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Cancer Biology & Therapy 2019There is currently no diagnostic modality for early-stage pancreatic cancer. Given that adjuvant therapies require further development, the overall survival of... (Review)
Review
There is currently no diagnostic modality for early-stage pancreatic cancer. Given that adjuvant therapies require further development, the overall survival of pancreatic cancer remains unsatisfactory. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that play an important role in the progression of many diseases including cancer. CircRNAs mainly bind to microRNAs as microRNA sponges to restore the expression of targeted genes and regulate tumor invasion, metastasis, proliferation, and apoptosis. CircRNAs also play roles in the diagnosis and targeted therapy of tumors. Studies on the mechanisms of action of circRNAs in pancreatic cancer are still in their infancy, but it is anticipated that this field will gradually advance. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to circRNAs from four perspectives: biogenesis, functions, and mechanisms of action, tumor therapy with circRNAs, and circRNAs' roles in pancreatic cancer.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Disease Management; Disease Susceptibility; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Prognosis; RNA, Circular; RNA, Untranslated; Research
PubMed: 31138014
DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2019.1617563 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2019Systems biology provides an opportunity to discover the role that gut microbiota play in almost all aspects of human health. Existing evidence supports the hypothesis... (Review)
Review
Systems biology provides an opportunity to discover the role that gut microbiota play in almost all aspects of human health. Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that gut microbiota is closely related to the pharmacological effects of chemical therapy and novel targeted immunotherapy. Gut microbiota shapes the efficiency of drugs through several key mechanisms: metabolism, immunomodulation, translocation, enzymatic degradation, reduction of diversity, and ecological variability. Therefore, gut microbiota have emerged as a novel target to enhance the efficacy and reduce the toxicity and adverse effects of cancer therapy. There is growing evidence to show that cancer therapy perturbs the host immune response and results in dysbiosis of the immune system, which then influences the efficiency of the therapy. Studies suggest that gut microbes play a significant role in cancer therapy by modulating drug efficacy, abolishing the anticancer effect, and mediating toxicity. In this review, we outline the role of gut microbiota in modulating cancer therapy and the implications for improving the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in clinical practice. We also summarize the current limitations of the safety and effectiveness of probiotics in cancer therapies such as personalized cancer therapy.
PubMed: 31293523
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01050 -
Drug Delivery Nov 2017Hypertension, a worldwide epidemic at present, is not a disease in itself rather it is an important risk factor for serious cardiovascular disorders including myocardial... (Review)
Review
Hypertension, a worldwide epidemic at present, is not a disease in itself rather it is an important risk factor for serious cardiovascular disorders including myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease. Though numerous drugs acting via different mechanism of action are available in the market as conventional formulations for the treatment of hypertension but they face substantial challenges regarding their bioavailability, dosing and associated adverse effects which greatly limit their therapeutic efficacies. Various studies have demonstrated that nanocarriers can significantly increase the drug bioavailability thereby reducing the frequency of dosing in addition to minimizing toxicity associated with high dose of the drug. The present review provides an insight into the challenges associated with the conventional antihypertensive formulations and need for oral nanoparticulate systems in order to overcome problems associated with conventional formulations. Hypertension has circadian pattern of blood pressure, therefore chronotherapeutics can play a decisive role for the treatment, and however, nanoparticulate system can play major role in hypertension management. Future prospective for particulate nanocarriers in drug delivery for hypertension includes chronotherapeutics and emerging technique like gene therapy which is also covered in the review.
Topics: Animals; Antihypertensive Agents; Drug Carriers; Drug Compounding; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Hypertension; Nanoparticles; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28165823
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2016.1255999 -
BMJ Open Jul 2021Play is a non-invasive, safe and inexpensive intervention that can help paediatric patients and their families manage difficult aspects of being ill or hospitalised.... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Play is a non-invasive, safe and inexpensive intervention that can help paediatric patients and their families manage difficult aspects of being ill or hospitalised. Although play has existed in hospitals for decades, research on hospital play interventions is scarce. This review aimed to categorise and synthesise the last 20 years of research on hospital play interventions.
DESIGN
Scoping review.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, ERIC and PsycINFO (1 January 2000- 9 September 2020).
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION
We systematically searched for original peer-reviewed articles, written in English, on hospital play interventions in paediatric patients (0-18 years) in non-psychiatric settings. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, reviewed full text of relevant articles and extracted data. We thematically synthesised the data from the included studies, and a descriptive analysis, based on a developed framework, is presented.
RESULTS
Of the 297 included articles, 78% came from high-income countries and 56% were published within the last 5 years. Play interventions were carried out across all ages by various healthcare professionals. Play interventions served different roles within four clinical contexts: A) procedures and diagnostic tests, B) patient education, C) treatment and recovery and D) adaptation. Across these contexts, play interventions were generally facilitated and purpose-oriented and had positive reported effects on pain, stress, and anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
Play in hospitals is an emerging interdisciplinary research area with a significant potential benefit for child and family health. Future research should further describe principles for play in hospitals. High-quality studies investigating short-term and long-term effects are needed to guide when and how to best integrate play in hospitals.
Topics: Anxiety; Child; Family Health; Health Personnel; Hospitals; Humans
PubMed: 34312210
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051957 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2019Estrogen receptor positive breast neoplasias represent over 70% of diagnosed breast cancers. Depending on the stage at which the tumor is detected, HER2 status and... (Review)
Review
Estrogen receptor positive breast neoplasias represent over 70% of diagnosed breast cancers. Depending on the stage at which the tumor is detected, HER2 status and genomic risk, endocrine therapy is combined with either radio, chemo and/or targeted therapy. A growing amount of evidence supports the notion that components of the tumor microenvironment play specific roles in response to treatment and that strategies targeting these key interactions with tumor cells could pave the way to a new generation of therapies. In this review, we analyze the evidence suggesting different components of the tumor microenvironment play a role in hormone receptor positive breast cancer progression. In particular we focus on the immune system, carcinoma associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. Further insight into the cross talk between these constituents of the microenvironment and the tumor cells may lead to therapies that eliminate disseminated metastatic cells early on, and thus reduce distant disease relapse which is the leading cause of death for patients who are diagnosed with this illness.
PubMed: 31440208
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00547 -
Advances in Wound Care Jul 2015Microorganisms can exist both in the planktonic and biofilm state. Each phenotypic state has a role to play in delaying healing and causing infections of both acute and... (Review)
Review
Microorganisms can exist both in the planktonic and biofilm state. Each phenotypic state has a role to play in delaying healing and causing infections of both acute and chronic wounds. However, the virulent biofilm state is the fundamental reason that chronic wounds do not heal in a timely manner. We hypothesize that because microorganisms attach to any surface, biofilms can be found in all chronic wounds. However, it is not the biofilm that represents the greatest obstacle to the healing of a chronic wound, but its virulence and pathogenicity. Numerous studies with animals and humans have identified biofilms in wounds. In particular, these studies have highlighted how biofilms impede host fibroblast development, inflammatory responses, and the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy. Despite this, the role biofilms play in affecting the healing of wounds is still vigorously debated. Clinicians must understand the role that biofilms play in impairing the healing of chronic wounds and in increasing the risk for wound infection, with its potentially catastrophic outcomes. The composition of the biofilm, its physiochemical properties, the climaxed indigenous microbiota and their virulence/pathogenicity, microbial numbers and the host's pathophysiology, and immunological fitness will govern the sustainability of a biofilm in a wound and its resistance to interventions. Establishing which specific biofilms delay wound healing should help guide better wound care practices.
PubMed: 26155379
DOI: 10.1089/wound.2014.0557 -
Cancers May 2019Far beyond simply being 11 of the 20 amino acids needed for protein synthesis, non-essential amino acids play numerous important roles in tumor metabolism. These diverse... (Review)
Review
Far beyond simply being 11 of the 20 amino acids needed for protein synthesis, non-essential amino acids play numerous important roles in tumor metabolism. These diverse functions include providing precursors for the biosynthesis of macromolecules, controlling redox status and antioxidant systems, and serving as substrates for post-translational and epigenetic modifications. This functional diversity has sparked great interest in targeting non-essential amino acid metabolism for cancer therapy and has motivated the development of several therapies that are either already used in the clinic or are currently in clinical trials. In this review, we will discuss the important roles that each of the 11 non-essential amino acids play in cancer, how their metabolic pathways are linked, and how researchers are working to overcome the unique challenges of targeting non-essential amino acid metabolism for cancer therapy.
