ELYN AMIELA SALLEH¹, YEONG YEH LEE², ANDEE DZULKARNAEN ZAKARIA³, NUR ASYILLA CHE JALIL⁴, MARAHAINI MUSA^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.10, pp. 2233-2244, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030541

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major global health concern. Accumulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in CRC is associated with poor prognosis and disease recurrence. CAFs are the main cellular component of the tumor microenvironment. CAF-tumor cell interplay, which is facilitated by various secretomes, drives colorectal carcinogenesis. The complexity of CAF populations contributes to the heterogeneity of CRC and influences patient survival and treatment response. Due to their significant roles in colorectal carcinogenesis, different clinical applications utilizing or targeting CAFs have been suggested. Circulating CAFs (cCAFs) which can be detected in blood samples, have been proposed to help in determining patient… More > Graphic Abstract

EFFAT ALEMZADEH¹, LEILA ALLAHQOLI², HAMIDEH DEHGHAN³, AFROOZ MAZIDIMORADI⁴, ALIREZA GHASEMPOUR³, HAMID SALEHINIYA^5,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.5, pp. 667-675, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028406

Abstract Liquid biopsy, including both circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA, is becoming more popular as a diagnostic tool in the clinical management of breast cancer. Elevated concentrations of these biomarkers during cancer treatment may be used as markers for cancer progression as well as to understand the mechanisms underlying metastasis and treatment resistance. Thus, these circulating markers serve as tools for cancer assessing and monitoring through a simple, non-invasive blood draw. However, despite several study results currently noting a potential clinical impact of ctDNA mutation tracking, the method is not used clinically in cancer diagnosis among patients and more… More > Graphic Abstract

SHA ZHU^#, NANWEI XU^#, JIAYU LIANG, FENGNIAN ZHAO, ZILIN WANG, YUCHAO NI, JINDONG DAI, JINGE ZHAO, XINGMING ZHANG, JUNRU CHEN, GUANGXI SUN, PENGFEI SHEN^*, HAO ZENG^*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.4, pp. 605-614, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028321

Abstract Background: KMT2 (lysine methyltransferase) family enzymes are epigenetic regulators that activate gene transcription. KMT2C is mainly involved in enhancer-associated H3K4me1, and is also one of the top mutated genes in cancer (6.6% in pan-cancer). Currently, the clinical significance of KMT2C mutations in prostate cancer is understudied. Methods: We included 221 prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2021 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University with cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsy test results in this study. We investigated the association between KMT2C mutations, other mutations, and pathways. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic value of KMT2C mutations, measured by overall survival (OS)… More >

ALESSANDRO GOZZETTI^*, MONICA BOCCHIA

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.3, pp. 271-274, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028668

Abstract Novel drug availability has increased the depth of response and revolutionised the outcomes of multiple myeloma patients. Minimal residual disease evaluation is a surrogate for progression-free survival and overall survival and has become widely used not-only in clinical trials but also in daily patient management. Bone marrow aspiration is the gold standard for response evaluation, but due to the patchy nature of myeloma, false negatives are possible. Liquid biopsy and blood-based minimal residual disease evaluation consider circulating plasma cells, mass spectrometry or circulating tumour DNA. This approach is less invasive, can provide a more comprehensive picture of the disease and… More >

HONG YANG^1,2, WAN LI^1,2, LIWEN REN^1,2, YIHUI YANG^1,2, YIZHI ZHANG^1,2, BINBIN GE^1,2, SHA LI^1,2, XIANGJIN ZHENG^1,2, JINYI LIU^1,2, SEN ZHANG^1,2, GUANHUA DU^1,2, BO TANG³, HONGQUAN WANG³, JINHUA WANG^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.2, pp. 83-99, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028905

Abstract Pancreatic cancer is a malignant disease characterized by low survival and high recurrence rate, whose patients are mostly at the stage of locally advanced or metastatic disease when first diagnosed. Early diagnosis is particularly important because prognostic/predictive markers help guide optimal individualized treatment regimens. So far, CA19-9 is the only biomarker for pancreatic cancer approved by the FDA, but its effectiveness is limited by low sensitivity and specificity. With recent advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other analytical and sequencing technologies, the rapid acquisition and screening of biomarkers is now possible. Liquid biopsy also occupies a significant place due to… More > Graphic Abstract

YANGYI HE^1,2, DAVID SANCHEZ-LORENTE^3,4,5, MELISSA ACOSTA-PLASENCIA¹, MARC BOADA^3,4,5, ANGELA GUIRAO^3,4,5, RAMON M. MARRADES^4,5,6,7, LAUREANO MOLINS^3,4,5, ALFONS NAVARRO^1,4,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 951-957, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027718

Abstract Tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in the metastasis process through different mechanisms, including the preparation of the pre-metastatic niche to grant circulating tumor cells (CTCs) implantation and growth. The study of the metastasis process through the analysis of CTCs and tumor-derived EVs is difficult because of the dilution grade of these elements in peripheral blood. In early-stage lung cancer patients, the tumor-secreted products are even more diluted. An attractive strategy in surgical lung cancer patients is to purify them from a pulmonary tumor-draining vein where they are enriched. The information obtained from the analysis of EVs and CTCs purified from… More >

ISABELLA PANFOLI^1,*, MAURIZIO BRUSCHI², GIOVANNI CANDIANO²

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.10, pp. 2167-2176, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020154

Abstract Precision medicine is based on the identification of biomarkers of tumor development and progression. Liquid biopsy is at the forefront of the ability to gather diagnostic and prognostic information on tumors, as it can be noninvasively performed prior or during treatment. Liquid biopsy mostly utilizes circulating tumor cells, or free DNA, but also exosomes. The latter are nanovesicles secreted by most cell types, found in any body fluid that deliver proteins, nucleic acids and lipids to nearby and distant cells with a unique homing ability. Exosomes function in signalling between the tumor microenvironment and the rest of the body, promoting… More >