Joseph Adomako, Karina E Jiménez-Camacho, M Victor M Correa-Lara, Juan C Núñez-Enriquez, Michael Schnoor
{"title":"Acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse: biomarkers, hopes, and challenges.","authors":"Joseph Adomako, Karina E Jiménez-Camacho, M Victor M Correa-Lara, Juan C Núñez-Enriquez, Michael Schnoor","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare disease in adults, but is the most common pediatric malignancy and the leading cause of death among children with cancer worldwide. While initial treatment regimens induce remission in most patients, relapses still occur in many cases during or after treatment. Relapses are difficult to treat and continue to be one of the leading causes of ALL-related deaths. Thus, it is essential to understand the biological mechanisms underlying ALL relapses, and to identify reliable biomarkers for better relapse risk prediction and novel druggable targets for precision treatments tailored to risk profiles. Here we review the latest developments in ALL research with a focus on relapse mechanisms, and we discuss related hopes and challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tias Verhezen, An Wouters, Evelien Smits, Jorrit De Waele
{"title":"Powering immunity: mitochondrial dynamics in natural killer cells.","authors":"Tias Verhezen, An Wouters, Evelien Smits, Jorrit De Waele","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that are crucial for eliminating malignant and infected cells, and have significant therapeutic potential against cancer and viral infections. However, their functionality is often impaired under pathological conditions. Emerging evidence identifies mitochondria as key regulators of NK cell metabolism, fitness, and fate. This review examines how mitochondrial dysfunction impacts on NK cell activity in cancer, viral infections, and inflammatory disorders. We discuss strategies to target mitochondrial architecture, dynamics, and function as potential therapies to restore NK cell fitness. Finally, we highlight unanswered questions and future directions to better understand mitochondrial regulation in NK cells and its implications for therapeutic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bo Li, Bingzhi Li, Xianghe Qiao, Wanrong Meng, Yuhang Xie, Jiajing Gong, Yi Fan, Zhihe Zhao, Longjiang Li
{"title":"Targeting mitochondrial transfer as a promising therapeutic strategy.","authors":"Bo Li, Bingzhi Li, Xianghe Qiao, Wanrong Meng, Yuhang Xie, Jiajing Gong, Yi Fan, Zhihe Zhao, Longjiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite the primary impression of mitochondria as energy factories, these organelles are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles beyond energy production. Intriguingly, mitochondria can transfer between cells, influencing physiological and pathological processes through intercellular trafficking termed 'mitochondrial transfer.' This phenomenon is important in maintaining metabolic homeostasis, enhancing tissue regeneration, exacerbating cancer progression, and facilitating immune modulation, depending on the cell type and microenvironment. Recently, mitochondrial transfer has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for tissue repair and antitumor therapy. Here, we summarize and critically review recent advances in this field. We aim to provide an updated overview of the mechanisms and potential therapeutic avenues associated with mitochondrial transfer in various diseases from the perspective of different donor cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144052837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jalal Laaraj, Gabriel Lachance, Alain Bergeron, Yves Fradet, Karine Robitaille, Vincent Fradet
{"title":"New insights into gut microbiota-prostate cancer crosstalk.","authors":"Jalal Laaraj, Gabriel Lachance, Alain Bergeron, Yves Fradet, Karine Robitaille, Vincent Fradet","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.03.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.03.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent evidence underscores a reciprocal relationship between the gut microbiota and prostate cancer (PCa). Dysbiosis, often driven by Western dietary habits and antibiotic use, can heighten systemic inflammation and hinder antitumor immunity, thereby fostering PCa onset and progression. Conversely, certain gut microbes and their metabolites may protect against tumor growth by modulating immune and hormonal pathways that impact therapeutic responses, including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Emerging evidence links gut microbial shifts to PCa aggressiveness, potentially sustaining local androgen production and promoting resistance. In this review, we explore current understanding of the gut-PCa interplay, highlighting key knowledge gaps and the need for further research to clarify how targeting the microbiome might influence PCa outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Targeting monoamine oxidases in cancer: advances and opportunities.","authors":"Jing Wei, Boyang Jason Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.09.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.09.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are a crucial pair of isoenzymes responsible for degrading monoamine neurotransmitters and dietary amines. In addition to extensive studies of their roles in the context of brain functions and disorders over decades, emerging evidence indicates that MAOs are also often dysregulated and associated with clinical outcomes in diverse cancers, with the ability to differentially regulate cancer growth, invasion, metastasis, progression, and therapy response depending on the cancer type. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the clinical relevance, functional importance, and mechanisms of MAOs in a broad range of cancers, and discuss the application and therapeutic benefit of MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) for cancer treatment, highlighting the roles of MAOs as novel regulators, prognostic biomarkers, and therapeutic targets in cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"479-491"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12010012/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142508726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vascular dysfunction in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.","authors":"Yaping Zhao, Li Wang, Suowen Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) succumb to cardiovascular disease. Recent studies by Barettino et al., Cardoso et al., and Vakili et al. utilized progeria mouse models to elucidate novel mechanisms by which vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction accelerate the progress of the disease, thus providing directions for the development of new targeted pharmaco-therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"401-403"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Despoina Kosmara, Elpida Neofotistou-Themeli, Maria Semitekolou, George Bertsias
{"title":"The molecular underpinnings of female predominance in lupus.","authors":"Despoina Kosmara, Elpida Neofotistou-Themeli, Maria Semitekolou, George Bertsias","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most people affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are women. Although the role of sex hormones has been appreciated, we discuss emerging evidence that links X-linked genes escaping from dosage compensation to female predisposition to lupus. This is exemplified by TLR7 and CXorf21 whose female-biased expression may converge to enhance interferon responses and promote autoantibody-producing B cells, which are hallmarks of SLE. Notably, autosomal transcription factors with female overexpression may regulate molecular programs in the skin that are sufficient to induce lupus. These findings indicate a multifactorial basis for female vulnerability; however, several areas remain elusive, including the epigenetic landscape of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in SLE, the interplay with environmental factors, and the role of male-specific factors such as Y-linked genes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"438-451"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142772685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Josephine Hartung, Christine Müller, Cornelis F Calkhoven
{"title":"The dual role of the TSC complex in cancer.","authors":"Josephine Hartung, Christine Müller, Cornelis F Calkhoven","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1/TSC2/TBC1D7) primarily functions to inhibit the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), a crucial regulator of cell growth. Mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 cause tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder marked by benign tumors in multiple organs that rarely progress to malignancy. Traditionally, TSC proteins are considered tumor suppressive due to their inhibition of mTORC1 and other mechanisms. However, more recent studies have shown that TSC proteins can also promote tumorigenesis in certain cancer types. In this review, we explore the composition and function of the TSC protein complex, the roles of its individual components in cancer biology, and potential future therapeutic targeting strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"452-465"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142563777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arlet M Acanda de la Rocha, Noah E Berlow, Diana J Azzam
{"title":"Functional precision medicine: the future of cancer care.","authors":"Arlet M Acanda de la Rocha, Noah E Berlow, Diana J Azzam","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Functional precision medicine (FPM), combining ex vivo drug sensitivity testing with genomic profiling to identify treatment options for recurrent/refractory cancer, is feasible and poised to accelerate. This forum explores the history of FPM, recent clinical advancements, and barriers to expanding the clinical utility and accessibility for pediatric/adolescent and adult cancers.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"404-408"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12084147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aseel Warrayat, Ayah Ali, Joulin Waked, Darcy Tocci, Robert C Speth
{"title":"Assessment of the therapeutic potential of salubrinal for ME/CFS and long-COVID.","authors":"Aseel Warrayat, Ayah Ali, Joulin Waked, Darcy Tocci, Robert C Speth","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic debilitating condition with no cure that shares commonality with long-COVID. This review examines current understanding of long-COVID symptoms, characteristics of the affected population, the connection with ME/CFS, and the potential for salubrinal, an agent known for its influence on cellular stress pathways, to mitigate these disorders It also describes the historical development and mechanism of action of salubrinal, to mitigate endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/cellular stress responses, that could potentially contribute to symptom improvement in both ME/CFS and long-COVID patients. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to advance our understanding of the potential role of salubrinal in improving the quality of life for individuals with long-COVID-related ME/CFS symptoms as well as ME/CFS patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"466-478"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142508722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}