Complementary and alternative medicines in prostate cancer: from bench to bedside?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Klempner SJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3380882 | biostudies-literature | 2012
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundIntegrative and complementary health approaches (ICHA) are often pursued by patients facing chronic illnesses. Most of the studies that investigated the factors associated with ICHA consumption have considered that the propensity to use ICHA is a stable or fixed characteristic of an individual. However, people may prefer using ICHA in some situations and not in others, depending on the characteristics of the illness to face. Moreover, the attitude toward ICHA may differ within a single individual and between individuals so that ICHA can be used either in addition to (i.e., complementary attitude) or in place of (i.e., alternative attitude). The present study aimed at examining distinct patterns of attitudes toward ICHA in people hypothetically facing chronic illnesses that differed according to severity and clinical expression.MethodsWe conducted a web-based study including 1807 participants who were asked to imagine that they had a particular chronic illness based on clinical vignettes (mental illnesses: depression, schizophrenia; somatic illnesses: rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis). Participants were invited to rate their perceived distress and social stigma associated with each illness as well as its perceived treatability. They also rated their belief in treatment effectiveness, and their treatment preference. Four patterns of treatment choice were determined: strictly conventional, weak or strong complementary, and alternative. Bayesian methods were used for statistical analyses.ResultsICHA were selected as complementary treatment option by more than 95% of people who hypothetically faced chronic illness. The complementary attitude towards ICHA (in addition to conventional treatment) was more frequent than the alternative one (in place of conventional treatment). Factors driving this preference included employment status, severity of illness, age and perceived distress, social stigma and treatability of the illness. When the label of illnesses was included in the vignettes, patterns of treatment preference were altered.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that "medical pluralism" (i.e., the integration of ICHA with conventional treatment) is likely the norm for people facing both mental or somatic illness. However, our result must be interpreted with caution due to the virtual nature of this study. We suggest that taking attitudes toward ICHA into account is crucial for a better understanding of patients' motivation to use ICHA.
| S-EPMC6454683 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Therapeutic interventions for advanced prostate cancer (PCa) center on inhibiting androgen receptor (AR) and downstream signaling pathways. Resistance to androgen deprivation therapy and/or AR antagonists is inevitable and molecular mechanisms driving castration-resistant PCa (CR-PCa) primarily involve alterations in AR expression and activity. Detailed molecular biology work over the past decade, discussed at length in this review article, has revealed several AR transcripts that result from alternative splicing. These AR splice variants are increased in cell and mouse models of CR-PCa and in CR-PCa tumors. Several AR variants lack the ligand binding domain, but retain their ability to bind DNA and activate transcription-linking constitutive AR function and therapeutic failure. ARV7 is the only variant endogenously detected at the protein level and thus has undergone more thorough molecular characterization. Clinical trials in PCa are currently investigating ARV7 utility as a biomarker and new therapeutics that inhibit ARV7 . Overall, this review will illustrate the historical perspectives of AR splice variant discovery using fundamental molecular biology techniques and how it changed the clinical approach to both therapeutic decisions and strategy. The body of work investigating AR splice variants in PCa represents a true example of translational research from bench to bedside.
