Therapeutic Colorectal Cancer Vaccines: Emerging Modalities and Translational Opportunities.

Therapeutic vaccines offer a targeted approach to enhancing anti-tumor immunity with minimal systemic toxicity. Despite advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major clinical challenge, particularly due to the limited efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors outside the MSI-H subgroup. In this comprehensive review summarizes the emerging vaccine modalities for CRC, including peptide, nucleic acid, cell-based, vector-driven, and nanotechnology platforms.

Risk of HBV reactivation in HBV/HCV-co-infected HCV-treated patients: A single-center study.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients with HBV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection due to direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) therapy is a growing concern. This study focused on 47 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and positivity for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) who were treated with interferon (IFN)-based therapy, DAA, or DAA after IFN-based therapy failure and followed for a median of 53 months. Here, we aimed to determine HBV reactivation rates and associated factors, the incidence of HBV and liver-related events, and the rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) for HCV.

Outcome of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Combination Therapy in High-Risk Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Real-world data regarding treatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in high-risk patients with advanced HCC are lacking. In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 215 patients with advanced HCC received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment at four tertiary hospitals. High-risk patients were those with grade Vp4 portal vein thrombus, bile duct invasion, or more than 50% liver infiltration.

Erratum: Correction of Text in the Article "Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in North Korean Defectors Residing in Korea".

This corrects the article on p. e270 in vol. 38, PMID: 37644684.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in North Korean Defectors Residing in Korea.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and identify the demographic, and sociological characteristics and changes in awareness of HCV infection by participating the study for North Korean defectors residing in South Korea.

Methods: This study prospectively enrolled participants. Demographic, sociological and clinical data, and questionnaire surveys focused on awareness of HCV infection were collected.

Safety and dose escalation of the targeted oncolytic adenovirus OBP-301 for refractory advanced liver cancer: Phase I clinical trial.

OBP-301 is an oncolytic adenovirus modified to replicate within cancer cells and lyse them. This open-label, non-comparative, phase I dose-escalation trial aimed to assess its safety and optimal dosage in 20 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Good tolerance was shown with a maximum tolerated dose of 6 × 10 viral particles.

Recent Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy Delivery Modalities.

Immunotherapy is crucial in fighting cancer and achieving successful remission. Many novel strategies have recently developed, but there are still some obstacles to overcome before we can effectively attack the cancer cells and decimate the cancer environment by inducing a cascade of immune responses. To successfully demonstrate antitumor activity, immune cells must be delivered to cancer cells and exposed to the immune system.

Notch1 and Notch2 Signaling Exclusively but Cooperatively Maintain Fetal Myogenic Progenitors.

Myogenic progenitors (MPs) generate myocytes that fuse to form myofibers during skeletal muscle development while maintaining the progenitor pool, which is crucial for generating sufficient muscle. Notch signaling has been known to reserve a population of embryonic MPs during primary myogenesis by promoting cell cycle exit and suppressing premature differentiation. However, the roles of individual Notch receptors (Notch1-4) during embryonic/fetal myogenesis are still elusive.

Effect of switching from nucleos(t)ide maintenance therapy to PegIFN alfa-2a in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: A randomized trial.

Aims: Induction of a durable viral response is difficult to achieve in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), even from long-term use of a nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA). This study investigated whether switching to peginterferon (PegIFN) alfa-2a after long-term NA therapy induced a durable viral response.

Methods: Patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB who received any NA for at least 72 weeks and had a low level of HBV DNA (≤100 IU/mL) were randomized (1:1) to receive PegIFN alfa-2a (180 μg/week) or NA for 48 weeks.

Primary hepatic sarcoidosis presenting with cholestatic liver disease and mimicking primary biliary cholangitis: a case report.

Sarcoidosis often involves the liver. However, primary hepatic sarcoidosis confined to the liver without evidence of systemic involvement is rare. We report the case of a 37-year-old man with hepatic sarcoidosis who initially presented with elevated liver enzymes and suspicious cirrhotic nodules on computed tomography.

Puncture needle with a hard plastic sheath and plastic wings minimizes repuncture attempts in ultrasound-guided paracentesis: a retrospective case-control study.

Backgruound: This study was performed to evaluate periprocedural factors, complications, and repuncture rate of the newly developed puncture needle and compare it with the routinely used puncture needle for ultrasound (US)-guided paracentesis.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 137 patients who underwent US-guided paracentesis between July 2018 and March 2019. Among them, 82 patients underwent US-guided paracentesis with a newly developed puncture needle.

Peretinoin, an Acyclic Retinoid, for the Secondary Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The high rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after initially successful curative therapy emphasize ongoing unmet needs to prevent or reduce HCC recurrence. Retinoid acid (RA), a metabolite of vitamin A and its related analogues (termed retinoids) has been suggested as a promising chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment. The synthetic oral retinoid peretinoin is the only agent for the secondary chemoprevention of HCC after curative therapy that is currently well applied into clinical development.

Real-Life Effectiveness and Safety of Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir for Korean Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C at a Single Institution.

Background/aims: Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) is a combination of direct-acting antiviral agents that is an approved treatment for chronic infections by all six hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes. However, there are limited data on the effect of G/P in Korean patients in actual real-world settings. We evaluated the real-life effectiveness and safety of G/P at a single institution in Korea.

