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Oravetz K, Todea AV, Balacescu O, Cruceriu D, Rakosy-Tican E. Potential antitumor activity of garlic against colorectal cancer: focus on the molecular mechanisms of action. Eur J Nutr 2023; 62:2347-2363. [PMID: 37140645 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03166-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this review is to highlight the potential of garlic phytoconstituents as antitumor agents in colorectal cancer management based on their molecular mechanisms of action, while asking if their consumption, as part of the human diet, might contribute to the prevention of colorectal cancer. METHODS To gather information on appropriate in vitro, in vivo and human observational studies on this topic, the keywords "Allium sativum", "garlic", "colorectal cancer", "antitumor effect", "in vitro", "in vivo", "garlic consumption" and "colorectal cancer risk" were searched in different combinations in the international databases ScienceDirect, PubMed and Google Scholar. After duplicate and reviews removal, 61 research articles and meta-analyses published between 2000 and 2022 in peer-reviewed journals were found and included in this review. RESULTS Garlic (Allium sativum) proves to be a rich source of compounds with antitumor potential. Garlic-derived extracts and several of its individual constituents, especially organosulfur compounds such as allicin, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, diallyl tetrasulfide, allylmethylsulfide, S-allylmercaptocysteine, Z-ajoene, thiacremonone and Se-methyl-L-selenocysteine were found to possess cytotoxic, cytostatic, antiangiogenic and antimetastatic activities in different in vitro and in vivo models of colorectal cancer. The molecular mechanisms for their antitumor effects are associated with the modulation of several well-known signaling pathways involved in cell cycle progression, especially G1-S and G2-M transitions, as well as both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. However, even though in various animal models some of these compounds have chemopreventive effects, based on different human observational studies, a diet rich in garlic is not consistently associated with a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION Independent of the impact of garlic consumption on colorectal cancer initiation and promotion in humans, its constituents might be good candidates for future conventional and/or complementary therapies, based on their diverse mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Oravetz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adelina-Violeta Todea
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Cruceriu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Elena Rakosy-Tican
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Gherman A, Balacescu L, Popa C, Cainap C, Vlad C, Cainap SS, Balacescu O. Baseline Expression of Exosomal miR-92a-3p and miR-221-3p Could Predict the Response to First-Line Chemotherapy and Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10622. [PMID: 37445798 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The status of predictive biomarkers in metastatic colorectal cancer is currently underdeveloped. Our study aimed to investigate the predictive value of six circulating exosomal miRNAs derived from plasma (miR-92a-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-484, and miR-486-5p) for chemosensitivity, resistance patterns, and survival. Thirty-one metastatic colorectal cancer patients were selected before receiving first-line irinotecan- or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Blood samples were harvested at baseline and 4-6 months after the initiation of chemotherapy. The levels of exosomal expression for each miRNA were analyzed by qPCR. Our results for patients receiving first-line FOLFOX showed significantly higher baseline levels of miR-92a-3p (p = 0.007 **), miR-146a-5p (p = 0.036 *), miR-221-3p (p = 0.047 *), and miR-484 (p = 0.009 **) in non-responders (NR) vs. responders (R). Of these, miR-92a-3p (AUC = 0.735), miR-221-3p (AUC = 0.774), and miR-484 (AUC = 0.725) demonstrated a predictive ability to discriminate responses from non-responses, regardless of the therapy used. Moreover, Cox regression analysis indicated that higher expression levels of miR-92a-3p (p = 0.008 **), miR-143-3p (p = 0.009 **), miR-221-3p (p = 0.016 *), and miR-486-5p (p = 0.019 *) at baseline were associated with worse overall survival, while patients expressing higher baseline miR-92a-3p (p = 0.003 **) and miR-486-5p (p = 0.003 **) had lower rates of progression-free survival. No predictive values for candidate microRNAs were found for the post-chemotherapy period. In line with these findings, we conclude that the increased baseline exosomal expression of miR-92a-3p and miR-221-3p seems to predict a lack of response to chemotherapy and lower OS. However, further prospective studies on more patients are needed before drawing practice-changing conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gherman
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Calin Popa
- "Prof. Dr. Octavian Fodor" Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cluj-Napoca, 19-21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Surgery, Surgery Unit No 3, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hațieganu" Cluj-Napoca, 19-21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Calin Cainap
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Catalin Vlad
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona S Cainap
- Department of Mother and Child, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 19-21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Clinic No 2, Emergency County Hospital for Children, 68 Motilor Street, 400370 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Visan S, Soritau O, Tatomir C, Baldasici O, Balacescu L, Balacescu O, Muntean P, Gherasim C, Pintea A. The Bioactive Properties of Carotenoids from Lipophilic Sea buckthorn Extract ( Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114486. [PMID: 37298962 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer (11.7% of total cases) and the leading cause of cancer death (6.9%) worldwide. Bioactive dietary components such as Sea buckthorn berries are known for their high carotenoid content, which has been shown to possess anti-cancer properties. Considering the limited number of studies investigating the bioactive properties of carotenoids in breast cancer, the aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative, antioxidant, and proapoptotic properties of saponified lipophilic Sea buckthorn berries extract (LSBE) in two breast cancer cell lines with different phenotypes: T47D (ER+, PR+, HER2-) and BT-549 (ER-, PR-, HER2-). The antiproliferative effects of LSBE were evaluated by an Alamar Blue assay, the extracellular antioxidant capacity was evaluated through DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, the intracellular antioxidant capacity was evaluated through a DCFDA assay, and the apoptosis rate was assessed by flow cytometry. LSBE inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with a mean IC50 of 16 µM. LSBE has proven to be a good antioxidant both at the intracellular level, due to its ability to significantly decrease the ROS levels in both cell lines (p = 0.0279 for T47D, and p = 0.0188 for BT-549), and at the extracellular level, where the ABTS and DPPH inhibition vried between 3.38-56.8%, respectively 5.68-68.65%, and 35.6 mg/L equivalent ascorbic acid/g LSBE were recorded. Based on the results from the antioxidant assays, LSBE was found to have good antioxidant activity due to its rich carotenoid content. The flow cytometry results revealed that LSBE treatment induced significant alterations in late-stage apoptotic cells represented by 80.29% of T47D cells (p = 0.0119), and 40.6% of BT-549 cells (p = 0.0137). Considering the antiproliferative, antioxidant, and proapoptotic properties of the carotenoids from LSBE on breast cancer cells, further studies should investigate whether these bioactive dietary compounds could be used as nutraceuticals in breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Visan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Olga Soritau
- Department of Cell Biology and Radiobiology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Corina Tatomir
- Department of Cell Biology and Radiobiology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Baldasici
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Patricia Muntean
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Gherasim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adela Pintea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Baloi A, Costea C, Gutt R, Balacescu O, Turcu F, Belean B. Hexagonal-Grid-Layout Image Segmentation Using Shock Filters: Computational Complexity Case Study for Microarray Image Analysis Related to Machine Learning Approaches. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:2582. [PMID: 36904788 PMCID: PMC10007319 DOI: 10.3390/s23052582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Hexagonal grid layouts are advantageous in microarray technology; however, hexagonal grids appear in many fields, especially given the rise of new nanostructures and metamaterials, leading to the need for image analysis on such structures. This work proposes a shock-filter-based approach driven by mathematical morphology for the segmentation of image objects disposed in a hexagonal grid. The original image is decomposed into a pair of rectangular grids, such that their superposition generates the initial image. Within each rectangular grid, the shock-filters are once again used to confine the foreground information for each image object into an area of interest. The proposed methodology was successfully applied for microarray spot segmentation, whereas its character of generality is underlined by the segmentation results obtained for two other types of hexagonal grid layouts. Considering the segmentation accuracy through specific quality measures for microarray images, such as the mean absolute error and the coefficient of variation, high correlations of our computed spot intensity features with the annotated reference values were found, indicating the reliability of the proposed approach. Moreover, taking into account that the shock-filter PDE formalism is targeting the one-dimensional luminance profile function, the computational complexity to determine the grid is minimized. The order of growth for the computational complexity of our approach is at least one order of magnitude lower when compared with state-of-the-art microarray segmentation approaches, ranging from classical to machine learning ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurel Baloi
- Research Center for Integrated Analysis and Territorial Management, University of Bucharest, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Carmen Costea
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Automation and Computer Science, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Robert Gutt
- Center of Advanced Research and Technologies for Alternative Energies, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Flaviu Turcu
- Center of Advanced Research and Technologies for Alternative Energies, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bogdan Belean
- Center of Advanced Research and Technologies for Alternative Energies, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Lisencu LA, Roman A, Pasca A, Irimie A, Lisencu C, Negrutiu M, Fetica B, Cismaru A, Balacescu O, Tudoran O, Lisencu C. Mammographic assessment of breast density as a tool for predicting the response to neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients. Med Pharm Rep 2023. [DOI: 10.15386/mpr-2554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims. Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. For locally advanced diseases and high-risk tumors, neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is the treatment of choice. Some studies show that mammographic density (MD) tumor margins and the presence of microcalcifications play a prognostic role in BC patients. Hence, the objective of this retrospective study was to assess if MD could predict the response to NAT among different molecular subtypes of BC patients undergoing NAT at The “Prof. Dr I. Chiricuta” Oncology Institute of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (IOCN). Furthermore, the association between MD, tumor margins and the presence of microcalcifications with clinico-pathological data was analyzed.
Methods. Eighty-four breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated at IOCN were included in this study. The morphological characteristics of the tumors were framed according to the BIRADS lexicon. The presence or absence of microcalcifications was also assessed. First, the significance of associations between breast density, margins and microcalcifications and clinico-pathological parameters of the patients were tested with Fisher or Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact Test. Next, using multinomial logistic regression, we modelled the associations between the pathological response measured by Miller Payne and Residual cancer burden (RCB) systems and the BI-RADS. Variables having significant univariate tests were selected as candidates for the multivariable analysis (adjusted model).
Results. Breast densities were significantly associated with the age of the patients (p=0.01), number of positive lymph nodes (p=0.037), margins (p=0.002) and combined categories of Miller-Payne (p=0.034) and RCB pathological response (p=0.021). Margins was significantly associated with ki67 proliferation index (p=0.029), estrogen receptor (ER) (p=0.007), progesterone receptor (PR) (p=0.019), molecular subtype (p<0.001) and the number of clinically observed positive lymph nodes at diagnosis (p=0.019).
