Review
Oncology
Zhenjie Yi, Chunrun Qu, Yu Zeng, Zhixiong Liu
Summary: Liquid biopsy in neuro-oncology is an emerging noninvasive examination method that captures genomic alterations of brain tumors and has been widely applied in clinical settings for early and accurate detection, characterization, and dynamic monitoring. It has great potential for future development.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kah Yee Goh, Terence You De Cheng, Su Chin Tham, Darren Wan-Teck Lim
Summary: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the dominant form of lung cancer and typically has a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has shown superior efficacy compared to conventional chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC patients. However, there is a need for biomarkers to accurately predict immunotherapy response, as only a minority of patients benefit from this treatment. Liquid biopsy, which enables non-invasive sampling of blood-based biomarkers, allows for the dynamic monitoring of treatment response. This review summarizes the progress and challenges in identifying circulating biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy benefit in NSCLC patients.
Review
Oncology
Eva Hulstaert, Annelien Morlion, Keren Levanon, Jo Vandesompele, Pieter Mestdagh
Summary: This systematic review presents 75 RNA biomarkers detectable in human biofluids for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, with the majority identified using RT-qPCR or microarrays in blood-based fluids. Some studies utilized RNA-sequencing and looked into alternative fluids like urine and ascites. Promising biomarkers include miR-21, the miR-200 family, miR-205, miR-10a, and miR-346, while validation and further research are needed before clinical implementation. Challenges in biomarker validation and future perspectives are discussed to accelerate progress in this field.
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
A. Markou, D. Londra, V Tserpeli, I Kollias, E. Tsaroucha, I Vamvakaris, K. Potaris, I Pateras, A. Kotsakis, V Georgoulias, E. Lianidou
Summary: This study evaluated the prognostic value of DNA methylation of selected tumor suppressor genes in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The results showed that the methylation of these genes was significantly lower in CTCs and ctDNA compared to primary tumors. The combination of DNA methylation analysis in CTCs and ctDNA was associated with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Marzia Del Re, Federico Cucchiara, Eleonora Rofi, Lorenzo Fontanelli, Iacopo Petrini, Nicole Gri, Giulia Pasquini, Mimma Rizzo, Michela Gabelloni, Lorenzo Belluomini, Stefania Crucitta, Raffaele Ciampi, Antonio Frassoldati, Emanuele Neri, Camillo Porta, Romano Danesi
Summary: This study investigated exosomal mRNA expression of PD-L1 and IFN-gamma, PD-L1 polymorphisms, tumor mutational load (TML) in circulating cell-free DNA, and radiomic features as potential predictive markers of response to nivolumab and pembrolizumab in metastatic NSCLC patients. Results showed a high baseline IFN-gamma was associated with shorter median progression-free survival (PFS), and levels of PD-L1 correlated with radiomic features and increased in patients who progressed. Carriers of specific PD-L1 genotype had shorter PFS with nivolumab, while responders had higher non-synonymous mutations and more links between certain genetic somatic mutations and ARID1A alterations.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuqing Sun, Yongling Tang, Long Yu, Yuhao Wang, Shuang Peng, Xiang Zhou
Summary: Liquid biopsy using molecular information in body fluids is an important tool for early diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Blood, urine, and bile can be used as samples for diagnosis. With the development of gene sequencing and bioinformatics technology, genetic, epigenetic, and fragtomics alterations in cfDNA as well as the expression level of miRNA and cf-mRNA can be quantified, providing insights into disease pathogenesis.
SCIENCE CHINA-CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Eloisa Jantus-Lewintre, Bartomeu Massuti Sureda, Jose Luis Gonzalez Larriba, Delvys Rodriguez-Abreu, Oscar Juan, Ana Blasco, Manuel Domine, Mariano Provencio Pulla, Javier Garde, Rosa Alvarez, Inmaculada Maestu, Ramon Perez de Carrion, Angel Artal, Christian Rolfo, Javier de Castro, Monica Guillot, Juana Oramas, Ramon de las Penas, Lioba Ferrera, Natividad Martinez, Olbia Serra, Rafael Rosell, Carlos Camps
Summary: The study found that genetic variants in VEGFR-1 and VEGF-A, as well as plasma levels of VEGF-A, were associated with clinical benefit, progression-free survival, or overall survival in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Rebecca Karkia, Sarah Wali, Annette Payne, Emmanouil Karteris, Jayanta Chatterjee
Summary: Endometrial cancer is a common and increasing disease in women. Currently, there is no widely available, accurate, non-invasive test for the diagnosis of endometrial cancer. This review summarizes the current research on blood and urine tests for the diagnosis of this cancer, and identifies potential candidates that need further exploration. The study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of different biomarkers and provides a reference guide for future research on candidate biomarkers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hyunku Shin, Byeong Hyeon Choi, On Shim, Jihee Kim, Yong Park, Suk Ki Cho, Hyun Koo Kim, Yeonho Choi
Summary: This study successfully detected the presence of 6 types of early-stage cancer and classified the tumor organ type using artificial intelligence and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. It shows potential in early cancer detection and has the ability to expand to other diseases.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zhao Jing, Kai Chen, Ling Gong
Summary: Esophageal cancer is a common malignancy in China with high mortality, and understanding the role of exosomes in cancer progression can help improve prognosis. Exosomes are small vesicular structures that contain various components involved in cell-to-cell communication and material exchange, playing a role in cancer growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. They also have potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers in cancer. This review discusses the significance of exosomes in esophageal cancer progression, microenvironment remodeling, therapeutic resistance, and immunosuppression, as well as their utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic tools.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, Lin Wu, Augusto Villanueva
Summary: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma is crucial for reducing mortality rates, but sensitive biomarkers are still lacking. Research into circulating tumor-derived molecular features, such as circulating tumor DNA and RNA, has potential for noninvasive biomarker candidates in various tumor types.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Testa, Emilio Venturelli, Maria Felice Brizzi
Summary: Breast cancers and cancers of the genitourinary tract are common malignancies with high mortality rates. Early diagnosis is crucial, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are being explored as potential biomarkers sourced from various cell types. Different body fluids are also emerging as potential sources for diagnostic purposes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Yilin Li, Jun Ye, Shun Xu, Jiajun Wang
Summary: As the second most common malignant tumor, lung cancer has been intensively studied in terms of the role and mechanism of ncRNAs as regulatory RNAs. Circulating ncRNAs in body fluids have received increasing attention as biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of treatment. They are easy to obtain, independent of tissue specimens, and can reflect tumor occurrence and progression. Circulating ncRNAs have high potential as biomarkers and for ncRNA-based therapeutics.
Review
Oncology
Barbara Cardinali, Roberta Tasso, Patrizia Piccioli, Maria Chiara Ciferri, Rodolfo Quarto, Lucia Del Mastro
Summary: This review discusses the potential application of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic and monitoring biomarkers in breast cancer. It highlights the advantages and challenges that need to be addressed. Although further studies are needed to support their clinical utility, miRNAs could represent novel tools for breast cancer management.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Herrera-Pariente, Sheyla Montori, Joan Llach, Alex Bofill, Eduardo Albeniz, Leticia Moreira
Summary: Gastric cancer is a common cancer worldwide, with early detection being crucial for improving clinical outcomes. Current screening programs are effective in high-incidence populations but not cost-effective in low-incidence populations, highlighting the need for new noninvasive biomarkers.
Article
Cell Biology
Tanja Niedermair, Meet Bhatt, Maximilian Babel, Moritz Feustel, Andreas Mamilos, Helmut Schweikl, Gerlinde Ferstl, Paul Hofman, Christoph Brochhausen
Summary: One major goal of biobanks is to provide optimal biospecimen quality, achieved through standardized procedures for collection, processing, and storage. Temporary storage of biosamples is necessary for maintaining sample quality, with considerations for dewar size, maximum storage time, and cryotube material.
