Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.2174/0115680096327635241021115944
Yunlin Luo, Mingcheng Nie, Yuekang Chen, Xinyu Huang, Xuehai Cui, Wan Lin, Liyan Xu, Enmin Li, Yinwei Cheng
Among the Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) family in mammals, PARP1 is the first identified and well-studied member that plays a critical role in DNA damage repair and has been proven to be an effective target for cancer therapy. Here, we have reviewed not only the role of PARP1 in different DNA damage repair pathways, but also the working mechanisms of several PARP inhibitors (PARPi), inhibiting Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) processing and PAR chains production to trap PARP1 on impaired DNA and inducing Transcription- replication Conflicts (TRCs) by inhibiting the PARP1 activity. This review has systematically summarized the latest clinical application of six authorized PARPi, including olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, talazoparib, fuzuloparib and pamiparib, in monotherapy and combination therapies with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, in different kinds of cancer. Furthermore, probable challenges in PARPi application and drug resistance mechanisms have also been discussed. Despite these challenges, further development of new PARP1 inhibitors appears promising as a valuable approach to cancer treatment.
{"title":"Clinical Application of PARP1 Inhibitors and Challenges in Cancer Therapy.","authors":"Yunlin Luo, Mingcheng Nie, Yuekang Chen, Xinyu Huang, Xuehai Cui, Wan Lin, Liyan Xu, Enmin Li, Yinwei Cheng","doi":"10.2174/0115680096327635241021115944","DOIUrl":"10.2174/0115680096327635241021115944","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Among the Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) family in mammals, PARP1 is the first identified and well-studied member that plays a critical role in DNA damage repair and has been proven to be an effective target for cancer therapy. Here, we have reviewed not only the role of PARP1 in different DNA damage repair pathways, but also the working mechanisms of several PARP inhibitors (PARPi), inhibiting Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) processing and PAR chains production to trap PARP1 on impaired DNA and inducing Transcription- replication Conflicts (TRCs) by inhibiting the PARP1 activity. This review has systematically summarized the latest clinical application of six authorized PARPi, including olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, talazoparib, fuzuloparib and pamiparib, in monotherapy and combination therapies with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, in different kinds of cancer. Furthermore, probable challenges in PARPi application and drug resistance mechanisms have also been discussed. Despite these challenges, further development of new PARP1 inhibitors appears promising as a valuable approach to cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":"1-35"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142945987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Systemic therapy for metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC) has dramatically improved in the last years because of the use of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor combinations with or without targeted therapies against the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors (VEGFR). As a result, patients with mRCC have prolonged survival time, but they ultimately develop resistance and the disease progresses, which highlights the critical need for novel treatment options. The Hypoxia-inducible Factor (HIF) pathway is central to the pathophysiology of ccRCC and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. As part of the VHL-HIF-VEGF axis, the HIF-2α inhibition has been identified as a rationale target for mRCC treatment. Indeed, one such agent called belzutifan is already approved for VHL-associated RCC and other VHLassociated neoplasms, and a series of trials have indicated encouraging efficacy and good tolerability in sporadic mRCC as well. The potential inclusion of belzutifan into the mRCC treatment armamentarium either as a single agent or as combination therapy could cover the lack of therapeutic options as well as the need for a new combination in mRCC; therefore, this drug has the potential to be largely used in mRCC. In this review, we have recapitulated the clinical data supporting the use of belzutifan in mRCC as monotherapy and the background for combination with other agents as well as its safety profile.
