Conventional Cancer Treatment Research Articles

Extraction, Separation and Purification of Bioactive Anticancer Components from Peganum harmala against Six Cancer Cell Lines Using Spectroscopic Techniques

Conventional cancer treatments normally involve chemotherapy or a combination of radio- and chemotherapy. However, the adverse effects of synthetic medicines encouraged the exploration of novel therapeutic medications of a bio-friendly nature. In an effort to explore anticancer compounds from natural resources, crude extract of Peganum harmala (seeds) was fractionated on the basis of polarity, and the fractions were further tested for anticancer activity. Brine shrimp lethality assays and potato disc antitumor assays were used to test each fraction for cytotoxic and antitumor potential. The ethyl acetate fraction was found to be most potent, with LC50 and IC50 values of 34.25 µg/mL and 38.58 µg/mL, respectively. Further activity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of the bioactive compound PH-HM-10 which was identified and characterized by Mass Spectroscopy (MS), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1HNMR), Carbon Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (13CNMR) and Heteronuclear Single Quantum Correlation (HSQC). Anticancer aspects in the isolated compound were determined against six human cancer cell lines with a maximum anticancer effect (IC50 = 36.99 µg/mL) against the tested human myeloid leukemia (HL-60) cell line, followed by the human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line (A549) and the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) with an IC50 of 63.5 µg/mL and 85.9 µg/mL, respectively). The findings of the current study suggest that the isolated compound (Pegaharmine E) is significantly active against the tested cancer cell lines and can be further investigated to develop future novel anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Australian oncology health professionals on complementary medicines

AbstractBackgroundApproximately half of people with cancer are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), presenting safety concerns due to potential interactions with conventional cancer treatment. Oncology staff have a role to play in ensuring the safe use of CAMs and so, this study examined their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding CAMs.AimThis study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Australian doctors, nurses, and pharmacists regarding CAM use in oncology.MethodMembers of three national oncology professional associations took part in an online questionnaire, which determined their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding CAM.ResultsNinety‐nine completed surveys were obtained from nine doctors, 70 nurses, and 20 pharmacists. Most respondents (68.4%) felt that they did not have adequate knowledge of CAMs to respond to patients' questions. Assessment of attitudes found respondents generally believed that CAMs have a complementary role in oncology but indicated their concerns for the safety of patients. Respondents indicated in practice they would discuss CAMs with less than half of patients (40.6%), with a lack of scientific data and guidelines for CAM use presenting significant barriers to these discussions.ConclusionOur study suggests that oncology health professionals' knowledge of CAMs potentially leads to a lack of confidence in providing advice to patients and concerns for patient safety. This impacts their discussion of CAMs and lack of disclosure from patients about their use of CAMs. Education on CAMs in oncology would assist in increasing professionals' confidence in discussing these therapies, leading to increased patient disclosure of CAMs and safer treatment decision making for people with cancer.

Nutrition Therapy Promotes Overall Survival in Cachectic Cancer Patients through a New Proposed Chemical-Physical Pathway: The TiCaCONCO Trial (A Randomized Controlled Single-Blinded Trial)

Cancer threatens nutritional status, and many patients will become cachectic with a negative impact on prognosis. In the TiCaCo pilot trial, we showed a positive effect of calorie matching Nutrition Therapy on both morbidity and mortality. We attempt to validate these results in the TiCaCONCO trial. In a prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial, patients were treated with either intensive, individual biometric parameter-oriented dietary counseling (nutrition therapy or NT) for a maximum period of three months, or regular dietary counseling (control or CT), before and during conventional cancer treatment. Sixty patients were enrolled over a two-year period, with 30 receiving nutrition therapy and 30 being controls. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Overall survival at 12 months in all patients was 47% (14/30 patients) in the CT group with a median OS of 45.5 weeks, and 73% (22/30 patients) in the NT group with a median OS that was undefined (i.e., cannot be calculated, as >50% of patients in the NT group were still alive at the end of the study) (p = 0.0378). The survival difference still exists when only male patients are analyzed, but is not observed in female patients. Biophysical measurements were performed at 0, 3, and 12 months in all patients. In men, the differences between CT vs NT were statistically significant for body hydration (p = 0.0400), fat mass (p = 0.0480), total energy expenditure (p = 0.0320), and median overall survival at 12 months (p = 0.0390). At 3 months (end of the intervention), the differences between CT vs NT for body hydration were 73 ± 3% vs. 75 ± 5%, for fat mass 14 ± 4% vs. 19 ± 5%, and for total energy expenditure 2231 ± 637 Kcal vs. 2408 ± 369 Kcal. In women, the differences between CT vs NT were not statistically significant for body hydration (p = 1.898), fat mass (p = 0.9495), total energy expenditure (p = 0.2875) and median overall survival at 12 months (p = 0.6486). At 3 months (end of the intervention), the differences between CT vs. NT for body hydration were 74 ± 2% vs. 78 ± 5%, for fat mass 25 ± 7% vs. 29 ± 19%, and for TEE 1657 ± 297 Kcal vs. 1917 ± 120 Kcal. Nutrition Therapy, based on patient-specific biophysical parameters, including the measurement of metabolism by indirect calorimetry and body composition measurements by BIA, improves overall survival, at least in men. The mechanism would be increasing extra energy for the body, which is necessary to fight off cancer.

