correlating imaging parameters with molecular data an integrated approach to improve the management of breast cancer patients

The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the studies aimed at integrating imaging parameters with molecular biomarkers for improving breast cancer patient's diagnosis and prognosis. The use of diagnostic imaging to extract quantitative parameters related to the morphology, metabolism, and functionality of tumors, as well as their correlation with cancer tissue biomarkers is an emerging research topic. Thanks to the development of imaging biobanks and the technological tools required for extraction of imaging parameters including radiomic features, it is possible to integrate imaging markers with genetic data. This new field of study represents the evolution of radiology–pathology correlation from an anatomic–histologic level to a genetic level, which paves new interesting perspectives for breast cancer management

Phosphorylation-regulated degradation of the tumor-suppressor form of PED by chaperone-mediated autophagy in lung cancer cells

PED/PEA-15 is a death effector domain (DED) family member with a variety of effects on cell growth and metabolism. To get further insight into the role of PED in cancer, we aimed to find new PED interactors. Using tandem affinity purification, we identified HSC70 (Heat Shock Cognate Protein of 70kDa)-which, among other processes, is involved in chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)-as a PED-interacting protein. We found that PED has two CMA-like motifs (i.e., KFERQ), one of which is located within a phosphorylation site, and demonstrate that PED is a bona fide CMA substrate and the first example in which phosphorylation modifies the ability of HSC70 to access KFERQ-like motifs and target the protein for lysosomal degradation. Phosphorylation of PED switches its function from tumor suppression to tumor promotion, and we show that HSC70 preferentially targets the unphosphorylated form of PED to CMA. Therefore, we propose that the up-regulated CMA activity characteristic of most types of cancer cell enhances oncogenesis by shifting the balance of PED function toward tumor promotion. This mechanism is consistent with the notion of a therapeutic potential for targeting CMA in cancer, as inhibition of this autophagic pathway may help restore a physiological ratio of PED form

Neuroblastoma en niños menores de 18 meses. Experiencia de 10 años en el Centro Hematooncológico Pediátrico del Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell

ResumenIntroducciónEl neuroblastoma es el tumor maligno más frecuente en los lactantes. Su curso clínico es variable, desde la regresión espontánea a la progresión maligna, y los factores pronósticos son múltiples, como la edad, el estadio, la amplificación de N-myc y la ploidía tumoral. Se describen las características de todos los pacientes con neuroblastoma menores de 18 meses asistidos en CHOP.Pacientes y métodosEstudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo en el período entre el 31 de enero de 2000 y el 31 de enero de 2011. El diagnóstico se realizó por histología y aspirado de médula ósea. Los pacientes se estadificaron por INSS; el tratamiento se decidió según el estadio y el riesgo.ResultadosSe incluyeron 22 pacientes menores de 18 meses (52% de todos los neuroblastomas), con una media de edad de 9,6 meses. Once pacientes se encontraban en estadio 4. La localización más frecuente fue suprarrenal; presentaban metástasis 13 pacientes. Quince niños recibieron poliquimioterapia y 20 fueron tratados quirúrgicamente. La amplificación del gen N-myc se demostró en 3 pacientes. La sobrevida global fue del 77% y la sobrevida libre de enfermedad fue del 77%.Discusión y conclusionesLa mayor parte de los casos fueron diagnosticados en niños menores de 9 meses. Fueron más frecuentes los estadios 4 y 1. No se pudo demostrar asociación entre N-myc y el estadio de enfermedad. La sobrevida fue excelente.AbstractIntroductionNeuroblastoma is the most common malignant tumor in infants. Its clinical behavior is variable, from spontaneous regression to malignant progression; prognostic factors are multiple, such as age, stage, N-myc amplification and tumor ploidy. We describe the characteristic of all patients with neuroblastoma less than 18 months of age assisted in CHOP.Patients and methodsRetrospective, observational and descriptive study in the period between 31/1/00 y 31/01/11. Diagnose was made from histology and bone marrow aspirate. Patients were classified by INSS stage; treatment was decided according to stage and risk.ResultsTwenty two patients were included (52% of allneuroblastomas), with a mean age of 9,6 months.Eleven patients were classified in stage 4. The most frequent localization was adrenal; 14 patientspresented methastasis. Fifteen patients received chemotherapy and 20 were surgically intervened. N-myc amplification was detected in 3 patients. Overall survival was 77% and event-free survival was 77%.Discussion and conclusionsThe majority of cases were diagnosed in children younger than 9 months.Stages 4 and 1 were the most frequent. No association between N-myc and stage could be determined.Overall and event-free survival were excellent

Nanoparticle-based strategies for cancer immunotherapy and immunodiagnostics

Although recent successes in clinical trials are strengthening research focused on cancer immunology, the poor immunogenicity and off-target side effects of immunotherapeutics remain major challenges in translating these promising approaches to clinically feasible therapies in the treatment of a large range of tumors. Nanotechnology offers target-based approaches, which have shown significant improvements in the rapidly advancing field of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we first discuss the chemical and physical features of nanoparticulate systems that can be tuned to address the anticancer immune response, and then review recent, key examples of the exploited strategies, ranging from nanovaccines to NPs revising the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, up to immunotherapeutic multimodal NPs. Finally, the paper concludes by identifying the promising and outstanding challenges the field of emerging nanotechnologies is facing for cancer immunotherapy

CA15-3 is a useful serum tumor marker for diagnostic integration of hybrid positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography during follow-up of breast cancer patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of CA15-3 for the diagnostic integration of molecular imaging findings performed with hybrid positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PETCT) technology

Biobanking in health care: evolution and future directions

The aim of the present review is to discuss how the promising field of biobanking can support health care research strategies. As the concept has evolved over time, biobanks have grown from simple biological sample repositories to complex and dynamic units belonging to large infrastructure networks, such as the Pan-European Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI). Biobanks were established to support scientific knowledge. Different professional figures with varied expertise collaborate to obtain and collect biological and clinical data from human subjects. At same time biobanks preserve the human and legal rights of each person that offers biomaterial for research

Relationship between functional imaging and immunohistochemical markers and prediction of breast cancer subtype: a PET/MRI study

The aim of this study was to determine if functional parameters extracted from the hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) correlate with the immunohistochemical markers of breast cancer (BC) lesions, to assess their ability to predict BC subtype