{"title":"The Clinical Role of Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) Inhibition in Renal Cancer: A Focus on Belzutifan.","authors":"Daniela Arduini, Chiara Ciccarese, Alessandro Strusi, Viria Beccia, Romina Rose Pedone, Alessandro Scala, Valeria Sardaro, Giampaolo Tortora, Roberto Iacovelli","doi":"10.2174/0115680096323507241101064127","DOIUrl":"10.2174/0115680096323507241101064127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic therapy for metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC) has dramatically improved in the last years because of the use of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor combinations with or without targeted therapies against the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors (VEGFR). As a result, patients with mRCC have prolonged survival time, but they ultimately develop resistance and the disease progresses, which highlights the critical need for novel treatment options. The Hypoxia-inducible Factor (HIF) pathway is central to the pathophysiology of ccRCC and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. As part of the VHL-HIF-VEGF axis, the HIF-2α inhibition has been identified as a rationale target for mRCC treatment. Indeed, one such agent called belzutifan is already approved for VHL-associated RCC and other VHLassociated neoplasms, and a series of trials have indicated encouraging efficacy and good tolerability in sporadic mRCC as well. The potential inclusion of belzutifan into the mRCC treatment armamentarium either as a single agent or as combination therapy could cover the lack of therapeutic options as well as the need for a new combination in mRCC; therefore, this drug has the potential to be largely used in mRCC. In this review, we have recapitulated the clinical data supporting the use of belzutifan in mRCC as monotherapy and the background for combination with other agents as well as its safety profile.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":"36-46"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142945993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.2174/0115680096356497250210064209
Rafat M Mohareb, Marwa S Gamaan, Nadia Y Megally Abdo, Ibram R Mikhail
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Quinoline derivatives, often incorporating other heterocyclic structures, have shown a wide range of therapeutic potential, especially in the treatment of cancer. These compounds have demonstrated significant anticancer activity against various cell lines, including HeLa (human cervical cancer) and MDA-MB-435 (melanoma), exhibiting strong inhibitory effects.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this study, arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives (3a-c) were employed in a series of multicomponent reactions to synthesize 3,5,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline and pyran derivatives. Pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline derivatives, due to their structural properties, are considered valuable scaffolds for the development of novel drugs targeting similar biological pathways, with the potential for improved therapeutic efficacy. This study aimed to demonstrate the use of simple arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives in multicomponent reactions with cyclic ketones and aromatic aldehydes. The resulting compounds were then assessed for their cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities. Following these reactions, further heterocyclization processes were conducted, incorporating the quinoline moiety into the final structures. These findings underscore the potential of pyrazolo[ 1,5-a]quinoline derivatives as promising candidates for drug discovery, offering new avenues for targeting diseases with related molecular mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The key starting compound in this study was 3,5-dimethyl-4-(2-phenylhydrazono)-4Hpyrazole, which has been utilized in numerous heterocyclization reactions. These reactions, involving various reagents, such as cyclic ketones and diketones in the presence of aromatic aldehydes, led to the formation of fused tetracyclic compounds. Arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives (5a-c) were employed in multicomponent reactions to synthesize 3,5,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[1,5- a]quinoline and pyran derivatives. The reactions were carried out using both conventional catalysts and ionic liquid-immobilized catalysts. Notably, the use of ionic liquid-immobilized catalysts resulted in higher yields of the desired compounds.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, new compounds were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines: A549, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG, SMMC-7721, and H460. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of the synthesized compounds were assessed against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. Morphological studies of selected compounds were also conducted to further understand their effects on the cancer cells. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the selected compounds was tested against seventeen different cancer cell lines, categorized by disease type. Morphological analyses of these selected compounds were also performed to gain deeper insights into their potential as anticancer agents.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </stron
{"title":"Using Cyclic Ketones to Synthesize New 3,5,6,7,8,9-Hexahydropyrazolo[ 1,5-a]quinoline Derivatives with Antiproliferative Activities: Morphological Studies.","authors":"Rafat M Mohareb, Marwa S Gamaan, Nadia Y Megally Abdo, Ibram R Mikhail","doi":"10.2174/0115680096356497250210064209","DOIUrl":"10.2174/0115680096356497250210064209","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Quinoline derivatives, often incorporating other heterocyclic structures, have shown a wide range of therapeutic potential, especially in the treatment of cancer. These compounds have demonstrated significant anticancer activity against various cell lines, including HeLa (human cervical cancer) and MDA-MB-435 (melanoma), exhibiting strong inhibitory effects.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this study, arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives (3a-c) were employed in a series of multicomponent reactions to synthesize 3,5,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline and pyran derivatives. Pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline derivatives, due to their structural properties, are considered valuable scaffolds for the development of novel drugs targeting similar biological pathways, with the potential for improved therapeutic efficacy. This study aimed to demonstrate the use of simple arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives in multicomponent reactions with cyclic ketones and aromatic aldehydes. The resulting compounds were then assessed for their cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities. Following these reactions, further heterocyclization processes were conducted, incorporating the quinoline moiety into the final structures. These findings underscore the potential of pyrazolo[ 1,5-a]quinoline derivatives as promising candidates for drug discovery, offering new avenues for targeting diseases with related molecular mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The key starting compound in this study was 3,5-dimethyl-4-(2-phenylhydrazono)-4Hpyrazole, which has been utilized in numerous heterocyclization reactions. These reactions, involving various reagents, such as cyclic ketones and diketones in the presence of aromatic aldehydes, led to the formation of fused tetracyclic compounds. Arylhydrazonopyrazole derivatives (5a-c) were employed in multicomponent reactions to synthesize 3,5,6,7,8,9-hexahydropyrazolo[1,5- a]quinoline and pyran derivatives. The reactions were carried out using both conventional catalysts and ionic liquid-immobilized catalysts. Notably, the use of ionic liquid-immobilized catalysts resulted in higher yields of the desired compounds.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, new compounds were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines: A549, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG, SMMC-7721, and H460. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of the synthesized compounds were assessed against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. Morphological studies of selected compounds were also conducted to further understand their effects on the cancer cells. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the selected compounds was tested against seventeen different cancer cell lines, categorized by disease type. Morphological analyses of these selected compounds were also performed to gain deeper insights into their potential as anticancer agents.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </stron","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":"85-108"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143540263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.2174/0115680096369835250610135029
Mohammed Obaid Alharbi, Thamir Mahmoud Eid, Mirza Rafi Baig, Salma Naqvi, Fahad A Al-Abassi, Omar A Al-Bar, Michael Chukwugoziem Nweke, Vikas Kumar, Firoz Anwar
Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in women globally, characterized by diverse histological and molecular subtypes, each with varying clinical outcomes. Understanding these subtypes and their associated risk factors is critical for accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning.
