The Heterogeneity of Cancer Metabolism

The Heterogeneity of Cancer Metabolism
Author: Anne Le
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2018-06-26
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 331977736X

Genetic alterations in cancer, in addition to being the fundamental drivers of tumorigenesis, can give rise to a variety of metabolic adaptations that allow cancer cells to survive and proliferate in diverse tumor microenvironments. This metabolic flexibility is different from normal cellular metabolic processes and leads to heterogeneity in cancer metabolism within the same cancer type or even within the same tumor. In this book, we delve into the complexity and diversity of cancer metabolism, and highlight how understanding the heterogeneity of cancer metabolism is fundamental to the development of effective metabolism-based therapeutic strategies. Deciphering how cancer cells utilize various nutrient resources will enable clinicians and researchers to pair specific chemotherapeutic agents with patients who are most likely to respond with positive outcomes, allowing for more cost-effective and personalized cancer therapeutic strategies.

Understanding the Crosstalk Between Immune Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer and Its Implications for Immunotherapy

Understanding the Crosstalk Between Immune Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer and Its Implications for Immunotherapy
Author: Noha Mousaad Elemam
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2023-09-13
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 2832534929

One of the current challenges and failures of immunotherapy is in part due to the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that provides a formidable barrier to immune infiltration and function. The TME consists of various cell types (tumor cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune cells), soluble signaling molecules (cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines), and extracellular matrix. On another note, metabolic disturbances in various TME components, such as hypoxia, acidosis, lactate accumulation, and nutrient deprivation, can play a critical role in the tumor progression. Furthermore, genetic and epigenetic dysfunctions are known to be part of the characteristics of cancer development. The immune cells could have a pro- or anti-tumor role in the TME, and their activity might vary in the context of different cancers. Both innate and adaptive immune cells interact with tumor cells through direct contact or through chemokines and cytokines signaling, shaping the tumor's activity and response to therapy.

Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapy

Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapy
Author: Pawel Kalinski
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2017-12-22
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 331967577X

The tumor microenvironment has become a very important and hot topic in cancer research within the past few years. The tumor microenvironment is defined as the normal cells, molecules, and blood vessels that surround and feed a tumor cell. As many scientists have realized, studying the tumor microenvironment has become critical to moving the field forward, since there are many players in a tumor’s localized and surrounding area, which can significantly change cancer cell behavior. There is a dual relationship wherein the tumor can change its microenvironment and the microenvironment can affect how a tumor grows and spreads. Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapy aims to shed light on the mechanisms, factors, and mediators that are involved in the cancer cell environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that in addition to promoting tumor progression and protecting tumor cells from the spontaneous immune-mediated rejection and different forms of cancer therapeutics, tumor microenvironment can also be a target and mediator of both standard and newly-emerging forms of cancer therapeutics. Thus, the dual role of the tumor microenvironment is the integral focus of the volume. The volume highlights the bi-directional interactions between tumor cells and non-malignant tumor component during tumor progression and treatment. It also focuses on the three groups of the reactive tumor component: stromal cells, blood vessels and the infiltrating immune cells. These three groups are discussed under the lens of their role in promoting tumor growth, shielding the tumor from rejection and from standard forms of cancer therapies. They are emerging as targets and mediators of standard and new forms of potential therapy.

Tumor-Associated Fibroblasts and their Matrix

Tumor-Associated Fibroblasts and their Matrix
Author: Margareta M. Mueller
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2011-07-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9400706596

During the last 20 years it has become increasingly clear that the tumor micro-environment, the tumor stroma with its cellular end extracellular components, plays an crucial role in regulating tumor growth and progression. This book on “Tumor-associated fibroblasts and their matrix” as part of the series on “Tumor-Microenvironment” is the first comprehensive discussion of these two main players of the tumor microenvironment. The best experts in this new area of tumor research and therapy review the role of these major components in the tumor stroma in the process of tumor development and progression. They discuss their interaction with other players such as blood vessels and immune cells, and show novel perspectives for tumor therapy. This compilation of excellent contributions of the best known experts in this important field in cancer research and therapy is a must for all scientists engaged in basic and clinical research. Increasing evidence of successful targeting of both cellular and matrix components in tumor therapy renders this book of particular interest for scientists engaged in pharmaceutical industry searching for new components for cancer therapy.