Cytotoxic Test of Cassia alata L. Leaves Ethanol Extracts, Fractions, and Main Compounds against MCF-7 Cells

Cancer is the primary cause of death worldwide. Conventional cancer treatment is known to be less than optimal because of its chemoresistance and toxicity to normal cells. The search for cancer drugs from natural ingredients is still being carried out as an effort to overcome these problems. Cassia alata L. leaf extract is known to have antibacterial and antitumor activities. The main compounds of C. alata L. leaves (emodin, aloe-emodin, and kaempferol) have been reported to have antiproliferative activity. This study aimed to examine the cytotoxic activity of the C. alata L. leaves ethanol extracts, fractions, and main compounds against breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Cytotoxic activity was carried out by the MTT method. IC50 was determined by linear regression analysis describing the relationship between concentration and % cell viability. The results showed that aloe-emodin, emodin, and kaempferol had better cytotoxic activity than the extract and fractions of the C. alata L. leaves with IC50 values respectively 12.7 ppm, 18.1 ppm, and 131.3 ppm.Keywords: Breast cancer, cytotoxic assay, Cassia alata L., ketepeng cina, MCF-7.

The Self-Administered Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Supplements and Antioxidants in Cancer Therapy and the Critical Role of Nrf-2-A Systematic Review.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) supplements are widely used by cancer patients. Dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, and antioxidants are especially popular. In a systematic literature review, 37 studies, each including more than 1000 participants, on CAM, dietary supplement, and vitamin use among cancer patients were identified. Accordingly, cancer patients use antioxidants such as vitamin C (from 2.6% (United Kingdom) to 41.6% (United States)) and vitamin E (from 2.9% (China) to 48% (United States)). Dietary supplements and vitamins are taken for different reasons, but often during conventional cancer treatment involving chemotherapy or radiotherapy and in a self-decided manner without seeking medical advice from healthcare professionals. Drug-drug interactions with dietary supplements or vitamins involving multiple signaling pathways are well described. Since most of the anticancer drugs generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), an adaptive stress response of healthy and malignant cells, mainly driven by the Nrf-2-Keap I network, can be observed. On the one hand, healthy cells should be protected from ROS-overproducing chemotherapy and radiotherapy; on the other hand, ROS production in cancer cells is a "desirable side effect" during anticancer drug treatment. We here describe the paradoxical use of antioxidants and supplements during cancer therapy, possible interactions with anticancer drugs, and the involvement of the Nrf-2 transcription factor.

CD44+/CD24- Expression as predictors of ovarian cancer chemoresistance: immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry study

BackgroundThe conventional standard treatment for ovarian cancer is not very effective, and the disease is fatal for women. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) that express CD44+/CD24- can contribute to chemoresistance and a poor prognosis. We seek to investigate the expression of CSCs (CD44+/CD24-) in ovarian cancer and their predictive significance.MethodsThe ambispective cohort was performed on 64 patients (32 patients in each group) at four hospitals (Cipto Mangunkusumo, Tarakan, Fatmawati, and Dharmais Hospital). Debulking surgery was performed on the patients, followed by histopathological analysis. The patients had six rounds of chemotherapy and were under monitoring for six months. The therapeutic responses were evaluated using the RECIST criteria (Response Criteria in Solid Tumors) and categorized as chemoresistant or chemosensitive. Using immunohistochemistry, we directly assess the CSCs from ovarian cancer tissue and using flow cytometry to assess the CSCs from the blood.ResultsHigh CSCs expression and ovarian cancer chemoresistance were significantly related in both trials (p 0.05). A better outcome was obtained using CD44+/CD24- immunohistochemistry.ConclusionsWe conclude that there is a substantial association between high CSCs expression and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer and that CSCs immunohistochemistry has a higher predictive value.

