New Perspectives on Diagnosis and Therapy of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Frontiers in Oncology 2018 April [Link] Rossini M, Rizzo P, Bononi I, Clementz A, Ferrari R, Martini F, Tognon MG Abstract Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare, but severe form of cancer, with an incidence that varies significantly within and among different countries around the world. It develops in about one to two persons…

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Inhibition of yes-associated protein down-regulates PD-L1 (CD274) expression in human malignant pleural mesothelioma

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2018 March 24 [Epub ahead of print] [Link] Hsu PC, et. al. Abstract Although tumour PD-L1 (CD274) expression had been used as a predictive biomarker in checkpoint immunotherapy targeting the PD1/PD-L1 axis in various cancers, the regulation of PD-L1 (CD274) expression is unclear. Yes-associated protein (YAP), an important oncogenic…

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Secreted and Tissue miRNAs as Diagnosis Biomarkers of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2018 February [Link] Martínez-Rivera V, Negrete-García MC, Ávila-Moreno F, Ortiz-Quintero B Abstract Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but aggressive tumor that originates in the pleura, is diagnosed in advanced stages and has a poor prognosis. Accurate diagnosis of MPM is often difficult and complex, and the gold standard…

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The analysis of novel microRNA mimic sequences in cancer cells reveals lack of specificity in stem-loop RT-qPCR-based microRNA detection

BMC Research Notes 2017 November [Link] Winata P, Williams M McGowan E, Nassif N, van Zandwijk N, Reid G Abstract OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs are frequently downregulated in cancer, and restoring expression has tumour suppressive activity in tumour cells. Our recent phase I clinical trial investigated microRNA-based therapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Treatment with TargomiRs,…

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Dysregulated expression of the microRNA miR-137 and its target YB-1 contribute to the invasive characteristics of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Journal of Thoracic Oncology 2017 November 4 [Epub ahead of print] [Link] Johnson TG, et. al., Abstract BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy linked to asbestos exposure. On a genomic level, MPM is characterised by frequent chromosomal deletions of tumour suppressors, including microRNAs. MiR-137 plays a tumour suppressor role in other cancers,…

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A link between the fibroblast growth factor axis and the miR-16 family reveals potential new treatment combinations in Mesothelioma

Molecular Oncology 2017 November 1 [Epub ahead of print] [Link] Schelch K, Kirschner MB, Williams M, Cheng YY, van Zandwijk N, Grusch M, Reid G Abstract Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with very limited therapeutic options. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signals play important roles in mesothelioma cell growth. Several FGFs and FGF…

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ANNALS EXPRESS: Biomarkers in mesothelioma

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 2017 January [Epub ahead of print] [Link] Arnold DT, Maskell N Abstract Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of pleural and peritoneal cells that is difficult to diagnose and monitor. Numerous studies have attempted to identify a blood- or pleural fluid-based biomarker that could be used in the diagnostic pathway. More recently…

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Downregulation of miR-99a/let-7c/miR-125b miRNA cluster predicts clinical outcome in patients with unresected malignant pleural mesothelioma

Oncotarget 2017 August [Link] Truini A, et.al. Abstract Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor with a dismal overall survival (OS) and to date no molecular markers are available to guide patient management. This study aimed to identify a prognostic miRNA signature in MPM patients who did not undergo tumor resection. Whole miRNA profiling…

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