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Don't get us wrong here, we think this is a good thing that is happening:Park – who is married and lives in Edinburgh – was recently asked to join a revolutionary UK research programme known as Determine. It has has been set up to target individuals with rare tumours in the hope that drugs licensed for more common cancers could be appropriated as a new treatment."By definition, rare cancers are uncommon," said one of the project's leaders, oncologist Matthew Krebs of Manchester University. "However, there are so many of them that in total they represent around 20% of all cancers that are diagnosed globally each year – more than any single type of cancer including lung, breast and colorectal cancer.Rare cancers' total impact on the health service is therefore significant but there are few treatments currently available to help patients. Determine has been set up to find if drugs that are already prescribed by doctors for more common types of cancer could benefit patients with rare cancers for which they have not been licensed.We would just point out one important thing. That word "licensed".The crucial point is that, with recent advances in DNA analysis, scientists have discovered some very rare tumours possess abnormalities that could make them susceptible to treatments developed for common cancers. "We will be able to fast-track the approval of any promising drugs, opening the door to treatments for patients who have historically been left with limited options," said Iain Foulkes, the executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK.This is about the approval process, the license. This is about getting through the bureaucracy that currently prevents these known to be effective against one cancer drugs to be used upon other cancers. You know that vile, market based and capitalist American health care service? Any drug licensed for any use can be used by any doctor to treat anything she cares to try it out upon. "Off label" it's called.Markets in health care are such terrible things, aren't they?

ABOUT THE BOOK For those who have dealt with, or are dealing with, breast cancer, the ramifications of the disease are well known. For those who have not dealt with it, the fear is always there: What are my chances of getting breast cancer? What happens to me if there's a history of it in my family? Chances are you know someone who has had breast cancer, or you may be a breast cancer survivor yourself. According to the National Cancer Institute, one out of every seven women born today will have a diagnosis of breast cancer at some point. Even with the passing of time, the pain of losing a

According to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, the average expenditures for making a prescription drug commercially available in the United States surpassed $2.6 billion in 2014. Adding to these costs is the decade, on average, that it takes to navigate the research, development, and regulatory hurdles associated with prescription drugs. Such rising costs are passed on to the consumer resulting in a mounting financial burden that threatens the sustainability of public and private insurance programs, alike. In the wake of growing criticism of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the role of its protracted regulatory processes in the rising costs of drugs, Congress unveiled the 21st Century Cures Act. While this legislation is intended, among other things, to shorten the drug approval process, there is concern that it may compromise current standards for the safety and efficacy of prescription drugs. Is the 21st Century Cures Act the answer to enhancing access to life saving cancer treatments while curbing costs or is it a recipe for disaster?

Treatment failure in primary as well as metastatic cancer patients, caused by chemo and radioresistance, has reinforced the research for the applicability of personalized medicine. The use of stem cells (SCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in such a treatment approach will be reviewed in this study. Colorectal cancer (CRC) SCs prove to be a promising asset for CRC treatment optimization both by serving as biomarkers for the current therapy modalities, by means of treatment personalization and patient/tumor stratification, as well as in the development of targeted therapies, selective for the stem cell population. Similar conclusions are drawn, regarding mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their effect in CRC therapy; while resident stromal cells (RSCs) of tumor microenvironment (TME) seem to promote the tumorigenic and metastatic processes in addition to conferring to the chemo- and radioresistance, under certain conditions they are able to improve the treatment outcome of CRC chemotherapy, e.g. by targeted enzyme/prodrug treatment of CRC cells. This review, points out the dynamic potential of CSCs and other SCs types in CRC treatment personalization as well as, in the improvement of current treatment approaches, opting to a higher therapeutic rate, improved prognosis, survival and quality of life for CRC patients. ; The studies and experiments mentioned in this study were performed with the kind support provided by Slovak Cancer Research Foundation; VEGA grant No 2/0178/21 and by funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Strategies to Programme under grant agreement no. 857381 (project VISION).

Innovative approaches to cancer treatments oncological engineering
Prof Richard M Hall, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, explores how oncological engineering is paving the way for new and innovative cancer treatments. The burden of cancer is a constant focus for the UK National Health Service and the public it serves. Over 2.1 million people in the UK are living with cancer(1) and this is predicted to rise to more than 3 million by 2030. Treatments that underpin cancer: surgery (44 % of all cancer patients), chemotherapy (28%) and radiotherapy (27%) all rely heavily on the engineering and physical sciences (EPS). This may include, for example, radiation physics and imaging as well as robotics used in surgery.

Hydrogen therapy: An emerging therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment?
Professor Giovanni Brandi (1,2) and Dr Simona Tavolari (1,2) from the University of Bologna discuss findings from preclinical and clinical studies that highlight the potential of hydrogen therapy in cancer treatment. Hydrogen is the lightest chemical element and is present in the atmosphere at non-toxic concentrations (less than one part per million) as a colourless and odourless gas. In humans, it is produced from carbohydrates not absorbed in the intestine through the anaerobic metabolism of some intestinal bacteria containing the enzyme hydrogenase. Then, it is partially diffused into the bloodstream and released from the lungs during exhalation. Considered for a long time a physiologically inert gas, recent studies have demonstrated that hydrogen possesses significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that make the use of this molecule potentially applicable in many different clinical settings, including cancer treatment.

