Newly appearing or changing melanocytic lesions (MLs) are a recently reported toxicity of BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) therapy. Morphologically, MLs associated with BRAFi therapy (BRAFi-MLs) may demonstrate alarming features of melanoma with an epithelioid cell phenotype with notable cytologic atypia. We sought to characterize the clinicopathological and molecular features of BRAFi-MLs. A retrospective review over a 4-year period revealed 20 patients in which 44 MLs (including 11 control nevi) were characterized by histopathology, review of clinical medical records, and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies (with anti-BRAF V600E, anti-BAP1, anti-cyclin D1, and anti-p16); the percentage of IHC+ cells was scored. Of the 20 patients, 3 (15%) whose BRAFi-MLs were biopsied had a second primary cutaneous melanoma. Of the 44 BRAFi-MLs tested, 37 (100%) of 37 MLs available for BRAF V600E testing lacked expression in contrast to 1 (9%) of 11 control nevi (lesions not associated with targeted therapy). A significantly higher level of cyclin D1 expression (>50% IHC+ cells) was more commonly seen in BRAFi-MLs (44%) than in control nevi (9%). No difference in p16 expression in melanocytes was seen between the 2 groups. BRAF mutation status distinctly differs between BRAFi-MLs from melanomas and nevi biopsied in patients who do not receive BRAFi therapy. Morphologically, BRAFi-MLs demonstrate a greater degree of atypia than do control nevi. Furthermore, BRAFi-MLs with coexisting cutaneous keratinocyte toxicity developed during fewer days of targeted therapy. Paradoxical activation of the MAPK pathway in BRAF(WT) melanocytes may account for ~15% to 21% of patients developing a second new primary melanoma within a year of starting BRAFi therapy; thus, close clinical surveillance is warranted.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been intensively investigated in regenerative medicine. Among the different types of MSCs, adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) can be obtained with relatively less invasive techniques. Since ASC administration is a candidate strategy for the treatment of refractory diseases including pulmonary fibrosis, we investigated whether intratracheal injection of ASCs had therapeutic potential against bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury in rats.

An acute aortic thrombus is an unusual finding, and this is a source of distal arterial embolism, which has a poor prognosis. Chemotherapeutics have been reported as possible rare causes of acute arterial thrombus. We report four cases of acute aortic thrombus after chemotherapy, which were effectively treated with systemic anticoagulation or endovascular management.

Currently, chemotherapy is one of the main therapy for cancer. But the traditional antitumor drugs are systemic distribution in vivo, they are difficult to achieve an effective drug concentration in the tumor tissue and don't have the ability to distinguish normal cells and tumor cells by themselves, that cause systemic toxicity easily and can not meet the clinical needs. With the research on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) deepening, more and more attention in the drug delivery system have been payed to in recent years, because of its unique physicochemical structure characteristics, it has the effect on specific targets, directly inhibits the tumor cell growth, reduces the side effects to normal cells, tissues and organs and can be long-term medication, etc. It is expected to be excellent carriers of antitumor drugs. MSNs application in the field of cancer treatment has now become a hot research field of medicine. In this paper, the latest research about MSNs in antitumor drugs targeting delivery system from 2008 to 2015 is summarized, including the application of MSNs separately in antitumor drug targeting, passive targeting, active targeting, physical or chemical conditions response targeting and other compound targeting drug delivery system. We expect it to provide a reference to the toxicity reducing and efficacy enhancing and further development of chemical medicine, natural medicine and monomeric compound of chinese herbal medicine.

Cancer, an abnormal cell proliferation resulted from multi-factors,has the highest morbidity and mortality among all the serious diseases. Considerable progress has been made in cancer biology in recent years. Tumor immunology, cancer stem cells (CSCs), autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have become hot topics of interests in this area. Detailed dissection of these biological processes will provide novel directions, targets, and strategies for the pharmacological evaluation, mechanism elucidation, and new drug development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most common retinal vein disease with significant visual loss via thrombus or compression of vein wall. Thrombophilia is the predisposition to vascular thrombosis with the existence of genetic defect that leads to blood hypercoagulability. This report describes the case of a 55 year old male patient, with an active life who presented himself at the emergency room with acute visual lose, insidious and progressive visual field constriction, without any known history of neurological or vascular diseases. The examinations revealed unilateral optic nerve head edema, the fluorescein angiography was specific for nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion CRVO complicated with macular edema. Blood examinations has emphasized the presence of the heterozygous mutation A1298C in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR), the only one presented from the thrombophilia screen panel and a slightly elevated cholesterol level. During the follow-up period, the patient received anti-VEGF treatment (Bevacizumab, 3x 0.1 ml intravitreal injections) with improved visual acuity and amendment of macular edema. The complex etiology calls for interdisciplinary approach to determine better the cause of this ophthalmological disease. Although studies have found a correlation between some thrombophilia mutations and retinal vein occlusion, more studies that contain a larger number of patients are necessary in order to determine the final role of these gene variants.

