Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy modulates the immune microenvironment of pleural mesothelioma and improves the impact of dual immune checkpoint inhibition.

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a fatal disease with limited treatment options. Recently, PM management has improved with the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In first-line therapy, dual PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade enhances tumor control and patient survival compared with chemotherapy.

Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma Heterotypic 3D Co-Cultures with Immune Cell Subsets.

Two-dimensional cell culture-based platforms are easy and reproducible, however, they do not resemble the heterotypic cell-cell interactions or the complex tumor microenvironment. These parameters influence the treatment response and the cancer cell fate. Platforms to study the efficacy of anti-cancer treatments and their impact on the tumor microenvironment are currently being developed.

Diclofenac Potentiates Sorafenib-Based Treatments of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Enhancing Oxidative Stress.

Sorafenib is the first developed systemic treatment for advanced forms of hepatocellular carcinoma, which constitutes the most frequent form of primary liver cancers and is a major global health burden. Although statistically significant, the positive effect of sorafenib on median survival remains modest, highlighting the need to develop novel therapeutic approaches. In this report, we introduce diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, as a potent catalyzer of sorafenib anticancer efficacy.

Rebound pathway overactivation by cancer cells following discontinuation of PI3K or mTOR inhibition promotes cancer cell growth.

Whilst effects of anti-cancer drugs have been thoroughly explored, little is known about the repercussion of drug cessation. However, this has important clinical relevance since several clinical protocols such as intermittent drug scheduling lead to frequent drug discontinuation. In this study, we have thus investigated the consequences of withdrawal of agents that target the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in cancer cells.

Genetic manipulation of Vibrio cholerae by combining natural transformation with FLP recombination.

Even though Vibrio cholerae is a well-known human pathogen, it is also a normal member of aquatic habitats. Within this environment it often forms biofilms on the chitin-containing exoskeleton of crustaceans and their molts. Chitin not only serves as nutrient source but also induces a developmental program called natural competence.