Category: Post & News

Cellular Cilium an Early Sign of Mesothelioma Differentiation Post & News admin October 28, 2022 As Published on Newswise — A new study investigated the expression of the primary cilium in mesothelioma, finding that primary cilia is preferentially lost in the more aggressive subtype of mesothelioma and further research may confirm its potential prognostic and diagnostic value. This is the first evidence that different mesothelioma, characterized by different levels of aggressiveness, show a different pattern of primary cilium expression. Primary cilium is an organelle protruding from the cell membrane that, like an antenna, collects signals from the extracellular space and transduces information into cells. Many tumors do not express the primary cilium thereby overriding its tumor suppressor function. Despite the importance of the primary cilium, there is still a lot to understand about its functions. The study, published in the journal Cancers, was directed by Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at the Department of Medical Biotechnology of the University of Siena and President of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO). “With this study we have identified a possible marker of the heterogeneity of this orphan disease, mesothelioma, a tumor with still poor prognosis,” said prof. Giordano. “The improvement of existing treatments for mesothelioma is mainly hampered by the heterogeneity that characterizes it.” “This study underlines the importance of tailored therapies for mesothelioma patients,” said Cristiana Bellan, Professor at the Department of Medical Biotechnology of the University of Siena, “and in this context our analysis can help identify which patients could benefit from specific treatment.” Journal Reference:  Barbarino, M. et al. Analysis of Primary Cilium Expression and Hedgehog Pathway Activation in Mesothelioma Throws Back Its Complex Biology. Cancers 2022, 14, 5216. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14215216 Previous PostNext Post

Adverse Events Linked to PD-1 Blockade in Some Lung Cancer Patients Post & News admin October 12, 2022 Original Newswise post Newswise — Treatments with  PD-1/PD-L1 immuno-checkpoint inhibitors are potentially related to adverse events in patients with metastatic Non-Small-Cell-Lung Cancer (mNSCLC). The article, “PD-1/PD-L1 immuno-checkpoint blockade induces immune-effector cells modulation in metastatic Non-Small-Cell-Lung Cancer (mNSCLC)  patients: a single cell Flow Cytometry approach,” has been recently accepted for publication by Frontiers in Oncology. It describes the results of a multicenter retrospective immunobiological analysis involving researchers from multiple scientific institutions, including the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine in Philadelphia, under the direction of Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., President and founder of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO). Collaborators include scientists working at the Grand Metropolitan Hospital “Bianchi Melacrino Morelli” in Reggio Calabria, and the universities of Catanzaro, Palermo, Naples, and Siena, Italy. The study coordinated by Giordano, and led by Pierpaolo Correale, M.D., Ph.D., Ciro Botta, M.D., Ph.D., and Luciano Mutti, M.D., used an innovative bioinformatic analysis to evaluate if PD-1/PD-L1 blocking could trigger autoimmunity. “Our analysis,” says Giordano, “revealed a clear-cut treatment-related decline in the immunosuppressant cells coupled with an increase of immune cells active against cancer. On the other hand, in the same patients, as a result of the deregulation of specific immune subpopulations (e.g. NKT cells) treatment-related autoantibodies (AAb) rise and multiple immune-related adverse events occur.” “This study,” continues Correale, “has been designed because there is an urgent need  to achieve a better  characterization of the immune-biological process underlying  the effects of PD-1/PD-L1 immune-checkpoint.” “This proof-of-concept study shows AAbs’ as well as the immune- monitoring of specific peripheral lymphocyte subsets should be investigated as potential biomarkers of autoimmunity and (potentially) treatment response in patients with NSCLC receiving PD-1/PDL1 immune-checkpoint blockade.” Mutti concludes: “In order to identify other  possible mechanistic scenarios, there is need of other studies in this direction, including inflammatory and angiogenesis studies but the trail is  blazed.” About the Sbarro Health Research Organization The Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) is non-profit charity committed to funding excellence in basic genetic research to cure and diagnose cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses and to foster the training of young doctors in a spirit of professionalism and humanism. To learn more about the SHRO please visit www.shro.org Click here to read the original press release by Newswise. Previous PostNext Post