Conclusions. In our cohort, BC patients with lower MD had higher odds of achieving pCR following NAT, suggesting the role of MD as a clinical prognostic marker. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to validate the prognostic value of MD, which could aid in patients stratification based on their likelihood to respond to NAT
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Paraschiv M, Csiki M, Diaconeasa Z, Socaci S, Balacescu O, Rakosy-Tican E, Cruceriu D. Phytochemical Profile and Selective Cytotoxic Activity of a Solanum bulbocastanum Dun. Methanolic Extract on Breast Cancer Cells. Plants (Basel) 2022; 11:3262. [PMID: 36501302 PMCID: PMC9740103 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Solanum bulbocastanum is a wild potato species, intensively used in potato breeding programs due to its resistance to environmental factors. Thus, its biochemical profile and putative human health-related traits might be transferred into potato cultivars aimed for consumption. This study aims to assess the phytochemical profile and the selective cytotoxicity of an S. bulbocastanum extract against breast cancer cells. Dry leaves were subjected to ultrasonication-assisted extraction in methanol [70%]. The phenolic and glycoalkaloid profiles were determined by HPLC-PDA/-ESI+-MS. The volatile profile was investigated by nontargeted ITEX/GC-MS. The extract was tested against three breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, MDA-MB-231, HS578T) and a healthy cell line (HUVEC) by the MTT assay, to assess its selective cytotoxicity. The phenolic profile of the extract revealed high levels of phenolic acids (5959.615 µg/mL extract), and the presence of flavanols (818.919 µg/mL extract). The diversity of the volatile compounds was rather low (nine compounds), whereas no glycoalkaloids were identified, only two alkaloid precursors (813.524 µg/mL extract). The extract proved to be cytotoxic towards all breast cancer cell lines (IC50 values between 139.1 and 356,1 µg/mL), with selectivity coefficients between 1.96 and 4.96 when compared with its toxicity on HUVECs. Based on these results we conclude that the exerted cytotoxic activity of the extract is due to its high polyphenolic content, whereas the lack of Solanaceae-specific glycoalkaloids might be responsible for its high selectivity against breast cancer cells in comparison with other extract obtained from wild Solanum species. However, further research is needed in order to assess the cytotoxicity of the individual compounds found in the extract, as well as the anti-tumor potential of the S. bulbocastanum tubers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihnea Paraschiv
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Magda Csiki
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zorita Diaconeasa
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sonia Socaci
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Elena Rakosy-Tican
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Cruceriu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Galoș D, Gorzo A, Balacescu O, Sur D. Clinical Applications of Liquid Biopsy in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives. Cells 2022; 11:3493. [PMID: 36359889 PMCID: PMC9657568 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and a leading cause of mortality among the population of western countries. However, CRC is frequently a preventable malignancy due to various screening tests being available. While failing to obtain real-time data, current screening methods (either endoscopic or stool-based tests) also require disagreeable preparation protocols and tissue sampling through invasive procedures, rendering adherence to CRC screening programs suboptimal. In this context, the necessity for novel, less invasive biomarkers able to identify and assess cancer at an early stage is evident. Liquid biopsy comes as a promising minimally invasive diagnostic tool, able to provide comprehensive information on tumor heterogeneity and dynamics during carcinogenesis. This review focuses on the potential use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) and extracellular vesicles as emerging liquid biopsy markers with clinical application in the setting of CRC screening. The review also examines the opportunity to implement liquid biopsy analysis during everyday practice and provides highlights on clinical trials researching blood tests designed for early cancer diagnosis. Additionally, the review explores potential applications of liquid biopsies in the era of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Galoș
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alecsandra Gorzo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Sur
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu”, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Baldasici O, Pileczki V, Cruceriu D, Gavrilas LI, Tudoran O, Balacescu L, Vlase L, Balacescu O. Breast Cancer-Delivered Exosomal miRNA as Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers for Metastasis Prediction: A Focus on Translational Research with Clinical Applicability. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169371. [PMID: 36012638 PMCID: PMC9408950 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis represents the most important cause of breast cancer-associated mortality. Even for early diagnosed stages, the risk of metastasis is significantly high and predicts a grim outcome for the patient. Nowadays, efforts are made for identifying blood-based biomarkers that could reliably distinguish patients with highly metastatic cancers in order to ensure a closer follow-up and a more personalized therapeutic method. Exosomes are nano vesicles secreted by cancer cells that can transport miRNAs, proteins, and other molecules and deliver them to recipient cells all over the body. Through this transfer, cancer cells modulate their microenvironment and facilitate the formation of the pre-metastatic niche, leading to sustained progression. Exosomal miRNAs have been extensively studied due to their promising potential as prognosis biomarkers for metastatic breast cancer. In this review, we tried to depict an overview of the existing literature regarding exosomal miRNAs that are already validated as potential biomarkers, and which could be immediately available for the clinic. Moreover, in the last section, we highlighted several miRNAs that have proven their function in preclinical studies and could be considered for clinical validation. Considering the lack of standard methods for evaluating exosomal miRNA, we also discussed the challenges and the technical aspects underlying this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Baldasici
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Valentina Pileczki
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Cruceriu
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 5–7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Laura Ioana Gavrilas
- Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Tudoran
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Laurian Vlase
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence:
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Kubelac P, Preda A, Ciuleanu T, Todor N, Balacescu O, Achimas-Cadariu P, Iancu D, Mocan C, Bandi-Vasilica M, Lupse M, Briciu VT, Man MA, Vlad C. Outcomes of patients with cancer infected with SARS-CoV-2: results from the Ion Chiricuță Oncology Institute series. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100423. [PMID: 35279526 PMCID: PMC8828430 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The evolution of COVID-19 is a controversial topic in cancer patients. They have been designated by international organizations as a vulnerable population at greater risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 and having a more severe clinical outcome. Patients and methods Active screening at our institution became routine early in the pandemic. We have examined the clinical data of 341 cancer patients, with a positive RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test between April 2020 and February 2021, in the prevaccination era. Results During the infection, 40.5% remained asymptomatic, 27.6% developed a mild form, 20.5% had a moderate form, and 11.4% a severe/critical form of COVID-19 that led to death in 7.6% of cases. Treatment was adapted to disease severity according to national guidelines. In our series, the incidence of COVID-19 infection was lower in cancer patients compared with the general population (P < 0.001), however, the mortality rate was higher in cancer patients in comparison with the general population (7.6% versus 2.9%, P < 0.001). The prognostic factors were assessed by three distinct univariate and multivariate analyses: (i) evolution to a moderate or severe/critical clinical manifestation, (ii) clinical worsening (severe/critical form or death), and (iii) overall survival. In the multivariate analysis, the prognostic factors associated with the evolution to a moderate or severe/critical clinical manifestation were: performance status (PS) (P < 0.0001) and no active treatment in the previous 3 months (P = 0.031). Factors associated with clinical worsening were: PS (P < 0.0001), peripheral arterial disease (P = 0.03), and chronic liver disease (P = 0.04). Factors associated with impaired overall survival were PS (P < 0.0001), ischemic cardiac disease (P = 0.0126), chronic liver disease (P = 0.001), and radiotherapy (P = 0.0027). Conclusion Our series confirms a more severe evolution for COVID-19 infection in cancer patients, with PS as the most prominent prognostic factor in all three multivariate analyses. By active screening, efforts should be in place to keep cancer units as coronavirus-free sanctuaries. This is the first comprehensive study addressing the impact of COVID-19 in a large cohort of cancer patients in Romania. Oncological patients had a higher death rate after COVID-19 infection in comparison with the general population. Decreased PS was the prominent prognostic factor correlated with worse outcomes and death in multiple multivariate analysis.
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10
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Havasi A, Sur D, Cainap SS, Lungulescu CV, Gavrilas LI, Cainap C, Vlad C, Balacescu O. Current and New Challenges in the Management of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: The Role of miRNA-Based Approaches as New Reliable Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1109. [PMID: 35163032 PMCID: PMC8834851 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are rare tumors; however, their incidence greatly increases with age, and they occur more frequently among the elderly. They represent 5% of all pancreatic tumors, and despite the fact that low-grade tumors often have an indolent evolution, they portend a poor prognosis in an advanced stages and undifferentiated tumors. Additionally, functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors greatly impact quality of life due to the various clinical syndromes that result from abnormal hormonal secretion. With limited therapeutic and diagnostic options, patient stratification and selection of optimal therapeutic strategies should be the main focus. Modest improvements in the management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors have been achieved in the last years. Therefore, it is imperative to find new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies to improve patient survival and quality of life, limiting the disease burden. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous molecules that modulate the expression of thousands of genes and control numerous critical processes involved in tumor development and progression. New data also suggest the implication of miRNAs in treatment resistance and their potential as prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this review, we discusses the current and new challenges in the management of PanNETs, including genetic and epigenetic approaches. Furthermore, we summarize the available data on miRNAs as potential prognostic, predictive, or diagnostic biomarkers and discuss their function as future therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Havasi
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.C.)
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- MedEuropa Radiotherapy Center, 410191 Oradea, Romania
| | - Daniel Sur
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.C.)
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Simona Sorana Cainap
- Department of Mother and Child, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | | | - Laura-Ioana Gavrilas
- Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Calin Cainap
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.C.)
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Catalin Vlad
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34–36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta’’, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Titu S, Grapa CM, Mocan T, Balacescu O, Irimie A. Tetraspanins: Physiology, Colorectal Cancer Development, and Nanomediated Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225662. [PMID: 34830819 PMCID: PMC8616055 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Considering the high incidence of colorectal cancer in adults, as well as the need for identifying novel therapies, we hereby explore the role of tetraspanins in the development of colorectal cancer. We have focused on variate aspects starting from the structure and general physiology and ending with the precise mechanisms involved in the dual reported role of tetraspanins (pro–tumoral and tumor suppressor key player element). Moreover, the present review focuses on the potential of tetraspanins as a target for nanotechnology-mediated therapies, also gathering the limited attempts towards this aim and their reported data. Abstract Tetraspanins are transmembrane proteins expressed in a multitude of cells throughout the organism. They contribute to many processes that surround cell–cell interactions and are associated with the progress of some diseases, including cancer. Their crucial role in cell physiology is often understated. Furthermore, recent studies have shown their great potential in being used as targeting molecules. Data have suggested the potential of tetraspanins as a targeting vector for nanomediated distribution and delivery for colorectal cancer applications. Our aim is to provide a review on the important part that tetraspanins play in the human organism and highlight their potential use for drug delivery systems using nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Titu
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (S.T.); (C.M.G.); (A.I.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristiana Maria Grapa
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (S.T.); (C.M.G.); (A.I.)
- Nanomedicine Department, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Teodora Mocan
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (S.T.); (C.M.G.); (A.I.)
