Application of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Malignant Solid Tumors.

In the past decade, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology has significantly progressed in studying malignant solid tumors. This technically feasible reprogramming techniques can reawaken sequestered dormant regions that regulate the fate of differentiated cells. Despite the evolving therapeutic modalities for malignant solid tumors, treatment outcomes have not been satisfactory. Recently, scientists attempted to apply induced pluripotent stem cell technology to cancer research, from modeling to treatment. Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from somatic cells, cancer cell lines, primary tumors, and individuals with an inherited propensity to develop cancer have shown great potential in cancer modeling, cell therapy, immunotherapy, and understanding tumor progression. This review summarizes the evolution of induced pluripotent stem cells technology and its applications in malignant solid tumor. Additionally, we discuss potential obstacles to induced pluripotent stem cell technology.

Clinical analysis of leukemia secondary to malignant solid tumor in children / 国际儿科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment and prognosis of children with leukemia secondary to malignant solid tumor.Methods:From January 2012 to January 2022, a total of 2 275 children under 15 years of age with malignant solid tumor were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.Six children diagnosed with secondary leukemia after follow-up to August 1, 2022 were selected as the study objects.Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed and the literature was reviewed.Results:(1)A total of 2 275 children with malignant solid tumors included 1 369 males and 906 females.There were 6 children with secondary leukemia, with an incidence rate of 0.26%, including 4 males and 2 females.The age of onset of solid tumor was 5.5(2.8, 9.7)years, and the age of secondary leukemia was(9.1±3.9)years, and the interval between them was(26.2±17.3)months.(2)Malignant solid tumor types: according to the time of secondary leukemia, there were hip malignant rhabdomyoma in 1 case, intracranial medulloblastoma in 2 cases, intracranial and pelvic malignant germinoma in 1 case respectively, and pancreatic blastoma in 1 case.Intracranial lesion biopsy was performed in 1 case, and tumor resection was performed in the other 5 cases.Three patients with intracranial tumors underwent local tumor bed, whole brain and spinal radiotherapy.All the 6 children received chemotherapy, and the main chemotherapy drugs were doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, platinum, ifosfamide, etoposide, bleomycin, temozolomide, etc.Complete remission was achieved in 3 cases, partial remission in 1 case, stable disease in 1 case, and disease progression in 1 case.(3)The secondary leukemia types were as follows: acute myeloid leukemia(AML)M5 in 3 cases, M1 in 1 case, M2 in 1 case, and acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia(B-ALL)in 1 case.All six cases refused hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT).One case with B-ALL gave up after receiving hydroxyurea and dexamethasone.Five cases with AML received chemotherapy according to the AML-2006 Protocol of Hematology Group of Pediatrics Society of Chinese Medical Association.The outcome of the disease was as follows: 2 cases died early, 4 cases achieved complete remission after 1 ~ 2 courses of chemotherapy, among which 2 cases did not continue treatment after 3 courses of chemotherapy due to pulmonary infection, deep mycosis, osteomyelitis, etc, and then recurred and died.By the end of follow-up, 2 cases survived and continued treatment, of which 1 case relapsed.After the diagnosis of secondary leukemia, the 1-year overall survival rate of the 6 cases was(33±26)%.Conclusion:Leukemia secondary to malignant solid tumors in children is rare and mostly occurs in older children.The pathogenesis is related to genotoxic injury caused by exposure to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and the prognosis is unfavourable.HSCT after chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy is the best treatment strategy.

Development of Nectin4/FAP-targeted CAR-T cells secreting IL-7, CCL19, and IL-12 for malignant solid tumors.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has made significant advances for hematological malignancies but encounters obstacles in the treatment of solid tumors mainly due to tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Methods: Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to examine the cellular expression of nectin cell adhesion molecule-4 (Nectin4) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in a variety of malignant solid tumors. Then, we engineered the fourth-generation Nectin4-targeted CAR-T (Nectin4-7.19 CAR-T) and FAP-targeted CAR-T (FAP-12 CAR-T) cells to evaluate their safety and efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Results: In our study, we firstly demonstrated the aberrant overexpression of Nectin4 on both primary and metastatic solid tumors and FAP on cancer-associated fibroblasts. Then, we found that our fourth-generation Nectin4-7.19 CAR-T cells expressed IL-7 and CCL19 efficiently and exhibited superior proliferation, migration, and cytotoxicity compared to the second-generation Nectin4 CAR-T cells, while FAP-12 CAR-T cells exerted their ability of targeting both murine and human FAP effectively in vitro. In a fully immune-competent mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer, lymphodepletion pretreated mice achieved complete remission with human Nectin4-targeted murine CAR-T (Nectin4 mCAR-T) cells. In the NSG mouse model of lung metastases, Nectin4-7.19 CAR-T cells eradicated metastatic tumors and prolonged survival in combination with FAP-12 CAR-T cells. Conclusions: These findings showed that Nectin4-7.19 CAR-T cells had potential therapeutic efficacy and exerted a synergistic role with FAP-12 CAR-T cells, further demonstrating that Nectin4 and FAP were able to serve as promising targets for safe and effective CAR-T therapy of malignant solid tumors.