| S-EPMC5392349 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo assess whether the use of complementary and alternative medicines therapies (CAMs) for prostate cancer and/or its treatment side effects by long-term survivors is associated with selected socio-demographic, clinical, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and/or psychological factors.Design, setting and participantsThe Prostate Cancer Care and Outcomes Study (PCOS) is a population-based cohort study of men with prostate cancer who were aged less than 70 years at diagnosis in New South Wales, Australia. Included in these analyses were men who returned a 10-year follow-up questionnaire, which included questions about CAM use.MethodsValidated instruments assessed patient's HRQOL and psychological well-being. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to estimate the adjusted relative risks of current CAM use for prostate cancer according to socio-demographic, clinical, HRQOL and psychological factors.Results996 of 1634 (61%) living PCOS participants completed the 10-year questionnaire. Of these 996 men, 168 (17%) were using CAMs for prostate cancer and 525 (53%) were using CAMs for any reason (including prostate cancer). Those using CAM for prostate cancer were more likely to be regular or occasional support group participants (vs. no participation RR = 2.02; 95%CI 1.41-2.88), born in another country (vs. Australian born RR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.17-2.16), have received androgen deprivation treatment (ADT) since diagnosis (RR = 1.60; 95%CI 1.12-2.28) or in the past two years (RR = 2.34; 95%CI 1.56-3.52). CAM use was associated with greater fear of recurrence (RR = 1.29; 95%CI 1.12-1.48), cancer-specific distress (RR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.01-1.30), cancer-specific hyperarousal (RR = 1.17; 95%CI 1.04-1.31), cancer locus of control (RR = 1.16; 95%CI 1.01-1.34) and less satisfaction with medical treatments (RR = 0.86; 95%CI 0.76-0.97), but not with intrusive thinking, cognitive avoidance, depression, anxiety or any HRQOL domains.ConclusionsIn this study, about one in six long term prostate cancer survivors used CAMs for their prostate cancer with use centred around ADT, country of birth, distress, cancer control, fear of recurrence and active help seeking.
| S-EPMC5841769 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sulforaphane (SFN) is a metabolic by product of cruciferous vegetables and is the biologically active phytochemical found in high concentrations in broccoli. It has been studied extensively for its anticancer efficacy and the underlying mechanisms using cell culture and preclinical models. The immediate precursor of SFN is glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate which requires metabolic conversion to SFN. SFN and other notable isothiocyanates, including phenethyl isothiocyanate and benzyl isothiocyanate found in various cruciferous vegetables, have also been implicated to have a chemopreventive role for breast, colon and prostate cancer. In-vitro and in-vivo anti-cancer activity of this class of compounds summarizing the past two decades of basic science research has previously been reviewed by us and others. The present review aims to focus specifically on SFN and its chemopreventive and antineoplastic activity against prostate cancer. Particular emphasis in this communication is placed on the current status of clinical research and prospects for future clinical trials with the overall objective to better understand the clinical utility of this promising chemopreventive nutraceutical in the context of mechanisms of prostate carcinogenesis.
| S-EPMC4635516 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Toll-Like receptors (TLRs) are a family of evolutionary conserved transmembrane proteins that recognize highly conserved molecules in pathogens. TLR-expressing cells represent the first line of defence sensing pathogen invasion, triggering innate immune responses and subsequently priming antigen-specific adaptive immunity. In vitro and in vivo studies on experimental cancer models have shown both anti- and pro-tumoural activity of different TLRs in prostate cancer, indicating these receptors as potential targets for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight the intriguing duplicity of TLR stimulation by pathogens: their protective role in cases of acute infections, and conversely their negative role in favouring hyperplasia and/or cancer onset, in cases of chronic infections. This review focuses on the role of TLRs in the pathophysiology of prostate infection and cancer by exploring the biological bases of the strict relation between TLRs and prostate cancer. In particular, we highlight the debated question of how reliable mutations or deregulated expression of TLRs are as novel diagnostic or prognostic tools for prostate cancer. So far, the anticancer activity of numerous TLR ligands has been evaluated in clinical trials only in organs other than the prostate. Here we review recent clinical trials based on the most promising TLR agonists in oncology, envisaging a potential application also in prostate cancer therapy.
| S-EPMC3823175 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent type of cancer in men worldwide, with 288,300 new cases and 34,700 deaths estimated in the United States in 2023. Treatment options for early-stage disease include external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy, active surveillance, or a combination of these. In advanced cases, androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is considered the first-line therapy; however, PCa in most patients eventually progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) despite ADT. Nonetheless, the transition from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent tumors is not yet fully understood. The physiological processes of epithelial-to-non-epithelial ("mesenchymal") transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) are essential for normal embryonic development; however, they have also been linked to higher tumor grade, metastatic progression, and treatment resistance. Due to this association, EMT and MET have been identified as important targets for novel cancer therapies, including CRPC. Here, we discuss the transcriptional factors and signaling pathways involved in EMT, in addition to the diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that have been identified in these processes. We also tackle the various studies that have been conducted from bench to bedside and the current landscape of EMT-targeted therapies.
