Salivary glands adenoid cystic carcinoma: a molecular profile update and potential implications.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive tumor with a high propensity for distant metastasis and perineural invasion. This tumor is more commonly found in regions of the head and neck, mainly the salivary glands. In general, the primary treatment modality for ACC is surgical resection and, in some cases, postoperative radiotherapy. However, no effective systemic treatment is available for patients with advanced disease. Furthermore, this tumor type is characterized by recurrent molecular alterations, especially rearrangements involving the MYB, MYBL1, and NFIB genes. In addition, they also reported copy number alterations (CNAs) that impact genes. One of them is C-KIT, mutations that affect signaling pathways such as NOTCH, PI3KCA, and PTEN, as well as alterations in chromatin remodeling genes. The identification of new molecular targets enables the development of specific therapies. Despite ongoing investigations into immunotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and anti-angiogenics, no systemic therapy is approved by the FDA for ACC. In this review, we report the genetic and cytogenetic findings on head and neck ACC, highlighting possible targets for therapeutic interventions.

Environmental control of mammary carcinoma cell expansion by acidification and spheroid formation in vitro.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Like other cancers, mammary carcinoma progression involves acidification of the tumor microenvironment, which is an important factor for cancer detection and treatment strategies. However, the effects of acidity on mammary carcinoma cell morphology and phenotype have not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we evaluated fundamental effects of environmental acidification on mammary carcinoma cells in standard two-dimensional cultures and three-dimensional spheroids. Acidification decreased overall mammary carcinoma cell viability, while increasing their resistance to the anthracycline doxorubicin. Environmental acidification also increased extracellular vesicle production by mammary carcinoma cells. Conditioned media containing these vesicles appeared to increase fibroblast motility. Acidification also increased mammary carcinoma cell motility when cultured with fibroblasts in spheroids. Taken together, results from this study suggest that environmental acidification induces drug resistance and extracellular vesicle production by mammary carcinoma cells that promote tumor expansion.

Anticancer potential of benzothiazolic derivative (E)-2-((2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)hydrazono)methyl)-4-nitrophenol against melanoma cells.

Malignant melanoma is an important type of cancer worldwide due to its aggressiveness and poor survival rate. Significant efforts to understand the biology of melanoma and approaches to treat the advanced disease are focused on targeted gene inhibitors. Frequently mutated genes, such as NRAS, B-RAF and TP53, significantly exceed the frequency of mutations of other genes, emphasizing their importance for future targeted therapies. Considering the antitumor activity of benzothiazolic derivatives, this study aimed to demonstrate the action of benzothiazolic (E)-2-((2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)hydrazono)methyl)-4-nitrophenol (AFN01) against three established human melanoma cell lines that recapitulate the molecular landscape of the disease in terms of its genetic alterations and mutations, such as the TP53, NRAS and B-RAF genes. The results presented here indicate that AFN01, as a significant cytostatic and cytotoxic drug due to its induction of DNA fragmentation, causes single and double DNA strand breaks, consequently inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and invasion by promoting apoptosis. Our data suggest that AFN01 might be considered as a future therapeutic option for managing melanoma.

Biflorin induces cytotoxicity by DNA interaction in genetically different human melanoma cell lines.

Cancer is a public health problem and the second leading cause of death worldwide. The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has been notably increasing, resulting in high aggressiveness and poor survival rates. Taking into account the antitumor activity of biflorin, a substance isolated from Capraria biflora L. roots that is cytotoxic in vitro and in vivo, this study aimed to demonstrate the action of biflorin against three established human melanoma cell lines that recapitulate the molecular landscape of the disease in terms of genetic alterations and mutations, such as the TP53, NRAS and BRAF genes. The results presented here indicate that biflorin reduces the viability of melanoma cell lines by DNA interactions. Biflorin causes single and double DNA strand breaks, consequently inhibiting cell cycle progression, replication and DNA repair and promoting apoptosis. Our data suggest that biflorin could be considered as a future therapeutic option for managing melanoma.