Abrogating G₂/M checkpoint through WEE1 inhibition in combination with chemotherapy as a promising therapeutic approach for mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a very aggressive asbestos-related neoplasm of the serous membranes, whose incidence is increasing worldwide. Although the introduction of new drug combinations, such as cisplatin plus pemetrexed/gemcitabine, has determined an improvement in the patient quality of life, MM remains a universally fatal disease. The observation that key G 1/S checkpoint regulators are often functionally inactivated in MM prompted us to test whether the use of G 2/M checkpoint inhibitors, able to sensitize G 1/S checkpoint-defective cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents, could be successful in MM.

Emerging roles of RB family: new defense mechanisms against tumor progression.

The retinoblastoma (RB) family of proteins, including RB1/p105, retinoblastoma-like 1 (RBL1/p107), and retinoblastoma-like 2 (RBL2/p130), is principally known for its central role on cell cycle regulation. The inactivation of RB proteins confers a growth advantage and underlies multiple types of tumors. Recently, it has been shown that RB proteins have other important roles, such as preservation of chromosomal stability, induction and maintenance of senescence and regulation of apoptosis, cellular differentiation, and angiogenesis.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: the road to lung cancer biomarker discovery.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women in Western nations, and is among the deadliest cancers with a 5-year survival rate of 15%. The high mortality caused by lung cancer is attributable to a late-stage diagnosis and the lack of effective treatments. So, it is crucial to identify new biomarkers that could function not only to detect lung cancer at an early stage but also to shed light on the molecular mechanisms that underlie cancer development and serve as the basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Antitumor activity of new pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine SRC kinase inhibitors in Burkitt lymphoma cell lines and its enhancement by WEE1 inhibition.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive B cell neoplasm. Although intensive polychemotherapy regimens have proven very effective, they are associated with significant toxicities. Therefore, more rational therapies that selectively target the molecular abnormalities of BL are needed.

Lung cancer proteomics: recent advances in biomarker discovery.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in both men and women in Western countries, with a 5-year survival rate of 15%, which is among the lowest of all cancers. The high mortality from lung cancer is due not only to the late stage diagnosis but also to the lack of effective treatments even for patients diagnosed with stage I lung cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new markers for early diagnosis and prognosis that could serve to open novel therapeutic avenues.