BIOPRESERVATION AND BIOBANKING
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Paul Hofman, Marc G. Denis
Summary: The assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) from blood samples has potential in optimizing patient care for resected non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Evaluating MRD status can improve overall survival for early stage NSCLC patients and reduce the toxic effects and financial burden of treatment. Clinical trials have examined MRD in early stage NSCLC, highlighting the need to bridge the gap between research and routine practice. Further action is necessary to assess the relevance of MRD detection in interventional clinical studies, comparing different techniques, time points, and cutoffs. This article investigates and provides recommendations for optimizing MRD evaluation in NSCLC.
Article
Cell Biology
Federica Pezzuto, Francesca Lunardi, Luca Vedovelli, Gheorghe E. Olteanu, Francesco Fortarezza, Alessandro De Pellegrin, Luca Melan, Eleonora Faccioli, Elisa De Franceschi, Chiara Giraudo, Claudia del Vecchio, Serena Marinello, Giulia Pasello, Dario Gregori, Paolo Navalesi, Federico Rea, Marco Schiavon, Fiorella Calabrese
Summary: This study aims to analyze the lung lesions caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and compare them with clinical data of lung cancer patients. The results showed that lung lesions in SARS-CoV-2 infected lung cancer patients were more severe compared to lung cancer patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Serena Janho Dit Hreich, Paul Hofman, Valerie Vouret-Craviari
Summary: This article focuses on the role of the purinergic receptor P2RX7 in controlling tumor growth by releasing IL-18 and modulating anti-tumor immunity. It summarizes the receptor activities of P2RX7 and how IL-18 controls tumor growth. Furthermore, the potential of targeting the P2RX7/IL-18 pathway in combination with classical immunotherapies to fight cancer is discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marius Ilie, Jonathan Benzaquen, Veronique Hofman, Elodie Long-Mira, Sandra Lassalle, Jacques Boutros, Christophe Bontoux, Virginie Lespinet-Fabre, Olivier Bordone, Virginie Tanga, Maryline Allegra, Myriam Salah, Julien Fayada, Sylvie Leroy, Matteo Vassallo, Irit Touitou, Johan Courjon, Julie Contenti, Michel Carles, Charles-Hugo Marquette, Paul Hofman
Summary: As new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge, it is important to improve the efficiency and availability of viral genome sequencing, especially in samples with low viral load. In this study, retrospective SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing was performed on 175 positive samples, and the analysis successfully detected Delta and Omicron variants in low viral load samples. The results showed that there was no significant difference in viral load between patients infected with the Omicron variant and those infected with the Delta variant.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sandy Giuliano, Christopher Montemagno, Marie-Angela Domdom, Manon Teisseire, Patrick Brest, Daniel J. Klionsky, Paul Hofman, Gilles Pages, Baharia Mograbi
Summary: Nearly fifty million older people suffer from neurodegenerative diseases, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Defective lysosomal acidification and impairment of the autophagy pathway have been identified as modifiable risk factors for dementia. The long-term prescribing of lysosomotropic drugs to the elderly, such as proton pump inhibitors, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine, may be connected to the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases.
Review
Oncology
Edwin Roger Parra, Marius Ilie, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Paul Hofman
Summary: Over the past decade, there has been a revolution in cancer treatment with the shift towards targeted molecular therapies and immune-based therapies, particularly immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, not all patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) benefit equally from immunotherapy, and there is a need for additional predictive markers for ICIs efficacy. Multiplex immunostaining, which evaluates multiple molecules in the tumor at the same time, shows promise in optimizing patient selection for ICIs. This review aims to explore the role of multiplex immunostaining in immuno-thoracic oncology and its current advantages and limitations in clinical practice.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Patrick Brest, Baharia Mograbi, Gilles Pages, Paul Hofman, Gerard Milano
Summary: The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents shows promise in cancer treatment by enhancing response rates and prolonging progression-free survival. However, it also comes with increased side effects and requires careful monitoring.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicola Normanno, Jose Carlos Machado, Edoardo Pescarmona, Simonetta Buglioni, Lara Navarro, Riziero Esposito Abate, Anabela Ferro, Rob Mensink, Matilde Lambiase, Virginie Lespinet-Fabre, Byron Calgua, Philip M. Jermann, Marius Ilie, Paul Hofman
Summary: This multicenter study evaluated the performance of the Oncomine Dx Express Test on the Ion Torrent Genexus System for detecting DNA and RNA variants in solid tumors. The test showed high accuracy and sensitivity, providing results in a short turnaround time, which can support timely decision-making for targeted therapeutic interventions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Federica Pezzuto, Veronique Hofman, Christophe Bontoux, Francesco Fortarezza, Francesca Lunardi, Fiorella Calabrese, Paul Hofman
Summary: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Significant progress has been made in the treatment of non-squamous NSCLC through the identification of oncogenic drivers and the development of targeted therapies. However, resistance to targeted therapy and the heterogeneity of oncogene-driven clusters pose challenges. This review focuses on the prognostic and predictive significance of oncogene-driven co-mutations, particularly in relation to EGFR and TP53.
