Interferon-α enhances the susceptibility of renal cell carcinoma to rapamycin by suppressing mTOR activity

The Effects of Chinese Herbal Decoction Combined with Recombinant Human Interferon α2b on MRI Imaging, Tumor Markers, and Immune Function in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background

To explore the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine decoction combined with recombinant human interferon α2b in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods

68 RCC patients were divided into the control group and treatment group (n = 34). The control group was treated with recombinant human interferon α2b, and the treatment group was treated with traditional Chinese medicine decoction on the basis of the control group. The clinical efficacy and life quality were observed. At the same time, the changes of immune function before and after treatment were compared.

Results

After one course of treatment, the effective rate and clinical benefit rate of the treatment group were higher than those of the control group. The Karnofsky score in the treatment group was better than that in the control group. In improving the immune function, the treatment group was better than the control group in increasing CD3+ and CD4+ and reducing CD8+.

Conclusion

Traditional Chinese medicine decoction combined with recombinant human interferon α2b has a good effect on the treatment of RCC. It can not only improve the common clinical symptoms of patients but also improve the quality of life and cellular immune function of patients.

Concomitant Drug Treatment and Elimination in the RCC-affected Kidneys: Can We Kill Two Birds with One Stone?

BACKGROUND

The kidneys are vital organs acting as the body's filters that eliminate drugs and other waste products from the body. For effective cancer therapy, a delicate balance is required in the drug treatment and its elimination, which is critical for drug accumulation, toxicity, and kidney malfunction. However, how renal cell carcinoma (RCC) affects the kidneys in safely eliminating the byproducts of drug treatments in patients with severely dysregulated kidney functions had remained elusive. Recent advancements in dose adjustment have added to our understanding regarding how drug treatments could be effectively regulated in aberrant kidney cells, driving safe elimination and reducing drug accumulation and toxicity at the right time and space. Dose adjustment is the only standard systemic way applicable; however, it presents certain limitations. There is significant room for developing new strategies and alternatives to improve it.

OBJECTIVES

Our analysis of the available treatments in literature discusses the treatment and their safe eliminations. In this study, we give an overview of the measures that could be taken to maintain the elimination gradient of anti-cancer drugs and restore normal kidney function in RCC. Differential therapeutics of RCC/mRCC in various clinical phase trials and the interaction of targeted therapeutics in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were also discussed.

CONCLUSION

Such information might suggest a new direction in controlling treatment with safe elimination through dose adjustment and its associated alternatives in a judicious manner. A strategy to systematically focus on the safe elimination of anti-cancer drugs in RCC strongly needs advocating.