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Topic Review
Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma
Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare malignancy, with a rising incidence in recent decades, and accounts for roughly 40% of all cancers of the small bowel. The majority of SBAs arise in the duodenum and are associated with a dismal prognosis. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for localized disease, while systemic treatments parallel those used in colorectal cancer (CRC), both in the adjuvant and palliative setting. In fact, owing to the lack of prospective data supporting its optimal management, SBA has historically been treated in the same way as CRC.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Tumor Cell Signaling Pathways
Increasing the understanding of carcinogenesis has allowed the delineation of crucial signaling pathways, which have shown essential roles in the regulation of stem cell functions
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Techniques for DNA Methylation Testing in Glioblastomas
Epigenetic changes in DNA methylation contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer. In glioblastoma multiforme, the most prevalent primary brain cancer and an incurable tumor with a median survival time of 15 months, a single epigenetic modification, the methylation of the O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) gene, is a valid biomarker for predicting response to therapy with alkylating agents and also, independently, prognosis. The progress from single gene to whole-genome analysis of DNA methylation has allowed a better subclassification of glioblastomas.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Jul 2022
Topic Review
First-Line Randomized Clinical Trials of ALK-Is
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation amounts to around 3–7% of all non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The clinical features of ALK+ NSCLC are an adenocarcinoma histology, younger age, limited smoking history, and brain metastases. The activity of chemotherapy and immunotherapy is modest in ALK+ disease. Several randomized trials have proven that ALK inhibitors (ALK-Is) have greater efficacy with respect to platinum-based chemotherapy and that second/third generation ALK-Is are better than crizotinib in terms of improvements in median progression-free survival and brain metastases management.
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Jun 2023
Topic Review
EEF2K
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, CAMKIII) is a new member of an atypical α-kinase family different from conventional protein kinases that is now considered as a potential target for the treatment of cancer. 
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Apr 2021
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. 
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Jun 2022
Topic Review
B-Cell Receptor Signaling Regulation and Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas
The proliferation and survival signals emanating from the B-cell receptor (BCR) constitute a crucial aspect of mature lymphocyte’s life. Dysregulated BCR signaling is considered a potent contributor to tumor survival in different subtypes of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs). The emergence of BCR-associated kinases as rational therapeutic targets has led to the development and approval of several small molecule inhibitors targeting either Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), or phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), offering alternative treatment options to standard chemoimmunotherapy, and making some of these drugs valuable assets in the anti-lymphoma armamentarium. Despite their initial effectiveness, these precision medicine strategies are limited by primary resistance in aggressive B-cell lymphoma such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), especially in the case of first generation BTK inhibitors. In these patients, BCR-targeting drugs often fail to produce durable responses, and nearly all cases eventually progress with a dismal outcome, due to secondary resistance. 
  • 1.1K
  • 03 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Markers in Diagnostics and Classification of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer (BC)is etiologically, histopathologically and genetically a heterogeneous disease with both hereditary predispositions and non-hereditary factors. This is certainly true for BC as it refers to mammary carcinoma from ductal or lobular cells in the mammary epithelial tissue. Only a minor portion are sarcomas transformed from connective tissue and vessels. Malignant transformation in BC is the product of accumulations of consecutive mutations in critical regions of the genome that are normally involved in control of cell growth and division, DNA repair and programmed cell death. These mutations are partly inherited but mostly spontaneous. Contribution of genetic factors in BC has been indicated by familial occurrence which is estimated as 5–10% of all cases. High-penetrance genes which are linked with inherited BC susceptibility include BRCA1 and BRCA2, and more rarely TP53, PTEN, CDH1 and SKT11. Heterozygotic mutations in DNA repair genes BRCA1 (locus Ch17q21.31) or BRCA2 (Ch13q13.1) are the most common inherited conditions associated with BC. Absolute risk of BC for BRCA1 mutations reads ~50–65% in females and ~1% in males, while in BRCA2 mutations female risk ranges from 40% to 55% and reaches up to 9% in males. Familiar susceptibility to BC is also associated with mutations of lower penetrance genes as ATM (Ch11q22.3), PALB2 (Ch16p12.2) and CHEK2 (Ch22q12.1). Mutation in the androgen receptor gene (AR) has been found in cases of male BC. Susceptibility to sporadic BC cases can be linked with many more genes: e.g., sporadic invasive ductal variant of BC and lobular BC are associated with somatic mutation of genes RAD54L (Ch1p34.1) and CDH1 (Ch16q22.1), respectively. Other genes candidates associated with sporadic BC include: TP53 (Ch17p13.1), SLC22A1 (Ch11p15.4), PIK3CA (Ch3q26.32), ESR1 (Ch6q25.1-q25.2), RB1CC1 (Ch8q11.23), KRAS (12p12.1), AKT1 (14q32.33), RB1 (Ch13q14.2), PPM1D (Ch17q23.2), MYC (Ch8q24.21), FGFR1 and eventually ERBB2 (Ch17q12), CCND1 (Ch11q13.3), GATA3 (Ch10p14), MAP3K1 (Ch5q11.2) in certain lineages.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Canine Mammary Cancer
Mammary tumors are the most frequent neoplasia in female dogs. They develop spontaneous cancer and share several biological, clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics with cancer diagnosed in humans. Mammary cancer is also one of the leading causes of death in both species. 
