Journal of Oncology Translational Research

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cause of cancer death worldwide. About two thirds of patients present with locally advanced disease (LAHNC) (stage III e IV) in this setting a multidisciplinary approach is complex and evolving. In Recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC, Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against EGFR plus platinum - based chemotherapy (CT) allow overall survival (OS) of about 10 months. However prognosis for R/M-HNSCC remains dismal and additional efforts are needed. Currently no standard second line treatment may be offered to R/M HNSCC. Recent molecular breakthroughs in HNSCC and the use of new targeted therapies provide much hope for future strategies. Promising activity has been shown by target therapies beyond Cetuximab. Afatinib an irreversible inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR family represents a promising drug to after first line failure and to overcome Cetuximab resistance.

Metformin after its discovery has found many wonders in many varied uses, poly cystic ovarian disease being already established one. It is now standard therapy in such condition. Many enchanting pathways are depicted leading to its many efficacies. In last decade its use in ovarian and other cancers is proposed. Before another such use is proved we can see the subject had grown bigger; hence a review seems to be worthwhile.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is now being the emergent methodology for leukemia treatment. Due to HLA mis-match, there is chance of transplantation related mortality. However, with the increase in HLA mis-match between donor cells and recipient, there is more chance of complete removal of leukemic cells in host (patient). To tackle this, recently stem cells transplantation with suicidal tk-gene construct is being suggested. Due to unavailability of suitable analytical methods this option has limited applications in clinical cases. Present work provides an analytical platform to test the efficacy of this therapeutic procedure.

Light microscopic images are routinely used in clinical diagnosis. Further the confirmation of disease diagnosis is relied with the ultra-structural images. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with high resolution and high magnification is granted as one of the reliable process in this aspect. However, pathologists’ criteria for a disease diagnosis for both the processes are on the basis of qualitative and empirical in nature. In a number of hematological diseases as well as in different pathological conditions like liver cirrhosis morphological alteration of red blood cell alteration is reported. Recently some morphological alteration in red blood cells (RBC) by ultra-structural analysis has been reported in leukemic patients, though leukemia is a disease of white blood cells. It is expected that these features could be used as an event of cancer cachexia or can be used as the identifying marker for pre-cancer state. However, a systematic study so far is not done in terms of proper quantitative statement. Here an attempt has been made towards the development of an automated image analysis procedure for extracting quantitative information from the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images. This computational approach may guide the clinicians to take a decision about the disease/pre-disease state with a quantitative outlook.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a structural hallmark of solid neoplasms, and plays a critical role in multiple aspects of oncologic pathogenesis such as local invasion and immune escaping, thus substantially contributing to malignant metastasis and anti-cancer drug resistance. TME is composed of highly heterogeneous and dynamic components including vascular cells, immune network, adipocytes, fibroblasts, among others. Pathologically meaningful interactions occur between malignant cells and TME, also between the stromal cells within TME itself, consequently raising a challenging hurdle for a broad spectrum of anti-cancer agents to achieve the therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we sort out an updated understanding of TME biology with an emphasis on its roles in affecting clinical outcomes, and propose to better manage anti-cancer drug resistance through timely targeting the principal cellular components in TME by utilizing clinically available medicines.