Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonino Glaviano, Aaron S. C. Foo, Hiu Y. Lam, Kenneth C. H. Yap, William Jacot, Robert H. Jones, Huiyan Eng, Madhumathy G. Nair, Pooyan Makvandi, Birgit Geoerger, Matthew H. Kulke, Richard D. Baird, Jyothi S. Prabhu, Daniela Carbone, Camilla Pecoraro, Daniel B. L. Teh, Gautam Sethi, Vincenzo Cavalieri, Kevin H. Lin, Nathalie R. Javidi-Sharifi, Eneda Toska, Matthew S. Davids, Jennifer R. Brown, Patrizia Diana, Justin Stebbing, David A. Fruman, Alan P. Kumar
Summary: The PI3K/AKT/mTOR (PAM) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cell survival, growth, and cell cycle progression. Dysregulation of this pathway is associated with cancer development and resistance to therapy. This review focuses on the major dysregulations in the PAM signaling pathway in cancer and discusses strategies for overcoming treatment resistance. The role of PAM signaling in immunology and immunotherapies is also discussed.
Review
Oncology
Rossella Reddavid, Simona Dagatti, Caterina Franco, Lucia Puca, Mariano Tomatis, Simona Corso, Silvia Giordano, Maurizio Degiuli
Summary: Despite the addition of molecular therapy in the clinical treatment of advanced and metastatic gastric cancer, the survival benefits of these novel therapies remain rather unclear, possibly due to inaccurate patient selection.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Skye Montoya, Deborah Soong, Nina Nguyen, Maurizio Affer, Sailasya P. Munamarty, Justin Taylor
Summary: Development of targeted therapies has provided nonchemotherapeutic options for patients, with small molecule kinase inhibitors being a key focus. However, resistance to these therapies may develop, necessitating multiple lines of treatment. Combinations of therapies targeting complimentary pathways may be more effective in overcoming drug resistance.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie Fernandes, Philippe Jamme, Alexis B. Cortot, Zoulika Kherrouche, David Tulasne
Summary: Although targeted therapies have extended the life expectancy of patients with druggable molecular alterations directly involved in tumor development, the emergence of acquired resistances limits their efficacy, leading to treatment failure. Recent studies have shown that activation of the MET receptor can promote resistance to various targeted therapies, highlighting MET as a key player in resistance mechanisms.
Article
Rheumatology
Florenzo Iannone, Giuseppe Lopalco, Fabio Cacciapaglia, Vincenzo Venerito, Simone Perniola, Marco Fornaro
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bDMARDs in RA patients negative for RF and ACPA. The results showed that tocilizumab had a higher survival rate compared to abatacept in RF/ACPA negative RA patients.
Review
Oncology
Narendra Wajapeyee, Romi Gupta
Summary: Cancer cells harbor multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations, but targeted therapy can still effectively treat various types of cancer. Resistance often emerges, posing a major clinical hurdle. Mechanisms for resistance to targeted therapy have been identified through alterations to the transcriptome and chromatin regulatory proteins.
Review
Oncology
Akira Ooki, Hiroki Osumi, Koshiro Fukuda, Kensei Yamaguchi
Summary: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) with neuroendocrine differentiation can occur in various organs. They are divided into well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), each with distinct etiology, molecular profile, and clinicopathological features. While most NECs originate in the lungs, extrapulmonary NECs are mostly found in the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) system. There is an urgent need for effective therapeutic agents as platinum-based chemotherapy has limited clinical benefits and poor prognosis. The rarity and lack of knowledge about GEP-NECs have hindered the development of molecular-targeted therapies. This review summarizes the biology, current treatments, and molecular profiles of GEP-NECs based on comprehensive molecular analyses and identifies potential therapeutic targets for future precision medicine based on recent clinical trial results.
