Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xianbo Wu, Yihua Xu, Qi Liang, Xinwei Yang, Jianli Huang, Jie Wang, Hong Zhang, Jianyou Shi
Summary: Studies have shown that PI3K/mTOR inhibitors are effective in cancer treatment, as they can inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. These inhibitors exhibit high potency and low drug resistance, indicating they have great potential as anticancer drugs.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Frederick M. Howard, Dario Villamar, Gong He, Alexander T. Pearson, Rita Nanda
Summary: Breast cancer has traditionally been considered immunogenically 'cold,' but recent approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced triple-negative breast cancer show promise. Ongoing studies are investigating novel combination strategies to enhance response to immunotherapy and overcome resistance. Biomarkers are needed to predict immunotherapy benefits in the curative setting.
EXPERT OPINION ON INVESTIGATIONAL DRUGS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Simran S. Kapoor, Dietmar M. W. Zaiss
Summary: Tumours that overexpress EGFR exhibit high invasiveness and resistance to treatment. Recent research has shown that EGFR overexpression can lead to tumour resistance through two mechanisms: dependence on growth factor signaling and creation of an immune-suppressive microenvironment.
Article
Oncology
Kostas A. Papavassiliou, Efthimia K. Basdra, Athanasios G. Papavassiliou
Summary: Tumour cell biomechanics plays a crucial role in cancer development and progression by mediating the mechanical interactions among tumour cells, extracellular matrix (ECM), and cells of the tumour microenvironment (TME). Mechanosensing of tumour cells detects changes in the mechanical forces and triggers signalling pathways that promote cancer initiation, growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Understanding tumour mechanobiology can lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers in cancer. This field offers promising opportunities to develop diagnostic/prognostic tools and therapeutic approaches that exploit the physical associations between tumour and TME.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz Iwanowski, Karol Kolkowski, Roman Janusz Nowicki, Malgorzata Sokolowska-Wojdylo
Summary: Vitiligo is a chronic depigmenting disorder of the skin that affects 0.5% to 2% of the world's population. The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown, but several theories have been proposed, including genetic predisposition, oxidative stress, cellular stress, and the impact of T lymphocytes. Recent research has focused on the etiopathogenesis and treatment methods, such as Janus kinase inhibitors, prostaglandins, afamelanotide, Wnt/beta-catenin-signaling agonists, and cell-based therapies. While topical ruxolitinib has been approved for treatment, ongoing clinical trials are investigating the efficacy of oral ritlecitinib, afamelanotide, and latanoprost. Molecular and genetic studies hold promise for the development of highly effective therapeutic strategies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Lindsay Kathleen Dickerson, Jason A. Carter, Karan Kohli, Venu G. Pillarisetty
Summary: The efficacy of antitumour immunity relies on complex cytokine networks, particularly the role of interleukins (ILs) in regulating tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and shaping the tumour microenvironment. Understanding the specific effects of IL signalling provides opportunities to optimize IL networks and develop targeted immunotherapies. This review highlights the potential of IL-based treatments, with a focus on IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-15 in gastrointestinal malignancies.
Review
Oncology
Xin Qing, Wenjing Xu, Jingjing Zong, Xuanlong Du, Hao Peng, Yewei Zhang
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignant tumor with high rates of recurrence and mortality, especially in advanced stages. Recent years have seen successful systemic therapies emerging for HCC, with immunotherapy showing promise. Development of combination therapies and targeted drugs focusing on specific pathways are improving prognosis for patients.
BIOMARKER RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Zhixian Chen, Jianfeng Gan, Zhi Wei, Mo Zhang, Yan Du, Congjian Xu, Hongbo Zhao
Summary: Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and plays various roles in different cancers. It has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for anti-tumor treatment. This review summarizes the current understanding of PRMT6's function, structure, and its role in cancer, as well as the mechanisms behind its effects.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Zhengyang Wu, Ying Bai, Jiaming Jin, Teng Jiang, Hui Shen, Qiurong Ju, Qihua Zhu, Yungen Xu
Summary: PARP inhibitors have shown success in cancers with BRCA mutations, but their narrow indication spectrum is limited by the small portion of patients carrying such mutations. Recent evidence suggests that the combination of PARP and PI3K inhibitors may have synergistic effects in various cancers.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bruna Dalmasso, Alberto Puccini, Fabio Catalano, Roberto Borea, Maria Laura Iaia, William Bruno, Giuseppe Fornarini, Stefania Sciallero, Sara Elena Rebuzzi, Paola Ghiorzo
Summary: The BRCA1/2 genes play a crucial role in breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Other genes involved in homologous recombination and DNA damage response are being studied as potential targets for treatment. However, these genes are not routinely tested worldwide. This study summarizes the genetic and cellular burden of these genes and suggests that including DDR genes shared by both pancreatic and prostate cancers can lead to better detection of actionable variants.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Elena Abyzova, Elizaveta Dogadina, Raul D. Rodriguez, Ilia Petrov, Yuliana Kolesnikova, Mo Zhou, Chaozong Liu, Evgeniya Sheremet
Summary: Smart implants play an increasingly important role in treating diseases, tracking patient conditions, and restoring functions. By actively stimulating nerves and monitoring essential functions, these devices improve patient observation quality and subsequent treatments. This review explores smart implant classification, the latest prototypes, materials, and technologies, with a focus on incorporating new functionality through sensors and electronic circuits in medical devices. The advantages, opportunities, and challenges of creating implantable devices that preserve critical functions are also discussed.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Shakir Ahamad, Shahnawaz A. Bhat
Summary: Huntington's disease is a neuro-degenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene. New research has led to the discovery of small-molecule therapeutics that show promise for treating this disease. This article summarizes the development of these therapeutics, including their structure, therapeutic effects, and mechanisms of action. Additionally, the key drivers of Huntington's disease pathogenesis are highlighted to aid in the design of effective treatments.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhizhu Zhang, Ann Richmond
Summary: This review discusses the role of PI3K pathway in breast cancer, evaluates the clinical development of PI3K inhibitors in early and metastatic breast cancer settings, and examines the evidence for the potential synergistic benefit of combination treatment with PI3K inhibition and immunotherapy in breast cancer treatment.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Fanglin Niu, Yi Yu, Zhuozhuo Li, Yuanyuan Ren, Zi Li, Qiang Ye, Ping Liu, Chenshuang Ji, Lu Qian, Yuyan Xiong
Summary: Arginase plays a crucial role in cancer by regulating tumor growth and metastasis through mechanisms such as L-arginine metabolism and tumor immune microenvironment. Targeting arginase has emerged as an attractive approach for cancer therapy.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Yanan Li, Han Gong, Pan Wang, Yu Zhu, Hongling Peng, Yajuan Cui, Heng Li, Jing Liu, Zi Wang
Summary: The ISWI family, essential ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, play crucial roles in cancer development. Aberrant expression of ISWI family members is closely associated with patient prognosis and drug response. Functional or componential alterations in ISWI-containing complexes are critical for tumor initiation and development.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Oncology
G. Spitaleri, P. Trillo Aliaga, C. Catania, E. Del Signore, I. Attili, C. Santoro, F. Giugliano, P. P. M. Berton Giachetti, G. . Curigliano, A. Passaro, F. de Marinis
Summary: This prospective trial examined the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with thoracic cancer receiving anticancer treatments. The results showed no safety concerns and a low rate of vaccine-related adverse events. The study supports prioritizing vaccination for lung cancer patients undergoing active treatment.
CLINICAL LUNG CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alexander Drilon, Vivek Subbiah, Oliver Gautschi, Pascale Tomasini, Filippo de Braud, Benjamin J. Solomon, Daniel Shao-Weng Tan, Guzman Alonso, Juergen Wolf, Keunchil Park, Koichi Goto, Victoria Soldatenkova, Sylwia Szymczak, Scott S. Barker, Tarun Puri, Aimee Bence Lin, Herbert Loong, Benjamin Besse
Summary: In this study, selpercatinib demonstrated durable and robust responses in both previously treated and treatment-naive patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC, including intracranial activity.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vivek Subbiah
Summary: Technological advances are transforming evidence generation in medicine, but the clinical trial landscape must adapt to keep pace. Wearable technologies, data science, and machine learning offer a glimpse into the future of evidence-based medicine. Despite advances, clinical translations in major areas of medicine are lagging. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed limitations but also spurred positive changes like new trial designs and a shift towards a patient-centric evidence-generation system.
Review
Oncology
Blessie Elizabeth Nelson, Jacob J. Adashek, Steven H. Lin, Vivek Subbiah
Summary: With the development of immune-based therapies, the abscopal phenomenon has gained significant attention. Collaboration among radiation oncologists, oncologists and immunologists has increased, leading to exploration of various methods to induce the abscopal effect. However, further prospective studies and data analysis are needed to determine the appropriate candidates and cancer types.
Review
Oncology
Chiara Corti, Federica Giugliano, Eleonora Nicolo, Paolo Tarantino, Carmen Criscitiello, Giuseppe Curigliano
Summary: Breast cancer is divided into three main groups: hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative, HER2-positive, and triple-negative BC. Technological breakthroughs have allowed for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as a treatment option. Even with low HER2 receptor expression, the use of T-DXd may provide clinical benefit for HER2-positive breast cancer. In HR-negative HER2-low subtype, the use of T-DXd is justified despite limited evidence, considering the poor prognosis of TNBC.
