Oncology

Review Oncology

Mechanisms regulating PD-L1 expression in cancers and associated opportunities for novel small-molecule therapeutics

Hirohito Yamaguchi, Jung-Mao Hsu, Wen-Hao Yang, Mien-Chie Hung

Summary: Antibodies targeting PD-1 or its ligand PD-L1 have greatly impacted cancer therapy by improving patient survival. Strategies to overcome resistance and understanding the underlying mechanisms of PD-L1 upregulation in malignancies are important. Small-molecule inhibitors show potential for targeting oncogenic pathways and modulating PD-L1 expression in cancer therapy.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

Natural killer cells in antitumour adoptive cell immunotherapy

Tamara J. Laskowski, Alexander Biederstaedt, Katayoun Rezvani

Summary: This review provides an overview of NK cell-based immunotherapies, discussing strategies to increase NK cell cytotoxicity and persistence and highlighting the current challenges and future opportunities for the design of next-generation NK cell therapies.

NATURE REVIEWS CANCER (2022)

Review Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Wnt signaling in colorectal cancer: pathogenic role and therapeutic target

Hui Zhao, Tianqi Ming, Shun Tang, Shan Ren, Han Yang, Maolun Liu, Qiu Tao, Haibo Xu

Summary: The Wnt signaling pathway is a complex network involved in embryonic development and cancer, as well as normal physiological processes. It plays a crucial role in cell differentiation and the progression of colorectal cancer.

MOLECULAR CANCER (2022)

Article Oncology

Pembrolizumab in Patients With Microsatellite Instability-High Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Results From the KEYNOTE-158 Study

David M. O'Malley, Giovanni Mendonca Bariani, Philippe A. Cassier, Aurelien Marabelle, Aaron R. Hansen, Ana De Jesus Acosta, Wilson H. Miller, Tamar Safra, Antoine Italiano, Linda Mileshkin, Lei Xu, Fan Jin, Kevin Norwood, Michele Maio

Summary: Pembrolizumab demonstrated durable antitumor activity and encouraging survival outcomes in previously treated patients with MSI-H/dMMR endometrial cancer.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

Targeting drugs to tumours using cell membrane-coated nanoparticles

Ronnie H. Fang, Weiwei Gao, Liangfang Zhang

Summary: Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs) are emerging nanocarriers that have the potential to improve cancer therapy by overcoming limitations of traditional nanoparticles. CNPs, consisting of a synthetic nanoparticulate core surrounded by a layer of naturally derived cell membranes, offer improved biocompatibility, immune evasion, and tumor targeting. They have been used for drug delivery, phototherapy, and immunotherapy.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2023)

Review Oncology

COVID-19 vaccines in patients with cancer: immunogenicity, efficacy and safety

Annika Fendler, Elisabeth G. E. de Vries, Corine H. GeurtsvanKessel, John B. Haanen, Bernhard Wormann, Samra Turajlic, Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal

Summary: The efficacy and immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in cancer patients are uncertain due to their exclusion from pivotal clinical trials. In this Review, the current knowledge on vaccine efficacy and immune responses in cancer patients is summarized, highlighting key factors that may affect vaccine efficacy in this population.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

CAR race to cancer immunotherapy: from CAR T, CAR NK to CAR macrophage therapy

Kevin Pan, Hizra Farrukh, Veera Chandra Sekhar Reddy Chittepu, Huihong Xu, Chong-xian Pan, Zheng Zhu

Summary: CAR immunotherapy has achieved significant progress in hematological malignancies, but faces challenges in solid tumors. CAR NK cells and CAR macrophages have advantages and limitations. Developing CAR macrophages could be a strategy to overcome hurdles associated with CAR therapy in solid tumors.

JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH (2022)

Article Oncology

Curcumin and colorectal cancer: An update and current perspective on this natural medicine

Wenhao Weng, Ajay Goel

Summary: Colorectal cancer is a common malignancy and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Various factors within the tumor microenvironment, such as gut microbial imbalance, impaired intestinal barrier function, and chronic inflammation, play a significant role in its pathogenesis. Curcumin, a natural medicine derived from Curcuma longa, has shown multiple anti-cancer activities and has potential as a cancer preventative and adjunct therapy for colorectal cancer.

SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Safety and antitumor activity of dostarlimab in patients with advanced or recurrent DNA mismatch repair deficient/microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) or proficient/stable (MMRp/MSS) endometrial cancer: interim results from GARNET - a phase I, single-arm study

Ana Oaknin, Lucy Gilbert, Anna Tinker, Jubilee Brown, Cara Mathews, Joshua Press, Renaud Sabatier, David M. O'Malley, Vanessa Samouelian, Valentina Boni, Linda Duska, Sharad Ghamande, Prafull Ghatage, Rebecca Kristeleit, Charles Leath, Wei Guo, Ellie Im, Sybil Zildjian, Xinwei Han, Tao Duan, Jennifer Veneris, Bhavana Pothuri

Summary: Dostarlimab demonstrated durable antitumor activity in patients with endometrial cancer, with a manageable safety profile.

JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER (2022)

Review Oncology

Necroptosis and tumor progression

Jiong Yan, Peixing Wan, Swati Choksi, Zheng-Gang Liu

Summary: Necroptosis, a form of programmed necrotic cell death, plays a crucial role in host defense and inflammatory diseases, and has emerged as an important factor in tumorigenesis and metastasis, suggesting its potential as a novel cancer therapy target.

TRENDS IN CANCER (2022)

Article Oncology

Radiotherapy combined with nivolumab or temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma with unmethylated MGMT promoter: An international randomized phase III trial

Antonio Omuro, Alba A. Brandes, Antoine F. Carpentier, Ahmed Idbaih, David A. Reardon, Timothy Cloughesy, Ashley Sumrall, Joachim Baehring, Martin van den Bent, Oliver Bahr, Giuseppe Lombardi, Paul Mulholland, Ghazaleh Tabatabai, Ulrik Lassen, Juan Manuel Sepulveda, Mustafa Khasraw, Elodie Vauleon, Yoshihiro Muragaki, Anna Maria Di Giacomo, Nicholas Butowski, Patrick Roth, Xiaozhong Qian, Alex Z. Fu, Yanfang Liu, Von Potter, Alexandros-Georgios Chalamandaris, Kay Tatsuoka, Michael Lim, Michael Weller

Summary: This study showed that TMZ + RT had better efficacy than NIVO + RT in newly diagnosed GBM patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter. However, no new safety signals were detected with NIVO in this study.

NEURO-ONCOLOGY (2023)

Article Oncology

Mesothelial cell-derived antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts induce expansion of regulatory T cells in pancreatic cancer

Huocong Huang, Zhaoning Wang, Yuqing Zhang, Rachana N. Pradhan, Debolina Ganguly, Raghav Chandra, Gilbert Murimwa, Steven Wright, Xiaowu Gu, Ravikanth Maddipati, Soren Mueller, Shannon J. Turley, Rolf A. Brekken

Summary: Recent studies have identified a unique population of cancer-associated fibroblasts (apCAFs) derived from mesothelial cells, which play a critical role in pancreatic cancer progression. These apCAFs directly induce naive CD4(+) T cells to differentiate into regulatory T cells (Tregs) in an antigen-specific manner.

CANCER CELL (2022)

Article Oncology

Management of Immunotherapy-Related Toxicities, Version 1.2022

John A. Thompson, Bryan J. Schneider, Julie Brahmer, Amaka Achufusi, Philippe Armand, Meghan K. Berkenstock, Shailender Bhatia, Lihua E. Budde, Saurin Chokshi, Marianne Davies, Amro Elshoury, Yaron Gesthalter, Aparna Hegde, Michael Jain, Benjamin H. Kaffenberger, Melissa G. Lechner, Tianhong Li, Alissa Marr, Suzanne McGettigan, Jordan McPherson, Theresa Medina, Nisha A. Mohindra, Anthony J. Olszanski, Olalekan Oluwole, Sandip P. Patel, Pradnya Patil, Sunil Reddy, Mabel Ryder, Bianca Santomasso, Scott Shofer, Jeffrey A. Sosman, Yinghong Wang, Vlad G. Zaha, Megan Lyons, Mary Dwyer, Lisa Hang

Summary: The NCCN Guidelines for Management of Immunotherapy-Related Toxicities aim to provide guidance on managing adverse events resulting from cancer immunotherapy. The guidelines are developed by an interdisciplinary panel of experts from various fields. This article presents excerpts and reviews of recommendations for managing toxicities related to CAR T-cell therapies.

JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK (2022)

Review Oncology

B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures as determinants of tumour immune contexture and clinical outcome

Wolf H. Fridman, Maxime Meylan, Florent Petitprez, Cheng-Ming Sun, Antoine Italiano, Catherine Sautes-Fridman

Summary: B cells play a critical role in the tumor microenvironment, particularly within tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). The presence of mature TLS, high density of B cells and plasma cells, and antibodies targeting tumor-associated antigens are associated with favorable clinical outcomes and response to immunotherapy. However, polyclonal B cell activation can lead to pro-inflammatory responses. Novel therapeutic approaches are being explored to enhance the development of TLS and anti-tumor B cells for cancer therapy.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Tiragolumab plus atezolizumab versus placebo plus atezolizumab as a first-line treatment for PD-L1-selected non-small-cell lung cancer (CITYSCAPE): primary and follow-up analyses of a randomised, double-blind, phase 2 study

Byoung Chul Cho, Delvys Rodriguez Abreu, Maen Hussein, Manuel Cobo, Anjan J. Patel, Nevena Secen, Ki Hyeong Lee, Bartomeu Massuti, Sandrine Hiret, James Chih Hsin Yang, Fabrice Barlesi, Dae Ho Lee, Luis Paz Ares, Robert W. Hsieh, Namrata S. Patil, Patrick Twomey, Xiaoying Yang, Raymond Meng, Melissa L. Johnson

Summary: The combination of tiragolumab and atezolizumab showed promising efficacy and safety as first-line treatment for NSCLC, with improved objective response rate and progression-free survival compared to placebo plus atezolizumab.

LANCET ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

CBTRUS Statistical Report: Primary Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in the United States in 2015-2019

Quinn T. Ostrom, Mackenzie Price, Corey Neff, Gino Cioffi, Kristin A. Waite, Carol Kruchko, Jill S. Barnholtz-Sloan

Summary: The report provides the latest data on primary brain tumors in the United States, including incidence rates, mortality rates, and relative survival rates. The overall incidence rate is higher in females and non-Hispanic population, and glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor, while meningioma is the most common non-malignant brain tumor. The relative survival rate is lower for malignant brain tumors and higher for non-malignant brain tumors.

NEURO-ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel, an Anti-B-cell Maturation Antigen Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: CARTITUDE-1 2-Year Follow-Up

Thomas Martin, Saad Z. Usmani, Jesus G. Berdeja, Mounzer Agha, Adam D. Cohen, Parameswaran Hari, David Avigan, Abhinav Deol, Myo Htut, Alexander Lesokhin, Nikhil C. Munshi, Elizabeth O'Donnell, A. Keith Stewart, Jordan M. Schecter, Jenna D. Goldberg, Carolyn C. Jackson, Tzu-Min Yeh, Arnob Banerjee, Alicia Allred, Enrique Zudaire, William Deraedt, Yunsi Olyslager, Changwei Zhou, Lida Pacaud, Deepu Madduri, Andrzej Jakubowiak, Yi Lin, Sundar Jagannath

Summary: PURPOSECARTITUDE-1, a phase Ib/II study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel in heavily treated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The study showed early, deep, and durable responses at 12 months, with updated results at 2 years. Patients received a single infusion of Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel and responses were assessed.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2023)

Review Oncology

Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 signals in cancer cells

Anand V. R. Kornepati, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, TylerJ Curie

Summary: The understanding of cancer cell-intrinsic PDL1 signals has expanded our knowledge of tumor growth, treatment resistance, and potential biomarkers, providing new opportunities for drug discovery and treatment response evaluation.

NATURE REVIEWS CANCER (2022)

Review Oncology

The manipulation of apoptosis for cancer therapy using BH3-mimetic drugs

Sarah T. Diepstraten, Mary Ann Anderson, Peter E. Czabotar, Guillaume Lessene, Andreas Strasser, Gemma L. Kelly

Summary: Apoptosis is a programmed cell death regulated by BCL-2 family proteins. BH3-mimetic drugs have been developed to target prosurvival proteins in cancer cells. These drugs are designed to induce apoptosis and have shown efficacy in certain cancers but faces challenges like resistance and toxic effects.

NATURE REVIEWS CANCER (2022)

Review Oncology

Cancer vaccines: the next immunotherapy frontier

Matthew J. Lin, Judit Svensson-Arvelund, Gabrielle S. Lubitz, Aurelien Marabelle, Ignacio Melero, Brian D. Brown, Joshua D. Brody

Summary: The article discusses the current status and potential of cancer vaccines, emphasizing the need for accurate immune monitoring of early trials to advance the most promising vaccines. It also classifies cancer vaccines based on the included antigens and their colocalization with antigen-presenting cells, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in advancing these vaccines to the clinic.

NATURE CANCER (2022)