Effect of photodynamic therapy on peripheral immune system for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been emerging as a promising treatment for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). A number of experiments have demonstrated that PDT could enhance antitumor immunity significantly. However, the impact of PDT on peripheral immune system for unresectable CCA remains unclear.

Development and Optimization of A Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patient-Derived Organoid Model for Potential Target Identification and Drug Discovery.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and lethal tumor worldwide and its late discovery and lack of effective specific therapeutic agents necessitate further research into its pathogenesis and treatment. Organoids, a novel model that closely resembles native tumor tissue and can be cultured in vitro, have garnered significant interest in recent years, with numerous reports on the development of organoid models for liver cancer. In this study, we have successfully optimized the procedure and established a culture protocol that enables the formation of larger-sized HCC organoids with stable passaging and culture conditions.

Chinese expert consensus on conversion therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (2021 edition).

Recent advances in systemic and locoregional treatments for patients with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have resulted in improved response rates. This has provided an opportunity for selected patients with initially unresectable HCC to achieve adequate tumor downstaging to undergo surgical resection, a 'conversion therapy' strategy. However, conversion therapy is a new approach to the treatment of HCC and its practice and treatment protocols are still being developed.

CMTM6 promotes migration, invasion, and EMT by interacting with and stabilizing vimentin in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background: CKLF like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 6 (CMTM6) has been associated with the development in many kinds of cancers. However, the roles of CMTM6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are largely unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the function of CMTM6 in HCC.

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of PD-L2 in lung cancer: A meta-analysis.

Objective: The prognostic role of programmed death ligand-2 (PD-L2) expression in lung cancer has been widely studied, however, the results are controversial. Accordingly, we investigated the prognostic and clinicopathological value of PD-L2 in patients with lung cancer in this meta-analysis.

Methods: Relevant studies were systematically searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.

Prognostic and clinicopathological utility of PD-L2 expression in patients with digestive system cancers: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Programmed death ligand-2 (PD-L2)has been detected in various cancers. However, its prognostic value in digestive system cancers (DSCs) remains unclear. Accordingly, this meta-analysis investigated the prognostic and clinicopathological utility of PD-L2 in patients with DSCs.

The tumor immune microenvironment transcriptomic subtypes of colorectal cancer for prognosis and development of precise immunotherapy.

Background: Biomarkers based on immune context may guide prognosis prediction. T-cell inactivation, exclusion, or dysfunction could cause unfavorable tumor microenvironments, which affect immunotherapy and prognosis. However, none of the immuno-biomarkers reported to date can differentiate colorectal-cancer (CRC) patients.

miR-449a regulates biological functions of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting SATB1.

Purpose: To investigate whether miR-449a can regulate the biological functions of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by targeting special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1).

Methods: qRT-PCR and western blot were carried out to detect the expression of miR-449a and SATB1 in normal human hepatocyte cell line HL-7702 and in HCC cells SMMC-7721, Hep3B, HepG2, and Bel-7402. miR-449a-mimics, miR-negative control (miR-NC), specifically inhibited SATB1 RNA (si-SATB1), specifically overexpressed SATB1 RNA (sh-SATB1), and negative control RNA (Si-NC) were transfected into the Hep3B and Bel-7402 cells.

A Novel Ten-Gene Signature Predicting Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a dismal long-term outcome. We aimed to construct a multi-gene model for prognosis prediction to inform HCC management. The cancer-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using RNA-seq data of paired tumor and normal tissue.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A review of serum biomarkers, staging, and management.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with complicated treatment options that depend on pathological grading, clinical staging, and presence of symptoms related to hormonal secretion. With regard to diagnosis, remarkable advances have been made: Chromogranin A is recommended as a general marker for pNETs. But other new biomarker modalities, like circulating tumor cells, multiple transcript analysis, microRNA profile, and cytokines, should be clarified in future investigations before clinical application.

Identification of prognostic claudins signature in hepatocellular carcinoma from a hepatocyte differentiation model.

Background: Loss of terminal differentiation markers and gain of stem cell-like properties are a major hallmark of cancer malignant progression. Identification of novel biomarkers representing tumor developmental progeny and predictive of patients' prognosis would greatly benefit clinical cancer management.

Methods: Human embryonic stem cells were induced to differentiate into hepatocytes along hepatic lineages.

A hepatocyte differentiation model reveals two subtypes of liver cancer with different oncofetal properties and therapeutic targets.

Clinical observation of the association between cancer aggressiveness and embryonic development stage implies the importance of developmental signals in cancer initiation and therapeutic resistance. However, the dynamic gene expression during organogenesis and the master oncofetal drivers are still unclear, which impeded the efficient elimination of poor prognostic tumors, including human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, human embryonic stem cells were induced to differentiate into adult hepatocytes along hepatic lineages to mimic liver development in vitro.

Laparoscopic Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Perfusion Chemotherapy for Patients With Malignant Ascites Secondary to Unresectable Gastric Cancer.

Background: To compare the efficacy of 3 chemotherapeutic combinations for laparoscopic hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy (HIPPC) in the treatment of malignant ascites secondary to unresectable gastric cancer (GC).

Materials And Methods: From January 2010 to December 2013, 38 GC patients were randomly divided into 3 groups and treated by laparoscopic HIPPC with 1 of the 3 following chemotherapy combinations: raltitrexed (Ra) with oxaliplatin (L-OHP), Ra with cisplatin (DDP), and Ra with mitomycin C (MMC). Perioperative complications, patients' quality of life, and survival were recorded and compared among the 3 groups.

Comparative safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation combined with preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction versus surgical resection for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma of 3-5 cm.

Objective: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with preoperative three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction versus surgical resection for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma of 3-5 cm.

Methods: The cohort of this retrospective study included 66 consecutive patients who underwent open hepatectomy (Surgery group) between January 2009 and December 2014, as well as 54 consecutive patients who underwent ultrasound-guided RFA combined with preoperative 3D reconstruction (RFA group) during the same period. Preoperative 3D reconstruction was performed using Myrian-XP-Liver software.

Development of an oncogenic dedifferentiation SOX signature with prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Gradual loss of terminal differentiation markers and gain of stem cell-like properties is a major hall mark of cancer malignant progression. The stem cell pluripotent transcriptional factor SOX family play critical roles in governing tumor plasticity and lineage specification. This study aims to establish a novel SOX signature to monitor the extent of tumor dedifferentiation and predict prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Vessels That Encapsulate Tumor Clusters (VETC) Pattern Is a Predictor of Sorafenib Benefit in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Sorafenib is the most recommended first-line systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet there is no clinically applied biomarker for predicting sorafenib response. We have demonstrated that a vascular pattern, named VETC (Vessels that Encapsulate Tumor Clusters), facilitates the release of whole tumor clusters into the bloodstream; VETC-mediated metastasis relies on vascular pattern, but not on migration and invasion of cancer cells.

Aberrant MCT4 and GLUT1 expression is correlated with early recurrence and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

The tumor microenvironment is a key determinant of cancer cell biology. The microenvironment is a complex mixture of tumor cells, stromal cells, and proteins, extracellular matrix, oxygen tension, and pH levels surrounding the cells that regulate the tumor progress. This study identified the prognostic factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and MCT4 and GLUT1 expression levels in HCC specimens.

Nomogram to Predict Survival of Patients With Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Surgery.

Background & Aims: We aimed to establish and validate a nomogram to predict survival at 2 and 5 years after recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have undergone curative resection.

Methods: We developed a nomogram using data from a training cohort of 638 patients (most with hepatitis B virus infection) with recurrence of HCC after curative resection at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, in Guangzhou, China from 2007 through 2013. The median follow-up time was 39.

A dual-selective fluorescent probe for GSH and Cys detection: Emission and pH dependent selectivity.

A novel fluorescent probe 1 based on acridine orange was developed for the selective detection and bioimaging of biothiols. The probe exhibits higher selectivity and turn-on fluorescence response to cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH) than to other amino acids. Importantly, the probe responds to GSH and Cys/Hcy with distinct fluorescence emissions in PBS buffer at pH of 7.

Optimized construction of MUC1-VNTR DNA vaccine and its anti-pancreatic cancer efficacy.

Considering mucin 1-variable number tandem repeat (MUC1-VNTR) as a novel target for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy, the present study aimed to screen and identify the pVAX1-MUC1-VNTR DNA vaccine with the strongest immunogenicity. Following construction of a pVAX1-MUC1-VNTR plasmid, immature dendritic cells (DCs) were subjected to transfection, and mature DCs were then co-cultured with autologous T-cells. The numbers of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) secreting interferon (IFN)-γ were determined using an enzyme-linked immunospot assay, and CytoTox was also used to examine the MUC1-VNTR-specific Lethal effect of CTLs on Capan2 cells.

Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To investigate the association between serum concentration of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and the risk of pancreatic cancer (PaC).

Methods: We identified eligible studies in Medline and EMBASE databases (no reference trials from 2014 to 2016) in addition to the reference lists of original studies and review articles on this topic. A summary of relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated using a random-effects model.

CpG Methylation Signature Predicts Recurrence in Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results From a Multicenter Study.

Purpose Early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (E-HCC) is being diagnosed increasingly, and in one half of diagnosed patients, recurrence will develop. Thus, it is urgent to identify recurrence-related markers. We investigated the effectiveness of CpG methylation in predicting recurrence for patients with E-HCCs.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Perfusion Chemotherapy and Cytoreductive Surgery for Controlling Malignant Ascites From Ovarian Cancer.

Background: Malignant ascites, a complication often seen in patients with ovarian cancer (OC), is difficult to treat, but hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has a good efficacy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with HIPEC for controlling malignant ascites from OC.

Materials And Methods: From December 2009 until December 2014, 53 patients with OC and malignant ascites were treated with CRS and HIPEC.