A patient-derived decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogel as a biomimetic scaffold for advanced 3D colorectal cancer modeling.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most prevalent cancers globally and is associated with a high mortality rate, particularly in advanced stages. In the realm of drug discovery, the use of innovative and highly translational pre-clinical CRC models is essential. Currently, the most relevant in vitro tumor approaches are three dimensional (3D) models.

The function of the HtrA protease in maintaining homeostasis of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium known to cause persistent infections in humans. HtrA protease is one of the most important secreted virulence factors of this pathogen and is responsible for damaging intercellular junctions between the gastric epithelial cells. Although this protein is regarded as essential in H.

The influence of infection in HER2-positive gastric cancer cell lines: insights from Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Introduction: The impact of infection on the efficacy of trastuzumab in HER2-positive gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood, despite growing evidence that tumor microenvironment and host-pathogen interactions influence therapeutic outcomes. This study aimed to investigate how strains of differing virulence, one high (HV-HP) and one low (LV-HP), affect GC cell behavior, particularly in the context of (HER2) amplification and Trastuzumab (TRAS)-resistance.

Methods: We used the HER2-amplified NCI-N87 GC cell line, alongside four non-HER2-amplified cell lines (AGS, SNU-1, SNU-16 and SNU-5), to examine the impact of infection.

Unlocking the potential of organopalladium complexes for high-grade serous ovarian cancer therapy.

High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and lethal subtype of ovarian cancer, known for its high aggressiveness and extensive genomic alterations. Typically diagnosed at an advanced stage, HGSOC presents formidable challenges in drug therapy. The limited efficacy of standard treatments, development of chemoresistance, scarcity of targeted therapies, and significant tumor heterogeneity render this disease incurable with current treatment options, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes.

Secretagogue effect of PDE4 inhibitor apremilast on human salivary gland organoids obtained from primary Sjögren's syndrome patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to culture vital salivary gland organoids obtained through labial or parotid biopsy of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients in order to evaluate their morphological and functional features in basal condition and after stimulation with Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) activator forskolin and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor apremilast, their in vitro regenerative capacity and the immune-histological resemblance with original tissue.

Methods: Salivary gland tissues from five pSS patients were processed to obtain vital organoids; swelling assay and cell proliferation tests were performed after forskolin and apremilast application. Immunochemistry evaluation on original salivary gland tissue and corresponding organoids was performed, and secretomics analysis was conducted to assess their functional status.

Circulating Proteins as Diagnostic Markers in Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly malignant disease affecting humans worldwide and has a poor prognosis. Most GC cases are detected at advanced stages due to the cancer lacking early detectable symptoms. Therefore, there is great interest in improving early diagnosis by implementing targeted prevention strategies.

A DSC Test for the Early Detection of Neoplastic Gastric Lesions in a Medium-Risk Gastric Cancer Area.

In this study, we aimed to assess the accuracy of the proposed novel, noninvasive serum DSC test in predicting the risk of gastric cancer before the use of upper endoscopy. To validate the DSC test, we enrolled two series of individuals living in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy (n = 53 and n = 113, respectively), who were referred for an endoscopy. The classification used for the DSC test to predict gastric cancer risk combines the coefficient of the patient's age and sex and serum pepsinogen I and II, gastrin 17, and anti- immunoglobulin G concentrations in two equations: Y1 and Y2.

Promising drugs and treatment options for pediatric and adolescent patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Currently-available therapies for newly-diagnosed pediatric and adolescent patients with Hodgkin lymphoma result in >95% survival at 5 years. Long-term survivors may suffer from long-term treatment-related side effects, however, so the past 20 years have seen clinical trials for children and adolescents with HL gradually abandon the regimens used in adults in an effort to improve this situation. Narrower-field radiotherapy can reduce long-term toxicity while maintaining good tumor control.

Quantitative Plasma Proteomics to Identify Candidate Biomarkers of Relapse in Pediatric/Adolescent Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Classical pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is a rare malignancy. Therapeutic regimens for its management may be optimized by establishing treatment response early on. The aim of this study was to identify plasma protein biomarkers enabling the prediction of relapse in pediatric/adolescent HL patients treated under the pediatric EuroNet-PHL-C2 trial.

Proteomic Exploration of Plasma Exosomes and Other Small Extracellular Vesicles in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Potential Source of Biomarkers for Relapse Occurrence.

Exosomes and other small extracellular vesicles (EVs) are potential sources of cancer biomarkers. Plasma-derived EVs have not yet been studied in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), for which predictive biomarkers of relapse are greatly needed. In this two-part proteomic study, we used two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze EV proteins of plasma collected at diagnosis from children with nodular sclerosis HL, relapsed or not.

Proteomics signature of autoimmune atrophic gastritis: towards a link with gastric cancer.

Background: Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is a chronic disease that can progress to gastric cancer (GC). To better understand AAG pathology, this proteomics study investigated gastric proteins whose expression levels are altered in this disease and also in GC.

Methods: Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), we compared protein maps of gastric corpus biopsies from AAG patients and controls.

Polymorphisms in Pepsinogen C and miRNA Genes Associate with High Serum Pepsinogen II in Gastric Cancer Patients.

Background: Pepsinogen (PG) II (PGII) is a serological marker used to estimate the risk of gastric cancer but how PGII expression is regulated is largely unknown. It has been suggested that PGII expression, from the (Progastricsin) gene, is regulated by microRNAs (miRNA), but how PGII levels vary with infection and miRNAs genotype remains unclear.