- Nanomedicine Department, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, 400126 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (S.T.); (C.M.G.); (A.I.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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12
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Crisan C, Cainap CI, Deac AL, Havasi AD, Balacescu O, Balacescu L, Bochis OV, Vlad IC, Cainap SS. Decrease of oncological patients’ hospital visits during Covid-19 pandemic: The experience of a tertiary Romanian center. J Clin Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e13607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
e13607 Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has changed the provision of medical services worldwide. Oncological patients continued receiving specialty treatments. We assess the impact of the pandemic on the oncological patients' visits to a tertiary cancer center. Methods: We analyzed registrations from the administrative data system of in and outpatients in all departments of the Cluj-Napoca Oncology Institute, during March-October 2020, compared to the same 7-month period of the previous year. Results: The decrease during March-October 2020 was of 40.2% for new referrals overall (with the most significant drop in April, of 80%), of 52.5% for medical oncology inpatients, 39% for pediatric oncology department inpatients, 69% for radiotherapy inpatients, 34.9% for surgical interventions and 31% decrease of issued pathology reports. The decrease was less important for outpatients: only 10% for medical oncology outpatient department, 33% for radiotherapy, and 27% for breast cancer unit outpatients. Imaging investigations were only slightly influenced by the pandemic (reduction of 5% for MRI scans, 19% for mammograms, whereas performed CT scans were even more after the outbreak of COVID-19). Conclusions: Our results show a decrease in the number of patients during the period after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more for inpatients and less significant for outpatient departments, probably because of the internal circuits reorganization but also because of healthcare measures taken nationally and locally to limit the spread of the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, oncology referrals, disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Calin Ioan Cainap
- Department of Medical Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Institute of Oncology, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Andrei Dan Havasi
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Ioan-Cătălin Vlad
- "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Sorana Cainap
- Department of Pediatrics, Emergency Pediatric Clinical Hospital, Cluj Napoca, Romania
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13
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Sur D, Balacescu L, Cainap SS, Visan S, Pop L, Burz C, Havasi A, Buiga R, Cainap C, Irimie A, Balacescu O. Predictive Efficacy of MiR-125b-5p, MiR-17-5p, and MiR-185-5p in Liver Metastasis and Chemotherapy Response Among Advanced Stage Colorectal Cancer Patients. Front Oncol 2021; 11:651380. [PMID: 34084747 PMCID: PMC8167052 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.651380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs represent potential biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC). The study hypothesized that miRNAs associated with liver metastases may also contribute to assessing treatment response when associated to plasma exosomes. In this study, we used two sets of biological samples, a collection of tumor tissues harvested from patients with CRC with and without liver metastases, and a collection of plasma from CRC patients with and without response to FOLFOX4/FOLFIRI regimens. We investigated 10 target miRNAs in the tissue of 28 CRC patients and identified miR-125b-5p, miR-17-5p, and miR-185-5p to be associated with liver metastasis. Further, we investigated the three miRNAs at the exosomal level in a plasma collection to test their association with chemotherapy response. Our data suggest that the elevated plasma levels of miR-17-5p and miR-185-5p could be predictive of treatment response. Overexpression of miR-17-5p and underexpression of miR-125b-5p and miR-185-5p in CRC tissue seem to be associated with metastatic potential. On the other hand, an increased expression of miR-125b-5p in plasma exosomes was potentially correlated with a more aggressive CRC phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sur
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona S Cainap
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Emergency County Hospital for Children, Pediatric Clinic no 2, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Mother and Child, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Visan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Laura Pop
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Claudia Burz
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Immunology and Allergology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Havasi
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Rares Buiga
- Department of Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Pathology, "Iuliu Hatieganu", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Calin Cainap
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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14
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Cruceriu D, Baldasici O, Balacescu L, Gligor-Popa S, Flonta M, Man MA, Visan S, Vlad C, Trifa AP, Balacescu O, Achimas-Cadariu P. Critical Aspects Concerning the Development of a Pooling Approach for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis Using Large-Scale PCR Testing. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050902. [PMID: 34067983 PMCID: PMC8152296 DOI: 10.3390/v13050902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary approach to controlling the spread of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 is to diagnose and isolate the infected people quickly. Our paper aimed to investigate the efficiency and the reliability of a hierarchical pooling approach for large-scale PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. To identify the best conditions for the pooling approach for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis by RT-qPCR, we investigated four manual methods for both RNA extraction and PCR assessment targeting one or more of the RdRp, N, S, and ORF1a genes, by using two PCR devices and an automated flux for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We determined the most efficient and accurate diagnostic assay, taking into account multiple parameters. The optimal pool size calculation included the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, the assay sensitivity of 95%, an assay specificity of 100%, and a range of pool sizes of 5 to 15 samples. Our investigation revealed that the most efficient and accurate procedure for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 has a detection limit of 2.5 copies/PCR reaction. This pooling approach proved to be efficient and accurate in detecting SARS-CoV-2 for all samples with individual quantification cycle (Cq) values lower than 35, accounting for more than 94% of all positive specimens. Our data could serve as a comprehensive practical guide for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic centers planning to address such a pooling strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cruceriu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.C.); (O.B.); (L.B.); (S.V.)
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, “Babes-Bolyai” University, 1, M. Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Baldasici
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.C.); (O.B.); (L.B.); (S.V.)
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.C.); (O.B.); (L.B.); (S.V.)
| | - Stefana Gligor-Popa
- Department of Oncogenetics, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Mirela Flonta
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, 23, Iuliu Moldovan Street, 400348 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Milena A. Man
- Department of Medical Sciences—Pulmonology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Covid Department, “Leon Daniello” Clinical Hospital of Pulmonology, 6, Hasdeu Street, 400371 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Visan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.C.); (O.B.); (L.B.); (S.V.)
| | - Catalin Vlad
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.V.); (P.A.-C.)
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adrian P. Trifa
- Department of Oncogenetics, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Genetics, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (A.P.T.); (O.B.); Tel.: +40-264-598-362 (O.B.)
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.C.); (O.B.); (L.B.); (S.V.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (A.P.T.); (O.B.); Tel.: +40-264-598-362 (O.B.)
| | - Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36, Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.V.); (P.A.-C.)
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8, Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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15
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Crisan C, Cainap C, Deac A, Havasi A, Balacescu O, Balacescu L, Bochis O, Vlad C, Cainap S. Decrease of oncological patients' hospital visits during Covid-19 pandemic; the experience of a tertiary Romanian centre. J BUON 2021; 26:1121-1126. [PMID: 34268980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has changed the provision of medical services worldwide. We assessed the impact of the pandemic on the oncological patients' visits to a tertiary cancer centre. METHODS We analysed registrations from the administrative data system of in- and outpatients in all of the departments of the Cluj-Napoca Oncology Institute, during March-October 2020, and compared to the same 7-month period of the previous year. RESULTS The decrease during March-October 2020 was 40.2% for new referrals overall (with the most significant drop in April, of 80%), 52.5% for medical oncology inpatients, 39% for paediatric oncology department inpatients, 69% for radiotherapy inpatients, 34.9% for surgical interventions and 31% decrease of issued pathology reports. The decrease was less important for outpatients: only 10% for medical oncology outpatient department, 33% for radiotherapy and 27% for breast cancer unit outpatients. Imaging investigations were only slightly influenced by the pandemic (reduction of 5% for MRI scans, 19% for mammograms,whereas performed CT scans were even more after the outbreak of COVID-19). CONCLUSION Our results show a decrease in the number of patients during the period after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more for inpatients and less significant for outpatient departments, probably because of the internal circuits reorganization but also because of health care measures taken nationally and locally to limit the spread of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Crisan
- "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta" Oncology Institute of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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16
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Cainap C, Ungur RA, Bochis OV, Achimas P, Vlad C, Havasi A, Vidrean A, Farcas A, Tat T, Gherman A, Piciu A, Bota M, Constantin AM, Pop LA, Maniu D, Crisan O, Cioban CV, Balacescu O, Coza O, Balacescu L, Marta MM, Dronca E, Cainap S. Partnering bevacizumab with irinotecan as first line-therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer improves progression free survival-A retrospective analysis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248922. [PMID: 33909622 PMCID: PMC8081186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer remains one of the most frequent malignancies (third place at both genders) worldwide in the last decade, owing to significant changes in modern dietary habits. Approximately half of the patients develop metastases during the course of their disease. The available therapeutic armamentarium is constantly evolving, raising questions regarding the best approach for improving survival. Bevacizumab remains one of the most widely used therapies for treating metastatic colorectal cancer and can be used after progression. This study aimed to identify the best chemotherapy partner for bevacizumab after progression. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were treated with bevacizumab as first- and second-line chemotherapy. Data were collected for 151 patients, 40 of whom were treated with double-dose bevacizumab after the first progression. The two standard chemotherapy regimens combined with bevacizumab were FOLFIRI/CAPIRI and FOLFOX4/CAPEOX. The initiation of first-line treatment with irinotecan-based chemotherapy improved progression-free survival and time to treatment failure but not overall survival. After the first progression, retreatment with the same regimen as that used in the induction phase was the best approach for improving overall survival (median overall survival: 46.5 vs. 27.0 months for the same vs. switched strategy, respectively). No correlations were observed between the dose intensity of irinotecan, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, or bevacizumab and the overall survival, progression-free survival in the first-/second-line treatment, and time to treatment failure. Interaction between an irinotecan-based regimen as a second-line treatment and double-dose bevacizumab after progression was associated with an improved overall survival (p = 0.06). Initiating systemic treatment with an irinotecan-based regimen in combination with bevacizumab improved the progression-free survival in the first-line treatment and time to treatment failure. In terms of overall survival, bevacizumab treatment after the first progression is better partnered with the same regimen as that used in the induction phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calin Cainap
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Rodica Ana Ungur
- Department of Medical Specialties, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Patriciu Achimas
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Catalin Vlad
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Havasi
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Anca Farcas
- Department of Medical Specialties, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Tiberiu Tat
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandra Gherman
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andra Piciu
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Madalina Bota
- Department of Mother and Child, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Anne-Marie Constantin
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Laura Ancuta Pop
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dana Maniu
- Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Crisan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cosmin Vasile Cioban
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Ovidiu Coza
- Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Monica Mihaela Marta
- Department of Medical Education, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Eleonora Dronca
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Cainap
- Department of Mother and Child, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Nitusca D, Marcu A, Dema A, Balacescu L, Balacescu O, Bardan R, Cumpanas AA, Sirbu IO, Petrut B, Seclaman E, Marian C. Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 as a Potential Candidate Biomarker for Prostate Cancer. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11040320. [PMID: 33917553 PMCID: PMC8067529 DOI: 10.3390/life11040320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide, mainly due to unsatisfactory diagnostic methods used at present, which lead to overdiagnosis, unnecessary biopsies and treatment, or misdiagnosis in early asymptomatic stages. New diagnostic biomarkers are needed for a correct and early diagnosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been broadly studied for their involvement in PCa biology, as well as for their potential role as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: We conducted lncRNA profiling in plasma and microdissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of PCa patients and attempted validation for commonly dysregulated individual lncRNAs. Results: Plasma profiling revealed eight dysregulated lncRNAs, while microarray analysis revealed 717 significantly dysregulated lncRNAs, out of which only nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) was commonly upregulated in plasma samples and FFPE tissues. NEAT1’s individual validation revealed statistically significant upregulation (FC = 2.101, p = 0.009). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.7298 for NEAT1 (95% CI = 0.5812–0.8785), suggesting a relatively high diagnostic value, thus having a potential biomarker role for this malignancy. Conclusions: We present herein data suggesting that NEAT1 could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for PCa. Additional studies of larger cohorts are needed to confirm our findings, as well as the oncogenic mechanism of NEAT1 in the development of PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Nitusca
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (D.N.); (A.M.); (I.O.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Anca Marcu
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (D.N.); (A.M.); (I.O.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Alis Dema
- Department of Pathology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania;
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.B.); (O.B.)