CURRENT TREATMENT OPTIONS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Pamela Trillo, Jose Sandoval, Dario Trapani, Eleonora Nicolo, Paola Zagami, Federica Giugliano, Paolo Tarantino, Grazia Vivanet, Liliana Ascione, Alex Friedlaender, Angela Esposito, Carmen Criscitiello, Giuseppe Curigliano
Summary: The study retrospectively analyzed data of patients with recurrent invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and found discordance in the expression of ER, PgR, and HER2 between primary tumors and metastases. These findings suggest that phenotypic switch during metastasis may have implications for treatment decisions and prognosis in patients with ILC.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Lorenzo Guidi, Gloria Pellizzari, Paolo Tarantino, Carmine Valenza, Giuseppe Curigliano
Summary: HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer with aggressive behavior and sensitivity to HER2-targeted agents. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), such as T-DM1 and T-DXd, have shown improved clinical outcomes in this subtype. However, resistance to these ADCs still occurs, highlighting the need for understanding the underlying mechanisms.
Review
Oncology
Federica Giugliano, Ambra Carnevale Schianca, Chiara Corti, Mariia Ivanova, Nadia Bianco, Silvia Dellapasqua, Carmen Criscitiello, Nicola Fusco, Giuseppe Curigliano, Elisabetta Munzone
Summary: Breast cancer is common and approximately 15% are HER2-positive. HER2 protein expression can be heterogeneous, affecting treatment choices. Novel pharmacological agents, such as antibody-drug conjugates, may help overcome this issue.
Review
Cell Biology
Gabriele Antonarelli, Valentina Pieri, Francesca Maria Porta, Nicola Fusco, Gaetano Finocchiaro, Giuseppe Curigliano, Carmen Criscitiello
Summary: Various tumors rely on post-translational modifications to promote invasiveness, angiogenesis, and reprogram cellular energetics. Fucosylation, a type of glycosylation, has been linked to immune and hormonal functions as well as tumor development. In breast cancer, fucosylation of the glycan core is associated with poor prognosis and increased metastatic potential. Pre-clinical studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms of core-fucosylation in breast cancer models and its potential as a biomarker for predicting cancer outcomes.
Article
Oncology
Blessie Elizabeth Nelson, Neha K. Reddy, Jason T. Huse, Behrang Amini, Mirella Nardo, Mohamed Gouda, Shiao-Pei Weathers, Vivek Subbiah
Summary: The identification of BRAF V600 mutation and the development of combined BRAF and MEK targeting agents have made significant impact on tissue-agnostic precision oncology therapies. However, resistance can occur and it is important to identify potential resistance mechanisms. We report a case of recurrent glioblastoma that initially responded to treatment but later developed resistance through histological transformation and acquisition of additional mutations.
NPJ PRECISION ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Emma Zattarin, Daniele Presti, Luigi Mariani, Caterina Sposetti, Rita Leporati, Alice Menichetti, Chiara Corti, Chiara Benvenuti, Giovanni Fuca, Riccardo Lobefaro, Francesca Ligorio, Leonardo Provenzano, Andrea Vingiani, Marta Del Vecchio, Gaia Griguolo, Marianna Sirico, Ottavia Bernocchi, Antonio Marra, Paola Zagami, Elisa Agostinetto, Flavia Jacobs, Pierluigi Di Mauro, Andrea Esposito, Carlo Alberto Giorgi, Luca Lalli, Laura Boldrini, Pier Paolo Berton Giacchetti, Ambra Carnevale Schianca, Valentina Guarneri, Rebecca Pedersini, Agnese Losurdo, Alberto Zambelli, Daniele Generali, Carmen Criscitiello, Giuseppe Curigliano, Giancarlo Pruneri, Filippo de Braud, Maria Vittoria Dieci, Claudio Vernieri
Summary: In 428 patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, HER2-low status was found to be independently associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to HER2-0 status. These findings suggest that HER2-low status could serve as a new prognostic biomarker in this clinical setting.
Editorial Material
Oncology
Justin T. Moyers, Vivek Subbiah
Summary: Genome-driven precision oncology has significantly changed the approach to different types of cancer treatment by personalizing it based on individual's gene information. A recent study has confirmed the benefits of neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) inhibitors in treating sarcomas with NTRK fusions. This study further emphasizes the importance of genomics in identifying effective treatments for rare targets such as NTRK fusions.
Editorial Material
Oncology
Jie Wu, Vivek Subbiah
Summary: This study found that ESR1-TAF and ERα LBD mutants upregulated the expression of kinases such as FLT4, RET, JAK1, and IGF1R. Inhibition of RET with pralsetinib suppressed cell proliferation and xenograft growth in breast cancer. This research deepens our understanding of RET as an ESR1 target gene and suggests the potential use of pralsetinib to target wildtype RET in ER-positive breast cancer.