Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2018 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
Aptamer-related technologies represent a revolutionary advancement in the capacity to rapidly\ndevelop new classes of targeting ligands. Structurally distinct RNA and DNA oligonucleotides, aptamers\nmimic small, protein-binding molecules and exhibit high binding affinity and selectivity. Although their\nmolecular weight is relatively smallââ?¬â?approximately one-tenth that of monoclonal antibodiesââ?¬â?their\ncomplex tertiary folded structures create sufficient recognition surface area for tight interaction with\ntarget molecules. Additionally, unlike antibodies, aptamers can be readily chemically synthesized\nand modified. In addition, aptamersââ?¬â?¢ long storage period and low immunogenicity are favorable\nproperties for clinical utility. Due to their flexibility of chemical modification, aptamers are conjugated\nto other chemical entities including chemotherapeutic agents, siRNA, nanoparticles, and solid\nphase surfaces for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, as relatively small sized\noligonucleotides, aptamers present several challenges for successful clinical translation. Their short\nplasma half-lives due to nuclease degradation and rapid renal excretion necessitate further structural\nmodification of aptamers for clinical application. Since the US Food and Drug Administration\n(FDA) approval of the first aptamer drug, MacugenÃ?® (pegaptanib), which treats wet-age-related\nmacular degeneration, several aptamer therapeutics for oncology have followed and shown promise\nin pre-clinical models as well as clinical trials. This review discusses the advantages and challenges\nof aptamers and introduces therapeutic aptamers under investigation and in clinical trials for\ncancer treatments....
Germ-cell tumors (GCTs) are highly curable with chemotherapy. Salvage chemotherapy or surgery can cure a proportion of\npatients, but the ones failing these treatments will die of their disease in the young age. Immune checkpoint pathways are emerging\nas powerful targetable biomarkers, and a significant preclinical and clinical research is underway to widen our knowledge and\nexpand the treatment possibilities with immune therapy. The concept of immune modulation that was currently adopted in many\nsolid tumors is understudied in GCTs. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge of published literature discussing the\nimmune mechanisms and immune therapy in GCTs....
Optimizing the interface between nanoparticles (NPs) and the biological environment at\nvarious levels should be considered for improving delivery of NPs to the target tumor area. For NPs\nto be successfully delivered to cancer cells, NPs needs to be functionalized for circulation through the\nblood vessels. In this study, accumulation of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) functionalized gold\nnanoparticles (GNPs) was first tested using in vitro monolayer cells and multilayer cell models prior\nto in vivo models. A diameter of 10 nm sized GNP was selected for this study for sufficient\npenetration through tumor tissue. The surfaces of the GNPs were modified with PEG molecules, to\nimprove circulation time by reducing non-specific uptake by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) in\nanimal models, and with a peptide containing integrin binding domain, RGD (arginyl-glycyl-aspartic\nacid), to improve internalization at the cellular level. A 10ââ?¬â??12% accumulation of the injected GNP\ndose within the tumor was observed in vivo and the GNPs remained within the tumor tissue up to\n72 h. This study suggests an in vitro platform for optimizing the accumulation of NP complexes in\ncells and tissue structures before testing them in animal models. Higher accumulation within the\ntumor in vivo upon surface modification is a promising outcome for future applications where GNPs\ncan be used for drug delivery and radiation therapy....
Spontaneous regression of cancer is defined as disappearance of cancer in the absence of specific therapy. In thyroid cancer patients\nwith biochemically incomplete response to initial treatments, spontaneous decline in thyroglobulin levels without any cancer\ntreatment is a well-known phenomenon; however, spontaneous regression of persistent or recurrent structural disease has not\nbeen reported.We here present a case of papillary thyroid cancer in a 58-year-old female who underwent total thyroidectomy and\ntwo radioiodine ablations. She had persistently elevated thyroglobulin levels. Six years after her initial treatments, she had biopsyproven\ncervical lymph node metastasis. The patient opted not to undergo any further treatment. Over the course of the next 10\nyears, without any additional treatment, the lymph node disappeared and her thyroglobulin levels decreased to almost undetectable\nranges, implying near-complete regression. Our case illustrates that metastatic papillary thyroid cancer in lymph nodes can regress\nspontaneously...
The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family is involved in multiple cellular functions\nand plays an important role in various pathological and physiological processes. In many chronic\ndiseases, for example cancer, PTP is a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment. In the last two\ndecades, dozens of PTP inhibitors which specifically target individual PTP molecules were developed\nas therapeutic agents. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors\nand is the second most lethal cancer worldwide due to a lack of effective therapies. Recent studies\nhave unveiled both oncogenic and tumor suppressive functions of PTP in HCC. Here, we review the\ncurrent knowledge on the involvement of PTP in HCC and further discuss the possibility of targeting\nPTP in HCC....
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