Leptin/HER2 crosstalk in breast cancer: in vitro study and preliminary in vivo analysis.
Abstract Background Obesity in postmenopausal women is associated with increased breast cancer risk, development of more aggressive tumors and resistance to certain anti-breast cancer treatments. Some of these effects might be mediated by obesity hormone leptin, acting independently or modulating other signaling pathways. Here we focused on the link between leptin and HER2. We tested if HER2 and the leptin receptor (ObR) can be coexpressed in breast cancer cell models, whether these two receptors can physically interact, and whether leptin can transactivate HER2. Next, we studied if leptin/ObR can coexist with HER2 in breast cancer tissues, and if presence of these two systems correlates wi…
Palliative splenic irradiation in primary and post PV/ET myelofibrosis: outcomes and toxicity of three radiation schedules
Splenectomy and splenic irradiation (SI) are the sole treatment modalities to control drug resistant splenomegaly in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). SI has been used in poor surgical candidates but optimal total dose and fractionation are unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 14 MF patients with symptomatic splenomegaly. Patients received a median of 10 fractions in two weeks. Fraction size ranged from 0.2–1.4 Gy, and total dose varied from 2–10.8 Gy per RT course. Overall results indicate that 81.8% of radiation courses achieved a significant spleen reduction. Splenic pain relief and gastrointestinal symptoms reduction were obtained in 94% and 91% of courses, respectively. Severe cytopeni…
PPG embedded system for blood pressure monitoring
In this work, we have designed and implemented a microcontroller-based embedded system for blood pressure monitoring through a PhotoPlethysmoGraphic (PPG) technique. In our system, it is possible to perform PPG measurements via reflectance mode. Hardware novelty of our system consists in the adoption of Silicon PhotoMultiplier detectors. The signal received from the photodetector is used to calculate the instantaneous heart rate and therefore the heart rate variability. The obtained results show that, by using our system, it is possible to easily extract both the PPG and the breath signal. These signals can be used to monitor the patients during the convalescence both in hospital and at hom…
Body mass index and baseline platelet count as predictive factors in Merkel cell carcinoma patients treated with avelumab
BackgroundMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin cancer, associated with a worse prognosis. The Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) avelumab and pembrolizumab have been recently approved as first-line treatment in metastatic MCC (mMCC). The clinical observation of improved outcomes in obese patients following treatment with ICIs, known as the “obesity paradox”, has been studied across many types of tumors. Probably due to the rarity of this tumor, data on mMMC patients are lacking.Patients and methodsThis is an observational, hospital-based, study to investigate the role of Body Mass Index (BMI) as predictive biomarker of ICI response in mMCC patients treated with aveluma…
In human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS cancer stem cells let-7d seems to have the dual function of oncogene/tumor-suppressor miRNA
Introduction: Osteosarcoma (OS), an aggressive tumor a!ecting adolescents, shows therapy resistance and recurrence which can depend on cancer stem cells (CSCs), the source for tissue renewal and hold malignant potential; thus, OS treatment requires their eradication. Here, using 3AB-OS CSCs previously obtained from the OS-MG63 cells, we focused on the role of let-7d in managing stemness properties of 3AB-OS CSCs. Methods: 3AB-OS CSCs were stably transfected with pCDomH-plasmid, containing mir-let7-d, or empty vector as a control. Cell proliferation and viability were evaluated by EdU and Trypan blue assays, respectively. Sarcosphere and colony assays and wound healing and transwell invasion…
Let-7d miRNA Shows Both Antioncogenic and Oncogenic Functions in Osteosarcoma-Derived 3AB-OS Cancer Stem Cells
Osteosarcoma (OS), an aggressive highly invasive and metastatic bone-malignancy, shows therapy resistance and recurrence, two features that likely depend on cancer stem cells (CSCs), which hold both self-renewing and malignant potential. So, effective anticancer therapies against OS should specifically target and destroy CSCs. We previously found that the let-7d microRNA was downregulated in the 3AB-OS-CSCs, derived from the human OS-MG63 cells. Here, we aimed to assess whether let-7d modulation affected tumorigenic and stemness properties of these OS-CSCs. We found that let-7d-overexpression reduced cell proliferation by decreasing CCND2 and E2F2 cell-cycle-activators and increasing p21 an…
Systemic inflammatory status predict the outcome of k-RAS WT metastatic colorectal cancer patients receiving the thymidylate synthase poly-epitope-peptide anticancer vaccine
// Pierpaolo Correale 1 , Cirino Botta 2 , Nicoletta Staropoli 3 , Valerio Nardone 4 , Pierpaolo Pastina 4 , Cristina Ulivieri 5 , Claudia Gandolfo 6 , Tatiana Cosima Baldari 5 , Stefano Lazzi 7 , Domenico Ciliberto 3 , Rocco Giannicola 1 , Antonella Fioravanti 8 , Antonio Giordano 9 , Silvia Zappavigna 10 , Michele Caraglia 9, 10 , Pierfrancesco Tassone 2, 3, 10 , Luigi Pirtoli 4 , Maria Grazia Cusi 6 and Pierosandro Tagliaferri 3 1 Unit of Medical Oncology, Grand Metropolitan Hospital Bianchi Melacrino Morelli, Reggio-Calabria, Italy 2 Medical Oncology Unit, AUO Mater Domini, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy 3 Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia Unive…
miR-29b negatively regulates human osteoclastic cell differentiation and function: Implications for the treatment of multiple myeloma-related bone disease
