Molecular characterization of lung carcinomas: A study on diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic markers using immunohistochemical analysis at a Tertiary Care Center in Uttarakhand, India

Landscape of Clinically Relevant Genomic Alterations in the Indian Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

The genomic landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the Indian patients remains underexplored. We revealed distinctive genomic alterations of Indian NSCLC patients, thereby providing vital molecular insights for implementation of precision therapies.

METHODS

We analyzed the genomic profiles of 325 lung adenocarcinoma and 81 lung squamous carcinoma samples from Indian patients using targeted sequencing of 50 cancer related genes. Correlations between genomic alterations and clinical characteristics were computed using statistical analyses. Additionally, we identified distinct features of Indian NSCLC genomes by comparison across different ethnicities.

RESULTS

Our genomic analysis revealed several noticeable features of Indian NSCLC patients. Alterations in EGFR (45.8%), TP53 (27.4%), ALK (11.4%) and KRAS (10.2%) were predominant in adenocarcinoma, with 68% eligible for targeted therapies. Squamous carcinoma exhibited prevalent alterations in TP53 (40.7%), PIK3CA (17.3%), and CDKN2A (8.6%). We observed higher frequency of EGFR alterations (18.5%) in lung squamous carcinoma patients, significantly distinct from other ethnicities reported till date. Beyond established correlations, we observed 60% of PD-L1 negative squamous patients harbored TP53 alterations, suggesting intriguing therapeutic implications.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data revealed unique genomic variations of adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma patients, with significant indications for precision medicine and clinical practice of lung cancers. The study emphasizes the importance of clinical utility of NGS for routine diagnostics.

Toxic effects due to exposure heavy metals and increased health risk assessment (leukemia)

Heavy metals (HM) are among the elements that are rare in nature and threaten human health, animals, and the environment. Fix sources including (power plants, industries, homes) and mobile sources include (cars and motorcycles) are the main sources production and emission of HM. It is important to understand the main information about sources of emission, chemical processes (reactions, oxidation, and leaching), and how they precipitate. The aim of this study was to evaluation an increased risk of leukemia due to exposure to HM. In this article narrative, the first literature search was performed with 580 articles according to different databases: Elsevier, PubMed, Web of science, Spring, and Google Scholar databases. 70 articles were included in the analysis process. Finally, 8 full-text articles were selected in this research. The search was restricted to English-language papers published between 2000 and 2021. In final stage literature, there is a notable health effect (carcinogenic) because of exposure to heavy metals. According to the results of this research natural procedures and human activities (industrial processes, car exhaust, and cigarette smoke) are the most important of ways that heavy metals can enter the natural cycle. Air, food, soil, water, and groundwater are the main sources of heavy metals that can cause severe disorders in the human body. After entering the body through ingestion heavy metals produce stable bio-toxic compounds. These compounds by disrupting biological processes, interrupt the body's functions and cause various cancers in the human body. The results of this study can help to politicians for make comprehensive decisions to solve the problem and increase public awareness of the use of protective equipment.

Evaluation of MicroRNA as Minimal Residual Disease in Leukemia: Diagnostic and Prognostic Approach: A Review

Various factors are effective in the development of minimal residual disease (MRD), one of which is MicroRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs and their dysfunction in gene expression have influential role in the pathogenesis of leukemia. Nowadays, treatments that lead to the suppression or replacement of miRNAs have been developed. Focusing on the role of miRNAs in managing the treatment of leukemia, in this review article we have investigated the miRNAs and signaling pathways involved in the process of apoptosis and cell proliferation, as well as miRNAs with oncogenic function in malignant leukemia cells. Among the studied miRNAs, miR-99a, and miR-181a play an essential role in apoptosis, proliferation and oncogenesis via AKT, MAPK, RAS, and mTOR signaling pathways. miR-223 and miR-125a affect apoptosis and oncogenesis via Wnt/B-catenin, PTEN/PI3K, and STAT5/AKT/ERK/Src signaling pathways. miR-100 also affects both apoptosis and oncogenesis; it acts via IGF1 and mTOR signaling pathways.

