Immunotherapy a New Hope for Cancer Treatment: A Review

Mechanistic insights into medulloblastoma relapse

Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, with medulloblastoma (MB) being the most common type. A better understanding of these malignancies has led to their classification into four major molecular subgroups. This classification not only facilitates the stratification of clinical trials, but also the development of more effective therapies. Despite recent progress, approximately 30% of children diagnosed with MB experience tumor relapse. Recurrent disease in MB is often metastatic and responds poorly to current therapies. As a result, only a small subset of patients with recurrent MB survive beyond one year. Due to its dismal prognosis, novel therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or managing recurrent disease are urgently needed. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind treatment failure in MB, as well as those characterizing recurrent cases. We also propose avenues for how these findings can be used to better inform personalized medicine approaches for the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent MB. Lastly, we discuss the treatments currently being evaluated for MB patients, with special emphasis on those targeting MB by subgroup at diagnosis and relapse.

Advancing Immunotherapies for HPV-Related Cancers: Exploring Novel Vaccine Strategies and the Influence of Tumor Microenvironment

The understanding of the relationship between immunological responses and cancers, especially those related to HPV, has allowed for the study and development of therapeutic vaccines against these neoplasias. There is a growing number of studies about the composition and influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the progression or establishment of the most varied types of cancer. Hence, it has been possible to structure immunotherapy approaches based on therapeutic vaccines that are even more specific and directed to components of TME and the immune response associated with tumors. Among these components are dendritic cells (DCs), which are the main professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) already studied in therapy strategies for HPV-related cancers. On the other hand, tumor-associated macrophages are also potential targets since the profile present in tumor infiltrates, M1 or M2, influences the prognosis of some types of cancer. These two cell types can be targets for therapy or immunomodulation. In this context, our review aims to provide an overview of immunotherapy strategies for HPV-positive tumors, such as cervical and head and neck cancers, pointing to TME immune cells as promising targets for these approaches. This review also explores the potential of immunotherapy in cancer treatment, including checkpoint inhibitors, cytokine immunotherapies, immunotherapy vaccines, and cell therapies. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of understanding the TME and its effect on the design and achievement of immunotherapeutic methods.

Decisional conflict and its determinants among patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or targeted therapy: a cross-sectional study

Decisional conflict might occur during shared decision-making (SDM) because immunotherapy is a rather novel treatment option for patients with cancer. To explore the prevalence and severity of physical and psychological symptoms and the effort invested in SDM in relation to decisional conflict among patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. This was a cross-sectional survey study. The SURE version of the Decisional Conflict Scale was used to screen cancer patients' decisional conflict status. Demographic or clinical characteristics, physical symptoms and psychological distress; efforts invested in the SDM process were also assessed as potential factors related to decisional conflict. One hundred seventeen patients surveyed, the prevalence of fatigue (79.5%), sleep disturbance (78.6%), poor appetite (67.5%), and pain (58.1%) symptoms were high and the severity was at moderate levels. The prevalence of pruritus (40.2%), rash (34.2%), dry skin (41.9%), and diarrhea (17.1%) symptoms were low and the severity was at mild levels. 65.8% of patients reported uncertainty, with mild to moderate levels. Furthermore, 97.4% of the patients made some effort in SDM, and the effort level was moderate (mean: 5.56 ± 2.02). 64.1% of patients were certain that immunotherapy was the best option. Age, uncertainty, and effort in the SDM process were major factors related to decisional conflict. We observed that older patients (age: ≥ 65) and those with higher uncertainty levels and less effort in SDM reported higher levels of decisional conflict. Future studies should explore older patients' decisional related needs of immunotherapy. Interventions should be designed to reduce the uncertainty experienced by patients with cancer and enhance their understanding of immunotherapy to enable them to take more effort in the SDM process.

Crosstalk between cGAS-STING pathway and autophagy in cancer immunity

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is critical in cancer immunity. Autophagy is a highly conserved process that is responsible for the degradation of cytoplasmic material and is involved in both innate and adaptive immunity. Recently, cGAS-STING and autophagy have been shown to be interconnected, which may influence the progression of cancer. Although cGAS-STING and autophagy have been shown to be interrelated in innate immunity, little has been reported about cancer immunity. As cancer immunity is key to treating tumors, it is essential to summarize the relationship and interactions between the two. Based on this, we systematically sorted out the recent findings of cGAS-STING and autophagy in cancer immunity and explored the interactions between cGAS-STING and autophagy, although these interactions have not been extensively studied. Lastly, we provide an outlook on how cGAS-STING and autophagy can be combined, with the hope that our research can help people better understand their potential roles in cancer immunity and bring light to the treatment of cancer.

Novel exosome-related risk signature as prognostic biomarkers in glioblastoma

Exosomes are progressively being detected as an indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer in clinical settings. Many clinical trials have confirmed the impact of exosomes on tumor growth, particularly in anti-tumor immunity and immunosuppression of exosomes. Therefore, we developed a risk score based on genes found in glioblastoma-derived exosomes. In this study, we used the TCGA dataset as the training queue and GSE13041, GSE43378, GSE4412, and CGGA datasets as the external validation queue. Based on machine algorithms and bioinformatics methods, an exosome-generalized risk score was established. We found that the risk score could independently predict the prognosis of patients with glioma, and there were significant differences in the outcomes of patients in the high- and low-risk groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that risk score is a valid predictive biomarker for gliomas. Two immunotherapy datasets, IMvigor210 and GSE78220, were obtained from previous studies. A high-risk score showed a significant association with multiple immunomodulators that could act on cancer immune evasion. The exosome-related risk score could predict the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Moreover, we compared the sensitivity of patients with high- and low-risk scores to various anti-cancer drugs and found that patients with high-risk scores had better responses to a variety of anti-cancer drugs. The risk-scoring model established in this study provides a useful tool to predict the total survival time of patients with glioma and guide immunotherapy.

Chordin-Like 2: A Possible Therapeutic Target for Gastric Cancer by Affecting Cell Cycle and Proliferation

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the role of chordin-like 2 (CHRDL2) in gastric cancer.

METHODS

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were screened and the differentially expressed gene CHRDL2 was identified. The CHRDL2 expression was examined in the Human Protein Atlas and TCGA. Clinical data on gastric cancer were evaluated for their association with CHRDL2 by using TCGA and KM-plotter databases. The possible relationship amongst CHRDL2, immune cells, and related genes was investigated via the TIMER database. Enrichment analysis was performed using GO and KEGG pathways to explore the mechanisms.

RESULTS

Screening of databases revealed that CHRDL2 was a differentially expressed gene. An increase in cytoplasmic CHRDL2 expression was found in cancer tissues compared with the surrounding normal tissues. The data, together with those from TCGA and the KM-plotter databases, showed that patients with gastric cancer with high level of CHRDL2 have worse prognosis than those with low expression. A strong correlation was found between CHRDL2 expression and T stage, race, pathological grade, and pathological type according to clinical data analysis. CHRDL2 expression is linked to immune infiltration, as shown by the TIMER database. The data suggested that CHRDL2 plays a pivotal role in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer and might help tumor cells evade the immune system. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that CHRDL2 is involved in the chemokine signaling route, the intestinal immune network, the MAPK pathway, cell cycle, and the PI3K-Akt signaling system that are associated with the pathological processes of gastric cancer.

CONCLUSION

Patients with gastric cancer with decreased CHRDL2 levels have dramatically improved OS, PFS, and PPS. CHRDL2 plays a pivotal role in enabling tumor cell immune evasion in tumor microenvironment, suggesting a function of this gene in the development of gastric cancer and its immune infiltration. Interfering with CHRDL2 may slow down the development of this malignancy by affecting cell cycle and apoptosis pathways.

Targeted Nanobubbles of PD-L1 mAb Combined with Doxorubicin as a Synergistic Tumor Repressor in Hepatocarcinoma

Purpose

Ultrasound nanobubbles (NBs) can kill tumor cells, mediated by their effects of cavitation and acoustic perforation through ultrasound, while as novel drug carriers, biomaterial-modified NBs release drugs at a target region. In this work, the ultrasound NBs bridged by biotin-streptavidin were prepared simultaneously to be loaded with both programmed death ligand 1 monoclonal antibody (PD-L1 mAb) and doxorubicin (DOX), which are immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapeutic agents, to synergize immunotherapy and chemotherapy combined with sonodynamic therapy (SDT).

Methods

The PD-L1 mAb/DOX NBs, using bridging affinity biotin (BRAB) technology as a bridge, were prepared by thin-film hydration and mechanical oscillation for the targeted delivery of biotinylated PD-L1 mAb and DOX. Characterization and pharmacokinetic studies of PD-L1 mAb/DOX NBs were performed in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor effect of ultrasound-mediated PD-L1 mAb/DOX-NBs was studied in the subcutaneously transplanted tumor of the H22 hepatoma model, and the mechanism of synergistic tumor repression was investigated.

Results

The data of in vitro targeting experiments, contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging (CEUS), in vivo imaging of the small animals imaging system (IVIS), and frozen sections showed that PD-L1 mAb/DOX-NBs have well-targeted aggregation in the tumor. By observing tumor inhibition rate, tissue cell apoptosis, and apoptosis-related gene and protein expression, the PD-L1 mAb/DOX-NBs group showed the best immunotherapy effects, and its tumor volume and mass inhibition rates were about 69.64% and 75.97%, respectively (P < 0.01). Therefore, blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway could improve immune cells’ tumor-killing ability. Antitumor immune cytokines were further enhanced when combined with DOX-induced tumor cell apoptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD).

Conclusion

In summary, ultrasound-mediated PD-L1 mAb/DOX-NBs showed significant synergistic antitumor effects, providing a potential combined immunotherapy strategy for HCC.

SAAL1, a novel oncogene, is associated with prognosis and immunotherapy in multiple types of cancer

Serum amyloid A-like 1 (SAAL1) was recently identified as a novel oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To explore the potential role of SAAL1 in other cancers, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis of SAAL1 expression and its association with tumor microenvironment (TME) immunological profiles, sensitivity to chemotherapy agents, response to immunotherapy, and patient prognosis. SAAL1 was overexpressed in most malignant tumors in association with poor prognosis. Moreover, its expression was positively correlated with TME-relevant immune and mismatch signatures, immunostimulatory infiltrating cells (CD4⁺ memory T cells, activated NK cells, M1 macrophages, and cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells), microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), neoantigen load, and immune checkpoint markers (PD-L1, LAG-3 and CTLA-4) in multiple cancers. SAAL1 overexpression was also associated with immunotherapy response and overall survival (OS) in bladder cancer (BLCA) patients who had received anti-PD-L1 treatment. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) further showed significant enrichment of SAAL1 in immune cell signaling, cell cycle, and cell adhesion pathways. Moreover, we detected tumor-specific correlations between SAAL1 expression and either chemoresistance or sensitivity to common chemotherapeutics. Lastly, we showed that SAAL1 silencing suppresses both malignant phenotype and expression of PD-L1 in lung cancer A549 cells in vitro. These findings suggest that SAAL1 contributes to tumorigenesis and antitumor immunity mechanisms in different cancer types, and may thus serve as both a prognostic biomarker and potential target for cancer immunotherapy.

Rationale and Clinical Research Progress on PD-1/PD-L1-Based Immunotherapy for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), a highly aggressive and malignant tumor, currently lacks an effective treatment. There has been some progress in the treatment of mTNBC with programmed death receptor-1/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immunotherapy in recent years. The combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with other therapies is a noteworthy treatment strategy. Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy or small-molecule inhibitors still faces many challenges. Additionally, there are some new immunotherapy targets in development. We aimed to further evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of immunotherapy for treating mTNBC and to propose new immunotherapy strategies. This review explains the rationale and results of existing clinical trials evaluating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone or in combination for the treatment of mTNBC. For patients with aggressive tumors and poor health, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, either alone or in combination with other modalities, have proven to be effective. However, more research is needed to explore more effective immunotherapy regimens that will lead to new breakthroughs in the treatment of mTNBC.

The significance of PAK4 in signaling and clinicopathology: A review

P21-activated protein kinases (PAKs) are thought to be at the center of tumor signaling pathways. As a representative member of the group II PAK family, P21-activated protein kinase 4 (PAK4) plays an important role in the development of tumors, with several biological functions such as participating in oncogenic transformation, promoting cell division, resisting aging and apoptosis, regulating cytoskeleton and adhesion, as well as suppressing antitumor immune responses. PAK4 is also crucial in biological processes, including the occurrence, proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, drug resistance, and immune escape of tumor cells. It is closely related to poor prognosis and tumor-related pathological indicators, which have significant clinical and pathological significance. Therefore, this article offers a review of the structure, activation, and biological functions of PAK4 and its clinical and pathological importance. This overview should be of assistance for future research on PAK4 and tumors and provide new ideas for tumor treatment and prognostic evaluation of patients.

