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Cancers
Special Issues
Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells
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Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 14377

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bruno Bernardes de Jesus

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: aging; stem cells; cancer; lncRNAs; iPSC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metastatic solid tumors remain largely incurable despite improvements in cancer therapies. Aging is still the highest risk factor for cancer development. The deregulation of biological processes with aging may be fueling tissue transformation. Amongst these deregulated processes are the age-related phenotypically alterations of stem cells.

To compensate for higher cancer burden, innovative strategies for cancer treatment include cancer immunotherapy, where the immune system is manipulated to target and kill cancer cells. Using the patient’s immune system to eliminate neoplastic cells has long been tested. Stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are novel and promising immunotherapeutic players.

While it has long been known that stem cells may raise an immune response against neoplastic cells, only recently were iPSCs reported to prime the immune system to target cancers. Indeed, seminal studies demonstrated that the engraftment of allogeneic hematopoietic cells can result in pronounced anti-tumor effects. Recently vaccination with iPSCs was shown to inhibit tumor growth in mouse models of breast cancer, melanoma, and mesothelioma; preventing tumor recurrence.

This Special Issue aims to provide the current status of age-related pathways in cancer progression and to establish a connection between stem cell, aging and cancer risk. Additionally, we aim to provide up-to-date information on iPSC-based approaches for overcoming challenges in the cancer field.

Dr. Bruno Bernardes de Jesus
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer therapies
  • aging
  • stem cells
  • cancer immunotherapy
  • cancer risk

