Category: Post & News

Immunotherapy Covered in Special Edition of Current Clinical Pathology Post & News admin August 18, 2022 Newswise — In the latest Current Clinical Pathology publication on Immunotherapy, Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) President, Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., co-edits the volume, focused on cardiovascular toxicities. The development of immunotherapy in the oncology field has revolutionized the prognosis of many types of cancer. The immune checkpoint inhibitors target receptors whose inhibition increases the activity of immune system cells against tumor cells. In recent years, new immunotherapies have been studied and approved in a growing number of tumors including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell cancer (RCC). This volume provides a complete and updated state-of-the-art review regarding the management of cardiovascular toxicities from new immunotherapies. The manuscript is divided into different sections starting from the relationship between cancer and the immune system to let the reader understand the new molecular concepts under immunotherapy development. Subsequent chapters describe specifically the immunotherapy options in solid tumor treatment and the main features of the immuno-related cardiovascular complications. This volume is written by experts in the oncological and cardiovascular fields and aims to provide to clinicians who approach current cancer patients a useful tool to move through the paths of modern cardio-oncology. An important section would afford the most relevant interventions needed to manage the cardiac events, suggesting how to reduce their impact and effects on oncological outcomes. The text concludes by addressing future perspectives in the cardio-immunology field, discussing many aspects such as the early detection of cardiovascular damage and the potential role of liquid biopsy in new damage-related biomarkers discovery. About the Author: Antonio Russo, MD Department of Oncology – A.O.U.P. “P. Giaccone” University Hospital. Via del Vespro 129, CAP 90127 Palermo, Italy. Nicola Maurea, MD Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori⁻IRCCS-Fondazione G.Pascale Via Mariano Semmola, 52 80131  Napoli, Italy. Dimitrios Farmakis, MD Cardio-oncology Clinic, Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology Athens and University Hospital ‘Attikon’, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Antonio Giordano, MD Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center of Biotechnology College of Science and Technology, Temple University 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

‘One Health’ Approach Is Necessary to Address Rising Environmental Causes of Childhood Cancers Post & News admin July 18, 2022 Editorial by Prof. Philip Landrigan, Director of the Global Public Health Programme, published in the second issue of Annals of Research in Oncology Newswise — A multi-disciplinary, “One Health” approach to cancer research is necessary to guide society in reduction of toxic substances, as well as regulation of chemical impacts on the environment and public health, according to an editorial published recently in Issue II of Annals of Research in Oncology. Here’s the link to  editorial titled – ‘Pediatric cancer and the environment: a fifty-year perspective’ This medical-scientific journal is published by Editor in Chief Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Director and Founder of Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, and the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), at Temple University. The editorial by Prof. Philip Landrigan, Director of the Global Public Health Programme, highlights the relationship between environmental issues and childhood cancer cases, which have been growing rapidly over the past 50 years.  Landrigan’s editorial moves towards the new scientific paradigm known as “One Health”, by which is meant the indissoluble intertwining of three factors: human health, animal health and environmental health as interconnected and dependent on each other.  In particular, Landrigan emphasises the link between environment and cancer in paediatric subjects, underlining the lack of scientific models that consider the use of chemicals with undesirable effects on human health, which are not carefully studied, and the consequent increase in oncological cases in paediatrics. In fact, there is evidence that environmental exposure, in particular to manufactured chemicals, are a major cause of childhood cancer. The National Cancer Institute currently directs about 1% of its funding towards research into environmental causes of paediatric cancers.  Landrigan’s hope is to identify new scientific models based on epidemiological and toxicological studies to address the rising incidence of childhood cancer, a major challenge for society and the cancer and public health communities.  Previous PostNext Post

VR-Integrated Rehab for Cancer Patients Shows Potential in Research Review Post & News admin July 9, 2022 Newswise press release — Oncology researchers using Virtual Reality (VR) in the treatment of cancer patients have published a review of the existing literature regarding the application of this technology for the rehabilitation of cancer survivors.  Published in the journal Cancers, the study was conducted by a multidisciplinary research group coordinated by Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Siena, Italy, Director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, and President of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) at Temple University. Through an analysis of the selected studies, the research group reported the current evidence on the possible role of VR-integrated rehabilitation in the treatment of the long-term consequences of oncological diseases such as chronic pain, chronic fatigue, polyneuropathies secondary to chemotherapy, and motor deficits resulting from surgical interventions.  Study authors include: Prof. Michelino De Laurentiis, Director of the Department of Breast and Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Institute IRCCS G. Pascale Foundation, Naples; Prof. Giuseppe De Pietro, Director of the High Performance Computing and Networking Institute of the CNR; Prof. Andrea Chirico, Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology of the University of Rome La Sapienza; and Dr. Antonio Melillo, first author of the paper, psychiatry resident at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. The group also highlighted the innovativeness of this technology and its potential applications in the field of oncological rehabilitation and telemedicine with a view to patient-tailored rehabilitation care, and personalization of programs and tools better suited to the specific needs of cancer patients. This article was first published as press release on Newswise, click here for the article.