New immunotherapy strategies and related therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal malignancies

New immunotherapy strategies and related therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal malignancies
Author: Chi Chun Wong
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2024-03-13
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 2832544444

Currently, the treatment options for gastrointestinal malignancies mainly include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy, etc. Drug therapy is one of the main treatments for patients with advanced stages, but the efficacy of chemotherapy seems to have reached a plateau, and the progress of traditional molecular targeted therapy is relatively slow. In addition, the benefits of the current chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy for patients with advanced stages of gastrointestinal malignancies are still not satisfactory. Tumor immunotherapy is an emerging therapeutic approach and is a current research hotspot, and there are hopes that immunotherapy can help further improve the prognosis and quality of life for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. At the same time, potential targets of immunotherapeutic drugs and prognostic biomarkers for gastrointestinal malignancies have been less studied than other common cancers, such as lung cancer. Prognostic biomarker studies are the beginning of exploring new drug targets and revealing potential mechanisms of tumor progression. Immunotherapies, particularly PD1 or PD-L1 antagonists, have demonstrated effective therapeutic efficacy against various types of cancer. To date, many PD1 drugs are available for cancer treatment, and more than 100 PD1 drugs are in clinical trials. However, the question of how to screen sensitive patients and predict the efficacy of immunotherapy remains unresolved. In addition, predictive biomarkers and treatment guidelines for immunotherapy of gastrointestinal malignancies have hardly been studied.

Community Series in the Role of Angiogenesis and Immune Response in Tumor Microenvironment of Solid Tumor, volume II

Community Series in the Role of Angiogenesis and Immune Response in Tumor Microenvironment of Solid Tumor, volume II
Author: Xi Cheng
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2023-12-13
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 2832540821

This Research Topic is the second volume of the “Community Series in the Role of Angiogenesis and Immune Response in Tumor Microenvironment of Solid Tumor". Please Volume I here. The microenvironment of tumors is consisted of the tumor stroma, proliferating tumor cells, infiltrating inflammatory cells, blood vessels, and various associated tissue cells. The pre-metastatic niche (PRN) is described as supportive and receptive, which undergoes cellular and molecular changes to form the fertile “soil” or metastatic-designated sites for metastatic tumor cell “seed” colonization. Thus, the PRN supports promoting tumor metastasis and tumor settlement in distant organs. The infiltration of the immune cells and the formation of blood vessels from the pre-metastatic sites are critical for the tumor microenvironment. Typically, the angiogenic factor is strongly associated with the inflammatory response during the development of tumors. Additionally, the immunoediting processes are essentially devoted to promoting angiogenesis and modulating the innate and specific immune responses.

Implications of Immune Landscape in Tumor Microenvironment

Implications of Immune Landscape in Tumor Microenvironment
Author: Selvarangan Ponnazhagan
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2024-10-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 2832555152

Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in immunosuppressive mechanisms that result in immune editing and treatment resistance. Elucidating the diversity of stromal and immune cell distribution, polarization, and changes in their gene expression signatures will enable a better understanding of key events to improve treatment and prognosis. With the onset of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in clinics for patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, immunotherapy has taken a new direction in cancer management, especially as combination therapies. However, limitations encountered with the use of ICIs, including toxicity and immune-related adverse events (irAE) indicate the need to understand multiple regulatory mechanisms at both cellular and molecular levels that alter the immune landscape of the TME. Since predominant changes in the immune landscape occur at the TME, focussed deliberation on these events will provide a comprehensive understanding on this topic for scientists in the fields of basic, translational, and clinical cancer immunology. The heterogeneity of TME and complex immune landscape pose major challenges in the treatment of solid tumors. Thus, integrative approaches, which relate immune mechanisms in the TME to that of peripheral and systemic immune signatures are essential to improve our understanding of the disease complexity and possibly improve immunotherapy outcomes. Such multiparametric studies should combine advances in current understanding of cancer immunobiology with powerful technologies, such as single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and high dimensional flow cytometry that rapidly expand our ability to explore these interactions. Notably, tumor heterogeneity and inflammatory mediators in the TME vary significantly in neoplasms based on mutational load, lymphocyte infiltration, expression of checkpoint molecules, soluble inhibitors, and tumor cell metabolism. Overall, connecting key events to immune signatures that conform to a consensus will provide a benchmark to delve further into this important topic. Other parameters such as myeloid and lymphoid cell polarization to alter the immune homeostasis at the TME, favoring a tumor-supportive milieu would provide a macroscopic picture that may help guide treatment choices for more refined personalized tumor immunotherapy.