Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.003
Jiling Feng, Yu Zeng, Shengli Li
{"title":"Illuminating cancer therapy via cryptic antigens.","authors":"Jiling Feng, Yu Zeng, Shengli Li","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent study in Science by Ely et al. identifies immunogenic, cancer-restricted noncanonical HLA-I-bound peptides (ncHLAp) in pancreatic cancer. Using a translation-informed filtering strategy, the study uncovers cryptic antigens derived from unannotated ORFs and validate antigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) capable of targeting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in preclinical models, offering new avenues for immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144718748","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.013
Jennifer K Lue, Sean E Healton, Gilles A Salles
{"title":"Leveraging immunologically based therapies to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.","authors":"Jennifer K Lue, Sean E Healton, Gilles A Salles","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous group of aggressive lymphomas driven by distinct biological pathways. Although historically divided into two major subtypes on the basis of putative cell of origin, detailed genomic analyses have revealed additional classifications with prognostic implications. Additionally, the lymphoma microenvironment adds a layer of complexity distinct from genetic subclassifications and influences disease trajectory and response to therapies. Herein, we review the emerging roles of immune-based therapies to address this complex interplay between intrinsic genetic drivers and the surrounding tumor microenvironment in DLBCL.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144708994","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.002
Debolina Ganguly, Judith Agudo
{"title":"Bone appetite: bone-derived factors feed distant immune suppression.","authors":"Debolina Ganguly, Judith Agudo","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The site of metastatic disease influences treatment response. A recent study in Cancer Cell by Cheng et al. revealed that bone metastases systemically impair immune function, abrogating immunotherapy response. Bone metastases led to osteopontin (OPN) production, which suppressed immunity in distal lesions. This highlights a novel cross-organ communication hindering antitumor immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144668606","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-17DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.012
Vincent Mittelheisser, Cristina Liboni, Silvia Maria Grazia Trivigno, Olivier Lefebvre, Pierre H Mangin, Jacky G Goetz
{"title":"Platelets: tailoring metastasis treatment.","authors":"Vincent Mittelheisser, Cristina Liboni, Silvia Maria Grazia Trivigno, Olivier Lefebvre, Pierre H Mangin, Jacky G Goetz","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dreadful liaison between platelets and tumor cells was discovered half a century ago. Since then, a plethora of studies have characterized the contribution of platelets to primary tumor development, survival of circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream, and metastatic seeding and outgrowth. Yet, although these provided a deep understanding of how platelets shape cancer progression, the field suffers from a lack of additional knowledge required to design efficient therapeutic strategies. Here, we aim to summarize recent discoveries that identify new ways in which platelets shape metastasis beyond their initial intravascular role. We further discuss platelet-borne molecular targets that could represent new avenues for therapeutically targeting platelets' contribution to metastasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144668607","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.001
Kostas A Papavassiliou, Alice G Vassiliou, Athanasios G Papavassiliou
{"title":"Targeting TIM-3 to halt lung precancer progression.","authors":"Kostas A Papavassiliou, Alice G Vassiliou, Athanasios G Papavassiliou","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Little is known about lung precancer progression. Recently, Zhu et al. explored the early immunologic landscape of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) precursors and identified T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (TIM-3) as a putative immune checkpoint target for precancer interception. TIM-3 blockade in mice harboring premalignant lesions delayed progression to invasive adenocarcinoma, suggesting potential clinical utility in high-risk individuals detected through screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660386","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-15DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.011
Constant Adriaan Tellinga, Roman Friedli, Federico Simonetta, Christoph Scheiermann