Dietary branched-chain amino acids intake, glycemic markers, metabolic profile, and anthropometric features in a community-based sample of overweight and obese adults

BACKGROUND

Existing research provides conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between estimated branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) intake and metabolic, glycemic markers, and anthropometric characteristics. This research seeks to examine the association between estimated dietary BCAA consumption and glycemic, and metabolic markers, as well as anthropometric parameters in adults classified as overweight or obese.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional analysis, we gathered data from 465 overweight and obese individuals aged between 18 and 37 years. To evaluate dietary data, we employed the food frequency questionnaire, and the BCAA content in foods was determined via the United States Department of Agriculture website. We utilized ELISA kits to measure fasting blood glucose (FBS) and lipid profile markers, and additionally calculated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and insulin sensitivity markers. We assessed sociodemographic status, physical activity (PA), and anthropometric attributes through a method recognized as both valid and reliable. For statistical analysis, we conducted analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), making adjustments for variables including sex, PA, age, energy, and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Upon adjusting for confounders, those in the highest tertiles of BCAA intake exhibited an increase in weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and fat-free mass (FFM). Conversely, they demonstrated reduced fat mass (FM) (%) and FM (kg) compared to their counterparts in the lowest tertiles (P < 0.05). Additionally, there was a noted association between greater estimated BCAA intake and reduced LDL levels. Nonetheless, our findings did not reveal a significant relationship between dietary BCAA and glycemic indices.

CONCLUSIONS

From our findings, an increased estimated intake of BCAA seems to correlate with diminished serum LDL concentrations. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of this association, it is imperative that further experimental and longitudinal studies be conducted.

Ameliorating effects of berberine on sepsis-associated lung inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide: molecular mechanisms and preclinical evidence

As a life-threatening disorder, sepsis-associated lung injury is a dysregulated inflammatory response to microbial infection, characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells into lung tissues and excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory agents are a potential treatment for sepsis-associated lung injury. Berberine, one of the well-studied medicinal plant-derived compounds, has shown promising anti-inflammatory potential in inflammatory conditions, through modulating excessive immune responses induced by various immune cells. A systematic literature search in electronic databases indicated several publications that studied the effect of berberine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis in preclinical investigations. The current review article aims to provide evidence on the effects of berberine against LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI), together with underlying molecular mechanisms. The findings reveal that berberine through inhibiting the excessive production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines, suppressing the infiltration of immune cells into lung tissues, as well as preventing pulmonary edema and coagulation, can relieve pulmonary histopathological changes from LPS-mediated inflammation, thereby attenuating sepsis-associated lung injury and lethality in the experimental models. In conclusion, berberine shows great potential as a preventing and therapeutic agent for sepsis-associated lung injury, however, further proof-of-concept studies and clinical investigations are warranted for translating these preclinical findings into clinical practices.

Landscapes of synchronous multiple primary cancers detected by next-generation sequencing

An increase in the detection rate of multiple primary cancers has been accompanied with declining cancer death rates over the past few decades. However, synchronous multiple primary tumors have gradually increased, and the molecular mechanisms involved in the synchronous occurrence of multiple primary cancers of different origins are unclear. To investigate these mechanisms, we sequenced cancer tissues by FoundationOne CDx. Data were annotated with annovar, and we then performed pathway enrichment analysis. A total of 109 genes that were mutated in all samples were clustered into different diseases, biological processes, and molecular functions. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the P53 and PKB signaling pathways may be relevant to the occurrence of synchronous multiple primary cancers. In summary, patients with a concordance of mutations in pathogenetic genes may have a higher risk of developing a second cancer. Our research may provide a basis for the development of individualized treatments for synchronous multiple primary cancers.

Targeted Therapy of B7 Family Checkpoints as an Innovative Approach to Overcome Cancer Therapy Resistance: A Review from Chemotherapy to Immunotherapy

It is estimated that there were 18.1 million cancer cases worldwide in 2018, with about 9 million deaths. Proper diagnosis of cancer is essential for its effective treatment because each type of cancer requires a specific treatment procedure. Cancer therapy includes one or more approaches such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. In recent years, immunotherapy has received much attention and immune checkpoint molecules have been used to treat several cancers. These molecules are involved in regulating the activity of T lymphocytes. Accumulated evidence shows that targeting immune checkpoint regulators like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are significantly useful in treating cancers. According to studies, these molecules also have pivotal roles in the chemoresistance of cancer cells. Considering these findings, the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy can help to treat cancer with a more efficient approach. Among immune checkpoint molecules, the B7 family checkpoints have been studied in various cancer types such as breast cancer, myeloma, and lymphoma. In these cancers, they cause the cells to become resistant to the chemotherapeutic agents. Discovering the exact signaling pathways and selective targeting of these checkpoint molecules may provide a promising avenue to overcome cancer development and therapy resistance. Highlights: (1) The development of resistance to cancer chemotherapy or immunotherapy is the main obstacle to improving the outcome of these anti-cancer therapies. (2) Recent investigations have described the involvement of immune checkpoint molecules in the development of cancer therapy resistance. (3) In the present study, the molecular participation of the B7 immune checkpoint family in anticancer therapies has been highlighted. (4) Targeting these immune checkpoint molecules may be considered an efficient approach to overcoming this obstacle.