Efficacy of Cytokine-Induced Killer Cell Immunotherapy for Patients With Pathologically Pure Glioblastoma

Reassessing the efficacy of bevacizumab in newly diagnosed glioblastoma: A systematic review and external pseudodata-based analysis

Background

First-line use of bevacizumab for glioblastoma (GBM) was evaluated in 2 phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCT), demonstrating an impact on progression-free survival but not overall survival (OS). However, the crossover events of these trials raised concerns regarding the reliability of this latter analysis. In this study, we conducted an external control-based reassessment of the bevacizumab efficacy in newly diagnosed GBM (ndGBM) against the standard Stupp protocol.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the phase 3 RCTs in ndGBM incorporating the Stupp protocol as an arm. For the selected studies, we extracted individual patient survival pseudodata of the Stupp protocol arm by digitizing the Kaplan-Meier plots. A comprehensive pipeline was established to select suitable control studies as external benchmarks.

Results

Among the 13 identified studies identified in our systematic review, 4 studies resulted as comparable with the AVAglio trial and 2 with the RTOG 0825. Pooled individual patient pseudodata analysis showed no differences in terms of OS when bevacizumab was added to the Stupp protocol.

Conclusions

The external-controlled-based reassessment of the bevacizumab treatment in ndGBM confirmed its lack of efficacy in extending OS. Our study includes a summary table of individual patient survival pseudodata from all phase 3 RCTs in ndGBM employing the Stupp protocol and provides a pipeline that offers comprehensive guidance for conducting external control-based assessments in ndGBM.

Histone deacetylase 6: at the interface of cancer and neurodegeneration

With the recognition in the early 1960s that histones can be post-translationally modified, the list of different post-translational modifications of histones and their biological consequences has continued to expand. In addition, the idea of the 'histone code' hypothesis, later introduced by David Allis and colleagues, further broaden the horizon of chromatin biology. Currently, there is a wealth of knowledge about the transition between the active and the repressive state of chromatin, and modifications of histones remains at the center of chromatin biology. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) in particular are of great importance for the therapeutic success of cancer treatment. Focusing primarily on HDAC6, herein we have briefly highlighted its unique involvement in cancer and also apparently in neurodegeneration.

Feasibility of combination of Gun-Chil-Jung and cytokine-induced killer cells-based immunotherapy for terminal hepatocellular carcinoma patient: a case report

Introduction: Terminal-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is inoperable and currently has no form of adjuvant therapy. This study examined the anticancer herbal extract Gun-Chil-Jung (GCJ) combined with cytokine-induced killer (CIK)-cell-based immunotherapy as a palliative therapy for terminal HCC. We report the case of an HCC patient with extended overall survival and improved symptoms and tumor marker levels following combination therapy with GCJ and CIK cell-based immunotherapy. Baseline Characteristics: From March to July 2020, a 57-year-old man who had been diagnosed with HCC underwent combination treatment with GCJ and CIK cell-based immunotherapy. By August 2021, he was prescribed GCJ. After treatment, the patient's condition was evaluated with respect to overall survival, tumor markers, symptoms, abdominal computed tomography findings, chest x-ray results, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade. Results: The patient's overall survival, tumor marker levels, ECOG grade, and symptoms, including ascites, lower limb edema, jaundice, pleural effusion, and fatigue, were largely alleviated. Conclusion: We expect that this combination therapy may be an option for palliative therapy of terminal HCC.

Molecular targeted therapy: A new avenue in glioblastoma treatment

Glioblastoma, also referred to as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is grade IV astrocytoma characterized by being fast-growing and the most aggressive brain tumor. In adults, it is the most prevalent type of malignant brain tumor. Despite the advancements in both diagnosis tools and therapeutic treatments, GBM is still associated with poor survival rate without any statistically significant improvement in the past three decades. Patient's genome signature is one of the key factors causing the development of this tumor, in addition to previous radiation exposure and other environmental factors. Researchers have identified genomic and subsequent molecular alterations affecting core pathways that trigger the malignant phenotype of this tumor. Targeting intrinsically altered molecules and pathways is seen as a novel avenue in GBM treatment. The present review shed light on signaling pathways and intrinsically altered molecules implicated in GBM development. It discussed the main challenges impeding successful GBM treatment, such as the blood brain barrier and tumor microenvironment (TME), the plasticity and heterogeneity of both GBM and TME and the glioblastoma stem cells. The present review also presented current advancements in GBM molecular targeted therapy in clinical trials. Profound and comprehensive understanding of molecular participants opens doors for innovative, more targeted and personalized GBM therapeutic modalities.