International review of cell and molecular biology最新文献

Emerging research highlights the profound interplay between the microbiome and cancer, offering novel avenues for therapeutic interventions. This review explores the burgeoning field of microbiome-targeted therapies in oncology, focusing on how microbial communities influence cancer development, progression, and response to treatment. The microbiome's role in modulating immune responses, drug metabolism, and tumor microenvironment is examined, revealing its potential to both inhibit and promote tumorigenesis. We discuss current strategies that leverage microbiome modulation, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, to enhance the efficacy of conventional cancer therapies and mitigate side effects. Additionally, the review addresses the challenges and future directions in integrating microbiome-based approaches into clinical practice. By elucidating the mechanisms through which the microbiome affects cancer and therapy outcomes, this work aims to pave the way for innovative, personalized treatment strategies that harness the power of microbial communities to improve cancer care.

With the rising global cancer burden, the dependency on chemotherapy also rises along with the complication of chemoresistance development. Studies on multi-drug resistant proteins provide a wide range of regulators, although the exact mechanism is not yet clearly understood. Epigenetic modifications play a vital role in the regulation of cellular processes and also in determining the efficacy of cancer therapy by modulating resistance development and tumor progression. Of the various epigenetic modifications, histone acetylation/deacetylation and DNA methylation are currently given more focus in evaluating their role in resistance development to doxorubicin. This chapter highlights the various studies conducted on the regulation of doxorubicin (dox) resistance based on these epigenetic modifications and the clinical trials conducted in evaluating its effectiveness as a potential combinational therapy.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the introduction of numerous drugs to cure this deadly disease, treatment outcomes differ significantly among patients. This differential response has drawn attention to individual patient characteristics, particularly the microbiome. In recent years, the microbiome has garnered significant interest from scientists in various fields including autoimmune, inflammatory, and cancer research. These studies have primarily focused on the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome, pointing out its fundamental effect on the development and progression of diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and lung cancer. Recent findings have also highlighted the impact of the gut microbiome on the efficacy of immunotherapy in lung cancer patients. In this chapter, we will delve into the multifaceted role of microbiome in lung cancer prevention, progression, and treatment outcome.

The gut microbiota is increasingly being recognized as a key player in the onset and progression of several human diseases, including malignancies. Recent research has shed light on the complex relationships between the gut microbiome and the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Gaining a thorough understanding of how the gut microbiota influences immune responses during cancer treatments is critical for medical advancements. This review aims to delve into the intricate interactions between gut microbiota, the systemic immune system, and cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, as the gut microbiota can contribute to immune-related adverse effects, we explored possible interventions to alleviate these side effects and reviewed microbiota-targeted strategies that could enhance the success of cancer immunotherapies.

Trillions of microorganisms inhabit the human body, playing crucial roles in the development of the immune system, maintaining balance within the gut's immune system, and overall well-being. When these microbial communities experience imbalance, known as dysbiosis, it can lead to localized inflammatory conditions such as colitis and inflammatory bowel diseases, as well as systemic autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Gut microbes engage with the immune system through various means, including influencing host microRNAs to regulate gene expression and generating metabolites that interact with cellular receptors such as TLRs and GPCRs. These interactions impact critical immune processes like the differentiation of lymphocytes, the production of interleukins, and the maintenance of gut barrier function. Looking into, how gut microbes contribute to or defend against systemic autoimmune diseases is crucial for developing strategies to manage or prevent these conditions. These approaches may include dietary or lifestyle modifications, microbiome-targeted therapies such as prebiotics or probiotics, the identification of diagnostic biomarkers for predicting disease risk, and monitoring and intervening in shifts in microbial populations during autoimmune flare-ups. Recognizing the microbiome's significance in systemic autoimmune diseases offers promise for transforming these presently challenging-to-treat conditions into more controllable or preventable ones.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as a pivotal tool that enables molecular interrogation of patient tumor cells and association with clinical outcomes. In prostate cancer specifically, where tumor biopsies from patients with bone metastasis are extremely challenging, CTCs offer a viable and established source of tumor "biopsy". While the prognostic value of CTC enumeration in metastatic prostate cancer is established, there is a compelling need for molecular CTC characterization for effective patient stratification and disease management. The clinical utility of CTCs has been advanced by the evolution of enrichment technologies and their molecular characterization. Enrichment technologies have evolved from strictly EpCAM-based enrichment to antigen-agnostic enrichment, while their clinical utility has evolved from enumeration to advanced downstream analyses including CTC proteomics, transcriptomics and genomics. This chapter offers a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in CTC enrichment and analytical technologies while highlighting pivotal clinical studies in prostate cancer, that utilize CTCs to determine the molecular basis of clinical response and resistance, to assist in disease management and treatment customization.

Pregnancy represents a unique physiological process characterized by a delicate balance between immune tolerance and immune surveillance. Gamma delta (γδ) T cells, serving as a bridge between adaptive and innate immunity, play crucial roles in the maintenance and progression of pregnancy. Alteration in the proportion, subset and function of γδT cells can contribute to miscarriage. This review provides an insightful overview of the physiological roles of γδT cells during normal pregnancy, alongside their pathological implications in miscarriage. Additionally, we explore potential research avenues leveraging γδT cells as potential therapeutic targets for miscarriage. By shedding light on the pivotal roles of γδT cells in pregnancy, this comprehensive review underscores their significance and advocates for innovative approaches to miscarriage treatment.

The critical role of a subset of Human Papillomavirus in cervical cancer has been widely acknowledged and studied. Despite progress in our understanding of the viral molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, knowledge of how infection with HPV oncogenic variants progresses from latent infection to incurable cancer has not been completely elucidated. In this paper we reviewed the relationship between HPV infection and epigenetic mechanisms such as histone acetylation and deacetylation, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs associated with this infection and the carcinogenic process.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. The evolving role of epigenetics and tumor microenvironments of cancer pose significant challenges to the management of cancer. Besides genetics, epigenetic changes play a crucial role in the alteration of cellular machinery, progression, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and chemoresistance. Epigenetic changes such as DNA and RNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin modeling directly or indirectly influence the different stages of cancer from initiation to chemoresistant phenotype. In addition, alterations in the epigenetic machinery, such as hypo- or hyperactivation of proteins involved in epigenetic modifications, can lead to different health complications, including cancer. Recently, epi-drugs or epigenetic drugs offer emerging hope for the treatment and management of this deadly disease. Various epigenetic drugs targeting factors responsible for epigenetic modifications in cancer are currently under clinical trials. This chapter provides an overview of epigenetic modifications, their clinical implications, and the potential of epigenetic drugs for cancer treatment.