Methodology: The study scrutinized 187 breast cancer (BC) patients from Hail region of Saudi Arabia, focusing on ABO blood group distribution, histological type, cancer subtype, metastases size, age distribution, body mass index (BMI), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) status, and biochemical markers, including plasma calcium, magnesium, and HBA1C levels.
Results: Blood group distribution showed O+ (50.27%) as the most common blood type, followed by A+ (14.97%) and B+ (11.2%). Histologically, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) accounts for 64.1% (120) cases, while Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) con-stitutes 17.1% (32) cases. The most common metastatic sites are the lungs (25.1%) and ax-illary lymph nodes (17.6%). HER2-positive breast cancer, seen in 9.1% of cases, can lead to multi-organ metastases in some cases. Age distribution indicated most patients were 46-55 years old (50 cases), while BMI data exhibited the highest frequency in the obese cate-gory (~90 cases), with 12 having GDM and 177 not having GDM. Calcium levels across age groups slightly fell below the typical adult range (2.1-2.6 mmol/L) with an average of around 2.06 mmol/L. Magnesium levels were elevated in patients less than 35 years of age (7.02 mmol/L) and were low in other groups. HbA1C levels in all age groups ranged from 6.44 to 6.67 mg/dL, aligning with prediabetic or diabetic thresholds. Plasma calcium and magnesium levels were elevated in the weight category, showing slight deviations from the normal range. Underweight patients displayed the lowest HbA1C levels with all weight cat-egories exceeding 6.5 mg/dL, indicating diabetes.
Conclusion: The results highlight IDC as a predominant BC type, with O+ as the most common blood group among patients. TNBC remains a treatment challenge due to a lack of hormone receptors. Metastases mainly affect the lungs and lymph nodes. Elevated BMI, calcium, and magnesium levels correlate with increased HbA1C, suggesting a diabetic link. Emphasizing personalized treatment, obesity management, and electrolyte monitoring., the present research advocates a holistic approach for improved BC outcomes and suggests fu-ture exploration of metabolic influences.