CANCER AND METASTASIS REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Hematology
Sabine Kayser, Mark J. Levis
Summary: Research on the pathogenic mechanisms of AML has made remarkable advances in recent years, especially in the importance of cytogenetic and molecular aberrations. The development of new compounds targeting AML at a molecular level, based on increased understanding of AML pathogenesis facilitated by next-generation sequencing, has turned many hopeful predictions into therapeutic realities.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adela Markota Cagalj, Branka Marinovic, Zrinka Bukvic Mokos
Summary: This review examines the evidence for emerging therapies targeting the main pro-inflammatory cytokines in Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The most promising biologics in phase III trials are anti-IL-17 antibodies, secukinumab, and bimekizumab. An anti-IL-1 biologic, bermekimab, is currently in phase II trials and shows encouraging results. However, the clinical efficacies of all new targeted therapies published up to this point are limited, and more studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of biological therapies for HS.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anthony Tarabay, Alice Boileve, Cristina Smolenschi, Leony Antoun, Marine Valery, Alina Fuerea, Audrey Perret, Pascal Burtin, Simona Cosconea, Hichem Belkhodja, David Malka, Valerie Boige, Antoine Hollebecque, Michel Ducreux
Summary: This retrospective study analyzed the use of molecular profiling for personalized medicine in advanced PDAC patients. It found that more than a quarter of patients had actionable gene alterations, but targeted therapies did not improve overall survival. However, specific gene alterations and targeted therapy combinations were associated with better outcomes.
Review
Oncology
Rumeysa Ozyurt, Bulent Ozpolat
Summary: Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is a common cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally. While anti-estrogen therapies have improved survival rates, around 60% of patients experience resistance to these treatments, leading to disease recurrence, metastasis, and mortality. Understanding the mechanisms of treatment resistance and developing new therapeutic strategies is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Review
Oncology
Byung-Gyu Kim, Ehsan Malek, Sung Hee Choi, James J. Ignatz-Hoover, James J. Driscoll
Summary: The TGF-beta signaling pathway plays a crucial role in physiological cellular processes and is dysregulated in pathologies such as cancer. It can function as either a tumor promoter or a tumor suppressor, affecting processes such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, and immunosurveillance. Various therapeutic strategies targeting TGF-beta signaling have shown promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials, but challenges remain in balancing its tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing activities for effective cancer treatment.
JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Katharina Wang, Joakim Crona, Felix Beuschlein, Ashley B. Grossman, Karel Pacak, Svenja Noelting
Summary: Molecular targeted therapy plays an important role in the treatment of metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. Some therapies are already in use with promising results, while others are still under evaluation in clinical trials. The development of molecular targeted therapies is of great significance for future tumor treatment.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Botle Precious Setlai, Rodney Hull, Meshack Bida, Chrisna Durandt, Thanyani Victor Mulaudzi, Aristotelis Chatziioannou, Zodwa Dlamini
Summary: Immune response is crucial for patient prognosis and response to cancer treatment. Tumors evade immune surveillance by altering antigen processing pathways and the tumor microenvironment. This review highlights the molecular signaling pathways involved in immune suppression and how cancer cells manipulate antigen processing to escape immune surveillance. Additionally, the review explores the potential use of these pathways in precision medicine and understanding drug resistance.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Bruno, Alessia Pellerino, Luca Bertero, Riccardo Soffietti, Roberta Ruda
Summary: This article reviews recent progress in the molecular understanding of and therapeutic options for rare brain tumors in both children and adults, showing how specific molecular treatments can improve neurological symptoms and quality of life.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Giovanni Brandi, Alessandro Di Federico, Alessandro Rizzo, Stefania De Lorenzo, Francesco Vasuri, Stefano Brocchi, Rita Golfieri, Maria Cristina Morelli, Giorgio Frega, Andrea Palloni
Summary: Metronomic chemotherapy is a neglected but effective treatment option for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, even among those who cannot afford standard treatments. Metronomic capecitabine has shown good tolerability and efficacy in the treatment of advanced HCC.
Article
Oncology
Roberto Filippi, Francesco Leone, Lorenzo Fornaro, Giuseppe Aprile, Andrea Casadei-Gardini, Nicola Silvestris, Andrea Palloni, Maria Antonietta Satolli, Mario Scartozzi, Marco Russano, Stefania Eufemia Lutrino, Pasquale Lombardi, Giorgio Frega, Silvio Ken Garattini, Caterina Vivaldi, Rosella Spadi, Orsi Giulia, Elisabetta Fenocchio, Oronzo Brunetti, Massimo Aglietta, Giovanni Brandi
Summary: This study on advanced biliary tract cancer found that gemcitabine-platinum salts doublet chemotherapy achieved longer overall survival, radical surgery prolonged relapse-free survival, and second-line chemotherapy showed certain efficacy. However, further research is needed on second-line regimens.
