19 pages, 9656 KiB  
Review
Utility of the Diffusion Weighted Sequence in Gynecological Imaging: Review Article
by Apurva Bonde, Eduardo Andreazza Dal Lago, Bryan Foster, Sanaz Javadi, Sarah Palmquist and Priya Bhosale
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4468; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184468 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4548
Abstract
Functional imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a complementary tool to conventional diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging sequences. It is being increasingly investigated to predict tumor response and assess tumor recurrence. We elucidate the specific technical modifications of DWI preferred for gynecological imaging, including [...] Read more.
Functional imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a complementary tool to conventional diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging sequences. It is being increasingly investigated to predict tumor response and assess tumor recurrence. We elucidate the specific technical modifications of DWI preferred for gynecological imaging, including the different b-values and planes for image acquisition. Additionally, we discuss the problems and potential pitfalls encountered during DWI interpretation and ways to overcome them. DWI has a wide range of clinical applications in malignant and non-malignant gynecological conditions. It provides supplemental information helpful in diagnosing and managing tubo-ovarian abscess, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, adnexal torsion, and dermoid. Similarly, DWI has diverse applications in gynecological oncology in diagnosis, staging, detection of recurrent disease, and tumor response assessment. Quantitative evaluation with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement is being increasingly evaluated for correlation with various tumor parameters in managing gynecological malignancies aiding in preoperative treatment planning. Newer advanced DWI techniques of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and whole body DWI with background suppression (DWIBS) and their potential uses in pelvic nerve mapping, preoperative planning, and fertility-preserving surgeries are briefly discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gynecologic Cancers: Imaging Updates and Advances)
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21 pages, 14497 KiB  
Article
Inhibition of KRAS, MEK and PI3K Demonstrate Synergistic Anti-Tumor Effects in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines
by Yixuan Ma, Benjamin Schulz, Nares Trakooljul, Moosheer Al Ammar, Anett Sekora, Sina Sender, Frieder Hadlich, Dietmar Zechner, Frank Ulrich Weiss, Markus M. Lerch, Robert Jaster, Christian Junghanss and Hugo Murua Escobar
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4467; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184467 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4054
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutations are widespread in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and contribute significantly to tumor initiation, progression, tumor relapse/resistance, and prognosis of patients. Although inhibitors against KRAS mutations have been developed, this therapeutic approach is not routinely used [...] Read more.
Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutations are widespread in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and contribute significantly to tumor initiation, progression, tumor relapse/resistance, and prognosis of patients. Although inhibitors against KRAS mutations have been developed, this therapeutic approach is not routinely used in PDAC patients. We investigated the anti-tumor efficacy of two KRAS inhibitors BI-3406 (KRAS::SOS1 inhibitor) and sotorasib (KRAS G12C inhibitor) alone or in combination with MEK1/2 inhibitor trametinib and/or PI3K inhibitor buparlisib in seven PDAC cell lines. Whole transcriptomic analysis of combined inhibition and control groups were comparatively analyzed to explore the corresponding mechanisms of inhibitor combination. Both KRAS inhibitors and corresponding combinations exhibited cytotoxicity against specific PDAC cell lines. BI-3406 enhance the efficacy of trametinib and buparlisib in BXPC-3, ASPC-1 and MIA PACA-2, but not in CAPAN-1, while sotorasib enhances the efficacy of trametinib and buparlisib only in MIA PACA-2. The whole transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that the two triple-inhibitor combinations exert antitumor effects by affecting related cell functions, such as affecting the immune system, cell adhesion, cell migration, and cytokine binding. As well as directly involved in RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and PI3K/AKT pathway affect cell survival. Our current study confirmed inhibition of KRAS and its downstream pathways as a potential novel therapy for PDAC and provides fundamental data for in vivo evaluations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Genetics of Pancreatic Cancer and Translational Challenges)
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17 pages, 8776 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Structural Variations of Early-Stage Mycosis Fungoides—CD3 Based Purification and Third Generation Sequencing as Novel Tools for the Genomic Landscape in CTCL
by Carsten Hain, Rudolf Stadler and Jörn Kalinowski
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4466; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184466 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2867
Abstract
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). At present, knowledge of genetic changes in early-stage MF is insufficient. Additionally, low tumor cell fraction renders calling of copy-number variations as the predominant mutations in MF challenging, thereby impeding further investigations. [...] Read more.
