Treatment of c-kit positive adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tongue: a case report

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) or ‘cylindroma’ is a malignant tumor that often occurs in the areas of the head and neck, affecting the secretory glands and the major and minor salivary glands. The present study describes a case of a patient who presented with a posterior tongue lesion. The case is of a 71-year-old female with an asymptomatic volume growth of the posterior left tongue perceived 8 months prior, and neoplastic cells positive for c-kit. A computed tomography of the head and neck showed asymmetry of the base of the tongue, which was enlarged in the left portion. A physical examination revealed a nodule on the posterior left tongue of ~3 cm in diameter, while the cervical lymph node chain had a normal size and consistency. Surgical exeresis of the tongue lesion and cervical lymph node dissection were performed. Subsequent to surgical removal of the cancer cells and adjuvant radiotherapy, the patient showed excellent health, although the follow-up remains in progress. ACC, one of the most biologically destructive tumors of the head and neck, is locally aggressive and gives rise to distant metastases. The tongue is the place of origin in 3.4–17.1% of cases. The treatment for ACC consists of primary surgical resection with adjuvant radiotherapy. To prevent the risk for distant metastasis, it is necessary to remove the first echelon nodes and monitor the patient with a long-term follow-up

Peptide functionalization of silicon for detection and classification of prostatic cells

The development of simple, rapid, and low costmethods for early detection, identification, andmeasurement ofmultiple biomarkers remains a challenge to improve diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis of cancer. Biosensing technology, combining the properties of biological systems with functional advanced materials, guarantees rapid, reproducible, and highly sensitive cell detection. In this study, we developed silicon-based biochips for prostate cancer PC3 cells detection by using cytokeratin 8/18 and Urotensin Receptor (UTR) as markers in order to obtain a biochip-based diagnostic system. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and fluorescence microscopy were used to characterize surface homogeneity and chemical properties. Cell detection was investigated by optical microscopy.Moreover, synthetic fluorescently labeled peptides were prepared and used for developing faster and lowercost identification assay compared with classic ELISA immunoassay. Results showed an effective immobilization of PC3 cells on silicon surface and the specific recognition of these cells by fluorescent Urotensin II (4-11). In conclusion, this strategy could be really useful as diagnostic system for prostate cancer

Keratin 5 expression in squamocellular carcinoma of the head and neck

Keratin 5 (K5) is present in the basal layer of a stratified squamous keratinized and non-keratinized epithelium. K5 and K14 have been demonstrated in the mucosa and tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx, and in the mitotic active basal cells of a stratified squamous epithelium. The aim of the present study was to assess K5 expression in squamocellular carcinoma with various localizations in the head and neck. A total of 13 biopsy fragments were included from patients diagnosed with squamocellular carcinoma of the larynx area (n=2), pharynx (n=2), hard palate (n=1), tongue (n=2), submandibular (n=1), lip (n=1), gingival sulcus (n=1), nasal pyramid (n=1), maxilla (n=1) and zygomatic (n=1). The immunohistochemical staining for K5 was evaluated according to the following score criteria: 0 (0% positive cells); 1 (<10% positive cells); 2 (10–30% positive cells); and 3 (>30% positive cells). K5 expression was observed in all squamocellular carcinomas included in the present study with scores between 1 and 3. For well- and moderately-differentiated histopathological types, a maximum score of 3 was recorded for all of the cases, not including the laryngeal area, which presented a score of 2. The following scores were identified in the regions of the poorly differentiated carcinomas: Jaw, 3; gingival sulcus, 2; and tongue and submandibular area, 1. These observations may aid with an improved stratification of head and neck squamocellular carcinoma, thus improving the diagnosis and treatment strategies for this type of cancer

Role of perineural invasion as a prognostic factor in laryngeal cancer

The diffusion of laryngeal cancer cells in the perineural space is a parameter associated with a negative prognosis, high loco-regional recurrence and low disease-free survival rates. The spread of tumor cells on the perineural sheath highlights the histopathological and clinically aggressive behavior of this type of tumor, which may extend proximally or distally in the nerve for >10 cm. Therefore, the surgical resection margin is generally insufficient to treat patients with laryngeal cancer presenting with perineural invasion (PNI) with surgery alone. In PNI, the minor laryngeal nerves are frequently involved, rather than the superior and inferior laryngeal nerves. The aim of the present study was: i) To evaluate the prognostic importance of PNI; ii) to correlate the rate of infiltration with factors associated with the tumor, including histotype, site and tumor-node-metastasis stage, and with the type of surgery (total or partial laryngectomy); and iii) to evaluate the rate of disease-free survival according to the outcome of combined surgery and radiotherapy (RT) treatment, by means of retrospective analysis. The results of the present study highlighted the importance of performing a closer clinical and instrumental follow-up in patients with laryngeal cancer whose histopathological examination is positive for PNI. In such cases, it is important to complement the surgical therapeutic treatment with adjuvant RT

Polydatin Induces Differentiation and Radiation Sensitivity in Human Osteosarcoma Cells and Parallel Secretion through Lipid Metabolite Secretion

Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer characterized by the production of osteoid tissue and immature bone from mesenchymal cells. Osteosarcoma mainly affects long bones (femur is most frequently site) and occur in children and young adults with greater incidence. Here, we investigated the role accomplished by polydatin, a natural antioxidative compound, in promoting osteogenic differentiation alone or after radiation therapy on osteosarcoma cells. In vitro, polydatin significantly induced cell cycle arrest in S-phase and enhanced bone alkaline phosphatase activity. Moreover, the differentiation process was paralleled by the activation of Wnt-β-catenin pathway. In combination with radiotherapy, the pretreatment with polydatin promoted a radiosensitizing effect on osteosarcoma cancer cells as demonstrated by the upregulation of osteogenic markers and reduced clonogenic survival of tumor cells. Additionally, we analyzed, by mass spectrometry, the secretion of sphingolipid, ceramides, and their metabolites in osteosarcoma cells treated with polydatin. Overall, our results demonstrate that polydatin, through the secretion of sphingolipids and ceramide, induced osteogenic differentiation, alone and in the presence of ionizing therapy. Future investigations are needed to validate the use of polydatin in clinical practice as a potentiating agent of radiotherapy-induced anticancer effects

Polydatin Incorporated in Polycaprolactone Nanofibers Improves Osteogenic Differentiation

Polycaprolactone nanofibers are used as scaffolds in the field of tissue engineering for tissue regeneration or drug delivery. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable hydrophobic polyester used to obtain implantable nanostructures, which are clinically applicable due to their biological safety. Polydatin (PD), a glycosidic precursor of resveratrol, is known for its antioxidant, antitumor, antiosteoporotic, and bone regeneration activities. We aimed to use the osteogenic capacity of polydatin to create a biomimetic innovative and patented scaffold consisting of PCL-PD for bone tissue engineering. Both osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used to test the in vitro cytocompatibility of the PD-PCL scaffold. Reverse-phase (RP) HPLC was used to evaluate the timing release of PD from the PCL-PD nanofibers and the MTT assay, scanning electron microscopy, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were used to evaluate the proliferation, adhesion, and cellular differentiation in both osteosarcoma and human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded on PD-PCL nanofibers. The proliferation of osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2) on the PD-PCL scaffold decreased when compared to cells grown on PLC nanofibers, whereas the proliferation of MSCs was comparable in both PCL and PD-PCL nanofibers. Noteworthy, after 14 days, the ALP activity was higher in both Saos-2 cells and MSCs cultivated on PD-PCL than on empty scaffolds. Moreover, the same cells showed a spindle-shaped morphology after 14 days when grown on PD-PCL as shown by SEM. In conclusion, we provide evidence that nanofibers appropriately coated with PD support the adhesion and promote the osteogenic differentiation of both human osteosarcoma cells and MSCs

Extracellular Vesicles: New Endogenous Shuttles for miRNAs in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy?

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of membranous cell-derived structures, including cargo-oriented exosomes and microvesicles. EVs are functionally associated with intercellular communication and play an essential role in multiple physiopathological conditions. Shedding of EVs is frequently increased in malignancies and their content, including proteins and nucleic acids, altered during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. EVs-mediated intercellular communication between tumor cells and between tumor and stromal cells can modulate, through cargo miRNA, the survival, progression, and drug resistance in cancer conditions. These consolidated suggestions and EVs&rsquo; stability in bodily fluids have led to extensive investigations on the potential employment of circulating EVs-derived miRNAs as tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic vehicles. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge about circulating EVs-miRNAs in human cancer and the application limits of these tools, discussing their clinical utility and challenges in functions such as in biomarkers and instruments for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy