11 research outputs found
The Role of the Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Gene in Tumor Development and Metastasis: A Narrative Review
No full textMatrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is one of the widely studied enzymes of the extracellular matrix which can degrade various matrix biomolecules. The gene coding for this enzyme has been found to be associated with various multifactorial diseases, including cancer. More specifically, the expression of MMP-9 and polymorphisms of its gene have been found to be correlated with the formation and the invasiveness of different types of cancer. Hence, the latter gene can potentially be used both as a clinical genetic marker and a possible target in anticancer therapy. The present minireview explores the role of the MMP-9 gene in the process of tumor formation, growth, and metastasis and presents an overview of the polymorphisms of the gene associated with cancer as well as its regulation mechanisms, to provide an insight into the potential clinical applications. Nevertheless, further clinical trials and research are still required to reach more valuable conclusions for the clinical implications of the recent findings
Genetic factors contributing to the development of inguinal hernias – a narrative review
Full text linkIntroduction and aim. Inguinal hernias are one of the major disorders in the field of general and visceral surgery and can be viewed as multifactorial diseases. Although the molecular mechanism that led to predistortion to inguinal herniation still remain unclear, is well known that defects leading to improper closure of the inguinal canal during fetal development and mechanisms contributing to weaker muscles of the abdominal wall can greatly increase the risk of developing the latter disease.
Material and methods. A literature search was performed in all major electronic databases using keywords and Boolean operators to retrieve all available literature related to the topic. Due to the narrative nature of the review, there were no specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Analysis of the literature. Genetic factors, undoubtedly, can interfere with these mechanisms and therefore play major role in developing hernias. To this end, the present narrative review provides an overview of genes with altered expression and genetic polymorphisms associated with inguinal herniation. Moreover, the results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) exploring susceptible genetic loci associated with the disease have been reported.
Conclusion. Nevertheless, more case-control studies and GWAS need to be conducted in different ethnic populations so as to provide better insights into the topic
The emerging role of PET/CT scanning in the treatment planning of ovarian cancer: A mini-review
No full textHistopathological characteristics of myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination: a scoping review
Full text linkIntroduction: Cases of myocarditis in people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 have been reported in the recent years. Nevertheless, the histopathological features and the pathomechanisms in these cases are still unclear. Hence, a scoping review of existing literature was performed to discover the histopathological features of myocarditis induced by the above-mentioned vaccine.
Material and Methods: A search was performed in the PubMed, Scopus and EMBASE databases to retrieve the relevant records, involving analyses of biopsy and autopsy specimens. Baseline characteristics of the patients and the histopathological characteristics of the respective specimens were extracted and recorded.
Results: Overall, 24 case reports and case series (involving a total of 54 patients) were included in this scoping review. The following signs of inflammation were present in the specimens: lymphocyte infiltration (64.8%), eosinophilic infiltration (29.6%), neutrophil infiltration (3.7%) and giant-cell formation (1.9%). Other features included myocardial tissue necrosis (20.4%), the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (16.7%) and microthrombosis (3.7%).
Conclusions: The histopathological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced myocarditis were heterogenous, the only common characteristic was the presence of lymphocyte infiltration in more than half of the cases. Studies of unreported past cases may provide further insights into the topic
The potential anticancer activities of telmisartan – a literature review
No full textIn the field of pharmacological therapy, due to the high costs and other obstacles encountered in developing novel drugs, a variety of studies have recently focused on repositioning existing pharmaceutical agents. Regarding the pharmacotherapy of cancer, many possible drugs may exhibit anticancer effects owing to the vast number of biological mechanisms involved in the proliferation and survival of malignant cells. Telmisartan, a well-known inhibitor of the angiotensin II receptor used clinically as an antihypertensive, has been shown to target various signaling pathways in cancer cells, therefore exhibiting anti-proliferative, anti-apoptotic and anti-metastatic effects. Moreover, inhibitors of the angiotensin II receptor have been shown to increase the fluidity of the tumor microenvironment, thus increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy as drug delivery to the tumor is enhanced. The present review provides an insight into the different anticancer mechanisms of telmisartan, as well as recent and past studies which have tested the drug in vitro and in vivo on different types of cancers. This may provide a perspective for future clinical trials on repositioning telmisartan as an anti-cancer agent
The association between Fusobacterium nucleatum levels and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer: a systematic review
