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European Review For Medical and... Aug 2021The objective of this review is to provide currently available information on the relationship between the gut microbiome and cancer. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this review is to provide currently available information on the relationship between the gut microbiome and cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this mini-review, we explored the PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar electronic databases, with regards to the searching terms "gut microbiome, cancer, intestinal flora, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor". By reviewing and analyzing the literature, we analyzed how the bacterial microbiome influences the immune system and cancer, as well as how changes in symbiotic flora may be applied to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.
RESULTS
The microbiota is related to the development of tumors and may promote canceration. In recent years, a number of studies have confirmed the influence of intestinal flora on immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients, and studies have also shown the link between the intestinal microbiome and treatment-related immune toxicity. Antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and hormones affect the composition of the gut microbiota.
CONCLUSIONS
Intestinal flora is closely related to cancer. Intestinal flora has a certain impact on cancer occurrence, cancer treatment, cancer immunotherapy efficacy, and side effects.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Immunotherapy; Neoplasms
PubMed: 34486684
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202108_26521 -
Annals of the New York Academy of... Dec 1997Twenty-five years ago, then President Nixon "declared war" on cancer. In this personal commentary, the war is reviewed. There have been obvious triumphs, for instance in... (Review)
Review
Twenty-five years ago, then President Nixon "declared war" on cancer. In this personal commentary, the war is reviewed. There have been obvious triumphs, for instance in cure of acute lymphocytic leukemia and other forms of childhood cancer, Hodgkin's disease, and testicular cancer. However, substantial advances in molecular oncology have yet to impinge on mortality statistics. Too many adults still die from common epithelial cancers. Failure to appreciate that local invasion and distant metastasis rather then cell proliferation itself are lethal, obsession with cure of advanced disease rather than prevention of early disease, and neglect of the need to arrest preneoplastic lesions, may all have served to make victory elusive.
Topics: Adult; Cell Division; Child; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Male; Molecular Biology; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Precancerous Conditions; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Testicular Neoplasms
PubMed: 9616746
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48599.x -
Current Treatment Options in Oncology Dec 2023Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS), also known as a malignant mixed Müllerian tumour (MMMT), is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that accounts for less than 5% of ovarian... (Review)
Review
Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS), also known as a malignant mixed Müllerian tumour (MMMT), is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that accounts for less than 5% of ovarian cancers. It is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, with a median overall survival (OS) of less than 2 years. Several factors, including advancing age, nulliparity, reduced lactation rates, decreased use of oral contraceptive pills, genetic mutations in BRCA (breast cancer) genes, and the use of assisted reproductive technology, may increase the risk of OCS. Poor prognostic factors include an advanced stage at diagnosis, older age, lymph node metastasis, suboptimal surgical cytoreduction, the presence of heterologous features on histopathology, and increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumour protein p53, and p53 alongside Wilms tumour 1 (WT1). The main treatment approach for OCS is cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy, although immunotherapy is showing promise. Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing may enhance outcomes by enabling personalized immunotherapy and targeted therapies for specific patient groups, thereby reducing unnecessary side effects and healthcare costs. However, there is currently a lack of standardised treatment regimens for OCS patients, with most studies consisting of case reports and a shortage of suitable comparator groups. This article aims to provide clinicians with information on the epidemiology, risk factors, prognostic factors, and latest therapeutic advancements in OCS.
