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New Strategies to Overcome Resistance to Chemotherapy and Immune System in Cancer 3.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 21273

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Interests: pharmacological and medicinal chemist strategies to reverse multidrug resistance (ABC-transporters related); collateral sensitivity; cannabinoid receptors in cancer
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Up to 70% of solid and hematological tumors are chemoresistant at diagnosis and/or become resistant during chemotherapy, developing a multiple cross-resistance towards drugs unrelated in structure and activity, termed “multidrug resistance” (MDR). Besides being resistant to chemotherapy, MDR cells are often simultaneously resistant to multiple stresses, such as radiotherapy, hypoxia, nutrient shortage. Of note, MDR cells are also less recognized by the immune system, because they produce immune-suppressive metabolites and poorly raise an anti-tumor adaptive response by the host immune system in response to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The reasons of this chemo-immune resistance rely on the superior ability of MDR cells to adapt to stressing conditions. Metabolic rewiring and epigenetic events, such as the expression of specific miRNAs or ncRNAs, play a key role in such adaptation.

This Special Issue of IJMS will focus on the latest studies dissecting the molecular linkages between chemoresistance and immune resistance and on new possible chemo-immune sensitizer approaches, including radio–chemotherapy and radio–immune–chemotherapy combinations, metabolic modifiers, epigenetic modulators.

Prof. Dr. Chiara Riganti
Dr. Marialessandra Contino
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • multidrug resistance (MDR)
  • stress adaptation
  • immune resistance
  • immune evasion
  • cancer cell metabolism
  • cancer epigenetics
  • miRNA
  • non-coding RNA
  • radio–chemotherapy
  • radio–immune–chemotherapy
  • epigenetic modulators

