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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
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
Oral Microbiota in Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis in Children
The perturbation of the diversity and proportions of species within the oral microbiota leads to dysbiosis and associated increased risk of local and systemic diseases. In children who receive chemotherapy for cancer, oral mucositis is a common and painful side effect that decreases quality of life (QoL) and treatment adherence. The oral microbiota undergoes a substantial dysbiosis as an effect of cancer and its treatment, characterized by lower richness and less diversity. Furthermore, this dysbiosis seems to promote pro-inflammatory cytokine release and pro-apoptotic mediators, enhancing the oral tissue damage. Further studies on the role of the oral microbiota in the pathogenesis of oral mucositis should be performed among children with cancer who receive chemotherapy, to find preventive and protective factors against the pathogenesis of oral mucositis.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Apr 2022
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
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Many people still die of lung cancer (LC), a disease that is mainly related to cigarette smoking. Smokers may also develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a risk factor per se for LC. Cigarette smoking and other chemicals injure DNA on a daily basis. A repair mechanism based on PARP-1 and PARP-2 activity can restore damaged DNA to keep cells alive. However, cancer cells also take advantage of this mechanism to survive. Fifteen LC-COPD and 15 LC patients were enrolled in this study to elucidate whether COPD influences DNA damage-dependent PARP activity in lung tumors. DNA damage, PARP activity, PARP-1 and PARP-2 expression were analyzed in tumor and non-tumor lungs obtained during surgical resection of the lung tumors. DNA damage and PARP activity were increased only in tumors in LC-COPD patients. However, PARP-1 and PARP-2 expression decreased in tumors of both patient groups. LC patients with COPD may benefit from PARP inhibitor therapies.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Anti-Cancer and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Black Garlic
Black garlic (BG) is a fermented form of garlic (Allium sativum L.), produced at precisely defined temperatures, humidities, and time periods. Although garlic has been used for thousands of years, black garlic is a relatively new discovery. There are many bioactive compounds in black garlic that give it medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Cholic Acid
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays a crucial role in cell invasion and cancer metastasis. In this study, we showed that cholic acid (CA), a major primary bile acid, can induce MMP-9 expression in colon cancer HT29 and SW620 cells. CA increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and also activated phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK. Specific inhibitors and mutagenesis studies showed that ERK1/2 and JNK functioned as upstream signals in the activation of AP-1, and p38 MAPK functioned as an upstream signal in the activation of NF-κB. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, an ROS scavenger) and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor) inhibited CA-induced activation of ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK, indicating that ROS production by NADPH oxidase could be the furthest upstream signal in MMP-9 expression. Colon cancer cells pretreated with CA showed remarkably enhanced invasiveness. Such enhancement was partially abrogated by MMP-9-neutralizing antibodies. These results demonstrate that CA could induce MMP-9 expression via ROS-dependent ERK1/2, JNK-activated AP-1, and p38-MAPK-activated NF-κB signaling pathways, which in turn stimulate cell invasion in human colon cancer cells.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Oct 2020
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
Hormone Therapy for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer and the second deadliest cancer among men in the United States, which is mainly due to metastatic disease. In general, surgery or radiation is potentially a curative treatment for localized disease. Since PCa is characterized as a typical androgen-dependent disease, hormone therapy (i.e., androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)) is the most effective therapy to control metastatic disease. However, almost all patients eventually develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) within 12 to 18 months, with a median survival of 14 to 26 months. Nowadays, new anti-androgens (Enzalutamide or Abiraterone), radiotherapy (Radium-223) or immunotherapy (sipuleucel-T) have been approved for metastatic CRPC (mCRPC) patients to prolong the overall survival. Inevitably, mCRPC further acquires resistance and becomes therapy- and castration-resistant PCa (t-CRPC), which is considered as an end-stage disease without effective therapy, and on which new therapeutic strategies have been actively explored.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Aug 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
immunotherapeutic approaches of Prostate Cancer
The clinical spectrum of prostate cancer (PCa) varies from castration-naive to metastatic castration-resistant disease. Despite the administration of androgen synthesis inhibitors and chemotherapy regimens for castration-resistant prostate cancer, the treatment options for this entity are limited. The utilization of the immune system against cancer cells shows potential as a therapeutic modality for various solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. With technological advances over the last decade, immunotherapy has become an integral treatment modality for advanced solid tumors. The feasibility of immunotherapy has shown promise for patients with PCa, and with advances in molecular diagnostic platforms and our understanding of immune mechanisms, immunotherapy is reemerging as a potential treatment modality for PCa. Various combinations of individualized immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blockers with androgen receptor-targeted therapies and conventional cytotoxic agents show promise. This article will review the current status of immunotherapy, including new discoveries and precision approaches for PCa, and discuss future directions in the continuously evolving landscape of immunotherapy.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Strategies for Identification of Neoantigens
This entry provides an overview of currently available approaches applied for neoantigens discovery—tumor-specific peptides that appeared due to the mutation process and distinguish tumors from normal tissues. Focusing on genomics-based approaches and computational pipelines, we cover all steps required for selecting appropriate candidate peptides starting from NGS-derived data. Moreover, additional approaches such as mass-spectrometry-based and structure-based methods are discussed highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. This review also provides a description of available complex bioinformatics pipelines ensuring automated data processing resulting in a list of neoantigens. We propose the possible ideal pipeline that could be implemented in the neoantigens identification process. We discuss the integration of results generated by di erent approaches to improve the accuracy of neoantigens selection.
