Significance of platelet adhesion-related genes in colon cancer based on non-negative matrix factorization-based clustering algorithm.

Background: Although surgical methods are the most effective treatments for colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), the cure rates remain low, and recurrence rates remain high. Furthermore, platelet adhesion-related genes are gaining attention as potential regulators of tumorigenesis. Therefore, identifying the mechanisms responsible for the regulation of these genes in patients with COAD has become important.

Histone modification: Biomarkers and potential therapies in colorectal cancer.

The complex mechanism of colorectal cancer development is closely associated with epigenetic modifications and is caused by overexpression and/or inactivation of oncogenes. Histone modifying enzymes catalyze histone modifications to alter gene expression, which plays a crucial role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. Currently, there is more frequent study on histone acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation, and their mechanisms in colorectal cancer development are clearer.

TRIM69: a marker of metastasis and potential sensitizer to 5-Fluorouracil and PD-1 blockers in colon adenocarcinoma.

Background: Several proteins in the tripartite-motif (TRIM) family are associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), but research on the role of TRIM69 was lacking. The present study examined the correlation between TRIM69 expression and colon adenocarcinoma (COAD).

Methods: mRNA sequencing data for COAD patients was extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas to analyze correlations between TRIM69 expression and patients' clinical features as well as survival.

The contemporary management of cancers of the sinonasal tract in adults.

Sinonasal malignancies make up <5% of all head and neck neoplasms, with an incidence of 0.5-1.0 per 100,000.

A Phase II, Single-arm Trial of Sunitinib and Erlotinib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligands occur frequently in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Combined vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R) and EGFR inhibition may overcome resistance to VEGF-R inhibitor monotherapy. We performed a dose-escalation phase II study of sunitinib plus erlotinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Combination Therapy With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Urothelial Carcinoma: Current Data and Future Outlook.

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, with an estimated 81,400 new cases in 2020. Although bladder cancer has 4 stages, for systemic treatment we recognize 3 clinical stages: non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), and locally advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). Approximately 70% to 80% of patients present with NMIBC at diagnosis and have an excellent 5-year overall survival (OS) of 69.

Next-Generation Androgen Receptor-Signaling Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer: Considerations for Older Patients.

Prostate cancer is common, particularly in older patients, as the risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. Cancer therapy brings unique challenges in older patients, as this population is vulnerable to many side effects and drug interactions, and they have varying degrees of frailty, which may limit the use of these therapies. The US FDA has recently approved several novel next-generation hormonal therapies for patients with various stages of prostate cancer, giving patients more treatment options.

Propensity score-based comparison of survival and radiation pneumonitis after definitive chemoradiation for esophageal cancer: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

Purpose: To compare survival outcomes and radiation pneumonitis (RP) between intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) who underwent definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT).

Methods: Clinical characteristics and dose-volume histogram parameters were collected for 388 EC patients who received definitive CRT with either IMRT (n = 297) or 3DCRT (n = 91) from 2010 through 2017. Dosimetric parameters, survival end-points, and symptomatic RP (grade ≥2) were compared between groups.

Failure pattern of elective nodal irradiation for esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Objective: To analyze the failure pattern and clinical efficacy of elective nodal irradiation in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 173 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy including elective nodal irradiation from 2002 to 2015. Failure pattern, survival and recurrence sites were analyzed.

Pharmacological inhibition of LSD1 for the treatment of MLL-rearranged leukemia.

Background: Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene translocations are found in ~75% infant and 10% adult acute leukemia, showing a poor prognosis. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) has recently been implicated to be a drug target for this subtype of leukemia. More studies using potent LSD1 inhibitors against MLL-rearranged leukemia are needed.

3-(Piperidin-4-ylmethoxy)pyridine Containing Compounds Are Potent Inhibitors of Lysine Specific Demethylase 1.

Methylation of histone lysine residues plays important roles in gene expression regulation as well as cancer initiation. Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is responsible for maintaining balanced methylation levels at histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4). LSD1 is a drug target for certain cancers, due to important functions of methylated H3K4 or LSD1 overexpression.

