scholarly journals The Role of Liquid Biopsies in Detecting Molecular Tumor Biomarkers in Brain Cancer Patients

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heena Sareen ◽  
Celine Garrett ◽  
David Lynch ◽  
Branka Powter ◽  
Daniel Brungs ◽  
...  

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most lethal primary central nervous system cancers with a median overall survival of only 12–15 months. The best documented treatment is surgical tumor debulking followed by chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide, but treatment resistance and therefore tumor recurrence, is the usual outcome. Although advances in molecular subtyping suggests GBM can be classified into four subtypes, one concern about using the original histology for subsequent treatment decisions is that it only provides a static snapshot of heterogeneous tumors that may undergo longitudinal changes over time, especially under selective pressure of ongoing therapy. Liquid biopsies obtained from bodily fluids like blood and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) are less invasive, and more easily repeated than surgery. However, their deployment for patients with brain cancer is only emerging, and possibly suppressed clinically due to the ongoing belief that the blood brain barrier prevents the egress of circulating tumor cells, exosomes, and circulating tumor nucleic acids into the bloodstream. Although brain cancer liquid biopsy analyses appear indeed challenging, advances have been made and here we evaluate the current literature on the use of liquid biopsies for detection of clinically relevant biomarkers in GBM to aid diagnosis and prognostication.

Author(s):  
Mohamad Hossein Pourhanifeh ◽  
Kazem Abbaszadeh-Goudarzi ◽  
Mohammad Goodarzi ◽  
Sara G.M. Piccirillo ◽  
Alimohammad Shafiee ◽  
...  

: Melanoma is the most life-threatening and aggressive class of skin malignancies. The incidence of melanoma has steadily increased. Metastatic melanoma is greatly resistant to standard anti-melanomatreatments such as chemotherapy, and 5-year survival rate of cases with melanoma who have metastatic form of disease is less than 10%. The contributing role of apoptosis, angiogenesis and autophagy in the pathophysiology of melanoma has been previously demonstrated. Thus, it is extremely urgent to search for complementary therapeutic approachesthat couldenhance the quality of life of subjects and reduce treatment resistance and adverse effects. Resveratrol, known as a polyphenol component present in grapes and some plants, has anti-cancer properties due to its function as an apoptosis inducer in tumor cells, and anti-angiogenic agent to prevent metastasis. However, more clinical trials should be conducted to prove resveratrol efficacy. : Herein, for first time, we summarize current knowledge of anti-cancerous activities of resveratrol in melanoma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Wellmann

AbstractThroughout human history, most further developments or new achievements were accompanied by new materials or new processes that enabled the technologic progress. With concrete devices and applications in mind, synthesis and subsequent treatment of materials naturally went along with the progress. The aim of the underlying article is to spot the role of optimization, of discovery, of trial-and-error approaches, of fundamentals and curiosity driven design and development. In a consecutive examination, five missions addressing the challenges facing our world (identified by the European Council) will be cross linked with seven topical areas from materials science defined by the European Materials Research Society. The scope of this examination is to identify approaches and methods to further develop and innovate materials which form the basis of the anticipated solutions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 030098582199932
Author(s):  
Laura Bongiovanni ◽  
Anneloes Andriessen ◽  
Marca H. M. Wauben ◽  
Esther N. M. Nolte-’t Hoen ◽  
Alain de Bruin

With a size range from 30 to 1000 nm, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are one of the smallest cell components able to transport biologically active molecules. They mediate intercellular communications and play a fundamental role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and pathogenesis in several types of diseases. In particular, EVs actively contribute to cancer initiation and progression, and there is emerging understanding of their role in creation of the metastatic niche. This fact underlies the recent exponential growth in EV research, which has improved our understanding of their specific roles in disease and their potential applications in diagnosis and therapy. EVs and their biomolecular cargo reflect the state of the diseased donor cells, and can be detected in body fluids and exploited as biomarkers in cancer and other diseases. Relatively few studies have been published on EVs in the veterinary field. This review provides an overview of the features and biology of EVs as well as recent developments in EV research including techniques for isolation and analysis, and will address the way in which the EVs released by diseased tissues can be studied and exploited in the field of veterinary pathology. Uniquely, this review emphasizes the important contribution that pathologists can make to the field of EV research: pathologists can help EV scientists in studying and confirming the role of EVs and their molecular cargo in diseased tissues and as biomarkers in liquid biopsies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-128
Author(s):  
Leena Sachdeva ◽  
Kumkum Bharti ◽  
Mridul Maheshwari

