From Wound Coverage to Functional Healing: A Narrative Review of Biomaterial Applications in Head and Neck Mucosal Defects.

Background: Reconstruction of head and neck mucosal defects presents unique challenges due to the anatomical complexity and functional demands of the region. Artificial biomaterials such as collagen and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets have gained clinical traction owing to their ease of use and reduced surgical burden. However, limitations such as local inflammation, degradation-related complications, and mechanical instability-particularly in highly mobile areas like the tongue-continue to hinder their broader application.

The UALCAN and GEPIA Analyses of the TCGA Database Show a Strong Association Between Increased Expression of in Adrenocortical Carcinoma Tissues and Patient Survival.

Background/aim: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) arises from the adrenal cortex. This cancer is characterized by a very low incidence, poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Because early detection is extremely difficult and no effective treatment has been established, the five-year survival rate is very low.

Cancer-induced nerve injury promotes resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy.

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a well-established factor of poor prognosis in multiple cancer types, yet its mechanism remains unclear. Here we provide clinical and mechanistic insights into the role of PNI and cancer-induced nerve injury (CINI) in resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. Our study demonstrates that PNI and CINI of tumour-associated nerves are associated with poor response to anti-PD-1 therapy among patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and gastric cancer.

Elevated Expression in Uveal Melanoma Predicts Poor Patient Prognosis.

Background/aim: Uveal melanoma (UVM) is the most prevalent primary intraocular malignancy, accounting for 3-5% of all melanomas. Despite its rarity, particularly in Japan (~2 cases per 100,000 individuals annually), UVM exhibits highly aggressive behavior, with nearly 50% of patients developing distant metastases. Once metastasized, the prognosis remains dismal, with a median survival of only 4-5 months.

Increased Expression of DDX39 in Uveal Melanoma Is Associated With Patient Prognosis.

Background/aim: Uveal melanoma is one of the most common primary intraocular tumors. It arises from melanocytes in the uvea and accounts for 3-5% of all melanomas. Uveal melanoma has a high metastatic potential.

Desmoplastic reaction in the microenvironment of head and neck and other solid tumors: the therapeutic barrier.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a challenge due to limited prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic options. The tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly the desmoplastic reaction (DR) characterized by stromal fibrosis, plays a crucial role in cancer progression and resistance to therapy. This review aims to summarize the biological significance of DR in HNSCC initiation, progression, and treatment resistance.

Up-regulated DDX39 in Adrenocortical Carcinoma Is Associated With Patient Survival.

Background/aim: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a very rare tumor characterized by poor prognosis and high mortality. The origin of this tumor is primarily the adrenal cortex. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma has not improved despite therapeutic advances.

Biological implications of decoding the extracellular matrix of vulva cancer.

The present review aimed to elucidate the roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) components in the progression of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) and explore potential therapeutic avenues for this type of malignancy. This exploration holds promise for identifying precise molecular targets within the ECM milieu, thus facilitating the development of innovative therapeutic modalities tailored to disrupt these interactions and ultimately improve patient outcomes in VSCC. The dysregulated ECM serves as a potent driver of SCC tumor progression, orchestrating key processes such as angiogenesis, inflammation and stromal cell behavior.

Neural landscape is associated with functional outcomes in irradiated patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

The incidence of human papilloma virus-mediated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has increased over the past 40 years, particularly among young individuals with a favorable prognosis; however, current therapy often leads to unfortunate side effects, such as dysphagia. Despite the emphasis on dysphagia in previous studies, there is an important research gap in understanding the correlation between neuronal changes and patient-reported and functional outcomes in patients with OPSCC. To address this issue, we examined pathologic tissue samples from patients with OPSCC using multiplex immunofluorescence staining and machine learning to correlate tumor-associated neuronal changes with prospectively collected patient-reported and functional outcomes.

Neuro-immune interactions and immuno-oncology.

The nervous system is an important component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), driving tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Neuronal cues (e.g.

Immune checkpoint therapy-current perspectives and future directions.