{"title":"Prospective Clinical and Biochemical Evaluation of Breast Cancer in Patient Cohorts.","authors":"Mohammed Obaid Alharbi, Thamir Mahmoud Eid, Mirza Rafi Baig, Salma Naqvi, Fahad A Al-Abassi, Omar A Al-Bar, Michael Chukwugoziem Nweke, Vikas Kumar, Firoz Anwar","doi":"10.2174/0115680096369835250610135029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096369835250610135029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in women globally, characterized by diverse histological and molecular subtypes, each with varying clinical outcomes. Understanding these subtypes and their associated risk factors is critical for accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>The study scrutinized 187 breast cancer (BC) patients from Hail region of Saudi Arabia, focusing on ABO blood group distribution, histological type, cancer subtype, metastases size, age distribution, body mass index (BMI), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) status, and biochemical markers, including plasma calcium, magnesium, and HBA1C levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Blood group distribution showed O+ (50.27%) as the most common blood type, followed by A+ (14.97%) and B+ (11.2%). Histologically, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) accounts for 64.1% (120) cases, while Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) con-stitutes 17.1% (32) cases. The most common metastatic sites are the lungs (25.1%) and ax-illary lymph nodes (17.6%). HER2-positive breast cancer, seen in 9.1% of cases, can lead to multi-organ metastases in some cases. Age distribution indicated most patients were 46-55 years old (50 cases), while BMI data exhibited the highest frequency in the obese cate-gory (~90 cases), with 12 having GDM and 177 not having GDM. Calcium levels across age groups slightly fell below the typical adult range (2.1-2.6 mmol/L) with an average of around 2.06 mmol/L. Magnesium levels were elevated in patients less than 35 years of age (7.02 mmol/L) and were low in other groups. HbA1C levels in all age groups ranged from 6.44 to 6.67 mg/dL, aligning with prediabetic or diabetic thresholds. Plasma calcium and magnesium levels were elevated in the weight category, showing slight deviations from the normal range. Underweight patients displayed the lowest HbA1C levels with all weight cat-egories exceeding 6.5 mg/dL, indicating diabetes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results highlight IDC as a predominant BC type, with O+ as the most common blood group among patients. TNBC remains a treatment challenge due to a lack of hormone receptors. Metastases mainly affect the lungs and lymph nodes. Elevated BMI, calcium, and magnesium levels correlate with increased HbA1C, suggesting a diabetic link. Emphasizing personalized treatment, obesity management, and electrolyte monitoring., the present research advocates a holistic approach for improved BC outcomes and suggests fu-ture exploration of metabolic influences.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145653728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Molecular subtyping guides bladder cancer (BCa) care but typically requires RNA profiling. This study aimed to develop pathology-based subtypes of BCa using pathology deep learning features derived from routinely obtained hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained whole-slide images (WSIs).
Methods: We developed a pathology-based subtype of BCa based on deep learning features extracted from H&E-stained WSIs. A modified Net50 model was trained to distinguish between tumor and normal regions and extract patch-level deep features. These features were aggregated at the WSI level, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Cox regression, and unsupervised K-means clustering to define pathology-based subtypes. External validation was performed using WSIs from four independent centers and transcriptomic data from IMvigor210 and GSE32894 cohorts. Interpretability used Grad-CAM on tumor patches.
Results: The Resnet50 model achieved high and consistent performance in distinguishing tumor and normal patches. The analysis identified four BCa subtypes, with distinct clinical outcomes. Clusters 2/3 were predominantly luminal-like (cluster 3 was enriched for FGFR3 and had the lowest TMB), whereas clusters 0/1 exhibited mixed luminal/basal features with higher immune/stromal scores; regulon and pathway profiles diverged (e.g., EGFR/FOXM1/STAT3 in cluster 1 vs. FGFR3/FOXA1/PPARG in cluster 3). Grad-CAM highlighted distinct nuclear morphologies supporting interpretability.
Conclusion: We present a pathology-based subtype of BCa that is portable, prognostically informative, and mechanistically concordant with RNA-defined biology. The approach offers a cost-effective and accessible alternative to traditional molecular profiling methods, with potential applications in personalized treatment and improved patient stratification.
{"title":"Integrative Deep Learning from H&E Images Reveals Prognostically Distinct Pathology-Based Subtypes in Bladder Cancer.","authors":"Huanhui Li, Fazhong Dai, Yongqiang Zhang, Xiaoyang Li, Biling Zhong, Jia Fang, Zhenwei Wang, Yanyan He, Mancun Wang, Xiaofu Qiu, Zongtai Zheng","doi":"10.2174/0115680096434051251113094536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096434051251113094536","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Molecular subtyping guides bladder cancer (BCa) care but typically requires RNA profiling. This study aimed to develop pathology-based subtypes of BCa using pathology deep learning features derived from routinely obtained hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained whole-slide images (WSIs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a pathology-based subtype of BCa based on deep learning features extracted from H&E-stained WSIs. A modified Net50 model was trained to distinguish between tumor and normal regions and extract patch-level deep features. These features were aggregated at the WSI level, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Cox regression, and unsupervised K-means clustering to define pathology-based subtypes. External validation was performed using WSIs from four independent centers and transcriptomic data from IMvigor210 and GSE32894 cohorts. Interpretability used Grad-CAM on tumor patches.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Resnet50 model achieved high and consistent performance in distinguishing tumor and normal patches. The analysis identified four BCa subtypes, with distinct clinical outcomes. Clusters 2/3 were predominantly luminal-like (cluster 3 was enriched for FGFR3 and had the lowest TMB), whereas clusters 0/1 exhibited mixed luminal/basal features with higher immune/stromal scores; regulon and pathway profiles diverged (e.g., EGFR/FOXM1/STAT3 in cluster 1 vs. FGFR3/FOXA1/PPARG in cluster 3). Grad-CAM highlighted distinct nuclear morphologies supporting interpretability.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We present a pathology-based subtype of BCa that is portable, prognostically informative, and mechanistically concordant with RNA-defined biology. The approach offers a cost-effective and accessible alternative to traditional molecular profiling methods, with potential applications in personalized treatment and improved patient stratification.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145563211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) is regarded as an aggressive endocrine malignant tumor. The understanding of ACC tumorigenesis is still incomplete. This study aims to identify candidate tumor mutation burden (TMB)-related prognostic genes and explored the potential molecular mechanism of ACC based on comprehensive bioinformatic methods.