(SHRO) Drug Repurposing Identifies New Candidates to Treat Mesothelioma Post & News admin June 30, 2022 Newswise — A group of researchers including Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Director and Founder of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), Temple University, in collaboration with Stefano Landi, Ph.D.,. Chair of Genetics at University of Pisa, Italy, have identified potential novel drug candidates for the treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM). Study authors also include Federica Gemignani, Ph.D, Chair of Genetics at University of Pisa, Irene Dell’anno, Ph.D., University of Pisa, and Sarah A. Martin, PhD, Senior Lecturer at Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK. Click here to read the research paper. MPM is a disease of the pleura related to asbestos exposure, which, despite the advancements in new therapeutic frontiers, has a dismal prognosis and very limited treatment options.  The authors undertook a drug-repurposing approach that consists of evaluating existing drugs already approved for other human diseases. After screening 1170 drugs, they observed that cephalomannine, a taxane; ouabain, a cardiac glycoside; thonzonium bromide, an antifungal surfactant; and emetine, an emetic alkaloid, had marked activity against immortalized and patient-derived primary MPM cell lines. These compounds were shown to be promising, and they will be evaluated in further studies, both in vitro and in vivo.   “We believe that drug repurposing is a valuable strategy to facilitate and accelerate the definition of novel treatment options for the management of MPM,” says Luciano Mutti, M.D., Adjunct Professor at Temple University and Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO).  The lack of effective therapies remains one of the main challenges, and drug repositioning could accelerate the identification of novel treatments. Biological assays were carried out for 41 drugs showing the highest cytotoxicity and for which there was a complete lack of published literature in MPM.  The most active molecules were cephalomannine, ouabain, alexidine, thonzonium bromide, and emetine. Except for alexidine, these drugs inhibited the clonogenic ability and caspase activation in all cancer lines tested. The proliferation was inhibited also on an extended panel of cell lines, including primary MPM cells. The authors suggest that cephalomannine, ouabain, thonzonium bromide, and emetine could represent novel candidates to be repurposed for improving the arsenal of therapeutic weapons in the fight against MPM.   This article was first published on Newswise. Previous PostNext Post

Treatment with Cell Cycle Inhibitors: Another Caveat on a Clinical Trial for Mesothelioma Red-Flagged in Lancet Oncology Post & News admin June 28, 2022 Original Newswise post There is a growing awareness that the design of clinical trials can be misleading and provide evidence that does not end up actually benefiting patients in the clinical setting. This discrepancy includes clinical trials testing the efficacy of new anti-cancer treatments. A recent analysis shows that in the US, despite increased expenditure for anti-cancer drugs in recent years, the effects on survival have been very modest. The study, “Abemaciclib for malignant pleural mesothelioma,” is published in Lancet Oncology.  On the other hand, other authors have provided evidence of a clear-cut tendency to test (and possibly achieve the registration) of the same compounds for different neoplasms rather than working to discover more suitable drugs for each tumor.  “That’s why our group has recently focused on the screening of clinical trials with a particular interest in Mesothelioma,” says Antonio Giordano, President, and Founder of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) at Temple University.  “Mesothelioma is a tumor that, because of its biological complexity together with social and legal implications, has always been a paramount field of research at our Institute,” adds Luciano Mutti, M.D., co-author and Adjunct Professor, SHRO, Temple University. This time the team has screened a recent clinical trial using Abemaciclib, a cell cycle inhibitor, for Mesothelioma in patients with refractory disease.  The study of the cancer cell cycle has always been crucial in my research,” explains Professor Antonio Giordano. “In 1989, we discovered p/60Cyclin A: a pivotal protein whose dysregulation plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis and cancer cells proliferation and tumor growth. This discovery has trailblazed the use in clinical settings of a specific class of inhibitors of the effects of Cyclin A.” ”Because of our research history on cancer cell-cycle and our full awareness of the strong impact of the therapeutic inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, we consider it paramount that our results are properly translated into clinical settings,” says Prof Antonio Giordano. “The Cyclin-dependent cells proliferation is even more important when a gene for protein serving as a brake called p16 is lost,” adds Prof Antonio Giordano. The authors conclude that, although the patients with Mesothelioma treated with Abamciclib were carriers of p16 loss, the presence of bias in the trial design makes the results far from convincing. “Once more, we need more solid design of the trials,” the authors say. “Patients should be selected to resemble those usually treated in real-world practice. Nothing matters more than survival. The exorbitant cost of the new drugs should be justified by what can really be achieved for all the patients,” they conclude. Click here to read the original press release by Newswise. Previous PostNext Post