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

21 pages, 3072 KiB  
Review
Ovarian Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells—Cellular and Molecular Characteristics, Signaling Pathways, and Usefulness as a Diagnostic Tool in Medicine and Oncology
by Andrzej Nowicki, Magdalena Kulus, Maria Wieczorkiewicz, Wojciech Pieńkowski, Katarzyna Stefańska, Paulina Skupin-Mrugalska, Rut Bryl, Paul Mozdziak, Bartosz Kempisty and Hanna Piotrowska-Kempisty
Cancers 2021, 13(16), 4178; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13164178 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3398
Abstract
Despite the increasing development of medicine, ovarian cancer is still a high-risk, metastatic disease that is often diagnosed at a late stage. In addition, difficulties in its treatment are associated with high resistance to chemotherapy and frequent relapse. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), recently [...] Read more.
Despite the increasing development of medicine, ovarian cancer is still a high-risk, metastatic disease that is often diagnosed at a late stage. In addition, difficulties in its treatment are associated with high resistance to chemotherapy and frequent relapse. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), recently attracting significant scientific interest, are considered to be responsible for the malignant features of tumors. CSCs, as the driving force behind tumor development, generate new cells by modifying different signaling pathways. Moreover, investigations on different types of tumors have shown that signaling pathways are key to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulation, metastasis, and self-renewal of CSCs. Based on these established issues, new therapies are being investigated based on the use of inhibitors to block CSC growth and proliferation signals. Many reports indicate that CSC markers play a key role in cancer metastasis, with hopes placed in their targeting to block this process and eliminate relapses. Current histological classification of ovarian tumors, their epidemiology, and the most recent knowledge of ovarian CSCs, with particular emphasis on their molecular background, are important aspects for consideration. Furthermore, the importance of signaling pathways involved in tumor growth, development, and metastasis, is also presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells)
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17 pages, 11896 KiB  
Review
Lung Cancer Stem Cells—Origin, Diagnostic Techniques and Perspective for Therapies
by Agata Raniszewska, Iwona Kwiecień, Elżbieta Rutkowska, Piotr Rzepecki and Joanna Domagała-Kulawik
Cancers 2021, 13(12), 2996; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13122996 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3452
Abstract
Lung cancer remains one of the most aggressive solid tumors with an overall poor prognosis. Molecular studies carried out on lung tumors during treatment have shown the phenomenon of clonal evolution, thereby promoting the occurrence of a temporal heterogeneity of the tumor. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Lung cancer remains one of the most aggressive solid tumors with an overall poor prognosis. Molecular studies carried out on lung tumors during treatment have shown the phenomenon of clonal evolution, thereby promoting the occurrence of a temporal heterogeneity of the tumor. Therefore, the biology of lung cancer is interesting. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in tumor initiation and metastasis. Aging is still the most important risk factor for lung cancer development. Spontaneously occurring mutations accumulate in normal stem cells or/and progenitor cells by human life resulting in the formation of CSCs. Deepening knowledge of these complex processes and improving early recognition and markers of predictive value are of utmost importance. In this paper, we discuss the CSC hypothesis with an emphasis on age-related changes that initiate carcinogenesis. We analyze the current literature in the field, describe our own experience in CSC investigation and discuss the technical challenges with special emphasis on liquid biopsy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells)
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22 pages, 626 KiB  
Review
Aging of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Hematopoiesis Disturbances and Potential Role in the Development of Hematologic Cancers
by Fulvio Massaro, Florent Corrillon, Basile Stamatopoulos, Nathalie Meuleman, Laurence Lagneaux and Dominique Bron
Cancers 2021, 13(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13010068 - 29 Dec 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3534
Abstract
Aging of bone marrow is a complex process that is involved in the development of many diseases, including hematologic cancers. The results obtained in this field of research, year after year, underline the important role of cross-talk between hematopoietic stem cells and their [...] Read more.
Aging of bone marrow is a complex process that is involved in the development of many diseases, including hematologic cancers. The results obtained in this field of research, year after year, underline the important role of cross-talk between hematopoietic stem cells and their close environment. In bone marrow, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a major player in cell-to-cell communication, presenting a wide range of functionalities, sometimes opposite, depending on the environmental conditions. Although these cells are actively studied for their therapeutic properties, their role in tumor progression remains unclear. One of the reasons for this is that the aging of MSCs has a direct impact on their behavior and on hematopoiesis. In addition, tumor progression is accompanied by dynamic remodeling of the bone marrow niche that may interfere with MSC functions. The present review presents the main features of MSC senescence in bone marrow and their implications in hematologic cancer progression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells)
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25 pages, 1535 KiB  
Review
Strategies for Cancer Immunotherapy Using Induced Pluripotency Stem Cells-Based Vaccines
by Bruno Bernardes de Jesus, Bruno Miguel Neves, Manuela Ferreira and Sandrina Nóbrega-Pereira
Cancers 2020, 12(12), 3581; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12123581 - 30 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3309
Abstract
Despite improvements in cancer therapy, metastatic solid tumors remain largely incurable. Immunotherapy has emerged as a pioneering and promising approach for cancer therapy and management, and in particular intended for advanced tumors unresponsive to current therapeutics. In cancer immunotherapy, components of the immune [...] Read more.
Despite improvements in cancer therapy, metastatic solid tumors remain largely incurable. Immunotherapy has emerged as a pioneering and promising approach for cancer therapy and management, and in particular intended for advanced tumors unresponsive to current therapeutics. In cancer immunotherapy, components of the immune system are exploited to eliminate cancer cells and treat patients. The recent clinical successes of immune checkpoint blockade and chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies represent a turning point in cancer treatment. Despite their potential success, current approaches depend on efficient tumor antigen presentation which are often inaccessible, and most tumors turn refractory to current immunotherapy. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been shown to share several characteristics with cancer (stem) cells (CSCs), eliciting a specific anti-tumoral response when injected in rodent cancer models. Indeed, artificial cellular reprogramming has been widely compared to the biogenesis of CSCs. Here, we will discuss the state-of-the-art on the potential implication of cellular reprogramming and iPSCs for the design of patient-specific immunotherapeutic strategies, debating the similarities between iPSCs and cancer cells and introducing potential strategies that could enhance the efficiency and therapeutic potential of iPSCs-based cancer vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging, Cancer and Stem Cells)
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