Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gustav van Niekerk, Angus G. Dalgleish, Fourie Joubert, Annie Joubert, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Summary: Insulin regulates immune cell phenotypes through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, potentially impacting ICB therapy; Insulin interacts with immune pathways such as JAK/STAT, and is regulated by PD-1 and CTLA-4.
Review
Oncology
Randolph J. Noelle, J. Louise Lines, Lionel D. Lewis, Robert E. Martell, Thierry Guillaudeux, Sam W. Lee, Kathleen M. Mahoney, Matthew D. Vesely, Jerome Boyd-Kirkup, Dhanya K. Nambiar, Andrew M. Scott
Summary: Immune checkpoints play a vital role in regulating immune system activation, and inhibition of specific immune checkpoint proteins has transformed cancer treatment. VISTA is a protein that regulates immune system homeostasis differently from PD-1 and CTLA-4, and VISTA blockade has positive effects on myeloid suppression and immune responses.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessandro Posa, Andrea Contegiacomo, Francesca Romana Ponziani, Ernesto Punzi, Giulia Mazza, Annarita Scrofani, Maurizio Pompili, Shraga Nahum Goldberg, Luigi Natale, Antonio Gasbarrini, Evis Sala, Roberto Iezzi
Summary: Personalized cancer treatments aim to provide tailored and biologically driven therapies for cancer patients. Interventional oncology techniques offer locoregional treatment options for malignancies with various mechanisms of action leading to tumor necrosis. The destruction of tumors results in the release of tumor antigens that can stimulate an immune response, which has led to the investigation of combining interventional oncology treatments with immunotherapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Clyde John, Kaahini Jain, Hema Brindha Masanam, Ashwin Kumar Narasimhan, Arutselvan Natarajan
Summary: Targeted delivery of cancer immunotherapies has been significantly improved in recent years. Nanomaterial-based strategies, particularly those functionalized with immune agonists, have shown promise in identifying and targeting immunological markers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) for cancer diagnosis and therapy. These strategies have improved treatment outcomes by triggering an immune response and can potentially aid in diagnosing patients who would benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Robert S. Seitz, Michael E. Hurwitz, Tyler J. Nielsen, Daniel B. Bailey, Matthew G. Varga, Brian Z. Ring, Carrie F. Metts, Brock L. Schweitzer, Kimberly McGregor, Douglas T. Ross
Summary: This study evaluated the clinical utility of the IO Score in bladder cancer and found a strong correlation between IO Score and inflammatory gene expression. Patients with positive IO Score showed significant improvement in overall survival in the cohort treated with ICI. The significance of IO Score remained when combined with other clinical factors and biomarkers. These results suggest that IO Score may serve as a promising biomarker for ICI clinical benefit across different tumor types.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Sai Krishnaraya Doppalapudi, Zev R. Leopold, Akshay Thaper, Alain Kaldany, Kevin Chua, Hiren V. Patel, Arnav Srivastava, Eric A. Singer
Summary: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common cancer of the kidney, and historically patients with advanced disease had poor outcomes. However, the discovery of underlying causes and therapeutic agents has revolutionized the management of metastatic RCC, with immunotherapies playing a key role. Current and upcoming clinical trials are focusing on immunotherapy-based combinations to improve outcomes for patients with clear cell RCC.
Review
Oncology
Khalil Choucair, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Caroline A. Nebhan, Ryan Nipp, Douglas B. Johnson, Anwaar Saeed
Summary: This review explores the unique geriatric oncology population by analyzing existing observational and trial secondary datasets to highlight potential cellular, inflammatory, and molecular changes associated with aging as potential biomarkers for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Older adults' participation in ICI trials is insufficient, and immunosenescence may contribute to differential responses to ICI treatment.
Article
Oncology
Tsuyoshi Isawa, Yukihiro Toi, Shunichi Sugawara, Masataka Taguri, Shigeru Toyoda
Summary: This study evaluates the incidence, clinical characteristics, and predictors of cardiovascular immune-related adverse events (CV-irAEs), and finds that CV-irAEs are more common than previously recognized. Serial cardiac monitoring can predict future grade >= 2 CV-irAEs.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
T. Anders Olsen, Tony Zibo Zhuang, Sarah Caulfield, Dylan J. Martini, Jacqueline T. Brown, Bradley C. Carthon, Omer Kucuk, Wayne Harris, Mehmet Asim Bilen, Bassel Nazha
Summary: Immune-oncologic therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but immune-related adverse events (irAEs) can occur as side effects. irAEs are major consequences of checkpoint inhibitors and significantly impact a patient's cancer treatment and quality of life. Therefore, it is important to manage irAEs using a similar approach to autoimmune diseases.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Violaine Randrian, Camille Evrard, David Tougeron
Summary: A defective mismatch repair system leads to microsatellite instability, resulting in high mutation burden in tumors, with some mutations producing neo-antigens that trigger anti-tumoral immune response. Non-metastatic MSI tumors have high immune infiltrates and good prognosis, while metastatic MSI tumors, having evaded immune response, are associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are effective in dMMR/MSI mCRC, but some patients may develop primary or secondary resistance, prompting the development of strategies targeting other immune checkpoints or utilizing vaccination and modification of microbiota to overcome resistance.
Review
Oncology
Pei Jye Voon, David Cella, Aaron R. Hansen
Summary: Immuno-oncology therapies for solid tumors have high costs and potential toxicities, necessitating a thorough assessment of their risks and benefits. Patient-reported outcome tools specific to these therapies are being developed to enhance precision and reliability in HRQOL evaluation, impacting the ultimate value of these drugs.
Article
Oncology
Sharon Elad, Noam Yarom, Yehuda Zadik, Michal Kuten-Shorrer, Stephen T. Sonis
Summary: Oral mucositis is a common and highly symptomatic complication of cancer therapy, affecting patients' quality of life and treatment tolerance. Research on managing oral mucositis is ongoing, with reports of oral mucosal toxicities in other therapies as well.
CA-A CANCER JOURNAL FOR CLINICIANS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Rom Leidner, Kevin Conlon, Douglas G. Mcneel, Andrea Wang-Gillam, Sumati Gupta, Robert Wesolowski, Monica Chaudhari, Nadia Hassounah, Jong Bong Lee, Lang Ho Lee, Jessica A. O'Keeffe, Nancy Lewis, George N. Pavlakis, John A. Thompson
Summary: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of NIZ985 as monotherapy and in combination with spartalizumab in the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The results showed that NIZ985 demonstrated antitumor activity and was well tolerated in patients with advanced solid tumors.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Anne Zaremba, Peter Mohr, Ralf Gutzmer, Friedegund Meier, Claudia Pfoehler, Michael Weichenthal, Patrick Terheyden, Andrea Forschner, Ulrike Leiter, Jens Ulrich, Jochen Utikal, Julia Welzel, Martin Kaatz, Christoffer Gebhardt, Rudolf Herbst, Anca Sindrilaru, Edgar Dippel, Michael Sachse, Frank Meiss, Lucie Heinzerling, Sebastian Haferkamp, Carsten Weishaupt, Harald Loeffler, Sophia Kreft, Klaus Griewank, Elisabeth Livingstone, Dirk Schadendorf, Selma Ugurel, Lisa Zimmer
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of NRAS gene mutations on melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The results showed that NRAS mutations were not significantly correlated with patients' survival and treatment response, and had no correlation with the expression of the T-cell immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Mathilde Beaufils, Vincent Amodru, Manuel Tejeda, Jean Marie Boher, Christophe Zemmour, Brice Chanez, Anne Sophie Chretien, Laurent Gorvel, Gwenaelle Gravis, Damien Bruyat, Roxane Mari, Anne Madroszyk, Thomas Cuny, Anthony Goncalves, Aaron E. Lisberg, Daniel Olive, Louis Tassy, Frederic Castinetti, Philippe Rochigneux
Summary: Data mining analysis showed that immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced dysthyroidism (DT) was associated with improved overall survival (OS), and patients with both DT and other immune-related adverse events had even longer OS.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Concetta Elisa Onesti, Hope S. Rugo, Daniele Generali, Marc Peeters, Khalil Zaman, Hans Wildiers, Nadia Harbeck, Miguel Martin, Massimo Cristofanilli, Javier Cortes, Vivianne Tjan-Heijnen, Sara A. Hurvitz, Guy Berchem, Marco Tagliamento, Mario Campone, Rupert Bartsch, Sabino De Placido, Fabio Puglisi, Sylvie Rottey, Volkmar Mueller, Thomas Ruhstaller, Jean-Pascal Machiels, PierFranco Conte, Ahmad Awada, Guy Jerusalem
Review
Oncology
Matteo Ferro, Giuseppe Lucarelli, Felice Crocetto, Pasquale Dolce, Antonio Verde, Evelina La Civita, Silvia Zappavigna, Ottavio de Cobelli, Giuseppe Di Lorenzo, Bianca Arianna Facchini, Luca Scafuri, Livia Onofrio, Angelo Porreca, Gian Maria Busetto, Guru Sonpavde, Michele Caraglia, Michele Klain, Daniela Terracciano, Sabino De Placido, Carlo Buonerba
Summary: Both docetaxel and ARAT agents in combination with ADT have shown survival improvements in mCSPC patients, with ARAT agents potentially offering better OS outcomes compared to docetaxel. Further prospective randomized trials are needed to establish the optimal therapeutic choice.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ONCOLOGY HEMATOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Alberto Servetto, Fabiana Napolitano, Carmine De Angelis, Pietro De Placido, Mario Giuliano, Grazia Arpino, Sabino De Placido, Roberto Bianco, Luigi Formisano
Summary: The development of CDK4 and CDK6 inhibitors has shown significant clinical benefits in the treatment of ER+ HER2- metastatic breast cancer, but resistance remains a challenge. Next Generation Sequencing methods have been used to identify predictive biomarkers of response or resistance, revealing genomic alterations and gene expression profiles associated with resistance.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ONCOLOGY HEMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Francesco Schettini, Nuria Chic, Fara Braso-Maristany, Laia Pare, Tomas Pascual, Benedetta Conte, Olga Martinez-Saez, Barbara Adamo, Maria Vidal, Esther Barnadas, Aranzazu Fernandez-Martinez, Blanca Gonzalez-Farre, Esther Sanfeliu, Juan Miguel Cejalvo, Giuseppe Perrone, Giovanna Sabarese, Francesca Zalfa, Vicente Peg, Roberta Fasani, Patricia Villagrasa, Joaquin Gavila, Carlos H. Barrios, Ana Lluch, Miguel Martin, Mariavittoria Locci, Sabino De Placido, Aleix Prat
Summary: Novel antibody-drug conjugates targeting HER2 have shown high activity in HER2-negative breast cancer with low HER2 expression, but the clinical and molecular characteristics of HER2-low breast cancer remain unclear. This study reveals that HER2-low is more common in HR-positive disease than in TNBC, and emphasizes the significant biological heterogeneity of HER2-low BC, highlighting the importance of reproducible and sensitive assays for measuring low HER2 expression.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margaret Ottaviano, Emilio Giunta, Marianna Tortora, Marcello Curvietto, Laura Attademo, Davide Bosso, Cinzia Cardalesi, Mario Rosanova, Pietro De Placido, Erica Pietroluongo, Vittorio Riccio, Brigitta Mucci, Sara Parola, Maria Vitale, Giovannella Palmieri, Bruno Daniele, Ester Simeone
Summary: BRAF mutations are common in melanoma patients, and treatment strategies targeting the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway have shown limited success due to the development of drug resistance. Further research is needed to improve outcomes for BRAF-mutant patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Angelica Petrillo, Emilio Francesco Giunta, Annalisa Pappalardo, Davide Bosso, Laura Attademo, Cinzia Cardalesi, Anna Diana, Antonietta Fabbrocini, Teresa Fabozzi, Pasqualina Giordano, Margaret Ottaviano, Mario Rosanova, Antonia Silvestri, Piera Federico, Bruno Daniele
Summary: Gastric cancer can metastasize to liver, lymph nodes, peritoneum, lung, and bones, with the impact of bone metastases on patient prognosis still unclear due to their rarity and underestimation at diagnosis. Existing evidence mainly derives from retrospective analyses on heterogeneous study populations.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margaret Ottaviano, Emilio Francesco Giunta, Pasquale Rescigno, Ricardo Pereira Mestre, Laura Marandino, Marianna Tortora, Vittorio Riccio, Sara Parola, Milena Casula, Panagiotis Paliogiannis, Antonio Cossu, Ursula Maria Vogl, Davide Bosso, Mario Rosanova, Brunello Mazzola, Bruno Daniele, Giuseppe Palmieri, Giovannella Palmieri
Summary: The introduction of cisplatin-based therapy significantly improved the cure rate of germ cell tumours (GCTs), with the over-expression of wild-type TP53 protein and the lack of TP53 somatic mutations in GCTs playing a key role in their sensitivity to cisplatin. Despite this, other mechanisms involving TP53 in GCTs remain elusive, highlighting the need for further research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Emilio Francesco Giunta, Gianluca Arrichiello, Marcello Curvietto, Annalisa Pappalardo, Davide Bosso, Mario Rosanova, Anna Diana, Pasqualina Giordano, Angelica Petrillo, Piera Federico, Teresa Fabozzi, Sara Parola, Vittorio Riccio, Brigitta Mucci, Vito Vanella, Lucia Festino, Bruno Daniele, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Margaret Ottaviano
Summary: Cutaneous melanoma is a deadly disease, but recent progress has improved survival rates, necessitating the need for new therapeutic approaches. Epigenetics plays a crucial role in melanoma and may serve as new targets for future treatments.
Review
Oncology
Liliana Montella, Margaret Ottaviano, Rocco Morra, Erica Pietroluongo, Pietro De Placido, Marianna Tortora, Chiara Sorrentino, Gaetano Facchini, Sabino De Placido, Mario Giuliano, Giovannella Palmieri
Summary: Thymic epithelial tumors are rare and often associated with paraneoplastic syndromes. Treatment options include surgical resection, platinum-refractory therapies, and somatostatin analogs, but their exact role in thymic tumors remains unclear.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margaret Ottaviano, Emilio Francesco Giunta, Laura Marandino, Marianna Tortora, Laura Attademo, Davide Bosso, Cinzia Cardalesi, Antonietta Fabbrocini, Mario Rosanova, Antonia Silvestri, Liliana Montella, Pasquale Tammaro, Ester Marra, Claudia Trojaniello, Maria Grazia Vitale, Ester Simeone, Teresa Troiani, Bruno Daniele, Paolo Antonio Ascierto
Summary: Mucosal melanomas are rare tumors that arise from melanocytes in various mucosal epithelia, with no consensus on optimal management strategies. Further research is needed to explore the therapeutic value of molecular tumor characterization and different treatment options for this type of melanoma.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liliana Montella, Margaret Ottaviano, Vittorio Riccio, Fernanda Picozzi, Gaetano Facchini, Luigi Insabato, Mario Giuliano, Giovannella Palmieri
Summary: Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare disease with variable clinical presentation, and recent advances in understanding the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling have led to increased use of targeted treatments. Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown potential efficacy in refractory LCH cases, with positive results in controlling the disease noted in clinical studies.
Review
Oncology
Davide Sparasci, Ilenia Napoli, Lorenzo Rossi, Ricardo Pereira-Mestre, Mauro Manconi, Giorgio Treglia, Laura Marandino, Margaret Ottaviano, Fabio Turco, Dylan Mangan, Silke Gillessen, Ursula Maria Vogl
Summary: Prostate cancer patients undergoing treatment may experience sleep disturbances, with reported changes in sleep quality in 14 out of 16 included studies. However, limitations such as the small number of trials, lack of randomized trials, and heterogeneity in methodologies exist. Future prospective trials are needed to clarify the prevalence and impact of this side effect.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Domenico Mallardo, Ester Simeone, Lucia Festino, Marilena Tuffanelli, Vito Vanella, Claudia Trojaniello, Maria Grazia Vitale, Margaret Ottaviano, Mariaelena Capone, Gabriele Madonna, Francesca Sparano, Eleonora Cioli, Luigi Scarpato, Marco Palla, Rossella Di Trolio, Paolo Meinardi, Corrado Caraco, Gerardo Ferrara, Paolo Muto, Ernesta Cavalcanti, Paolo Antonio Ascierto
Summary: This study investigated the prognostic significance of IL-6 serum levels before and during cemiplimab immunotherapy in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The results showed that high IL-6 levels were associated with poorer survival and shorter progression-free survival. Additionally, patients whose IL-6 levels increased after treatment had a worse response to immunotherapy compared to those with reduced or stable levels.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aldo Caltavituro, Roberto Buonaiuto, Erica Pietroluongo, Rocco Morra, Fabio Salomone, Pietro De Placido, Martina Pagliuca, Angelo Vaia, Margaret Ottaviano, Marianna Tortora, Sabino De Placido, Giovannella Palmieri, Mario Giuliano
Summary: Sarcomas of the thoracic cavity are rare and heterogeneous, with Ewing Sarcoma being a rare finding in this location. Current management often requires a multidisciplinary approach, but long-term outcomes remain poor.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Domenico Mallardo, Mario Fordellone, Andrew White, Margaret Ottaviano, Francesca Sparano, Michael Bailey, Arianna Bianca Facchini, Sufey Ong, Piera Maiolino, Corrado Caraco, Sarah Church, Ernesta Cavalcanti, Sarah Warren, Alfredo Budillon, Alessandra Cesano, Ester Simeone, Paolo Chiodini, Paolo Antonio Ascierto
Summary: This retrospective study explored the role and timing of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a potential biomarker of response in patients with metastatic melanoma. Transcriptomic gene analysis revealed that high baseline NLR is associated with inflammation and tumorigenesis, while low baseline NLR is linked to immune activation. These findings suggest that NLR could serve as a potential biomarker for treatment strategy guidance in metastatic melanoma patients.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
