Novel Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 5783

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
Interests: translational cancer research; cancer drug discovery; targeted therapies; pancreatic cancer; lung cancer; KRAS; combination therapeutics; nutraceuticals
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers encompass malignancies that affect various organs of the digestive tract, including the pancreas, stomach, liver, small and large intestines, colon, rectum, anus, and the biliary system. The treatment options for GI cancers depend on the cancer type and stage, and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. In recent times, there have been notable advancements in the development of innovative treatments for GI cancers, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

The main objective of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest therapeutic approaches for treating GI cancers, with the goal of advancing knowledge and improving patient outcomes. It aims to cover a wide range of topics related to novel therapies for GI cancers, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Repurposing existing drugs for GI cancers;
  • Combination therapies to improve treatment outcomes in GI cancers;
  • Identifying novel drug targets for GI cancers;
  • Molecular mechanisms of GI cancer development;
  • Preclinical models for developing and testing new therapeutics for GI cancers;
  • Drug delivery systems specifically designed for GI cancers.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Husain Yar Khan
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

  • gastrointestinal cancers
  • pancreatic cancer
  • liver cancer
  • gastric cancer
  • colorectal cancer
  • targeted therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • combination therapy
  • drug repurposing
  • small-molecule inhibitors

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 10304 KiB  
Article
Outcomes of Late-Line Systemic Treatment in GIST: Does Sequence Matter?
by Prapassorn Thirasastr, Thomas L. Sutton, Cissimol P. Joseph, Heather Lin, Behrang Amini, Skye C. Mayo, Dejka Araujo, Robert S. Benjamin, Anthony P. Conley, John A. Livingston, Joseph Ludwig, Shreyaskumar Patel, Ravin Ratan, Vinod Ravi, Maria A. Zarzour, Elise F. Nassif Haddad, Michael S. Nakazawa, Xiao Zhou, Michael C. Heinrich and Neeta Somaiah
Cancers 2024, 16(5), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16050904 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 945
Abstract
Ripretinib and avapritinib have demonstrated activity in the late-line treatment of gastrointestinal stomal tumors (GISTs). We investigated whether patients previously treated with ripretinib benefit from avapritinib, and vice versa. Patients diagnosed with metastatic/unresectable GIST and treated with both drugs at two institutions in [...] Read more.
Ripretinib and avapritinib have demonstrated activity in the late-line treatment of gastrointestinal stomal tumors (GISTs). We investigated whether patients previously treated with ripretinib benefit from avapritinib, and vice versa. Patients diagnosed with metastatic/unresectable GIST and treated with both drugs at two institutions in 2000–2021 were included. Patients were grouped by drug sequence: ripretinib–avapritinib (RA) or avapritinib–ripretinib (AR). Radiographic response was evaluated using RECIST 1.1. Kaplan–Meier and log-rank tests were used to compare time-to-progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). Thirty-four patients (17 per group) were identified, with a median age of 48 years. The most common primary site was the small bowel (17/34, 50%), followed by the stomach (10/34, 29.4%). Baseline characteristics and tumor mutations were not significantly different between groups. Response rates (RRs) for ripretinib were 18% for RA and 12% for AR; RRs for avapritinib were 12% for AR and 18% for RA. Median TTPs for ripretinib were 3.65 months (95%CI 2–5.95) for RA and 4.73 months (1.87–15.84) for AR. Median TTPs for avapritinib were 5.39 months (2.86–18.99) for AR and 4.11 months (1.91–11.4) for RA. Median OS rates following RA or AR initiation were 29.63 (95%CI 13.8–50.53) and 33.7 (20.03–50.57) months, respectively. Both ripretinib and avapritinib were efficacious in the late-line treatment of GIST, with no evidence that efficacy depended on sequencing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancers)
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Review

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25 pages, 1501 KiB  
Review
Unraveling the Significance of EPH/Ephrin Signaling in Liver Cancer: Insights into Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Implications
by Stavros P. Papadakos, Ioanna E. Stergiou, Nikolina Gkolemi, Konstantinos Arvanitakis and Stamatios Theocharis
Cancers 2023, 15(13), 3434; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15133434 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1781
Abstract
Liver cancer is a complex and challenging disease with limited treatment options and dismal prognosis. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms driving liver cancer progression and metastasis is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. The EPH/ephrin system, which comprises a family of cell surface [...] Read more.
Liver cancer is a complex and challenging disease with limited treatment options and dismal prognosis. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms driving liver cancer progression and metastasis is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. The EPH/ephrin system, which comprises a family of cell surface receptors and their corresponding ligands, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC. This review paper aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the role of the EPH/ephrin system in HCC. Specifically, we discuss the dysregulation of EPH/ephrin signaling in HCC and its impact on various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Overall, the EPH/ephrin signaling system emerges as a compelling and multifaceted player in liver cancer biology. Elucidating its precise mechanisms and understanding its implications in disease progression and therapeutic responses may pave the way for novel targeted therapies and personalized treatment approaches for liver cancer patients. Further research is warranted to unravel the full potential of the EPH/ephrin system in liver cancer and its clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancers)
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27 pages, 2042 KiB  
Review
The Emerging Role of Metformin in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Is There Any Value in Repurposing Metformin for HCC Immunotherapy?
by Stavros P. Papadakos, Daniele Ferraro, Gabriele Carbone, Adam Enver Frampton, Giovanni Vennarecci, Stylianos Kykalos, Dimitrios Schizas, Stamatios Theocharis and Nikolaos Machairas
Cancers 2023, 15(12), 3161; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15123161 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There has been significant progress in understanding the risk factors and epidemiology of HCC during the last few decades, resulting in efficient preventative, diagnostic and treatment strategies. Type 2 diabetes [...] Read more.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There has been significant progress in understanding the risk factors and epidemiology of HCC during the last few decades, resulting in efficient preventative, diagnostic and treatment strategies. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor for developing HCC. Metformin is a widely used hypoglycemic agent for patients with T2DM and has been shown to play a potentially beneficial role in improving the survival of patients with HCC. Experimental and clinical studies evaluating the outcomes of metformin as an antineoplastic drug in the setting of HCC were reviewed. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that metformin may enhance the antitumor effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and reverse the effector T cells’ exhaustion. However, there is still limited clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of metformin in combination with ICIs for the treatment of HCC. We appraised and analyzed in vitro and animal studies that aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of action of metformin, as well as clinical studies that assessed its impact on the survival of HCC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapies for Gastrointestinal Cancers)
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