Management of adrenocortical carcinomas in children

Adrenocortical carcinomas are rare in children and sometimes occur in patients with predisposing syndrome like Li-Fraumeni or Beckwith-Wiedemann syndromes. The diagnosis is often based on clinical, biological and radiological findings completed by histological examination. The gold standard of treatment remains radical surgery sometimes completed by a cytotoxic chemotherapy based on platinum-derived drugs, etoposide and doxorubicin, in association with mitotane in case of high risk of relapse. The role of radiation therapy is discussed because of the relatively frequent involvement of p53 mutations. The rarity of this type of disease and the poor prognosis of the locally advanced and metastatic forms must lead to the systematic registration of these patients and to the harmonization of the management in a national or even European level.     

Genetic changes in human adrenocortical carcinomas

Recent studies have suggested that loss of heterozygosity at loci on the short arm of human chromosome 11 (11p) may be important in the pathogenesis of benign and malignant adrenal cortical tumors. To test this concept, adrenocortical carcinomas from nine patients and benign adrenal cortical lesions from eight patients were tested for loss of alleles at loci on human chromosomes 11, 13, and 17. All patients with adrenocortical carcinoma whose normal somatic tissues were heterozygous for a locus on chromosome 17p had lost alleles in the tumor. Four of six patients with adrenocortical carcinoma who were heterozygous for one or more alleles on chromosome 11p in normal tissues had lost 11p alleles in the tumor. Three of six patients with adrenocortical carcinoma showed loss of 13q alleles in the tumor. Loss of alleles on chromosomes 11p, 13q, and 17p was observed in primary tumors and metastases but not in adrenocortical adenomas or hyperplastic lesions of the adrenal cortex. One patient with adrenocortical carcinoma had a somatic mutation in the HRAS1 gene in the normal adrenal gland. The consistency of the genetic changes on chromosomes 11p, 13q, and 17p suggests that they are important in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical carcinoma.     

The role of microRNAs in colorectal cancer

During the last decade, it has become clear that aberrant microRNA expression has a functional role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Specific microRNAs can act as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes depending on the cellular environment in which they are expressed. The expression of microRNAs is reproducibly altered in CRC, and their expression patterns are associated with diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic outcome in CRC. Studies have begun to examine the association of microRNA-related polymorphisms and their association with CRC incidence and prognosis as well as the possibility of using circulating microRNAs or fecal microRNA expression as noninvasive early detection biomarkers. These data suggest that microRNAs may be potential molecular classifiers, early detection biomarkers, and therapeutic targets for CRC. Here, we will review the evidence demonstrating a role of microRNAs in CRC.     

The role of microRNAs in mitochondria in cancer

Reprogramming of the energy metabolism in cancer cell presents progressive field of cancer research. This feature is associated mainly with the mitochondria, which is major energy source of eukaryotic cells. These organelles are essential to the cell homeostasis maintenance, play an important role in intrinsic apoptotic pathway and their dysfunction is associated with multiple diseases including cancer. Recently, it was described that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate important signaling pathways in mitochondria and many of these miRNAs are deregulated in various cancers. Here we summarize current knowledge about miRNAs involved in mitochondrial functioning with focus on cellular energy metabolism, apoptosis and mitophagy.     

The role of microRNAs in human liver cancers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver of global importance. Recent studies of the expression and role of microRNA (miRNA) in HCC are providing new insights into disease pathogenesis. In addition, therapeutic efforts targeting specific miRNAs are being evaluated in animal models of HCC. The potential of miRNAs as biomarkers of disease or prognostic markers is being explored. Herein, we review studies of miRNA expression in human HCC, and discuss recent advances in knowledge about the involvement and role of selected miRNAs in disease pathogenesis, as biomarkers, or as therapeutic targets for HCC.     

MicroRNAs在乳腺癌干细胞中的作用研究进展

乳腺癌干细胞（breast cancer stem cells,BCSCs）是导致乳腺癌发生、转移、耐药、复发等的重要原因。MicroRNAs（miRNAs）是近年来发现的一种非编码小分子RNA,可通过与靶标基因的3 '-非翻译区（3'-UTR）的完全或不完全配对,抑制靶标基因的翻译或降解靶标基因,从而发挥多种生物学功能。miRNAs在BCSCs中的异常表达可调控BCSCs的自我更新、抗凋亡、上皮间质转化（epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT）等生物学行为,从而促进乳腺癌的复发、转移。以miRNAs为研究靶点,为乳腺癌的诊断、预后及治疗提供了全新的思路。本文就近年来该方面的研究进展简要综述。     

The role of microRNAs in human breast cancer progression

Over the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs) have become a new paradigm of gene regulation. miRNAs are involved in a wide array of carcinogenic processes. Indeed, increasing evidence has shown the importance of miRNAs in cancer, suggesting their possible use as diagnostic, predictive and prognostic biomarkers, leading to miRNA-based anti-cancer therapies, either alone or in combination with current targeted therapies, with the goal of improving cancer treatment responses and increasing cure rates. The advantage of using a miRNA approach is based on the ability to concurrently target multiple effectors of pathways involved in cell proliferation, migration and survival. This review sheds new light on miRNA regulation of genes that play critical roles in the process of malignant transformation and tumour metastasis, the dysregulation of miRNA expression in cancer development and the development of miRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics.     