Despite the proliferation of occupational segregation research, only a limited amount has explored it from a gender perspective. The attention that has been given is widely scattered and requires an analysis to identify the major works undertaken and the changes over time. This study aimed to examine and assimilate articles published on gender-based occupational segregation through a bibliometric analysis. The study examined 512 articles published from the early 1970s to 2020 that were retrieved from the Web of Science database. The findings suggest that gender and occupational segregation remain an extensive field of research, although this research comes mainly from North American and European countries. The low representation from developing countries indicates that more research is needed based on these different socio-cultural settings. This study identified three dominant research clusters, namely gendered organisational structures and systems, measurement of occupational segregation, and wage differential. Studies also covered areas including conceptualization, LGBTQ issues, and the role of legislation and institutions in reducing workplace inequalities; thus, providing a direction for scholars and practitioners.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Estevão-Pereira ◽  
João Lobo ◽  
Sofia Salta ◽  
Maria Amorim ◽  
Paula Lopes ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BrC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in women, mainly due to recurrent and/or metastatic events, entailing the need for biomarkers predictive of progression to advanced disease. MicroRNAs hold promise as noninvasive cancer biomarkers due to their inherent stability and resilience in tissues and bodily fluids. There is increasing evidence that specific microRNAs play a functional role at different steps of the metastatic cascade, behaving as signaling mediators to enable the colonization of a specific organ. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the biomarker performance of microRNAs previously reported as associated with prognosis for predicting BrC progression in liquid biopsies. Methods Selected microRNAs were assessed using a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in a testing cohort of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary (n = 16) and metastatic BrC tissues (n = 22). Then, miR-30b-5p and miR-200b-3p were assessed in a validation cohort #1 of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary (n = 82) and metastatic BrC tissues (n = 93), whereas only miR-30b-5p was validated on a validation cohort #2 of liquid biopsies from BrC patients with localized (n = 20) and advanced (n = 25) disease. ROC curve was constructed to evaluate prognostic performance. Results MiR-30b-5p was differentially expressed in primary tumors and paired metastatic lesions, with bone metastases displaying significantly higher miR-30b-5p expression levels, paralleling the corresponding primary tumors. Interestingly, patients with advanced disease disclosed increased circulating miR-30b-5p expression compared to patients with localized BrC. Conclusions MiR-30b-5p might identify BrC patients at higher risk of disease progression, thus, providing a useful clinical tool for patients’ monitoring, entailing earlier and more effective treatment. Nonetheless, validation in larger multicentric cohorts is mandatory to confirm these findings.


Author(s):  
Marco Zschoche ◽  
Sergej Skosyrski ◽  
Neele Babst ◽  
Mahdy Ranjbar ◽  
Felix Rommel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The role of CD133 und ABCB5 is discussed in treatment resistance in several types of cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether CD133+/ABCB5+ colocalization differs in untreated, in beam radiation treated, and in chemotherapy treated retinoblastoma specimens. Additionally, CD133, ABCB5, sphingosine kinase 1, and sphingosine kinase 2 gene expression was analyzed in WERI-RB1 (WERI RB1) and etoposide-resistant WERI RB1 subclones (WERI ETOR). Methods Active human untreated retinoblastoma specimens (n = 12), active human retinoblastoma specimens pretreated with beam radiation before enucleation (n = 8), and active human retinoblastoma specimens pretreated with chemotherapy before enucleation (n = 7) were investigated for localization and expression of CD133 and ABCB5 by immunohistochemistry. Only specimens with IIRC D, but not E, were included in this study. Furthermore, WERI RB1 and WERI ETOR cell lines were analyzed for CD133, ABCB5, sphingosine kinase 1, and sphingosine kinase 2 by the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the same amount of CD133+/ABCB5+ colocalization islets in untreated and treated human retinoblastoma specimens. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed a statistically significant upregulation of CD133 in WERI ETOR (p = 0.002). No ABCB5 expression was detected in WERI RB1 and WERI ETOR. On the other hand, SPHK1 (p = 0.0027) and SPHK2 (p = 0.017) showed significant downregulation in WERI ETOR compared to WERI RB1. Conclusions CD133+/ABCB5+ co-localization islets were noted in untreated and treated human retinoblastoma specimens. Therefore, we assume that CD133+/ABCB5+ islets might play a role in retinoblastoma genesis, but not in retinoblastoma treatment resistance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-53
Author(s):  
Marlou Schrover ◽  
Tycho Walaardt