Methods: Single-nucleotide variations and transcriptome data were downloaded from the TCGA database. TMB scores were calculated using single-nucleotide variation data, and then, the correlation of TMB with tumor immune microenvironment, clinicopathologic characteristics, and PD-L1 expression level was explored. Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), ranging from high and low TMB scores, were identified. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to screen candidate TMB-related prognostic genes. Preliminary experimental verification of ASPM and KIF11 in ACC tumorigenesis was conducted.
Results: Patients with high TMB had worse OS, DSS, PFS, advanced pathological stage, lower PD-L1 expression level, lower stromal score, lower immune score, and higher tumor purity score. Seven ninety-seven DEGs in all between the high and low TMB groups were identified, including 203 downregulated DEGs and 594 upregulated DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that these DEGs might participate in cell division and cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, WGCNA analysis identified the turquoise module as the most significantly associated module with TMB. After screening with the PPI network and validating using survival analysis, a total of eight candidate TMB-related prognostic genes for ACC patients were finally identified, including ASPM, BIRC5, BUB1, CDC20, CDCA5, CEP55, KIF11, and TPX2. Preliminary experimental verification revealed that ASPM and KIF11 could promote the proliferation of ACC cells and the tumor growth of mice.
Discussion: ASPM and KIF11, identified as key TMB-related prognostic genes, promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of ACC cells. This functional role revealed their significant potential as novel therapeutic targets for ACC.
Conclusion: A total of eight candidate TMB-related prognostic genes (including ASPM, BIRC5, BUB1, CDC20, CDCA5, CEP55, KIF11, and TPX2) for ACC patients were identified. Preliminary experimental verification revealed that ASPM and KIF11 could promote the proliferation of ACC cells and ACC tumor growth in vivo.
{"title":"Comprehensive Analysis Identifies Tumor Mutation Burden-associated Genes ASPM and KIF11 as Novel Biomarkers for Adrenocortical Carcinoma.","authors":"Jia-Yin Chen, Yu-Ting Xue, Shi-Wei Lin, Qi You, Bin Lin, Jiang-Bo Sun, Qing-Shui Zheng, Yong Wei, Shao-Hao Chen, Xue-Yi Xue, Xiao-Dong Li, Zhi-Bin Ke, Ning Xu","doi":"10.2174/0115680096396835251019170810","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096396835251019170810","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) is regarded as an aggressive endocrine malignant tumor. The understanding of ACC tumorigenesis is still incomplete. This study aims to identify candidate tumor mutation burden (TMB)-related prognostic genes and explored the potential molecular mechanism of ACC based on comprehensive bioinformatic methods.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Single-nucleotide variations and transcriptome data were downloaded from the TCGA database. TMB scores were calculated using single-nucleotide variation data, and then, the correlation of TMB with tumor immune microenvironment, clinicopathologic characteristics, and PD-L1 expression level was explored. Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), ranging from high and low TMB scores, were identified. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to screen candidate TMB-related prognostic genes. Preliminary experimental verification of ASPM and KIF11 in ACC tumorigenesis was conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with high TMB had worse OS, DSS, PFS, advanced pathological stage, lower PD-L1 expression level, lower stromal score, lower immune score, and higher tumor purity score. Seven ninety-seven DEGs in all between the high and low TMB groups were identified, including 203 downregulated DEGs and 594 upregulated DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that these DEGs might participate in cell division and cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, WGCNA analysis identified the turquoise module as the most significantly associated module with TMB. After screening with the PPI network and validating using survival analysis, a total of eight candidate TMB-related prognostic genes for ACC patients were finally identified, including ASPM, BIRC5, BUB1, CDC20, CDCA5, CEP55, KIF11, and TPX2. Preliminary experimental verification revealed that ASPM and KIF11 could promote the proliferation of ACC cells and the tumor growth of mice.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>ASPM and KIF11, identified as key TMB-related prognostic genes, promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of ACC cells. This functional role revealed their significant potential as novel therapeutic targets for ACC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A total of eight candidate TMB-related prognostic genes (including ASPM, BIRC5, BUB1, CDC20, CDCA5, CEP55, KIF11, and TPX2) for ACC patients were identified. Preliminary experimental verification revealed that ASPM and KIF11 could promote the proliferation of ACC cells and ACC tumor growth in vivo.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145430356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.2174/0115680096380583251007074500
Sneha Gautam, Abhishek Sharma
Introduction: The changing landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma detection and treatment is examined in this study, focusing on recent advancements in therapeutic methods across several stages. Early identification of hepatocellular cancer cells continues to pose a serious threat to human health and is of utmost significance. It is crucial to create a useful signature to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma early.
