Right versus left thoracic approach esophagectomy for patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of left thoracic approach (LTA) and right thoracic approach (RTA) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT).

Methods: This study included 83 ESCC patients who underwent right transthoracic esophagectomy ( = 61) and left transthoracic esophagectomy ( = 22) after NICT in our hospital from October 2019 to September 2023. The data of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Photosensitive Hybrid γδ-T Exosomes for Targeted Cancer Photoimmunotherapy.

Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancers. Traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy have limited effectiveness and can lead to systemic side effects. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a photoresponsive cancer therapy based on photosensitizers to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eradicate tumor cells.

Ignoring Gender-Based Immunometabolic Reprograming, a Risky Business in Immune-Based Precision Medicine.

Immunology advances have increased our understanding of autoimmune, auto-inflammatory, immunodeficiency, infectious, and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Furthermore, evidence is growing for the immune involvement in aging, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, and different cancers. However, further research has indicated sex/gender-based immune differences, which further increase higher incidences of various autoimmune diseases (AIDs), such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myasthenia gravis, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in females.

Identification of putative Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) dual inhibitors for triple-negative breast cancer therapy.

Tryptophan catabolism is a central pathway in many cancers, serving to sustain an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The key enzymes involved in this tryptophan metabolism such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are reported as promising novel targets in cancer immunotherapy. IDO1 and TDO overexpression in TNBC cells promote resistance to cell death, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.

Herpesvirus Infections After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy and Bispecific Antibodies: A Review.

In this narrative review, we explore the burden and risk factors of various herpesvirus infections in patients receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy or bispecific antibodies (BsAb) for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Antiviral prophylaxis for herpes simplex/varicella zoster viruses became part of the standard of care in this patient population. Breakthrough infections may rarely occur, and the optimal duration of prophylaxis as well as the timing of recombinant zoster immunization remain to be explored.

Correction: Alhakamy et al. Green Nanoemulsion Stabilized by In Situ Self-Assembled Natural Oil/Native Cyclodextrin Complexes: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Enhancing Anticancer Activity of Costunolide against Lung Cancer Cells. 2022, , 227.

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Integration of Metabolomics and Transcriptomics to Reveal the Antitumor Mechanism of Polysaccharide-Based Nanocarriers in Enhancing Photodynamic Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer.

: The mechanism of polysaccharide-based nanocarriers in enhancing photodynamic immunotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poorly understood. : The effects of TPA-3BCP-loaded cholesteryl hemisuccinate- polysaccharide nanoparticles (DOP@3BCP NPs) and their potential molecular mechanism of action in a tumor-bearing mouse model of CRC were investigated using non-targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics. Meanwhile, a histopathological analysis (H&E staining, Ki67 staining, and TUNEL assay) and a qRT-PCR analysis revealed the antitumor effects of DOP@3BCP NPs with and without light activation.

Advances in Pure Drug Self-Assembled Nanosystems: A Novel Strategy for Combined Cancer Therapy.

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems hold great promise for improving the effectiveness of anti-tumor therapies. However, their clinical translation remains hindered by several significant challenges, including intricate preparation processes, limited drug loading capacity, and concerns regarding potential toxicity. In this context, pure drug-assembled nanosystems (PDANSs) have emerged as a promising alternative, attracting extensive research interest due to their simple preparation methods, high drug loading efficiency, and suitability for large-scale industrial production.

HIFU-CCL19/21 Axis Enhances Dendritic Cell Vaccine Efficacy in the Tumor Microenvironment.

Background/objectives: Effectively targeting treatment-resistant tumor cells, particularly cancer stem cells (CSCs) involved in tumor recurrence, remains a major challenge in immunotherapy. This study examines the potential of combining mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (M-HIFU) with dendritic cell (DC) vaccines to enhance immune responses against OLFM4-expressing tumors, a CSC marker linked to immune evasion and tumor growth.