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). At present, knowledge of genetic changes in early-stage MF is insufficient. Additionally, low tumor cell fraction renders calling of copy-number variations as the predominant mutations in MF challenging, thereby impeding further investigations. We show that enrichment of T cells from a biopsy of a stage I MF patient greatly increases tumor fraction. This improvement enables accurate calling of recurrent MF copy-number variants such as ARID1A and CDKN2A deletion and STAT5 amplification, undetected in the unprocessed biopsy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that application of long-read nanopore sequencing is especially useful for the structural variant rich CTCL. We detect the structural variants underlying recurrent MF copy-number variants and show phasing of multiple breakpoints into complex structural variant haplotypes. Additionally, we record multiple occurrences of templated insertion structural variants in this sample. Taken together, this study suggests a workflow to make the early stages of MF accessible for genetic analysis, and indicates long-read sequencing as a major tool for genetic analysis for MF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Methods and Technologies Development)
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17 pages, 849 KiB  
Review
Molecular Characterizations of Gynecologic Carcinosarcomas: A Focus on the Immune Microenvironment
by Sanaa Nakad Borrego, Ernst Lengyel and Katherine C. Kurnit
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4465; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184465 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3321
Abstract
Gynecologic carcinosarcomas, specifically of endometrial and ovarian origin, are aggressive and rare tumors. Treatment data are limited and are often extrapolated from other histologies and smaller retrospective studies. While the optimal therapy approach remains contentious, treatment is often multimodal and may include surgery, [...] Read more.
Gynecologic carcinosarcomas, specifically of endometrial and ovarian origin, are aggressive and rare tumors. Treatment data are limited and are often extrapolated from other histologies and smaller retrospective studies. While the optimal therapy approach remains contentious, treatment is often multimodal and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of multiple strategies. However, despite aggressive treatment, these tumors fare worse than carcinomas of the same anatomic sites irrespective of their stage. Recent studies have described in-depth molecular characterizations of gynecologic carcinosarcomas. Although many molecular features mirror those seen in other uterine and ovarian epithelial tumors, the high prevalence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition is more unique. Recently, molecular descriptions have expanded to begin to characterize the tumor immune microenvironment. While the importance of the immune microenvironment has been well-established for other tumor types, it has been less systematically explored in gynecologic carcinosarcomas. Furthermore, the use of immunotherapy in patients with gynecologic carcinosarcomas has not been extensively evaluated. In this review, we summarize the available data surrounding gynecologic carcinosarcomas, with a focus on the immune microenvironment. We end with a discussion of potential immunotherapy uses and future directions for the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immune Microenviroment in Gynecologic Malignancies)
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17 pages, 1607 KiB  
Article
Immune Profiling Uncovers Memory T-Cell Responses with a Th17 Signature in Cancer Patients with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection Followed by mRNA Vaccination
by Miriam Echaide, Ibone Labiano, Marina Delgado, Angela Fernández de Lascoiti, Patricia Ochoa, Maider Garnica, Pablo Ramos, Luisa Chocarro, Leticia Fernández, Hugo Arasanz, Ana Bocanegra, Ester Blanco, Sergio Piñeiro-Hermida, Pilar Morente, Ruth Vera, Maria Alsina, David Escors and Grazyna Kochan
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4464; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184464 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5203
Abstract
It is unclear whether patients with cancer present inherently impaired responses to COVID-19 and vaccination due to their treatments, neoplastic diseases or both. To address this question, immune profiling was performed in three cohorts of healthy donors and oncologic patients: infected with SARS-CoV-2, [...] Read more.
