From genome to proteome in tumor profiling: molecular events in colorectal cancer genesis

A review of the most promising biomarkers in colorectal cancer: one step closer to targeted therapy

Rapidly growing insights into the molecular biology of colorectal cancer (CRC) and recent developments in gene sequencing and molecular diagnostics have led to high expectations for the identification of molecular markers to be used in optimized and tailored treatment regimens. However, many of the published data on molecular biomarkers are contradictory in their findings and the current reality is that no molecular marker, other than the KRAS gene in the case of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)- targeted therapy for metastatic disease, has made it into clinical practice. Many markers investigated suffer from technical shortcomings, resulting from lack of quantitative techniques to capture the impact of the molecular alteration. This understanding has recently led to the more comprehensive approaches of global gene expression profiling or genome-wide analysis to determine prognostic and predictive signatures in tumors. In this review, an update of the most recent data on promising biological prognostic and/or predictive markers, including microsatellite instability, epidermal growth factor receptor, KRAS, BRAF, CpG island methylator phenotype, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, forkhead box P3-positive T cells, receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility, phosphatase and tensin homolog, and T-cell originated protein kinase, in patients with CRC is provided.

The systemic inflammatory response induced by trauma is reflected by multiple phenotypes of blood neutrophils

Secondary morbidity and mortality after trauma are mainly due to a dysfunctional immune system. Severe injury can trigger a systemic inflammatory response, which is characterised by pre-activation or priming of neutrophils in peripheral blood. Signals initiated as result of local tissue damage can further activate these neutrophils leading to post-injury inflammatory complications. Additional trauma caused by surgical intervention can worsen the inflammatory response, thereby increasing the risk of these inflammatory complications. Limiting surgical procedures through damage control principles can reduce the risk of secondary morbidity. Inflammatory complications after injury cannot adequately be predicted using the current anatomical and physiological-based scoring systems. In this review we propose a methodology focussing on the activation state of the systemic inflammatory response with focus on neutrophils to aid in the risk assessment of secondary morbidity after trauma. Neutrophils are essential effector cells during the post-injury systemic inflammatory response. Neutrophils differentially express an array of surface receptors by which the cells can respond and adapt to changing environmental signals. The determination of specific expression profiles of neutrophil receptors can aid in phenotyping and quantifying the systemic inflammatory response. This article reviews the application of these specific signatures of neutrophil receptors as a consequence of severe injury.