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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
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
Cancer Therapy Targeting CD47
The interaction between cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) on cancer cells and signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) on immune cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, generates a “don’t eat me” signal. This is a common mechanism that provides cancer cells an escape from the innate immune system. Several therapeutics directed to CD47 or SIRPα have entered early clinical trials in recent years.
  • 1.3K
  • 29 Mar 2022
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
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
Antisense Oligonucleotide-Mediated Splice Switching
Antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) have been developed to inhibit the production of alternatively spliced carcinogenic isoforms through splice modulation or mRNA degradation. AOs can also be used to induce splice switching, where the expression of an oncogenic protein can be inhibited by the induction of a premature stop codon. In general, AOs are modified chemically to increase their stability and binding affinity. One of the major concerns with AOs is efficient delivery. Strategies for the delivery of AOs are constantly being evolved to facilitate the entry of AOs into cells. 
  • 1.3K
  • 25 Nov 2021
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
Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders in Development
Breast cancer is a common type of cancer among women. One type, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), is treated with endocrine therapies. However, some patients develop resistance to these therapies, which is a challenge. Scientists have developed second-generation drugs called selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) that can overcome the limitations of the existing treatment.
  • 1.3K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
TMEFF2
Transmembrane protein with an EGF-like and two follistatin-like domains 2 (TMEFF2) is a 374-residue long type-I transmembrane proteoglycan which is proteolytically shed from the cell surface. The protein is involved in a range of functions including metabolism, neuroprotection, apoptosis, embryonic development, onco-suppression and endocrine function. TMEFF2 is methylated in numerous cancers, and an inverse correlation with the stage, response to therapy and survival outcome has been observed. Moreover, TMEFF2 methylation increases with breast, colon and gastric cancer progression. TMEFF2 is methylated early during oncogenesis in breast and colorectal cancer, and the detection of methylated free-circulating TMEFF2 DNA has been suggested as a potential diagnostic tool. The TMEFF2 downregulation signature equals and sometimes outperforms the Gleason and pathological scores in prostate cancer. TMEFF2 is downregulated in glioma and cotricotropinomas, and it impairs the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone in glioma cells. Through binding the amyloid β protein, its precursor and derivatives, TMEFF2 provides neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease. Primary literature regarding TMEFF2 is incoherent and offers conflicting information, in particular, the oncogenic vs. onco-suppressive role of TMEFF2 in prostate cancer. 
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Jan 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
Radiomics of Liver Metastases
Multidisciplinary management of patients with liver metastases (LM) requires a precision medicine approach, based on adequate profiling of tumor biology and robust biomarkers. Radiomics, defined as the high-throughput identification, analysis, and translational applications of radiological textural features, could fulfill this need. The present review aims to elucidate the contribution of radiomic analyses to the management of patients with LM. We performed a systematic review of the literature through the most relevant databases and web sources. English language original articles published before June 2020 and concerning radiomics of LM extracted from CT, MRI, or PET-CT were considered. Thirty-two papers were identified. Baseline higher entropy and lower homogeneity of LM were associated with better survival and higher chemotherapy response rates. A decrease in entropy and an increase in homogeneity after chemotherapy correlated with radiological tumor response. Entropy and homogeneity were also highly predictive of tumor regression grade. In comparison with RECIST criteria, radiomic features provided an earlier prediction of response to chemotherapy. Lastly, texture analyses could differentiate LM from other liver tumors. The commonest limitations of studies were small sample size, retrospective design, lack of validation datasets, and unavailability of univocal cut-off values of radiomic features. In conclusion, radiomics can potentially contribute to the precision medicine approach to patients with LM, but interdisciplinarity, standardization, and adequate software tools are needed to translate the anticipated potentialities into clinical practice.