It is unclear whether patients with cancer present inherently impaired responses to COVID-19 and vaccination due to their treatments, neoplastic diseases or both. To address this question, immune profiling was performed in three cohorts of healthy donors and oncologic patients: infected with SARS-CoV-2, BNT162b2-vaccinated, and with previous COVID-19 disease and subsequently vaccinated. Cancer patients showed good antibody responses to vaccination, but poor induction of T-cell responses towards the S protein when compared to infection. Following natural infection, the major targets for T-cells were the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins M and S, but not the N protein. Similar to antibody titers, the T-cell responses quickly decayed after six months post-vaccination. Significant memory T-cell expansion was observed in vaccinated donors only if previously diagnosed with COVID-19 before undergoing vaccination. Oncologic patients with previous COVID-19 followed by vaccination exhibited potent IL-17+ CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses and elevated numbers of circulating neutrophils in peripheral blood. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Mechanism of Immunotherapy in Cancers)
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18 pages, 5293 KiB  
Article
Anti-PTK7 Monoclonal Antibodies Inhibit Angiogenesis by Suppressing PTK7 Function
by Si Won Oh, Won-Sik Shin and Seung-Taek Lee
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4463; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184463 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3019
Abstract
PTK7, a catalytically defective receptor protein tyrosine kinase, promotes angiogenesis by activating KDR through direct interaction and induction of KDR oligomerization. This study developed anti-PTK7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to regulate angiogenesis by inhibiting PTK7 function. The effect of anti-PTK7 mAbs on vascular endothelial [...] Read more.
PTK7, a catalytically defective receptor protein tyrosine kinase, promotes angiogenesis by activating KDR through direct interaction and induction of KDR oligomerization. This study developed anti-PTK7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to regulate angiogenesis by inhibiting PTK7 function. The effect of anti-PTK7 mAbs on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenic phenotypes in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) was examined. Analysis of mAb binding with PTK7 deletion mutants revealed that mAb-43 and mAb-52 recognize immunoglobulin (Ig) domain 2 of PTK7, whereas mAb-32 and mAb-50 recognize Ig domains 6–7. Anti-PTK7 mAbs inhibited VEGF-induced adhesion and wound healing in HUVECs. mAb-32, mAb-43, and mAb-52 dose-dependently mitigated VEGF-induced migration and invasion in HUVECs without exerting cytotoxic effects. Additionally, mAb-32, mAb-43, and mAb-52 inhibited capillary-like tube formation in HUVECs, and mAb-32 and mAb-43 suppressed angiogenesis ex vivo (aortic ring assay) and in vivo (Matrigel plug assay). Furthermore, mAb-32 and mAb-43 downregulated VEGF-induced KDR activation and downstream signaling and inhibited PTK7–KDR interaction in PTK7-overexpressing and KDR-overexpressing HEK293 cells. Thus, anti-PTK7 mAbs inhibit angiogenic phenotypes by blocking PTK7–KDR interaction. These findings indicate that anti-PTK7 mAbs that neutralize PTK7 function can alleviate impaired angiogenesis-associated pathological conditions, such as cancer metastasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tumor Angiogenesis)
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31 pages, 3221 KiB  
Review
Overview of Nanoparticle-Based Approaches for the Combination of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Chemotherapy at the Preclinical Stage
by Luca Menilli, Celeste Milani, Elena Reddi and Francesca Moret
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4462; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184462 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4224
Abstract
The widespread diffusion of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a clinical treatment for solid tumors is mainly limited by the patient’s adverse reaction (skin photosensivity), insufficient light penetration in deeply seated neoplastic lesions, unfavorable photosensitizers (PSs) biodistribution, and photokilling efficiency due to PS aggregation [...] Read more.
The widespread diffusion of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a clinical treatment for solid tumors is mainly limited by the patient’s adverse reaction (skin photosensivity), insufficient light penetration in deeply seated neoplastic lesions, unfavorable photosensitizers (PSs) biodistribution, and photokilling efficiency due to PS aggregation in biological environments. Despite this, recent preclinical studies reported on successful combinatorial regimes of PSs with chemotherapeutics obtained through the drugs encapsulation in multifunctional nanometric delivery systems. The aim of the present review deals with the punctual description of several nanosystems designed not only with the objective of co-transporting a PS and a chemodrug for combination therapy, but also with the goal of improving the therapeutic efficacy by facing the main critical issues of both therapies (side effects, scarce tumor oxygenation and light penetration, premature drug clearance, unspecific biodistribution, etc.). Therefore, particular attention is paid to the description of bio-responsive drugs and nanoparticles (NPs), targeted nanosystems, biomimetic approaches, and upconverting NPs, including analyzing the therapeutic efficacy of the proposed photo-chemotherapeutic regimens in in vitro and in vivo cancer models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticle-Based Combination Therapy and Diagnosis for Cancer)
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18 pages, 2996 KiB  
Article
Radiomics Nomogram: Prediction of 2-Year Disease-Free Survival in Young Age Breast Cancer
by Jeongmin Lee, Sung Hun Kim, Yelin Kim, Jaewoo Park, Ga Eun Park and Bong Joo Kang
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4461; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184461 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2453
Abstract
This study aimed to predict early breast cancer recurrence in women under 40 years of age using radiomics signature and clinicopathological information. We retrospectively investigated 155 patients under 40 years of age with invasive breast cancer who underwent MRI and surgery. Through stratified [...] Read more.
This study aimed to predict early breast cancer recurrence in women under 40 years of age using radiomics signature and clinicopathological information. We retrospectively investigated 155 patients under 40 years of age with invasive breast cancer who underwent MRI and surgery. Through stratified random sampling, 111 patients were assigned as the training set, and 44 were assigned as the validation set. Recurrence-associated factors were investigated based on recurrence within 5 years during the total follow-up period. A Rad-score was generated through texture analysis (3D slicer, ver. 4.8.0) of breast MRI using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression model. The Rad-score showed a significant association with disease-free survival (DFS) in the training set (p = 0.003) and validation set (p = 0.020) in the Kaplan–Meier analysis. The nomogram was generated through Cox proportional hazards models, and its predictive ability was validated. The nomogram included the Rad-score and estrogen receptor negativity as predictive factors and showed fair DFS predictive ability in both the training and validation sets (C-index 0.63, 95% CI 0.45–0.79). In conclusion, the Rad-score can predict the disease recurrence of invasive breast cancer in women under 40 years of age, and the Rad-score-based nomogram showed reasonably high DFS predictive ability, especially within 2 years of surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Biomarkers)
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25 pages, 4152 KiB  
Article
Exploring Metabolic Signatures of Ex Vivo Tumor Tissue Cultures for Prediction of Chemosensitivity in Ovarian Cancer
by Rita Mendes, Gonçalo Graça, Fernanda Silva, Ana C. L. Guerreiro, Patrícia Gomes-Alves, Jacinta Serpa, Erwin R. Boghaert, Paula M. Alves, Ana Félix, Catarina Brito and Inês A. Isidro
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4460; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184460 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3076
Abstract
Predicting patient response to treatment and the onset of chemoresistance are still major challenges in oncology. Chemoresistance is deeply influenced by the complex cellular interactions occurring within the tumor microenvironment (TME), including metabolic crosstalk. We have previously shown that ex vivo tumor tissue [...] Read more.