{"title":"Time-of-day dependency of adoptive cell therapies.","authors":"Constant Adriaan Tellinga, Roman Friedli, Federico Simonetta, Christoph Scheiermann","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adoptive cell therapies (ACTs), such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, have revolutionized cancer treatment, especially for hematological cancers. However, patient responses vary considerably. Emerging research reveals a striking influence of time of day (ToD) on ACT efficacy. Administering ACT during the early behavioral active phase enhances tumor control and reduces toxicity in preclinical models, an effect linked to the circadian clock. Latest clinical data also point to ToD effects in the cancer setting. In this opinion article we explore current insights and discuss the emerging underlying mechanisms. We propose that integrating ToD into clinical practice could represent a powerful yet easily implementable therapeutic regimen to improve efficacy and safety of ACT.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144650620","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-09DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.004
Magnus Haughey, Imran Noorani, Charles Swanton, Paul S Mischel, Benjamin Werner
{"title":"Extrachromosomal DNA: shaping the evolutionary dynamics of cancer.","authors":"Magnus Haughey, Imran Noorani, Charles Swanton, Paul S Mischel, Benjamin Werner","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancers are complex, diverse, and elusive, with extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) recently emerging as a crucial player in driving the evolution of about 20% of all tumors. In this review we discuss open questions concerning the evolutionary role of ecDNA in tumor development, including tumorigenesis and metastatic seeding, the mutational landscape on ecDNA, the dynamic ecDNA genotype-phenotype map, the structural evolution of ecDNA, and how knowledge of tissue-specific ecDNA evolutionary paths can be leveraged to deliver more effective clinical treatment. Looking forward, evolutionary theoretical modeling will be instrumental in advancing new research in the field, and we explore how modeling has contributed to our understanding of the evolutionary principles governing ecDNA dynamics. Ultimately, these challenges must be tackled to improve clinical stratification and create tumor- and patient-specific ecDNA-based therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144609704","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-09DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.007
Max Hüllwegen, Maximilian Kleinert, Stephan von Haehling, Andreas Fischer
{"title":"GDF15: from biomarker to target in cancer cachexia.","authors":"Max Hüllwegen, Maximilian Kleinert, Stephan von Haehling, Andreas Fischer","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most patients with advanced cancer suffer from cachexia, a complex metabolic disorder characterized by unintentional body weight loss that diminishes their quality of life and reduces the effectiveness of therapies. Currently, effective treatments for cachexia remain elusive. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a nonspecific blood biomarker of cancer, hyperemesis gravidarum, and various chronic diseases. GDF15 acts through GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL) receptors in the hindbrain to influence food intake, nausea, body weight, and insulin sensitivity. In this review we synthesize the current literature on the role of GDF15 in regulating metabolism and immunosuppression, and elucidate how these processes impact on cancer progression. We highlight recent clinical trials demonstrating that targeting GDF15 can overcome resistance to immunotherapy and increase physical activity, appetite, and weight gain in cancer patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144609705","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.008
Yan-Ruide Li, Yichen Zhu, Lili Yang
{"title":"IL-18 revives dysfunctional CAR-T cells.","authors":"Yan-Ruide Li, Yichen Zhu, Lili Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IL-18-armored chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (18.CAR-T) cells have demonstrated enhanced antitumor efficacy in lymphoma patients refractory to conventional CAR-T therapy. Unraveling the mechanisms behind this potent enhancement and mitigating associated toxicities could unlock a new era of next-generation CAR-T therapies with superior effectiveness and broader clinical impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144592443","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}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.005
Bo He, Ruth Ganss
{"title":"Pericyte phenotype switching in cancer.","authors":"Bo He, Ruth Ganss","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pericytes play an important physiological role as guardians of vascular integrity. In cancer, however, pericytes undergo profound phenotypic changes which foster tumor progression. Emerging transcriptomics and functional data provide evidence for a shift from quiescent to highly proliferating, matrix-secreting pericytes which destabilize the vasculature and create immune deserts. However, due to their inherent plasticity, proliferative tumor pericytes can be 'coerced' to switch back into a more quiescent and contractile state, a process which underpins durable tumor vessel normalization. Therapeutically, pericyte phenotype switching can be induced by targeting oncogenic, metabolic, or microtubule signaling pathways which induce Rho kinase activity. Thus, harnessing pericyte plasticity provides unique opportunities to synergize targeted anticancer therapies with immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144592444","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}