  • 1.3K
  • 08 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human cancer worldwide, and is a subtype of nonmelanoma skin cancer, characterized by a constantly increasing incidence due to an aging population and widespread sun exposure. Although the mortality from BCC is negligible, this tumor can be associated with significant morbidity and cost.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Ultrasound for the Characterization of Renal Masses
Ultrasound is a widely available, approachable, and relatively inexpensive imaging modality that allows for real-time evaluation of a suspected renal mass without the drawbacks of ionizing radiation and the risk of an MRI. CEUS has several advantages over traditional grayscale ultrasound in the characterization of indeterminate renal masses. It has a distinct value in the characterization of cystic renal masses and has the potential to differentiate benign from malignant renal masses to some extent. Ultrasound molecular imaging could potentially be an extension of the use of CEUS for serial disease monitoring and longitudinal assessment of treatment response, though it remains in preclinical stages of development at this time. While emerging micro-Doppler techniques and elastography have shown some encouraging applications, current evidence is limited, and neither is ready for widespread clinical use.
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Landscape
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15–20% of all breast cancers and is characterized by an aggressive nature and a high rate of recurrence despite neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy. Although novel agents are constantly being introduced for the treatment of breast cancer, conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy based on anthracyclines and taxanes is the mainstay treatment option for TNBC. Based on CTNeoBC pooled analysis data, the achievement of pathologic CR (pCR) in TNBC is directly linked to improved survival outcomes. Therefore, the treatment paradigm for early TNBC has shifted to neoadjuvant treatment, and the escalation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to improve the pCR rate and the addition of post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy to control the residual disease have been investigated. 
  • 1.3K
  • 25 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Involved in Transcription Factors
Transcription factors involve many proteins in the process of transactivating or transcribing (none-) encoded DNA to initiate and regulate downstream signals, such as RNA polymerase. Their unique characteristic is that they possess specific domains that bind to specific DNA element sequences called enhancer or promoter sequences. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cancer progression.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Rectal Cancer
Locally advanced rectal cancer represents a major health problem. Recently, the important results obtained with RAPIDO and PRODIGE 23 trials have changed the treatment algorithm of this disease.
  • 1.3K
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Capecitabine in Head and Neck Cancers
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are the sixth most common malignancies in the world, with more than 500,000 new cases occurring each year. Capecitabine, an oral pro-drug that is metabolized to 5-FU, the use of capecitabine has been evaluated in many trials including cases diagnosed in recurrent or metastatic settings. Induction regimens or a combination with radiation therapy were evaluated in head and neck cancers, but 5-FU still remained the fluoropyrimidine used as a part of the current therapeutic standard.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Amygdalin as a Promising Anticancer Agent
Amygdalin, also known as vitamin B17 (and laetrile, a synthetic compound), is a cyanogenic glycoside compound that is mainly found in the kernels and pulps of fruits. This compound has been proposed for decades as a promising naturally occurring substance which may provide anticancer effects.
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Cholesterol Metabolism in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is a highly lethal adult brain tumor with no effective treatments. 
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Aug 2021
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