Overcoming Tumor Resistance to Oncolyticvaccinia Virus with Anti-PD-1-Based Combination Therapy by Inducing Antitumor Immunity in the Tumor Microenvironment.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises different types of immune cells, which limit the therapeutic efficacy of most drugs. Although oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) boosts antitumor immunity via enhanced infiltration of tumor-infiltrated lymphocytes (TILs), immune checkpoints on the surface of tumors and TILs protect tumor cells from TIL recognition and apoptosis. OVT and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based combination therapy might overcome this issue.

Entecavir+tenofovir vs. lamivudine/telbivudine+adefovir in chronic hepatitis B patients with prior suboptimal response.

Background/aims: Suboptimal responses to lamivudine or telbivudine plus adefovir (LAM/LdT+ADV) rescue therapy are common in patients with LAM-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. We compared patients switched to entecavir plus tenofovir (ETV+TDF) to those maintained on LAM/LdT+ADV.

Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial examined 91 patients whose serum HBV DNA levels were greater than 60 IU/mL after at least 24 weeks of treatment with LAM/LdT+ADV for LAM-resistant HBV.

Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Supplementation on the Progression of Advanced Liver Disease: A Korean Nationwide, Multicenter, Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study.

Background And Aims: Clinical evidence for the benefits of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is lacking in advanced liver disease. We evaluated the potential benefits of long-term oral BCAA supplementation in patients with advanced liver disease.

Methods: Liver cirrhosis patients with Child-Pugh (CP) scores from 8 to 10 were prospectively recruited from 13 medical centers.

Changes in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predict the prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib.

Background And Aim: Although sorafenib is the first systemic therapy to show survival benefit for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its survival benefit is variable for HCC. Systemic inflammation may be associated with survival in HCC. We investigated the use of systemic inflammation markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in the prognosis of sorafenib-treated HCC patients.

The predictors of sustained virological response with sofosbuvir and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 2.

Background/aims: Real-world, clinical practice data are lacking about sofosbuvir/ ribavirin (SOF/RBV) treatment of Korean patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 (HCV GT2) infection. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of SOF/RBV in Korean patients with HCV GT2 infection and clinical factors predicting sustained virological response 12 weeks (SVR12) after the end of SOF/RBV treatment.

Methods: A total of 181 patients with HCV GT2 with/without cirrhosis were treated with SOF/RBV for 16/12 weeks.

Local delivery of a cancer-favoring oncolytic vaccinia virus via poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanofiber for theranostic purposes.

Local delivery of viruses via nanomaterials has been demonstrated in the treatment of colon cancer. A cancer-favoring oncolytic vaccinia virus (CVV), which is an evolutionary cancer-favoring engineered vaccinia virus carrying the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, has antitumor efficacy in drug-resistant colon cancer and metastatic liver cells. Here, we present the antitumor efficacy of a CVV coated a poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofiber for local drug delivery in theranostic approaches.

Effects of Virologic Response to Treatment on Short- and Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Decompensated Cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Little is known about the effects of antiviral therapy on short- and long-term survival of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related decompensated cirrhosis. We aimed to determine whether a maintained virologic response (MVR, defined as persistent undetectable HBV DNA during therapy) associates with short-term (6 mo) and long-term (6-120 mo) survival of patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: We performed a 10-year observation analysis using data from the Epidemiology and Natural History of Liver Cirrhosis study of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis in Korea.

Outcome of donor biliary complications following living donor liver transplantation.

Background/aims: Biliary complications are the most common donor complication following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term outcomes of biliary complications in right lobe adult-to-adult LDLT donors, and to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic treatment of these donors.

Methods: The medical charts of right lobe donors who developed biliary complications between June 2000 and January 2008 were retrospectively reviewed.

Evaluating the efficacy of switching from lamivudine plus adefovir to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate monotherapy in lamivudine-resistant stable hepatitis B patients.

Background: The efficacy of switching to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy from lamivudine (LAM) plus adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) combination therapy (stable switching) in patients with LAM-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and undetectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is not clear.

Methods: In this non-inferiority trial, patients with LAM-resistant CHB and undetectable serum HBV DNA (<20 IU/mL) for >6 months after initiating LAM+ADV combination therapy were randomized (1:2) either to continue the combination therapy (LAM+ADV group, n = 58) or switched to TDF monotherapy (TDF group, n = 111). They were followed-up with serum biochemistry tests and HBV DNA measurement at 12-week intervals for 96 weeks.

Role of endoscopic biliary drainage in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with jaundice.

Background: Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with jaundice have an extremely poor prognosis. Although biliary drainage can resolve obstructive jaundice, signs of obstruction may not be evident. This study evaluated the role of endoscopic biliary drainage in patients with advanced HCC and obstructive jaundice.

Oncolytic Virus-Based Immunotherapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is highly refractory cancer which is resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, carrying a dismal prognosis. Although many anticancer drugs have been developed for treating HCC, sorafenib is the only effective treatment, but it only prolongs survival duration for about 3 months. Recently, oncolytic virotherapy has shown promising results in treating HCCs and the effects can be more enhanced by adopting immune modulatory molecules.