Updates on Responsive Drug Delivery Based on Liposome Vehicles for Cancer Treatment.

Liposomes are well-known nanoparticles with a non-toxic nature and the ability to incorporate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs simultaneously. As modern drug delivery formulations are produced by emerging technologies, numerous advantages of liposomal drug delivery systems over conventional liposomes or free drug treatment of cancer have been reported. Recently, liposome nanocarriers have exhibited high drug loading capacity, drug protection, improved bioavailability, enhanced intercellular delivery, and better therapeutic effect because of resounding success in targeting delivery. The site targeting of smart responsive liposomes, achieved through changes in their physicochemical and morphological properties, allows for the controlled release of active compounds under certain endogenous or exogenous stimuli. In that way, the multifunctional and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers for the drug delivery of cancer therapeutics enhance the efficacy of treatment prevention and fighting over metastases, while limiting the systemic side effects on healthy tissues and organs. Since liposomes constitute promising nanocarriers for site-targeted and controlled anticancer drug release, this review focuses on the recent progress of smart liposome achievements for anticancer drug delivery applications.

Natural Products for Liver Cancer Treatment: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery.

Primary liver cancer was the seventh most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death with about 906,000 cases and 830,000 deaths, respectively, in 2020. Conventional treatment for liver cancer, such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or sorafenib, has limitations in that there is the recurrence of cancer, drug inefficacy, and adverse effects. Traditional medicine and natural products of several regions including Korea, China, Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East have attracted a lot of attention since they have been reported to have anticancer effects with low adverse effects. In this review, several in vivo studies on the effects of natural compounds on liver cancer and clinical trials approving their therapeutic benefits were selected and discussed. As a result of the analysis of these studies, the effects of natural compounds were classified into a few mechanisms: apoptosis, anti-metastasis, and antiangiogenesis. In addition, medications including natural products in clinical trials were observed to exhibit improvements in various liver cancer symptoms and patients’ survival rates. This study presents findings suggestive of the anticancer potential of natural products and their properties in relieving related symptoms.

Altered MUC1 epitope-specific CTLs: A potential target for immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer.

The efficacy of conventional treatments for pancreatic cancer remains unsatisfactory, and immunotherapy is an emerging option for adjuvant treatment of this highly deadly disorder. The tumor-associated antigen (TAA) MUC1 is expressed in a variety of human cancers and is overexpressed in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer, which makes it an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. As a self-protein, MUC1 shows a low immunogenicity because of immune tolerance, and the most effective approach to breaking immune tolerance is alteration of the antigen structure. In this study, the altered MUC11068-1076Y1 epitope (YLQRDISEM) by modification of amino acid residues in sequences presented a higher immunogenicity and elicited more CTLs relative to the wild-type (WT) MUC11068-1076 epitope (ELQRDISEM). In addition, the altered MUC11068-1076Y1 epitope was found to cross-recognize pancreatic cancer cells expressing WT MUC1 peptides in an HLA-A0201-restricted manner and trigger stronger immune responses against pancreatic cancer via the perforin/granzyme apoptosis pathway. As a potential HLA-A0201-restricted CTL epitope, the altered MUC11068-1076Y1 epitope is considered as a promising target for immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer. Alteration of epitope residues may be feasible to solve the problem of the low immunogenicity of TAA and break immune tolerance to induce immune responses against human cancers.

Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapeutics and Diagnostics.

