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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
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
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
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
ECM Remodeling in Tumor Microenvironment
Tumorigenesis is characterized by an uncontrolled proliferation of cells that have usually undergone genetic mutations due to hereditary, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Cancer progression, persistent inflammation of the surrounding tissue, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling are three highly interconnected processes. Indeed, a multifaceted network of inflammatory signals produced by cancer cells and innate immune cells recruited in the tumor microenvironment (TME) induce changes in the surrounding stroma that, in turn, influence the homeostasis of ECM, creating a “cancerized” microenvironment that supports tumor growth and metastasis. The ECM represents a well-organized and heterogeneous network of macromolecules that provides a mechanical scaffold to the cells and mediates the diffusion of signaling molecules to sustain cell functions.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Aug 2021
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
Cell-Penetrable Peptide-Conjugated FADD protein
Peptide mediated intracellular delivery of FADD protein, efficiently expressed in the cytosol and target core pro-tumorigenic NFκB signaling to restrict cancer cells proliferation. This approach has the potential to design strategies for targeted delivery of proteins inside the cells, which might be useful in cancer therapeutics.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
ADAR-Mediated Site-Specific RNA Editing in Immune-Related Disease
ADAR (Adenosine Deaminases Acting on RNA) proteins are a group of enzymes that play a vital role in RNA editing by converting adenosine to inosine in RNAs. This process is a frequent post-transcriptional event observed in metazoan transcripts. Recent studies indicate widespread dysregulation of ADAR-mediated RNA editing across many immune-related diseases, such as human cancer. 
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Jan 2024
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
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
Breast Cancer Treatments
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. This heterogeneous disease can be classified into four molecular subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, HER2 and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)) according to the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR), and the overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Current BC treatments target these receptors (endocrine and anti-HER2 therapies) as a personalized treatment. Along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, these therapies can have severe adverse effects and patients can develop resistance to these agents. Moreover, TNBC do not have standardized treatments. Hence it is essential to develop new treatments to target more effectively each BC subgroup. 
  • 1.3K
  • 06 Sep 2021
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
Asthma and Lung Cancer
A large gap still exists in our knowledge of the effects of dietary supplements on lung cancer risk/mortality in asthmatic smokers and nonsmokers. There is a lack of reliable studies for detecting such an effect says a researcher in the journal Nutrients [1]. The researcher undertook a comprehensive review of studies on the topic, and is now calling for trials and studies of these supplements to detect their benefits and harms. The best way to reduce lung cancer risk is to get those at greatest risk of lung cancer (active and passive smokers, particularly those with asthma) to stop smoking or reduce exposure to tobacco smoke. In industrial societies, airborne environmental pollutants are also risk factors. [1] Alsharairi, N. The effects of dietary supplements on Asthma and Lung Cancer risk in smokers and non-smokers: A review of the literature. Nutrients, 2019, 11, 725.
  • 1.3K
  • 03 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Pterostilbene in Cancer Therapy
Natural polyphenols are organic chemicals which contain phenol units in their structures and possess antitumor properties. However, a key problem is their short half-life and low bioavailability under in vivo conditions. Pterostilbene (3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxystilbene; PT) is a phytoalexin originally isolated from the heartwood of red sandalwood. As recently reported by our group, PT was shown to be effective in the treatment of melanoma. Counterintuitively, PT is not effective (cytotoxic) against melanoma in vitro, and only under in vivo conditions does PT display its anticancer activity. This study elucidated that PT can be effective against melanoma through the inhibition of adrenocorticotropic hormone production in the brain of a mouse, which weakens the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant defenses of melanoma and also pancreatic cancers. This results in both the inhibition of tumor growth and sensitization of the tumor to oxidative stress. Moreover, PT can promote cancer cell death via a mechanism involving lysosomal membrane permeabilization. Different grades of susceptibility were observed among the different cancer cells depending on their lysosomal heat shock protein 70 content, a known stabilizer of lysosomal membranes. In addition, the safety of PT administered i.v. has been evaluated in mice. PT was found to be pharmacologically safe because it showed no organ-specific or systemic toxicity (including tissue histopathologic examination and regular hematology and clinical chemistry data) even when administered i.v. at a high dose (30 mg/kg per day × 23 days). Moreover, new pharmacological advances are being developed to increase its bioavailability and, thereby, its bioefficacy. Therefore, although applications of PT in cancer therapy are just beginning to be explored, it represents a potential (and effective) adjuvant/sensitizing therapy which may improve the results of various oncotherapies. The aim of this review is to present and discuss the results that in our opinion best support the usefulness of PT in cancer therapy, making special emphasis on the in vivo evidence.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Screening Prospects for Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer (OC) has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic malignancies. The overall five-year survival is 46% and varies depending on the stage and histological type of the tumor. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSOC) accounts for 75% of all epithelial ovarian malignancies and is diagnosed mainly at FIGO stage III (51%) or IV (29%), reflecting the aggressive nature.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Aug 2021
Topic Review
RAS Mutations in Thyroid Cancer
The significance of RAS mutations as a prognostic marker has changed in recent years. At the beginning, RAS mutations were considered a promoter of progressive dedifferentiation in benign nodules, and as such a risk factor for evolution from adenoma to carcinoma, therefore a marker of poorer prognosis in DTC. It is clear now that the impact of RAS mutations on thyroid cell, normal and transformed, and the impact on the clinical behavior of thyroid neoplasms must not to be considered by itself but rather together with other genetic abnormalities in a more complex contest.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Aug 2021
Topic Review
CAF-Derived MicroRNA on Tumor
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), prominent cell components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in most types of solid tumor, play an essential role in tumor cell growth, proliferation, invasion, migration, and chemoresistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, single-strand RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by post-transcription modification. Increasing evidence has suggested the dysregulation of miRNAs in CAFs, which facilitates the conversion of normal fibroblasts (NFs) into CAFs, then enhances the tumor-promoting capacity of CAFs. To understand the process of tumor progression, as well as the development of chemoresistance, it is important to explore the regulatory function of CAF-derived miRNAs and the associated molecular mechanisms, which may become potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and targets of anti-tumor therapeutics. In this review, we describe miRNAs that are differentially expressed by NFs and CAFs, summarize the modulating role of CAF-derived miRNAs in fibroblast activation and tumor advance, and eventually identify a potential clinical application for CAF-derived miRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in several tumors.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Jul 2021
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
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
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
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