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Review

29 pages, 1883 KiB  
Review
Strategies to Overcome Resistance to Immune-Based Therapies in Osteosarcoma
by Claudia Maria Hattinger, Iris Chiara Salaroglio, Leonardo Fantoni, Martina Godel, Chiara Casotti, Joanna Kopecka, Katia Scotlandi, Toni Ibrahim, Chiara Riganti and Massimo Serra
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010799 - 02 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1935
Abstract
Improving the prognosis and cure rate of HGOSs (high-grade osteosarcomas) is an absolute need. Immune-based treatment approaches have been increasingly taken into consideration, in particular for metastatic, relapsed and refractory HGOS patients, to ameliorate the clinical results currently achieved. This review is intended [...] Read more.
Improving the prognosis and cure rate of HGOSs (high-grade osteosarcomas) is an absolute need. Immune-based treatment approaches have been increasingly taken into consideration, in particular for metastatic, relapsed and refractory HGOS patients, to ameliorate the clinical results currently achieved. This review is intended to give an overview on the immunotherapeutic treatments targeting, counteracting or exploiting the different immune cell compartments that are present in the HGOS tumor microenvironment. The principle at the basis of these strategies and the possible mechanisms that HGOS cells may use to escape these treatments are presented and discussed. Finally, a list of the currently ongoing immune-based trials in HGOS is provided, together with the results that have been obtained in recently completed clinical studies. The different strategies that are presently under investigation, which are generally aimed at abrogating the immune evasion of HGOS cells, will hopefully help to indicate new treatment protocols, leading to an improvement in the prognosis of patients with this tumor. Full article
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12 pages, 735 KiB  
Review
Curcumin: A Novel Way to Improve Quality of Life for Colorectal Cancer Patients?
by Laura Layos, Eva Martínez-Balibrea and Vicenç Ruiz de Porras
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14058; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214058 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3890
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. Treatment of metastatic CRC consists of highly toxic chemotherapeutic drug combinations that often negatively affect patient quality of life (QoL). Moreover, chemotherapy-induced toxicity and chemotherapy [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. Treatment of metastatic CRC consists of highly toxic chemotherapeutic drug combinations that often negatively affect patient quality of life (QoL). Moreover, chemotherapy-induced toxicity and chemotherapy resistance are among the most important factors limiting cancer treatment and can lead to the interruption or discontinuation of potentially effective therapy. Several preclinical studies have demonstrated that curcumin acts through multiple cellular pathways and possesses both anti-cancer properties against CRC and the capacity to mitigate chemotherapy-related side effects and overcome drug resistance. In this review article, we suggest that the addition of curcumin to the standard chemotherapeutic treatment for metastatic CRC could reduce associated side-effects and overcome chemotherapy resistance, thereby improving patient QoL. Full article
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13 pages, 807 KiB  
Review
Potential Role of Selenium in the Treatment of Cancer and Viral Infections
by Aseel O. Rataan, Sean M. Geary, Yousef Zakharia, Youcef M. Rustum and Aliasger K. Salem
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(4), 2215; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23042215 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5091
Abstract
Selenium has been extensively evaluated clinically as a chemopreventive agent with variable results depending on the type and dose of selenium used. Selenium species are now being therapeutically evaluated as modulators of drug responses rather than as directly cytotoxic agents. In addition, recent [...] Read more.
Selenium has been extensively evaluated clinically as a chemopreventive agent with variable results depending on the type and dose of selenium used. Selenium species are now being therapeutically evaluated as modulators of drug responses rather than as directly cytotoxic agents. In addition, recent data suggest an association between selenium base-line levels in blood and survival of patients with COVID-19. The major focus of this mini review was to summarize: the pathways of selenium metabolism; the results of selenium-based chemopreventive clinical trials; the potential for using selenium metabolites as therapeutic modulators of drug responses in cancer (clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma (ccRCC) in particular); and selenium usage alone or in combination with vaccines in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Critical therapeutic targets and the potential role of different selenium species, doses, and schedules are discussed. Full article
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23 pages, 1347 KiB  
Review
The Role of Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Colorectal Cancer Drug Resistance
by Dimitra Ioanna Lampropoulou, Evangelia Pliakou, Gerasimos Aravantinos, Dimitrios Filippou and Maria Gazouli
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1473; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031473 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3835
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed worldwide with high morbidity; drug resistance is often responsible for treatment failure in CRC. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play distinct regulatory roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression and chemoresistance. Methods: A [...] Read more.
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed worldwide with high morbidity; drug resistance is often responsible for treatment failure in CRC. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play distinct regulatory roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression and chemoresistance. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed database in order to sum up and discuss the role of exosomal ncRNAs (ex-ncRNAs) in CRC drug resistance/response and their possible mechanisms. Results: Thirty-six (36) original research articles were identified; these included exosome or extracellular vesicle (EV)-containing microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and small-interfering (siRNAs). No studies were found for piwi-interacting RNAs. Conclusions: Exosomal transfer of ncRNAs has been documented as a new mechanism of CRC drug resistance. Despite being in its infancy, it has emerged as a promising field for research in order to (i) discover novel biomarkers for therapy monitoring and/or (ii) reverse drug desensitization. Full article
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29 pages, 1873 KiB  
Review
The Impact of the Microbiome on Resistance to Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapeutic Agents and Immunotherapy
by Aneta Sevcikova, Nikola Izoldova, Viola Stevurkova, Barbora Kasperova, Michal Chovanec, Sona Ciernikova and Michal Mego
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(1), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23010488 - 01 Jan 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5591
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms of resistance to therapy in human cancer cells has become a multifaceted limiting factor to achieving optimal cures in cancer patients. Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations, enhanced DNA damage repair activity, deregulation of cell death, overexpression of transmembrane transporters, and [...] Read more.
Understanding the mechanisms of resistance to therapy in human cancer cells has become a multifaceted limiting factor to achieving optimal cures in cancer patients. Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations, enhanced DNA damage repair activity, deregulation of cell death, overexpression of transmembrane transporters, and complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment, other mechanisms of cancer treatment resistance have been recently proposed. In this review, we will summarize the preclinical and clinical studies highlighting the critical role of the microbiome in the efficacy of cancer treatment, concerning mainly chemotherapy and immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to involvement in drug metabolism and immune surveillance, the production of microbiota-derived metabolites might represent the link between gut/intratumoral bacteria and response to anticancer therapies. Importantly, an emerging trend of using microbiota modulation by probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to overcome cancer treatment resistance will be also discussed. Full article
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