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Catalano M, Limatola C, Trettel F. Non-neoplastic astrocytes: key players for brain tumor progression. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1352130. [PMID: 38293652 PMCID: PMC10825036 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1352130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly plastic cells whose activity is essential to maintain the cerebral homeostasis, regulating synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission, vascular and metabolic functions, ions, neuro- and gliotransmitters concentrations. In pathological conditions, astrocytes may undergo transient or long-lasting molecular and functional changes that contribute to disease resolution or exacerbation. In recent years, many studies demonstrated that non-neoplastic astrocytes are key cells of the tumor microenvironment that contribute to the pathogenesis of glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor and of secondary metastatic brain tumors. This Mini Review covers the recent development of research on non-neoplastic astrocytes as tumor-modulators. Their double-edged capability to promote cancer progression or to represent potential tools to counteract brain tumors will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Catalano
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Limatola
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Flavia Trettel
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Nowacka A, Fajkiel-Madajczyk A, Ohla J, Woźniak-Dąbrowska K, Liss S, Gryczka K, Smuczyński W, Ziółkowska E, Bożiłow D, Śniegocki M, Wiciński M. Current Treatment of Melanoma Brain Metastases. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4088. [PMID: 37627116 PMCID: PMC10452790 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer in which there is a strong correlation between its occurrence and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Although it is not the most common skin cancer, it has the highest mortality rate of all skin cancers. The prognosis of patients is significantly worsened by melanoma metastasis to the brain, which often occurs in patients with advanced disease. The formation and development of melanoma metastases to the brain involve a very complex process, and their mechanisms are not fully understood. One of the ways for metastatic melanoma cells to survive and develop cancer in the brain environment is the presence of oncogenic BRAF mutation, which occurs in up to 50% of metastatic melanoma cases. Before discovering new methods of treating metastases, the overall survival of patients with this disease was 6 months. Currently, research is being conducted on new drugs using immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitors: anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4) and targeted therapy (BRAF and MEK inhibitors) to improve the prognosis of patients. In this article, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the results of treating brain metastases with new systemic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Nowacka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.W.-D.); (S.L.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Anna Fajkiel-Madajczyk
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (A.F.-M.); (K.G.); (M.W.)
| | - Jakub Ohla
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Kamila Woźniak-Dąbrowska
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.W.-D.); (S.L.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Sara Liss
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.W.-D.); (S.L.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Karol Gryczka
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (A.F.-M.); (K.G.); (M.W.)
| | - Wojciech Smuczyński
- Department of Physiotherapy, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Techników 3, 85-801 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Ewa Ziółkowska
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Dominika Bożiłow
- Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Clinical Ward, The 10th Military Research Hospital and Polyclinic, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 5, 85-681 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Maciej Śniegocki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.W.-D.); (S.L.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Michał Wiciński
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (A.F.-M.); (K.G.); (M.W.)
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