Thymalfasin, a promising adjuvant therapy in small hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection

He, Chao; Peng, Wei; Li, Chuan; Wen, Tianfu

doi:10.1097/md.0000000000006606

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(28 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The third strongest gene was prothymosin alpha ( PTMA ), a transcription factor involved in apoptosis also mediating immunological functions with almost no publications related to lung cancer. The immunomodulator thymalfasin, previously suggested as a potential agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (He et al, 2017), has been linked to PTMA . Overall, the most important common feature of genes uncovered as prognostic biomarkers in adenocarcinomas is their association with the immune system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome‐level discovery of survival‐associated biomarkers and therapy targets in non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Győrffy

2023

British J Pharmacology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and PurposeSurvival rate of patients with lung cancer has increased by over 60% in the recent two decades. With longer survival, the identification of genes associated with survival has emerged as an issue of utmost importance to uncover the most promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Experimental ApproachAn integrated database was set up by combining multiple independent datasets with clinical data and transcriptome‐level gene expression measurements. Uni‐ and multivariate survival analyses were performed to identify genes with higher expression levels linked to shorter survival. The strongest genes were filtered to include only those with known druggability.Key ResultsThe entire database includes 2,852 tumor specimens from 17 independent cohorts. Of these, 2,227 have overall survival data and 1,256 samples have progression‐free survival time. The most significant genes associated with survival were MIF, UBC, and B2M in lung adenocarcinoma and ANXA2, CSNK2A2, and KRT18 in squamous cell carcinoma. We also aimed to reveal the best druggable targets in non‐smokers lung cancer. The three most promising hits in this cohort were MDK, THY1 and PADI2. The established lung cancer cohort was added to the Kaplan‐Meier plotter (https://www.kmplot.com) enabling the validation of future gene expression‐based biomarkers in both the present and yet unexamined subgroups of patients.Conclusions and ImplicationsIn this study, we established a comprehensive database of transcriptome‐level data for lung cancer. The database can be utilized to identify and rank the most promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for different subtypes of lung cancer.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome‐level discovery of survival‐associated biomarkers and therapy targets in non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Győrffy

2023

British J Pharmacology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Among the 8 responders in the group receiving TACE + thymalfasin, 4 patients became eligible for liver transplant whereas none of the 5 responders in the TACE-only group became eligible for transplant. A larger study enrolling a total of 206 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma who received liver resections to evaluate the effect of Tα1 as an adjuvant therapy demonstrated a statistically significant increase in 5-years overall survival and recurrence-free survival (82.9% versus 62.9% and 53.3% versus 32.1%, respectively) for patients that received Tα1 in comparison to those that went through resection only ( 156 ). Therefore, Tα1 as an adjuvant therapy may improve the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.…”

Section: Efficacy Of Thymic Peptides In Clinical and Preclinical Canc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thymus-derived hormonal and cellular control of cancer

Savino

Lepletier

2023

Front. Endocrinol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The thymus gland is a central lymphoid organ in which developing T cell precursors, known as thymocytes, undergo differentiation into distinct type of mature T cells, ultimately migrating to the periphery where they exert specialized effector functions and orchestrate the immune responses against tumor cells, pathogens and self-antigens. The mechanisms supporting intrathymic T cell differentiation are pleiotropically regulated by thymic peptide hormones and cytokines produced by stromal cells in the thymic microenvironment and developing thymocytes. Interestingly, in the same way as T cells, thymic hormones (herein exemplified by thymosin, thymulin and thymopoietin), can circulate to impact immune cells and other cellular components in the periphery. Evidence on how thymic function influences tumor cell biology and response of patients with cancer to therapies remains unsatisfactory, although there has been some improvement in the knowledge provided by recent studies. Herein, we summarize research progression in the field of thymus-mediated immunoendocrine control of cancer, providing insights into how manipulation of the thymic microenvironment can influence treatment outcomes, including clinical responses and adverse effects of therapies. We review data obtained from clinical and preclinical cancer research to evidence the complexity of immunoendocrine interactions underpinning anti-tumor immunity.

show abstract

“…A recent report has retrospectively evaluated the use of Tα1 as adjuvant therapy in patients with primary HBV-related small HCC after liver resection. As compared to patients that received only liver resection, patients treated with Tα1 had higher overall survival and recurrence-free survival, together with a reduced neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, pointing to the use of Tα1 in patients at high risk for recurrence after resection (71). The administration of Tα1 also proved effective in improving liver function and increasing overall survival and recurrence-free survival in a retrospective study evaluating patients with HBV-associated HCC after radical hepatectomy (72).…”

Section: Thymosin α1 and Hepatocellular Carcinomamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Reappraisal of Thymosin Alpha1 in Cancer Therapy

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Thymosin alpha1 (Tα1), an endogenous peptide first isolated from the thymic tissue in the mid-sixties, has gained considerable attention for its immunostimulatory activity that led to its application to diverse pathological conditions, including cancer. Studies in animal models and human patients have shown promising results in different types of malignancies, especially when Tα1 was used in combination with other chemo- and immune therapies. For this reason, the advancements in our knowledge on the adjuvant role of Tα1 have moved in parallel with the development of novel cancer therapies in a way that Tα1 was integrated to changing paradigms and protocols, and tested for increased efficacy and safety. Cancer immunotherapy has recently experienced a tremendous boost following the development and clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibitors. By unleashing the full potential of the adaptive immune response, checkpoint inhibitors were expected to be very effective against tumors, but it soon became clear that a widespread and successful application was not straightforward and shortcomings in efficacy and safety clearly emerged. This scenario led to the development of novel concepts in immunotherapy and the design of combination protocols to overcome these limitations, thus opening up novel opportunities for Tα1 application. Herein, we summarize in a historical perspective the use of Tα1 in cancer, with particular reference to melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and lung cancer. We will discuss the current limitations of checkpoint inhibitors in clinical practice and the mechanisms at the basis of a potential application of Tα1 in combination protocols.

show abstract

Thymalfasin, a promising adjuvant therapy in small hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Transcriptome‐level discovery of survival‐associated biomarkers and therapy targets in non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Transcriptome‐level discovery of survival‐associated biomarkers and therapy targets in non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Thymus-derived hormonal and cellular control of cancer

A Reappraisal of Thymosin Alpha1 in Cancer Therapy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About