Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Cancer Treatment

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2025 | Viewed by 2970

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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
Interests: antineoplastic pharmacology; drug delivery; drug resistance; drug discovery; photodynamic therapy; tumor hypoxia
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer affects a significant proportion of the global population and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the second cause of death worldwide. Genetic and epigenetic alterations are among the most critical factors in the onset of carcinomas. Nevertheless, several lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking, poor nutrition and exposure to ultraviolet radiation or X-rays, can contribute to the transition of healthy cells into malignant cells.

Conventional treatment approaches, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are still in use, while significant advances are being made in various fields, including stem cell therapy, targeted therapy, ablation therapy, nanoparticles, natural antioxidants, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and ferroptosis-based therapy. However, to overcome the drawbacks associated with the strategies currently in use in the clinic, novel therapeutic options are needed. This has prompted the research of additional drugs and drug delivery strategies to offer more effective therapeutic alternatives.

This Special Issue aims at collecting original research articles and comprehensive reviews on the most recent advances concerning cancer treatment, such as, but not limited to, novel small anticancer molecules, epigenetic drugs, nanotechnology-based combination therapies, targeted therapies including external stimuli-activated approaches, drug repurposing and immunotherapeutic. 

Prof. Dr. Marzia Bruna Gariboldi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cancer
  • small molecules
  • epigenetic drugs
  • drug delivery system
  • targeted therapy
  • personalized medicine
  • photodynamic therapy
  • photothermal therapy
  • sonodynamic therapy
  • drug repurposing
  • combination therapy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3152 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of a Novel Lateral Emitting Laser Fiber for Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy
by Motofumi Suzuki, Hisataka Kobayashi and Hirofumi Hanaoka
Cancers 2024, 16(14), 2558; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16142558 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1266
Abstract
Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new cancer therapy that uses NIR light and conjugates of a tumor-targeting monoclonal antibody and phthalocyanine dye. In clinical practice, frontal and cylindrical diffusers are the only options for NIR illumination. However, illumination in a narrow space is [...] Read more.
Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new cancer therapy that uses NIR light and conjugates of a tumor-targeting monoclonal antibody and phthalocyanine dye. In clinical practice, frontal and cylindrical diffusers are the only options for NIR illumination. However, illumination in a narrow space is technically difficult with such diffusers. Therefore, we evaluated a lateral illumination system using a lateral emitting laser (LEL) fiber. The LEL fiber illuminated a certain area in a lateral direction. NIR-PIT with an LEL fiber reduced luciferase activity in a light-dose-dependent manner in A431-GFP-luc cells in vitro and significantly suppressed tumor proliferation in a xenograft mouse model. To evaluate the usefulness of the LEL fiber in the illumination of a narrow space, a tumor was illuminated from the inside of a cylinder, mimicking a narrow space, and the fluorescence intensity in the tumor was monitored. In the frontal diffuser, NIR light was unevenly delivered and little light reached a distal tumor area from the illuminated side. By contrast, the LEL fiber allowed a uniform illumination of the entire tumor, and a loss of fluorescence was observed even in distal areas. These findings suggested that the LEL fiber can be used for NIR-PIT and is suitable for NIR light illumination in a narrow space. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Cancer Treatment)
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45 pages, 18093 KiB  
Review
Dual-Action Therapeutics: DNA Alkylation and Antimicrobial Peptides for Cancer Therapy
by Celia María Curieses Andrés, José Manuel Pérez de la Lastra, Elena Bustamante Munguira, Celia Andrés Juan and Eduardo Pérez-Lebeña
Cancers 2024, 16(18), 3123; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16183123 - 10 Sep 2024
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Abstract
Cancer remains one of the most difficult diseases to treat, requiring continuous research into innovative therapeutic strategies. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective to a certain extent but often have significant side effects and carry the risk of resistance. In [...] Read more.
Cancer remains one of the most difficult diseases to treat, requiring continuous research into innovative therapeutic strategies. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective to a certain extent but often have significant side effects and carry the risk of resistance. In recent years, the concept of dual-acting therapeutics has attracted considerable attention, particularly the combination of DNA alkylating agents and antimicrobial peptides. DNA alkylation, a well-known mechanism in cancer therapy, involves the attachment of alkyl groups to DNA, leading to DNA damage and subsequent cell death. Antimicrobial peptides, on the other hand, have been shown to be effective anticancer agents due to their ability to selectively disrupt cancer cell membranes and modulate immune responses. This review aims to explore the synergistic potential of these two therapeutic modalities. It examines their mechanisms of action, current research findings, and the promise they offer to improve the efficacy and specificity of cancer treatments. By combining the cytotoxic power of DNA alkylation with the unique properties of antimicrobial peptides, dual-action therapeutics may offer a new and more effective approach to fighting cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Cancer Treatment)
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