Methods: M-HIFU was applied to induce immunogenic cell death by mechanically disrupting tumor cells, releasing tumor-associated antigens and creating an immunostimulatory environment.

Peptides as Versatile Regulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects.

The emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized therapies for many types of cancer. However, current immunotherapy has limited efficacy in certain patient populations and displays therapeutic resistance after a period of treatment. To address these challenges, a growing number of immunotherapy drugs have been investigated in clinical and preclinical applications.

Leveraging Single-Cell Multi-Omics to Decode Tumor Microenvironment Diversity and Therapeutic Resistance.

Recent developments in single-cell multi-omics technologies have provided the ability to identify diverse cell types and decipher key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), leading to important advancements toward a much deeper understanding of how tumor microenvironment heterogeneity contributes to cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. These technologies are able to integrate data from molecular genomic, transcriptomic, proteomics, and metabolomics studies of cells at a single-cell resolution scale that give rise to the full cellular and molecular complexity in the TME. Understanding the complex and sometimes reciprocal relationships among cancer cells, CAFs, immune cells, and ECs has led to novel insights into their immense heterogeneity in functions, which can have important consequences on tumor behavior.

Characterization of Vaccine-Enhanced Humoral Immune Responses Against Emergent SARS-CoV-2 Variants in a Convalescent Cohort.

Vaccination of COVID-19-convalescent individuals may generate 'hybrid' immunity of enhanced magnitude, durability, and cross-reactive breadth. Our primary goal was to characterize hybrid antibody (Ab) responses in a patient cohort infected with ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 virus and vaccinated between 6 and 10 months later with the Wuhan-Hu-1-based BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. We were particularly interested in determining the efficacy of neutralizing Ab responses against subsequently emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants.

PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression in Endometrial Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Cancer immunotherapy through the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have shown significant promise in endometrial carcinoma (EC), particularly in tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), present in approximately 30% of cases. This review evaluated PD-L1 and PD-1 expression as potential biomarkers for immunotherapy response in EC, focusing on their relationship with MSI status. A systematic review, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, analyzed studies from MEDLINE and Embase until February 2023 on PD-1/PD-L1 expression in EC stratified by MSI status, including diverse study designs but excluding conference abstracts, with independent screening, data extraction, and additional reference checks to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Exploring Prognostic Factors and Survival Outcomes in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing First-Line Chemotherapy in Limited-Resource Settings.

: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, especially in limited-resource countries (LRCs) where access to advanced treatments such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy is constrained. Platinum-based chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of first-line therapy. This study aims to identify prognostic factors influencing survival outcomes and evaluate treatment response to chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients in LRCs.

The General Principle of the Warburg Effect as a Possible Approach for Cancer Immunotherapy: The Regulatory Effect of Plant Extracts Could Change the Game.

The interpretation of the biochemistry of immune metabolism could be considered an attractive scientific field of biomedicine research. In this review, the role of glycolysis in macrophage polarization is discussed together with mitochondrial metabolism in cancer cells. In the first part, the focus is on the Warburg effect and redox metabolism during macrophage polarization, cancer development, and management of the immune response by the cancer cells.

Hidden Partner of Immunity: Microbiome as an Innovative Companion in Immunotherapy.

Recent studies have highlighted that the microbiome is the essential factor that can modulate the clinical activity of immunotherapy. However, the role of the microbiome varies significantly across different immunotherapies, suggesting that it is critical to understand the precise function of the microbiome in each type of immunotherapy. While many previous studies primarily focus on summarizing the role of the microbiome in immune checkpoint inhibitors, we seek to explore a novel aspect of the microbiome in other immunotherapies such as mesenchymal stem cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, and antibodies-based therapy (e.

Etoposide as a Key Therapeutic Agent in Lung Cancer: Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Emerging Strategies.

Topoisomerase II inhibitors, particularly etoposide, have long been integral to the treatment of lung cancer, especially small cell lung cancer. This review comprehensively examines the mechanisms of action of etoposide, its clinical efficacy, and its role in current lung cancer treatment regimens. Etoposide exerts its anticancer effects by inducing DNA strand breaks through the inhibition of topoisomerase II, leading to cancer cell apoptosis.