The Role of Photodynamic Therapy in Triggering Cell Death and Facilitating Antitumor Immunology

Cancer is a major threat to human health because of its high mortality, easy recurrence, strong invasion, and metastasis. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising minimally invasive treatment for tumor. Compared with traditional treatment methods, PDT is less invasive and does not easily damage normal tissues. Most of the effects of this treatment are due to the direct effects of singlet oxygen together with reactive oxygen species. PDT can provide the source of active oxygen for the Fenton reaction, which enhances ferroptosis and also improves the efficacy of PDT in antitumor therapy. Additionally, in contrast to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, PDT has the effect of stimulating the immune response, which can effectively induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) and stimulate immunity. PDT is an ideal minimally invasive treatment method for tumors. In this paper, according to the characteristics of anti-tumor immunity of PDT, some tumor treatment strategies of PDT combined with anti-tumor immunotherapy are reviewed.

Identification of novel natural inhibitors targeting AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1 (AKT1) by computational study

Despite great progress, the current cancer treatments often have obvious toxicity and side effects. and a poor prognosis (some patients). One of the reasons for the poor prognosis is that certain enzymes prevent anticancer drugs from killing tumor cells. AKT1 is involved in regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR, a tumor-generating pathway. Ipatasertib, a highly selective inhibitor of AKT1, is widely used in the treatment of tumors. In this study, many structural and biochemical methodswere used to find better AKT1(Threonine Kinase 1) inhibitors, which laid a foundation for the further development of AKT1 inhibitors and provided new drugs for the treatment of tumors. ZINC15 database and Discovery Studio 4.5, a computer-aided drug screening software with many modules (LibDock for virtual screening, ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion) and TOPKAT (toxicity prediction module) for the toxicity and properties analysis, and MD simulation for stability prediction), were employed. CCK8 assay, ELISA assay genicity and higher tolerance to cytochrome P4502D6. MD simulations indicated they could bind with AKT1 stably in the natural environment. The cell experiment and specific assay for AKT1 inhibition showed they could inhibit the proliferation and AKT1 expression of MG63 cells (Osteosarcoma cells). Moreover, these novel compounds with structural modifications can be potential contributors that lead to further rational drug design for targeting AKT1.

AbbreviationAKT1, AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1; ADME, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion; TOPKAT, toxicity prediction by Computer assisted technology; CCK8, Cell Counting Kit 8; ELISA, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; CYP2D6, cytochrome P4502D6 inhibition; GBM, Glioblastoma; AGC kinase, protein kinase A, G, and C families (PKA, PKC, PKG); PKB, protein kinase B; PAM pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival; LD50, lethal dose half in rats; LOAEL, lowest observed adverse effect level; NPT, normal pressure and temperature; PME, particle mesh Ewald; LINCS, linear constraint solver; RMSD, root-mean-square deviation; BBB, blood–brain barrier; DS, Discovery Studio; DTP, Developmental toxicity potential; PPB, Plasma protein binding; MTD, Maximum Tolerated Dosage; AB, Aerobic Biodegradability; NTP, US. National Toxicology Program; DTP, developmental toxicity potential.

The Influence of Analgesic Modalities on Postoperative Cancer Recurrence

The potential for cancer cells to grow and to metastasize depends on complex interactions between inflammatory signals and pathways, immune cells, and elements of the stromal tissue in which they invade. Related to the nature of many cancers, the probability of recurrence can potentially be quite high for some patients. Immunology, lifestyle modifications, timing of disease, genetics, age, gender, and race are only a handful of ways the likelihood of cancer recurrence can be influenced. The quantity, or density, of certain immunological cells or factors, plays a role in the propagation of cancer cells. Opioids are often used in cancer patients for acute postoperative and chronic pain management. While they can produce significant pain relief, the type of analgesic utilized is important, as it may influence cancer propagation. In this regard, certain opioids have been found to increase T regulatory cells while suppressing NK cell function. Morphine may promote tumor neovascularization and expansion. Fentanyl administration significantly diminishes NK-cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells. In a recent meta-analysis, propofol-based anesthesia improved both cancer-free survival and overall survival. COX inhibitors have also shown promise in persevering cancer immune function, as in literature involving ketorolac and celecoxib. In summary, inhaled anesthesia and opioids may contribute to a pro-tumor metastasis environment also known as cancer propagation; whereas propofol and COX inhibitors may provide a better alternative to reduce cancer recurrence and propagation.

