Identification of a Novel Immune-Gene Signature with Prognostic Value in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Study.

The tumor microenvironment has a significant input on prognosis and also for predicting clinical outcomes in various types of cancers. However, tumor tissue is not always available, thus, rendering peripheral blood a preferable alternative in the search for prognostic and predictive gene signatures. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) constitutes a quite heterogeneous disease characterized by poor prognosis.

Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of Mutations in Circulating Tumor DNA from the Plasma of Patients with Head-Neck Cancer Undergoing Chemo-Radiotherapy Using a Pan-Cancer Cell-Free Assay.

Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), we investigated DNA mutations in the plasma tumor cell-free circulating DNA (ctDNA) of 38 patients with inoperable squamous cell head neck cancer (SCHNC) before and after the completion of chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Baseline mutations of the were recorded in 10/38 (26.3%) and persisted in 4/10 patients after CRT.

The Prognostic Significance of Selected HLA Alleles on Prostate Cancer Outcome.

Recently, we have shown that HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-A*24:02 in de novo metastatic prostate cancer (MPCa) have an important role in disease progression. Since de novo MPCa represents a small group among patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), it was obvious to try to extend the validity of our results to larger cohorts of PCa patients. Herein, we analyzed patients irrespective of their disease status at diagnosis to include, besides patients with MPCa, those with localized PCa (LPCa).

Circulating Plasma Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a Predictive Biomarker for Radiotherapy: Results from a Prospective Trial in Head and Neck Cancer.

Background/aim: The plasma levels of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in cancer patients increase due to rapid cancer cell proliferation and death. Therefore, cfDNA can be used to study specific tumor-DNA features. In addition, the non-specific cfDNA concentration may be an important biomarker of cancer prognosis.

Endogenous Alpha-Synuclein is Essential for the Transfer of Pathology by Exosome-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles, Following Inoculation with Preformed Fibrils in vivo.

The main pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies is the presence of intracellular proteinaceous aggregates, enriched in the presynaptic protein alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn). α-Syn association with exosomes has been previously documented both as a physiological process of secretion and as a pathological process of disease transmission, however, critical information about the mechanisms governing this interplay is still lacking. To address this, we utilized the α-Syn preformed fibril (PFF) mouse model of PD, as a source of brain-derived exosome-enriched extracellular vesicles (ExE-EVs) and assessed their pathogenic capacity following intrastriatal injections in host wild type (WT) mouse brain.

Correction: Kogionou et al. Radiotherapy-Related Gene Signature in Prostate Cancer. 2022, , 5032.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...

A Blood-Based Immune Gene Signature with Prognostic Significance in Localized Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common male cancers worldwide and one of the deadliest if unsuccessfully treated. Τhe need for reliable, easily accessible immune-related molecular biomarkers that could be combined with clinically defined criteria, including PSA and Gleason score, to accurately predict PCa patients' clinical outcomes is emerging. Herein, we describe for the first time a blood-identified immune-related gene signature comprising eight upregulated multi-functional genes associated with poor prognosis.

miRNA-Guided Regulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from the Umbilical Cord: Paving the Way for Stem-Cell Based Regeneration and Therapy.

The human body is an abundant source of multipotent cells primed with unique properties that can be exploited in a multitude of applications and interventions. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a heterogenous population of undifferentiated cells programmed to self-renew and, depending on their origin, differentiate into distinct lineages. Alongside their proven ability to transmigrate toward inflammation sites, the secretion of various factors that participate in tissue regeneration and their immunoregulatory function render MSCs attractive candidates for use in the cytotherapy of a wide spectrum of diseases and conditions, as well as in different aspects of regenerative medicine.

Frequencies of an Immunogenic HER-2/ Epitope of CD8+ T Lymphocytes Predict Favorable Clinical Outcomes in Prostate Cancer.

HER-2/ is the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which is associated with the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). HER-2/-specific T cell immunity has been shown to predict immunologic and clinical responses in PCa patients treated with HER-2/ peptide vaccines. However, its prognostic role in PCa patients receiving conventional treatment is unknown, and this was addressed in this study.

Biomarkers in the Era of Precision Oncology.

Cancer heterogeneity provides a formidable obstacle to optimizing clinical protocols to achieve durable clinical responses [...

DNA Damage Response Mechanisms in Head and Neck Cancer: Significant Implications for Therapy and Survival.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a term collectively used to describe a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise in the oral cavity, larynx, nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx, and represents the sixth most common type of malignancy worldwide. Despite advances in multimodality treatment, the disease has a recurrence rate of around 50%, and the prognosis of metastatic patients remains poor. HNCs are characterized by a high degree of genomic instability, which involves a vicious circle of accumulating DNA damage, defective DNA damage repair (DDR), and replication stress.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy-How Can We Improve Clinical Benefits?

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are in the spotlight of cancer treatment by increasing the probability for long-term survival in patients with metastatic disease and by considerably prolonging progression-free survival in patients at early disease stages [...