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.B.); (O.B.)
| | - Razvan Bardan
- Department of Urology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (R.B.); (A.A.C.)
- Urology Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alin Adrian Cumpanas
- Department of Urology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (R.B.); (A.A.C.)
- Urology Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Ovidiu Sirbu
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (D.N.); (A.M.); (I.O.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Bogdan Petrut
- Department of Urology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Edward Seclaman
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (D.N.); (A.M.); (I.O.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Catalin Marian
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pta Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania; (D.N.); (A.M.); (I.O.S.); (E.S.)
- Correspondence:
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18
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Piciu A, Cainap C, Sur D, Havasi A, Fetica B, Balacescu O, Mester A, Cainap S. RARE MALIGNANT FEMALE ADNEXAL TUMOR OF WOLFFIAN ORIGIN (FATWO) WITH MULTIPLE RELAPSES AND CHEMOTHERAPY REGIMENS. Acta Endocrinol (Buchar) 2021; 17:259-265. [PMID: 34925577 PMCID: PMC8665256 DOI: 10.4183/aeb.2021.259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Female adnexal tumors of probable Wolffian origin (FATWO) represent very rare borderline ovarian tumors with low malignant potential. Only 15 cases of malignant FATWO are described in the current literature, among which, only 5 are reported as being recurrent. OBJECTIVE Due to the rare presentation of the recurrence of the malignant FATWO and the few cases reported in the scientific database, there are no clear therapy recommendations. This paper should help practitioners to choose the best therapy approach. DESIGN This paper presents the 6th case of malignant recurrent FATWO and will compare all the cases available in the literature. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We present a review of the literature comparing the therapeutic approaches and outcomes of all the five cases of recurrent malignant FATWOs. Also, we introduce the case of a stage III Wolffian origin adnexal tumor with multiple recurrences appeared after 6 years of disease free interval. RESULTS Our case presents the longest survival reported in the literature and underwent most surgical procedures of the recurrences and more than 4 lines of chemotherapy regimens. CONCLUSIONS This paper shows possible therapeutic approaches to be used as example by the practitioners according to the drug availability in their centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Piciu
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Medical Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - C. Cainap
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Medical Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - D. Sur
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Medical Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - A. Havasi
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Medical Oncology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - B. Fetica
- “Prof Dr Ion Chiricuta” Oncology Institute - Pathology and Molecular Biology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - O. Balacescu
- “Prof Dr Ion Chiricuta” Oncology Institute - Pathology and Molecular Biology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - A. Mester
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Oral Health, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - S. Cainap
- “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine - Mother & Child, Emergency County Hospital, 2 Pediatric Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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19
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Lisencu LA, Bonci EA, Irimie A, Balacescu O, Lisencu C. The Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in Chemoresistant Metastatic Breast Cancer. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10040684. [PMID: 33578862 PMCID: PMC7916545 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer among women and is one of the leading causes of death. Two routes of the metastatic process have been described: linear and parallel progression. A key factor is represented by circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CTCs detach from the primary tumor or develop from cancer stem cells (CSCs) that undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). CTCs migrate to the distant site where the reverse process occurs and a new tumor arises. One of the key problems of metastatic disease is chemoresistance, which leads to treatment failure and, eventually, death. The aim of this review is to present up-to-date data regarding the role of CTCs in chemoresistance in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. A search in Cochrane Library and MEDLINE databases was performed. A total of 125 articles were identified. The results of the final 12 eligible studies revealed that CTCs having stem cell features and those with mesenchymal features are aggressive subtypes of cells that survive chemotherapy, being responsible for chemoresistance and thus for disease progression in MBC patients. The hemodynamic shear stress, alongside dynamic changes among CTCs during the disease, is also an important disease progression factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Alexandra Lisencu
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.A.L.); (A.I.); (C.L.)
| | - Eduard-Alexandru Bonci
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.A.L.); (A.I.); (C.L.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță” Institute of Oncology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.A.L.); (A.I.); (C.L.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță” Institute of Oncology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță” Institute of Oncology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, “Iuliu Hațieganu”, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cosmin Lisencu
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.A.L.); (A.I.); (C.L.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță” Institute of Oncology, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Iluta S, Pasca S, Dima D, Mester G, Urian L, Bojan A, Zdrenghea M, Trifa A, Balacescu O, Tomuleasa C. Haematology patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, pretreated with eculizumab or siltuximab, develop oligosymptomatic disease. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2021; 29:e8. [PMID: 33541912 PMCID: PMC9614117 DOI: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2021-002694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Iluta
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Sergiu Pasca
- Medfuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, Iuliu HaTieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty of Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Delia Dima
- Department of Hematology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Gabriela Mester
- Department of Hematology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Laura Urian
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Anca Bojan
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Mihnea Zdrenghea
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Adrian Trifa
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Genetics, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ciprian Tomuleasa
- Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania .,Medfuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, Iuliu HaTieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty of Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania
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21
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Curt AM, Popa Ilie IR, Cainap C, Balacescu O, Ghervan C. MicroRNAs and Treatment with Somatostatin Analogs in Gastro- Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Challenges in Personalized Medicine. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2020; 29:647-659. [PMID: 33331339 DOI: 10.15403/jgld-2866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Molecular predictive biomarkers represent an essential tool for the future of personalized oncotherapy. Gastro- entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms are a heterogeneous group of epithelial tumors with a steady increase in incidence and prevalence. Their effective management depends on early diagnosis, personalized risk stratification, and monitoring response to therapy. A crucial element is identifying accurate biomarkers to predict/monitor therapeutic responses, assess drug resistance, and quantify residual disease in a reproducible and less invasive way. Taking into consideration their role in cell differentiation, cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumor development, microRNAs have gained interest as potential prognostic markers and treatment response predictors in neuroendocrine neoplasms. This review is the first to summarize the available data on the possible role of microRNAs in evaluating the efficacy of somatostatin analogs treatment in gastro- entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Although the literature is scarce, the let-7 family targeting phosphoinositide 3 kinase - protein kinase B 1 - mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway might represent a promising biomarker with potential clinical benefit, but further research is required before their eventual clinical application. Furthermore, the ambiguous molecular mechanisms of neuroendocrine proliferation and the undefined signaling pathway of somatostatin analogs should encourage future research in this field that may lead to a different clinical approach to neuroendocrine disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Curt
- Endocrinology Department, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj- Napoca, Romania. .
| | - Ioana Rada Popa Ilie
- Endocrinology Department, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj- Napoca, Romania. .
| | - Calin Cainap
- 11 th Department of Medical Oncology, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca; Department of Medical Oncology, Ion Chiricuță Institute of Oncology, Cluj- Napoca, Romania.
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 11 th Department of Medical Oncology, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca; Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, Ion Chiricuță Institute of Oncology, Cluj- Napoca, Romania.
| | - Cristina Ghervan
- Endocrinology Department, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj- Napoca, Romania.
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22
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Cainap C, Pop LA, Balacescu O, Cainap SS. Early diagnosis and screening in lung cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:1993-2009. [PMID: 32774997 PMCID: PMC7407360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer, but the first cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This rather high death rate is due mainly to the fact that most patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, for which the conventional treatment does not work. The most used screening method for lung cancer is a low-dose CT scan, but it is recommended for specific age populations and it also started different debates on its advantages for lung cancer diagnosis. Over the year, several new techniques have been developed that are less invasive, have lower side effect, and can be implemented at all types of populations. This article aimed to present the advantages and disadvantages of using several methods for lung cancer diagnosis, including analysis of volatile organic compounds, exhaled breath condensate analysis and specific genomic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calin Cainap
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and PharmacyCluj-Napoca, Romania
- Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Institute of OncologyCluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Laura A Pop
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu HatieganuCluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Institute of OncologyCluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona S Cainap
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Emergency County Hospital for Children, Pediatric Clinic no 2Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Mother and Child, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and PharmacyCluj-Napoca, Romania
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23
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Havasi AD, Cainap CI, Vlad IC, Achimaş-Cadariu P, Sur DG, Meşter (Piciu) A, Heputiu-Pater AT, Bochis O, Balacescu O, Crisan O, Coza O, Balacescu L, Burz CC, Cainap SS. A new desensitization protocol, overcoming hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol 2020. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e15523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
e15523 Background: Despite the progress for cancer treatment, some drugs remain a cornerstone for an optimal approach. Hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapy may render these essential chemotherapeutic agents useless and for some types of cancer continuing the therapeutic scheme could be crucial. Various regimens for desensitization to allow chemotherapy administration through the time were conceived, with different dilutions, time and settings of administration. Methods: A prospective study of patients with systemic treatment for histopathologically confirmed cancer in our Oncological Institute „Prof. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, with an allergic reaction during treatment being the keys inclusion criteria in the analysis. Patients were administered a three days desensitization regimen from the following cycle of treatment with blood samples that were taken to observe the predictive value of biological markers. Results: Eighty-two patients were the initial pool, with a median age of 56 years. Platin derivates containing regiments were responsible for an allergic reaction for 75 out of 82 patients. Four of them were known with a previous allergic reaction for chemotherapy in their personal medical history, and 56 of them had more than one chemotherapy line in their treatment. More than 688 desensitization cycles were administrated during our study with a rate of failure of 1.3 %. The main reason for discontinuation was disease progression or adjuvant character (limited duration) of the chemotherapy administration. Conclusions: Allergic reaction does not impede the administration of the responsible drug. A 3-day inpatient regimen could be a valuable option with a successful rate of administration without the need for ICU monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Dan Havasi
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Calin Ioan Cainap
- Department of Medical Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Institute of Oncology, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioan-Cătălin Vlad
- "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Daniel Genel Sur
- University of Medicine "I. Hatieganu" Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | | | | | - Ovidiu Bochis
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Crisan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Coza
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Institutul Oncologic "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă" Cluj Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Simona Sorana Cainap
- Department of Pediatrics, Emergency Pediatric Clinical Hospital, Cluj Napoca, Romania
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24
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Cruceriu D, Diaconeasa Z, Socaci S, Socaciu C, Balacescu O, Rakosy-Tican E. Extracts of the Wild Potato Species Solanum chacoense on Breast Cancer Cells: Biochemical Characterization, In Vitro Selective Cytotoxicity and Molecular Effects. Nutr Cancer 2020; 73:630-641. [PMID: 32372670 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2020.1761407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Solanum chacoense (wild potato) is intensively used in breeding, its biochemical profile and putative human health-related traits being transferred into potato cultivars aimed for consumption. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biochemical profile and the anti-tumor potential of methanolic extracts obtained from S. chacoense leaves and tubers against three breast cancer cell lines in comparison to healthy endothelial cells (HUVEC). The biochemical profile of the extracts was determined by HPLC-PDA/-ESI+-MS and ITEX/GC-MS, the selective cytotoxicity by MTT assay whereas RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of proliferation- and apoptosis-related genes. Both extracts proved to be rich in phenolic acids and volatile compounds, the leaf extract also containing glycoalkaloids. Both extracts proved to be cytotoxic for breast cancer cell lines, with IC50 values varying between 132.9 and 390.7 µg/ml. Both extracts had selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 cell line in comparison to HUVECs (selectivity coefficients >2.3). The treatment with the extracts induced overexpression of the pro-apoptotic gene BAX¸ down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2 and the pro-proliferation genes NFkB, CCND1, and STAT3. Thus S. chacoense extracts proved to be rich in compounds with anticancer proprieties and are capable of inducing selective cytotoxicity on MCF7 cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cruceriu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zorita Diaconeasa
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sonia Socaci
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Carmen Socaciu
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Elena Rakosy-Tican
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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25
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Sur D, Havasi A, Cainap C, Samasca G, Burz C, Balacescu O, Lupan I, Deleanu D, Irimie A. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Colorectal Cancer. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9010182. [PMID: 31936611 PMCID: PMC7019711 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9010182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents a new genetically engineered method of immunotherapy for cancer. The patient’s T-cells are modified to express a specific receptor that sticks to the tumor antigen. This modified cell is then reintroduced into the patient’s body to fight the resilient cancer cells. After exhibiting positive results in hematological malignancies, this therapy is being proposed for solid tumors like colorectal cancer. The clinical data of CAR T-cell therapy in colorectal cancer is rather scarce. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge, challenges, and future perspectives of CAR T-cell therapy in colorectal cancer. A total of 22 articles were included in this review. Eligible studies were selected and reviewed by two researchers from 49 articles found on Pubmed, Web of Science, and clinicaltrials.gov. This therapy, at the moment, provides modest benefits in solid tumors. Not taking into consideration the high manufacturing and retail prices, there are still limitations like increased toxicities, relapses, and unfavorable tumor microenvironment for CAR T-cell therapy in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sur
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.S.); (C.C.); (O.B.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.B.)
