Plasma sICAM-1 correlates with tumor volume before primary radiochemotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Background: Biomarkers are of major interest to optimize diagnosis, prognosis and to guide treatment in head and neck cancer patients. Especially blood-based biomarkers appear promising as they can be easily collected and repeatedly analyzed during the course of radiochemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: At first, for a broad overview, multiple immune markers were evaluated in six plasma samples of three head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients at the beginning and the end of radio-chemotherapy.

Dynamics of HMBG1 (High Mobility Group Box 1) during radiochemotherapy correlate with outcome of HNSCC patients.

Purpose: High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) protein has been described as a consensus marker for immunogenic cell death (ICD) in cancer. To personalize treatments, there is a need for biomarkers to adapt dose prescription, concomitant chemotherapy, and follow-up in radiation oncology. Thus, we investigated the levels of HMGB1 in plasma of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) during the course of radiochemotherapy and follow-up in correlation with oncologic outcome and clinical confounders.

Combined action of celecoxib and ionizing radiation in prostate cancer cells is independent of pro-apoptotic Bax.

Background And Purpose: The cyclooxygenase-2-inhibitor celecoxib has been shown to inhibit cell growth and to reduce prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in mice. The drug was suggested to increase efficacy of ionizing radiation. However, extent and mechanisms of the suggested benefit of celecoxib on the radiation response are still unclear.

Increased cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation in combination with membrane-targeted apoptosis modulators involves downregulation of protein kinase B/Akt-mediated survival-signaling.

Background And Purpose: The membrane-targeted apoptosis modulators erucylphosphocholine (ErPC) and erucylphosphohomocholine (ErPC3) induce apoptosis in highly apoptosis resistant malignant glioma cell lines and enhance radiation-induced cell death and eradication of clonogenic tumor cells in vitro. Aim of the present study was to elucidate molecular mechanisms of combined action.

Materials And Methods: Induction of apoptosis was evaluated by determination of nuclear morphology (fluorescence microscopy), alteration of mitochondrial function and caspase-activation (flow cytometry, Western blot).

Irradiation specifically sensitises solid tumour cell lines to TRAIL mediated apoptosis.

Background: TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand) is an apoptosis inducing ligand with high specificity for malignant cell systems. Combined treatment modalities using TRAIL and cytotoxic drugs revealed highly additive effects in different tumour cell lines. Little is known about the efficacy and underlying mechanistic effects of a combined therapy using TRAIL and ionising radiation in solid tumour cell systems.