Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Cancer and Atherosclerosis-Two Sides of the Same Coin

Interlinking pathways: a narrative review on the role of IL-6 in cancer and atherosclerosis

Background and Objective

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays multifaceted roles in cancer and atherosclerosis. Initially recognized for its role in immune response and inflammation, IL-6 promotes tumor progression via the JAK-STAT and MAP kinase pathways and is associated with poor cancer prognoses. In atherosclerosis, IL-6 contributes to endothelial dysfunction and plaque formation. This review highlights the shared inflammatory mechanisms of IL-6 in both diseases and explores the regulatory dynamics of IL-6 signaling, including gene polymorphisms and epigenetic modifications.

Methods

Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed were searched for English-language articles on IL-6 and those reporting shared pathogenic mechanisms of IL-6 in cancer and atherosclerosis from their inception through June 2024.

Key Content and Findings

The investigation into IL-6's mechanisms in cancer and atherosclerosis reveals the intricate and interconnected nature of inflammatory processes in chronic diseases. The role of IL-6 in both conditions underscores its centrality in disease pathology, particularly through its involvement in inflammation, immune modulation, and cellular proliferation. This commonality highlights IL-6 as a key player linking these seemingly distinct diseases.

Conclusions

Given the shared pathogenic mechanism of IL-6 in cancer and atherosclerosis, this narrative review concludes by emphasizing the therapeutic potential of modulating IL-6 in treating both cancer and atherosclerosis. It advocates for personalized treatment strategies that combine targeted therapies with lifestyle modifications. This holistic approach is considered crucial for effective disease management, given the diverse and complex roles IL-6 plays in these widespread conditions.

Emerging druggable targets for immune checkpoint modulation in cancer immunotherapy: the iceberg lies beneath the surface

The immune system serves as a fundamental defender against the initiation and progression of cancer. Failure of the immune system augments immunosuppressive action that leading to cancer manifestation. This immunosuppressive effect causes from significant alterations in immune checkpoint expression associated with tumoral progression. The tumor microenvironment promotes immune escape mechanisms that further amplifying immunosuppressive actions. Notably, substantial targeting of immune checkpoints has been pragmatic in the advancement of cancer research. This study highlights a comprehensive review of emerging druggable targets aimed at modulating immune checkpoint co-inhibitory as well as co-stimulatory molecules in response to immune system activation. This modulation has prompted to the development of newer therapeutic insights, eventually inducing immunogenic cell death through immunomodulatory actions. The study emphasizes the role of immune checkpoints in immunogenic regulation of cancer pathogenesis and explores potential therapeutic avenues in cancer immunotherapy.Modulation of Immunosuppressive and Immunostimulatory pathways of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy.

Dysregulated cellular metabolism in atherosclerosis: mediators and therapeutic opportunities

Accumulating evidence over the past decades has revealed an intricate relationship between dysregulation of cellular metabolism and the progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, an integrated understanding of dysregulated cellular metabolism in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its potential value as a therapeutic target is missing. In this Review, we (1) summarize recent advances concerning the role of metabolic dysregulation during atherosclerosis progression in lesional cells, including endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages and T cells; (2) explore the complexity of metabolic cross-talk between these lesional cells; (3) highlight emerging technologies that promise to illuminate unknown aspects of metabolism in atherosclerosis; and (4) suggest strategies for targeting these underexplored metabolic alterations to mitigate atherosclerosis progression and stabilize rupture-prone atheromas with a potential new generation of cardiovascular therapeutics.

Cardiovascular Complications of Pan-Cancer Therapies: The Need for Cardio-Oncology

It is more likely that a long-term survivor will have both cardiovascular disease and cancer on account of the progress in cancer therapy. Cardiotoxicity is a well-recognized and highly concerning adverse effect of cancer therapies. This side effect can manifest in a proportion of cancer patients and may lead to the discontinuation of potentially life-saving anticancer treatment regimens. Consequently, this discontinuation may adversely affect the patient's survival prognosis. There are various underlying mechanisms by which each anticancer treatment affects the cardiovascular system. Similarly, the incidence of cardiovascular events varies with different protocols for malignant tumors. In the future, comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment and clinical monitoring should be considered for cancer treatments. Baseline cardiovascular evaluation risk should be emphasized prior to initiating clinical therapy in patients. Additionally, we highlight that there is a need for cardio-oncology to avoid or prevent cardiovascular side effects. Cardio-oncology service is based on identifying cardiotoxicity, developing strategies to reduce these toxicities, and minimizing long-term cardiotoxic effects.