Methods: Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are high-stage treatment options for hepatocellular cancer. These treatments can be coupled with nanotechnology to increase effectiveness and minimize adverse effects. Furthermore, immunotherapy and chemotherapy might be combined to increase therapeutic efficacy and overcome resistance. Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to significantly enhance hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and management.
Results: Numerous models performed as well as or better than experienced radiologists while indicating the ability to improve radiologists' accuracy, showing encouraging outcomes for applying Artificial Intelligence to hepatocellular carcinoma-related diagnostic tasks.
Discussion: Treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma has changed dramatically, moving from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Precision in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment has increased due to innovations like molecular diagnostics, tailored medicines, and nanotechnology. This change improves patient outcomes and presents encouraging avenues for future research and treatment of hepatocellular cancer.
Conclusion: Recent advances in imaging techniques, biomarkers, and personalized medicine approaches have improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes. The emergence of immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and combination regimens has expanded treatment options, offering new hope for patients with advanced disease.
{"title":"Current Advances in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Transition from Traditional to Advanced Technology.","authors":"Sneha Gautam, Abhishek Sharma","doi":"10.2174/0115680096380583251007074500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096380583251007074500","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The changing landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma detection and treatment is examined in this study, focusing on recent advancements in therapeutic methods across several stages. Early identification of hepatocellular cancer cells continues to pose a serious threat to human health and is of utmost significance. It is crucial to create a useful signature to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma early.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are high-stage treatment options for hepatocellular cancer. These treatments can be coupled with nanotechnology to increase effectiveness and minimize adverse effects. Furthermore, immunotherapy and chemotherapy might be combined to increase therapeutic efficacy and overcome resistance. Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to significantly enhance hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and management.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Numerous models performed as well as or better than experienced radiologists while indicating the ability to improve radiologists' accuracy, showing encouraging outcomes for applying Artificial Intelligence to hepatocellular carcinoma-related diagnostic tasks.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma has changed dramatically, moving from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Precision in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment has increased due to innovations like molecular diagnostics, tailored medicines, and nanotechnology. This change improves patient outcomes and presents encouraging avenues for future research and treatment of hepatocellular cancer.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Recent advances in imaging techniques, biomarkers, and personalized medicine approaches have improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes. The emergence of immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and combination regimens has expanded treatment options, offering new hope for patients with advanced disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145376214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Metastases frequently occur in patients with colorectal cancer, resulting in a higher death rate. The study aimed to evaluate the mechanism by which Ti-mosaponin AIII affects colorectal cancer metastases.
Methods: Different concentrations of Timosaponin AIII were used to treat colorectal cancer cell lines. The CCK8 assay was used to evaluate how Timosaponin AIII affected cell viability. Transwell chamber assays were employed to evaluate the impact of the treatment on the migratory and invasive abilities of colorectal cancer cells. The influence of Timosaponin AIII on apoptosis was detected through flow cytometry, and western blot, PCR, and immunofluorescence staining were utilized to assess its effect on the expression of proteins. The effect of Timosaponin AIII on tumor growth was studied by using xenograft tumor models.
Results: In this study, we observed that, in comparison with the control group, Timosaponin AIII could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasive capabilities of colorectal cancer cell lines and promote the process of apoptosis. Timosaponin AIII is capable of enhancing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR, as well as increasing E - E-cadherin while decreasing N - N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug, thereby inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process.