Conventional treatment for cancer is done by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery, which work by inhibiting the growth of the rapidly dividing neoplastic cells and excision of the neoplastic tissue, respectively. These methods affect the healthy tissues along with the diseased ones, as chemotherapeutic agents often cause toxicity in the body and a variety of unfavorable side effects, which can highly impair bodily functions. Otherwise, while operating, there is the danger of some cancerous cells not being excised or unnecessary additional removal of healthy tissues, againcausing the patient to lose some functionality of their body. The emerging field of nanotechnology helps to revolutionize imaging and therapeutic management in cancer. The use of metallic nanoparticles, especiallythose derived from an inert metal like gold, which has a great list of advantages such as high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, easy synthesis, and effective functionality, makes this innovative technology crucial for further propagation of this field. These nanoparticles have a dual function, i.e., helping in precise fluorescent bioimaging and drug delivery of potent medication to specific tissue sites without affecting the general area highly in a negative fashion. Thus, integrating these methods into current clinical practice would advance our methods for diagnostics as well as treatment while decreasing the stress on the patient, overall elevating medical practices.

Effect of Zoledronic Acid Treatment on Cell Adhesion Molecules in Prostate Cancer Stem Cells

Prostat kanserinin tanı ve tedavisine yönelik birçok alanda ilerleme sağlanabilmesine rağmen hastalık bazı vakalar için ölümcül olma niteliğini sürdürmektedir. Hastaların ölümden kurtulması için atılan her adım hedefe yaklaşılmasına yardım etse de halen sonuca ulaşmak için araştırılması gereken pek çok konu bulunmaktadır.
 Kök hücrenin keşfi ile bu hücrelerin insan sağlığı için önemi anlaşılmış ve tedavide nasıl kullanılacağının belirlenmesine yönelik çalışmalar büyük hız kazanmıştır. İlerleyen yıllarda Kanser Kök Hücresi kavramı ortaya çıkmış ve bu hücrelerin, kök hücre özelliklerini taşıyan ancak tümör dokusu içinde metastazı yapan, tedavi sonrası nükse yol açabilen veya tedaviye direnç̧ geliştiren hücreler oldukları belirlenmiştir. Köklülük özelliğine sahip bu hücreler dışında kalan hücre gurubu kanser kök hücresi olmayan hücre gurubudur ve konvansiyonel kanser tedavisine cevap veren kanser hücrelerdir. Kanserin metastaz yapması ve çevre dokuya invazyonunda adezyon moleküllerinin önemi büyüktür. Yapılan çalışmalar özellikle çoklu ilaç direnci ve epitelial mezenşimal geçişte adezyon moleküllerinin büyük önem kazandığını göstermiştir.
 Bu çalışmanın amacı prostat kanseri kök hücreleri üzerine zoledronik asit uygulaması sonrası, metastaz geliştirme sürecinde önemli rolü olan adezyon molekülleri üzerine etkisinin incelenmesidir. Bu amaçla DU145 insan prostat kanseri hücre hattından akım sitometri cihazı ile CD133/CD44 yüzey belirteçleri kullanılarak izole edilen kanser kök hücreleri üzerine zoledronik asit tedavisi uygulanmıştır. Kanser kök hücresinde oluşan değişiklikler adezyon molekülleri yönü ile araştırılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar zoledronik asit tedavisi sonrası kanser kök hücresi sayısında önemli bir düşüş olduğunu ve bu uygulamanın CD44, ITGB1, CD29, LAMB1, LAMB3, LAMC1, SPP1, TGFB1, TGFB1, TIMP2, ADAMTS1, ITGB5’de önemli değişimlere yol açtığını göstermiştir. 
 Bu çalışmada in-vitro ortamda zoledronik asit uygulamasının kanser kök hücresi adezyon molekülleri üzerine baskılayıcı etki oluşturduğu ve ilerleyen çalışmalarda bu ilacın klinik kullanımda prostat kanseri tedavisinde uygulanabilme olasılığının olduğunu göstermiştir.

Review Article: Immune Landscape and Immunotherapy Options in Cervical Carcinoma.

