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Journal of Cancer Biology
ISSN: 2692-7896
Kartoosh Heydari
Director, Flow Cytometry Core Facility Cancer Research Laboratory
University of California, USA
Featured Article
Cyclin A2 and Ki-67 proliferation markers could be used to identify tumors with poor prognosis in African American women with breast cancer
Featured Article
PAK1 and PAK4 as therapeutic targets for Ewing sarcoma: a commentary
Featured Article
Breaking malignant nuclei as a non-mitotic mechanism of taxol/paclitaxel
About this Journal
Journal of Cancer Biology is an international peer-reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary journal publishing high quality papers by biomedical researchers across the globe in the field of cancer science, but not limited to, cancer biology, clinical cancer research, and cancer prevention. The journal publishes original articles and editorials, letters to the editor, review articles, case reports and short communication describing research and perspectives relevant to cancer researchers.
Articles
Toward a new approach to treating tumors: Inducing apoptosis by combining chemotherapy and mild hyperthermia
Our studies on the effects of mild hyperthermia (≤ 42°C) on prometaphase-arrested and interphase HeLa cells are reviewed. Mild heat treatment rapidly induces apoptosis in H-HeLa cells that have been arrested in prometaphase with spindle poisons. This is shown by the appearance of morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis, the activation of Caspase 3, and the fact that the changes are blocked by caspase inhibitors such as zVAD-fmk. The same treatment does not cause apoptosis in interphase cells, or in prometaphase-arrested cells of other HeLa strains such as HeLa S3, MKF, and WML. However, prometaphase-arrested cultures of those other HeLa strains can be made sensitive to mild heat treatment by simultaneous exposure to compounds such as navitoclax (ABT-263) which inhibit Bcl-2 family anti-apoptotic proteins. Interphase cells can be made sensitive to 42°C treatment by combining ABT-263 or ABT-199 with S63845, a potent and selective inhibitor of MCL-1.
Precision medicine and immunotherapy advances transforming colorectal cancer treatment
New stool DNA panels and blood-based assays offer non-invasive options for early CRC detection, though require further validation. Immuno- and targeted therapies matched to tumor molecular profiles have transformed metastatic CRC treatment. Pembrolizumab elicits durable responses in mismatch repair-deficient tumors, and anti-EGFR antibodies cetuximab/panitumumab improve outcomes for left-sided RAS/RAF wild-type CRC. Larotrectinib and entrectinib are highly active in NTRK fusion-positive CRC. Research focusing on new immunotherapies, leveraging the microbiome, and combining multi-omics data to enable precision medicine holds promise. Disparities across groups remain a challenge.
Targeting the PRMT1-cGAS-STING signaling pathway to enhance the anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy
Activating innate immune signaling in tumor cells to enhance anti-tumor immunity and increase T cell-mediated killing is the core objective of tumor immunotherapy. PRMT1, one of the most crucial PRMTs, plays a critical role in tumor progression and innate immunity. Recent research revealed that PRMT1 can inhibit the enzymatic activity of cGAS in part through PRMT1-mediated Arg methylation, thereby suppressing the anti-tumor immune response of cells. As such, inhibiting or knocking down PRMT1 can synergistically enhance the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by activating the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Here, we provide a comprehensive description of the two key signaling components, PRMT1 and cGAS, in the PRMT1-cGAS-STING signaling pathway for therapeutic intervention to augment anti-tumor immunity. By understanding the specific physiological functions and regulatory mechanisms of PRMT1.
Digital oncology, the dawn of a new era turning the clock back on tumor mass
Success in any field, especially in cancer medicine, is based on embracing evolution in understanding other scientific fields [4] and its application to the forward move in cancer therapeutics. As such, we have gone through discovery of a diverse group of therapeutics, targeting different sub compartments of growth and proliferation pathways [5] and taking advantage of their synergistic efficacy, in different combinations [6]. Dissection of immune regulatory pathways [7] and their interaction with cancer cell has led to the generation of modern immune therapeutic agents. Single-cell sequencing technology [8] has paved the way for the development of spatial omics [9], which has opened the way on deeper understanding of tumor evolutionary path [10]. This would give us the opportunity to design a new generation of cancer therapeutics [11] intercepting with the forward evolutionary path of tumor mass.
Proton sensing GPCR’s: The missing link to Warburg’s oncogenic legacy?