Topics: Female; Humans; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Ovarian Neoplasms; Carcinosarcoma
PubMed: 37938504
DOI: 10.1007/s11864-023-01138-4 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Jun 2019Most of the currently used diagnostics for cancerous diseases have yet to meet the standards of screening, as they are insufficiently accurate and/or invasive and... (Review)
Review
Most of the currently used diagnostics for cancerous diseases have yet to meet the standards of screening, as they are insufficiently accurate and/or invasive and risky. In this review, we describe the rationale, the progress made to date, and the potential of analysing the exhaled volatile organic compounds as a pathway for enabling early diagnosis of cancer and, therefore, for achieving better clinical prognosis and survival rates. The review highlights the major advancements made in this field, from fundamentals, up to translational phases and clinical trials, with a special emphasis on sensing platforms based on nanomaterials. The prospects for breath analysis in early cancerous disease are presented and discussed.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers, Tumor; Breath Tests; Diffusion of Innovation; Humans; Neoplasms; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Reproducibility of Results; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 31243094
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0002-2019 -
Nanotheranostics 2022Over the last few years, progress has been made across the nanomedicine landscape, in particular, the invention of contemporary nanostructures for cancer diagnosis and... (Review)
Review
Over the last few years, progress has been made across the nanomedicine landscape, in particular, the invention of contemporary nanostructures for cancer diagnosis and overcoming complexities in the clinical treatment of cancerous tissues. Thanks to their small diameter and large surface-to-volume proportions, nanomaterials have special physicochemical properties that empower them to bind, absorb and transport high-efficiency substances, such as small molecular drugs, DNA, proteins, RNAs, and probes. They also have excellent durability, high carrier potential, the ability to integrate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds, and compatibility with various transport routes, making them especially appealing over a wide range of oncology fields. This is also due to their configurable scale, structure, and surface properties. This review paper discusses how nanostructures can function as therapeutic vectors to enhance the therapeutic value of molecules; how nanomaterials can be used as medicinal products in gene therapy, photodynamics, and thermal treatment; and finally, the application of nanomaterials in the form of molecular imaging agents to diagnose and map tumor growth.
Topics: Humans; Medical Oncology; Nanomedicine; Nanostructures; Nanotechnology; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36051855
DOI: 10.7150/ntno.74613 -
Cancer Discovery Jun 2014The ability to study nonhematologic cancers through noninvasive sampling of blood is one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing fields in cancer diagnostics. This... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The ability to study nonhematologic cancers through noninvasive sampling of blood is one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing fields in cancer diagnostics. This has been driven both by major technologic advances, including the isolation of intact cancer cells and the analysis of cancer cell-derived DNA from blood samples, and by the increasing application of molecularly driven therapeutics, which rely on such accurate and timely measurements of critical biomarkers. Moreover, the dramatic efficacy of these potent cancer therapies drives the selection for additional genetic changes as tumors acquire drug resistance, necessitating repeated sampling of cancer cells to adjust therapy in response to tumor evolution. Together, these advanced noninvasive diagnostic capabilities and their applications in guiding precision cancer therapies are poised to change the ways in which we select and monitor cancer treatments.
SIGNIFICANCE
Recent advances in technologies to analyze circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA are setting the stage for real-time, noninvasive monitoring of cancer and providing novel insights into cancer evolution, invasion, and metastasis.
Topics: Animals; DNA, Neoplasm; Humans; Neoplasms; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
PubMed: 24801577
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-13-1014 -
Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation :... May 2022Epidemiological studies support a strong link between organ fibrosis and epithelial cancers. Moreover, clinical and experimental investigations consistently indicate... (Review)
Review
Epidemiological studies support a strong link between organ fibrosis and epithelial cancers. Moreover, clinical and experimental investigations consistently indicate that these diseases intertwine and share strikingly overlapping features. As a deregulated response to injury occurring in all body tissues, fibrosis is characterized by activation of fibroblasts and immune cells, contributing to progressive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammation. Cancers are driven by genetic alterations resulting in dysregulated cell survival, proliferation and dissemination. However, non-cancerous components of tumour tissues including fibroblasts, inflammatory cells and ECM play key roles in oncogenesis and cancer progression by providing a pro-mutagenic environment where cancer cells can develop, favouring their survival, expansion and invasiveness. Additional commonalities of fibrosis and cancer are also represented by overproduction of growth factors, like transforming growth factor β, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, high oxidative stress, Hippo pathway dysfunctions and enhanced cellular senescence. Here, we review advances in the analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of both organ fibrosis and cancer, with particular reference to chronic kidney diseases and renal cell cancers. Most importantly, improved understanding of common features is contributing to the development of innovative treatment strategies targeting shared mechanisms.
Topics: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Extracellular Matrix; Fibroblasts; Fibrosis; Humans; Neoplasms
PubMed: 33280031
DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa301 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2021Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, causing over half a million deaths a year in the USA alone. Despite recent advances made in the field of cancer...
Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, causing over half a million deaths a year in the USA alone. Despite recent advances made in the field of cancer biology and the therapies that have been developed [1, 2], it is clear that more advances are necessary for us to classify cancer as curable. The logical question that arises is simple: Why, despite all the technologies and medical innovations of our time, has a complete cure eluded us? This chapter sheds light on one of cancer's most impactful attributes: its heterogeneity and, more specifically, the intratumoral heterogeneity of cancer metabolism. Simply put, what makes cancer one of the deadliest diseases is its ability to change and adapt. Cancer cells' rapid evolution, coupled with their irrepressible ability to divide, gives most of them the advantage over our immune systems. In this chapter, we delve into the complexities of this adaptability and the vital role that metabolism plays in the rise and progression of this heterogeneity.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms
PubMed: 34014541
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65768-0_11 -
Pharmacological Research Jul 2019Decades of research have elucidated the critical role of Akt isoforms in cancer as pro-tumorigenic and metastatic regulators through their specific effects on the cancer... (Review)
Review
Decades of research have elucidated the critical role of Akt isoforms in cancer as pro-tumorigenic and metastatic regulators through their specific effects on the cancer cells, tumor endothelial cells and the stromal cells. The pro-cancerous role of Akt isoforms through enhanced cell proliferation and suppression of apoptosis in cancer cells and the cells in the tumor microenvironment is considered a dogma. Intriguingly, studies also indicate that the Akt pathway is essential to protect the endothelial-barrier and prevent aberrant vascular permeability, which is also integral to tumor perfusion and metastasis. To complicate this further, a flurry of recent reports strongly indicates the metastasis suppressive role of Akt, Akt1 in particular in various cancer types. These reports emanated from different laboratories have elegantly demonstrated the paradoxical effect of Akt1 on cancer cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, tumor endothelial-barrier disruption, and cancer metastasis. Here, we emphasize on the specific role of Akt1 in mediating tumor cell-vasculature reciprocity during the advanced stages of cancers and discuss how Akt1 differentially regulates cancer metastasis through mechanisms distinct from its pro-tumorigenic effects. Since Akt is integral for insulin signaling, endothelial function, and metabolic regulation, we also attempt to shed some light on the specific effects of diabetes in modulating Akt pathway in the promotion of tumor growth and metastasis.
Topics: Animals; Capillary Permeability; Carcinogenesis; Cell Proliferation; Diabetes Complications; Humans; Neoplasms; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 31078742
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104270 -
Critical Reviews in Oncology/hematology Aug 2020Cancer immunotherapy using checkpoint blockade has brought about a paradigm shift in the treatment of advanced-stage cancers. Unfortunately, not all patients benefit... (Review)
Review
Cancer immunotherapy using checkpoint blockade has brought about a paradigm shift in the treatment of advanced-stage cancers. Unfortunately, not all patients benefit from these therapies, paving the way for other immune checkpoints to be targeted. CD47, a 'marker-of-self' protein that is overexpressed broadly across tumor types, is emerging as a novel potent macrophage immune checkpoint for cancer immunotherapy. Recently, CD47 blockade by Hu5F9-G4 has shown promise combined with Rituximab in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here we review the complex structure and various physiological functions of CD47 and their implications in cancer biology. Further, this review considers future directions and challenges in advancing this promising target platform to widespread therapeutic use.
Topics: CD47 Antigen; Humans; Immunotherapy; Neoplasms; Phagocytosis; Rituximab
PubMed: 32535479
DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.103014