FDG PET correlates weakly with HIF-1 expression in solid tumors: a meta-analysis

Nanocarriers overcoming biological barriers induced by multidrug resistance of chemotherapeutics in 2D and 3D cancer models

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is currently a big challenge in cancer therapy and limits its success in several patients. Tumors use the MDR mechanisms to colonize the host and reduce the efficacy of chemotherapeutics that are injected as single agents or combinations. MDR mechanisms are responsible for inactivation of drugs and formbiological barriers in cancer like the drug efflux pumps, aberrant extracellular matrix, hypoxic areas, altered cell death mechanisms, etc. Nanocarriers have some potential to overcome these barriers and improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In fact, they are versatile and can deliver natural and synthetic biomolecules, as well as RNAi/DNAi, thus providing a controlled release of drugs and a synergistic effect in tumor tissues. Biocompatible and safe multifunctional biopolymers, with or without specific targeting molecules, modify the surface and interface properties of nanocarriers. These modifications affect the interaction of nanocarriers with cellular models as well as the selection of suitable models for in vitro experiments. MDR cancer cells, and particularly their 2D and 3D models, in combination with anatomical and physiological structures of tumor tissues, can boost the design and preparation of nanomedicines for anticancer therapy. 2D and 3D cancer cell cultures are suitable models to study the interaction, internalization, and efficacy of nanocarriers, the mechanisms of MDR in cancer cells and tissues, and they are used to tailor a personalized medicine and improve the efficacy of anticancer treatment in patients. The description of molecular mechanisms and physio-pathological pathways of these models further allow the design of nanomedicine that can efficiently overcome biological barriers involved in MDR and test the activity of nanocarriers in 2D and 3D models of MDR cancer cells.

Correlation between contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters and hypoxia inducible factor-1a in hepatocellular carcinoma residual lesions after transcatheter artery chemoembolization

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with rich blood supply. The blood supply is closely related to its occurrence and development. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can quantitatively analyze the microcirculation blood flow of HCC, indirectly reflect its pathological characteristics, evaluate the curative effect, and guide clinical treatment.

AIM

To investigate the characteristics of CEUS parameters of HCC residual lesions after transcatheter artery chemoembolization (TACE), and analyze their correlation with serum hypoxia inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a).

METHODS

Eighty-six HCC patients treated with TACE were selected as the subjects. They were divided into either a no residual lesion group (52 cases) or a residual lesion group (34 cases). All patients underwent CEUS within 3 d before treatment and 30 d after treatment. The following perfusion parameters were measured: Maximum intensity (IMAX), time to peak (TTP), rise time (RT), and washout time (WT). The levels of serum HIF-1a and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The changes of perfusion parameters, and serum HIF-1a and VEGF levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Before treatment, there was no significant difference in IMAX, RT, TTP, WT, or serum HIF-1a and VEGF between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum HIF-1a and VEGF in the no residual lesion group were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and CEUS showed that there was no obvious perfusion in the lesions. In the residual lesion group, after treatment, the levels of serum HIF-1a and VEGF were significantly higher (P < 0.05), IMAX was significantly lower (P < 0.05), and RT, TTP, and WT were significantly longer than those before treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment, IMAX in the residual lesion group was positively correlated with the levels of HIF-1a (R² = 0.74, P < 0.05), and TTP, RT, and WT were negatively correlated with the levels of HIF-1a (R² = 0.56, 0.42, and 0.48, respectively; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CEUS can directly reflect the changes of HCC perfusion after TACE treatment, and the perfusion parameters (IMAX, TTP, RT, and WT) of residual tissues have a good correlation with the levels of serum HIF-1a, which can provide a reference for the comprehensive evaluation of the curative effect of TACE.

The development of musculoskeletal radiology for 100 years as presented in the pages of Acta Radiologica

During the last 100 years, musculoskeletal radiology has developed from bone-only radiography performed by everyone to a dedicated subspecialty, still secure in its origins in radiography but having expanded into all modalities of imaging. Like other subspecialties in radiology, it has become heavily dependent on cross-sectional and functional imaging, and musculoskeletal interventions play an important role in tumor diagnosis and treatment and in joint diseases. All these developments are reflected in the pages in Acta Radiologica, as shown in this review.

Hadrontherapy for Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Implementation in Clinical Practice

Radiation therapy is part of recommendations in the adjuvant settings for advanced stage or as exclusive treatment in unresectable thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). However, first-generation techniques delivered substantial radiation doses to critical organs at risk (OARs), such as the heart or the lungs, resulting in noticeable radiation-induced toxicity. Treatment techniques have significantly evolved for TET irradiation, and modern techniques efficiently spare normal surrounding tissues without negative impact on tumor coverage and consequently local control or patient survival. Considering its dosimetric advantages, hadrontherapy (which includes proton therapy and carbon ion therapy) has proved to be worthwhile for TET irradiation in particular for challenging clinical situations such as cardiac tumoral involvement. However, clinical experience for hadrontherapy is still limited and mainly relies on small-size proton therapy studies. This critical review aims to analyze the current status of hadrontherapy for TET irradiation to implement it at a larger scale.