Cancer Therapeutic Tools Research Articles

L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) in invasive tumors

The L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily and was originally identified in the nervous system. Recent studies demonstrated L1CAM expression in various types of cancer, predominantly at the invasive front of tumors and in metastases, suggesting its involvement in advanced stages of tumor progression. Overexpression of L1CAM in normal and cancer cells increased motility, enhanced growth rate and promoted cell transformation and tumorigenicity. Moreover, the expression of L1CAM in tumor cells conferred the capacity to form metastases. These properties of L1CAM, in addition to its cell surface localization, make it a potentially useful diagnostic marker for cancer progression and a candidate for anti-cancer therapy. We review the role of L1CAM in cancer progression with particular emphasis on colon cancer, and the potential of anti-L1CAM antibodies as a therapeutic tool for cancer.

Antisense therapy for cancer

Antisense oligonucleotides (AO) are short (typically 13–20 bases in length) sequences of single-stranded DNA or RNA complementary to expressed genes and are chemically modified to protect them from enzymatic breakdown. They are designed to hybridise by Watson– Crick base pairing with mRNA transcripts encoding proteins of interest and in this way ‘silence’ the expression of that particular gene and subsequently its protein product. The earliest attempt to inhibit gene expression using AO was reported in 1978. The Rous sarcoma virus was downregulated when exposed to a 13-base oligonucleotide complementary to the 30reiterated terminal sequences in a chick embryo fibroblast. Technology was developed in the early 1980s for automated synthesis of oligonucleotides with appropriate modifications of the backbones to protect against nuclease digestion and breakdown and greatly prolonging the duration of effect. With the great economy of scale, it has opened up the prospect of harnessing ‘gene silencing’, by synthetic oligonucleotides as a therapeutic tool for cancer. However, during the development of AO therapy, there have been a number of design and development problems to overcome.

Inhibition of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis due to modified C60 on HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells and it's macrophage-like cells

This report showed an inhibitory effect of cell proliferation on HL-60 human leukemic cells followed by modified C60s. Additionally, those C60s was capable to be phagocytosed by a macrophages differentiated from HL-60 cells. An adequate modification of C60 may become a candidate of therapeutic tools for cancer.

Monoclonal antibodies: Innovations in diagnosis and therapy

To provide a review of the use of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for diagnosis and therapy, the obstacles affecting their usefulness, and nursing considerations unique to MAb-based treatments. Research studies, review articles, and book chapters pertaining to MAbs in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Recent clinical trials have shown the potential of MAbs as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in cancer. MAbs may be used alone or conjugated with drugs, radionuclides, and toxins; however numerous obstacles limit their effectiveness. Oncology nurses caring for patients receiving MAb-based therapies play an important role in the implementation of the patient's regimen. Hypersensitivity reactions, constitutional symptoms, and serum sickness are toxic effects that require monitoring and patient education.