Neuroendocrine Breast Carcinoma: Interesting Images of an Underdiagnosed Entity.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer of the female gender. A rare subtype of breast cancer is the invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation. Its incident is believed to be 0.1% to 5% of all breast cancers. We report a rare case of a 66-year old woman who presented with an isolated nodule of the left breast. The patient underwent modified radical mastectomy. Pathology revealed invasive breast carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. Invasive breast carcinoma is an extremely rare group of neoplasms, the exact frequency of which cannot be determined with current data. Therefore, it is necessary for future studies to focus on the pathophysiology of this subtype of breast cancer and on the potential therapeutic approaches.

Immune Specific and Tumor-Dependent mRNA Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: Reprogramming Clinical Translation into Tumor Editing Therapy.

Extensive research into mRNA vaccines for cancer therapy in preclinical and clinical trials has prepared the ground for the quick development of immune-specific mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapeutic cancer vaccines based on mRNA are well tolerated, and are an attractive choice for future cancer immunotherapy. Ideal personalized tumor-dependent mRNA vaccines could stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity by overcoming cancer-induced immune suppression and tumor relapse. The stability, structure, and distribution strategies of mRNA-based vaccines have been improved by technological innovations, and patients with diverse tumor types are now being enrolled in numerous clinical trials investigating mRNA vaccine therapy. Despite the fact that therapeutic mRNA-based cancer vaccines have not yet received clinical approval, early clinical trials with mRNA vaccines as monotherapy and in conjunction with checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results. In this review, we analyze the most recent clinical developments in mRNA-based cancer vaccines and discuss the optimal platforms for the creation of mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the development of the cancer vaccines' clinical research, paying particular attention to their clinical use and therapeutic efficacy, which could facilitate the design of mRNA-based vaccines in the near future.

Immunoengineering via Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cell Therapy: Reprogramming Nanodrug Delivery.

Following its therapeutic effect in hematological metastasis, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has gained a great deal of attention during the last years. However, the effectiveness of this treatment has been hampered by a number of challenges, including significant toxicities, difficult access to tumor locations, inadequate therapeutic persistence, and manufacturing problems. Developing novel techniques to produce effective CARs, administer them, and monitor their anti-tumor activity in CAR-T cell treatment is undoubtedly necessary. Exploiting the advantages of nanotechnology may possibly be a useful strategy to increase the efficacy of CAR-T cell treatment. This study outlines the current drawbacks of CAR-T immunotherapy and identifies promising developments and significant benefits of using nanotechnology in order to introduce CAR transgene motifs into primary T cells, promote T cell expansion, enhance T cell trafficking, promote intrinsic T cell activity and rewire the immunosuppressive cellular and vascular microenvironments. Therefore, the development of powerful CART cells can be made possible with genetic and functional alterations supported by nanotechnology. In this review, we discuss the innovative and possible uses of nanotechnology for clinical translation, including the delivery, engineering, execution, and modulation of immune functions to enhance and optimize the anti-tumor efficacy of CAR-T cell treatment.

Phytobezoar-Induced Mechanical Ileus and Incipient Intussusception: A Case Report.

Phytobezoars constitute conglomerates of indigested plant fibers and are a rare cause of acute mechanical ileus. They exhibit an increased prevalence in the elderly population and people with specific predisposing conditions. Radiological imaging can often set a definitive diagnosis and dictate the optimal therapeutic approach, combined with the patient's clinical status. An 81-year-old male presented with deteriorating clinical symptoms of intestinal obstruction, and an exploratory laparotomy was performed following inconclusive radiological findings; multiple phytobezoars and incipient intussusception were revealed intraoperatively. A patient's medical history can often raise clinical suspicion of phytobezoars. However, a careful etiological investigation is imperative in all cases of mechanical ileus in advanced ages; early detection and dissolution of phytobezoars, when applicable, can reduce the need for surgical interventions.

An Easily Missed But Life-Threatening Diagnosis: A Case Report of Gorlin Syndrome.

BACKGROUND Gorlin syndrome, also known as basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), and Jaw cyst-Basal cell nevus-Bifid rib syndrome, is a rare multisystemic syndrome that can affect a remarkable number of tissues and organs in the human body. Patients with this syndrome are in jeopardy of developing basal cell skin cancer during puberty or early adulthood. CASE REPORT Herein, we report a case of a 58-year-old woman who had multiple pigmented skin lesions and a palpable tumor of the left scapula. The patient underwent surgical excision of the above-mentioned lesions. The histopathological examination revealed that 10 of them were basal cell skin carcinomas (BCCs); therefore, the patient was proven to have the syndrome. She had a history of similar skin lesions, which were removed before the age of 20. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights that rare phenomena, such as the presence of multiple BCCs, require additional investigations and a multidisciplinary approach since a rare and potentially life-threating condition might be the underlying cause. Early diagnosis of Gorlin syndrome is of paramount importance to facilitate the appropriate therapeutic approach, as directed by a multidisciplinary team. Patients with multiple skin lesions need to have regular assessments by their general practitioner or dermatologist, with dermoscopy serving as an important preventive measure. Furthermore, because pathogenesis of the syndrome is characterized by development of basal cell carcinomas, consecutive follow-up is of a great significance.

Tumor cell metabolic reprogramming and hypoxic immunosuppression: driving carcinogenesis to metastatic colonization.

A significant factor in the antitumor immune response is the increased metabolic reprogramming of immunological and malignant cells. Increasing data points to the fact that cancer metabolism affects not just cancer signaling, which is essential for maintaining carcinogenesis and survival, but also the expression of immune cells and immune-related factors such as lactate, PGE2, arginine, IDO, which regulate the antitumor immune signaling mechanism. In reality, this energetic interaction between the immune system and the tumor results in metabolic competition in the tumor ecosystem, limiting the amount of nutrients available and causing microenvironmental acidosis, which impairs the ability of immune cells to operate. More intriguingly, different types of immune cells use metabolic reprogramming to keep the body and self in a state of homeostasis. The process of immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and performance of effector functions, which is crucial to the immune response, are currently being linked to metabolic reprogramming. Here, we cover the regulation of the antitumor immune response by metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and immune cells as well as potential strategies for metabolic pathway targeting in the context of anticancer immunotherapy. We also discuss prospective immunotherapy-metabolic intervention combinations that might be utilized to maximize the effectiveness of current immunotherapy regimes.

Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease with Cutaneous Manifestation: Case Report.

Castleman disease constitutes a rare class of lymphoproliferative disorders, with an estimated incidence of 21 to 25 per million patient years. The idiopathic subtype exhibits a significantly diverse clinical presentation, which can imitate many autoimmune, malignant, and infectious diseases. Cutaneous manifestations are uncommon and require in-depth investigation, especially when concurrent lymphadenopathy is present. A 79-year-old female, with a chronic, complicated erysipelas-like lesion, presented with bilaterally enlarged inguinal lymph nodes; after surgical excision, their histopathological examination revealed Castleman disease. Even though it is a benign condition, patients are often predisposed to developing certain types of malignancies, which can deteriorate their prognosis. An accurate and early diagnosis, along with effective treatment and prevention of recurrence, is of utmost importance in order to increase the patients' overall survival and quality of life.