Designing a broad-spectrum integrative approach for cancer prevention and treatment

Targeted therapies and the consequent adoption of "personalized" oncology have achieved notablesuccesses in some cancers; however, significant problems remain with this approach. Many targetedtherapies are highly toxic, costs are extremely high, and most patients experience relapse after a fewdisease-free months. Relapses arise from genetic heterogeneity in tumors, which harbor therapy-resistantimmortalized cells that have adopted alternate and compensatory pathways (i.e., pathways that are notreliant upon the same mechanisms as those which have been targeted). To address these limitations, aninternational task force of 180 scientists was assembled to explore the concept of a low-toxicity "broad-spectrum" therapeutic approach that could simultaneously target many key pathways and mechanisms. Using cancer hallmark phenotypes and the tumor microenvironment to account for the various aspectsof relevant cancer biology, interdisciplinary teams reviewed each hallmark area and nominated a widerange of high-priority targets (74 in total) that could be modified to improve patient outcomes. For thesetargets, corresponding low-toxicity therapeutic approaches were then suggested, many of which werephytochemicals. Proposed actions on each target and all of the approaches were further reviewed forknown effects on other hallmark areas and the tumor microenvironment. Potential contrary or procar-cinogenic effects were found for 3.9% of the relationships between targets and hallmarks, and mixedevidence of complementary and contrary relationships was found for 7.1%. Approximately 67% of therelationships revealed potentially complementary effects, and the remainder had no known relationship. Among the approaches, 1.1% had contrary, 2.8% had mixed and 62.1% had complementary relationships. These results suggest that a broad-spectrum approach should be feasible from a safety standpoint. Thisnovel approach has potential to be relatively inexpensive, it should help us address stages and types ofcancer that lack conventional treatment, and it may reduce relapse risks. A proposed agenda for futureresearch is offered

As aptidões na definição e avaliação da inteligência: o concurso da análise fatorial

Um dos percursos seguidos pela Psicologia na definição e avaliação da inteligência identifica-se com as tentativas de fixação do número das aptidões e, no caso de defesa de um número plural de aptidões, com a questão da eventual independência ou interdependência das mesmas aptidões. A análise fatorial, primeiro exploratória e agora confirmatória, tem sido o método por excelência para fundamentar este percurso, mesmo sem nunca conseguir dar razão a uns e retirá-la a outros. Não sendo o único modelo teórico de abordagem da inteligência pela Psicologia, certo que detêm um papel importante na investigação nesta área e, sobretudo, cabe-lhe a construção e a validação dos instrumentos usados pelos psicólogos nos vários domínios da sua prática profissional. Mesmo que criticada por se centrar mais nos produtos do que nos processos cognitivos inerentes aos desempenhos, a abordagem fatorial mantêm-se atual e produtiva na psicologia, e muito concretamente na área da inteligência