An international group of scientists has completed the first draft of The Pan-Cancer Proteome Atlas (TPCPA). The project is based on mass spectrometry of 22 cancer types, which has identified more than 9,000 proteins from 1,000 tumors. The results reveal which proteins allow for the classification of different cancer types, biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, which are now available to the entire scientific community.
Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has described protein cereblon (CRBN) inhibitors and proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Treeline Biosciences Inc. has divulged proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) comprising cereblon (CRBN) ligands coupled to a Bcl-2-like protein 1 (Bcl-xl; Bcl-X; BCL2L1) targeting moiety via a linker acting as Bcl-xl degradation inducers reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Among gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer is the deadliest one and with the worst prognosis primarily due to resistance to platinum-based therapies. Esculetin has been shown to exert antitumoral effects in some cancer types, but its effect on ovarian cancer is not well known.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex and heterogeneous blood cancer, and current risk assessment tools like the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) have limitations in accurately predicting prognosis, especially for the intermediate-risk R-ISS II group.
The polarization of macrophages is crucial in modulating the tumor microenvironment and impacting cancer development. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as key regulators in this process.
Interferon (IFN)-α, on paper, should be quite effective against hepatocellular carcinoma, the most frequent form of primary liver cancer. IFN-α can suppress tumor growth directly by acting on tumor cells, as well as indirectly by activating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. In addition, it can slow replication of hepatitis B virus, which is involved in 50% to 80% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, IFN-α on its own has performed disappointingly in clinical trials.
Researchers in the U.K. have overthrown the orthodox view that childhood cancers have a low mutation burden, opening up new drug targets and opportunities for repurposing existing therapies. In particular, a high mutation rate is associated with a response to cancer immunotherapy. But although PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors are approved for treating pediatric cancers with a high level of microsatellite instability mutations, in general it is thought childhood tumors are not amenable to immunotherapy.
Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has identified radiolabeled or nonradiolabeled compounds acting as fibroblast activation protein-α (FAPα) inhibitors reported to be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
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