Microbial Therapy and Breast Cancer Management: Exploring Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Integration within the One Health Approach.

This comprehensive review elucidates the profound relationship between the human microbiome and breast cancer management. Recent findings highlight the significance of microbial alterations in tissue, such as the gut and the breast, and their role in influencing the breast cancer risk, development, progression, and treatment outcomes. We delve into how the gut microbiome can modulate systemic inflammatory responses and estrogen levels, thereby impacting cancer initiation and therapeutic drug efficacy. Furthermore, we explore the unique microbial diversity within breast tissue, indicating potential imbalances brought about by cancer and highlighting specific microbes as promising therapeutic targets. Emphasizing a holistic One Health approach, this review underscores the importance of integrating insights from human, animal, and environmental health to gain a deeper understanding of the complex microbe-cancer interplay. As the field advances, the strategic manipulation of the microbiome and its metabolites presents innovative prospects for the enhancement of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. However, rigorous clinical trials remain essential to confirm the potential of microbiota-based interventions in breast cancer management.

The Secret Role of microRNAs in Cancer Stem Cell Development and Potential Therapy: A Notch-Pathway Approach.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the development of some if not all cancer types and have been identified as attractive targets for prognosis, diagnosis, and therapy of the disease. miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs (20-22 nt in length) that bind imperfectly to the 3'-untranslated region of target mRNA regulating gene expression. Aberrantly expressed miRNAs in cancer, sometimes known as oncomiRNAs, have been shown to play a major role in oncogenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Amplification of oncomiRNAs during cancer development correlates with the silencing of tumor suppressor genes; on the other hand, down-regulation of miRNAs has also been observed in cancer and cancer stem cells (CSCs). In both cases, miRNA regulation is inversely correlated with cancer progression. Growing evidence indicates that miRNAs are also involved in the metastatic process by either suppressing or promoting metastasis-related genes leading to the reduction or activation of cancer cell migration and invasion processes. In particular, circulating miRNAs (vesicle-encapsulated or non-encapsulated) have significant effects on tumorigenesis: membrane-particles, apoptotic bodies, and exosomes have been described as providers of a cell-to-cell communication system transporting oncogenic miRNAs from tumors to neighboring cells and distant metastatic sites. It is hypothesized that miRNAs control cancer development in a traditional manner, by regulating signaling pathways and factors. In addition, recent developments indicate a non-conventional mechanism of cancer regulation by stem cell reprograming via a regulatory network consisting of miRNAs and Wnt/ß-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog signaling pathways, all of which are involved in controlling stem cell functions of CSCs. In this review, we focus on the role of miRNAs in the Notch-pathway and how they regulate CSC self-renewal, differentiation and tumorigenesis by direct/indirect targeting of the Notch-pathway.

Generation of a selectively cytotoxic fusion protein against p53 mutated cancers.

BACKGROUND: A significant number of cancers are caused by defects in p21 causing functional defects in p21 or p53 tumour-suppressor proteins. This has led to many therapeutic approaches including restoration by gene therapy with wild-type p53 or p21 using viral or liposomal vectors, which have toxicity or side-effect limitations. We set out to develop a safer, novel fusion protein which has the ability to reconstitute cancer cell lines with active p21 by protein transduction. METHODS: The fusion protein was produced from the cell-translocating peptide Antennapedia (Antp) and wild-type, full-length p21 (Antp-p21). This was expressed and refolded from E. coli and tested on a variety of cell lines and tumours (in a BALB/c nude xenograft model) with differing p21 or p53 status. RESULTS: Antp-p21 penetrated and killed cancer cells that do not express wild type p53 or p21. This included cells that were matched to cogenic parental cell lines. Antp-p21 killed cancer cells selectively that were malignant as a result of mutations or nuclear exclusion of the p53 and p21 genes and over-expression of MDM2. Non-specific toxicity was excluded by showing that Antp-p21 penetrated but did not kill p53- or p21- wild-type cells. Antp-p21 was not immunogenic in normal New Zealand White rabbits. Recombinant Antp peptide alone was not cytotoxic, showing that killing was due to the transduction of the p21 component of Antp-p21. Antp-p21 was shown to penetrate cancer cells engrafted in vivo and resulted in tumour eradication when administered with conventionally-used chemotherapeutic agents, which alone were unable to produce such an effect. CONCLUSIONS: Antp-p21 may represent a new and promising targeted therapy for patients with p53-associated cancers supporting the concept that rational design of therapies directed against specific cancer mutations will play a part in the future of medical oncology.

Antibodies targeting cancer stem cells: a new paradigm in immunotherapy?

Antibody targeting of cancer is showing clinical and commercial success after much intense research and development over the last 30 years. They still have the potential to delivery long-term cures but a shift in thinking towards a cancer stem cell (CSC) model for tumor development is certain to impact on how antibodies are selected and developed, the targets they bind to and the drugs used in combination with them. CSCs have been identified from many human tumors and share many of the characteristics of normal stem cells. The ability to renew, metabolically or physically protect themselves from xenobiotics and DNA damage and the range of locomotory-related receptors expressed could explain the observations of drug resistance and radiation insensitivity leading to metastasis and patient relapse.Targeting CSCs could be a strategy to improve the outcome of cancer therapy but this is not as simple as it seems. Targets such as CD133 and EpCAM/ESA could mark out CSCs from normal cells enabling specific intervention but indirect strategies such as interfering with the establishment of a supportive niche through anti-angiogenic or anti-stroma therapy could be more effective.This review will outline the recent discoveries for CSCs across the major tumor types highlighting the possible molecules for intervention. Examples of antibody-directed CSC therapies and the outlook for the future development of this emerging area will be given.

Antibody-guided enzyme therapy of cancer producing cyanide results in necrosis of targeted cells.

A number of enzyme/prodrug activation approaches for the treatment of cancer have been reported to date with varying success. We describe progress in the development of a system based on a beta-glucosidase enzyme in combination with a naturally occurring "prodrug," the sugar linamarin, which releases the cytotoxin cyanide. A recombinant fusion protein, composed of an scFv (MFE-23) reactive against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and a plant-derived beta-glucosidase (linamarase), was produced and its cytotoxic potential was investigated. The fusion protein was expressed in a supersecretory mutant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and purified by affinity chromatography. Extensive functional in vitro characterisation of the fusion protein showed that it retained antigen binding activity but that its catalytic activity was impaired, a problem not related to its fusion with the scFv. Nevertheless, we demonstrated complete tumour cell killing at doses of prodrug that are completely nontoxic to nontargeted cells. Preliminary in vivo characterisation showed that extensive glycosylation of the fusion protein caused its rapid clearance through the hepatic route. Aggregational properties also led to poor pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, we present some data analysing the mode of cell death resulting from exposure to this system. Enzymic catalysis of the substrate generates cyanide, a metabolic poison that asphyxiates cells and leads them to a necrotic-like cell death. This system has been called antibody-guided enzyme nitrile therapy (AGENT).