| | - Andrei Havasi
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.B.)
| | - Calin Cainap
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.S.); (C.C.); (O.B.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.B.)
| | - Gabriel Samasca
- Department of Immunology and Allergology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Correspondence:
| | - Claudia Burz
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.); (C.B.)
- Department of Immunology and Allergology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (D.S.); (C.C.); (O.B.)
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Iulia Lupan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotehnology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Diana Deleanu
- Department of Immunology and Allergology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- 11th Department of Oncological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, “IuliuHatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Cruceriu D, Baldasici O, Balacescu O, Berindan-Neagoe I. The dual role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in breast cancer: molecular insights and therapeutic approaches. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2020; 43:1-18. [PMID: 31900901 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-019-00489-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide and the fifth cause of death among all cancer patients. Breast cancer development is driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations, with the tumor microenvironment (TME) playing an essential role in disease progression and evolution through mechanisms like inflammation promotion. TNF-α is one of the essential pro-inflammatory cytokines found in the TME of breast cancer patients, being secreted both by stromal cells, mainly by tumor-associated macrophages, and by the cancer cells themselves. In this review, we explore the biological and clinical impact of TNF-α in all stages of breast cancer development. First of all, we explore the correlation between TNF-α expression levels at the tumor site or in plasma/serum of breast cancer patients and their respective clinical status and outcome. Secondly, we emphasize the role of TNF-α signaling in both estrogen-positive and -negative breast cancer cells. Thirdly, we underline TNF-α involvement in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of breast cancer cells, and we point out the contribution of TNF-α to the development of acquired drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these data reveal a pro-tumorigenic role of TNF-α during breast cancer progression and metastasis. We systemize the knowledge regarding TNF-α-related therapies in breast cancer, and we explain how TNF-α may act as both a target and a drug in different breast cancer therapeutic approaches. By corroborating the known molecular effects of TNF-α signaling in breast cancer cells with the results from several preclinical and clinical trials, including TNF-α-related clinical observations, we conclude that the potential of TNF-α in breast cancer therapy promises to be of great interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cruceriu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Baldasici
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania. .,11th Department of Medical Oncology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania. .,Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. .,MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Sur D, Coza O, Havasi A, Cainap C, Burz C, Vlad C, Balacescu O, Alexandru I, Lisencu C. Exosomal miRNAs in colorectal cancer: the carriers of useful news. J BUON 2020; 25:23-34. [PMID: 32277611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In this review, we focused on presenting an up-to-date overview of exosomal miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and their therapeutically perspectives in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PUBMED database through February 2019 to identify all studies concerning the role of miRNAs and exosomes in CRC. RESULTS Among the 77 studies identified, 43 articles were relevant for the collaboration of miRNAs and exosomes as therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities in CRC. CONCLUSIONS This review reveals the role of exosomal miRNAs in CRC management and discusses the promises and challenges associated with the introduction of this combination into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sur
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania
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Gavrilas LI, Cruceriu D, Ionescu C, Miere D, Balacescu O. Pro-apoptotic genes as new targets for single and combinatorial treatments with resveratrol and curcumin in colorectal cancer. Food Funct 2019; 10:3717-3726. [PMID: 31169275 DOI: 10.1039/c9fo01014a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most diagnosed type of cancer worldwide with high mortality and an increased incidence rate. Bioactive dietary components such as curcumin and resveratrol have great therapeutic potential as they can modulate a plethora of signaling pathways related to colorectal carcinogenesis. Previous data have demonstrated that curcumin and resveratrol can induce apoptosis in different types of cancer cells. Considering the lack of data on the combinatorial effect of curcumin and resveratrol associated with the induction of apoptosis in colorectal pathology, the main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of single vs. combinatorial treatment of resveratrol and curcumin on their cytotoxic effects, as well as the modulation of several essential pro-apoptotic genes, on two colorectal cancer cell lines (DLD-1 and Caco-2) different in terms of chromosomal stability (MSI and MSS). The cytotoxic effects were evaluated by the MTT assay, the nature of the interaction between curcumin and resveratrol was assessed by the combination index method and the expression levels of key genes involved in the modulation of pro-apoptotic mechanisms were evaluated by RT-qPCR. Our data indicate that the combination treatment of curcumin and resveratrol is more effective in inhibiting the proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, with a synergistic effect for the DLD-1 cell line (CI < 1) and an additive effect for the Caco-2 cell line (CI ≥ 1). The IC50 values for the combination treatment were 71.8 μM (20.5 μM curcumin + 51.3 μM resveratrol) for the DLD-1 cell line and 66.21 μM (18.9 μM curcumin + 47.3 μM resveratrol) for the Caco-2 cell line, respectively. Our data pointed out, for the first time, that several genes involved in the modulation of apoptosis, including PMAIP1, BID, ZMAT3, CASP3, CASP7, and FAS, represent new targets of both singular and combinatorial treatments with resveratrol and curcumin, and also the combinatorial approach of curcumin and resveratrol exhibits a more powerful gene regulating effect compared to single treatment. Considering the beneficial aspects of the combinatorial approach with curcumin and resveratrol on colorectal cancer cells further studies should address the possible pharmacological benefits of using a combination of both dietary agents with different chemotherapeutic drug approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ioana Gavrilas
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, 23 Marinescu Street, Cluj-Napoca 400337, Romania.