JOURNAL OF CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Giulia Rovesti, Francesco Leone, Giovanni Brandi, Silvia Cesario, Mario Scartozzi, Monica Niger, Changhoon Yoo, Roberto Filippi, Mariaelena Casagrande, Nicola Silvestris, Daniele Santini, Luca Faloppi, Andrea Palloni, Massimo Aglietta, Laura Bernardini, Hyungwoo Cho, Eleonora Lai, Elisabetta Fenocchio, Chiara Pircher, Donatella Iacono, Stefania De Lorenzo, Elisa Sperti, Valentina Massa, Filippo De Braud, Jae Ho Jeong, Giuseppe Aprile, Valentina Burgio, Stefano Cascinu, Andrea Casadei-Gardini
Summary: The study evaluated the ECSIPOT index influenced by PECS, PNI, and GOT for prognosis estimation in advanced BTC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy, demonstrating ECSIPOT index as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival.
JOURNAL OF GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Riccardo Carloni, Alessandro Rizzo, Angela Dalia Ricci, Giorgio Frega, Alessandro Di Federico, Andrea Palloni, Mariacristina Di Marco, Gennaro Gadaleta-Caldarola, Giovanni Brandi
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common cause of cancer-related death, and most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease or experience recurrence after surgery. Immunotherapy, specifically the combination of two immune checkpoint inhibitors, has shown potential in other solid tumors and is now being explored for HCC.
Review
Oncology
Alessandro Di Federico, Mirta Mosca, Rachele Pagani, Riccardo Carloni, Giorgio Frega, Andrea De Giglio, Alessandro Rizzo, Dalia Ricci, Simona Tavolari, Mariacristina Di Marco, Andrea Palloni, Giovanni Brandi
Summary: Immunotherapy and targeted therapies have not been as successful in treating pancreatic cancer as they have in other malignancies, possibly due to the unique tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the distinctive tumor immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer and summarizes existing data on the use of immunotherapy and immune biomarkers in this cancer.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Deborah Malvi, Francesco Vasuri, Thais Maloberti, Viviana Sanza, Antonio De Leo, Adele Fornelli, Michele Masetti, Claudia Benini, Raffaele Lombardi, Maria Fortuna Offi, Mariacristina Di Marco, Matteo Ravaioli, Sirio Fiorino, Enrico Franceschi, Alba A. Brandes, Elio Jovine, Antonietta D'Errico, Giovanni Tallini, Dario de Biase
Summary: Despite efforts, the 5-year survival rate for PDAC remains very low. Precision oncology is not yet ready for PDAC, despite studies on molecular and genetic alterations. This study used next-generation sequencing to analyze PDAC samples and found that KRAS and TP53 mutations were common, with KRAS mutation associated with shorter time to tumor recurrence.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Enrico Ruggeri, Rita Ostan, Silvia Varani, Raffaella Pannuti, Guido Biasco
Summary: This study investigates the impact of home artificial nutrition on the nutritional and performance status of cancer patients. The results indicate that home artificial nutrition can improve energy balance, body weight, and performance status in eligible patients.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chiara Deiana, Francesca Fabbri, Simona Tavolari, Andrea Palloni, Giovanni Brandi
Summary: This review provides an overview of current therapies in MPM and how to interpret the data available on these drugs. In addition to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, promising treatments under investigation, such as immunotherapy with different targets, vaccines, target therapies, and metabolism-based strategies are discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rita Ostan, Silvia Varani, Andrea Giannelli, Italo Malavasi, Francesco Pannuti, Raffaella Pannuti, Guido Biasco, Anna Vittoria Mattioli
Summary: During the pandemic, telemedicine has played a crucial role in ensuring continuous care for patients regardless of their physical location. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of telehealth for advanced cancer patients with chronic diseases. This pilot study aims to evaluate the acceptability of daily telemonitoring using a medical device, which may improve scientific knowledge and enhance communication between physicians, patients, and families.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Giovanna Barbero, Roberta Zuntini, Pamela Magini, Laura Desiderio, Michela Bonaguro, Anna Myriam Perrone, Daniela Rubino, Mina Grippa, Antonio De Leo, Claudio Ceccarelli, Lea Godino, Sara Miccoli, Simona Ferrari, Donatella Santini, Pierandrea De Iaco, Claudio Zamagni, Giovanni Innella, Daniela Turchetti
Summary: Ovarian cancer is a highly lethal malignancy and genetic defects, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 alterations, are common in patients. A comprehensive study of 30 ovarian cancer patients revealed that 23% had BRCA alterations detectable by clinical testing, while 17% showed epigenetic silencing of BRCA1 in the tumor. Patients with BRCA deficit had greater genomic instability but better survival compared to those without BRCA deficit.