  • 1.3K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Differential Co-Expression Analyses
Biological systems respond to perturbations through the rewiring of molecular interactions, organised in gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Among these, the increasingly high availability of transcriptomic data makes gene co-expression networks the most exploited ones. Differential co-expression networks are useful tools to identify changes in response to an external perturbation, such as mutations predisposing to cancer development, and leading to changes in the activity of gene expression regulators or signalling. They can help explain the robustness of cancer cells to perturbations and identify promising candidates for targeted therapy, moreover providing higher specificity with respect to standard co-expression methods.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Senolytics for Cancer Therapy
Senolytics represent a group of mechanistically diverse drugs that can eliminate senescent cells, both in tumors and in several aging-related pathologies. Consequently, senolytic use has been proposed as a potential adjuvant approach to improve the response to senescence-inducing conventional and targeted cancer therapies. However, the translation of senolytics to the clinic faces many challenges that need to be addressed by the research community. 
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Management of Radiation Dermatitis for Breast Cancer Patients
The importance of holistic, patient-centered assessments, interventions, and education during RT should not be understated in its value of promoting patients’ physical and emotional comfort. The implementation of a skin care plan is an opportunity for patients to fully engage in self-care, not only promoting their skin health, reducing RT-associated side effects, and promoting the restoration of skin integrity, but can enhance their sense of control with the stressful context of cancer treatments. Ultimately, a patient-centered approach with implementation of a skin care plan may avert a delay in treatment or discontinuation of RT due to RD and afford breast cancer patients the greatest chance for long-term survival.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
The Vascular Microenvironment in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma multiforme, the deadliest primary brain tumor, is characterized by an excessive and aberrant neovascularization. The initial expectations raised by anti-angiogenic drugs were soon tempered due to their limited efficacy in improving the overall survival. Intrinsic resistance and escape mechanisms against anti-VEGF therapies evidenced that tumor angiogenesis is an intricate multifaceted phenomenon and that vessels not only support the tumor but exert indispensable interactions for resistance and spreading. 
  • 1.3K
  • 20 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Baicalein
Baicalein, a flavonoid extract (5,6,7-trihydroxy-2-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one) derived from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, can inhibit cancer-promoting mechanisms such as metastasis, angiogenesis, and inflammation without harming healthy cells. Despite having enormous prospects for anti-cancer use, low bioavailability limits its applications.
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Carbonic Anhydrase IX Inhibitors and Solid Tumors
Carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) IX isoform is a surficial zinc metalloenzyme that is proven to play a central role in regulating intra and extracellular pH, as well as modulating invasion and metastasis processes. With its strong association and distribution in various tumor tissues and well-known druggability, this protein holds great promise as a target to pharmacologically interfere with the tumor microenvironment by using drug combination regimens.
  • 1.3K
  • 20 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Targeting Replication Stress Response Pathways to Treat Cancer
Proliferating cells regularly experience replication stress caused by spontaneous DNA damage that results from endogenous reactive oxygen species, DNA sequences that can assume secondary and tertiary structures, collisions between opposing transcription and replication machineries, and exogenous genotoxic agents. Replication stress often leads to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that can cause genome instability and cell death. The importance of replication stress responses in cells exposed to genotoxic chemo- or radiotherapy has prompted considerable research focused on how tumor cells might be selectively killed by combined treatments with genotoxins and agents targeting DNA damage response (DDR) factors involved in the replication stress response.
  • 1.3K
  • 12 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Proton radiobiology: DNA damage response
Clinical use of proton radiation has massively increased over the past years. The main reason for this is the beneficial depth-dose distribution of protons that allows to reduce toxicity to normal tissues surrounding the tumor. Despite the experience in the clinical use of protons, the radiobiology after proton irradiation compared to photon irradiation remains to be completely elucidated. Proton radiation may lead to differential damages and activation of biological processes.
  • 1.3K
  • 08 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Nanotechnology-facilitated Bacterial Therapy
In recent years, advancing nanotechnology has extended bacterial therapies to a higher level through tailoring bacteria on a nanoscale, such as bacteria-derived nanovesicles and bacterial membrane-coated nanoparticles, or endowing bacteria with abilities to serve as drug carriers, photosensitizers, and sonosensitizers.
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Jul 2021
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