Low Bcl-2 is a robust biomarker of sensitivity to nab-paclitaxel in Ewing sarcoma

GP60 and SPARC as albumin receptors: key targeted sites for the delivery of antitumor drugs

Albumin is derived from human or animal blood, and its ability to bind to a large number of endogenous or exogenous biomolecules makes it an ideal drug carrier. As a result, albumin-based drug delivery systems are increasingly being studied. With these in mind, detailed studies of the transport mechanism of albumin-based drug carriers are particularly important. As albumin receptors, glycoprotein 60 (GP60) and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) play a crucial role in the delivery of albumin-based drug carriers. GP60 is expressed on vascular endothelial cells and enables albumin to cross the vascular endothelial cell layer, and SPARC is overexpressed in many types of tumor cells, while it is minimally expressed in normal tissue cells. Thus, this review supplements existing articles by detailing the research history and specific biological functions of GP60 or SPARC and research advances in the delivery of antitumor drugs using albumin as a carrier. Meanwhile, the deficiencies and future perspectives in the study of the interaction of albumin with GP60 and SPARC are also pointed out.

B-cell lymphoma 2 family members and sarcomas: a promising target in a heterogeneous disease

Targeting the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins has been the backbone for hematological malignancies with overall survival improvements. The Bcl-2 family is a major player in apoptosis regulation and, has captured the researcher's interest in the treatment of solid tumors. Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases, comprising several entities, with high morbidity and mortality and with few specific therapies available. The treatment for sarcomas is based on platinum regimens, with variable results and poor outcomes, especially in advanced lesions. The high number of different sarcoma entities makes treatment standardization as well as the performance of clinical trials difficult. The use of Bcl-2 family members modifiers has revealed promising results in in vitro and in vivo models and may be a valid option, especially when used in combination with chemotherapy. In this article, a revision of these results and possibilities for the use of Bcl-2 family members inhibitors in sarcomas was performed.

Prognostic value of xenograft engraftment in patients with metastatic high-risk neuroblastoma

BACKGROUND

Successful engraftment of human cancer biopsies in immunodeficient mice correlates with the poor prognosis of patients. This was reported 30 years ago for children with neuroblastoma, but the standard of care treatment evolved significantly during the last 15 years, leading to improved survival of these patients. Here, we evaluated the association of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) engraftment and prognosis in patients receiving up-to-date treatments for cancers classified as metastatic (stage M) high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS).

METHODS

We obtained biopsies from patients with stage M HR-NB. We inoculated biopsy fragments subcutaneously in mice. We studied the association of PDX engraftment with event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients.

RESULTS

Since 2009, we established 17 PDX from 97 samples of 66 patients with stage M HR-NB, with a follow-up of at least two years. Factors associated with higher probability of engraftment were the death as outcome (p = .0006) and the amplification of the gene MYCN in tumors (p = .0271). Patients whose biopsies established a PDX had significantly shorter EFS and OS (p = .0039 and .0002, respectively) than patients whose samples did not engraft. The association of PDX engraftment and OS was significant in patients without MYCN amplification (p = .0041), but not in patients with MYCN amplification (p = .2707).

CONCLUSION

Positive PDX engraftment is a factor related to poor prognosis and fatal outcome in patients with stage M HR-NB treated with up-to-date therapies.