Review
Oncology
Giovanni Brandi, Chiara Deiana, Linda Galvani, Andrea Palloni, Angela Dalia Ricci, Alessandro Rizzo, Simona Tavolari
Summary: Despite being common and well-studied molecular changes in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the prognostic role of FGFR and IDH1/2 alterations remains uncertain. This review critically analyzes available literature data on this topic, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each study. Although the overall quality of current studies is poor, there is a potential association between FGFR2 rearrangements and better overall survival, while the positive prognostic role of IDH1/2 mutation is more uncertain. Better designed clinical trials are needed to draw definitive conclusions on this issue in iCCA patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Carlotta Mazzitelli, Donatella Santini, Angelo Gianluca Corradini, Claudio Zamagni, Davide Trere, Lorenzo Montanaro, Mario Taffurelli
Summary: Liquid biopsy (LB) is an emerging diagnostic tool that analyzes biomarkers in blood to provide information about tumor genetics and response to therapy. In breast cancer patients, LB has shown potential in early detection, monitoring tumor progression and recurrence, and predicting patient response to therapy. However, LB still faces challenges such as lack of standardized assays and further validation. Future applications of LB include identifying minimal residual disease, early detection of recurrence, and monitoring treatment response in various cancer types.
Article
Oncology
Andrea Palloni, Silvia Bisello, Ilaria Maggio, Maria Massucci, Andrea Galuppi, Alessandro Di Federico, Alessandro Rizzo, Angela Dalia Ricci, Giambattista Siepe, Alessio Giuseppe Morganti, Giovanni Brandi, Giorgio Frega
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of BTC patients who underwent R1 resection and received adjuvant chemoradioradiotherapy or chemotherapy. The results showed that the median recurrence-free survival and median overall survival were higher in the chemoradioradiotherapy group, but the difference was not statistically significant. A promising trend in favor of chemoradioradiotherapy was observed in N0 patients.
Article
Oncology
Alessandro Rizzo, Riccardo Carloni, Giorgio Frega, Andrea Palloni, Alessandro Di Federico, Angela Dalia Ricci, Raffaele De Luca, Simona Tavolari, Giovanni Brandi
Summary: This research aimed to assess the impact of an intensive follow-up program on BTC patients who had received surgery with curative intent at a tertiary referral hospital. The results showed that intensive follow-up can help in the early identification of disease relapse and lead to prolonged survival.
Article
Oncology
Giulia Rovesti, Francesco Leone, Giovanni Brandi, Lorenzo Fornaro, Mario Scartozzi, Monica Niger, Changhoon Yoo, Francesco Caputo, Roberto Filippi, Mariaelena Casagrande, Nicola Silvestris, Daniele Santini, Luca Faloppi, Andrea Palloni, Massimo Aglietta, Caterina Vivaldi, Hyungwoo Cho, Eleonora Lai, Elisabetta Fenocchio, Federico Nichetti, Nicoletta Pella, Stefania De Lorenzo, Massimo Di Maio, Enrico Vasile, Filippo de Braud, Jae Ho Jeong, Giuseppe Aprile, Giulia Orsi, Stefano Cascinu, Andrea Casadei-Gardini
Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate a new index (PECS index) in unresectable locally advanced or metastatic BTC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy. Results show that the PECS index can be used as an independent prognostic factor for assessing patients' survival period.
JOURNAL OF GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER
(2022)