Discussion: The present study has limitations, as the mechanistic investigations were mainly conducted at the cellular level. Future studies should validate the molecular mechanisms through animal models.
Conclusions: Timosaponin AIII restrains the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signal pathway, thereby regulating the EMT process to suppress metastases of colorectal cancer cell lines. This research provides a critical foundation for the clinical application of Ti-mosaponin AIII in colorectal cancer treatment.
{"title":"Timosaponin AIII Inhibits Migration and Invasion Abilities in Colorectal Cancer Through Inactivation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR Pathway.","authors":"Hao-Ran Xu, Long-Xun Zhu, Jin-Di Liu, Xiang-Fan Chen, Nan Sheng, Qing Fang, Pan-Feng Feng","doi":"10.2174/0115680096383861251003074135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096383861251003074135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Metastases frequently occur in patients with colorectal cancer, resulting in a higher death rate. The study aimed to evaluate the mechanism by which Ti-mosaponin AIII affects colorectal cancer metastases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Different concentrations of Timosaponin AIII were used to treat colorectal cancer cell lines. The CCK8 assay was used to evaluate how Timosaponin AIII affected cell viability. Transwell chamber assays were employed to evaluate the impact of the treatment on the migratory and invasive abilities of colorectal cancer cells. The influence of Timosaponin AIII on apoptosis was detected through flow cytometry, and western blot, PCR, and immunofluorescence staining were utilized to assess its effect on the expression of proteins. The effect of Timosaponin AIII on tumor growth was studied by using xenograft tumor models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we observed that, in comparison with the control group, Timosaponin AIII could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasive capabilities of colorectal cancer cell lines and promote the process of apoptosis. Timosaponin AIII is capable of enhancing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR, as well as increasing E - E-cadherin while decreasing N - N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug, thereby inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The present study has limitations, as the mechanistic investigations were mainly conducted at the cellular level. Future studies should validate the molecular mechanisms through animal models.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Timosaponin AIII restrains the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signal pathway, thereby regulating the EMT process to suppress metastases of colorectal cancer cell lines. This research provides a critical foundation for the clinical application of Ti-mosaponin AIII in colorectal cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145376203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.2174/0115680096402329251002224513
Belal A Al-Husein, Mohammad A Bani-Ahmad, Rand M Nofal, Mohammad A Y Alqudah
Introduction: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome. Imatinib is considered the standard therapy for CML due to its targeted action against the BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase. However, resistance to imatinib often emerges, particularly in the advanced stages of CML. One factor associated with imatinib resistance is the overexpression of survivin (baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5, BIRC5). YM155 is an innovative survivin inhibitor that suppresses survivin expression and triggers apoptosis. Combination therapy is a strategy used to enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment and overcome resistance.
Methods: Our study explored the in vitro anticancer effects of YM155 as monotherapy and as a combination therapy with imatinib on imatinib-sensitive (K-562) and imatinib-resistant (K562-r) BCR::ABL1+ CML cell lines.
Results: Survivin inhibition significantly reduced pro-liferation in both K-562 and K562-r cells. Combination therapy with YM155 and imatinib produced a synergistic effect. In K562-r cells (imatinib IC50 = 6 μM), the combination reduced the IC50 by 6.2-fold. In K-562 cells, the IC50 decreased by 16.3-fold. Both monotherapy and combination therapy markedly increased apoptosis, with combination therapy inducing significantly greater apoptosis. The combination also downregulated survivin and BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase expression and significantly reduced BCR::ABL1 mRNA levels.
Conclusion: YM155 enhances imatinib's efficacy against both sensitive and resistant CML cells, overcoming resistance through synergistic inhibition of proliferation, increased apoptosis, and suppression of survivin and BCR::ABL1 expression. These results support further investigation of YM155-Imatinib combination therapy as a potential strategy for resistant CML.