PubMed: 31096630
DOI: 10.3390/cancers11050675 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2020Hepatic macrophage populations include different types of cells with plastic properties that can differentiate into diverse phenotypes to modulate their properties in... (Review)
Review
Hepatic macrophage populations include different types of cells with plastic properties that can differentiate into diverse phenotypes to modulate their properties in response to different stimuli. They often regulate the activity of other cells and play an important role in many hepatic diseases. In response to those pathological situations, they are activated, releasing cytokines and chemokines; they may attract circulating monocytes and exert functions that can aggravate the symptoms or drive reparation processes. As a result, liver macrophages are potential therapeutic targets that can be oriented toward a variety of aims, with emergent nanotechnology platforms potentially offering new perspectives for macrophage vectorization. Macrophages play an essential role in the final destination of nanoparticles (NPs) in the organism, as they are involved in their uptake and trafficking . Different types of delivery nanosystems for macrophage recognition and targeting, such as liposomes, solid-lipid, polymeric, or metallic nanoparticles, have been developed. Passive targeting promotes the accumulation of the NPs in the liver due to their anatomical and physiological features. This process is modulated by NP characteristics such as size, charge, and surface modifications. Active targeting approaches with specific ligands may also be used to reach liver macrophages. In order to design new systems, the NP recognition mechanism of macrophages must be understood, taking into account that variations in local microenvironment may change the phenotype of macrophages in a way that will affect the uptake and toxicity of NPs. This kind of information may be applied to diseases where macrophages play a pathogenic role, such as metabolic disorders, infections, or cancer. The kinetics of nanoparticles strongly affects their therapeutic efficacy when administered . Release kinetics could predict the behavior of nanosystems targeting macrophages and be applied to improve their characteristics. PBPK models have been developed to characterize nanoparticle biodistribution in organs of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) such as liver or spleen. Another controversial issue is the possible toxicity of non-degradable nanoparticles, which in many cases accumulate in high percentages in macrophage clearance organs such as the liver, spleen, and kidney.
Topics: Animals; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Kupffer Cells; Liposomes; Liver; Liver Diseases; Macrophages; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Tissue Distribution
PubMed: 32194546
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00218 -
Seminars in Speech and Language Aug 2022Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit early delays and deficits in play. In infancy, they engage in unusual exploratory behaviors with toys. As... (Review)
Review
Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit early delays and deficits in play. In infancy, they engage in unusual exploratory behaviors with toys. As toddlers, they are slow to develop functional play, and in preschool some children with ASD fail to develop symbolic play despite having the necessary cognitive and language skills. Furthermore, when children with ASD are engaged in play, they demonstrate less playfulness. This article reviews the literature on the characteristics of exploratory, functional, and symbolic/pretend play in children with ASD and possible reasons for their unusual patterns of play development. Increased quantity and quality of play are frequent therapeutic goals for children with ASD. If play interventions are to be successful, it is critical that speech-language pathologists have an adequate assessment of children's play skills. Several frameworks and tools appropriate for assessing play in typical children and children with ASD are described.
Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child, Preschool; Cognition; Humans; Play and Playthings; Schools
PubMed: 35896409
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750348 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2022Malignant ovarian tumors bear the highest mortality rate among all gynecological cancers. Both late tumor diagnosis and tolerance to available chemotherapy increase... (Review)
Review
Malignant ovarian tumors bear the highest mortality rate among all gynecological cancers. Both late tumor diagnosis and tolerance to available chemotherapy increase patient mortality. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that histone modifications play a key role in cancerization and progression. Histone deacetylases is associated with chromatin condensed structure and transcriptional repression and play a role in chromatin remodeling and epigenetics. Histone deacetylases are promising targets for therapeutic interventions intended to reverse aberrant epigenetic associated with cancer. Therefore, histone deacetylases inhibitors could be used as anti-cancer drugs. Preclinical studies have shown promising outcomes of histone deacetylases inhibitors in ovarian cancer while clinical trials have had mixed results and limited success as monotherapy. Therefore, combination therapy with different anticancer drugs for synergistic effects and newly selective histone deacetylases inhibitors development for lower toxicity are hot issues now. In this review, we summarize the latest studies on the classification and mechanisms of action of histone deacetylase and the clinical application of their inhibitors as monotherapy or combination therapy in ovarian cancer.
PubMed: 36505774
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1057186