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) has dramatically altered clinical outcomes for cancer patients and conferred durable clinical benefits, including cure in a subset of patients. Varying response rates across tumor types and the need for predictive biomarkers to optimize patient selection to maximize efficacy and minimize toxicities prompted efforts to unravel immune and non-immune factors regulating the responses to ICT. This review highlights the biology of anti-tumor immunity underlying response and resistance to ICT, discusses efforts to address the current challenges with ICT, and outlines strategies to guide the development of subsequent clinical trials and combinatorial efforts with ICT.

A Standardized Extract of Cultured Up-regulates COX-2 in Inflammation-related Malignant Progressive Fibrosarcoma Cell Clone QRsP-11.

Background/aim: Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme that transforms arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an isoform of cyclooxygenase. There exist many reports on the expression levels of COX-2 in cancer tissues, and prognosis of cancer patients has been reported to be related to COX-2 up-regulation.

High Expression of PEA15 Is Associated With Patient Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Background/aim: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but very aggressive tumor that is primarily pleural in origin. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with MPM has not improved despite therapeutic advances. Therefore, biomarker discovery to identify premalignant or early malignant tumors of the mesothelium are crucial.

The Expression Levels of Vinculin in Pancreatic Cancer Tissues Significantly Correlates With Patient Survival.

Background/aim: Proteomics is an approach that can detect differentially expressed proteins between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue samples. Previously, we found that vinculin was predominantly expressed in pancreatic cancerous tissues compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues by performing proteomic differential display analysis. However, the clinicopathological significance of vinculin in pancreatic cancer has not yet been documented.

A standardized extract of cultured mycelia downregulates cortactin in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells.

AHCC, a standardized extract of cultured mycelia, enhances the therapeutic effects and reduces the adverse effects of chemotherapy. Our previous study reported that treatment with AHCC downregulated the expression levels of tumor-associated proteins in the gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line, KLM1-R. However, to the best of our knowledge, the role of AHCC in the inhibition of cell migration remains unexplored.

ITGA2, LAMB3, and LAMC2 may be the potential therapeutic targets in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: an integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common form of pancreatic cancer with an abysmal prognosis rate over the last few decades. Early diagnosis and prevention could effectively combat this malignancy. Therefore, it is crucial to discover potential biomarkers to identify asymptomatic premalignant or early malignant tumors of PDAC.

DNA hypermethylation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) caused by betel quid chewing-a possible predictive biomarker for malignant transformation.

Background: DNA hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is observed in precancerous lesions and oral cancer of individuals with the habits of betel quid (BQ) chewing. SIRT1 has been identified as playing a role in the maintenance of epithelial integrity, and its alteration is often related to carcinogenesis. However, the methylation and transcription status of SIRT1 in patients with BQ chewing-related oral cancer has not been investigated.

How Each Component of Betel Quid Is Involved in Oral Carcinogenesis: Mutual Interactions and Synergistic Effects with Other Carcinogens-a Review Article.

Purpose Of Review: The roles of the components of betel quid in oral carcinogenesis remain unclear. The purpose of the present review is to highlight the effect of each component of betel quid and to discuss the synergistic effects of other carcinogens along with betel quid in the development of oral cancer in habitual betel quid chewers.

Recent Findings: Betel quid may synergistically participate in carcinogenesis by disrupting the compositions of oral microbiota, accompanied by endotoxins secretion and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

Sirtuin 1 and oral cancer.

The sirtuins (SIRTs) are a family of highly conserved histone deacetylases (HDACs) consisting of seven members (SIRT1-SIRT7). Over the past few decades, SIRT1 has been the most extensively studied and garnered tremendous attention in the scientific community due to its emerging role in cancer biology. However, its biological role in the regulation of oral cancer is not yet fully understood.

Effect of UV Irradiation on the Nutritional Quality and Cytotoxicity of Apple Juice.

UV-C irradiation operating at 254 nm wavelength on the polyphenolic and vitamin contents of apple juice including cytotoxicity analysis was studied. UV doses ranging from 0 to 150 mJ·cm were selected for the treatments. Polyphenols (catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and phloridzin) and vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxal hydrochloride, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine dihydrochloride, cyanocobalamin, choline chloride, biotin, niacin, and niacinamide) were chemically profiled.