Neovascular glaucoma (NVG), participates in the group of secondary glaucoma causing the-increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) as a result of iridocorneal angle enclosure with the development of neovase derived from the retinal ischemic and other inflamatory diseases.

The clinical application of doxorubicin is limited by its cardiotoxicity. The present study investigated the effect of valsartan on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into 6 groups: control, control + valsartan (10 mg/kg, for 14 days, orally), doxorubicin-treated (2.5 mg/kg, 3 times/week for 2 weeks, intraperitoneally), valsartan then doxorubicin, valsartan + doxorubicin, and doxorubicin then valsartan. ECG, isolated heart, lipid peroxidation (thiobaribituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and Bax, Bcl-2, and senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30) gene expression were measured in cardiac tissue. Blood samples were collected to measure lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB). Doxorubicin significantly increased LDH, CK-MB, TBARS, heart rate (HR), Bax gene expression, and -dP/dtmax and decreased TAC, Bcl-2 and SMP30 gene expression, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), and +dP/dtmax. Also, doxorubicin lengthened ST, QT, and QTc intervals. Concurrent or post- but not pre-treatment of doxorubicin-treated rats with valsartan reduced LDH, CK-MB, TBARS, HR, Bax gene expression, -dP/dtmax, and ST, QT, and QTc intervals and increased TAC, Bcl-2 and SMP30 gene expression, LVDP, and +dP/dtmax. Therefore, we conclude that concurrent or post- but not pre-treatment of doxorubicin-induced rats with valsartan attenuated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, and senescence.

Bacterial DNA topoisomerases are unique in maintaining the DNA topology for cell viability. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA gyrase, a sole type II topoisomerase has a larger scope as a target for developing novel therapeutics. In this study, an effort was made towards the design and synthesis of benzothiazinone-piperazine hybrid analogues to obtain the possibility of it to lead development through the molecular hybridization technique.

The majority of childhood cancer patients now achieve long-term survival, but the treatments that cured their malignancy often put them at risk of adverse health outcomes years later. New cancers are among the most serious of these late effects. The aims of this review are to compare and contrast radiation dose-response relationships for new solid cancers in a large cohort of childhood cancer survivors and to discuss interactions among treatment and host factors.

Rituximab (Rit) therapy added to involved-field radiation therapy (RT) has been proposed as an effective treatment for stage I-II follicular lymphoma (FL). The results of an observational multicenter study on the Rit-RT combination in limited-stage FL are here reported.

Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are well established antisecretory drugs that have been used as first line treatment for symptomatic control in hormonally active neuroendocrine tumours (NET) for three decades. Both available depot formulations of SSA, long-acting repeatable (LAR) octreotide and lanreotide autogel, seem similarly effective and well tolerated, although comparative trials in NET have not been performed. The importance of SSA as antiproliferative treatment has been increasingly recognized during recent years. Two placebo-controlled trials demonstrated significant prolongation of progression free survival under SSA treatment. However, objective response as assessed by imaging is rare. Interferon-α (IFNα) also has antisecretory and antiproliferative efficacy in NET. Due to the less favourable toxicity profile it mainly has a role as add-on option in the refractory setting, especially in carcinoid syndrome patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate the antiproliferative efficacy of the multiligand SSA pasireotide and the role of pegylated IFNα.

With the properties of efficacy, safety, tolerability, practicability and low cost, foods containing bioactive phytochemicals are gaining significant attention as elements of chemoprevention strategies against cancer. Sulforaphane [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)butane], a naturally occurring isothiocyanate produced by cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, is found to be a highly promising chemoprevention agent against not only a variety of cancers such as breast, prostate, colon, skin, lung, stomach or bladder, but also cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. For reasons of experimental exigency, preclinical studies have focused principally on sulforaphane itself, while clinical studies have relied on broccoli sprout preparations rich in either sulforaphane or its biogenic precursor, glucoraphanin. Substantive subsequent evaluation of sulforaphane pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics has been undertaken using either pure compound or food matrices. Sulforaphane affects multiple targets in cells. One key molecular mechanism of action for sulforaphane entails activation of the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway although other actions contribute to the broad spectrum of efficacy in different animal models. This review summarizes the current status of pre-clinical chemoprevention studies with sulforaphane and highlights the progress and challenges for the application of foods rich in sulforaphane and/or glucoraphanin in the arena of clinical chemoprevention.

Research in chemoprevention has undergone a shift in emphasis for pragmatic reasons from large, phase III randomized studies to earlier phase studies focused on safety, mechanisms, and utilization of surrogate endpoints such as biomarkers instead of cancer incidence. This transition permits trials to be conducted in smaller populations and at substantially reduced costs while still yielding valuable information. This article will summarize some of the current chemoprevention challenges and the justification for the use of animal models to facilitate identification and testing of chemopreventive agents as illustrated though four inherited cancer syndromes. Preclinical models of inherited cancer syndromes serve as prototypical systems in which chemopreventive agents can be developed for ultimate application to both the sporadic and inherited cancer settings.

