What Animal Cancers teach us about Human Biology

Microbial Therapy and Breast Cancer Management: Exploring Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Integration within the One Health Approach

This comprehensive review elucidates the profound relationship between the human microbiome and breast cancer management. Recent findings highlight the significance of microbial alterations in tissue, such as the gut and the breast, and their role in influencing the breast cancer risk, development, progression, and treatment outcomes. We delve into how the gut microbiome can modulate systemic inflammatory responses and estrogen levels, thereby impacting cancer initiation and therapeutic drug efficacy. Furthermore, we explore the unique microbial diversity within breast tissue, indicating potential imbalances brought about by cancer and highlighting specific microbes as promising therapeutic targets. Emphasizing a holistic One Health approach, this review underscores the importance of integrating insights from human, animal, and environmental health to gain a deeper understanding of the complex microbe-cancer interplay. As the field advances, the strategic manipulation of the microbiome and its metabolites presents innovative prospects for the enhancement of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. However, rigorous clinical trials remain essential to confirm the potential of microbiota-based interventions in breast cancer management.

Cancerogenic parasites in veterinary medicine: a narrative literature review

Parasite infection is one of the many environmental factors that can significantly contribute to carcinogenesis and is already known to be associated with a variety of malignancies in both human and veterinary medicine. However, the actual number of cancerogenic parasites and their relationship to tumor development is far from being fully understood, especially in veterinary medicine. Thus, the aim of this review is to investigate parasite-related cancers in domestic and wild animals and their burden in veterinary oncology. Spontaneous neoplasia with ascertained or putative parasite etiology in domestic and wild animals will be reviewed, and the multifarious mechanisms of protozoan and metazoan cancer induction will be discussed.

Exploring the link between viruses and cancer in companion animals: a comprehensive and comparative analysis

Currently, it is estimated that 15% of human neoplasms globally are caused by infectious agents, with new evidence emerging continuously. Multiple agents have been implicated in various forms of neoplasia, with viruses as the most frequent. In recent years, investigation on viral mechanisms underlying tumoral transformation in cancer development and progression are in the spotlight, both in human and veterinary oncology. Oncogenic viruses in veterinary medicine are of primary importance not only as original pathogens of pets, but also in the view of pets as models of human malignancies. Hence, this work will provide an overview of the main oncogenic viruses of companion animals, with brief notes of comparative medicine.

Unblinding the watchmaker: cancer treatment and drug design in the face of evolutionary pressure

INTRODUCTION

Death due to cancer is mostly associated with therapy ineffectiveness, i.e. tumor cells no longer responding to treatment. The underlying dynamics that facilitate this mutational escape from selective pressure are well studied in several other fields and several interesting approaches exist to combat this phenomenon, for example in the context of antibiotic-resistance in bacteria.

AREAS COVERED

Ninety percent of all cancer-related deaths are associated with treatment failure. Here, we discuss the common treatment modalities and prior attempts to overcome acquired resistance to therapy. The underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed and the implications of emerging resistance in other systems, such as bacteria, are discussed in the context of cancer.

EXPERT OPINION

Reevaluating emerging therapy resistance in tumors as an evolutionary mechanism to survive in a rapidly and drastically altering fitness landscape leads to novel treatment strategies and distinct requirements for new drugs. Here, we propose a scheme of considerations that need to be applied prior to the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs.

In Vitro and In Vivo Modeling of Normal and Leukemic Bone Marrow Niches: Cellular Senescence Contribution to Leukemia Induction and Progression

Cellular senescence is recognized as a dynamic process in which cells evolve and adapt in a context dependent manner; consequently, senescent cells can exert both beneficial and deleterious effects on their surroundings. Specifically, senescent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in the bone marrow (BM) have been linked to the generation of a supporting microenvironment that enhances malignant cell survival. However, the study of MSC’s senescence role in leukemia development has been straitened not only by the availability of suitable models that faithfully reflect the structural complexity and biological diversity of the events triggered in the BM, but also by the lack of a universal, standardized method to measure senescence. Despite these constraints, two- and three dimensional in vitro models have been continuously improved in terms of cell culture techniques, support materials and analysis methods; in addition, research on animal models tends to focus on the development of techniques that allow tracking leukemic and senescent cells in the living organism, as well as to modify the available mice strains to generate individuals that mimic human BM characteristics. Here, we present the main advances in leukemic niche modeling, discussing advantages and limitations of the different systems, focusing on the contribution of senescent MSC to leukemia progression.