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Cainap C, Vlad C, Seicean A, Balacescu O, Seicean R, Constantin AM, Balacescu L, Crisan O, Marta MM, Cainap S. Gastric cancer: adjuvant chemotherapy versus chemoradiation. A clinical point of view. J BUON 2019; 24:2209-2219. [PMID: 31983085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer represents one of the most severe cancers with poor overall survival. Despite the availability of published data on the efficacy of adjuvant treatment, the actual percentage of treated patients remains low. The toxicity of radiotherapy or chemotherapy regimens differ and clinicians need accessible tools in order to better select candidates for adjuvant treatment. In this review, we present published data from clinical trials and cancer registries that might be useful for properly balancing the efficacy and toxicity of adjuvant treatment in gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery with curative intent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calin Cainap
- Department of Oncology, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Sur D, Cainap C, Burz C, Havasi A, Chis IC, Vlad C, Milosevic V, Balacescu O, Irimie A. The role of miRNA -31-3p and miR-31-5p in the anti-EGFR treatment efficacy of wild-type K-RAS metastatic colorectal cancer. Is it really the next best thing in miRNAs? J BUON 2019; 24:1739-1746. [PMID: 31786833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with a high incidence and mortality. Although many treatment options are available in stage IV disease, the clinical outcome is still minimal. The primary treatment problem in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is early liver metastases that occur in more than 50% of patients. First-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a combination of chemotherapy plus targeted therapies like Cetuximab or Bevacizumab depending on K-RAS status. The decision of which regimen to choose is difficult because almost half of the patients don't receive second-line treatment due to complications or death. To avoid exposing non-responding patients to inefficient and harmful therapies new robust biomarkers are needed. Ongoing studies have demonstrated constantly that microRNAs (miRNAs) could become suitable biomarkers for screening and treatment response. In CRC, miR-31-3p and miR-31-5p dysregulation seems to have a particular role in evaluating treatment response from anti-EGFR therapy. In this review, we will present up to date information on the role of miRNA-31-3p and miR-31-5p in CRC with a particular focus in treatment response of metastatic K-RAS wild-type CRC treated with anti-EGFR molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sur
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania
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Balacescu O, Crisan N, Balacescu L, Visan S, Tudoran O, Fetica B, Bungardean C, Marian C, Petrut B. How reliable and useful are angiogenesis blood mediators for prostate cancer diagnosis? J BUON 2019; 24:1194-1203. [PMID: 31424679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate if a blood panel of genes involved in the modulation of the immune system, angiogenesis and tumor development could be used for prostate cancer detection. METHODS Gene expression profiling of blood samples was assessed with the human angiogenesis RT² Profiler™ pcr array. The study group was divided into training and a testing/validation set. In total, 36 blood samples from 6 heatlhy men, 19 patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and 11 patients with benign prostate pathology (BP) were included in this study. RESULTS Transcriptional analysis revealed a supervised signature of 28 genes which discriminated the PCa samples from control on the training set (fold regulation [FR] cut off 1.5, p<0.05). This signature was further validated on the testing set. All 28 genes used for this classification were differentially expressed in the new set of 12 PCa samples compared to control but also compared to benign samples (FR cut off 1.5, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our data could provide new insight into PCa, as a non-invasive predictive tool which along with other factors could improve PCa diagnosis. However, our findings have to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients before having a clear picture of how this molecular profile will help to increase the accuracy of diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu Balacescu
- The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta" Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology Cluj-Napoca, 34-36 Republicii Street, Zip code 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Seclaman E, Balacescu L, Balacescu O, Bejinar C, Udrescu M, Marian C, Sirbu IO, Anghel A. MicroRNAs mediate liver transcriptome changes upon soy diet intervention in mice. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:2263-2267. [PMID: 30618122 PMCID: PMC6378209 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Soy‐based diets have triggered the interest of the research community due to their beneficial effects on a wide variety of pathologies like breast and prostate cancer, diabetes and atherosclerosis. However, the molecular details underlying these effects are far from being completely understood; several recent attempts have been made to elucidate the soy‐induced liver transcriptome changes in different animal models. Here we used Next Generation Sequencing to identify a set of microRNAs specifically modulated by short‐term soy‐enriched diet in young male mice and estimated their impact on the liver transcriptome assessed by microarray. Clustering and topological community detection (CTCD) network analysis of STRING generated interactions of transcriptome data led to the identification of four topological communities of genes characteristically altered and putatively targeted by microRNAs upon soy diet intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Seclaman
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Bejinar
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Mihai Udrescu
- Department of Computer and Information Technology, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Catalin Marian
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Ovidiu Sirbu
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Andrei Anghel
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
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Raluca Maniu D, Blag C, Popa G, Bota M, Vlad C, Cainap C, Balacescu O, Pop L, Cainap SS. The role of biomarkers and echocardiography in the evaluation of cardiotoxicity risk in children treated for leukemia. J BUON 2018; 23:122-131. [PMID: 30722121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe the high-risk profile group, susceptible to develop anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy in children with acute leukemia. METHODS The study involved 35 pediatric patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic (ALL) or acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), from March 2014 to December 2016. Serologic markers used for the analysis of cardiac dysfunction were troponin T, NT-proBNP and PCRhs. Also, the patients have had echocardiographic evaluation at the beginning of treatment to determine LVEF, SF and A, E, E' Doppler waves. RESULTS Positive linear correlation was shown between NT-proBNP and leukocyte values, NT-proBNP and blast cells value, and NT-proBNP and LDH. Significant linear negative correlations between LVEF with leukocyte values, blast cells values, LDH, SF and leukocyte values, LVEF and NT-proBNP values and LVEF and troponin T values were also identified. A weak negative correlation between E/E' ratio and blast cells values has been observed. All of these correlations were statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Leukocyte value, as well as the other serological markers assessed (NT-proBNP, Troponin T), are useful tools to evaluate the risk of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The variation of the biological markers at the beginning of the cytotoxic treatment confirms the presence of an early myocardial dysfunction, emphasizing the importance of systematic evaluation of this particular group of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Raluca Maniu
- Emergency County Hospital for Children, Pediatric Clinic no 2, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Abstract
A continuous challenge in cancer management is to improve treatment efficacy and
to diminish its side effects. Consequently, new conventional and unconventional
drugs and bioactive compounds from plants are constantly developed,
characterized, and used for in vitro and in vivo models. This review focuses on
the antitumor properties of Calendula officinalis, its
biological and molecular effects in tumor cells and animal models, as well as
its role in cancer palliative care. A systematic review of studies describing
the cytotoxic role of C officinalis and its therapeutic role on
cancer cells were carried out using the PubMed database. Albeit C
officinalis extracts have cytotoxic activity toward different
cancer cell lines, a high grade of variation between studies was observed,
depending on plant organ subjected to extraction, extraction method, and the
cancer cell lines used for each study. Nevertheless, its cytotoxic activity is
related to a few bioactive compounds, presenting multiple roles in both
activation of proapoptotic proteins and decreasing the expression of the
proteins that inhibit cell death. Moreover, due to its anti-genotoxic/protective
as well as antitumor and antimetastatic effects proven in animal models,
C officinalis could have important future implications in
developing novel cancer treatment strategies, while until now it has been used
especially for diminishing the side effects of radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cruceriu
- 1 The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta," Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,2 "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- 1 The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta," Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,3 University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu," Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Elena Rakosy
- 2 "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Abstract
Prostate cancer still represents a major health problem for men worldwide. Due to the specific limitation of the currently used clinical biomarkers for prostate cancer, there is a need to identify new and more accurate prostate-specific biomarkers, both for diagnosis and prediction. Small noncoding species of RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as possible biomarkers in cancer tissues as well as biological fluids, including for prostate cancer. Moreover, it has been shown that miRNAs could be used as therapeutic targets in different cancer types, including prostate cancer, playing an important role in improving diagnosis and prognosis; and miRNAs have the potential to be clinically useful as predictors of response to personalized cancer therapy and as predictors of prognosis. The analysis of miRNAs in prostate tissue is rather straightforward and has been routinely done on fresh tissue. In addition, due to the more stable nature of miRNAs, they are amenable to be analyzed in archived formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue as well, and also in serum, plasma and urine, using various analytical platforms including microarrays, next generation sequencing and real time PCR. Moreover, although the existence or prostasomes (microvesicles secreted by prostate cells including prostate cancer cells) has been known for years and they were studied as a source of biomarkers for prostate cancer, only recently it has been described that these vesicles also contain miRNAs that could be used as biomarkers in prostate cancer. This chapter underscores the feasibility of current technologies for miRNA analysis and their importance in prostate cancer biology. Moreover, elucidating the specific alteration of miRNA expression and how to modulate it in prostate tissue will open new avenues for developing therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Catalin Marian
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
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Balacescu O, Petrut B, Tudoran O, Feflea D, Balacescu L, Anghel A, Sirbu IO, Seclaman E, Marian C. Urinary microRNAs for prostate cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response: are we there yet? WIREs RNA 2017; 8. [DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology; The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Bogdan Petrut
- Department of Urology; The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Oana Tudoran
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology; The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Dragos Feflea
- Department of Urology; The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology; The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”; Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Andrei Anghel
- Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology; Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Timisoara Romania
| | - Ioan O. Sirbu
- Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology; Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Timisoara Romania
| | - Edward Seclaman
- Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology; Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Timisoara Romania
| | - Catalin Marian
- Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology; Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Timisoara Romania
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; Columbus OH USA
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Chereches G, Barbos O, Buiga R, Balacescu O, Iancu D, Todor N, Balacescu L, Miron N, Bejinariu N, Ciuleanu TE. Biomarkers for the early detection of relapses in metastatic colorectal cancers. J BUON 2017; 22:658-666. [PMID: 28730771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess prognostic/predictive value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), transthyretin (TRT), αenolase (NNE), β2-microglobulin (β2-micro), B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. METHODS 72 histologically confirmed mCRC patients treated at Oncology Institute Cluj were included. Biomarker levels were measured through validated methods. A manual method was used for CTCs, involving hemolysis, cytospin centrifugation and immunocytochemical staining for pan-cytokeratin. Statistical endpoints were response, progression- free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Initial chemotherapy was fluoropyrimidine/oxaliplatin-based in 93.1%; bevacizumab was added in 58.3% of the patients. Median PFS and OS were 16.4 and 24.4 months. Two-year OS for CR & PR vs SD vs PD were 90% vs 48% vs 12%, respectively (p<0.01). Two-year OS for chemo/ bevacizumab vs chemotherapy: 65% vs 42% (p=0.09). Baseline CEA ≥5 ng/ml had a negative prognostic impact on OS and PFS (p<0.01). High baseline CEA was predictive of improved OS when adding bevacizumab (2-year OS chemo/bevacizumab vs chemo: 60% vs 17%, p<0.01); adding bevacizumab in patients with normal CEA did not improve OS (p=0.29). Higher than cut-off values for TRT had a positive OS prognostic value (p<0.01); higher levels for NNE, β2-microglobulin and BAFF had a negative impact (p<0.01). Two-year OS for baseline <1 CTC/ml vs ≥1 CTC/ ml was 74% vs 64% respectively (p=0.15). CONCLUSIONS The evaluated biomarkers could be useful prognostic factors for survival. Baseline CEA also has predictive value, suggesting that patients with low levels do not benefit from bevacizumab. A non-statistically significant correlation was observed between the number of CTCs and outcome.
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Abstract
MiRNAs are a class of potential gene regulators of critical importance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This review aims to present the connection between gut microbiota, probiotics administration and microRNA (miRNA) expression in IBD. It also brings into question cross-kingdom RNAi (RNA interference). Not only that gut host cells garden the intestinal microbiome via miRNA, but also strong evidence supports the idea that different species of bacteria have an impact on the intestinal immune response by modulating miRNA expression. Cross-kingdom RNAi refers to RNA silencing signals that travel between two unrelated, interacting organisms. RNAs communication between prokaryotes and eukaryotes (bacteria and nematodes) via RNAs transfer has been proved. Some authors also support the idea that non-coding RNAs are being transferred by bacterial pathogens to the host cells as part of the intracellular infection process. Further studies are required in order to clarify whether the mechanism by which bacteria modulate miRNA expression concerns RNAs transfer. These findings may lead to a different approach to IBD therapy in the future.
Abbreviations: AChE: Acetylcholinesterase; AIEC: Adherent-invasive E coli; ATF: Activating transcription factor; Bcl-2: B-cell lymphoma 2; BMDC: Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells; C elegans: Caenorhabditis elegans; CCL: Chemokine C-C motif ligand; CD: Crohn’s disease; CDC42: Cell division control protein 42 homolog; CXCL: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand; DC: Dendritic cells; E Coli: Escherichia coli; EcN: E coli Nissle; EPEC: Entheropathogenic E coli; FOXO3: Forkhead box protein O3; GF: Germ-free; IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease; IECs: Intestinal epithelial cells; IGLC: Immunoglobulin Lambda Constant Region; IkB: Inhibitor of NF-Kb; IL: Interleukin; IRGM: Immunity-related GTPase family M protein; L del: Lactobacillus delbrueckii; LGG: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG; MAPK: Mitogen-activated protein kinases; miRNA: MicroRNA; mRNA: Messenger RNA; MyD88: Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88; NF-kB: Nuclear factor kappa B; NOD2: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2; PAR: Partitioning defective protein; RhoB: Ras Homolog Family Member B; RISC: RNA induced silencing complex; RNAi: RNA interference; SHH: Sonic hedgehog (gene); SPF: Specific-pathogen-free; SRNA: Small RNA; STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; TGF: Transforming growth factor; Th17: T helper 17 cells; TJ: Tight junction; TLR: Toll like receptor; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; UC: Ulcerative colitis; Xcv: Xanthomonas campestris pv. Vesicatoria; ZO-2: Zonula occludens-2.
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Miclaus M, Balacescu O, Has I, Balacescu L, Has V, Suteu D, Neuenschwander S, Keller I, Bruggmann R. Maize Cytolines Unmask Key Nuclear Genes That Are under the Control of Retrograde Signaling Pathways in Plants. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:3256-3270. [PMID: 27702813 PMCID: PMC5203784 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomes of the two plant organelles encode for a relatively small number of proteins. Thus, nuclear genes encode the vast majority of their proteome. Organelle-to-nucleus communication takes place through retrograde signaling (RS) pathways. Signals relayed through RS pathways have an impact on nuclear gene expression but their target-genes remain elusive in a normal state of the cell (considering that only mutants and stress have been used so far). Here, we use maize cytolines as an alternative. The nucleus of a donor line was transferred into two other cytoplasmic environments through at least nine back-crosses, in a time-span of > 10 years. The transcriptomes of the resulting cytolines were sequenced and compared. There are 96 differentially regulated nuclear genes in two cytoplasm-donor lines when compared with their nucleus-donor. They are expressed throughout plant development, in various tissues and organs. One-third of the 96 proteins have a human homolog, stressing their potential role in mitochondrial RS. We also identified syntenic orthologous genes in four other grasses and homologous genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. These findings contribute to the paradigm we use to describe the RS in plants. The 96 nuclear genes identified here are not differentially regulated as a result of mutation, or any kind of stress. They are rather key players of the organelle-to-nucleus communication in a normal state of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Miclaus
- National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Cluj-Napoca, Romania .,Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioan Has
- Agricultural Research and Development Station, Turda, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Voichita Has
- Agricultural Research and Development Station, Turda, Romania
| | - Dana Suteu
- National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Samuel Neuenschwander
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Vital-IT, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Irene Keller
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Bruggmann
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Gavrilas LI, Ionescu C, Tudoran O, Lisencu C, Balacescu O, Miere D. The Role of Bioactive Dietary Components in Modulating miRNA Expression in Colorectal Cancer. Nutrients 2016; 8:nu8100590. [PMID: 27681738 PMCID: PMC5083978 DOI: 10.3390/nu8100590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and considered to be one of the most diet-related types of cancer. Extensive research has been conducted but still the link between diet and colorectal cancer is complex. Recent studies have highlight microRNAs (miRNAs) as key players in cancer-related pathways in the context of dietary modulation. MicroRNAs are involved in most biological processes related to tumor development and progression; therefore, it is of great interest to understand the underlying mechanisms by which dietary patterns and components influence the expression of these powerful molecules in colorectal cancer. In this review, we discuss relevant dietary patterns in terms of miRNAs modulation in colorectal cancer, as well as bioactive dietary components able to modify gene expression through changes in miRNA expression. Furthermore, we emphasize on protective components such as resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, α-mangostin, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and dietary fiber, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms in the context of prevention and even treatment. In addition, several bioactive dietary components that have the ability to re-sensitize treatment resistant cells are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura I Gavrilas
- Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Marinescu Street 23, Cluj-Napoca 400337, Romania.
| | - Corina Ionescu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratory, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Louis Pasteur Street 6, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania.
| | - Oana Tudoran
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street 34-36, Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania.
| | - Cosmin Lisencu
- Department of Surgical and Gynecological Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Republicii Street 34-36, Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania.
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street 34-36, Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania.
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street 34-36, Cluj-Napoca 400015, Romania.
| | - Doina Miere
- Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Marinescu Street 23, Cluj-Napoca 400337, Romania.
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Neamtiu IA, Bloom MS, Dumitrascu I, Roba CA, Pop C, Ordeanu C, Balacescu O, Gurzau ES. Impact of exposure to tobacco smoke, arsenic, and phthalates on locally advanced cervical cancer treatment-preliminary results. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2448. [PMID: 27652000 PMCID: PMC5018676 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer research is a national and international priority, with the efficiency and effectiveness of current anti-tumor therapies being one of the major challenges with which physicians are faced. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of exposure to tobacco smoke, arsenic, and phthalates on cervical cancer treatment. METHODS We investigated 37 patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma who underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We determined cotinine and five phthalate metabolites in urine samples collected prior to cancer treatment, by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and urinary total arsenic by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation. We used linear regression to evaluate the effects of cotinine, arsenic, and phthalates on the change in tumor size after treatment, adjusted for confounding variables. RESULTS We detected no significant associations between urinary cotinine, arsenic, or phthalate monoesters on change in tumor size after treatment, adjusted for urine creatinine, age, baseline tumor size, and cotinine (for arsenic and phthalates). However, higher %mono-ethylhexyl phthalate (%MEHP), a putative indicator of phthalate diester metabolism, was associated with a larger change in tumor size (β = 0.015, 95% CI [0.003-0.03], P = 0.019). CONCLUSION We found no statistically significant association between the urinary levels of arsenic, cotinine, and phthalates metabolites and the response to cervical cancer treatment as measured by the change in tumor size. Still, our results suggested that phthalates metabolism may be associated with response to treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. However, these observations are preliminary and will require confirmation in a larger, more definitive investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia A Neamtiu
- Health Department, Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; IMOGEN Research Institut, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Michael S Bloom
- Health Department, Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, United States of America
| | - Irina Dumitrascu
- Physico-chemical and Biotoxicological Analysis Laboratory, Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Cluj School of Public Health - College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Carmen A Roba
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University , Cluj-Napoca , Romania
| | - Cristian Pop
- Physico-chemical and Biotoxicological Analysis Laboratory, Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Cluj School of Public Health - College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Claudia Ordeanu
- Radiotherapy II Department, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta" , Cluj-Napoca , Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta" , Cluj-Napoca , Romania
| | - Eugen S Gurzau
- Health Department, Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; IMOGEN Research Institut, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Braicu C, Selicean S, Cojocneanu-Petric R, Lajos R, Balacescu O, Taranu I, Marin DE, Motiu M, Jurj A, Achimas-Cadariu P, Berindan-Neagoe I. Evaluation of cellular and molecular impact of zearalenone and Escherichia coli co-exposure on IPEC-1 cells using microarray technology. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:576. [PMID: 27506675 PMCID: PMC4977621 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2830-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The gastrointestinal tract is the primary site of toxin interaction, an interface between the organism and its surroundings. In this study, we assessed the alteration of intestinal mRNA profile in the case of co-occurrence of zearalenone (ZEA), a secondary Fusarium metabolite, and Escherichia coli (E. coli), on the intestinal porcine epithelial cells IPEC-1. We chose this model since the pig is a species which is susceptible to pathogen and mycotoxin co-exposure. Results After treating the cells with the two contaminants, either separately or in combination, the differential gene expression between groups was assessed, using the microarray technology. Data analysis identified 1691 upregulated and 797 downregulated genes as a response to E. coli exposure, while for ZEA treated cells, 303 genes were upregulated and 49 downregulated. The co-contamination led to 991 upregulated and 800 downregulated genes. The altered gene expression pattern was further classified into 8 functional groups. In the case of co-exposure to ZEA and E.coli, a clear increase of proinflammatory mechanisms. Conclusions These results demonstrate the complex effect of single or multiple contaminants exposure at cellular and molecular level, with significant implications that might lead to the activation of pathological mechanisms. A better understanding of the effects of co-contamination is mandatory in developing novel exposure regulations and prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Braicu
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania.,Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, Cluj-Napoca, 401015, Romania
| | - Sonia Selicean
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania
| | - Roxana Cojocneanu-Petric
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania
| | - Raduly Lajos
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania.,Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, Cluj-Napoca, 401015, Romania
| | - Ionelia Taranu
- Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania
| | - Daniela Eliza Marin
- Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania
| | - Monica Motiu
- Laboratory of Animal Biology, National Institute for Research and Development for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Calea Bucuresti No. 1, Balotesti, Ilfov, 077015, Romania
| | - Ancuta Jurj
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania
| | - Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, Cluj-Napoca, 401015, Romania. .,Department of Surgical Oncology and Gynaecological Oncology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babeş Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania.
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu 23 Street, No. 23, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania. .,Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii Street, No. 34-36, Cluj-Napoca, 401015, Romania. .,Research Center for Functional Genomics and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, Cluj-Napoca, 40015, Romania.