Simple SummaryCervical cancer is one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate, especially in women of reproductive age. A lot of treatment modalities are being used in clinical practice but they come with a wide range of toxic side effects, the relapse of cancer, and a low disease-free survival rate. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape of cervical cancer as it focuses majorly on agents that stimulate the body’s own immune system against tumor cells. A deeper understanding of immune system players and immune perturbations in the onset and progression of cervical cancer can pave the way to better treatment with zero relapse. Immunotherapy holds the key to a cancer-free future. This review summarizes the immune players that are perturbed in cervical cancer, and immunotherapy options that are being exploited, alone or in combination, for the treatment of cervical carcinoma in women.Carcinoma of the cervix is one of the most common cancers that claims women’s lives every year. Despite preventive HPV vaccines and conventional cancer treatments, approximately 273,000 women succumb to cervical carcinoma every year. Immune system perturbations help malignant cells in immune evasion, tumor establishment, invasion, and metastasis. An insight into immune system players that promote or suppress cervical cancer is important for the development of more targeted therapies with the fewest side effects. Immunotherapy has emerged as the most compliant approach to target cancer because it utilizes a natural course of action to stimulate the immune system against cancer cells. The major immunotherapy approaches for cervical carcinoma include monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint blockade therapy, adoptive cell transfer therapies, and oncolytic viruses. In October 2021 the FDA approved pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy or bevacizumab as a first-line treatment for cervical cancer. A recent breakthrough has been made in the cancer immunotherapy regimen in which a monoclonal antibody dostarlimab was able to completely cure all colorectal cancer patients, with disease-free progression after 6 months and counting. This creates hope that immunotherapy may prove to be the final nail in the coffin of this centuries-long prevalent disease of “cancer”.

Natural Radiosensitizers in Radiotherapy: Cancer Treatment by Combining Ionizing Radiation with Resveratrol.

Conventional cancer treatment is mainly based on the surgical removal of the tumor followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. When surgical removal is not possible, radiotherapy and, less often, chemotherapy is the only way to treat patients. However, despite significant progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and developments in modern radiotherapy techniques, radiotherapy (alone or in combination) does not always guarantee treatment success. One of the main causes is the radioresistance of cancer cells. Increasing the radiosensitivity of cancer cells improves the processes leading to their elimination during radiotherapy and prolonging the survival of cancer patients. In order to enhance the effect of radiotherapy in the treatment of radioresistant neoplasms, radiosensitizers are used. In clinical practice, synthetic radiosensitizers are commonly applied, but scientists have recently focused on using natural products (phytocompounds) as adjuvants in radiotherapy. In this review article, we only discuss naturally occurring radiosensitizers currently in clinical trials (paclitaxel, curcumin, genistein, and papaverine) and those whose radiation sensitizing effects, such as resveratrol, have been repeatedly confirmed by many independent studies.

A guide through conventional and modern cancer treatment modalities: A specific focus on glioblastoma cancer therapy (Review).

Cancer still ranks as one of the top causes of morbidity and mortality despite recent improvements in standard chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. This underlines some of the difficulties in creating successful therapeutic strategies, but it also highlights the shortcomings of conventional methods. In order to enhance the standard treatment of cancer patients, biology‑driven therapies are emerging towards more specific and effective clinical options. In the present review, both conventional and novel methods for cancer treatment were addressed, with a particular focus on Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) therapies. GBM is one of the most challenging cancers for conventional treatments, and survival rates of patients remain very low. In the present review, focus was addressed on employed chemo‑ and radiotherapies along with developing novel targeted and immunotherapies assessed in clinical trials on patients with GBM or yet to be evaluated clinically. It was aimed to evaluate efficiency of treatments in suppressing GBMs, roadblocks and challenges. A brief discussion of a few promising delivery methods for targeted drug and gene therapy for cancer was also provided. Increment advancements in this field emphasizes the significance of combining different treatment strategies for improved survival and quality of patients' lives.

An Insight into Neuropeptides Inhibitors in the Biology of Colorectal Cancer: Opportunity and Translational Perspectives

Neuropeptides are mainly secreted from the human central and peripheral nervous systems. Neuropeptides bind to its cognate rhodopsin-like G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and perform various physiological functions. Conventional cancer treatments in clinical practice still present many drawbacks due to the lack of selectivity toward the target cell, drug-resistance, and side-effects, thus pushing for the development of new therapeutic agents and therapies. Recent research suggests that neuropeptides influence cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis and, therefore, they could be exploited as a target for novel anticancer therapies. Very recently, targeted approaches that inhibit neuropeptides and their associated receptors are being developed in cancer treatment. This review focuses on various neuropeptides and their potential utility as drug targets by different inhibitors as a recently identified approach to cancer prevention, with particular emphasis on colorectal cancer.

Ultrasound Triggering of Liposomal Nanodrugs for Cancer Therapy: A Review.

