{"title":"Heparanase as a therapeutic target for mitigating cancer progression","authors":"Yogesh Kumar , Lokesh Gambhir , Gaurav Sharma , Asha Sharma , Neha Kapoor","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer has been one of the primary causes of mortality for the last three decades across the globe, with contemporary treatment modalities often falling short due to limitations viz. drug resistance, toxicity, and the inability to target molecular mechanisms of tumor progression. Among various intracellular mediators implicated in cancer progression, heparanase, a heparan sulfate degrading enzyme, has been pivotal by facilitating tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Inhibiting the activity of heparanase is a promising therapeutic approach that can potentially curtail tumor growth and metastasis, offering a novel strategy to curb cancer progression. The present review underpins the discovery, structural features, and functional roles of heparanase, with a focus on its differential expression in normal and cancer cell state. Further, the review provides an insight in several classes of heparanase inhibitors including nucleic acid-based inhibitors, polysulfated saccharides, vaccines, miRNA, monoclonal antibodies, natural compounds and small molecule inhibitors along with their mechanism of action and potential benefits in cancer therapy. Recent advancements in heparanase inhibitor development, especially those agents that have moved into clinical trials and received patents is also highlighted thereby underscoring their therapeutic potential and commercial viability. The present review emphasizes over the potential of heparanase as a therapeutic agent and provides an extensive summary of actual endeavors to develop effective inhibitors that may substantiate the forthcoming landscape of cancer treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189441"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034743","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}
Yinjie Jiang , Jingyi Cheng , Jianjun Wu , Ousheng Liu , Xin Bin
{"title":"Innate immune cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Characteristics and therapeutic potential","authors":"Yinjie Jiang , Jingyi Cheng , Jianjun Wu , Ousheng Liu , Xin Bin","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189444","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189444","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Innate immune cells play an important role in the immune system and are mainly responsible for the rapid response to foreign pathogens, damaged tissues, or abnormal cells. However, their immunophenotype in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is altered due to the influence of various components within the tumour microenvironment, including tumour cells, cancer associated fibroblasts, and the extracellular matrix. This immunophenotypic shift results in the suppression of anti-tumour-related immune functions and active participation in further remodelling of the tumour microenvironment. These remodelled innate immune cells are further involved in crosstalk with other components within the tumour microenvironment (TME), resulting in tumour immune reprogramming via multiple pathways in a positive feedback manner. This process facilitates tumour development, metastasis, and immune evasion, while impeding the efficacy of tumour immunotherapy. Consequently, disrupting the positive feedback loop through which innate immune cells are remodelled and actively reprogrammed within the tumour microenvironment may improve therapeutic outcomes and prognosis of patients with OSCC. Therefore, this article aimed to provide an overview of the reprogramming patterns of innate immune cells within the TME of OSCC, and the major pathways through which these cells participate in the regulation of TME. Additionally, this review summarises and discusses therapeutic approaches targeting innate immune cells in OSCC, and provides novel insights for the development of treatment strategies targeting the functions of innate immune cells in OSCC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189444"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024870","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 Zheng , Jie He , Wanqian Hu , Qiqi Cao , Rong Li
{"title":"The role of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential in non-hematological malignancies of various origins","authors":"Bo Zheng , Jie He , Wanqian Hu , Qiqi Cao , Rong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) bridges hematopoietic clonality and solid tumorigenesis, unveiling a systemic dimension of somatic mutagenesis in cancer biology. Generally, population studies demonstrate CHIP carriers face elevated risks of cancer and poorer survival outcomes. This review consolidates current knowledge on the role of CHIP as potential biomarkers in the prediction/early detection/prognosis evaluation of various non-hematological cancers. We provide an overview of recent studies demonstrating the clinical consequences of CHIP including mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCA) across multiple cancer types. Furthermore, we collected the lab studies focusing on the impact of CHIP genes gain/loss in myeloid/lymphoid cells in non-hematological cancers, highlighting the underlying molecular mechanism and therapeutic targets. This review underscores the clinical impact of CHIP in non-hematological cancers, also the complicated cancer-regulating role of CHIP, highlighting targeting CHIP-associated pathways or integrating CHIP status into clinical decision-making could revolutionize precision oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189442"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145018604","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":"The evolving landscape of antibody-drug conjugates in small cell lung cancer: From research progress to clinical application","authors":"Haoyu Wang , Chenyue