Skp2-macroH2A1-CDK8 axis orchestrates G2/M transition and tumorigenesis.

Understanding the mechanism by which cell growth, migration, polyploidy, and tumorigenesis are regulated may provide important therapeutic strategies for cancer therapy. Here we identify the Skp2-macroH2A1 (mH2A1)-cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) axis as a critical pathway for these processes, and deregulation of this pathway is associated with human breast cancer progression and patient survival outcome. We showed that mH2A1 is a new substrate of Skp2 SCF complex whose degradation by Skp2 promotes CDK8 gene and protein expression.

E3-ligase Skp2 regulates β-catenin expression and maintains hematopoietic stem cell homing.

The homing ability of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) was a critical step for transplantation and subsequent hematopoiesis. Although the HSC transplantation was widely used for many diseases, the mechanism by which HSC homing was regulated remained poorly understood. F-box protein S-phase kinase associated protein2 (Skp2), a component of the Skp2-SCF E3 ligase complex, was regarded as a cell cycle regulator by controlling the level of p21 and p27 through ubiquitination.

Ultrasonic spectrum analysis for in vivo characterization of tumor microstructural changes in the evaluation of tumor response to chemotherapy using diagnostic ultrasound.

Background: There is a strong need for early assessment of tumor response to chemotherapy in order to avoid the adverse effects of unnecessary chemotherapy and to allow early transition to second-line therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of ultrasonic spectral analysis for the in vivo characterization of changes in tumor microstructure in the evaluation of tumor response to chemotherapy using diagnostic ultrasound.

Methods: Experiments were approved by the regional animal care committee.

Effectiveness of stereotactic body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein and/or inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis.

Background: To report the feasibility, efficacy, and toxicity of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and/or inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis (IVCTT) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: Forty-one patients treated with SBRT using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for HCC with PVTT/IVCTT between July 2010 and May 2012 were analyzed. Of these, 33 had PVTT and 8 had IVCTT.

Cycles of ubiquitination and deubiquitination critically regulate growth factor-mediated activation of Akt signaling.

K63-linked ubiquitination of Akt is a posttranslational modification that plays a critical role in growth factor-mediated membrane recruitment and activation of Akt. Although E3 ligases involved in growth factor-induced ubiquitination of Akt have been defined, the deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that triggers deubiquitination of Akt and the function of Akt deubiquitination remain largely unclear. We showed that CYLD was a DUB for Akt and suppressed growth factor-mediated ubiquitination and activation of Akt.

Nimotuzumab promotes radiosensitivity of EGFR-overexpression esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by upregulating IGFBP-3.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is suggested to predict the radiosensitivity and/or prognosis of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Nimotuzumab (an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody) on ESCC radiotherapy (RT) and underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Nimotuzumab was administrated to 2 ESCC cell lines KYSE30 and TE-1 treated with RT.

The Skp2-SCF E3 ligase regulates Akt ubiquitination, glycolysis, herceptin sensitivity, and tumorigenesis.

Akt kinase plays a central role in cell growth, metabolism, and tumorigenesis. The TRAF6 E3 ligase orchestrates IGF-1-mediated Akt ubiquitination and activation. Here, we show that Akt ubiquitination is also induced by activation of ErbB receptors; unexpectedly, and in contrast to IGF-1 induced activation, the Skp2 SCF complex, not TRAF6, is a critical E3 ligase for ErbB-receptor-mediated Akt ubiquitination and membrane recruitment in response to EGF.

Direct sequencing and characterization of a clinical isolate of Epstein-Barr virus from nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue by using next-generation sequencing technology.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded molecules have been detected in the tumor tissues of several cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), suggesting that EBV plays an important role in tumorigenesis. However, the nature of EBV with respect to genome width in vivo and whether EBV undergoes clonal expansion in the tumor tissues are still poorly understood. In this study, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to sequence DNA extracted directly from the tumor tissue of a patient with NPC.

Chk1 inhibitor Gö6976 enhances the sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor. This type of carcinoma has a low 5-year patient survival rate. Thus, there is a need for improved therapeutics.