The association between oxidized low-density lipoprotein and cancer: An emerging targeted therapeutic approach?

Lipids play an important role in varying vital cellular processes including cell growth and division. Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL), and overexpression of the corresponding receptors including LDL receptor (LDLR), lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), have shown strong correlations with different facets of carcinogenesis including proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Furthermore, a high serum level of LOX-1 is considered as a poor prognostic factor in many types of cancer including colorectal cancer. Ox-LDL could contribute to cancer progression and metastasis through endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and autophagy. Thus, many studies have shed light on the significant role of ox-LDL as a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy. In various repurposing approaches, anti-dyslipidemia agents, phytochemicals, autophagy modulators as well as recently developed ldl-like nanoparticles have been investigated as potential tumor therapeutic agents by targeting oxidized-LDL/LOX-1 pathways. Herein, we reviewed the role of oxidized-LDL and LOX-1 in cancer progression, invasion, metastasis, and also cancer-associated angiogenesis. Moreover, we addressed therapeutic utility of several compounds that proved to be capable of targeting the metabolic moieties in cancer. This review provides insights on the potential impact of targeting LDL and ox-LDL in cancer therapy and their future biomedical implementations.

Enhancing treatment strategies for small bowel cancer: a clinical review of targeted therapy and immunotherapy approaches

Small bowel cancer (SBC) is a rare and aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, necessitating the exploration of novel treatment approaches. This narrative review examines the current evidence on targeted therapy and immunotherapy for SBC, focusing on the two most common subtypes: adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases was conducted to identify relevant clinical trials and case reports published in English up to September 2023. The review includes 17 clinical trials and 10 case reports, indicating that targeted therapy and immunotherapy can have the potential to improve survival rates in patients with SBC. Notably, promising targeted medicines include bevacizumab, cetuximab, and trastuzumab, while pembrolizumab and nivolumab show potential as immunotherapies. However, it should be noted that the magnitude of the increase in survival rates with these interventions was small. Further research is needed to determine the optimal combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for individual patients with SBC.

Antibiotic resistance and frequency of class 1 integrons among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from wastewaters of a burn center in Northern Iran

BACKGROUND

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, being responsible of a broad variety of infections, is considered an important nosocomial pathogen. The emergence of multiple-drug resistance among strains of P. aeruginosa appeared as a further public health concern. Due to the considerable ability of multiple-drug resistant P. aeruginosa strains to transmit themselves in the environment, we aimed to investigate the association of class 1 integrons with the antibiotic resistance profile of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from hospital wastewaters.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 100 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from raw wastewater samples from February 2010 to January 2011 in a Teaching Burn Hospital in Guilan province. All isolates were identified as P. aeruginosa using standard microbiological tests. Antibiotic susceptibility was investigated using the disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. All isolates were assayed for the presence of the class 1 integrons gene by PCR.

RESULTS

Overall, 30 (30%) P. aeruginosa isolates were positive for the presence of class 1 integrons. The highest antibiotic resistance rates in both integron-positive and -negative isolates belonged to cephalexin and cephazolin, with 100% resistance. Amikacin and ciprofloxacin with the lowest level of resistance (13.3%) were the effective antibiotics against integron-positive isolates. The rates of MDR isolates were significantly higher among integron-positive isolates with 43.3% compared to negative isolates with 22.9% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results highlight the importance of class 1 integrons in multiple antibiotic resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates. Moreover, the spread of hospital derived wastewaters in the environment can be regarded as the origin of significant reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant pathogens.