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Tudoran OM, Balacescu O, Berindan-Neagoe I. Breast cancer stem-like cells: clinical implications and therapeutic strategies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 89:193-8. [PMID: 27152067 PMCID: PMC4849374 DOI: 10.15386/cjmed-559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, being also the leading cause of cancer death among female population, including in Romania. Resistance to therapy represents a major problem for cancer treatment. Current cancer treatments are both expensive and induce serious side effects; therefore ineffective therapies are both traumatic and pricy. Characterizing predictive markers that can identify high-risk patients could contribute to dedicated/personalized therapy to improve the life quality and expectancy of cancer patients. Moreover, there are some markers that govern specific tumor molecular features that can be targeted with specific therapies for those patients who are most likely to benefit. The identification of stem cells in both normal and malignant breast tissue have lead to the hypothesis that breast tumors arise from breast cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), and that these cells influence tumor’s response to therapy. CSCs have similar self-renewal properties to normal stem cells, however the balance between the signaling pathways is altered towards tumor formation In this review, we discuss the molecular aspects of breast CSCs and the controversies regarding their use in the diagnosis and treatment decision of breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Mihaela Tudoran
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, I. Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, I. Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, I. Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Drigla F, Balacescu O, Visan S, Bisboaca SE, Berindan-Neagoe I, Marghitas LA. Synergistic Effects Induced by Combined Treatments of Aqueous Extract of Propolis and Venom. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 89:104-9. [PMID: 27004032 PMCID: PMC4777451 DOI: 10.15386/cjmed-527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background and aims Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered to be one of the most aggressive breast neoplasia due to failure of chemotherapy response. Thus, there is an urgent need of finding alternative therapies for TNBC. This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic effect induced by propolis and bee venom on luminal (MCF-7) and TNBC (Hs578T) cell lines. Methods In order to evaluate the synergistic effect of aqueous extract of propolis and bee venom, we treated in combination two breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7(luminal subtype) and Hs578T (TNBC subtype). Results Our results indicate that both cell lines exhibited similar sensitivity to the aqueous extract of propolis at a dilution of 0.072–0.09 mg/ml. The results concerning IC50 for bee venom on MCF-7 cells was 1 mg/ml, 20 times higher than 0.05 mg/ml in Hs578T cells. By combining the aqueous extract of propolis with bee venom, we obtained synergistic effects at a higher concentration, which was 5 and 2 times stronger than the two treatments alone. Conclusion Overall, the results from our study indicated that the combination of aqueous extract of propolis and bee venom treatments induced synergistic antiproliferative effects in a concentration-dependent manner in breast cancer cells. Thus we can hypothesize that the combination of honeybee propolis and venom might be involved in signaling pathways that could overcome cells resistance to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flaviu Drigla
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Apiculture and Sericulture, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Visan
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Pathologic Anatomy, Necropsy and Veterinary Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Elena Bisboaca
- Department of Veterinary Toxicology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Immunology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Houston, Texas, USA, MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | - Liviu Alexandru Marghitas
- Department of Apiculture and Sericulture, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Visan S, Balacescu O, Berindan-Neagoe I, Catoi C. In vitro comparative models for canine and human breast cancers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 89:38-49. [PMID: 27004024 PMCID: PMC4777467 DOI: 10.15386/cjmed-519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During the past four decades, an increased number of similarities between canine mammary tumors and human breast cancer have been reported: molecular, histological, morphological, clinical and epidemiological, which lead to comparative oncological studies. One of the most important goals in human and veterinary oncology is to discover potential molecular biomarkers that could detect breast cancer in an early stage and to develop new effective therapies. Recently, cancer cell lines have successfully been used as an in vitro model to study the biology of cancer, to investigate molecular pathways and to test the efficiency of anticancer drugs. Moreover, establishment of an experimental animal model for the study of human breast cancer will improve testing potential anti-cancer therapies and the discovery of effective therapeutic schemes suitable for human clinical trials. In this review, we collected data from previous studies that strengthen the value of canine mammary cancer cell lines as an in vitro model for the study of human breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Visan
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Necropsy and Veterinary Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Immunology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Experimental Therapeutics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Cornel Catoi
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Necropsy and Veterinary Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Belean B, Borda M, Ackermann J, Koch I, Balacescu O. Unsupervised image segmentation for microarray spots with irregular contours and inner holes. BMC Bioinformatics 2015; 16:412. [PMID: 26698293 PMCID: PMC4690322 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-015-0842-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microarray analysis represents a powerful way to test scientific hypotheses on the functionality of cells. The measurements consider the whole genome, and the large number of generated data requires sophisticated analysis. To date, no gold-standard for the analysis of microarray images has been established. Due to the lack of a standard approach there is a strong need to identify new processing algorithms. METHODS We propose a novel approach based on hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) for unsupervised spot segmentation. Prior to segmentation, morphological operations were applied for the identification of co-localized groups of spots. A grid alignment was performed to determine the borderlines between rows and columns of spots. PDEs were applied to detect the inflection points within each column and row; vertical and horizontal luminance profiles were evolved respectively. The inflection points of the profiles determined borderlines that confined a spot within adapted rectangular areas. A subsequent k-means clustering determined the pixels of each individual spot and its local background. RESULTS We evaluated the approach for a data set of microarray images taken from the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD). The data set is based on two studies on global gene expression profiles of Arabidopsis Thaliana. We computed values for spot intensity, regression ratio, and coefficient of determination. For spots with irregular contours and inner holes, we found intensity values that were significantly different from those determined by the GenePix Pro microarray analysis software. We determined the set of differentially expressed genes from our intensities and identified more activated genes than were predicted by the GenePix software. CONCLUSIONS Our method represents a worthwhile alternative and complement to standard approaches used in industry and academy. We highlight the importance of our spot segmentation approach, which identified supplementary important genes, to better explains the molecular mechanisms that are activated in a defense responses to virus and pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Belean
- CETATEA Research Centre, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies - INCDTIM, 67 - 103 Donat, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Monica Borda
- Department of Communication, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Baritiu 26-28, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Jörg Ackermann
- Molecular Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt "Macromolecular Complexes", Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Baritiu 26-28, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Ina Koch
- Molecular Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt "Macromolecular Complexes", Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Baritiu 26-28, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Tudoran O, Virtic O, Balacescu L, Lisencu C, Fetica B, Gherman C, Balacescu O, Berindan-Neagoe I. Baseline blood immunological profiling differentiates between Her2-breast cancer molecular subtypes: implications for immunomediated mechanisms of treatment response. Onco Targets Ther 2015; 8:3415-23. [PMID: 26604799 PMCID: PMC4655955 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s91720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Breast cancer patients’ response to treatment is highly dependent on the primary tumor molecular features, with triple-negative breast tumors having the worst prognosis of all subtypes. According to the molecular features, tumors stimulate the microenvironment to induce distinct immune responses, baseline immune activation being associated with higher likelihood of pathologic response. In this study, we investigated the deconvolution of the immunological status of triple-negative tumors in comparison with luminal tumors and the association with patients’ clinicopathological characteristics. Patients and methods Gene expression of 84 inflammatory molecules and their receptors were analyzed in 40 peripheral blood samples from patients with Her2− primary breast cancer tumors. We studied the association of triple-negative phenotype with age, clinical stage, tumor size, lymph nodes, and menopausal status. Results We observed that more patients with estrogen (ER)/progesterone (PR)-negative tumors had grade III, while more patients with ER/PR-positive tumors had grade II tumors. Gene expression analysis revealed a panel of 14 genes to have differential expression between the two groups: several interleukins: IL13, IL16, IL17C and IL17F, IL1A, IL3; interleukin receptors: IL10RB, IL5RA; chemokines: CXCL13 and CCL26; and cytokines: CSF2, IFNA2, OSM, TNSF13. Conclusion The expression levels of these genes have been previously shown to be associated with reduced immunological status; indeed, the triple-negative breast cancer patients presented with lower counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils than the ER/PR-positive ones. These results contribute to a better understanding of the possible role of antitumor immune responses in mediating the clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Tudoran
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Virtic
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Bogdan Fetica
- Department of Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Claudia Gherman
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr Ion Chiricuţă", Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania ; Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Saplacan RMM, Mircea PA, Balacescu L, Balacescu O. MicroRNAs as non-invasive screening biomarkers of colorectal cancer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 88:453-6. [PMID: 26733742 PMCID: PMC4689235 DOI: 10.15386/cjmed-568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer-associated deaths in the world. Early detection would be greatly enhanced if accurate and cost-effective diagnostic biomarkers for this disease were accessible. The development of such a blood test will evidently lower the screening costs in regards of colorectal cancer detection. Lately, it has been suggested that microRNA diagnostic biomarkers are feasible new screening methods for colorectal cancer. This review summarizes the diagnostic potential of circulating microRNA biomarkers in relation with colorectal cancer, as well as current methods to detect them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Maria Manzat Saplacan
- Department of Internal Medicine, 1st Medical Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Petru Adrian Mircea
- Department of Internal Medicine, 1st Medical Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Grozav A, Balacescu O, Balacescu L, Cheminel T, Berindan-Neagoe I, Therrien B. Synthesis, Anticancer Activity, and Genome Profiling of Thiazolo Arene Ruthenium Complexes. J Med Chem 2015; 58:8475-90. [PMID: 26488797 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Sixteen hydrazinyl-thiazolo arene ruthenium complexes of the general formula [(η(6)-p-cymene)Ru(N,N'-hydrazinyl-thiazolo)Cl]Cl were synthesized. All complexes were tested in vitro for their antiproliferative activity on three tumor cell lines (HeLa, A2780, and A2780cisR) and on a noncancerous cell line (HFL-1). A superior cytotoxic activity of the ruthenium complexes as compared to cisplatin and oxaliplatin, on both cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells, was observed. In addition, the biological activity of two selected derivatives was evaluated using microarray gene expression assay and ingenuity pathway analysis. p53 signaling was identified as an important pathway modulated by both arene ruthenium compounds. New activated molecules such as FAS, ZMAT3, PRMT2, BBC3/PUMA, and PDCD4, whose overexpressions are correlated with overcoming resistance to cisplatin therapy, were also identified as potential targets. Moreover, the arene ruthenium complexes can be used in association with cisplatin to prevent cisplatin resistance development and synergistically to induce cell death in ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Grozav
- Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Victor Babes Str. 41, RO-400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta" , 34-36 Republicii Str, RO-400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Loredana Balacescu
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta" , 34-36 Republicii Str, RO-400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Thomas Cheminel
- Institut de Chimie, Université de Neuchâtel , 51 Avenue de Bellevaux, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta" , 34-36 Republicii Str, RO-400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Research Center of Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu″ University of Medicine and Pharmacy , 23 Marinescu Str, RO-400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bruno Therrien
- Institut de Chimie, Université de Neuchâtel , 51 Avenue de Bellevaux, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Manzat-Saplacan RM, Balacescu L, Gherman C, Visan S, Chira RI, Bintintan A, Nagy G, Popovici C, Valean SD, Anca C, Bintintan V, Scurtu R, Mircea PA, Berindan-Neagoe I, Ciuleanu TE, Balacescu O. Is there a correlation between peripheral blood expression of angiogenic transcriptional factors/receptors and colorectal cancer? J BUON 2015; 20:1193-1200. [PMID: 26537064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a correlation between peripheral blood expression of angiogenic transcriptional factors/receptors and colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS Eighty six blood samples collected from patients with CRC (N=42), adenomas and/or hyperplastic polyps(AP, N=30) and individuals without colon pathology (control group/CTR, N=14) were used for this study. Twelve transcription factors and receptors were assessed by qRT-PCR in a case-control study. The molecules with a minimum of 30% differences in gene expression for CRC and AP compared to CTR were then analyzed separately for each sample. Gene expression was evaluated relatively to the CTR after normalization to the large ribosomal protein PO (RPLPO) housekeeping gene, and the differential expression between studied groups was assessed by ANOVA. RESULTS Seven out of 12 genes presented differences in expression between 10-29% in CRC and/or AP compared to CTR. Considering the selection criteria, we further individually evaluated the levels of expression of 5 genes that had a minimum of 30% expression in the case-control study. Our data showed a significant up-regulation of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) C in the blood of the patients with CRC compared to CTR (p=0.007). Likewise, clusterin (CLU) was significantly up-regulated both in CRC and AP groups compared to healthy subjects (p=0.01). For VEGFR1, PDGFRA and TGFB1 we didn't find significantly differential expression between any of the studied groups, even if increased levels were observed in both CRC and AP vs CTR. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study indicated that increased blood level of PDGFC mRNA was associated with the presence of CRC (p=0.007). Additionally, high levels of circulating CLU mRNA were observed in both malignant and benign colorectal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta M Manzat-Saplacan
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj-Napoca, 1st Medical Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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