Zhang , Haiyong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), one of the emerging developing classes of antitumor drugs, have transformed the therapeutic paradigm in oncology. It stands out due to its properties of boasting the strength of both chemotherapy and targeted therapy. In small cell lung cancer (SCLC), ADC has also demonstrated its potential and appealing effect. Clinical trials of ADCs in SCLC are currently in full swing. While ADC has brought some encouraging results so far, several obstacles have been encountered, such as drug resistance, drug toxicities and the difficulty in the selection of patients benefiting from ADCs. Thus, a deepened and comprehensive understanding of the fundamental researches, as well as summarization of ADC development in SCLC might offer us some enlightenment and solutions to these tricky issues. Therefore, in the present review, we elaborate on the structure and mechanism of ADC, clinical trials conducted in SCLC. Additionally, we also outline the obstacles and propose future directions of ADC in SCLC, highlighting its in-depth research and prospective application in SCLC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 6","pages":"Article 189445"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016949","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}
Jiamu Li , Xinqiao Li , Jinpeng Hu , Zinan You , Zhitao Jing
{"title":"Unveiling anaphylatoxins: Pioneering cancer therapies through complement system insights","authors":"Jiamu Li , Xinqiao Li , Jinpeng Hu , Zinan You , Zhitao Jing","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The complement system, a cornerstone of innate immunity, plays pivotal roles in both defense and pathology, particularly through its anaphylatoxins, C3a and C5a. These small peptides, generated during complement activation, not only mediate pro-inflammatory responses but also contribute to the progression of various cancers by modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). Anaphylatoxins influence tumor cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, immune suppression, and therapy resistance via key signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, MEK/ERK, and p38 MAPK. This review summarizes recent findings on the roles of C3a and C5a in different tumor types, including glioma, lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, and hematological malignancies, highlighting their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the development of anaphylatoxin inhibitors, their clinical applications, and the synergistic effects of combining these inhibitors with immune checkpoint blockade therapies. A deeper understanding of anaphylatoxin-mediated mechanisms may provide novel strategies for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, paving the way for targeted and combination therapies to overcome tumor progression and immune evasion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189436"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145008619","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}
Gabriel C. Nwokolo , Trivadi Sundaram Ganesan , Klaus Pors , Robert A. Falconer , Sneha Smarakan
{"title":"Cancer stem cells in focus: Deciphering the dynamic functional landscape of stemness in cancer","authors":"Gabriel C. Nwokolo , Trivadi Sundaram Ganesan , Klaus Pors , Robert A. Falconer , Sneha Smarakan","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189440","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189440","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are central to tumour initiation, progression, and relapse, yet their dynamic and adaptive nature hampers therapeutic targeting. Once viewed as a fixed subpopulation, CSCs are now recognised as a fluid functional state that tumour cells can enter or exit, driven by intrinsic programs, epigenetic reprogramming, and microenvironmental cues. This plasticity complicates identification due to inconsistent marker expression and enables resistance, dormancy, and metastasis. Epigenetic regulators and miRNAs further reinforce stemness under therapeutic stress, keeping the CSC concept contested. Despite promising preclinical efforts, clinical translation of CSC-targeted therapies remains limited by inadequate models and incomplete understanding of CSC-state transitions. This review examines CSC heterogeneity and regulation, while highlighting limitations of current markers and models. We propose that not all committed cancer cells sustain tumour growth; rather, a subset with stem-competent potential may dedifferentiate into CSCs. Finally, we propose future directions to define actionable vulnerabilities and improve CSC-directed therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189440"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006929","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}
Devon M. Ivy, Rosa Bordone, Laura Di Magno, Sonia Coni, Gianluca Canettieri
{"title":"Colorectal cancer chemoprevention: Exploring the path from molecular mechanisms to available drugs","authors":"Devon M. Ivy, Rosa Bordone, Laura Di Magno, Sonia Coni, Gianluca Canettieri","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge despite advances in screening and diagnostic modalities that have contributed to reduced incidence and mortality. A substantial proportion of cases, however, continue to be diagnosed at advanced stages. Chemoprevention – the use of natural or synthetic substances to prevent cancer initiation or recurrence - has emerged as a promising strategy, particularly for individuals at elevated risk. While several agents have shown clinical efficacy, the underlying mechanisms driving their protective effects are not yet fully understood. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular pathogenesis of CRC and highlight key druggable targets relevant to chemoprevention, including inflammation, polyamine metabolism, mitochondrial function, epigenetic regulation, and promising new avenues targeting aspects such as the tumor microenvironment and the gut microbiota. We provide a significant contribution to the field by intersecting the established clinical and preclinical results to the growing understanding of chemopreventative mechanism of action, identifying potential for the stratification of patient risks and benefits among their molecular roles and side effects. Finally, based on the improved molecular understanding of CRC tumorigenesis, we propose potential new avenues of colorectal chemoprevention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189439"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996137","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}