Predicting patient response to treatment and the onset of chemoresistance are still major challenges in oncology. Chemoresistance is deeply influenced by the complex cellular interactions occurring within the tumor microenvironment (TME), including metabolic crosstalk. We have previously shown that ex vivo tumor tissue cultures derived from ovarian carcinoma (OvC) resections retain the TME components for at least four weeks of culture and implemented assays for assessment of drug response. Here, we explored ex vivo patient-derived tumor tissue cultures to uncover metabolic signatures of chemosensitivity and/or resistance. Tissue cultures derived from nine OvC cases were challenged with carboplatin and paclitaxel, the standard-of-care chemotherapeutics, and the metabolic footprints were characterized by LC-MS. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed metabolic signatures that discriminated high-responder from low-responder tissue cultures to ex vivo drug exposure. As a proof-of-concept, a set of potential metabolic biomarkers of drug response was identified based on the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, comprising amino acids, fatty acids, pyrimidine, glutathione, and TCA cycle pathways. Overall, this work establishes an analytical and computational platform to explore metabolic features of the TME associated with response to treatment, which can leverage the discovery of biomarkers of drug response and resistance in OvC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic and Metabolic Alterations in the Tumor Microenvironment)
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12 pages, 730 KiB  
Article
NPY Gene Methylation in Circulating Tumor DNA as an Early Biomarker for Treatment Effect in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
by Louise Raunkilde, Torben Frøstrup Hansen, Rikke Fredslund Andersen, Birgitte Mayland Havelund, Caroline Brenner Thomsen and Lars Henrik Jensen
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4459; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184459 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2191
Abstract
Despite several limitations, the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) are still the gold standard in response evaluation of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of the present study was to investigate hypermethylated neuropeptide Y circulating tumor DNA (meth-NPY) [...] Read more.
Despite several limitations, the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) are still the gold standard in response evaluation of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of the present study was to investigate hypermethylated neuropeptide Y circulating tumor DNA (meth-NPY) as an early biomarker for treatment effect and monitoring in 70 mCRC patients receiving first-line treatment in the FOLFOXIRI-Toco trial. Meth-NPY was analyzed using droplet digital PCR, and the response rate was defined as the fraction of patients converting from a baseline detectable level to an undetectable level after the first treatment cycle (responders). A significant increase in meth-NPY was defined as a value with no overlap between the 95% CI of the current and preceding measurement. Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in meth-NPY responders compared to non-responders, 10.1 and 7.6 months, respectively (p = 0.02, HR = 0.43). Patients with response according to RECIST 1.1 had a PFS of 10.1 compared to 7.3 months for non-responders (p = 0.17, HR = 0.65). A significant increase in meth-NPY was found with a median of 49 days before radiological progression. In conclusion, early meth-NPY response proved superior to response according to RECIST 1.1 with respect to predicting improved PFS. Meth-NPY is an early indicator of progression, allowing treatment reorientation at an earlier timepoint. Full article
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14 pages, 1557 KiB  
Review
Review Article: Immune Landscape and Immunotherapy Options in Cervical Carcinoma
by Kousain Kousar, Tahir Ahmad, Faiza Naseer, Salik Kakar and Sadia Anjum
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4458; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184458 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3781
Abstract
Carcinoma of the cervix is one of the most common cancers that claims women’s lives every year. Despite preventive HPV vaccines and conventional cancer treatments, approximately 273,000 women succumb to cervical carcinoma every year. Immune system perturbations help malignant cells in immune evasion, [...] Read more.