Cellular Senescence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Immune Microenvironment Insights via Machine Learning and In Vitro Experiments.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading liver tumor globally, is influenced by diverse risk factors. Cellular senescence, marked by permanent cell cycle arrest, plays a crucial role in cancer biology, but its markers and roles in the HCC immune microenvironment remain unclear. Three machine learning methods, namely k nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), are utilized to identify eight key HCC cell senescence markers (HCC-CSMs).

Adjuvant Systemic Immunotherapies for Resected Stage III Melanoma: A Single-Centre Retrospective Clinical Practice Review.

Melanoma poses significant challenges due to its resistance to conventional therapies and increasing incidence rates. Stage III melanoma, characterised by regional lymph node involvement, has a high risk of recurrence despite surgical resection. Adjuvant immunotherapy, particularly using the PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab, has shown promising results in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in Stage III melanoma patients.

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Malignant Human Brain Tumors: Driving Forces Behind Progression and Therapy.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a pivotal role in regulating gene expression and are critically involved in the progression of malignant brain tumors, including glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, and meningioma. These lncRNAs interact with microRNAs (miRNAs), proteins, and DNA, influencing key processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. This review highlights the multifaceted impact of lncRNA dysregulation on tumor progression and underscores their potential as therapeutic targets to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Early Immune Cell and Antibody Kinetics Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Healthy Adults and Low-Count Monoclonal B-Cell Lymphocytosis.

The early immune kinetics after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remain poorly understood, particularly among individuals with low-count monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL). We investigated the cellular and humoral kinetics in the blood of 50 non-MBL healthy donors (HD) vs. 16 MBL subjects after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, who were subclassified according to their history of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 into SARS-CoV-2 naïve and previously infected subjects.

The Impact of Metabolic Rewiring in Glioblastoma: The Immune Landscape and Therapeutic Strategies.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor characterized by extensive metabolic reprogramming that drives tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Key metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, lactate production, and lipid metabolism, are upregulated to sustain tumor survival in the hypoxic and nutrient-deprived tumor microenvironment (TME), while glutamine and tryptophan metabolism further contribute to the aggressive phenotype of GBM. These metabolic alterations impair immune cell function, leading to exhaustion and stress in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells while favoring immunosuppressive populations such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and M2-like macrophages.

Identification of Immune Infiltration-Associated CC Motif Chemokine Ligands as Biomarkers and Targets for Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Immunotherapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer globally, with limited effective biomarkers and sensitive therapeutic targets. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the critical role of tumor microenvironment (TME) imbalances, particularly immune escape due to impaired chemokine-mediated trafficking, in tumorigenesis and progression. Notably, CC chemokines (CCLs) have been shown to either promote or inhibit angiogenesis, metastasis, and immune responses in tumors, thereby influencing cancer development and patient outcomes.

Circulating Tumor Cell-Free DNA as Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Immunotherapy: The CORELAB Experience.

The expression level of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) determined by the immunohistochemical method is currently approved to test the potential efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors and to candidate patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) for treatment with immunotherapeutic drugs. As part of the CORELAB (New prediCtivebiOmaRkers of activity and Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced non-small cell Lung cArcinoma) project, aimed at identifying new predictive and prognostic biomarkers in NSCLC patients receiving immunotherapeutic drugs, we investigated the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) molecular characterization as an additional predictive biomarker. We analyzed plasma ctDNA by targeted Next Generation Sequencing in a subset of 50 patients at different time points.

Immunotherapy in Oncogene-Addicted NSCLC: Evidence and Therapeutic Approaches.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The discovery of specific driver mutations has revolutionized the treatment landscape of oncogene-addicted NSCLC through targeted therapies, significantly improving patient outcomes. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated limited effectiveness in this context.