Current status of Cancer Nanotheranostics: Emerging strategies for cancer management.

Cancer diagnosis and management have been a slow-evolving area in medical science. Conventional therapies have by far proved to have various limitations. Also, the concept of immunotherapy which was thought to revolutionize the management of cancer has presented its range of drawbacks.

Phase I Trial of Ipatasertib Plus Carboplatin, Carboplatin/Paclitaxel, or Capecitabine and Atezolizumab in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: This trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of ipatasertib in combination with carboplatin, carboplatin/paclitaxel, or capecitabine/atezolizumab in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC).

Methods: Eligibility criteria were mTNBC, RECIST 1.1 measurable disease, no prior use of platinum for metastatic disease (Arms A and B), and no prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitor (Arm C).

Molnupiravir: A Versatile Prodrug against SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The nucleoside analog β-D-4-hydroxycytidine is the active metabolite of the prodrug molnupiravir and is accepted as an efficient drug against COVID-19. Molnupiravir targets the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme, which is responsible for replicating the viral genome during the replication process of certain types of viruses. It works by disrupting the normal function of the RdRp enzyme, causing it to make mistakes during the replication of the viral genome.

A Role for Extracellular Vesicles in SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutics and Prevention.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are the common designation for ectosomes, microparticles and microvesicles serving dominant roles in intercellular communication. Both viable and dying cells release EVs to the extracellular environment for transfer of cell, immune and infectious materials. Defined morphologically as lipid bi-layered structures EVs show molecular, biochemical, distribution, and entry mechanisms similar to viruses within cells and tissues.

Nanocarrier vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.

The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has seen rapid spread, disease morbidities and death associated with substantive social, economic and societal impacts. Treatments rely on re-purposed antivirals and immune modulatory agents focusing on attenuating the acute respiratory distress syndrome. No curative therapies exist.

Microneedle array systems for long-acting drug delivery.

The development of microneedles (MNs) assisted drug delivery technologies have been highly active for more than two decades. The minimally invasive and self-administered MN technology bypasses many challenges associated with injectable drug delivery systems, by delivering the therapeutic materials directly into the dermal and ocular space and allowing the release of the active ingredient in a sustained or controlled manner. Different types of MNs (biodegradable solid/dissolving MNs and nanoparticle loaded/coated polymeric MNs or delivery by hollow MNs) have been envisioned for long-acting sustained delivery of therapeutic payloads, with the aim of reducing the side effects and administration frequency to improve the patient compliance.

Versatility of hydrogel-forming microneedles in in vitro transdermal delivery of tuberculosis drugs.

Current therapy of tuberculosis (TB) has several limitations, such as risk of liver injury and intestinal dysbiosis due to frequent oral administration of antibiotics. Transdermal administration could be used to improve antibiotic delivery for treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Therefore, we developed a novel approach, using hydrogel-forming microneedle (MN) arrays to transdermally deliver TB drugs, namely rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol, which have different physicochemical properties.

Enhancing intradermal delivery of tofacitinib citrate: Comparison between powder-loaded hollow microneedle arrays and dissolving microneedle arrays.

Autoimmune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, and vitiligo, have been reported as the 4th leading cause of nonfatal disease burden worldwide. This is mainly related to the poor quality of life experienced by these patients. Although topical and systemic steroids represent the most common treatment, the variability in success rates and side effects often lead to treatment discontinuation.

An Analysis and Comparison of Survival and Functional Outcomes in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy within City of Hope Cancer Center Sites.

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a subset of head and neck cancers that can arise due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We designed a retrospective analysis to determine differences in outcomes of OPSCC patients treated at City of Hope (COH) Cancer Center's main campus versus selected satellite sites with COH-associated faculty and facilities. Patients diagnosed with OPSCC and treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy ( = 94) were identified and included in the study.

Precision medicine and actionable alterations in lung cancer: A single institution experience.

Objectives: Oncology has become more reliant on new testing methods and a greater use of electronic medical records, which provide a plethora of information available to physicians and researchers. However, to take advantage of vital clinical and research data for precision medicine, we must initially make an effort to create an infrastructure for the collection, storage, and utilization of this information with uniquely designed disease-specific registries that could support the collection of a large number of patients.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we perform an in-depth analysis of a series of lung adenocarcinoma patients (n = 415) with genomic and clinical data in a recently created thoracic patient registry.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutic Responses Through Fractal Measurements: From Radiology to Mitochondrial Biology.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine disease with an overall 5 year survival rate of ~7%. Although patients tend to respond initially to therapy, therapy-resistant disease inevitably emerges. Unfortunately, there are no validated biomarkers for early-stage SCLC to aid in early detection.

Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK)-positive Tumors: Clinical, Radiographic and Molecular Profiles, and Uncommon Sites of Metastases in Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements are observed in about 4% to 8% non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ALK+ tumors have been associated with increased pleural and pericardial disease. Our primary objective was to determine the uncommon sites of metastasis of ALK+ NSCLC.

Novel nanosuspension-based dissolving microneedle arrays for transdermal delivery of a hydrophobic drug.

A nanosuspension (NS) was formulated from the lipophilic molecule cholecalciferol (CL) for enhanced transdermal delivery by embedding this NS into hydrophilic polymer-based dissolving microneedles (DMNs). First, the NS was prepared by sonoprecpitation with different molecular weights of poly (vinyl alcohol) and poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) as stabilizers and using two different solvents for particle size and zeta potential optimization. DMN arrays were then prepared by centrifugation-assisted micromoulding and subsequently dried.

Effective osimertinib treatment in a patient with discordant T790 M mutation detection between liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy.

Background: We report the successful treatment of the patient with osimertinib 80 mg/day following disease progression and a discordance in the detection of a mechanism of resistance epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790 M between liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy methods.

Case Presentation: A 57-year-old Hispanic male patient initially diagnosed with an EGFR 19 deletion positive lung adenocarcinoma and clinically responded to initial erlotinib treatment. The patient subsequently progressed on erlotinib 150 mg/day and repeat biopsies both tissue and liquid were sent for next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Combined modality radiation therapy promotes tolerogenic myeloid cell populations and STAT3-related gene expression in head and neck cancer patients.

Immunomodulation contributes to the antitumor efficacy of the fractionated radiation therapy (RT). Here, we describe immune effects of RT with concurrent systemic cisplatin or cetuximab treatment of patients with stage III-IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Using longitudinally collected blood samples, we identified significant changes in cytokines/chemokines and immune cell populations compared to immune-related gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Novel bilayer dissolving microneedle arrays with concentrated PLGA nano-microparticles for targeted intradermal delivery: Proof of concept.

Polymeric microneedle (MN) arrays continue to receive growing attention due to their ability to bypass the skin's stratum corneum barrier in a minimally-invasive fashion and achieve enhanced transdermal drug delivery and "targeted" intradermal vaccine administration. In this research work, we fabricated biodegradable bilayer MN arrays containing nano - microparticles for targeted and sustained intradermal drug delivery. For this study, model drug (vitamin D, VD)-loaded PLGA nano- and microparticles (NMP) were prepared by a single emulsion solvent evaporation method with 72.

Zero order controlled release delivery of cholecalciferol from injectable biodegradable microsphere: In-vitro characterization and in-vivo pharmacokinetic studies.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres loaded with cholecalciferol (CL), more bioactive form of vitamin D was developed as an injectable controlled drug release system and was evaluated for its feasibility of once a month delivery. The CL loaded microspheres (CL-MS) were prepared by simple oil in water (O/W) emulsion-solvent evaporation technique incorporated with a stabilizer, Tocopherol Succinate (TS). Different formulation as well as process parameters were investigated namely concentration of emulsifier, concentration of stabilizer and drug: polymer mass ratios.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy versus fine-needle aspiration for evaluating thyroid nodules.

Objective: Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (UG-CNB) is a procedure that is often performed either after repeated inadequate or nondiagnostic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (UG-FNA) or in combination with UG-FNA in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of UG-CNB and UG-FNA for evaluating thyroid nodules.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 350 consecutive patients who had thyroid nodules biopsied by UG-CNB or UG-FNA from January 2007 until November 2011 at our institution.

Evaluation of expert criteria for preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Despite 2 randomized trials reporting no reduction in operations or local recurrence at 1 year, preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used in diagnostic workup of breast cancer. We evaluated 5 utilization criteria recently proposed by experts. Of women (n = 340) newly diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer who underwent bilateral MRI, most (69.

Magnetic resonance imaging-guided breast biopsy in lesions not visualized by mammogram or ultrasound.

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis and evaluation of breast lesions is still in evolution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of MR-guided biopsy for suspicious lesions seen on MRI but not visualized by mammography or ultrasound. A retrospective review was conducted on all patients undergoing MRI-guided core needle biopsy at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

Papillary carcinoma of the breast: an overview.

Papillary carcinoma of the breast represents approximately 0.5% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer. The prevalence of both invasive and in situ papillary carcinoma seems to be greater in older postmenopausal women and, in relative terms, in males.