Among the causes of type 1 diabetes is a newly discovered bacterium Post & News admin September 26, 2022 Analyzing the inflammatory profile of 54 patients who underwent biopsy, it was shown that those with type 1 diabetes show, at the intestinal mucosa level, a specific inflammatory state, “different” from that present in patients with celiac disease and in individuals healthy. Patients with type 1 diabetes had inflammatory processes affecting the duodenum. Hence, the link between a bacterial form and the onset of the disease was hypothesized. The discovery was later published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and could pave the way for understanding alterations of the intestinal system in diabetic patients. This type of diabetes occurs mainly in young people, even if it can start in adulthood. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that it is caused by the body producing antibodies that destroy its own tissues because they do not recognize them as belonging to the body. The antibodies attack the beta cells inside the pancreas, which produce insulin. Insulin deficiency prevents the body from using the sugars introduced through food. In this condition, the body produces energy through the metabolism of fats, which involves the production of ketone bodies. Symptoms of lack or lack of insulin include increased urinary volume, sudden weight loss, and an increased sense of thirst. The triggering factors are heredity, environmental factors, therefore genetic factors, and precisely immune factors, linked to bacterial attacks, and infections. One bacterium, in particular, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), which mainly affects animals, appears to be related to the onset of type 1 diabetes in Sardinia, Veneto, and the countries of northern Europe. Bacterium would reach the human body through food, especially milk and dairy products and butchered meats and vegetables that are contaminated and not washed thoroughly. In genetically predisposed individuals, the immune system would be “deceived” by molecular mimicry, exchanging the proteins of one’s body for those of the micro bacterium, causing the “autoimmune reaction” which gives rise to inflammation and, in the long run, would favor the onset of diabetes type 1. Studies suggest that Map micro bacterium proteins are similar to those of pancreatic beta cell and that this would promote the autoimmune reaction. Dr. Antonio Giordano, founder and director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine of the Temple University of Philadelphia and professor of Anatomy and Pathological Histology at the University of Siena. To follow more from Dr. Antonio Giordano follow him on his social media channels, (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) Previous PostNext Post

Predicting Outcomes for Rare Form of Bladder Cancer with Metastatic Tumors Post & News admin September 15, 2022 Original Newswise post Newswise — A team of investigators from the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, and the Center for Biotechnology(SHRO) at Temple University, including Dr. Antonio Giordano and Dr. Andrea Morrione, in collaboration with Dr. Antonio Tufano from the Department of Urology of Sapienza University of Rome and Dr. Nadia Cordua from the Department of Oncology of Humanitas Institute, Milan, has recently investigated the prognostic value of site-specific metastases in patients with mUTUC and its association with survival outcome. Analysis was performed on a SEER population-based database including a total of 633 patients.  The study, “Prognostic significance of organ-specific metastases in patients with metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma,” has been published in the international-peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Medicine.  Several noteworthy observations were found. First, within the population presenting with a single organ metastatic site, the most common metastatic sites were distant lymph nodes, accounting for 36%, followed by lung, bone and liver metastases, accounting for 26%, 22.8% and 16.2%, respectively. Second, survival curves showed significantly worse overall survival for patients with liver metastases compared to patients presenting with distant lymph nodes or lung metastases. When analyzing cancer specific survival (CSS), statistically significant differences were detectable only between patients presenting with liver metastases vs distant lymph node metastases. Third, Multivariate analyses showed that the presence of liver or multiple organ metastatic sites were an independent predictor of poor survival. Additionally, survival benefits were found in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy and chemotherapy.  The authors believe this work is important to provide a detailed picture of metastatic behavior in patients with mUTUC. Click here to read the original press release by Newswise. Previous PostNext Post

Molecular Medicine Review Reveals the Role of IGF in Cancer, Other Proliferative Disease Post & News admin August 31, 2022 Newswise — Studies suggest that Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF) plays a central role in pathological growth of proliferative conditions like cancer, and may function as a resistance mechanism adopted by the majority of solid cancers following therapeutic targeting of non-IGF signaling pathways. Last week, the journal Cell Cycle published the review article titled, “Cell Cycle Control by the Insulin-like Growth Factor Signal: At the Crossroad between Cell Growth and Mitotic Regulation.” The work comes from the longstanding expertise and collaboration of the co-authors affiliated with the ISOPROG-Somatolink Research Network and the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, part of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), at Temple University in Philadelphia, along with the Arthur Riggs Diabetes Institute and Beckmann Research Institute at City of Hope in Duarte, California. The long missing critical overview conveyed in the article has been defined as, “a remarkable piece of work,” and, “a nice and comprehensive review [on] the cell growth/mitotic regulation by the insulin-like growth factors signal,” by its peer reviewers. According to the authors, “the article has been specifically designed both for newcomers in the IGF biology field as well as to established researchers focusing on pathway-driven molecular targeting. “Overall, the review aims to clarify and functionally connect established experimental findings and re-directs readers on extensively validated research on this complex molecular system and its growth/mitotic cellular network. “Analysis suggests that IGF signal co-targeting strategies and solutions still represent an unmet objective in current pathway-driven cancer therapeutics. Consequently, a better understanding of the IGF growth/mitotic-regulatory signal remains a key goal towards more effective cancer therapies.” See the study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15384101.2022.2108117 About the Sbarro Health Research Organization, The Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) is non-profit charity committed to funding excellence in basic genetic research to cure and diagnose cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses and to foster the training of young doctors in a spirit of professionalism and humanism. To learn more about the SHRO please visit www.shro.org Previous PostNext Post