Carcinoma of the cervix is one of the most common cancers that claims women’s lives every year. Despite preventive HPV vaccines and conventional cancer treatments, approximately 273,000 women succumb to cervical carcinoma every year. Immune system perturbations help malignant cells in immune evasion, tumor establishment, invasion, and metastasis. An insight into immune system players that promote or suppress cervical cancer is important for the development of more targeted therapies with the fewest side effects. Immunotherapy has emerged as the most compliant approach to target cancer because it utilizes a natural course of action to stimulate the immune system against cancer cells. The major immunotherapy approaches for cervical carcinoma include monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint blockade therapy, adoptive cell transfer therapies, and oncolytic viruses. In October 2021 the FDA approved pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy or bevacizumab as a first-line treatment for cervical cancer. A recent breakthrough has been made in the cancer immunotherapy regimen in which a monoclonal antibody dostarlimab was able to completely cure all colorectal cancer patients, with disease-free progression after 6 months and counting. This creates hope that immunotherapy may prove to be the final nail in the coffin of this centuries-long prevalent disease of “cancer”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy)
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10 pages, 1458 KiB  
Article
U-Net Based Segmentation and Characterization of Gliomas
by Shingo Kihira, Xueyan Mei, Keon Mahmoudi, Zelong Liu, Siddhant Dogra, Puneet Belani, Nadejda Tsankova, Adilia Hormigo, Zahi A. Fayad, Amish Doshi and Kambiz Nael
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4457; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184457 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3357
Abstract
(1) Background: Gliomas are the most common primary brain neoplasms accounting for roughly 40–50% of all malignant primary central nervous system tumors. We aim to develop a deep learning-based framework for automated segmentation and prediction of biomarkers and prognosis in patients with gliomas. [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Gliomas are the most common primary brain neoplasms accounting for roughly 40–50% of all malignant primary central nervous system tumors. We aim to develop a deep learning-based framework for automated segmentation and prediction of biomarkers and prognosis in patients with gliomas. (2) Methods: In this retrospective two center study, patients were included if they (1) had a diagnosis of glioma with known surgical histopathology and (2) had preoperative MRI with FLAIR sequence. The entire tumor volume including FLAIR hyperintense infiltrative component and necrotic and cystic components was segmented. Deep learning-based U-Net framework was developed based on symmetric architecture from the 512 × 512 segmented maps from FLAIR as the ground truth mask. (3) Results: The final cohort consisted of 208 patients with mean ± standard deviation of age (years) of 56 ± 15 with M/F of 130/78. DSC of the generated mask was 0.93. Prediction for IDH-1 and MGMT status had a performance of AUC 0.88 and 0.62, respectively. Survival prediction of <18 months demonstrated AUC of 0.75. (4) Conclusions: Our deep learning-based framework can detect and segment gliomas with excellent performance for the prediction of IDH-1 biomarker status and survival. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Cancer Research)
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24 pages, 8375 KiB  
Systematic Review
Lymph Node Ratio as a Prognostic Factor in Neck Dissection in Oral Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Zoi Gartagani, Stergios Doumas, Artemis Kyriakopoulou, Panagiota Economopoulou, Theodora Psaltopoulou, Ioannis Kotsantis, Theodoros N. Sergentanis and Amanda Psyrri
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4456; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184456 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2514
Abstract
Many studies have evaluated the clinical implications of lymph node ratio (LNR) as a prognostic factor in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The main purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address LNR as a prognosticator in patients with [...] Read more.
Many studies have evaluated the clinical implications of lymph node ratio (LNR) as a prognostic factor in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The main purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address LNR as a prognosticator in patients with OSCC. A systematic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, Cochrane library, and ClinicalTrials.gov, and studies between 2009 and 2020 were sought. The pooled relative risk was calculated along with 95% confidence intervals for the following endpoints: overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), locoregional disease-free survival (LRDFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) according to the random-effects model (Der Simonian–Laird approach). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed as well. Finally, 32 cohort studies were eligible, which included 20,994 patients with OSCC. Patients were subdivided into two categories, group YES (studies that included in their analysis only patients with positive lymph nodes) and group NO (studies that did not exclude LNR = 0 patients). In the group YES, patients with high LNR had shorter OS (RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.47–1.91), DFS (RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.42–1.99), DSS (RR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.56–2.42), DMFS (RR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.13–2.96), LRDFS (RR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.20), and LRFS (RR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.41–2.13) compared to patients with low LNR. In the group NO, patients with high LNR in comparison had shorter OS (RR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.99–2.85), DFS (RR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.48–2.81), and DSS (RR = 2.90, 95% CI: 2.35–3.57) compared to patients with low LNR. Based on those findings, LNR might be an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with OSCC and could be incorporated into future classification systems for better risk stratification. Full article
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27 pages, 3598 KiB  
Article
Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives Developed to Overcome COTI-2 Resistance
by Vivien Pósa, Alessia Stefanelli, Julia H. Bormio Nunes, Sonja Hager, Marlene Mathuber, Nóra V. May, Walter Berger, Bernhard K. Keppler, Christian R. Kowol, Éva A. Enyedy and Petra Heffeter
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4455; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184455 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4368
Abstract
COTI-2 is currently being evaluated in a phase I clinical trial for the treatment of gynecological and other solid cancers. As a thiosemicarbazone, this compound contains an N,N,S-chelating moiety and is, therefore, expected to bind endogenous metal ions. However, besides zinc, the metal [...] Read more.
