Efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery as single or combined therapy for brain metastasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To determine the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in treating patients with brain metastases (BMs), a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a direct comparison of cohort studies were performed. Relevant literature regarding the effectiveness of SRS alone and in combination with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and surgery was retrieved using systematic database searches up to April 2019. The patterns of overall survival (OS), one-year OS, progression-free survival (PFS), one-year local brain control (LBC), one-year distant brain control (DBC), neurological death (ND), and complication rate were analyzed.

SRS in Combination With Ipilimumab: A Promising New Dimension for Treating Melanoma Brain Metastases.

Dear Editor,I am writing to you in order to highlight some miscalculations in an article published in the journal of Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment, entitled; "SRS in Combination with Ipilimumab: A Promising New Dimension for Treating Melanoma Brain Metastases" by Khan, et al. These miscalculations changed the derived conclusion about median survival time, and adverse effects in the selected treatment groups. So, amending these miscalculations may help readers in future research decisions.

A Review on the Biodistribution, Pharmacokinetics and Toxicity of Bismuth-Based Nanomaterials.

Here, bismuth-based nanomaterials (Bi-based NMs) are introduced as promising theranostic agents to enhance image contrast as well as for the therapeutic gain for numerous diseases. However, understanding the interaction of such novel developed nanoparticles (NPs) within a biological environment is a requisite for the translation of any promising agent from the lab bench to the clinic. This interaction delineates the fate of NPs after circulation in the body.

ATF4, DLX3, FRA1, MSX2, C/EBP-ζ, and C/EBP-α Shape the Molecular Basis of Therapeutic Effects of Zoledronic Acid in Bone Disorders.

Objective: Zoledronic Acid (ZA) is one of the common treatment choices used in various boneassociated conditions. Also, many studies have investigated the effect of ZA on Osteoblastic-Differentiation (OSD) of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), but its clear molecular mechanism(s) has remained to be understood. It seems that the methylation of the promoter region of key genes might be an important factor involved in the regulation of genes responsible for OSD.

Bismuth-Based Nanomaterials: Recent Advances in Tumor Targeting and Synergistic Cancer Therapy Techniques.

Despite all of the efforts in the field of cancer therapy, the heterogeneous properties of tumor cells induce an insufficient therapeutic outcome when treated with conventional monotherapies, necessitating a shift in cancer treatment from monotherapy to combination therapy for complete cancer treatment. Multifunctional bismuth (Bi)-based nanomaterials (NMs) with therapeutic functions hold great promise for the fields of cancer diagnosis and therapy based on their low toxicity, X-ray sensitive capabilities, high atomic number, near-infrared driven semiconductor properties, and low cost. Herein, a comprehensive review of recent advances in various medicinal aspects of Bi-based NMs is presented including: evaluation of in-tumor site accumulation, tumor targeting, and therapeutic performance, as well as the characteristics, benefits, and shortcomings of Bi-based NM-mediated major monotherapies.

Evidences from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Unveil the Role of MiRNA Polymorphisms in the Predisposition to Female Neoplasms.

Breast (BCa) and gynecological (GCa) cancers constitute a group of female neoplasms that has a worldwide significant contribution to cancer morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that polymorphisms influencing miRNA function can provide useful information towards predicting the risk of female neoplasms. Inconsistent findings in the literature should be detected and resolved to facilitate the genetic screening of miRNA polymorphisms, even during childhood or adolescence, and their use as predictors of future malignancies.

A new insight on serum microRNA expression as novel biomarkers in breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the widespread lethal diseases affecting a large number of women worldwide. As such, employing and identifying significant markers for detecting BC in different stages can assist in better diagnosis and management of the disease. Several diverse markers have been introduced for diagnosis, but their limitations, including low specificity and sensitivity, reduce their application.

Association of mir-196a-2 rs11614913 and mir-149 rs2292832 Polymorphisms With Risk of Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Accumulating evidence suggests that functional dysregulations of miRNAs, especially miR-196a-2 and miR-149, in cancers could be attributed to polymorphisms in miRNA sequences. This study was aimed at clarifying the association of mir-196a-2 rs11614913 and mir-149 rs2292832 with cancer risk by performing an updated meta-analysis of genetic association studies. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were searched until 9 April 2018 to identify eligible studies.

miRNA Polymorphisms and Risk of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Recently extensive focus has been concentrated on the role of miRNAs in the initiation and progression of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCDs) which constitute a range of conditions including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs, especially coronary artery disease (CAD)), congenital heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs, especially the ischemic stroke (IS)). An increasing number of studies are evaluating the association between different miRNA polymorphisms and risk of CCDs, but results have been inconclusive. This study represents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between miRNA polymorphisms and risk of CCDs.

Oleuropein inhibits migration ability through suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and synergistically enhances doxorubicin-mediated apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

Distinct metastasis is one of the main causes of breast cancer (BC)-related mortality and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a primary step in metastasis dissemination. On the other hand, doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent against BC; unfortunately, its clinical use is limited by dose-dependent side effects. Therefore, extensive efforts have been dedicated to suppressing metastasis of BC and also to overcome DOX side effects together with keeping its antitumor efficacy.

Narrower insight to SIRT1 role in cancer: A potential therapeutic target to control epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer cells.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a highly networked cellular process which involves cell transition from the immotile epithelial to the motile mesenchymal phenotype, whereby cells lose their cell-cell adhesion and cell polarity. This important process is one of the underlying mechanisms for enabling invasion and metastasis of cancer cells which is considered as malignant phase of tumor progression. However, the molecular mechanisms of this process are not fully clarified.

HDACis (class I), cancer stem cell, and phytochemicals: Cancer therapy and prevention implications.

Epigenetics is independent of the sequence events that physically affect the condensing of chromatin and genes expression. The unique epigenetic memories of various cells trigger exclusive gene expression profiling. According to different studies, the aberrant epigenetic signatures and impaired gene expression profiles are master occurrences in cancer cells in which oncogene and tumor suppressor genes are affected.