Bruno Oliveira-Lopes , Nuno Tiago Tavares , Rui Henrique , Carmen Jerónimo , João Lobo
{"title":"Testicular germ cell tumors and infertility: Exploring epigenetic dysregulation in the journey of the male germ cell towards new biomarkers and therapeutics","authors":"Bruno Oliveira-Lopes , Nuno Tiago Tavares , Rui Henrique , Carmen Jerónimo , João Lobo","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189437","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189437","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of male germ cells comprises a series of differentiation events that culminate in the formation of spermatozoa. From the primordial germ cell (PGC) to the spermatid, an array of epigenetic events take place in different stages of life. Disruptions in these mechanisms due to external factors can ultimately lead to decreased fertility and to testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). In this review, we highlight how DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) contribute to normal male germ cell development and discuss how disturbances in this epigenetic machinery can compromise fertility and induce neoplasia. Furthermore, the bidirectional relationship between infertility and TGCTs is discussed. Finally, we disclose the utility of “epidrugs” and ncRNAs as promising therapeutic options and TGCT biomarkers, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189437"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931941","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}
Lingxiao Jin , Zhenxuan Shao , Zhaoming Ye , Binghao Li
{"title":"Osteoblasts in bone metastasis: Key players in the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic targets","authors":"Lingxiao Jin , Zhenxuan Shao , Zhaoming Ye , Binghao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Osteoblasts, recognized for their role in bone formation and mineral metabolism, are emerging as pivotal, although underexplored, regulators within the bone tumor microenvironment (TME). Despite increasing evidence of their involvement, their precise contributions to metastatic progression remain underappreciated. Recent studies reveal that osteoblasts orchestrate metastasis through dynamic, stage-specific interactions. In early colonization, they may attract tumor cells via CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling and remodel the metastatic niche. During dormancy, osteoblast-derived factors such as LIF, TGFβ2, and BMP7, along with adhesion molecules such as N-cadherin, promote therapy resistance. Subsequently, osteoblasts can drive metastatic outgrowth through metabolic coupling (e.g., Ca<sup>2+</sup> transfer) and mTOR pathway activation. Beyond these direct effects on tumor cells, osteoblasts modulate the TME by interacting with osteoclasts and immune cells, suppressing CD8<sup>+</sup> T/NK cell activity while skewing macrophage polarization to promote immune evasion. Tumor-derived signals including PTHrP, BMPs, and ET-1, further reprogram osteoblasts into a tumor-supportive phenotype. Therapeutic approaches, such as RANKL inhibition, CXCL12 pathway blockade, TGF-β superfamily antagonism, and osteoblast-targeted immunotherapies, offer promising directions for clinical intervention. Recognizing osteoblasts as central players in bone metastasis may provide new frontiers in bone-targeted cancer therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189435"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144982256","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":"Role of mesenchymal stem cells in modulating cytokine networks and immune checkpoints in gastric cancer therapy","authors":"Zakari Shaibu , Isah Adamu Danbala , Zhihong Chen , Wei Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, driven by a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes disease progression and therapeutic resistance. This review explores the pivotal roles of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), cytokines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in shaping the immunosuppressive GC TME, with emphasis on their interaction and implications for immunotherapy. MSCs secrete cytokines such as IL-6, TGF-β, and IL-10, fostering an immunosuppressive milieu that enables tumor growth, immune evasion, and resistance to ICIs. We synthesize current knowledge on how MSC-derived cytokines regulate immune checkpoint expression, suppress anti-tumor immunity, and contribute to TME heterogeneity. Additionally, we discuss therapeutic strategies targeting MSC-cytokine-immune checkpoint interactions to enhance ICI efficacy and improve clinical outcomes. Emerging approaches including MSC reprogramming, exosome-based therapies, and multi-omics technologies are highlighted as promising avenues to decipher TME complexity and develop personalized immunotherapies. By elucidating mechanisms of MSC-mediated immune modulation in GC, this review aims to inspire novel strategies to overcome therapeutic resistance in this challenging disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8782,"journal":{"name":"Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer","volume":"1880 5","pages":"Article 189433"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920075","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}