Articles in 2020

Filter By:

  • Studies have identified multiple molecular properties with a biological rationale supporting a role in mediating selective responses to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including loss-of-function mutations in mSWI/SNF chromatin regulators; however, their clinical biomarker relevance is uncertain. Herein, we evaluate emerging concepts, challenges and considerations around translating biology into biomarkers for ICIs in solid tumours setting.

    • Eliezer M. Van Allen
    • Toni K. Choueiri
    News & Views
  • Herein, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) provides recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of adult patients with diffuse gliomas. These evidence-based guidelines incorporate major changes in diagnostic algorithms based on the 2016 update of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System as well as on evidence from recent large clinical trials.

    • Michael Weller
    • Martin van den Bent
    • Wolfgang Wick
    Evidence-based GuidelinesOpen Access
  • The availability of ever more sensitive cell sorting and sequencing technologies has enabled the interrogation of tumour cell biology at the highest possible level of resolution — analysis of a single cell. In this Perspective, the authors describe the application of such approaches to the analysis of single tumour-associated immune cells and their potential for improving the outcomes in patients receiving anti-cancer immunotherapies.

    • Satyen H. Gohil
    • J. Bryan Iorgulescu
    • Kenneth J. Livak
    Perspective
  • The much anticipated results from two phase III studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition in patients with advanced-stage breast cancer harbouring a germline mutation in BRCA1/2 have established new therapeutic opportunities and yet, have left us with several ongoing questions.

    • Shani Paluch-Shimon
    • Fatima Cardoso
    News & Views
  • Opposing results of the monarchE and PALLAS trials investigating the role of adjuvant treatment with the CDK4/6 inhibitors abemaciclib and palbociclib, respectively, in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early stage breast cancer have recently been presented. Herein, potential reasons why these two drugs that have similar efficacy in the metastatic setting have produced disparate results in the adjuvant setting are discussed.

    • Giuseppe Curigliano
    News & Views
  • The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing worldwide for reasons that are currently unclear. Herein, the authors review the current epidemiological, clinical, pathological and molecular understanding of early-onset CRC that occurs in patients ≥50 years of age, drawing contrasts with later-onset CRC. They also discuss future research strategies for improved understanding, prevention, early detection and clinical management of early-onset CRC.

    • Naohiko Akimoto
    • Tomotaka Ugai
    • Shuji Ogino
    Perspective
  • Nuclear import and export proteins, such as exportin 1(XPO1), regulate the transport of proteins and other molecules into and out of the nucleus, including several tumour suppressor proteins. The dysregulation of nuclear export can be observed in several types of haematological and solid tumours, providing a rationale for a novel form of targeted therapy. In this Review, the authors describe the development of XPO1 inhibitors, from basic research to clinical approval.

    • Asfar S. Azmi
    • Mohammed H. Uddin
    • Ramzi M. Mohammad
    Review Article
  • Noninvasive liquid biopsy assays integrating tumour and immune biomarkers are a promising tool to enhance clinical decision-making in immuno-oncology. Here, we discuss how circulating tumour DNA dynamics, in conjunction with pre-treatment tumour and immune features, can predict clinical response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors alongside the challenges in making their use a clinical reality.

    • Joseph C. Murray
    • Valsamo Anagnostou
    News & Views
  • Randomized controlled trials designed to test cancer therapies often fail to clarify effectiveness in real-world settings. Herein, we explore lessons for trial development in oncology that can be learnt from the large-cohort, pragmatic RECOVERY trial involving patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

    • Rahul Banerjee
    • Vinay Prasad
    News & Views