Methods: Serum levels of PGI and PGII were determined in 80 patients with gastric cancer and persons at risk for gastric cancer (74 first-degree relatives of patients, 62 patients with autoimmune chronic atrophic gastritis, and 2 patients with dysplasia), with and without infection.

Overview of Epstein-Barr-Virus-Associated Gastric Cancer Correlated with Prognostic Classification and Development of Therapeutic Options.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a deadly disease with poor prognosis that is characterized by heterogeneity. New classifications based on histologic features, genotypes, and molecular phenotypes, for example, the Cancer Genome Atlas subtypes and those by the Asian Cancer Research Group, help understand the carcinogenic differences in GC and have led to the identification of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related GC subtype (EBVaGC), providing new indications for tailored treatment and prognostic factors. This article provides a review of the features of EBVaGC and an update on the latest insights from EBV-related research with a particular focus on the strict interaction between EBV infection and the gastric tumor environment, including the host immune response.

PDCD1 and IFNL4 genetic variants and risk of developing hepatitis C virus-related diseases.

Background: Genetic variants of IFNL4 and PDCD1 genes have been shown to influence the spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We investigated the IFNL4 rs12979860 and the PDCD1 polymorphisms in 734 HCV-positive patients, including 461 cases with liver disease of varying severity and 273 patients with lymphoproliferative disorders to determine the association of these genes with patient's outcome.

Methods: Expression levels of PDCD1 mRNA encoded by haplotypes were investigated by quantitative PCR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Proteomic Profiles and Biological Processes of Relapsed vs. Non-Relapsed Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The identification of circulating proteins associated with relapse in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) may help develop predictive biomarkers. We previously identified a set of predictive biomarkers by difference gel electrophoresis. Here we used label-free quantitative liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on plasma collected at diagnosis from 12 children (age 12-16 years) with nodular sclerosis HL, including six in whom the disease relapsed within 5 years of treatment in the LH2004 trial.

Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibition.

The ligation of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) with programmed cell death ligand PD-L activates the immune checkpoint leading to T-cell dysfunction, exhaustion, and tolerance, especially in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) where the PD-L/ Janus kinase (Jak) signaling was frequently found altered. Anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies can reverse this immune checkpoint, releasing the brake on T-cell responses. The characterization of the mechanisms regulating both the expression of PD-1 and PD-L and their function(s) in HL is ongoing.

Polymorphism in Toll-Like Receptors and Motility in Autoimmune Atrophic Gastritis and Gastric Cancer.

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is associated with an increased risk of certain types of gastric cancer (GC). () infection may have a role in the induction and/or maintenance of AAG and GC. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are essential for recognition and subsequent innate and adaptive immunity responses.

Proteomic Identification of Plasma Biomarkers in Children and Adolescents with Recurrent Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The treatment of paediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has steadily improved over the years, so that 10- years survival exceed 80%. The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic markers for relapsed HL that might contribute to optimize therapeutic approaches. To this aim we retrospectively analysed differential protein expression profiles obtained from plasma of children/adolescents with HL (age ranging from 10 to 18 years) collected at diagnosis.

Quantitative Proteomic Approach Targeted to Fibrinogen β Chain in Tissue Gastric Carcinoma.

Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels and tumor progression in patients with gastric cancer (GC) have been largely reported. However, distinct fibrinogen chains and domains have different effects on coagulation, inflammation, and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to characterize fibrinogen β chain (FGB) in GC tissues.

Use of Metabolomics as a Complementary Omic Approach to Implement Risk Criteria for First-Degree Relatives of Gastric Cancer Patients.

A positive family history is a strong and consistently reported risk factor for gastric cancer (GC). So far, it has been demonstrated that serum pepsinogens (PGs), and gastrin 17 (G17) are useful for screening individuals at elevated risk to develop atrophic gastritis but they are suboptimal biomarkers to screen individuals for GC. The main purpose of this study was to investigate serum metabolomic profiles to find additional biomarkers that could be integrated with serum PGs and G17 to improve the diagnosis of GC and the selection of first-degree relatives (FDR) at higher risk of GC development.

Coagulation and fibrinolysis in gastric cancer.

Coagulation is a highly conserved process occurring after an injury to a blood vessel and resulting in hemostasis. In the thrombus microenvironment, finely orchestrated events restore vessel integrity through platelet activation, adhesion, and aggregation (primary hemostasis), followed by the coagulation cascades, thrombin generation, and fibrin clot deposition (secondary hemostasis). Several studies on cancer have provided insight into dramatic changes to coagulation-related events (i.

Protein signature characterizing strains of patients with autoimmune atrophic gastritis, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer.

Background: () represents a key factor in the etiology of autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG), duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to characterize the differential protein expression of isolated from gastric biopsies of patients affected by either AAG, DU or GC.

Methods: The strains were isolated from endoscopic biopsies from the stomach of patients with gastric disease.

Identification of protein clusters predictive of tumor response in rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy.

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is the gold standard in locally advanced rectal cancer, only 10-30% of patients achieving benefits. Currently, there is a need of a reliable selection of markers for the identification of poor or non-responders prior to therapy. In this work, we compared protein profiles before therapy of patients differing in their responses to nCRT to find novel predictive markers of response to therapy.