A century after Otto Warburg's seminal discovery of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells, a phenomenon dubbed the "Warburg effect", the mechanistic links between this metabolic rewiring and tumorigenesis remain elusive. Warburg postulated that this enhanced glucose fermentation to lactate, even in the presence of oxygen, stemmed from an "irreversible respiratory injury" intrinsic to cancer cells. While oxidative phosphorylation yields higher ATP, the Warburg effect paradoxically persists, suggesting that the excess lactate and acid production are worth the deficit. Since Warburg's discovery, it has been demonstrated that the acidic tumor microenvironment activates a myriad of pro-oncogenic phenotypes ranging from therapeutic resistance to immune escape. Here we propose that proton-sensing G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) act as crucial heirs to Warburg's findings by transducing the acid signal from elevated glycolytic lactate into pro-oncogenic signals.
Epigenetic alterations as diagnostic and therapeutic targets in breast cancer
The incidence of breast cancer (BC) worldwide is on the rise due to reasons such as late detection, limited treatment choices for certain BC subtypes, and the development of drug resistance. These factors combined lead to unfavorable clinical results. Recent studies highlight the crucial significance of epigenetic changes in the development of BC, especially in relation to medication resistance and the preservation of stemness traits. Continuing research in the field of epigenetics and breast cancer carcinogenesis is crucial for overcoming present challenges and advancing our knowledge in this area, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for patients.
PAK1 and PAK4 as therapeutic targets for Ewing sarcoma: a commentary
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric bone tumor that is prone to metastasis. Due to low five-year survival rates and limited therapeutic options for metastatic disease, there is a dire clinical need for improved ES treatments. Targeting p21-activated kinases (PAKs) may be key. PAK1 and PAK4 are associated with aggressive ES and poor patient outcomes, although their molecular mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized in this disease.
Breaking malignant nuclei as a non-mitotic mechanism of taxol/paclitaxel
Discovered in a large-scale screening of natural plant chemicals, Taxol/paclitaxel and the taxane family of compounds are surprisingly successful anti-cancer drugs, used in treatment of the majority of solid tumors, and especially suitable for metastatic and recurrent cancer. Paclitaxel is often used in combination with platinum agents and is administrated in a dose dense regimen to treat recurrent cancer.
Immuno-oncologic care during COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities for improving clinical care and investigation
Cancer care has been greatly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cases and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate throughout the United States and the world. Worldwide, over 150 million people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 3 million have died.
Chromatin dynamics: Nucleosome occupancy and sensitivity as determinants of gene expression and cell fate
The nucleosome, consisting of ~150bp of DNA wrapped around a core histone octamer, is a regulator of nuclear events that contributes to gene expression and cell fate. Nucleosome organization at promoters and their associated remodeling events are important regulators of access to the genome. Occupancy alone, however, is not the only nucleosomal characteristic that plays a role in genome regulation. Nucleosomes at the transcription start sites (TSSs) of genes show differential sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease (MNase) and this differential sensitivity is linked to transcription and regulatory factor binding events.
Challenges in the humanized mouse model for cancer: A commentary
The complexity of the tumor microenvironment has been a challenge for understanding the mechanisms of therapy resistance. The development of improved animal models that closely mimic human disease is key for understanding and treating diseases. Recently, a new humanized mouse model has been developed that enables the study of human immune cells in tumor host-cell interactions
Changing the landscape of non-small cell lung cancer disparities
In the United States, lung and bronchus cancers are the second most common types of cancer and are responsible for the largest number of deaths from cancer, with African Americans suffering disproportionately from lung and bronchus cancers. This disparity likely results from a complex interplay among social, psycho-social, lifestyle, environmental, health system, and biological determinants of health.
Precision medicine and immunotherapy advances transforming colorectal cancer treatment
New stool DNA panels and blood-based assays offer non-invasive options for early CRC detection, though require further validation. Immuno- and targeted therapies matched to tumor molecular profiles have transformed metastatic CRC treatment. Pembrolizumab elicits durable responses in mismatch repair-deficient tumors, and anti-EGFR antibodies cetuximab/panitumumab improve outcomes for left-sided RAS/RAF wild-type CRC. Larotrectinib and entrectinib are highly active in NTRK fusion-positive CRC. Research focusing on new immunotherapies, leveraging the microbiome, and combining multi-omics data to enable precision medicine holds promise. Disparities across groups remain a challenge.
Cyclin A2 and Ki-67 proliferation markers could be used to identify tumors with poor prognosis in African American women with breast cancer
Eight protein biomarkers (ER, PR, HER2, Cyclin A2, Cytokeratin 5, Vimentin, Bcl2, and Ki-67) were evaluated using tissue microarrays (TMAs) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The IHC results from TMAs were analyzed by both supervised and unsupervised clustering methods. The predictive clusters for the supervised and unsupervised methods were compared for agreement with the empirical classification. Kappa values were used to determine the overall percent correct clusters and agreement between specific clusters.
Tumor biomarkers from discovery to clinical practice
A tumor marker is a chemical that acts as a tumor indication. Tumor biomarkers are undefined in origin, but they indicate the existence of a certain tumor. The detection of a specific tumor is aided by an increase or decrease in the concentration of marker concentrations. Gene expression arrays, proteomic technologies, and high-throughput sequencing are some of the current methods for detecting cancer.
Breaking malignant nuclei as a non-mitotic mechanism of taxol/paclitaxel
Discovered in a large-scale screening of natural plant chemicals, Taxol/paclitaxel and the taxane family of compounds are surprisingly successful anti-cancer drugs, used in treatment of the majority of solid tumors, and especially suitable for metastatic and recurrent cancer. Paclitaxel is often used in combination with platinum agents and is administrated in a dose dense regimen to treat recurrent cancer.
Immuno-oncologic care during COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities for improving clinical care and investigation
Cancer care has been greatly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cases and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate throughout the United States and the world. Worldwide, over 150 million people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 3 million have died.
Can electronic-cigarette vaping cause cancer?
The relative safety of E-cigarette (E-cig) has been an emerging topic in the public domain as well as the medical and scientific communities as vaping associated health problems arose. While there were significant amounts of intelligent discussions and opinions on the benefits and deleterious effects of E-cig vaping, there is a lack of solid evidence of the fundamental biochemical and biological effects of E-cig aerosol and nicotine.
Precision medicine and immunotherapy advances transforming colorectal cancer treatment
New stool DNA panels and blood-based assays offer non-invasive options for early CRC detection, though require further validation. Immuno- and targeted therapies matched to tumor molecular profiles have transformed metastatic CRC treatment. Pembrolizumab elicits durable responses in mismatch repair-deficient tumors, and anti-EGFR antibodies cetuximab/panitumumab improve outcomes for left-sided RAS/RAF wild-type CRC. Larotrectinib and entrectinib are highly active in NTRK fusion-positive CRC. Research focusing on new immunotherapies, leveraging the microbiome, and combining multi-omics data to enable precision medicine holds promise. Disparities across groups remain a challenge.
Tumor biomarkers from discovery to clinical practice
A tumor marker is a chemical that acts as a tumor indication. Tumor biomarkers are undefined in origin, but they indicate the existence of a certain tumor. The detection of a specific tumor is aided by an increase or decrease in the concentration of marker concentrations. Gene expression arrays, proteomic technologies, and high-throughput sequencing are some of the current methods for detecting cancer.
Breaking malignant nuclei as a non-mitotic mechanism of taxol/paclitaxel
Discovered in a large-scale screening of natural plant chemicals, Taxol/paclitaxel and the taxane family of compounds are surprisingly successful anti-cancer drugs, used in treatment of the majority of solid tumors, and especially suitable for metastatic and recurrent cancer. Paclitaxel is often used in combination with platinum agents and is administrated in a dose dense regimen to treat recurrent cancer.
Immuno-oncologic care during COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities for improving clinical care and investigation
Cancer care has been greatly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cases and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate throughout the United States and the world. Worldwide, over 150 million people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 3 million have died.
Can electronic-cigarette vaping cause cancer?
The relative safety of E-cigarette (E-cig) has been an emerging topic in the public domain as well as the medical and scientific communities as vaping associated health problems arose. While there were significant amounts of intelligent discussions and opinions on the benefits and deleterious effects of E-cig vaping, there is a lack of solid evidence of the fundamental biochemical and biological effects of E-cig aerosol and nicotine.
Chromatin dynamics: Nucleosome occupancy and sensitivity as determinants of gene expression and cell fate
The nucleosome, consisting of ~150bp of DNA wrapped around a core histone octamer, is a regulator of nuclear events that contributes to gene expression and cell fate. Nucleosome organization at promoters and their associated remodeling events are important regulators of access to the genome. Occupancy alone, however, is not the only nucleosomal characteristic that plays a role in genome regulation. Nucleosomes at the transcription start sites (TSSs) of genes show differential sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease (MNase) and this differential sensitivity is linked to transcription and regulatory factor binding events.