Long non-coding RNA TRPM2 antisense RNA as a potential therapeutic target promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one type of aggressive gastrointestinal cancers. The treatment of EC is challenging. Effective therapeutic targets require development. Long non-coding RNA TRPM2 antisense RNA (LncRNA TRPM2-AS) is considering a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for various types of cancer. However, the role of lncRNA TRPM2-AS in EC remains unknown. This study aimed to illustrate effects of LncRNA TRPM2-AS on EC growth and metastasis and potential underlying molecular mechanisms. LncRNA TRPM2-AS expression was determined in both EC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase-chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation ability was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were determined using transwell. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers expression were determined using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, potential lncRNA TRPM2-AS targeting miRNAs were predicted by public databases. The expression of five selected miRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. We found that lncRNA TRPM2-AS expression was increased in EC tissues and cell lines compared with respective control. Silencing lncRNA TRPM2-AS suppressed EC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, lncRNA TRPM2-AS knockdown reduced neural cadherin, vimentin, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 gene and protein expressions while increased epithelial cadherin expression. Furthermore, lncRNA TRPM2-AS knockdown promoted microRNA (miR)-1291, miR-6852-5p, and miR-138-5p expressions. Taken together, this study for the first time demonstrates that upregulation of lncRNA TRPM2-AS in EC promotes the growth and metastasis of EC likely through interacting with miR-1291, miR-6852-5p, and miR-138-5p.

OUP accepted manuscript

Purpose

Lung cancer relapse may be associated with the presence of a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) with unlimited proliferative potential. Our study assessed the relationship between CSCs and the relapse rate in patients harboring adenocarcinoma (ADL) and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL).

Experimental design

This is an observational prospective cohort study (NCT04634630) assessing the influence of CSC frequency on relapse rate after major lung resection in 35 patients harboring early (I-II) (n = 21) and locally advanced (IIIA) (n = 14) ADL and SCCL. There was a 2-year enrollment period followed by a 1-year follow-up period. Surgical tumor specimens were processed, and CSCs were quantified by cytofluorimetric analysis.

Results

Cancer stem cells were expressed in all patients with a median of 3.1% of the primary cell culture. Primary analysis showed no influence of CSC frequency on the risk of relapse (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.85-1.30). At secondary analysis, patients with locally advanced disease with higher CSC frequency had an increased risk of relapse (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.14-1.39), whereas this was not observed in early-stage patients (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.65-1.25).

Conclusion

No association was found between CSC and relapse rates after major lung resection in patients harboring ACL and SCCL. However, in locally advanced-stage patients, a positive correlation was observed between CSC frequency and risk of relapse. These results indicate a need for further molecular investigations into the prognostic role of CSCs at different lung cancer stages.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT04634630.

[Ketogenic diet: a new nutritional strategy for cancer therapy?]

Cancer is a disease that can appear in several tissues and that kills more than 150 000 people in France every year. Cancer cells have mutations in their genome that lead to changes in their metabolism, compared to healthy cells. They use mostly glycolysis as their energy source, but not fatty acid oxidation. Currently, treatments used against cancer are nonspecific and have many side effects. Thus it appears increasingly important to find new strategies against cancer cells progression while protecting surrounding healthy cells and decreasing side effects. Ketogenic diet, which is a low-sugar high-fat diet, could be an interesting candidate as it alters the energy machinery of the cell and keeps away its primary energy source (glucose). This diet is largely used to treat refractory epilepsy and begins to be studied in oncology as well. This article describes the scientific evidence of the beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet and aims at showing how this complementary treatment could be useful against several cancers.

Tumour targetable and microenvironment-responsive nanoparticles simultaneously disrupt the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and MAPK/ERK/JNK pathway for efficient treatment of colorectal cancer

The present study was aimed to develop a novel combination therapeutic strategy of gene therapy and immunotherapy for efficiently treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). To achieve that goal, the polyethylene glycol-modified poly (2-(N,N-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PEG-PDMAEMA)-based nanoparticles loaded with protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 6 (PTPN6) (NP-PTPN6) was developed first followed by conjugation with anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (aPD-L1) atezolizumab (aPD-L1NP-PTPN6). Importantly, the aPD-L1 was conjugated on the surface of NP-PTPN6 by the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-cleavable linkage PLGLAG. Therefore, the aPD-L1 would be completely released once the aPD-L1NP-PTPN6 was entrapped into tumour tissues as demonstrated by the release assay. Tumour targeting assay demonstrated the aPD-L1NP-PTPN6 have high affinity to CRC cells and resulted in excellent tumour targeting drug delivery efficacy. Additionally, anti-tumour effect evaluation revealed that the aPD-L1NP-PTPN6 has greater ability to inhibit the growth, invasion and migration of CRC cells and finally led to longer survival time of tumour-bearing mice than other treatments. Further mechanisms studies demonstrated that treatment of CRC cells with aPD-L1NP-PTPN6 contributed to significant suppression of the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway. Besides, it was further demonstrated that treating CRC with aPD-L1NP-PTPN6 resulted in up-regulation of NK cells and T cells percentage within the tumour tissues.

Therapy-induced chemoexosomes: Sinister small extracellular vesicles that support tumor survival and progression

Chemotherapy involves the use of multiple cytotoxic or cytostatic drugs acting by various mechanisms to kill or arrest the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy remains the most utilized approach for controlling cancer. Emerging evidence indicates that cancer cells activate various pro-survival mechanisms to cope with chemotherapeutic stress. These mechanisms persist during treatment and often help orchestrate tumor regrowth and patient relapse. Exosomes due to their nature of carrying and transferring multiple biologically active components have emerged as key players in cancer pathogenesis. Recent data demonstrates that chemotherapeutic stress enhances the secretion and alters the cargo carried by exosomes. These altered exosomes, which we refer to as chemoexosomes, are capable of transferring cargo to target tumor cells that can enhance their chemoresistance, increase their metastatic behavior and in certain cases even aid in endowing tumor cells with cancer stem cell-like properties. This mini-review summarizes the recent developments in our understanding of the impact chemoexosomes have on tumor survival and progression.

Inducing multiple antibodies to treat squamous cell esophageal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The positive response and the clinical usefulness of 14 serum antibodies in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were examined in this study. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to investigate the frequency of gene expressions, mutations, and amplification of these 14 antigens and also the possible effects of antibody induction.

METHODS

Blood serum derived from 85 patients with ESCC was collected and analyzed for the 14 antibodies using ELISA. The prognosis between positive and negative antibodies were then compared. The antibody panel included LGALS1, HCA25a, HCC-22-5, and HSP70.

RESULTS

Patient serum was positive for all antibodies, except VEGF, with the positive rates ranging from 1.18 to 10.59%. Positive rates for LGALS1, HCA25a, HCC-22-5, and HSP70 were > 10%. TCGA data revealed that all antigen-related genes had little or no mutation or amplification, and hence an increase in gene expression affected antibody induction. The positive results from the panel accounted for the positive rate comparable to the combination of CEA and SCC. No significant association was observed between the presence of antibodies and disease prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The detection rates of LGALS1, HCA25a, HCC-22-5, and HSP70 were 10% higher in patients with ESCC. Gene overexpression may be involved in such antibody production. These four antibodies were applied as a panel in comparison with conventional tumor markers. Moreover, it was confirmed that the combination of this panel and the conventional tumor markers significantly improved the positive rate.

Cancer Immunotherapy: An Effective Tool in Cancer Control and Treatment

Background::

Cancer immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment which effectively harnesses the natural ability of the immune system to fight against cancer cells. This approach takes into consideration the fact that cancer cells express various types of antigens on their surface. Such tumor antigens can be detected by the immune system. However, cancer cells normally develop resistance to the defensive mechanisms presented by the immune system. Thus, cancer immunotherapy has some challenges in its path but due to its impressive clinical effectiveness, it is considered as the potential and effective mode of treatment for cancer.

Methods::

We searched the scientific database using cancer, immunotherapy, and tumor antigens as the keywords. Herein, only peer-reviewed research articles were collected which were useful to our current work.

Results::

Cells responsible for incurring natural immunity to the body are engineered in such a way that they become able to efficiently recognize and bind to tumor antigens. Such type of immunotherapy is referred to as active immunotherapy. Another type is passive immunotherapy, which involves the process of modifying the existing natural immune responses against cancer cells. A hybrid type of immunotherapy has also been developed which involves the combinative use of both active and passive immunotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy has so far proven to be an effective treatment for cancer as this therapy primarily aims at attacking cancer cells and not the healthy body cells lying in close vicinity to them.

Conclusion::

In the review, we described the significance of immunotherapy in the management of various types of cancer.