微小RNA在宫颈癌中作用的研究进展

宫颈癌是女性常见的恶性肿瘤,严重威胁着女性健康。宫颈癌的发生、发展和预后是多阶段、多基因调控异常的过程,microRNAs（miRNAs）是一类长度为21~23个核苷酸的非编码小分子RNA,在细胞转录过程中发挥着重要的作用。miRNA 参与宫颈癌的增殖、凋亡及侵袭转移等多种生物学过程的调控,并与宫颈癌预后及易感性密切相关。     

microRNA在胃癌中的生物学作用

microRNA（miRNA）是一类含量丰富且高度保守的非编码小RNA分子,调控细胞分裂、分化、调亡等重要的生物学过程,并且在很多疾病中表达失调。miRNA在多种肿瘤的发生、发展中发挥重要作用。目前,对miRNA的研究正逐步从肿瘤分子研究走向临床应用领域,作为生物标志物用于癌症的诊断以及作为靶分子用于治疗已逐渐得到确认。本文对miRNA在胃癌中作为一个潜在的生物标志物用于诊断、预后、药物反应以及易感性的预测等方面的潜能进行综述。      

细胞微环境microRNAs在肿瘤侵袭转移中的作用

肿瘤微环境是肿瘤发生、发展的重要组成成分,微环境中microRNAs作为原癌基因或抑癌基因能够进入靶细胞,调控相关靶基因的表达和功能,从而影响微环境的构成,并在肿瘤细胞侵袭和转移中发挥重要作用。因此,microRNAs在肿瘤诊断治疗中具有诱人的应用前景。     

The role of microRNAs in normal hematopoiesis and hematopoietic malignancies.

Over the past few years, it has become evident that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in various biological processes. Much effort has been put into the elucidation of their biogenesis, and this has led to the general concept that a number of key regulators are shared with the processing machinery of small interfering RNAs. Despite the recognition that several miRNAs play crucial roles in normal development and in diseases, little is known about their exact molecular function and the identity of their target genes. In this review, we report on the biological relevance of miRNAs for the differentiation of normal hematopoietic cells and on the contribution of deregulated miRNA expression in their malignant counterparts.     

The functional role of long non-coding RNA in human carcinomas

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as new players in the cancer paradigm demonstrating potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. These novel genes are frequently aberrantly expressed in a variety of human cancers, however the biological functions of the vast majority remain unknown. Recently, evidence has begun to accumulate describing the molecular mechanisms by which these RNA species function, providing insight into the functional roles they may play in tumorigenesis. In this review, we highlight the emerging functional role of lncRNAs in human cancer.     

白藜芦醇对肿瘤中微小RNA的调节作用

白藜芦醇作为一种多酚类植物抗毒素,具有抗肿瘤、抗炎和促进代谢等保护性作用.在结肠癌、乳腺癌等不同肿瘤中,白藜芦醇可能是通过上调抑癌微小RNA及下调致癌微小RNA表达,并且影响其相关通路的靶基因而起到抗肿瘤的作用.这为进一步明确白藜芦醇的抗肿瘤作用机制以及将白藜芦醇应用至临床提供了新的理论依据.     

Oncomirs - microRNAs with a role in cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that function as negative gene regulators. They regulate diverse biological processes, and bioinformatic data indicates that each miRNA can control hundreds of gene targets, underscoring the potential influence of miRNAs on almost every genetic pathway. Recent evidence has shown that miRNA mutations or mis-expression correlate with various human cancers and indicates that miRNAs can function as tumour suppressors and oncogenes. miRNAs have been shown to repress the expression of important cancer-related genes and might prove useful in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.     

The role of brachytherapy in the management of oropharyngeal carcinomas: the Trento experience

AIMS: This study was undertaken to determine the outcome of patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated at the Radiotherapy Department of the Santa Chiara Hospital (Trento, Italy) with brachytherapy alone or combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 87 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx treated by radiation therapy between January 1986 and September 1999. The median age was 59 years and all patients had a minimum follow-up of one year. Tumor locations were 46 tonsillar region, 31 soft palate and 10 base of the tongue. The patients were staged as follows: 41 T1, 35 T2, 11 T3 with 70 N0, 9 N1 and 8 N2. They received either brachytherapy alone (14 patients) or a combination of external beam irradiation and brachytherapy (73 patients) using an afterloading iridium technique in a plastic tube. RESULTS: Overall primary tumor control, including salvage surgery, was 81/87 (93%). Control of metastatic cervical adenopathy was as follows: clinical stage N1, 5/9 patients; N2, 2/8 patients. The estimated five-year cause-specific survival and overall survival rates were 81% and 47%, respectively. After interstitial irradiation severe complications were limited to one case of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible and seven cases of mucosal ulcer. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that iridium-192 interstitial implant alone or as a boost after external beam irradiation is a safe and effective therapy in the management of oropharyngeal carcinomas.     

The functional role of long non-coding RNA in digestive system carcinomas

In recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Recent evidences suggest that lncRNAs play a very important role in digestive system carcinomas. However, the biological function of lncRNAs in the vast majority of digestive system carcinomas remains unclear. Recently, increasing studies has begun to explore their molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks that they are implicated in tumorigenesis. In this review, we highlight the emerging functional role of lncRNAs in digestive system carcinomas. It is becoming clear that lncRNAs will be exciting and potentially useful for diagnosis and treatment of digestive system carcinomas, some of these lncRNAs might function as both diagnostic markers and the treatment targets of digestive system carcinomas.