Association between Intratumoral CD8+ T Cells with FoxP3+ and CD163+ Cells: A Potential Immune Intrinsic Negative Feedback Mechanism for Acquired Immune Resistance.

Acquired immune resistance (AIR) describes a situation in which cancer patients who initially responded clinically to immunotherapies, after a certain period of time, progress with their disease. Considering that AIR represents a feedback response of the tumor against the immune attack generated during the course of immunotherapies, it is conceivable that AIR may also occur before treatment initiation as a mechanism to escape endogenous adaptive antitumor immunity (EAAI). In the present study, we assessed the EAAI in paraffin-embedded breast primary tumor tissue samples and drew correlations with the clinical outcomes.

Combination Immunotherapy in Prostate Cancer.

During the last decade, there has been significant progress in the field of prostate cancer therapeutic treatments based on androgen receptor-axis-targeted therapies, which resulted in improved clinical outcomes [...

Identification of the novel HLA-DRB1*11:308 allele in a Greek individual.

We report here the identification by next-generation sequencing of a novel HLA allele, DRB1*11:308, in a Greek individual as a part of a research project investigating diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in head and neck cancer (BIOKARETRA).

Radiotherapy-Related Gene Signature in Prostate Cancer.

Radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer has increased the cure and survival rates of patients. Besides its local tumoricidal effects, ionizing radiation has been linked to mechanisms leading to systemic immune activation, a phenomenon called the abscopal effect. In this study, we performed gene expression analysis on peripheral blood from prostate cancer patients obtained post- radiotherapy and showed that 6 genes, including , , , , , and , were down-regulated by a range of 1.

The thin red line between the immune system and cancer evolution.

The cancer immunoediting theory describes the dual ability of endogenous antitumor immunity to inhibit or promote progressing cancers. Tumor-specific neoantigens arising from somatic mutations serve as targets for the endogenous T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity and therefore possess a crucial role for tumor development. Additionally, targeting these molecules is conceptually appealing because neoantigens are not expressed in healthy tissue and therefore confer less toxicity and greater specificity when used in therapeutic interventions.

Promising Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer: The Most Clinically Important miRNAs.

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors that extend from the oral cavity to the upper gastrointestinal tract. The principal etiologic factors for oral tumors include tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, while human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have been accused of a high incidence of pharyngeal tumors. Accordingly, HPV detection has been extensively used to categorize carcinomas of the head and neck.

T-Cell Repertoire in Tumor Radiation: The Emerging Frontier as a Radiotherapy Biomarker.

Radiotherapy (RT) is a therapeutic modality that aims to eliminate malignant cells through the induction of DNA damage in the irradiated tumor site. In addition to its cytotoxic properties, RT also induces mechanisms that result in the promotion of antitumor immunity both locally within the irradiation field but also at distant tumor lesions, a phenomenon that is known as the "abscopal" effect. Because the immune system is capable of sensing the effects of RT, several treatment protocols have been assessing the synergistic role of radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy, collectively referred to as radioimmunotherapy.

The impact of radiation therapy on the TCR Vβ chain repertoire in patients with prostate cancer.

Radiation therapy (RT) is an essential component in the therapeutic treatment of patients with localized prostate cancer (LPCa). Besides its local effects, ionizing radiation has been linked to mechanisms leading to systemic immune activation. The present study explored the effect of RT on the T‑cell receptor variable β (TCR Vβ) chain repertoire of peripheral blood T cells in patients with LPCa.

Suitability of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Fetal Umbilical Cord (Wharton's Jelly) as an Alternative In Vitro Model for Acute Drug Toxicity Screening.

Preclinical toxicity screening is the first and most crucial test that assesses the safety of new candidate drugs before their consideration for further evaluation in clinical trials. In vitro drug screening using stem cells has lately arisen as a promising alternative to the "gold standard" of animal testing, but their suitability and performance characteristics in toxicological studies have so far not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we focused on the evaluation of human mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the matrix (Wharton's jelly) of fetal umbilical cord (WJSCs), which bear enhanced in vitro applicability due to their unique biological characteristics.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Enzyme Functions in Acute Leukemia Stem Cells.

The enzymes that belong to the aldehyde dehydrogenase family are expressed in a variety of cells; yet activity of their main members characterizes stem cells, both normal and malignant. Several members of this family perform critical functions in stem cells, in general, and a few have been shown to have key roles in malignant tumors and their recurrence. In particular, ALDH1A1, which localizes to the cytosol and the nucleus, is an enzyme critical in cancer stem cells.

Lower RNA expression of ALDH1A1 distinguishes the favorable risk group in acute myeloid leukemia.

The expression and activity of enzymes that belong to the aldehyde dehydrogenases is a characteristic of both normal and malignant stem cells. ALDH1A1 is an enzyme critical in cancer stem cells. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), ALDH1A1 protects leukemia-initiating cells from a number of antineoplastic agents, which include inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases.