Immunotherapy for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs): a 2021 update.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of heterogeneous malignancies, arising from the neuroendocrine system. These neoplasms are divided into two distinct groups, the low-proliferating, well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), and the highly-proliferating, poorly-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Recent data demonstrate that the incidence of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms, GEP-NETs and GEP-NECs, has increased exponentially over the last three decades. Although surgical resection is considered the best treatment modality, patients with GEP-NETs often present with advanced disease at diagnosis associated with a 5-year survival rate of 57% for well-differentiated tumors, and only 5.2% for small-cell tumors. Immunotherapy is a novel treatment approach, which has demonstrated effective and promising therapeutic results against several types of cancers. In the present study, we review the current ongoing clinical trials and to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in GEP-NENs. Furthermore, we analyze the importance of tumor genetic profiling and its clinical implications in immunotherapy response.

Advances in stem cell therapy in Alzheimer's disease: a comprehensive clinical trial review.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia responsible for more than 121,499 deaths from AD in 2019 making AD the sixth-leading cause in the United States. AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by decline of memory, behavioral impairments that affects a person's ability to function independently ultimately leading to death. The current pressing need for a treatment for (AD) and advances in the field of cell therapy, has rendered stem cell therapeutics a promising field of research. Despite advancements in stem cell technology, confirmed by encouraging pre-clinical utilization of stem cells in AD animal models, the number of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of stem cell therapy is limited, with the results of many ongoing clinical trials on cell therapy for AD still pending. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been the main focus in these studies, reporting encouraging results concerning safety profile, however their efficacy remains unproven. In the current article we review the latest advances regarding different sources of stem cell therapy and present a comprehensive list of every available clinical trial in national and international registries. Finally, we discuss drawbacks arising from AD pathology and technical limitations that hinder the transition of stem cell technology from bench to bedside. Our findings emphasize the need to increase clinical trials towards uncovering the mode of action and the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of transplanted cells as well as the molecular mechanisms controlling regeneration and neuronal microenvironment.

Immunotherapy for gastric cancer: a 2021 update.

Gastric cancer, the fifth most frequent cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths, accounts for a devastating death rate worldwide. Since the majority of patients with gastric cancer are diagnosed at advanced stages, they are not suitable for surgery and present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Recent advances in immunotherapy have elicited a considerable amount of attention as viable therapeutic options for several cancer types. This work presents a summary of the currently ongoing clinical trials and critically addresses the efficacy of a large spectrum of immunotherapy approaches in the general population for gastric cancer as well as in relation to tumor genetic profiling.