Trends in cancer 

About: Trends in cancer is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Cancer & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 2405-8025. Over the lifetime, 781 publications have been published receiving 31701 citations.

Targeting TGF-β Signaling in Cancer.

Abstract: The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway is deregulated in many diseases, including cancer. In healthy cells and early-stage cancer cells, this pathway has tumor-suppressor functions, including cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. However, its activation in late-stage cancer can promote tumorigenesis, including metastasis and chemoresistance. The dual function and pleiotropic nature of TGF-β signaling make it a challenging target and imply the need for careful therapeutic dosing of TGF-β drugs and patient selection. We review here the rationale for targeting TGF-β signaling in cancer and summarize the clinical status of pharmacological inhibitors. We discuss the direct effects of TGF-β signaling blockade on tumor and stromal cells, as well as biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of TGF-β inhibitors in cancer patients.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factors: Master Regulators of Cancer Progression

Abstract: Intratumoral hypoxia (reduced O 2 availability) is a common finding in human cancer and leads to increased activity of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which regulate the expression of genes that contribute to angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, extracellular matrix remodeling, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, motility, invasion, metastasis, cancer stem cell maintenance, immune evasion, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Conventional anticancer therapies target well-oxygenated and proliferating cancer cells, whereas there are no approved therapies that target hypoxic cancer cells, despite growing clinical and experimental evidence indicating that intratumoral hypoxia is a critical microenvironmental factor driving cancer progression. In this review, our current understanding of the consequences of HIF activity and the translational potential of targeting HIFs for cancer therapy are discussed.

Turning Cold into Hot: Firing up the Tumor Microenvironment.

Abstract: Cancers develop within complex tissue environments consisting of diverse innate and adaptive immune cells, along with stromal cells, vascular networks, and many other cellular and noncellular components. The high heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains a key obstacle in understanding and treating cancer. Understanding the dynamic functional interplay within this intricate ecosystem will provide important insights into the design of effective combinatorial strategies against cancer. Here, we present recent technical advances to explore the complexity of the TME. Then, we discuss how innate immune sensing machinery, genetic alterations of oncogenic signaling, cellular metabolism, and epigenetic factors are involved in modulating the TME. Finally, we summarize the potential strategies to boost antitumor immunity by therapeutically exploiting the TME.

RNA-Binding Proteins in Cancer: Old Players and New Actors

Abstract: RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key players in post-transcriptional events. The combination of versatility of their RNA-binding domains with structural flexibility enables RBPs to control the metabolism of a large array of transcripts. Perturbations in RBP–RNA networks activity have been causally associated with cancer development, but the rational framework describing these contributions remains fragmented. We review here the evidence that RBPs modulate multiple cancer traits, emphasize their functional diversity, and assess future trends in the study of RBPs in cancer.

Glutamine Metabolism in Cancer: Understanding the Heterogeneity.

Abstract: Reliance on glutamine has long been considered to be a hallmark of cancer cell metabolism. However, some recent studies have challenged this notion in vivo , prompting a need for further clarification of the role of glutamine metabolism in cancer. We find that there is ample evidence of an essential role for glutamine in tumors, and that a variety of factors, including tissue type, the underlying cancer genetics, the tumor microenvironment, and other variables such as diet and host physiology collectively influence the role of glutamine in cancer. Thus the requirements for glutamine in cancer are overall highly heterogeneous. In this review we discuss the implications both for basic science and for targeting glutamine metabolism in cancer therapy.