Skeletal homeostasis relies upon a fine tuning of osteoclast (OCLs)-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast (OBLs)-dependent bone formation. This balance is unsettled by multiple myeloma (MM) cells, which impair OBL function and stimulate OCLs to generate lytic lesions. Emerging experimental evidence is disclosing a key regulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of bone homeostasis suggesting the miRNA network as potential novel target for the treatment of MM-related bone disease. Here, we report that miR-29b expression decreases progressively during human OCL differentiation in vitro. We found that lentiviral transduction of miR-29b into OCLs, even in the presence of MM cells,…
Targeting of multiple myeloma-related angiogenesis by miR-199a-5p mimics: in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity
// Lavinia Raimondi 1 , Nicola Amodio 1 , Maria Teresa Di Martino 1 , Emanuela Altomare 1 , Marzia Leotta 1 , Daniele Caracciolo 1 , Annamaria Gulla 1 , Antonino Neri 2 , Simona Taverna 3 , Patrizia D’Aquila 4 , Riccardo Alessandro 3 , Antonio Giordano 5 , Pierosandro Tagliaferri 1 and Pierfrancesco Tassone 1,5 . 1 Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus, Catanzaro, Italy 2 Department of Medical Sciences University of Milan, Hematology1, IRCCS Policlinico Foundation, Milan, Italy 3 Department of Pathology and Forensic and Medical Biotechnology, Section of Biology and…
Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Patients: The Hand Lens to Investigate Tumor Evolution
In recent years the treatment of cancer patients has profoundly changed due to a better comprehension of the biological processes underlying tumor development and progression. Several tumors are defined as “oncogene addicted” and this discovery has led the way to the development of target therapies that are able to specifically kill cancer cells sparing normal cells from toxicity. Nowadays treatment decision is strictly dependent on the molecular characterization of the tumor; thus the path of cancer patients’ survival is tissue dependent but this may have several limitations. Indeed a single tissue biopsy represents only a snapshot limited in time and space but we are learning that tumor e…
Look for methods, not conclusions
Qualunque sia l'esito effettivo di un'indagine su un caso di presunta manipolazione dei dati, ci sono alcuni principi fermi che sono sempre veri e alcuni errori che devono essere evitati.
Adenoviral RB2/p130 gene transfer inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and prevents restenosis after angioplasty.
Abstract —Smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation that results in neointima formation is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques and accounts for the high rates of restenosis that occur after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, a widespread treatment for coronary artery disease. Endothelial lesions trigger intense proliferative signals to the SMCs of the subintima, stimulating their reentry into the cell cycle from a resting G 0 state, resulting in neointima formation and vascular occlusion. Cellular proliferation is negatively controlled by growth-regulatory or tumor-suppressor genes, or both, such as the retinoblastoma gene family members ( RB/p105, p107, RB2…
Barriers to breast cancer-screening adherence in vulnerable populations
Breast cancer screening through periodic mammography has been effective in decreasing mortality and reducing the impact of this disease. However, adherence to screening does not meet the desired expectations from all populations. The main objective of this review is to explore the barriers that affect adherence to breast cancer–screening programs in vulnerable populations according to race and/or ethnicity in order to propose measures to reduce the lack of adherence. We conducted a search of publications in the PubMed Central and Scopus databases. The eligible criteria for the articles were as follows: original quantitative studies appearing in SJR- and/or JCR-indexed journals from 2016 to …
Seliciclib (S) Prevents Cyclin A1 DNA Damage Induced Upregulation and Reduces Double Strand Break (DSB) Repair Through NHEJ Impairment
MicroRNA-29b-1 impairs in vitro cell proliferation, self‑renewal and chemoresistance of human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS cancer stem cells
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone cancer, with a peak incidence in the early childhood. Emerging evidence suggests that treatments targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor can halt cancer and improve patient survival. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the maintenance of the CSC phenotype, thus, identification of CSC-related miRNAs would provide information for a better understanding of CSCs. Downregulation of miRNA-29 family members (miR-29a/b/c; miR‑29s) was observed in human OS, however, little is known about the functions of miR-29s in human OS CSCs. Previously, during the characterization of 3AB-OS cells, a CSC line selected from human OS MG63 cells, we…
The Italian law on body donation: A position paper of the Italian College of Anatomists
In Italy, recent legislation (Law No. 10/2020) has tuned regulations concerning the donation of one's postmortem body and tissues for study, training, and scientific research purposes. This study discusses several specific issues to optimise the applicability and effectiveness of such an important, novel regulatory setting. Some of these unsolved issues may involve the grantees of teaching and training activities, the role of academic anatomical institutes, the role of family members in the donation process, the universal time limit indicated for any donation, the handling of corpses, and the limited body donation and its subordination to the donation of organs and tissues. Critical issues …
