Extensive serum cytokine analysis in patients with prostate cancer

Pro-inflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines as game-changer in age-associated prostate cancer and ovarian cancer: Insights from preclinical and clinical studies' outcomes

Prostate cancer (PC) and Ovarian cancer (OC) are two of the most common types of cancer that affect the reproductive systems of older men and women. These cancers are associated with a poor quality of life among the aged population. Therefore, finding new and innovative ways to detect, treat, and prevent these cancers in older patients is essential. Finding biomarkers for these malignancies will increase the chance of early detection and effective treatment, subsequently improving the survival rate. Studies have shown that the prevalence and health of some illnesses are linked to an impaired immune system. However, the age-associated changes in the immune system during malignancies such as PC and OC are poorly understood. Recent research has suggested that the excessive production of inflammatory immune mediators, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), transforming growth factor (TGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), CXC motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXC motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), and CXC motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13), etc., significantly impact the development of PC and OC in elderly patients. Our review focuses on the latest functional studies of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukins) and CXC chemokines, which serve as biomarkers in elderly patients with PC and OC. Thus, we aim to shed light on how these biomarkers affect the development of PC and OC in elderly patients. We also examine the current status and future perspective of cytokines (interleukins) and CXC chemokines-based therapeutic targets in OC and PC treatment for elderly patients.

Advances in Prostate Cancer Biomarkers and Probes

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors in men worldwide, and early diagnosis is essential to improve patient survival. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of recent advances in prostate cancer biomarkers, including molecular, cellular, and exosomal biomarkers. The potential of various biomarkers such as gene fusions (TMPRSS2-ERG), noncoding RNAs (SNHG12), proteins (PSA, PSMA, AR), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapies of prostate cancer is emphasized. In addition, this review systematically explores how multi-omics data and artificial intelligence technologies can be used for biomarker discovery and personalized medicine applications. In addition, this review provides insights into the development of specific probes, including fluorescent, electrochemical, and radionuclide probes, for sensitive and accurate detection of prostate cancer biomarkers. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the status and future directions of prostate cancer biomarker research, emphasizing the potential for precision diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Combined treatment of marizomib and cisplatin modulates cervical cancer growth and invasion and enhances antitumor potential in vitro and in vivo

Proteasome inhibition is an attractive approach for anticancer therapy. Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, CDDP) is widely used as a standard chemotherapy drug in the treatment of solid malignant tumors, such as cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. However, the development of CDDP resistance largely limits its clinical application. Proteasome inhibitors may enhance traditional chemotherapy agent-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Marizomib (NPI-0052, salinosporamide A, Mzb), a second-generation proteasome inhibitor, shows synergistic anticancer activity with some drugs. Currently, the effect of Mzb on cervical cancer cell proliferation remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of Mzb in three cervical cancer cell lines, HeLa, CaSki, and C33A, representing major molecular subtypes of cervical cancer and xenografts. We found that Mzb alone showed noteworthy cytotoxic effects, and its combination with CDDP resulted in more obvious cytotoxicity and apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines and xenografts. In order to investigate the mechanism of this effect, we probed whether Mzb alone or in combination with CDDP had a better antitumor response by enhancing CDDP-induced angiopoietin 1 (Ang-1) expression and inhibiting the expression of TEK receptor tyrosine kinase (Tie-2) in the Ang-1/Tie-2 pathway, FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt-3L) and stem cell factor (SCF) as identified by a cytokine antibody chip test. The results suggest that Mzb has better antitumor effects on cervical cancer cells and can sensitize cervical cancer cells to CDDP treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, we conclude that the combination of CDDP with Mzb produces synergistic anticancer activity and that Mzb may be a potential effective drug in combination therapy for cervical cancer patients.

Thromboinflammatory Processes at the Nexus of Metabolic Dysfunction and Prostate Cancer: The Emerging Role of Periprostatic Adipose Tissue

Simple Summary

As overweight and obesity increase among the population worldwide, a parallel increase in the number of individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer was observed. There appears to be a relationship between both diseases where the increase in the mass of fat tissue can lead to inflammation. Such a state of inflammation could produce many factors that increase the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, especially if this inflammation occurred in the fat stores adjacent to the prostate. Another important observation that links obesity, fat tissue inflammation, and prostate cancer is the increased production of blood clotting factors. In this article, we attempt to explain the role of these latter factors in the effect of increased body weight on the progression of prostate cancer and propose new ways of treatment that act by affecting how these clotting factors work.

Abstract

The increased global prevalence of metabolic disorders including obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes is mirrored by an increased incidence of prostate cancer (PCa). Ample evidence suggests that these metabolic disorders, being characterized by adipose tissue (AT) expansion and inflammation, not only present as risk factors for the development of PCa, but also drive its increased aggressiveness, enhanced progression, and metastasis. Despite the emerging molecular mechanisms linking AT dysfunction to the various hallmarks of PCa, thromboinflammatory processes implicated in the crosstalk between these diseases have not been thoroughly investigated. This is of particular importance as both diseases present states of hypercoagulability. Accumulating evidence implicates tissue factor, thrombin, and active factor X as well as other players of the coagulation cascade in the pathophysiological processes driving cancer development and progression. In this regard, it becomes pivotal to elucidate the thromboinflammatory processes occurring in the periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT), a fundamental microenvironmental niche of the prostate. Here, we highlight key findings linking thromboinflammation and the pleiotropic effects of coagulation factors and their inhibitors in metabolic diseases, PCa, and their crosstalk. We also propose several novel therapeutic targets and therapeutic interventions possibly modulating the interaction between these pathological states.

Optimized Identification of High-Grade Prostate Cancer by Combining Different PSA Molecular Forms and PSA Density in a Deep Learning Model

After skin cancer, prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer among men. The gold standard for PC diagnosis is based on the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test. Based on this preliminary screening, the physician decides whether to proceed with further tests, typically prostate biopsy, to confirm cancer and evaluate its aggressiveness. Nevertheless, the specificity of the PSA test is suboptimal and, as a result, about 75% of men who undergo a prostate biopsy do not have cancer even if they have elevated PSA levels. Overdiagnosis leads to unnecessary overtreatment of prostate cancer with undesirable side effects, such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, infections, and pain. Here, we used artificial neuronal networks to develop models that can diagnose PC efficiently. The model receives as an input a panel of 4 clinical variables (total PSA, free PSA, p2PSA, and PSA density) plus age. The output of the model is an estimate of the Gleason score of the patient. After training on a dataset of 190 samples and optimization of the variables, the model achieved values of sensitivity as high as 86% and 89% specificity. The efficiency of the method can be improved even further by training the model on larger datasets.

Genetically predicted levels of circulating cytokines and prostate cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study

Inflammation is considered to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cancer, and observational studies have reported a relationship between circulating inflammation markers and the risk of prostate cancer. Using summary data of >140 000 individuals, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to evaluate whether circulating levels of 27 cytokines and growth factors have a causal effect on the risk of developing prostate cancer. Genetically predicted elevated levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR) per 1 SD increase = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.09) at Bonferroni-adjusted level of significance (P < 1.85 × 10^-3). Results were stable across sensitivity analyses, and there was no evidence of directional pleiotropy. Under MR assumptions, our findings suggested a risk-increasing effect of circulating MCP-1 levels on prostate cancer. Whether targeting MCP-1 or its downstream effectors are useful in reducing prostate cancer incidence needs further investigation.