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Topic Review
Significance of Mitochondrial-Dysfunction in Cancer
       Mitochondria are semi-autonomous intracellular double membrane-bound organelles, which include an outer membrane, a highly folded inner membrane (crista), a matrix space surrounded by the inner membrane, and an inter-membrane space between the inner and outer membranes. Usually, a cell has hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, which can occupy up to 25% of the cellular cytoplasm. Mitochondria are a convergence point for glucose, glutamine, and lipid metabolism. The primary function of mitochondria is to support the TCA cycle and aerobic respiration by oxidative phosphorylation, generating ATP through the mitochondrial respiratory chain to fulfill the energy needs for cell survival. One unique feature of mitochondria is that they possess their own supercoiled, double-stranded circular genetic material called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that encodes rRNAs, tRNAs, and proteins essential for electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as their own genetic repair mechanisms. Mitochondrial biogenesis requires the coordinated expression of both mtDNA- and nuclear DNA-encoded genes. Thirteen proteins are encoded by mtDNA, while approximately 1000 mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, translated in the cytoplasm and transported into the mitochondria by a specific transport system. These two pools of proteins are required to maintain mitochondria as a cellular power hub and a signaling nexus that are essential for normal cell function. Defects in many of the mitochondrial components are causal for a multitude of cellular diseases. Of note, the reprogramming of cellular metabolism and the aberrant redox status have been heralded as major emerging hallmarks of neoplastic transformation. Overall, mitochondrial dysfunction caused by mtDNA mutations, malfunctioned TCA cycle enzymes, electron respiratory chain leakage and subsequent oxidative stress, and/or aberrant oncogenic and tumor suppressor signaling is known to alter cellular metabolic pathways, disrupt redox balance, and cause resistance to apoptosis and therapies that significantly contribute to the development of multiple types of human cancers. In the following sections, we will present current knowledge on these aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction pertaining to the pathologies of various forms of human malignancies.
  • 1.3K
  • 27 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori infection is a leading cause of gastric cancer, which is the second-most common cancer-related death in the world. The chronic inflammatory environment in the gastric mucosal epithelia during H. pylori infection stimulates intracellular signaling pathways, namely inflammatory signals, which may lead to the promotion and progression of cancer cells.
  • 1.3K
  • 25 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Carbon Fiber Implants in Orthopaedic Oncology
Carbon fiber offers numerous material benefits including reduced wear, high strength-to-weight ratio, a similar elastic modulus to that of bone, and high biocompatibility. Carbon fiber implants are increasingly used in multiple arenas within orthopaedic surgery, including spine, trauma, arthroplasty, and oncology. In the orthopaedic oncologic population, the radiolucency of carbon fiber facilitates post-operative imaging for tumor surveillance or recurrence, the monitoring of bony healing and union, and radiation mapping and delivery.
  • 1.3K
  • 12 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Exosomes and Extracellular Vesicles
Exosomes are endosome-derived nanovesicles produced by healthy as well as diseased cells. Their proteic, lipidic and nucleic acid composition is related to the cell of origin, and by vehiculating bioactive molecules they are involved in cell-to-cell signaling, both in healthy and pathologic conditions. Being nano-sized, non-toxic, biocompatible, scarcely immunogenic, and possessing targeting ability and organotropism, exosomes have been proposed as nanocarriers for their potential application in diagnosis and therapy. Among the different techniques exploited for exosome isolation, the sequential ultracentrifugation/ultrafiltration method seems to be the gold standard; alternatively, commercially available kits for exosome selective precipitation from cell culture media are frequently employed. To load a drug or a detectable agent into exosomes, endogenous or exogenous loading approaches have been developed, while surface engineering procedures, such as click chemistry, hydrophobic insertion and exosome display technology, allow for obtaining actively targeted exosomes. 
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Anatomical Resection
Anatomical resection (AR), described as systematic removal of a liver segment confined by tumor-bearing portal tributaries, may improve survival by reducing the risk of tumor recurrence compared with non-AR.
  • 1.3K
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Heat Shock Protein Family in Prostate Cancer
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are conserved molecular chaperones that have cytoprotective properties and are upregulated in response to multiple pathophysiological stresses induced by extensive stimulations, such as high temperature, hypoxia and infectious agents (bacterial and viral). HSPs are categorized into six subfamilies based on the molecular weight: HSP110, HSP90, HSP70, HSP40, small HSPs, as well as chaperonin families.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Dendritic Cell Extracellular Vesicles
Dendritic cells have a central role in starting and regulating immune functions in anticancer responses. The crosstalk of dendritic cells with tumors and other immune cell subsets is partly mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by both cell types and is multidirectional. In the case of dendritic cell EVs, the presence of stimulatory molecules and their ability to promote tumor antigen-specific responses, have raised interest in their uses as therapeutics vehicles.
  • 1.3K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Adipose Tissue and Metastatic Cascade
Obesity is a modern health problem that has reached pandemic proportions. It is an established risk factor for carcinogenesis, however, evidence for the contribution of adipose tissue to the metastatic behavior of tumors is also mounting. Over 90% of cancer mortality is attributed to metastasis and metastatic tumor cells must communicate with their microenvironment for survival. Many of the characteristics observed in obese adipose tissue strongly mirror the tumor microenvironment. Thus in the case of prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma, which are all located in close anatomical proximity to an adipose tissue depot, the adjacent fat provides an ideal microenvironment to enhance tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Adipocytes provide adipokines, fatty acids and other soluble factors to tumor cells whilst immune cells infiltrate the tumor microenvironment.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Jan 2021
Topic Review
CAR T Cell Locomotion in Solid Tumor Microenvironment
The promising outcomes of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies potentiates its capability in the fight against many cancers. Nevertheless, this immunotherapy modality needs significant improvements for the treatment of solid tumors. Researchers have incrementally identified limitations and constantly pursued better CAR designs. However, even if CAR T cells are armed with optimal killer functions, they must overcome and survive suppressive barriers imposed by the tumor microenvironment (TME). The ability of CAR T cells to efficiently migrate to the tumor site, infiltrate suppressive barriers, and survive the harsh TME represents a crucial prerequisite for carrying out the anti-tumor function.
  • 1.3K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Lung Cancer in Taiwan
Lung cancers are life-threatening malignancies that cause great healthcare burdens in Taiwan and worldwide. The 5-year survival rate for Taiwanese patients with lung cancer is approximately 29%, an unsatisfactorily low number that remains to be improved. 
  • 1.3K
  • 01 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Keep Calm and Carry on with Extra Centrosomes
Aberrations in the centrosome number and structure can readily be detected at all stages of tumor progression and are considered hallmarks of cancer. Centrosome anomalies are closely linked to chromosome instability and, therefore, are proposed to be one of the driving events of tumor formation and progression. This concept, first posited by Boveri over 100 years ago, has been an area of interest to cancer researchers.
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
ESR1 Mutations
The ESR1 gene located at 6q25.1–q25.2 encodes an ER and a ligand-activated transcription factor consisting of several domains involved in hormone binding.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in Children
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) represents a paradigm of precision medicine.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
State-of-the-Art of Glioblastoma Treatment
Glioblastoma is the most frequent and lethal primary tumor of the central nervous system. Through many years, research has brought various advances in glioblastoma treatment. Glioblastoma management is based on maximal safe surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with temozolomide. Bevacizumab has been added to the treatment arsenal for the recurrent scenario. Despite the great efforts in therapeutic research, glioblastoma management has suffered minimal changes, and the prognosis remains poor. Combined therapeutic strategies and delivery methods, including immunotherapy, synthetic molecules, natural compounds, and glioblastoma stem cell inhibition, may potentiate the standard of care therapy and represent the next step in glioblastoma management research.
