Recent Advances in Gastrointestinal Cancers: From Microbiota Modulation to New Therapeutic Approaches—2nd Edition

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 483

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Interests: oncology; metastasis; cell cultures; 3D models; cancer organoids; microbiota
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Malignant tumors that affect the gastrointestinal tract, known as gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, are widespread. Globally, GI cancers are estimated to be responsible for one in four cancer cases and one in three deaths. This Special Issue aims to elucidate potential areas of progress in the field of GI cancers, including the modulation of the microbiota and novel therapeutic approaches.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Modulation of the microbiota: role of the gut microbiome in influencing GI cancer development and response to treatment; manipulation of the microbiota through interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation; and methods of modulating the microbiome to enhance response to immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors.
  • Immunotherapy: efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab, in various GI malignancies and the exploration of CAR-T potential in GI cancers.
  • Precision medicine: advances in molecular profiling and genomics, leading to the identification of specific biomarkers associated with GI cancers, and the development of liquid biopsy techniques for monitoring GI cancers.
  • Targeted therapies: identify additional targeted therapies for specific subtypes of GI cancers in addition to HER2 therapies.
  • Artificial intelligence in diagnostics: evaluation of machine learning algorithms to analyze medical images and to predict the prognosis and disease outcomes of GI cancers.

Dr. Serena Martinelli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • gastrointestinal cancers
  • microbiota
  • anticancer therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • precision medicine

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 4161 KiB  
Article
Targeting CEACAM5: Biomarker Characterization and Fluorescent Probe Labeling for Image-Guided Gastric Cancer Surgery
by Serena Martinelli, Sara Peri, Cecilia Anceschi, Anna Laurenzana, Laura Fortuna, Tommaso Mello, Laura Naldi, Giada Marroncini, Jacopo Tricomi, Alessio Biagioni, Amedeo Amedei and Fabio Cianchi
Biomedicines 2025, 13(8), 1812; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13081812 - 24 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by high mortality rates and responsible for about one million new cases each year globally. Surgery is the main treatment, but achieving radical resection remains a relevant intraoperative challenge. [...] Read more.
Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by high mortality rates and responsible for about one million new cases each year globally. Surgery is the main treatment, but achieving radical resection remains a relevant intraoperative challenge. Fluorescence-guided surgery offers clinicians greater capabilities for real-time detection of tumor nodules and visualization of tumor margins. In this field, the main challenge remains the development of fluorescent dyes that can selectively target tumor tissues. Methods: we examined the expression of the most suitable GC markers, including carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule-5 (CEACAM5) and Claudin-4 (CLDN4), in GC cell lines. To further evaluate their expression, we performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tumor and healthy tissue samples from 30 GC patients who underwent partial gastrectomy at the Digestive System Surgery Unit, AOU Careggi, Florence. Additionally, we validated anti-CEACAM5 expression on patient-derived organoids. Furthermore, we developed a fluorescent molecule targeting CEACAM5 on the surface of GC cells and assessed its binding properties on patient tissue slices and fragments. Results: in this work, we first identified CEACAM5 as an optimal GC biomarker, and then we developed a fluorescent antibody specific for CEACAM5. We also evaluated its binding specificity for GC cell lines and patient-derived tumor tissue, achieving an optimal ability to discriminate tumor tissue from healthy mucosa. Conclusions: Overall, our results support the development of our fluorescent antibody as a promising tumor-specific imaging agent that, after further in vivo validation, could improve the accuracy of complete tumor resection. Full article
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