{"title":"YM155 Restores the Effect of Imatinib in Imatinib-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines.","authors":"Belal A Al-Husein, Mohammad A Bani-Ahmad, Rand M Nofal, Mohammad A Y Alqudah","doi":"10.2174/0115680096402329251002224513","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096402329251002224513","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome. Imatinib is considered the standard therapy for CML due to its targeted action against the BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase. However, resistance to imatinib often emerges, particularly in the advanced stages of CML. One factor associated with imatinib resistance is the overexpression of survivin (baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5, BIRC5). YM155 is an innovative survivin inhibitor that suppresses survivin expression and triggers apoptosis. Combination therapy is a strategy used to enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment and overcome resistance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our study explored the in vitro anticancer effects of YM155 as monotherapy and as a combination therapy with imatinib on imatinib-sensitive (K-562) and imatinib-resistant (K562-r) BCR::ABL1+ CML cell lines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Survivin inhibition significantly reduced pro-liferation in both K-562 and K562-r cells. Combination therapy with YM155 and imatinib produced a synergistic effect. In K562-r cells (imatinib IC50 = 6 μM), the combination reduced the IC50 by 6.2-fold. In K-562 cells, the IC50 decreased by 16.3-fold. Both monotherapy and combination therapy markedly increased apoptosis, with combination therapy inducing significantly greater apoptosis. The combination also downregulated survivin and BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase expression and significantly reduced BCR::ABL1 mRNA levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>YM155 enhances imatinib's efficacy against both sensitive and resistant CML cells, overcoming resistance through synergistic inhibition of proliferation, increased apoptosis, and suppression of survivin and BCR::ABL1 expression. These results support further investigation of YM155-Imatinib combination therapy as a potential strategy for resistant CML.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145376327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-17DOI: 10.2174/0115680096397391251003112744
Syed Ali Raza Shah, Sumra Wajid Abbasi, Rida Fatima Saeed, Sumaira Sharif, Iffat Nayila
Introduction: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the major source of attraction for researchers as they significantly contribute to an individual's susceptibility to various diseases, as well as provide an insight into new diseases associated with a particular gene.
Methods: In this study, the data were retrieved from dbSNP till July 2021. DbSNP showed 103738 total SNPs in the human ERG gene, and out of them, 377 missense SNPs were selected for analysis. Twenty-six missense SNPs were found to be deleterious in all five SNP tools (SIFT, PolyPhen-2, Condel, PHD-SNP, SNPs&GO). These 26 SNPs were further checked for protein stability by iStable, I-Mutant, and MuPro. Collectively, 23 SNPs showed to decrease the protein stability. A comparison of the 3D structures of the wild type (predicted by trRosetta) and the mutated type was visualized using the Chimera tool.
Results: Post-translational modifications identified T180, R302, S356, and Y452 as clinically significant sites, as they were involved in phosphorylation and methylation.
Discussion: In this study, in silico SNP analysis was performed on the human ERG gene. ERG's involvement in various types of diseases, as well as cancer, has made it a source of interest. It is an oncogene that is not only involved in the germ line differentiation of hemo-poietic stem cells, but is also involved in cell proliferation, embryonic development, angiogenesis, inflammation, and apoptosis.
Conclusion: This study has provided detailed information on missense SNPs of the ERG gene. This work can be significant in the detection of genetic diseases and drug discovery, as it has shown involvement of the ERG gene.
{"title":"In silico SNP Analysis and 3D Structure Prediction of Human ERG Proto-Oncogene.","authors":"Syed Ali Raza Shah, Sumra Wajid Abbasi, Rida Fatima Saeed, Sumaira Sharif, Iffat Nayila","doi":"10.2174/0115680096397391251003112744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115680096397391251003112744","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the major source of attraction for researchers as they significantly contribute to an individual's susceptibility to various diseases, as well as provide an insight into new diseases associated with a particular gene.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, the data were retrieved from dbSNP till July 2021. DbSNP showed 103738 total SNPs in the human ERG gene, and out of them, 377 missense SNPs were selected for analysis. Twenty-six missense SNPs were found to be deleterious in all five SNP tools (SIFT, PolyPhen-2, Condel, PHD-SNP, SNPs&GO). These 26 SNPs were further checked for protein stability by iStable, I-Mutant, and MuPro. Collectively, 23 SNPs showed to decrease the protein stability. A comparison of the 3D structures of the wild type (predicted by trRosetta) and the mutated type was visualized using the Chimera tool.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Post-translational modifications identified T180, R302, S356, and Y452 as clinically significant sites, as they were involved in phosphorylation and methylation.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>In this study, in silico SNP analysis was performed on the human ERG gene. ERG's involvement in various types of diseases, as well as cancer, has made it a source of interest. It is an oncogene that is not only involved in the germ line differentiation of hemo-poietic stem cells, but is also involved in cell proliferation, embryonic development, angiogenesis, inflammation, and apoptosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study has provided detailed information on missense SNPs of the ERG gene. This work can be significant in the detection of genetic diseases and drug discovery, as it has shown involvement of the ERG gene.</p>","PeriodicalId":10816,"journal":{"name":"Current cancer drug targets","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145343753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}