| S-EPMC10136789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Accuracy of sepsis prediction was obtained using cross-validation of gene expression data from 12 human spleen samples and from 16 mouse spleen samples. For blood studies, classifiers were constructed using data from a training data set of 26 microarrays. The error rate of the classifiers was estimated on seven de-identified microarrays, and then on a subsequent cross-validation for all 33 blood microarrays. Estimates of classification accuracy of sepsis in human spleen were 67.1%; in mouse spleen, 96%; and in mouse blood, 94.4% (all estimates were based on nested cross-validation). Lists of genes with substantial changes in expression between study and control groups were used to identify nine mouse common inflammatory response genes, six of which were mapped into a single pathway using contemporary pathway analysis tools. Keywords: genomics, diagnosis, microarray, calprotectin
2006-08-29 | GSE5663 | GEO
Project description:Targeted therapy and immunotherapy in combination is considered the ideal strategy for treating metastatic cancer, as it can eliminate the primary tumors and induce host immunity to control distant metastases. Phototherapy, a promising targeted therapy, eradicates primary tumors using an appropriate dosage of focal light irradiation, while initiating antitumor immune responses through induced immunogenic tumor cell death. Recently, phototherapy has been employed to improve the efficacy of immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Phototherapy and immunoadjuvant therapy have been used in combination clinically, wherein the induced immunogenic cell death and enhanced antigen presentation synergy, inducing a systemic antitumor immune response to control residual tumor cells at the treatment site and distant metastases. This review summarizes studies on photo-immunotherapy, the combination of phototherapy and immunotherapy, especially focusing on the development and progress of this unique combination from a benchtop project to a promising clinical therapy for metastatic cancer.
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Project description:Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men worldwide. To improve future drug development and patient management, surrogate biomarkers associated with relevant outcomes are required. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are tumour cells that can enter the circulatory system, and are principally responsible for the development of metastasis at distant sites. In recent years, interest in detecting CTCs as a surrogate biomarker has ghiiukjrown. Clinical studies have revealed that high levels of CTCs in the blood correlate with disease progression in patients with prostate cancer; however, their predictive value for monitoring therapeutic response is less clear. Despite the important progress in CTC clinical development, there are critical requirements for the implementation of their analysis as a routine oncology tool. The goal of the present review is to provide an update on the advances in the clinical validation of CTCs as a surrogate biomarker and to discuss the principal obstacles and main challenges to their inclusion in clinical practice.
| S-EPMC5037845 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Angiogenesis in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has been extensively investigated as a promising druggable biological process. Nonetheless, targeting angiogenesis has failed to impact overall survival (OS) in patients with mCRPC despite promising preclinical and early clinical data. This discrepancy prompted a literature review highlighting the tumor heterogeneity and biological context of Prostate Cancer (PCa). Narrowing the gap between the bench and bedside appears critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Searching clinicaltrials.gov for studies examining angiogenesis inhibition in patients with PCa resulted in n=20 trials with specific angiogenesis inhibitors currently recruiting (as of September 2021). Moreover, several other compounds with known anti-angiogenic properties - such as Metformin or Curcumin - are currently investigated. In general, angiogenesis-targeting strategies in PCa include biomarker-guided treatment stratification - as well as combinatorial approaches. Beyond established angiogenesis inhibitors, PCa therapies aiming at PSMA (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) hold the promise to have a substantial anti-angiogenic effect - due to PSMA´s abundant expression in tumor vasculature.
| S-EPMC8866833 | biostudies-literature