The history of chemotherapy
The term “chemotherapy” was coined by german chemist Paul Ehrlich, who used this term to define the use of chemical compounds in the medical field. In oncology, anti-neoplastic chemotherapy is defined as the use of chemical compounds to treat a tumor. The era of chemotherapy began in the 1940s, and since then the development of […]
The two faces of interferon γ, part 2
In the first part, we focused on the dual role of IFNγ in the TME, now we analyze some cells that produce it instead. Numerous subpopulations of immune cells produce IFNγ in the tumor microenvironment (TME). For a clearer and less verbose discussion, we will deal with only some cell types: such as some subtypes […]
The two faces of interferon γ, part 1
Today the immunotherapy succeeds in providing benefit to cancer patients and in some cases leading to complete tumor elimination. However, there are some exceptions, in fact some patients do not respond to immunotherapy; this stimulates researchers to define more and more finely the borderline cases for the application of such treatment. In 1980 the interferon […]
Hair products and their possible role
The chemicals products for hair straightening may be associated with a higher risk of uterine cancer. The uterus consists of two main parts: The upper part called the body of the uterus; The lower end called the neck or cervix. Uterine cancer develops in the lower part of the uterus, the site where the embryo […]
The oncosuppressors
The oncosuppressors are genes that upon mitogenic signals inform the cell to terminate its own proliferation. Compared to oncogenes, which are haploinsufficient, oncosuppressors are haploinsufficient, so two mutation events affecting both copies of the gene are required to alter their function; if both copies of the gene are mutated, the mutation is called “loss of […]
Cell plasticity
One of the greatest challenges in oncology is to increase efficacy in destroying tumours. When drug treatments do not totally eliminate tumour cells, it happens that the remaining ones become resistant to the following therapies. This topic was investigated with a study published on 3 July 2023 in ‘Nature‘. The researchers focused their attention on […]
Cellular senescence and interferon γ
Melanoma is a tumour resulting from the unregulated proliferation of certain cells known as melanocytes and it is the deadliest type of skin cancer. There are several subtypes of melanoma, each differing by the gene mutated within it. The NRAS subtype has mutations in the NRAS gene and accounts for a quarter of all melanoma […]
A new immunotherapy frontier
After Covid-19, the term “vaccine” also became popular in non-scientific fields. While many studies have been conducted, even today it may not be clear to everyone how a vaccine works. The vaccine simulates first contact with the pathogen but without causing disease because the infectious agent is weakened. The basic concept is immunological memory: it […]
The Aspartame
Let’s try to pick up a toothpaste package or a can of a diet drink and carefully read the ingredients list, you may come across the words “Aspartame,” but what is it? Aspartame is an artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used in more than 6,000 products, such as diet drinks and […]
Tumors and their genetics
The tumor is a gene-related disease; in fact, it is due to the accumulation of mutations on genes that control the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation. Cancer cells with a proliferative advantage will be selected, a selection analogous to the concept proposed by Darwin. Genes of our interest will be oncogenes, oncosuppressors, and genes […]
