Publications by authors named "Lorz C"

Background And Aims: Tobacco smoking represents a major cause for preventable death and morbidity. Results from non-randomized studies suggest that smoking cessation therapy in a residential setting might be a new viable way to facilitate smoking abstinence. We aimed to test the effects of residential multicomponent group therapy for smoking cessation compared with outpatient group therapy.

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Plant viral nanoparticles (VNPs) are attractive to nanomedicine researchers because of their safety, ease of production, resistance, and straightforward functionalization. In this paper, we developed and successfully purified a VNP derived from turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), a well-known plant pathogen, that exhibits a high affinity for immunoglobulins G (IgG) thanks to its functionalization with the Z domain of staphylococcal Protein A via gene fusion. We selected cetuximab as a model IgG to demonstrate the versatility of this novel TuMV VNP by developing a fluorescent nanoplatform to mark tumoral cells from the Cal33 line of a tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

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There is a clear need to expand the toolkit of adequate mouse models and cell lines available for preclinical studies of high-grade neuroendocrine lung carcinoma (small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC)). SCLC and LCNEC are two highly aggressive tumor types with dismal prognoses and few therapeutic options. Currently, there is an extreme paucity of material, particularly in the case of LCNEC.

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Fanconi anemia (FA) patients frequently develop oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This cancer in FA patients is diagnosed within the first 3-4 decades of life, very often preceded by lesions that suffer a malignant transformation. In addition, they respond poorly to current treatments due to toxicity or multiple recurrences.

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Filamentous plant virus-derived nanoparticles are biodegradable and noninfectious to humans. Their structure is also amenable to chemical modifications. They constitute an appealing material for biomedical applications including imaging and drug delivery.

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Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Among the Non-Small Cell Carcinoma (NSCLC) category, Adenocarcinoma (ADC) represents the most common type, with different reported driver mutations, a bunch of models described and therapeutic options. Meanwhile, Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma (PSC) is one of the rarest, with very poor outcomes, scarce availability of patient material, no effective therapies and no models available for preclinical research.

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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic relevance of the Hippo-YAP transactivators YAP1 and TAZ in oral squamous cell carcinoma, and their possible relationship with PI3K/mTOR pathway activation.

Materials And Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of YAP1, TAZ, PIK3CA (p110α), p-AKT (Ser473), and p-S6 (Ser235) was performed in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 165 OSCC patients. Correlations between protein expression and clinical data were further assessed.

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Fanconi anemia (FA) patients have an exacerbated risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Treatment is challenging as FA patients display enhanced toxicity to standard treatments, including radio/chemotherapy. Therefore, better therapies as well as new disease models are urgently needed.

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Objective: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered the initial step in the invasion-metastasis cascade. The aim of this systematic review was to study the signature of genes involved in the EMT process in oral cancer (OC) confirmed by protein expression and its possible relationship with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) prognostic variables.

Materials And Methods: A search of the scientific literature was carried out with no start date restriction until 17 September 2020 in the electronic databases Pubmed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus, following specific eligibility criteria.

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Neuroendocrine lung tumors comprise a range of malignancies that extend from benign tumorlets to the most prevalent and aggressive Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (SCLC). They also include low-grade Typical Carcinoids (TC), intermediate-grade Atypical Carcinoids (AC) and high-grade Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma (LCNEC). Optimal treatment options have not been adequately established: surgical resection when possible is the choice for AC and TC, and for SCLC chemotherapy and very recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Recent genomic studies have pinpointed key genes and pathways involved in this cancer, particularly the Hippo-YAP pathway, which is linked to oncogenesis and is often deregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  • * YAP and TAZ signaling may be viable targets for treatment in cancer, as they play a crucial role in tumor growth while not being essential for normal tissue function; current therapies targeting this pathway are being explored for their potential effectiveness in HNSCC.
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High-grade neuroendocrine lung malignancies (large-cell neuroendocrine cell carcinoma, LCNEC, and small-cell lung carcinoma, SCLC) are among the most deadly lung cancer conditions with no optimal clinical management. The biological relationships between SCLC and LCNEC are still largely unknown and a current matter of debate as growing molecular data reveal high heterogeneity with potential therapeutic consequences. Here we describe murine models of high-grade neuroendocrine lung carcinomas generated by the loss of 4 tumor suppressors.

