Cancer

Regarding a small proportion of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients who tested p16-positive but human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative, we attempted to perform HPV testing to improve the accuracy of HPV detection in OPSCC patients.We simultaneously performed Aptima HPV testing of cytological specimens and p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of histologic biopsies from the same cohort of patients with head and neck SCC (HNSCC).

Penile squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) originating in the shaft are rare. pT1/pT2 categories in the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging manual (8th edition) are poorly defined for SCCs arising in the dorsal shaft as anatomic structures differ between the glans and dorsal shaft (corpus spongiosum vs dartos/Buck's fascia, respectively). We reviewed six penile SCC cases exclusive to the shaft, an unusual presentation, identified amongst 120 patients treated with penectomy.

Background Studies have shown that cancer stemness and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response are inversely regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), but the mechanism has not been fully clarified. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in cancer progression and metastasis. In this study we investigated lncRNA 01534 (LINC01534) as a possible modulator between cancer stemness and ER stress response. Methods In vitro experiments using CRC cell lines were performed to explore a possible role of LINC01534.

Administration of a novel and selective small molecule integrin αvβ6 inhibitor, MORF-627, to young cynomolgus monkeys for 28 days resulted in the rapid induction of epithelial proliferative changes in the urinary bladder of two animals, in the absence of test agent genotoxicity. Microscopic findings included suburothelial infiltration by irregular nests and/or trabeculae of epithelial cells, variable cytologic atypia, and high mitotic rate, without invasion into the tunica muscularis.

Viral replication places oncolytic viruses (OVs) in a unique niche in the field of drug pharmacokinetics (PK) as their self-amplification obscures exposure-response relationships. Moreover, standard bioanalytical techniques are unable to distinguish the input from replicated drug products. Here, we combine two novel approaches to characterize PK and biodistribution (BD) after systemic administration of vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotyped with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-GP) in healthy mice.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to be important regulators in human malignant tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). While the role circ-ZEB1 played in CRC remains unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the biological function and the underlying mechanism of circ-ZEB1 in CRC. RNAscope was used to analyze the expression and localization of circ-ZEB1 in CRC tissues. Loss of function experiments were conducted, including CCK-8, transwell assays, flow cytometry analysis, and murine xenograft models, so as to detect the effect of circ-ZEB1 on CRC cells.

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic antioxidant found in grapes, red wine, and peanuts and has been reported to have anti-neoplastic effects on various cancer types. However, the exact mechanism of its anti-cancer effects in oral cancer is not fully understood and remains controversial. Resveratrol exhibits strong hypolipidemic effects; therefore, we examined its effect on lipid metabolism in oral cancer. Resveratrol significantly reduced cell viability and induced autophagic cell death in oral cancer cells but not in normal cells.

An increasing body of evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs play critical roles in human cancer. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the potential involvement of long noncoding RNAs in breast cancer remains poorly understood. Herein, researchers identified a long noncoding RNA, DANCR, which promotes cisplatin chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, DANCR could bind to Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) and induce acetylation of KLF5 at lysine 369 (K369), and DANCR knockdown resulted in down-regulation of KLF5 protein levels.

In hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (HR+ MBC), endocrine resistance is commonly due to genetic alterations of ESR1, the gene encoding estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). While ESR1 point mutations (ESR1-MUT) cause acquired resistance to aromatase inhibition (AI) through constitutive activation, far less is known about the molecular functions and clinical consequences of ESR1 fusions (ESR1-FUS). This case series discusses 4 patients with HR+ MBC with ESR1-FUS in the context of the existing ESR1-FUS literature.