A stochastic model for cancer stem cell origin in metastatic colon cancer.

Human cancers have been found to include transformed stem cells that may drive cancer progression to metastasis. Here, we report that metastatic colon cancer contains clonally derived tumor cells with all of the critical properties expected of stem cells, including self-renewal and the ability to differentiate into mature colon cells. Additionally, when injected into mice, these cells initiated tumors that closely resemble human cancer.

Endostatin plus interferon-alpha2b therapy for metastatic melanoma: a novel combination of antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory agents.

In patients with stage IIB-III disease, adjuvant high-dose interferon-alpha2b has shown clinical benefit, although metastatic melanoma is currently without any known survival-prolonging therapy. Angiogenesis has been considered important in melanoma progression, and endostatin is an angiogenesis inhibitor with antitumor activity that has shown promising results in murine model systems, prompting investigation of a formulation of rh-Endostatin (EntreMed, Rockville, Maryland, USA) alone and with interferon in metastatic melanoma. Patients were randomly assigned to receive interferon alpha2b (Schering-Plough) 10 million units/m(2) subcutaneously three times a week plus rh-Endostatin 45 mg/m(2) subcutaneously every 12 h (arm A) vs.

Additive effects of TRAIL and paclitaxel on cancer cells: implications for advances in cancer therapy.

In cancer therapy outgrowth of chemoresistant tumor cells is the most important factor that ultimately determines-apart from immediate adverse effects during treatment-the life span and prognosis of cancer patients. Despite many advances in cancer treatment and the integration of supportive medications, including new and better drugs for pain management, antiemesis, infection, and reconstitution of the hematopoietic system, both toxic effects and the development of resistance in response to the treatment remain a major problem. New treatment regimens have to be developed to target cancer more specifically using multiple cellular pathways.

Dendritic cell biology and cancer therapy.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are nature's best antigen-presenting cells. They possess attributes that allow them to effectively fulfill the requirements for priming/activating T cells and mediating tumor-specific immune responses. In this review, emphasis is placed on those aspects of DC biology that best illustrate their usefulness in immunotherapy of cancer.

TRAIL, FasL and a blocking anti-DR5 antibody augment paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in human non-small-cell lung cancer.

Lung carcinoma is one of the most frequent causes of malignancy-related mortality in the world. Paclitaxel (PA) is an antineoplastic agent used in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and possesses a single-agent response rate approaching 25%. PA kills tumor cells by inducing both cellular necrosis and apoptosis.