The plant Cannabis sativa L. has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries and is the most important source of phytocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of receptors, endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) and metabolizing enzymes, and plays an important role in different physiological and pathological processes. Phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids can interact with the components of ECS or other cellular pathways and thus affect the development/progression of diseases, including cancer. In cancer patients, cannabinoids have primarily been used as a part of palliative care to alleviate pain, relieve nausea and stimulate appetite. In addition, numerous cell culture and animal studies showed antitumor effects of cannabinoids in various cancer types. Here we reviewed the literature on anticancer effects of plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids, to better understand their mechanisms of action and role in cancer treatment. We also reviewed the current legislative updates on the use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, primarily in the EU countries. In vitro and in vivo cancer models show that cannabinoids can effectively modulate tumor growth, however, the antitumor effects appear to be largely dependent on cancer type and drug dose/concentration. Understanding how cannabinoids are able to regulate essential cellular processes involved in tumorigenesis, such as progression through the cell cycle, cell proliferation and cell death, as well as the interactions between cannabinoids and the immune system, are crucial for improving existing and developing new therapeutic approaches for cancer patients. The national legislation of the EU Member States defines the legal boundaries of permissible use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, however, these legislative guidelines may not be aligned with the current scientific knowledge.

The plant Cannabis sativa L. has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries and is the most important source of phytocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of receptors, endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) and metabolizing enzymes, and plays an important role in different physiological and pathological processes. Phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids can interact with the components of ECS or other cellular pathways and thus affect the development/progression of diseases, including cancer. In cancer patients, cannabinoids have primarily been used as a part of palliative care to alleviate pain, relieve nausea and stimulate appetite. In addition, numerous cell culture and animal studies showed antitumor effects of cannabinoids in various cancer types. Here we reviewed the literature on anticancer effects of plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids, to better understand their mechanisms of action and role in cancer treatment. We also reviewed the current legislative updates on the use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, primarily in the EU countries. In vitro and in vivo cancer models show that cannabinoids can effectively modulate tumor growth, however, the antitumor effects appear to be largely dependent on cancer type and drug dose/concentration. Understanding how cannabinoids are able to regulate essential cellular processes involved in tumorigenesis, such as progression through the cell cycle, cell proliferation and cell death, as well as the interactions between cannabinoids and the immune system, are crucial for improving existing and developing new therapeutic approaches for cancer patients. The national legislation of the EU Member States defines the legal boundaries of permissible use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, however, these legislative guidelines may not be aligned with the current scientific knowledge.

Xiuzuo Zhu,1 Yi Liao,2 Liling Tang1 1Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China; 2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yi Liao Tel +86-23-68765333Email science0528@163.comLiling Tang Tel +86-23-65102507Email tangliling@cqu.edu.cnAbstract: Bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) is a newly identified subunit of the non-canonical barrier-to-autointegration factor (ncBAF) complex and a member of the bromodomain family IV. Studies have confirmed that BRD9 plays an oncogenic role in multiple cancer types, by regulating tumor cell growth. The tumor biological functions of BRD9 are mainly due to epigenetic modification mediated by its bromodomain. The bromodomain recruits the ncBAF complex to the promoter to regulate gene transcription. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms of action of BRD9 in carcinogenesis and the emerging strategies for targeting BRD9 for cancer therapeutics. Although the therapeutic potential of BRD9 has been exploited to some extent, research on the detailed biological mechanisms of BRD9 is still in its infancy. Therefore, targeting BRD9 to study its biological roles will be an attractive tool for cancer diagnosis and treatment, but it remains a great challenge.Keywords: BRD9, ncBAF, bromodomain, cancer, inhibitor

Biologics play a key role in cancer treatment and are principal components of many therapeutic regimens. However, they require complex manufacturing processes, resulting in high cost and occasional shortages in supply. The cost of biologics limits accessibility of cancer treatment for many patients. Effective and affordable cancer therapies are needed globally, more so in developing countries, where health care resources can be limited. Biosimilars, which have biologic activity comparable to their corresponding reference drugs and are often more cost effective, have the potential to enhance treatment accessibility for patients and provide alternatives for decision makers (ie, prescribers, regulators, payers, policymakers, and drug developers). Impending patent expirations of several oncology biologics have opened up a vista for the development of corresponding biosimilars. Several countries have implemented abbreviated pathways for approval of biosimilars; however, challenges to their effective use persist. Some of these include designing appropriate clinical trials for assessing biosimilarity, extrapolation of indications, immunogenicity, interchangeability with the reference drug, lack of awareness and possibly acceptance among health care providers, and potential political barriers. In this review, we discuss the potential role and impact of biosimilars in oncology and the challenges related to their adoption and use. We also review the safety and efficacy of some of the widely used biosimilars in oncology and other therapeutic areas (eg, bevacizumab, darbepoetin, filgrastim, rituximab, and trastuzumab).