Cancer Clonal Evolution and Intra-tumor Heterogeneity
Despite recent advances in understanding cancer onset mechanisms and development of new therapeutic approaches, however, the resistance of tumor cells to different therapies represents the main obstacle to the successful treatment, resulting in poor prognosis and tumor recurrence. Currently, understanding the causes underlying this resistance is the main objective of oncology research in recent years. Tumors are not uniform diseases but heterogeneous entities consisting of cell populations called clones, with different genetic and molecular characteristics. Indeed, most of cancers shows usually a single clonal origin at the early stages of the disease, but, in advanced stages, tumors may in…
Tumor Biology and Natural History
Tumors are not uniform diseases but heterogeneous entities consisting of cell populations called cell clones, with different genetic and molecular features. The ability of a tumor to evolve and fit to host microenvironment, by developing often resistance mechanisms to the anticancer therapies, is dependent on this biological variability. In fact, the variability observed within individual tumors, known as intra-tumor heterogeneity, represents the crucial step in cancer clonal evolution process, by promoting and driving a genetic mechanism able to select the fittest cell clones. A single clonal origin is usually shown by most of tumors at the early stages of the disease, whereas advanced-sta…
Zebrafish as a Model for the Study of Chaperonopathies.
There is considerable information on the clinical manifestations and mode of inheritance for many genetic chaperonopathies but little is known on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cell and tissue abnormalities that characterize them. This scarcity of knowledge is mostly due to the lack of appropriate animal models that mimic closely the human molecular, cellular, and histological characteristics. In this article we introduce zebrafish as a suitable model to study molecular and cellular mechanisms pertaining to human chaperonopathies. Genetic chaperonopathies manifest themselves from very early in life so it is necessary to examine the impact of mutant chaperone genes during developmen…
Modeling human osteosarcoma in mice through 3AB‐OS cancer stem cell xenografts
Osteosarcoma is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for children and young adults. In this study, we have subcutaneously injected—with and without matrigel—athymic mice (Fox1nu/nu) with human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS pluripotent cancer stem cells (CSCs), which we previously isolated from human osteosarcoma MG63 cells. Engrafted 3AB-OS cells were highly tumorigenic and matrigel greatly accelerated both tumor engraftment and growth rate. 3AB-OS CSC xenografts lacked crucial regulators of beta-catenin levels (E-cadherin, APC, and GSK-3beta), and crucial factors to restrain proliferation, resulting therefore in a strong proliferation potential. During the first weeks of engraftment 3AB-…
Palbociclib plus endocrine therapy in HER2 negative, hormonal receptor-positive, advanced breast cancer: A real-world experience
Data from 423 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−), hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (aBC) patients treated with palbociclib and endocrine therapy (ET) were provided by 35 Italian cancer centers and analyzed for treatment outcomes. Overall, 158 patients were treated in first line and 265 in second/later lines. We observed 19 complete responses and 112 partial responses. The overall response rate (ORR) was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.6–35.4) and clinical benefit was 52.7% (95% CI, 48–57.5). ORR was negatively affected by prior exposure to everolimus/exemestane (p = 0.002) and favorably influenced by early line-treatment (p < 0.0001). At…
Design and realization of a portable multichannel continuous wave fNIRS
A design and implementation of a portable functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy embedded system prototype is described. In this theoretical and experimental work, we present an embedded system hosting 64 LED sources and 128 Silicon PhotoMultiplier detectors (SiPM). The elementary part of the structure is a flexible probe “leaf” consisting of 16 SiPMs, 4 couples of LEDs, each operating at two wavelengths, and a temperature sensor. The hardware system is based on an ARM main microcontroller that allows to perform both the switching time of LEDs and the acquisition of the SiPM outputs. The performed preliminary experimental tests achieved very promising results, thus demonstrating the effectiv…
Erratum to: Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Patients: The Hand Lens for Tumor Evolution
Deregulation of dicer and mir-155 expression in liposarcoma
Liposarcoma (LPS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma. It has been demonstrated that mir-155 was the most overexpressed miRNA in well-differentiated LPS(WDLPS)/dedifferentiated LPS (DDLPS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the involvement of Dicer, Drosha and mir-155 in development of LPS and their possible role in stratification of different histological subtypes. Dicer, Drosha and mir-155 mRNA levels were analyzed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from patients diagnosed with 62 LPS and compared with samples of adipose tissues of healthy donors. The experimental data were obtained using qRT-PCR comparing Dicer, Drosha and mir-155 expression levels in tumor samples versu…
Radiotherapy prolongs the survival of advanced non-smallcell lung cancer patients undergone to an immune-modulating treatment with dose-fractioned cisplatin and metronomic etoposide and bevacizumab (mPEBev)