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  • Epidermal stem cells play a crucial role in maintaining skin health and aiding recovery after injury.
  • Different tests can measure how many stem cells are present and how well they work, but the best measure is their ability to support tissue regeneration over the long term in living organisms.
  • Analyzing the effects of specific genetic changes on these stem cells can help determine if they enhance or reduce their regeneration capabilities.
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Many rivers in the southern coastal region of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, are known to be in a poor state. Since the 1990s, the river water quality of this coastal region has been affected by increasing populations and by intensifying land use activities. Simplified risk assessment approaches are critical to identify in a timely manner areas where land use activities may impact water quality, particularly for regions with limited data.

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The annexin protein superfamily has been implicated in multiple physiological and pathological processes, including carcinogenesis. Altered expression of various annexins has frequently been observed and linked to the development and progression of various human malignancies. However, information is lacking on the expression and clinical significance of annexin A9 (ANXA9) and A10 (ANXA10) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).

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Article Synopsis
  • * YAP activation leads to uncontrolled cell growth and changes in cell behavior, such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the emergence of cancer stem cell characteristics.
  • * This review highlights the importance of the Hippo-YAP pathway in head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC), its association with poor treatment outcomes, and explores potential therapies targeting this pathway.
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  • * Lab tests on bladder cancer cell lines showed sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors and identified FOXM1 as a key player in the cancer's response, with the inhibitors reducing FOXM1 phosphorylation and enhancing the effectiveness of cisplatin.
  • * The study suggests that CDK4/6 inhibitors, individually or in combination with cisplatin, could offer a promising new treatment option for patients with advanced bladder cancer who are not suitable for existing therapies.
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  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a prevalent cancer with poor survival rates, highlighting the need for effective treatments.
  • Bosutinib, a drug used for leukemia, has shown promise in reducing cell growth and inducing cell death in HNSCC cell lines.
  • The effectiveness of Bosutinib is linked to EGFR activity and may work even better when combined with Alpelisib, especially in cases with specific genetic mutations.
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Objectives: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) is commonly altered in many human tumors, leading to the activation of p110α enzymatic activity that stimulates growth factor-independent cell growth. PIK3CA alterations such as mutation, gene amplification and overexpression are common in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and. We aim to explore how these alterations and clinical outcome are associated, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved.

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Background: Paediatric prolactinomas are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and outcome of paediatric patients with prolactinomas.

Methods: In this single-centre retrospective analysis, clinical, biochemical, and radiological features of all paediatric patients with pituitary adenomas diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 were evaluated.

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  • Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common and aggressive skin cancer that generally maintains its squamous differentiation, which is unique compared to other types of cancers.
  • Research shows that normal skin cells under stress can either stop dividing permanently or become polyploid—gaining extra chromosomes; however, SCC cells only partially respond to this stress, allowing them to continue dividing despite damage.
  • The study indicates that while non-metastatic SCCs exhibit more chromosomal instability and express higher levels of specific markers like Cyclin E and γH2AX, metastatic SCCs lose these signals, suggesting that cell cycle stress may have a complex role in either hindering or promoting cancer malignancy.
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  • - IKKβ is a protein kinase linked to several cancer signaling pathways, often showing a protumorigenic role in various cancers but displaying a protective role in skin cancer models when overexpressed at the basal skin layer.
  • - Overexpression of IKKβ leads to resistance against skin cancer and increases levels of tumor suppressor proteins like p53, p16, and p19, but its protective effects are unrelated to p53 and depend on a specific locus activity.
  • - The research highlights the dual nature of IKKβ in cancer: it can promote or prevent tumor growth depending on the cellular context, indicating a need for careful evaluation in potential therapeutic targeting of this protein.
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  • E2F/RB activity is often disrupted in human tumors, with the retinoblastoma protein regulating cell cycle progression by inhibiting E2F transcription factors, which promote cell cycle entry.
  • E2F family is split into activators and repressors, with E2F4 being a key repressor that influences gene expression and cell behavior.
  • Research shows that while E2F4 deletion alone doesn't cause skin issues in mice, its loss combined with Rb1 deletion leads to significant skin problems and gene expression changes, highlighting E2F4's critical role in epidermal health when Rb1 is absent.*
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The TP63 gene codes for two major isoform types, TAp63 and ΔNp63, with probable opposite roles in tumorigenesis. The ΔNp63α protein is frequently amplified and overexpressed in different epithelial tumors. Accordingly, it has been considered a potential oncogene.

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