Efficient conventional chemotherapy is limited by its nonspecific nature, which causes severe systemic toxicity that can lead to patient discomfort and low therapeutic efficacy. The emergence of smart drug delivery systems (SDDSs) utilizing nanoparticles as drug nanocarriers has shown great potential in enhancing the targetability of anticancer agents and limiting their side effects. Liposomes are among the most investigated nanoplatforms due to their promising capabilities of encapsulating hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic drugs, biocompatibility, physicochemical and biophysical properties. Liposomal nanodrug systems have demonstrated the ability to alter drugs’ biodistribution by sufficiently delivering the entrapped chemotherapeutics at the targeted diseased sites, sparing normal cells from undesired cytotoxic effects. Combining liposomal treatments with ultrasound, as an external drug release triggering modality, has been proven effective in spatially and temporally controlling and stimulating drug release. Therefore, this paper reviews recent literature pertaining to the therapeutic synergy of triggering nanodrugs from liposomes using ultrasound. It also highlights the effects of multiple physical and chemical factors on liposomes’ sonosensetivity, several ultrasound-induced drug release mechanisms, and the efficacy of ultrasound-responsive liposomal systems in cancer therapy. Overall, liposomal nanodrug systems triggered by ultrasound are promising cancer therapy platforms that can potentially alleviate the detriments of conventional cancer treatments.

Anticancer effect of aqueous extract of Persia rose on Oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background and Aim: Conventional cancer treatments usually have complex complications. Also, the resistance of cancer cells to treatments is a special point that indicates the need for alternative therapies such as the use of herbal compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of aqueous extract of Persia rose on oral cancer cell line.

Interaction Between Immune and Cancer Cells and Promising CAR T-cell Therapy

CD8⁺cytotoxic T cells, CD4⁺ helper T cells, and regulatory T cells interact differently with cancer. CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells recognize the antigens presented by cancer cells and kill cancer cells in various ways. CD4⁺ helper T cells recruit other immune cells and promote them to destroy cancer cells. On the other hand, regulatory T cells suppress T cell proliferation and the immune response of both CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells and CD4⁺ helper T cells. This suppressive mechanism often leads to the progression of cancer. These T cell-cancer cell interactions can often render conventional cancer treatments ineffective, leaving a need for new and improved therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been an emerging immunotherapy especially against B cell cancers. While CAR T-cell therapy has shown some successful cases, there are still limitations in CAR T-cell therapy that need to be overcome.

Photodynamic therapy of lung cancer, where are we?

Lung cancer remains the leading threat of death globally, killing more people than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. Novel lung cancer treatments are being researched because of the ineffectiveness of conventional cancer treatments and the failure of remission. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a cancer treatment method that is still underutilized, is a sophisticated cancer treatment that shows selective destruction of malignant cells via reactive oxygen species production. PDT has been extensively studied in vitro and clinically. Various PDT strategies have been shown to be effective in the treatment of lung cancer. PDT has been shown in clinical trials to considerably enhance the quality of life and survival in individuals with incurable malignancies. Furthermore, PDT, in conjunction with the use of nanoparticles, is currently being researched for use as an effective cancer treatment, with promising results. PDT and the new avenue of nanoPDT, which are novel treatment options for lung cancer with such promising results, should be tested in clinical trials to determine their efficacy and side effects. In this review, we examine the status and future potentials of nanoPDT in lung cancer treatment.

A Systematic Review of Apoptosis in Correlation With Cancer: Should Apoptosis Be the Ultimate Target for Cancer Treatment?

Targeting apoptosis in cancer therapy has become increasingly popular, and there has been an increasing debate on whether apoptosis should be one of the main targets of therapy in cancer management. This study demonstrates the definition of apoptosis, the signaling pathways, and the pathogenesis behind it. We also show the correlation between apoptosis and cancer and how cancer can evade apoptosis to develop resistance to therapy. In addition, we illustrate the efficacy of adding pro-apoptotic therapy to conventional radio-chemotherapy cancer treatment.A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), and ResearchGate, including papers written in English, focusing on adult and geriatric populations, in literature reviews, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials published in the last 25 years with relevance to the question.Based on the findings of this review, we conclude that apoptosis is a very sophisticated programmed cellular death with many signaling pathways. Its evasion should be considered one of the hallmarks of cancer and is responsible for multiple drug resistance (MDR) to cancer therapy. Targeting apoptosis seems promising, especially if combined with radio-chemotherapy.