  • 1.3K
  • 15 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Family
The signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family receptors are expressed on various immune cells and malignant plasma cells in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. In immune cells, most SLAM family molecules bind to themselves to transmit co-stimulatory signals through the recruiting adaptor proteins SLAM-associated protein (SAP) or Ewing’s sarcoma-associated transcript 2 (EAT-2), which target immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motifs in the cytoplasmic regions of the receptors. Notably, SLAMF2, SLAMF3, SLAMF6, and SLAMF7 are strongly and constitutively expressed on MM cells that do not express the adaptor proteins SAP and EAT-2.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Major Advances and Emerging Concepts of EPR-Enhancing Strategies
The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is dynamic and a phenomenon of tumor blood vessels, which is mostly dependent on blood flow. Animal models of solid tumors rich in blood flow demonstrated enhanced EPR effects. The strategies to enhance the EPR effect can be broadly classified into pharmacological and physical-based approaches.
  • 1.3K
  • 03 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Targeted Therapies for Vestibular Schwannoma
Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor that originates from Schwann cells in the vestibular component. Surgical treatment for VS has gradually declined, especially for small tumors. Gamma knife radiosurgery has become an accepted treatment for VS, with a high rate of tumor control. For neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated VS resistant to radiotherapy, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A/VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-targeted therapy (e.g., bevacizumab) may become the first-line therapy. A clinical trial using a VEGFR1/2 peptide vaccine was also conducted in patients with progressive NF2-associated schwannomas, which was the first immunotherapeutic approach for NF2 patients. Targeted therapies for the gene product of SH3PXD2A-HTRA1 fusion may be effective for sporadic VS. Several protein kinase inhibitors could be supportive to prevent tumor progression because merlin inhibits signaling by tyrosine receptor kinases and the activation of downstream pathways, including the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathways. Tumor-microenvironment-targeted therapy may be supportive for the mainstays of management. The tumor-associated macrophage is the major component of immunosuppressive cells in schwannomas. 
  • 1.3K
  • 26 May 2022
Topic Review
Cisplatin Resistance
Cisplatin (CDDP) is the drug of choice against different types of cancer. However, tumor cells can acquire resistance to the damage caused by cisplatin, generating genetic and epigenetic changes that lead to the generation of resistance and the activation of intrinsic resistance mechanisms in cancer cells. 
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Large Intestine Innervation during CRC
Colorectal cancer (CRC), classified as third most prevalent cancer worldwide, remains to be a clinical and research challenge. It is estimated that ~50% of CRC patients die from distant metastases. While, since the 1970s, the consensus is that tumors lack innervation, there are clear evidences of connections between the nervous system and cancer. CRC, as a tumor, possesses nerve fibres from peripheral nervous system (PNS), as part of its microenvironment, as well as axons from both branches of autonomic NS and primary sensory neurons. The structural-functional changes in enteric nervous system innervation of the tumor are important. A connection is suggested between nervous system dysfunctions and a range of neurotransmitters (Nts) (including neuropeptides, NPs), neurotrophins (Ntt) and their receptors in CRC liver metastasis (LM) development. More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms of communication between the neurons and tumor cells.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Photochemical Internalization
Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a further development of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this report, we describe PCI as a potential tool for cellular internalization of chemotherapeutic agents or antigens and systematically review the ongoing research. One Phase-I clinical trial has been conducted, and it demonstrated that PCI-mediated bleomycin treatment was safe and identified tolerable doses of the photosensitizer disulfonated tetraphenyl chlorin (TPCS2a). Likewise, PCI was pre-clinically shown to mediate major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation and generation of tumor-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T-lymphocytes (CTL) and cancer remission. A first clinical Phase I trial with the photosensitizer TPCS2a combined with human papilloma virus antigen (HPV) was recently completed and results are expected in 2020. Hence, photosensitizers and light can be used to mediate cytosolic delivery of endocytosed chemotherapeutics or antigens. While the therapeutic potential in cancer has been clearly demonstrated pre-clinically, further clinical trials are needed to reveal the true translational potential of PCI in humans.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Jun 2021
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