COTI-2 is currently being evaluated in a phase I clinical trial for the treatment of gynecological and other solid cancers. As a thiosemicarbazone, this compound contains an N,N,S-chelating moiety and is, therefore, expected to bind endogenous metal ions. However, besides zinc, the metal interaction properties of COTI-2 have not been investigated in detail so far. This is unexpected, as we have recently shown that COTI-2 forms stable ternary complexes with copper and glutathione, which renders this drug a substrate for the resistance efflux transporter ABCC1. Herein, the complex formation of COTI-2, two novel terminal N-disubstituted derivatives (COTI-NMe2 and COTI-NMeCy), and the non-substituted analogue (COTI-NH2) with iron, copper, and zinc ions was characterized in detail. Furthermore, their activities against drug-resistant cancer cells was investigated in comparison to COTI-2 and Triapine. These data revealed that, besides zinc, also iron and copper ions need to be considered to play a role in the mode of action and resistance development of these thiosemicarbazones. Moreover, we identified COTI-NMe2 as an interesting new drug candidate with improved anticancer activity and resistance profile. Full article
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20 pages, 7508 KiB  
Article
Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Sensitivity to Chemotherapies: A Spotlight on Lipid Droplets and SREBF1 Gene
by Anna Ricarda Gründing, Marc A. Schneider, Sarah Richtmann, Mark Kriegsmann, Hauke Winter, Beatriz Martinez-Delgado, Sarai Varona, Bin Liu, David S. DeLuca, Julia Held, Sabine Wrenger, Thomas Muley, Michael Meister, Tobias Welte and Sabina Janciauskiene
Cancers 2022, 14(18), 4454; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184454 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3301
Abstract
To explore the relationship between cancer cell SREBF1 expression, lipid droplets (LDs) formation, and the sensitivity to chemotherapies, we cultured lung adenocarcinoma cells H1299 (with LD) and H1563 (without LD) in a serum-free basal medium (BM) or neutrophil degranulation products containing medium (NDM), [...] Read more.
To explore the relationship between cancer cell SREBF1 expression, lipid droplets (LDs) formation, and the sensitivity to chemotherapies, we cultured lung adenocarcinoma cells H1299 (with LD) and H1563 (without LD) in a serum-free basal medium (BM) or neutrophil degranulation products containing medium (NDM), and tested cell responses to cisplatin and etoposide. By using the DESeq2 Bioconductor package, we detected 674 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with NDM/BM differences between two cell lines, many of these genes were associated with the regulation of sterol and cholesterol biosynthesis processes. Specifically, SREBF1 markedly declined in both cell lines cultured in NDM or when treated with chemotherapeutics. Despite the latter, H1563 exhibited LD formation and resistance to etoposide, but not to cisplatin. Although H1299 cells preserved LDs, these cells were similarly sensitive to both drugs. In a cohort of 292 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, a lower SREBF1 expression in tumors than in adjacent nontumor tissue correlated with overall better survival, specifically in patients with adenocarcinoma at stage I. Our findings imply that a direct correlation between SREBF1 and LD accumulation can be lost due to the changes in cancer cell environment and/or chemotherapy. The role of LDs in lung cancer development and response to therapies remains to be examined in more detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma)
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