Advances in CAR-T cell therapy for malignant solid tumors.

T cells modified by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) have the advantage of major histocompatibility complex-independent recognition of tumor-associated antigens, so can achieve efficient response to tumor targets. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown a good therapeutic effect in hematological malignancies; however, its efficacy is generally not satisfactory for solid tumors. The reasons include the lack of tumor specific antigen target on solid tumors, the uncertainty of homing ability of engineered T cells and the inhibitory immune microenvironment of tumors. In clinical trials, the targets of CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors are mainly disialoganglioside (GD2), claudin-18 isoform 2 (CLDN18.2), mesenchymal, B7 homolog 3 (B7H3), glypican (GPC) 3 and epidermal growth factor receptor variant Ш (EGFRvШ)Ⅲ. Combination of CAR-T cells with oncolytic viruses, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and programmed death ligand-1 monoclonal antibodies may increase its efficacy. The CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors can be optimized through gene editing to enhance the activity of CAR-T cells, adding corresponding regulatory components to make the activation of CAR-T cells safer and more controllable, and enhancing the persistence of CAR-T cells. In this article, we review the latest advances of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors to provide new insights for clinical application.

Molecular investigation of Blastocystis sp. and its subtypes in cancer patients under chemotherapy in Aegean region, Turkey.

Blastocystis sp. is a common enteric protist found in humans and many other animals. Although the clinical relevance of Blastocystis sp. is currently fully unknown for humans, the prevalence of Blastocystis and subtypes are investigated in immunocompetent individuals presenting with symptoms like diarrhea or immunocompromised individuals including cancer patients. In this comprehensive study, the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and subtypes were investigated in patients (n=94) with different types of malignant solid tumors using PCR targeting SSU rDNA gene and sequencing. All patients were undergoing chemotherapy and had diarrhea. According to obtained results, 46 patients were found to be Blastocystis positive and the molecular prevalence was detected as 48.9%. Among the positive specimens, 43 (43/46; 93.5%) of them were successfully subtyped. ST4 was the most predominant subtype and detected in 24 (55.8%) patients, followed by ST1 (11 patients, 25.6%) and ST3 (8 patients, 18.6%). In the colon cancer group, which had the highest number of patients, Blastocystis sp. was detected with a higher prevalence rate of 61.5% compared with the prevalence rate (48.9%) of all patients. Interestingly, ST3 was not detected in any of this patient group in contrast to ST4 and ST1. In conclusion, high prevalence of the Blastocystis in the immunocompromised patient groups shows the susceptibility of this patient group against any other infectious agents.

[Clinical trials on intrathecal pemetrexed treated leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) treated for patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from solid tumors. Methods: Forty-seven patients receiving pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy in the First Hospital of Jilin University from 2017 to 2018 were selected. The study of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy adopted the classical dose-climbing model and included 13 patients with meningeal metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer who had relapsed and refractory after multiple previous treatments including intrathecal chemotherapy. Based on the dose climbing study, 34 patients with meningeal metastasis of solid tumor who did not receive intrathecal chemotherapy were enrolled in a clinical study using pemetrexed as the first-line intrathecal chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, and Cox regression model was used for influencing factor analysis. Results: The dose climbing study showed that the maximum tolerated dose of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy was 10 mg per single dose, and the recommended dosing regimen was 10 mg once or twice a week. The incidence of adverse reactions was 10 cases, including hematological adverse reactions (7 cases), transaminase elevation (2 cases), nerve root reactions (5 cases), fatigue and weight loss (1 case). The incidence of serious adverse reactions was 4, including grade 4-5 poor hematology (2 cases), grade 4 nerve root irritation (2 cases), and grade 4 elevated aminotransferase (1 case). In the dose climbing study, 4 patients were effectively treated and 7 were disease controlled. The survival time was ranged from 0.3 to 14.0 months and a median survival time was 3.8 months. The clinical study of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy showed that the treatment mode of 10 mg pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy once a week combined with synchronous involved area radiotherapy 40 Gy/4 weeks had a high safety and reactivity. The incidence of major adverse reactions was 52.9% (18/34), including hematologic adverse reactions (13 cases), transaminase elevation (10 cases), and nerve root reactions (4 cases). In study 2, the response rate was 67.6% (23/34), the disease control rate was 73.5% (25/34), the overall survival time was ranged from 0.3 to 16.6 months, the median survival time was 5.5 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 21.6%. Clinical response, improvement of neurological dysfunction, completion of concurrent therapy and subsequent systemic therapy were associated with the overall survival (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Pemetrexed is suitable for the intrathecal chemotherapy with a high safety and efficacy. The recommended administration regimen was IP at 10 mg on the schedule of once or twice per week. Hematological toxicity is the main factor affecting the implementation of IP. Vitamin supplement can effectively control the occurrence of hematological toxicity.

