Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Skin Cancer and Vitamins: In Theory and Practise.
Wollina U
A review published in Clinics in Dermatology examined the relationship between vitamins and the three major types of skin cancer: cutaneous malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. The authors found that vitamins, particularly vitamins C and D, play a meaningful role in skin cancer prevention by neutralizing reactive oxygen species generated by ultraviolet and other solar radiation. Skin cancer patients are frequently deficient in these vitamins, and such deficiencies appear to increase the risk of primary tumor development. Vitamin supplementation has also been shown to support conventional therapies in immunosuppressed patients and those receiving checkpoint inhibitor treatment for advanced disease. Notably, high-dose vitamin C acts as a pro-oxidant rather than an antioxidant and has demonstrated anti-metastatic effects in animal models of melanoma, suggesting a potential therapeutic role beyond prevention.
Clinics in dermatology
Source →Intercostal Nodular Fasciitis Mimicking Recurrence of Malignant Lymphoma on FDG-PET/CT.
Tsukamoto S, et al
Researchers report a rare case of nodular fasciitis (NF), a benign and self-limiting soft tissue growth, appearing in the intercostal space of a 74-year-old man who had previously been treated for malignant lymphoma. After the patient achieved complete remission from lymphoma, a follow-up FDG-PET/CT scan detected an intercostal mass with intense radiotracer uptake (SUVmax 7.3), strongly suggesting cancer recurrence. Surgical removal of the mass and subsequent microscopic analysis confirmed the lesion was NF rather than returning lymphoma. This case underscores the diagnostic challenge posed by NF, which can closely mimic malignant tumors on advanced imaging, and emphasizes that clinicians should consider NF in the differential diagnosis even when a suspicious lesion appears in an atypical location such as the chest wall.
Clinical nuclear medicine
Source →Interaction of copper(II) (3 + 2) N-chelating complexes with DNA and BSA: hydrolytic DNA cleavage and ROS-mediated apoptosis.
Murali M, et al
Researchers synthesized and characterized two novel mixed-ligand copper(II) complexes and evaluated their potential as anticancer agents against human cancer cell lines. The complexes were found to bind to DNA through partial intercalation and to cleave supercoiled DNA without requiring any chemical activator, acting as effective hydrolytic nucleases at micromolar concentrations. Crucially, both complexes demonstrated cytotoxicity against human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells at potency exceeding that of cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, while remaining non-toxic to normal human and mouse cells. Cell death was confirmed to occur via apoptosis, driven by reactive oxygen species generation, membrane destabilization, and cell cycle arrest at the S-phase in A549 cells. These findings suggest that targeted copper(II) complexes may offer a promising and selective alternative to conventional platinum-based chemotherapy with reduced harm to healthy tissue.
Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
Source →Discovery of Highly Potent and Selective IKZF2 Degraders for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Wang Y, et al
Researchers designed and synthesized a new class of compounds targeting IKZF2, a protein that controls regulatory T cells (Tregs) — immune cells that tumors exploit to evade destruction by the immune system. The lead compound, designated compound 25, was identified as a highly potent and selective molecular glue degrader that eliminates IKZF2 protein with exceptional efficiency (DC50 = 1.78 nM, Dmax = 93.2%) through a well-defined cellular pathway, outperforming the current benchmark degrader DKY709. In laboratory and animal studies, compound 25 restored anti-tumor immune activity by boosting pro-inflammatory IL-2 production and reducing the immunosuppressive function of Tregs, and when administered orally it achieved rapid, sustained IKZF2 degradation in mouse spleen and thymus. In a mouse melanoma model, compound 25 used alone significantly slowed tumor growth, and its combination with anti-PD-1 checkpoint immunotherapy produced marked synergistic anti-tumor effects. These findings establish compound 25 as a promising new drug candidate that could enhance cancer immunotherapy, particularly in patients whose tumors resist existing checkpoint blockade treatments.
Journal of medicinal chemistry
Source →The Effect of Combination of Chemotherapy with Photodynamic Therapy and Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer on the Structure of the Thymus.
Kazakov OV, et al
Researchers investigated how a combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT), surgical resection, and chemotherapy with doxorubicin affects the structure of the thymus — a key immune organ — in female Wistar rats with chemically induced breast cancer. Using histological analysis, the study examined tissue-level changes in the thymus following this multimodal treatment approach. The findings revealed signs of enhanced cell proliferation in the thymic cortex, activation of both positive and negative T-cell selection processes, and intensified T-cell differentiation and migration out of the thymus. These changes suggest that combining PDT, surgery, and chemotherapy may stimulate immune system activity, particularly the maturation and deployment of T lymphocytes. Understanding how aggressive multimodal cancer treatments influence immune organs like the thymus is important for anticipating side effects and for designing treatment protocols that preserve or enhance patients' immune defenses.
Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine
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