// Pierpaolo Pastina 1 , Valerio Nardone 1 , Cirino Botta 2 , Stefania Croci 1 , Paolo Tini 1 , Giuseppe Battaglia 1 , Veronica Ricci 3 , Maria Grazia Cusi 4 , Claudia Gandolfo 4 , Gabriella Misso 5 , Silvia Zappavigna 5 , Michele Caraglia 5,6 , Antonio Giordano 6,7 , Donatella Aldinucci 8 , Pierfrancesco Tassone 2,6 , Pierosandro Tagliaferri 2 , Luigi Pirtoli 1 and Pierpaolo Correale 1,9 1 Radiotherapy Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Neuroscience, Siena University Hospital, Siena, Italy 2 Medical Oncology Unit, AUO “Mater Domini”, “Magna Graecia” University, Catanzaro, Italy 3 Radiology Unit,Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Neuroscience, Siena University Hospital, Siena, Ita…
Let-7d miRNA Shows Both Antioncogenic and Oncogenic Functions in Osteosarcoma-Derived 3AB-OS Cancer Stem Cells
Osteosarcoma (OS), an aggressive highly invasive and metastatic bone-malignancy, shows therapy resistance and recurrence, two features that likely depend on cancer stem cells (CSCs), which hold both self-renewing and malignant potential. So, effective anticancer therapies against OS should specifically target and destroy CSCs. We previously found that the let-7d microRNA was downregulated in the 3AB-OS-CSCs, derived from the human OS-MG63 cells. Here, we aimed to assess whether let-7d modulation affected tumorigenic and stemness properties of these OS-CSCs. We found that let-7d-overexpression reduced cell proliferation by decreasing CCND2 and E2F2 cell-cycle-activators and increasing p21 an…
Circulating miR-22, miR-24 and miR-34a as novel predictive biomarkers to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in advanced non small cell lung cancer
Pemetrexed has been widely used in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The clinical relevance of polymorphisms of folate pathway genes for pemetrexed metabolism have not been fully elucidated yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of circulating miR-22, miR-24, and miR-34a, possibly involved in folate pathway, in NSCLC patients treated with pemetrexed compared with healthy controls and to investigate their impact on patient clinical outcomes. A total of 22 consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC, treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy and 27 age and sex matched healthy controls were included in this preliminary analysis. miR-22, miR-24, …
Mechanism of leptin expression in breast cancer cells: role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α
We reported previously that the obesity hormone leptin is overexpressed in breast cancer biopsies. Here, we investigated molecular mechanisms involved in this process, focusing on conditions that are associated with obesity, that is, hyperinsulinemia and induction of hypoxia. By using quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescent detection of proteins and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, we found that treatment of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with high doses of insulin or the hypoxia-mimetic agent CoCl2, or culturing the cells under hypoxic conditions significantly increased the expression of leptin mRNA and protein. Notably, the greatest leptin mRNA and protein expression were observed und…
CTCF and BORIS Regulate Rb2/p130 Gene Transcription: A Novel Mechanism and a New Paradigm for Understanding the Biology of Lung Cancer
Abstract Although innumerable investigations regarding the biology of lung cancer have been carried out, many aspects thereof remain to be addressed, including the role played by the retinoblastoma-related protein Rb2/p130 during the evolution of this disease. Here we report novel findings on the mechanisms that control Rb2/p130 gene expression in lung fibroblasts and characterize the effects of Rb2/p130 deregulation on the proliferative features of lung cancer cells. We revealed for the first time that in lung fibroblasts the expression of Rb2/p130 gene is directly controlled by the chromatin insulator CCCTC-binding factor, CTCF, which by binding to the Rb2/p130 gene promoter induces, and/…
Zebrafish as a Model for the Study of Chaperonopathies
There is considerable information on the clinical manifestations and mode of inheritance for many genetic chaperonopathies but little is known on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cell and tissue abnormalities that characterize them. This scarcity of knowledge is mostly due to the lack of appropriate animal models that mimic closely the human molecular, cellular, and histological characteristics. In this article we introduce zebrafish as a suitable model to study molecular and cellular mechanisms pertaining to human chaperonopathies. Genetic chaperonopathies manifest themselves from very early in life so it is necessary to examine the impact of mutant chaperone genes during developmen…
Second-line Eribulin in Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer patients. Multicentre Retrospective Study: The TETRIS Trial
Introduction: Large and consistent evidence supports the use of eribulin mesylate in clinical practice in third or later line treatment of metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Conversely, there is paucity of data on eribulin efficacy in second line treatment. Methods: We investigated outcomes of 44 mTNBC patients treated from 2013 through 2019 with second line eribulin mesylate in a multicentre retrospective study involving 14 Italian oncologic centres. Results: Median age was 51 years, with 11.4% of these patients being metastatic at diagnosis. Median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) from eribulin starting were 11.9 (95%CI: 8.4-15.5) and 3.5 months (95…
Absence of germline CDKN2A mutation in Sicilian Patients with Familial Malignant Melanoma: could it be a population-specific genetic signature?
Germline CDKN2A mutations have been described in 25% to 40% of melanoma families from several countries. Sicilian population is genetically different from the people of Europe and Northern Italy because of its historical background, therefore familial melanoma could be due to genes different from high-penetrance CDKN2A gene. Four hundred patients with cutaneous melanoma were observed in a 6-years period at the Plastic Surgery Unit of the University of Palermo. Forty-eight patients have met the criteria of the Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU) for the diagnosis of familial melanoma and were screened for CDKN2A and CDK4 mutations. Mutation testing revealed that none of the families car…
R-Roscovitine (Seliciclib) prevents DNA damage-induced cyclin A1 upregulation and hinders non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair.
Abstract Background CDK-inhibitors can diminish transcriptional levels of cell cycle-related cyclins through the inhibition of E2F family members and CDK7 and 9. Cyclin A1, an E2F-independent cyclin, is strongly upregulated under genotoxic conditions and functionally was shown to increase NHEJ activity. Cyclin A1 outcompetes with cyclin A2 for CDK2 binding, possibly redirecting its activity towards DNA repair. To see if we could therapeutically block this switch, we analyzed the effects of the CDK-inhibitor R-Roscovitine on the expression levels of cyclin A1 under genotoxic stress and observed subsequent DNA damage and repair mechanisms. Results We found that R-Roscovitine alone was unable …
Senescence and p130/Rbl2: a new beginning to the end.
Senescence is the process of cellular aging dependent on the normal physiological functions of non-immortalized cells. With increasing data being uncovered in this field, the complex molecular web regulating senescence is gradually being unraveled. Recent studies have suggested two main phases of senescence, the triggering of senescence and the maintenance of senescence. Each has been supported by data implying precise roles for DNA methyltransferases, reactive oxygen species and other factors. We will first summarize the data supporting these claims and then highlight the specific role that we hypothesize that p130/Rbl2 plays in the modulation of the senescence process.
Anti-cancer activity of dose-fractioned mPE +/- bevacizumab regimen is paralleled by immune-modulation in advanced squamous NSLC patients
Background: Results from the BEVA2007 trial, suggest that the metronomic chemotherapy regimen with dose-fractioned cisplatin and oral etoposide (mPE) +/− bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), shows anti-angiogenic and immunological effects and is a safe and active treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients. We carried out a retrospective analysis aimed to evaluate the antitumor effects of this treatment in a subset of patients with squamous histology. Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out in a subset of 31 patients with squamous histology enrolled in the study between September 2007 and September 2015. All o…
Impact of BMI on HER2+ metastatic breast cancer patients treated with pertuzumab and/or trastuzumab emtansine. Real-world evidence
Body mass index (BMI) is a main indicator of obesity and its association with breast cancer is well established. However, little is known in the metastatic setting, especially in HER2-positive patients. We assessed the influence of BMI on clinical outcomes of patients treated with pertuzumab and/or trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) for HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (mBC). BMI was addressed as a categorical variable, being classified on the basis of the following ranges, that is, 18.5-24.9, 25-29.9, and 30.0-34.9, namely, normal weight, overweight, and Class I obesity. The outcomes chosen were progression-free survival to first-line chemotherapy (PFS1) and overall survival (OS). Overall (N = 70…
Ductal lavage: a valid method of risk assessment and of early diagnosis in breast cancer.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 differentially regulates estrogen receptor-dependent transcription at estrogen response element and AP-1 sites in breast cancer cells.
Cross-talk between insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and estrogen receptor alpha (ER) regulates gene expression in breast cancer cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we studied how 17-beta-estradiol (E2) and IGF-1 affect ER transcriptional machinery in MCF-7 cells. E2 treatment stimulated ER loading on the estrogen response element (ERE) in the pS2 promoter and on the AP-1 motif in the cyclin D1 promoter. On ERE, similar amounts of liganded ER were found at 1-24-h time points, whereas on AP-1, ER binding fluctuated over time. At 1 h, liganded ER was recruited to ERE together with histone acetyltransferases SRC-1 and p300, ubiquitin ligase E6-AP, histone methyltransf…
GOLFIG Chemo-Immunotherapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients. A Critical Review on a Long-Lasting Follow-Up
Background: GOLFIG is a chemo-immunotherapy regimen established in preclinical models that combines gemcitabine + FOLFOX (fluoropyrimidine backbone coupled to oxaliplatin) poly-chemotherapy with low-dose s. c. recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Promising antitumor effects in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients were obtained in previous phase II and III trials. Here we report the results of 15 years of follow-up. Methods: This is a multi-institutional retrospective analysis including 179 mCRC patients receiving GOLFIG regimen between June 2002 and June 2018. Sixty-two of them received the treatment as frontline (enrolled …
Drug Prescription and Delirium in Older Inpatients: Results From the Nationwide Multicenter Italian Delirium Day 2015-2016
Objective This study aimed to evaluate the association between polypharmacy and delirium, the association of specific drug categories with delirium, and the differences in drug-delirium association between medical and surgical units and according to dementia diagnosis. Methods Data were collected during 2 waves of Delirium Day, a multicenter delirium prevalence study including patients (aged 65 years or older) admitted to acute and long-term care wards in Italy (2015-2016); in this study, only patients enrolled in acute hospital wards were selected (n = 4,133). Delirium was assessed according to score on the 4 "A's" Test. Prescriptions were classified by main drug categories; polypharmacy w…
"Delirium Day": a nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool
Background To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods This is a point prevalence study (called “Delirium Day”) including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium wa…
PD-1/PD-L1 immune-checkpoint blockade induces immune effector cell modulation in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients: A single-cell flow cytometry approach.
Peripheral immune-checkpoint blockade with mAbs to programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) (either nivolumab or pembrolizumab) or PD-Ligand-1 (PD-L1) (atezolizumab, durvalumab, or avelumab) alone or in combination with doublet chemotherapy represents an expanding treatment strategy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients. This strategy lays on the capability of these mAbs to rescue tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) inactivated throughout PD-1 binding to PD-L1/2 in the tumor sites. This inhibitory interactive pathway is a physiological mechanism of prevention against dangerous overreactions and autoimmunity in case of prolonged and/or repeated CTL response to …
Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)
Seuls les 100 premiers auteurs dont les auteurs INRA ont été entrés dans la notice. La liste complète des auteurs et de leurs affiliations est accessible sur la publication.; International audience; In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues…
Genetic and epigenetic alterations as hallmarks of the intricate road to cancer.
Despite the clonal origin of most tumors, their tremendous heterogeneity suggests that cancer progression springs from the combined forces of both genetic and epigenetic events, which produce variant clonal populations, together with the selective pressures of the microenvironment, which promote growth and, perhaps, dissemination of variants with a specific set of characteristics. Although the importance of genetic mutations in cancer has long been recognized, the role of epigenetic events has been suggested more recently. This review focuses on the genetic and epigenetic molecular mechanisms involved in cancer onset and progression, and discusses the possibility of new strategies in the de…
Cardiovascular Damage Induced by Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a fundamental therapeutic aid that in recent years has contributed significantly to improve the prognosis of cancer patients. Despite its great effectiveness, it can cause a wide spectrum of toxic effects. Among these, cardiovascular toxicity is very relevant, and it can occur even many years after the termination of treatment. The concomitant use of radiotherapy with other antineoplastic drugs, including new-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitors or immunotherapy, can enhance its cardiotoxic effects. It is fundamental to know the cardiovascular toxic effects that are potentially linked to radiotherapy (RIHD: radiation-induced heart damage), to monitor patients who underwent …
Inhibition of miR-21 restores RANKL/OPG ratio in multiple myeloma-derived bone marrow stromal cells and impairs the resorbing activity of mature osteoclasts.
// Maria Rita Pitari 1 , Marco Rossi 1 , Nicola Amodio 1 , Cirino Botta 1 , Eugenio Morelli 1 , Cinzia Federico 1 , Annamaria Gulla 1 , Daniele Caracciolo 1 , Maria Teresa Di Martino 1 , Mariamena Arbitrio 2 , Antonio Giordano 3, 4 , Pierosandro Tagliaferri 1 , Pierfrancesco Tassone 1, 4 1 Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine and T. Campanella Cancer Center, Magna Graecia University, S. Venuta University Campus, Catanzaro, Italy 2 ISN-CNR, Roccelletta di Borgia, Catanzaro, Italy 3 Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy 4 Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology,…
Nuclear and cytoplasmic interaction of pRb2/p130 and ER-β in MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Estrogens exhibit important biological functions and influence several pathological processes of hormone-dependent diseases. The biological actions of estrogens require their interaction with two estrogen receptors (ER-alpha and ER-beta), which are ligand-dependent transcription factors. ER-alpha and ER-beta exhibit distinct tissue expression patterns as well as show different patterns of gene regulation. In addition, it has been suggested that ER-beta works as a counter partner of ER-alpha through inhibition of the transactivating functions of ER-alpha. For instance, ER-beta seems to play a different role in breast tumorigenesis than ER-alpha, as ER-beta decreased expression in breast canc…
Can the microRNA expression profile help to identify novel targets for zoledronic acid in breast cancer?
// Daniele Fanale 1, * , Valeria Amodeo 1, * , Viviana Bazan 1, * , Lavinia Insalaco 1 , Lorena Incorvaia 1 , Nadia Barraco 1 , Marta Castiglia 1 , Sergio Rizzo 1 , Daniele Santini 2 , Antonio Giordano 3 , Sergio Castorina 4, 5, # , Antonio Russo 1, # 1 Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy 2 University Campus Bio-Medico, Department of Medical Oncology, Rome, Italy 3 Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA 4 Fondazione Mediterranea “G.B. Morgagni”, Catania, Italy 5 Department of Biomedic…
The Increase in Maternal Expression ofaxin1andaxin2Contribute to the Zebrafish MutantIchabodVentralized Phenotype
β-catenin is a central effector of the Wnt pathway and one of the players in Ca+-dependent cell-cell adhesion. While many wnts are present and expressed in vertebrates, only one β-catenin exists in the majority of the organisms. One intriguing exception is zebrafish that carries two genes for β-catenin. The maternal recessive mutation ichabod presents very low levels of β-catenin2 that in turn affects dorsal axis formation, suggesting that β-catenin1 is incapable to compensate for β-catenin2 loss and raising the question of whether these two β-catenins may have differential roles during early axis specification. Here we identify a specific antibody that can discriminate selectively for β-ca…
Suppressive role exerted by microRNA-29b-1-5p in triple negative breast cancer through SPIN1 regulation
MiR-29 family dysregulation occurs in various cancers including breast cancers. We investigated miR-29b-1 functional role in human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. We found that miR-29b-1-5p was downregulated in human TNBC tissues and cell lines. To assess whether miR- 29b-1-5p correlated with TNBC regenerative potential, we evaluated cancer stem cell enrichment in our TNBC cell lines, and found that only MDA-MB-231 and BT-20 produced primary, secondary and tertiary mammospheres, which were progressively enriched in OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 stemness genes. MiR-29b-1-5p expression inversely correlated with mammosphere stemness potential, and miR-29b…
Gefitinib in lung cancer therapy. Clinical results, predictive markers of response and future perspectives.
Over the past few years, epidermal growth factor receptor has emerged as one of the most important targets in tumorgenesis and several drugs targeting signal transduction pathways have been developed. The first among these agents to be approved for the treatment of NSCLC was gefitinib, a potent, selective and reversible inhibitor of HER1/EGFR tyrosine kinase activity. The review summarizes its clinical development and the new therapeutic options, with particular focus on predictive markers of susceptibility to this drug.
Therapeutic afucosylated monoclonal antibody and bispecific T-cell engagers for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
BackgroundT-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive disease with a poor cure rate for relapsed/resistant patients. Due to the lack of T-cell restricted targetable antigens, effective immune-therapeutics are not presently available and the treatment of chemo-refractory T-ALL is still an unmet clinical need. To develop novel immune-therapy for T-ALL, we generated an afucosylated monoclonal antibody (mAb) (ahuUMG1) and two different bispecific T-cell engagers (BTCEs) against UMG1, a unique CD43-epitope highly and selectively expressed by T-ALL cells from pediatric and adult patients.MethodsUMG1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on a wide panel of normal t…
New findings on primary and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer: Do all roads lead to RAS?
Abstract: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy with the monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and panitumumab is the main targeted treatment to combine with standard chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Many clinical studies have shown the benefit of the addition of these agents for patients without mutations in the EGFR pathway. Many biomarkers, including KRAS and NRAS mutations, BRAF mutations, PIK3CA mutations, PTEN loss, AREG and EREG expression, and HER-2 amplification have already been identified to select responders to anti-EGFR agents. Among these alterations KRAS and NRAS mutations are currently recognized as the best predictive factors for primary resistance. Liquid b…
BRCA1 genetic testing in 106 breast and ovarian cancer families from Southern Italy (Sicily): a mutation analyses.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the contribution of germline BRCA1 mutations in the incidence of hereditary and familial Breast Cancer (BC) and/or Ovarian Cancer (OC) in patients from Southern Italy (in the region of Sicily) and to identify a possible association between the higher frequency of BRCA1 mutations and a specific familial profile. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A consecutive series of 650 patients with BC and/or OC diagnosed between 1999 and 2005 were recruited from the Southern Italian region of Sicily, after interview at the "Regional Reference Centre for the Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors" at the University of Palermo. Genetic counselling allowed us to recruit a total…
pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39H1-p300 and pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39H1-DNMT1 multimolecular complexes mediate the transcription of estrogen receptor-alpha in breast cancer.
The estrogen receptor-alpha (ER) plays a crucial role in normal breast development and is also linked to development and progression of mammary carcinoma. The transcriptional repression of ER-alpha gene in breast cancer is an area of active investigation with potential clinical significance. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the ER-alpha gene expression are not fully understood. Here we show a new molecular mechanism of ER-alpha gene inactivation mediated by pRb2/p130 in ER-negative breast cancer cells. We investigated in vivo occupancy of ER-alpha promoter by pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39 H1-p300 and pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39H1-DNMT1 complexes, and provided a link between p…
Adipocyte cannabinoid receptor CB1 regulates energy homeostasis and alternatively activated macrophages.
Dysregulated adipocyte physiology leads to imbalanced energy storage, obesity, and associated diseases, imposing a costly burden on current health care. Cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1) plays a crucial role in controlling energy metabolism through central and peripheral mechanisms. In this work, adipocyte-specific inducible deletion of the CB1 gene (Ati-CB1- KO) was sufficient to protect adult mice from diet-induced obesity and associated metabolic alterations and to reverse the phenotype in already obese mice. Compared with controls, Ati-CB1-KO mice showed decreased body weight, reduced total adiposity, improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced energy expenditure, and fat depot-specific cell…
Erratum
Author(s): Klionsky, DJ; Abdelmohsen, K; Abe, A; Abedin, MJ; Abeliovich, H; Arozena, AA; Adachi, H; Adams, CM; Adams, PD; Adeli, K; Adhihetty, PJ; Adler, SG; Agam, G; Agarwal, R; Aghi, MK; Agnello, M; Agostinis, P; Aguilar, PV; Aguirre-Ghiso, J; Airoldi, EM; Ait-Si-Ali, S; Akematsu, T; Akporiaye, ET; Al-Rubeai, M; Albaiceta, GM; Albanese, C; Albani, D; Albert, ML; Aldudo, J; Algul, H; Alirezaei, M; Alloza, I; Almasan, A; Almonte-Beceril, M; Alnemri, ES; Alonso, C; Altan-Bonnet, N; Altieri, DC; Alvarez, S; Alvarez-Erviti, L; Alves, S; Amadoro, G; Amano, A; Amantini, C; Ambrosio, S; Amelio, I; Amer, AO; Amessou, M; Amon, A; An, Z; Anania, FA; Andersen, SU; Andley, UP; Andreadi, CK; Andrieu-Ab…
MiR-29b antagonizes the pro-inflammatory tumor-promoting activity of multiple myeloma-educated dendritic cells
Dendritic cells (DCs) have a key role in regulating tumor immunity, tumor cell growth and drug resistance. We hypothesized that multiple myeloma (MM) cells might recruit and reprogram DCs to a tumor-permissive phenotype by changes within their microRNA (miRNA) network. By analyzing six different miRNA-profiling data sets, miR-29b was identified as the only miRNA upregulated in normal mature DCs and significantly downregulated in tumor-associated DCs. This finding was validated in primary DCs co-cultured in vitro with MM cell lines and in primary bone marrow DCs from MM patients. In DCs co-cultured with MM cells, enforced expression of miR-29b counteracted pro-inflammatory pathways, includin…
Actionable Molecular Targets in Cancer Liquid Biopsy
The possibility to detect nucleic acid sequences in the bloodstream deriving from an underlying tumor process has disclosed a unique opportunity in medical oncology. Whether the nucleic acid material is leaked in the blood at any step of cancer development (circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA) or it is obtained from isolated circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the detection and analysis of the meaningful sequence defects harbored in instrumental molecular targets (which we call liquid biopsy) constitutes an invaluable tool toward leading the current oncology practice toward a less invasive and fully personalized diagnostic-therapeutic workflow. In spite of the current technical limitations that liqu…
Modulation of Cell Cycle Components by Epigenetic and Genetic Events
Cell cycle progression is monitored by surveillance mechanisms, or cell cycle checkpoints, that ensure that initiation of a later event is coupled with the completion of an early cell cycle event. Deregulated proliferation is a characteristic feature of tumor cells. Moreover, defects in many of the molecules that regulate the cell cycle have been implicated in cancer formation and progression. Key among these are p53, the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and its related proteins, p107 and pRb2/p130, and cdk inhibitors (p15, p16, p18, p19, p21, p27), all of which act to keep the cell cycle from progressing until all repairs to damaged DNA have been completed. The pRb (pRb/p16(INK4a)/cyclin D1) a…
Ductal lavage: a way of carefully tracing the breast-secreting duct
Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed neoplasia in women after nonmelanoma skin tumors. Unfortunately, present-day diagnostic methods are unable to identify the presence of a cancer until it has been developing for several years. Currently, ductal lavage seems to represent a new method of reaching an early diagnosis of breast cancer. Materials & methods: This study analyzed 30 patients with ages ranging from 40 to 55 years; and in 26 of these patients, we were able to obtain a sufficient quantity of material for cytological and biomolecular analysis. Results & conclusion: We propose an easy, reproducible method that makes it possible to obtain a detailed map of the nipple…