This article analyses newspaper coverage, government policies and policy practices during the 1956 Hungarian refugee crisis. There were surprisingly few differences between newspapers in the coverage of this refugee migration, and few changes over time. The role of the press was largely supportive of government policies, although the press did criticise the selection of refugees. According to official government guidelines, officials should not have selected, but in practice this is what they attempted to do. The refugees who arrived in the Netherlands did not live up to the image the press, in its supportive role, had created: there were too few freedom fighters, women and children. This article shows that the press had an influence because policy makers did make adjustments. However, in practice selection was not what the media assumed it was, and the corrections were not what the media had aimed for.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas Tsioufis ◽  
Athanasios Kordalis ◽  
Dimitris Flessas ◽  
Ioannis Anastasopoulos ◽  
Dimitris Tsiachris ◽  
...  

Resistant hypertension (RH) is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Among the characteristics of patients with RH, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and aldosterone excess are covering a great area of the mosaic of RH phenotype. Increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity is present in all these underlying conditions, supporting its crucial role in the pathophysiology of antihypertensive treatment resistance. Current clinical and experimental knowledge points towards an impact of several factors on SNS activation, namely, insulin resistance, adipokines, endothelial dysfunction, cyclic intermittent hypoxaemia, aldosterone effects on central nervous system, chemoreceptors, and baroreceptors dysregulation. The further investigation and understanding of the mechanisms leading to SNS activation could reveal novel therapeutic targets and expand our treatment options in the challenging management of RH.


Author(s):  
Richard A. Seidu ◽  
Min Wu ◽  
Zhaoliang Su ◽  
Huaxi Xu

Gliomas represent 60% of primary intracranial brain tumors and 80% of all malignant types, with highest morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although glioma has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathology remain poorly understood. Clarification of the molecular mechanisms involved in their development and/or treatment resistance is highly required. High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that can also act as an extracellular trigger of inflammation, proliferation and migration, through receptor for advanced glycation end products and toll like receptors in a number of cancers including gliomas. It is known that excessive release of HMGB1 in cancer leads to unlimited replicative potential, ability to develop blood vessels (angiogenesis), evasion of programmed cell death (apoptosis), self-sufficiency in growth signals, insensitivity to inhibitors of growth, inflammation, tissue invasion and metastasis. In this review we explore the mechanisms by which HMGB1 regulates apoptosis and autophagy in glioma. We also looked at how HMGB1 mediates glioma regression and promotes angiogenesis as well as possible signaling pathways with an attempt to provide potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of glioma.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4672
Author(s):  
Banashree Bondhopadhyay ◽  
Sandeep Sisodiya ◽  
Faisal Abdulrahman Alzahrani ◽  
Muhammed A. Bakhrebah ◽  
Atul Chikara ◽  
...  

Despite the recent advancements in therapeutics and personalized medicine, breast cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers among women. The prognostic and diagnostic aids mainly include assessment of tumor tissues with conventional methods towards better therapeutic strategies. However, current era of gene-based research may influence the treatment outcome particularly as an adjunct to diagnostics by exploring the role of non-invasive liquid biopsies or circulating markers. The characterization of tumor milieu for physiological fluids has been central to identifying the role of exosomes or small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). These exosomes provide necessary communication between tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The manipulation of exosomes in TME may provide promising diagnostic/therapeutic strategies, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer patients. This review has described and highlighted the role of exosomes in breast carcinogenesis and how they could be used or targeted by recent immunotherapeutics to achieve promising intervention strategies.


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