Article
Oncology
Paul Hofman
Summary: The introduction of liquid biopsies has provided new therapeutic opportunities in thoracic oncology, especially for advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer patients. In Europe, liquid biopsies are frequently used for patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) when tumor progression occurs. Tissue biopsies are necessary if the liquid biopsy fails to detect TKI resistance mechanisms. Liquid biopsy is recommended before first-line therapy if tissue or cytological material is inaccessible or insufficient in quantity or quality. Simultaneous performance of liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy before treatment or tumor progression is rare and its benefits to patient care need further evaluation. This review updates the complementarity of liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy for care of aNS-NSCLC patients.
TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pathology
Paul Hofman, Sabina Berezowska, Daniel Kazdal, Baharia Mograbi, Marius Ilie, Albrecht Stenzinger, Veronique Hofman
Summary: The evolving treatment options in thoracic oncology require regular updates in diagnostic algorithms by pathologists. The pathologist plays a crucial role in deciding whether to send specimens for further analysis and can quickly obtain more material if needed. Inadequate algorithms and sampling workflow can lead to inaccurate results, impacting treatment choices and patient outcomes.
Article
Respiratory System
Fiorella Calabrese, Francesca Lunardi, Elisa Baldasso, Federica Pezzuto, Asuman Kilitci, Gheorghe-Emilian Olteanu, Claudia Del Vecchio, Francesco Fortarezza, Annalisa Boscolo, Marco Schiavon, Luca Vedovelli, Annamaria Cattelan, Dario Gregori, Federico Rea, Paolo Navalesi
Summary: The present study aims to comprehensively analyze the cellular components, inflammatory signature, and respiratory pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) patients. The results showed that CARDS patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection frequently associated with other respiratory pathogens, increased neutrophil granulocyte percentage, decreased interferon-gamma expression, and elevated levels of interleukins (IL)-1 beta and IL-9 in BAL. Age, IL-18 expression, and BAL neutrophilia were identified as the most important predictive variables for worse outcomes. This study provides important insights into the complex pathophysiology of CARDS through a comprehensive analysis of BAL.
RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
F. Lunardi, V. Verzeletti, F. Pezzuto, C. De Chellis, V. Tauro, F. Fortarezza, A. Kilitci, M. Schiavon, E. Faccioli, M. Loy, F. Rea, F. Calabrese
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Review
Pathology
Gheorghe-Emilian Olteanu, Federica Pezzuto, Francesca Lunardi, Francesco Fortarezza, Alessandra Dubini, Fiorella Calabrese
Summary: This review focuses on the crucial role of pathologists in enhancing our understanding of SARS-CoV-2-related disease, particularly in severe COVID-19 and long-term lung symptoms. Pathological explorations have provided valuable insights into the early stages of the disease, shedding light on the interaction between the virus and subsequent complications. Research on biopsy samples has deepened our knowledge of the cellular and dynamic changes in lung tissue. Future studies should aim to develop a uniform strategy for interpreting lung biopsies, utilizing advanced techniques such as molecular and digital pathology, as well as artificial intelligence.
