Cancer-Testis Antigens: A Novel Group of Tumor Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancers

Novel Strategies Using Sagacious Targeting for Site-Specific Drug Delivery in Breast Cancer Treatment: Clinical Potential and Applications

For more than a decade, researchers have been working to achieve new strategies and smart targeting drug delivery techniques and technologies to treat breast cancer (BC). Nanotechnology presents a hopeful strategy for targeted drug delivery into the building of new therapeutics using the properties of nanomaterials. Nanoparticles are of high regard in the field of diagnosis and the treatment of cancer. The use of these nanoparticles as an encouraging approach in the treatment of various cancers has drawn the interest of researchers in recent years. In order to achieve the maximum therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of BC, combination therapy has also been adopted, leading to minimal side effects and thus an enhancement in the quality of life for patients. This review article compares, discusses and criticizes the approaches to treat BC using novel design strategies and smart targeting of site-specific drug delivery systems.

Cancer-testis antigens: An update on their roles in cancer immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Several recent studies have assessed suitability of tumor antigens for immunotherapy. Based on the restricted expression pattern in somatic tissues, cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are possible candidates for cancer immunotherapy. These antigens are expressed in various tumors including gastrointestinal, breast, skin and hematologic malignancies.

OBJECTIVES

To find clinical trials utilizing CTAs in cancer patients.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, google scholar and specific websites that registers clinical trials.

RESULTS

A number of clinical trials have been designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of CTA-based treatments. The results of some of them have been promising. In the current literature search, we summarized the clinical trials of CTA-based therapies in cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the availability of different formulations of CTA-based vaccines, future researches should compare efficiency of these modalities.

Cellular immune responses against cancer-germline genes in cancers

BACKGROUND

Cancer-germline genes are a class of genes that are normally expressed in testis, trophoblast and few somatic tissues but abnormally expressed in tumor tissues. Their expression signature indicates that they can induce cellular immune responses, thus being applied as targets in cancer immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

To obtain the data of cellular immune responses against cancer-germline genes in cancer.

METHODS

We searched PubMed/Medline with the key words cancer-germline antigen, cancer-testis antigen, CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell and cancer.

RESULTS

About 40 cancer-germline genes have been shown to induce T cell specific responses in cancer patients. Melanoma, lung and breast cancer are among the mostly assessed cancer types. Several epitopes have been identified which can be used in immunotherapy of cancer.

CONCLUSION

Cellular immune responses against cancer-germline genes are indicative of appropriateness of these genes as therapeutic targets.