No full textINTRODUCTION: The lack of response to chemotherapeutic drugs is one of the major challenges faced in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Several studies have indicated that the microbiome of the bowel affects the treatment response and specifically, certain bacterial species contribute to the development of chemoresistance. With Fusobacterium nucleatum being one of the bacterial species frequently found in the bowel of colorectal cancer patients, the present systematic review was undertaken to gather the existing literature on the relationship of Fusobacterium nucleatum with chemotherapy response. METHODS: Major online academic databases were searched using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators, in order to retrieve literature on the topic from inception until February 2023. Observational studies with relevant information were included in the present systematic review and their quality was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 7 studies with 2280 colorectal cancer patients who underwent adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy were included in the qualitative synthesis. No study with a major risk of bias was found after quality assesment. The majority of studies observed poorer prognosis in patients who had high levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum in their bowel, although due to the small number of studies a meta-analysis could not be performed. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum result in lower response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, to further verify this assertation, more observational and experimental studies must be undertaken in the clinical field
The connection between Fusobacterium nucleatum levels and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer – a systematic review
Full text linkIntroduction.The lack of response to chemotherapeutic drugs is one of the major challenges faced in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Several studies have indicated that the microbiome of the bowel affects the treatment response and specifically, certain bacterial species contribute to the development of chemoresistance. With Fusobacterium nucleatum being one of the bacterial species frequently found in the bowel of colorectal cancer patients, the present systematic review was undertaken to gather the existing literature on the relationship of Fusobacterium nucleatum with chemotherapy response. Material and methods.Major online academic databases were searched using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators, in order to retrieve literature on the topic from inception until February 2023. Observational studies with relevant information were included in the present systematic review and their quality was assessed. Results.A total of 7 studies with 2,280 colorectal cancer patients who underwent adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy were included in the qualitative synthesis. No study with a major risk of bias was found after a quality assessment. The majority of studies observed poorer prognosis in patients who had high levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum in their bowel, although, due to the small number of studies, a meta-analysis could not be performed. Conclusions.High levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum result in a poorer response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, to further verify this assertation, more observational and experimental studies must be undertaken in the clinical field
The role of the Notch signaling pathway in rhabdomyosarcomas
No full textRhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric soft tissue cancer with poor prognosis in cases of metastasis. Different signal transduction pathways have been studied in RMS cells as to shed some light into the tumorigenesis and metastasis mechanisms of this cancer in the search for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The Notch pathway, which regulates cell survival, is widely studied in different cancers, including sarcomas and its activation has been known to induce cell motility. To this end, the present review explores the role of the Notch signaling pathway in the progression of RMS and in potential therapeutic strategies
Potassium imbalances induced by systemic cancer therapy: pathophysiology and potential therapeutic strategies
Full text linkImbalances of serum potassium levels are common complications in patients receiving systemic antineoplastic therapy. These conditions can provoke further complications such as cardiac arrhythmia and paralysis due to the significant role of potassium in muscle physiology. Many cytotoxic drugs and novel targeted therapy agents have been found to induce hypokalemia and occasionally hyperkalemia. Therefore, they should be administered carefully and a broad understanding of the topic is necessary for medical oncologists. To this end, the present narrative review explores the pathophysiology of potassium disorders induced by systemic therapy and points out some therapeutic strategies for reversing them
Detection of gastrointestinal cancers using salivary biomarkers – a systematic review
Full text linkIntroduction and aim. Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are highly prevalent worldwide, with usually symptomless presentations making diagnosis at an early stage challenging. At the same time, salivary biomarkers are a promising method of early diagnosis in different malignancies. To this end, the present systematic review was carried out to investigate if salivary biomarkers can help with the early detection of gastrointestinal cancer and ascertain their diagnostic value.
Material and methods. Major electronic databases were searched using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators to retrieve all existing literature on the topic from April 2024 until inception. Clinical studies with relevant information were included in the quantitative synthesis.
Analysis of the literature. A total of 48 studies exploring the use of potential salivary biomarkers in esophageal, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, hepatocellular and biomarkers were included in the present review. All studies retrieved statistically significant correlations between the presence of certain markers in the saliva and development of gastrointestinal cancers.
Conclusion. Salivary biomarkers can help detect different gastrointestinal cancers. However, more studies are required to determine their diagnostic value. The use of artificial intelligence might help clinicians in exploiting these biomarkers
