Effect of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the Radiation Response in Prostate Cancer: Association With IL-6 Signaling

Impact of chrono-radiotherapy on the prognosis and treatment-related toxicity in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multicenter propensity-matched study

The timing of radiotherapy (RT) delivery has been reported to affect both cancer survival and treatment toxicity. However, the association among the timing of RT delivery, survival, and toxicity in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) has not been investigated. We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with LA-NPC who received definitive RT at multiple institutions. The median RT delivery daytime was categorized as morning (DAY) and night (NIGHT). Seasonal variations were classified into the darker half of the year (WINTER) and brighter half (SUMMER) according to the sunshine duration. Cohorts were balanced according to baseline characteristics using propensity score matching (PSM). Survival and toxicity outcomes were evaluated using Cox regression models. A total of 355 patients were included, with 194/161 in DAY/NIGHT and 187/168 in WINTER/SUMMER groups. RT delivered during the daytime prolonged the 5-year overall survival (OS) (90.6% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.009). However, the significance of the trend was lost after PSM (p = 0.068). After PSM analysis, the DAY cohort derived a greater benefit in 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (85.6% vs. 73.4%, p = 0.021) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (89.2% vs. 80.8%, p = 0.051) in comparison with the NIGHT subgroup. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that daytime RT was an independent prognostic factor for OS, PFS, and DMFS. Furthermore, daytime RT delivery was associated with an increase in the incidence of leukopenia and radiation dermatitis. RT delivery in SUMMER influenced only the OS significantly (before PSM: p = 0.051; after PSM: p = 0.034). There was no association between toxicity and the timing of RT delivery by season. In LA-NPC, the daytime of radical RT served as an independent prognostic factor. Furthermore, RT administered in the morning resulted in more severe toxic side effects than that at night, which needs to be confirmed in a future study.

Tumor Microenvironment as a Therapeutic Target in Melanoma Treatment

The role of the tumor microenvironment in tumor growth and therapy has recently attracted more attention in research and drug development. The ability of the microenvironment to trigger tumor maintenance, progression, and resistance is the main cause for treatment failure and tumor relapse. Accumulated evidence indicates that the maintenance and progression of tumor cells is determined by components of the microenvironment, which include stromal cells (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and immune cells), extracellular matrix (ECM), and soluble molecules (chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular vesicles). As a solid tumor, melanoma is not only a tumor mass of monolithic tumor cells, but it also contains supporting stroma, ECM, and soluble molecules. Melanoma cells are continuously in interaction with the components of the microenvironment. In the present review, we focus on the role of the tumor microenvironment components in the modulation of tumor progression and treatment resistance as well as the impact of the tumor microenvironment as a therapeutic target in melanoma.

Targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumor immunotherapy: Current, future and beyond

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are one of the major negative regulators in tumor microenvironment (TME) due to their potent immunosuppressive capacity. MDSCs are the products of myeloid progenitor abnormal differentiation in bone marrow, which inhibits the immune response mediated by T cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells; promotes the generation of regulatory T cells and tumor-associated macrophages; drives the immune escape; and finally leads to tumor progression and metastasis. In this review, we highlight key features of MDSCs biology in TME that are being explored as potential targets for tumor immunotherapy. We discuss the therapies and approaches that aim to reprogram TME from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory circumstance, which prevents MDSC immunosuppression activity; promotes MDSC differentiation; and impacts MDSC recruitment and abundance in tumor site. We also summarize current advances in the identification of rational combinatorial strategies to improve clinical efficacy and outcomes of cancer patients, via deeply understanding and pursuing the mechanisms and characterization of MDSCs generation and suppression in TME.

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Radiotherapy

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of pathologically activated, mostly immature, myeloid cells that exert robust immunosuppressive functions. MDSCs expand during oncogenesis and have been linked to accelerated disease progression and resistance to treatment in both preclinical tumor models and patients with cancer. Thus, MDSCs stand out as promising targets for the development of novel immunotherapeutic regimens with superior efficacy. Here, we summarize accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence indicating that MDSCs also hamper the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT), as we critically discuss the potential of MDSC-targeting strategies as tools to achieve superior immunotherapeutic tumor control by RT in the clinic.

IL-6 and IL-8 cytokines are associated with elevated prostate-specific antigen levels among patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate at the Uganda Cancer Institute

Background:

The possible clinical application of specific cytokines and chemokines contributing to tumorigenesis and the clinical outcome of several cancers has been reported. However, less invasive and easily applicable biomarkers in prostate cancer diagnosis and prognostication are still lacking. This study assessed the levels of plasma cytokines in prostate cancer patients as potential biomarkers for noninvasive early diagnosis.

Methods:

The plasma levels of nine cytokines, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-2, M-CSF, IL-12 and IFN-α, were detected by Luminex^© liquid array-based multiplexed immunoassays in 56 prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy and 27 normal healthy controls.

Results:

Levels of plasma proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 were markedly increased in prostate cancer patients compared with controls. There was, however, no significant difference in the concentrations of all cytokines in prostate cancer patients compared with controls. Increasing levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly associated with high levels of plasma prostate-specific antigen (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 are potential biomarkers for prostate cancer pathogenesis and could serve as markers of disease progression.