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Systemic Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer (GC) is a molecularly heterogeneous disease. Its molecular background, epidemiology, and standard of care are quite different between Eastern and Western countries. Many efforts have been made in developing more effective surgeries and adjuvant chemotherapies for resectable GC in each region. Recently, an intensive combination of cytotoxic agents has been established as a new standard of adjuvant treatment. Meanwhile, palliative chemotherapy is a uniform standard treatment for unresectable GC worldwide. Recently, one of the most remarkable advances in therapy for unresectable GC has been the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The use of ICIs as frontline treatment is currently being investigated. In addition, novel combinations of ICIs and targeted drugs are being evaluated in clinical trials. Despite these advances, the complex biology of GC has resulted in the failure of targeted therapies, with the exceptions of HER2-targeted trastuzumab and VEGFR2-targeted ramucirumab. GC harbors many redundant oncogenic pathways, and small subsets of tumors are driven by different specific pathways. Therefore, a combination strategy simultaneously inhibiting several pathways and/or stricter patient selection for better response to targeted drugs are needed to improve clinical outcomes in this field.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Precision Anti-Cancer Medicines by Oligonucleotide in Clinical Reasearch
Oligonucleotide therapeutics enable a direct targeting of the gene by acting at the level of the RNA or at the level of the DNA, based on the Watson-Crick complementary rule of binding.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Pharmacogenetics of Dox Metabolism
The effectiveness and safety of the anti-cancer agent doxorubicin (Dox) (anthracycline group medicine) depend on the metabolism and retention of the drug in the human organism. Polymorphism of cytochrome p450 (CYP)-encoding genes and detoxifying enzymes such as CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 were found responsible for variations in the doxorubicin metabolism. Transmembrane transporters such as p-glycoproteins were reported to be involved in cancer tissue retention of doxorubicin. The metabolic transformation of Dox may follow several pathways, including two-electron reduction with the formation of doxorubicinol, one-electron reduction with the formation of semiquinone, and deglycosylation with the formation of aglycone. Several enzymes have been shown to be involved in this process. Doxorubicinol is considered the most dangerous metabolite of Dox degradation, as it may disturb iron and calcium balances.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
TP53 Mutations in Pancreatic Cancer Progression
The TP53 gene encodes a tumor suppressor protein. The TP53 gene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in humans. The TP53 protein is a transcription factor. TP53 can also influence the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) microenvironment by influencing the expression of many genes. 
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Sinonasal squamous cell carcinomas are a group of diverse tumors affecting the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. As a direct consequence of their rarity and heterogeneity, diagnosis is challenging, and treatment does not follow universally accepted protocols.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase (ADAM) Family
A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) proteins are proteolytic enzymes that are responsible for destroying the extracellular matrix, but they also have adhesive properties. Recent investigations have demonstrated that the expression of several ADAMs is upregulated in gastrointestinal (GI) tumour cells and have linked the secretion of these proteins to pathogenesis of GI malignancies.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
PDT
PDT has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and Actinic Keratoses, as well as age-related macular degeneration. Clinical trials have also demonstrated PDT efficacy for mesothelioma, prostate, bladder, brain cancer, and head and neck cancers as well as bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. In many cases, photosensitizing agents are also used off label with noted successes by clinicians who are comfortable with photomedicine and laser light delivery.
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a well-established treatment for a variety of hematologic malignancies, immune disorders and metabolic diseases. Allo-HSCT often represents the only possible curative therapy, however it is hampered by high morbidity and mortality rates for an array of complications, including bloodstream infection and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Transcriptional Regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Colorectal Cancer
The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway exerts integral roles in embryogenesis and adult homeostasis. Aberrant activation of the pathway is implicated in growth-associated diseases and cancers, especially as a key driver in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). 
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Application of Nanoparticles in Immunotherapy
Natural killer（NK） cells are a part of the native immune response to cancer. NK cell-based immunotherapies are an emerging strategy to kill tumor cells. 
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Revisiting Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy
Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is a well-established and common treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in East Asia. However, HAIC is not recognized internationally. Although several trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of HAIC, evidence corroborating its overall survival (OS) benefits compared with standard treatments is insufficient. Nevertheless, HAIC may provide prominent benefits in selected patients such as patients with portal vein thrombosis or high intrahepatic tumor burden. Moreover, HAIC has been combined with several therapeutic agents and modalities, including interferon-alpha, multikinase inhibitors, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, to augment its treatment efficacy. Most of these combinations appeared to increase overall response rates compared with HAIC alone, but results regarding OS are inconclusive. Two prospective randomized controlled trials comparing HAIC plus sorafenib with sorafenib alone have reported conflicting results, necessitating further research. As immunotherapy-based combinations became the mainstream treatments for advanced HCC, HAIC plus immunotherapy-based treatments also showed encouraging preliminary results. The trials of HAIC were heterogeneous in terms of patient selection, chemotherapy regimens and doses, HAIC combination agent selections, and HAIC technical protocols. These heterogeneities may contribute to differences in treatment efficacy, thus increasing the difficulty of interpreting trial results.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
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