Clinical trials on intrathecal pemetrexed treated leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) treated for patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from solid tumors. Methods: Forty-seven patients receiving pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy in the First Hospital of Jilin University from 2017 to 2018 were selected. The study of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy adopted the classical dose-climbing model and included 13 patients with meningeal metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer who had relapsed and refractory after multiple previous treatments including intrathecal chemotherapy. Based on the dose climbing study, 34 patients with meningeal metastasis of solid tumor who did not receive intrathecal chemotherapy were enrolled in a clinical study using pemetrexed as the first-line intrathecal chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, and Cox regression model was used for influencing factor analysis. Results: The dose climbing study showed that the maximum tolerated dose of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy was 10 mg per single dose, and the recommended dosing regimen was 10 mg once or twice a week. The incidence of adverse reactions was 10 cases, including hematological adverse reactions (7 cases), transaminase elevation (2 cases), nerve root reactions (5 cases), fatigue and weight loss (1 case). The incidence of serious adverse reactions was 4, including grade 4-5 poor hematology (2 cases), grade 4 nerve root irritation (2 cases), and grade 4 elevated aminotransferase (1 case). In the dose climbing study, 4 patients were effectively treated and 7 were disease controlled. The survival time was ranged from 0.3 to 14.0 months and a median survival time was 3.8 months. The clinical study of pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy showed that the treatment mode of 10 mg pemetrexed intrathecal chemotherapy once a week combined with synchronous involved area radiotherapy 40 Gy/4 weeks had a high safety and reactivity. The incidence of major adverse reactions was 52.9% (18/34), including hematologic adverse reactions (13 cases), transaminase elevation (10 cases), and nerve root reactions (4 cases). In study 2, the response rate was 67.6% (23/34), the disease control rate was 73.5% (25/34), the overall survival time was ranged from 0.3 to 16.6 months, the median survival time was 5.5 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 21.6%. Clinical response, improvement of neurological dysfunction, completion of concurrent therapy and subsequent systemic therapy were associated with the overall survival (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Pemetrexed is suitable for the intrathecal chemotherapy with a high safety and efficacy. The recommended administration regimen was IP at 10 mg on the schedule of once or twice per week. Hematological toxicity is the main factor affecting the implementation of IP. Vitamin supplement can effectively control the occurrence of hematological toxicity.

Emerging Role and Mechanism of circRNAs in Pediatric Malignant Solid Tumors.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with covalent closed-loop structures and are widely distributed in eukaryotes, conserved and stable as well as tissue-specific. Malignant solid tumors pose a serious health risk to children and are one of the leading causes of pediatric mortality. Studies have shown that circRNAs play an important regulatory role in the development of childhood malignant solid tumors, hence are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for tumors. This paper reviews the biological characteristics and functions of circRNAs as well as the research progress related to childhood malignant solid tumors.

Profile of Non-Hematological Pediatric Tumors: A Clinicopathological Study at a Tertiary Health Care Centre.

BACKGROUND: Tumors in pediatric age group are biologically different from tumors in adults and emerging as a significant contributor to morbidity/mortality in children. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the epidemiological profile of pediatric solid tumors in 0-18 years of age over a period of 5 years in a general hospital in India. RESULTS: A total of 510 cases of tumors were included, which accounted for 5.1% of the total tumor burden of the hospital. Benign tumors were more common than malignant tumors. Most common age group affected was 14-18 years. Among benign tumors, vascular tumors were the most common, while malignant bone tumors outnumbered all other malignant tumors. Neuroblastomas comprised only 0.9% of our malignancies. CONCLUSION: Our study provides an insight into the patterns of childhood tumors for which exists little literature in India. With lack of a dedicated pediatric cancer registry from India, tracking of the diverse histological spectrum of tumors is difficult.

Study progress in early recognition and initial treatment before referral of childhood malignant solid tumors / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Childhood malignant solid tumors exhibit a wide variety of vagueness signs and symptoms in the early stage,which are usually nonspecific,therefore the diagnosis of childhood malignant solid tumor can be challenging when the disease is in the early stage.As a result,the delay of diagnosis causes mistreatment,and which makes childhood malignant solid tumors become a leading cause of death in children.Physicians should recognize the early warning signs of childhood cancer,and a good clinical history and careful physical examination can help physicians determine whether the children have cancer and make referrals in time.Some children with possible cancers require immediate initial treatment before referral to be stabilized in order to make the referrals possible and increase the chance of receiving appropriate treatment in time and the possibility of being cured,saving more children with malignant solid tumors to the maximum extent.

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for the treatment of 11 cases with acute leukemia and malignant solid tumors / 中国癌症杂志

50?10~(9)/L. Of the patients, 3 died of liver function exhaustion or disease relapse 1-12 months after transplantation , 2 are still alive with disease for 3-5 months , but others are still alive and disease-free for 3-64 months. Conclusions:PBSCT is a safe therapeutic option that can significantly improve in acute leukemia and malignant solid tumors.