIs. Recently, a new dual anti-PD-1 (Nivolumab) and anti-LAG-3 (Relatimab) treatment developed by Bristol Myers Squibb (Opdualag), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first LAG-3 blocking antibody combination for unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This novel immunotherapy combination more than doubled median progression-free survival (PFS) when compared to nivolumab monotherapy (10.1 months versus 4.6 months).
  • 1.4K
  • 10 Aug 2022
Topic Review
PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK Pathways in Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with more than 1 million cases diagnosed every year. Helicobacter pylori represents the main risk factor, being responsible for 78% of the cases. Increased amounts of salt, pickled food, red meat, alcohol, smoked food, and refined sugars negatively affect the stomach wall, contributing to GC development.
  • 1.4K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
14-3-3σ and Its Modulators
14-3-3σ is an acidic homodimer protein with more than one hundred different protein partners associated with oncogenic signaling and cell cycle regulation. 
  • 1.4K
  • 18 May 2021
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