Multiple epidemiologic studies have documented an association between the anti-diabetic agent metformin and reduced cancer incidence and mortality. However, this effect has not been consistently demonstrated in animal models or more recent epidemiological studies. The purpose of this paper is to examine metformin's chemopreventive potential by reviewing relevant mechanisms of action, preclinical evidence of efficacy, updated epidemiologic evidence after correction for potential biases and confounders, and recently completed and ongoing clinical trials. Although repurposing drugs with well described mechanisms of action and safety profiles is an appealing strategy for cancer prevention, there is no substitute for well executed late phase clinical trials to define efficacy and populations that are most likely to benefit from an intervention.

Pharmacologic interventions for cancer risk reduction involve the chronic administration of synthetic or natural agents to reduce or delay the occurrence of malignancy. Despite the strong evidence for a favorable risk-benefit ratio for a number of agents in several common malignancies such as breast and prostate cancer, the public's attitude toward cancer chemoprevention remains ambivalent, with the issue of toxicity associated with drugs being perceived as the main barrier to widespread use of preventive therapy by high-risk subjects. Among the strategies to overcome such obstacles to preventive therapies, two novel and potentially safer modes of administering agents are discussed in this paper. The first strategy is to lower the dose of drugs that are in common use in the adjuvant setting based on the notion that prevention of cancer cells from developing should require a lower dose than eradicating established tumor cells. A second approach is to adopt an intermittent administration similar to what is used in the chemotherapy setting in an attempt to minimize risks while retaining benefits. This article provides a detailed discussion of the principles and future development of these two approaches in the direction of a precision preventive medicine.

Breast cancer prevention with pharmacologic agents requires that the breast be exposed to an effective drug; systemic exposure is unnecessary, and its harms lead many eligible women to decline preventive therapy. Local transdermal therapy (LTT) to the breast involves the application of active drugs to the breast skin, resulting in high concentrations in the breast but low systemic exposure. It is non-invasive, self-delivered, and not dependent on hepatic metabolism. Existing data on LTT include investigations demonstrating relief of mastalgia with topical 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT, an active tamoxifen metabolite). Two presurgical window trials in women with invasive breast cancer, and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) demonstrate that LTT decreases proliferation of invasive and non-invasive cancer cells to a similar degree as oral tamoxifen, with low systemic levels, and no effect on coagulation proteins. These data are promising regarding the use of LTT for the primary prevention of breast cancer, and for therapy of DCIS, since systemic exposure is not required for either of these purposes. They also suggest that an LTT approach could be developed for any small, lipophilic molecule with good dermal permeation, thus greatly expanding the menu of drugs that could be tested for breast cancer prevention.

Development of new anticancer drugs has resulted in improved mortality rates and 5-year survival rates in patients with cancer. However, many of the modern chemotherapies are associated with cardiovascular toxicities that increase cardiovascular risk in cancer patients, including hypertension, thrombosis, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. These limitations restrict treatment options and might negatively affect the management of cancer. The cardiotoxic effects of older chemotherapeutic drugs such as alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and anticancer antibiotics have been known for a while. The newer agents, such as the antiangiogenic drugs that inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor signalling are also associated with cardiovascular pathology, especially hypertension, thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, and proteinuria. Exact mechanisms by which vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors cause these complications are unclear but impaired endothelial function, vascular and renal damage, oxidative stress, and thrombosis might be important. With increasing use of modern chemotherapies and prolonged survival of cancer patients, the incidence of cardiovascular disease in this patient population will continue to increase. Accordingly, careful assessment and management of cardiovascular risk factors in cancer patients by oncologists and cardiologists working together is essential for optimal care so that prolonged cancer survival is not at the expense of increased cardiovascular events.

Despite significant advances in melanoma therapy, melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of only 15%. Thus, novel treatments are required to address this disease. Notch and ERBB are evolutionarily conserved signaling cascades required for the maintenance of melanocyte precursors. We show that active Notch1 (Notch1(NIC)) and active (phosphorylated) ERBB3 and ERBB2 correlate significantly and are similarly expressed in both mutated and wild-type BRAF melanomas, suggesting these receptors are co-reactivated in melanoma to promote survival. Whereas blocking either pathway triggers modest effects, combining a ?-secretase inhibitor to block Notch activation and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor to inhibit ERBB3/2 elicits synergistic effects, reducing cell viability by 90% and hampering melanoma tumor growth. Specific inhibition of Notch1 and ERBB3 mimics these results, suggesting these are the critical factors triggering melanoma tumor expansion. Notch and ERBB inhibition blunts AKT and NF?B signaling. Constitutive expression of NF?B partially rescues cell death. Blockade of both Notch and ERBB signaling inhibits the slow cycling JARID1B-positive cell population, which is critical for long-term maintenance of melanoma growth. We propose that blocking these pathways is an effective approach to treatment of melanoma patients regardless of whether they carry mutated or wild-type BRAF.