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Exosomes offer a new perspective on the biology of cancer with both diagnostic and therapeutic concepts. Due to the cell‐to‐cell association, exosomes are involved in the progression, metastasis, and therapeutic efficacy of the tumor. They can be isolated from blood and other body fluids to determine the disease progression in the body, including cancer growth. In addition to being reservoirs of biochemical markers of cancer, exomes can be designed to restore tumor immunity. Tumor exosomes interact with different cells in the tumor microenvironment to confer beneficial modulations, responsible for stromal activity, angiogenesis, increased vascular permeability, and immune evasion. Exosomes also contribute to the metastasis with the aim of epithelial transmission to the mesenchyme and the formation of premetastatic niches. Moreover, exosomes protect cells against the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and prevent the transmission of chemotherapy resistance to adjacent cells. Therefore, exosomes are essential for many fatal cancer agents, and understanding their origins and role in cancer is important. In this article, we attempted to clarify the potential of exosomes for the application in cancer diagnosis and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the commonest primary malignant brain tumor and has a remarkably weak prognosis. According to the aggressive form of GBM, understanding the accurate molecular mechanism associated with GBM pathogenesis is essential. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) belongs to transforming growth factor‐β superfamily with important roles to control biological processes. It affects cancer growth and progression, drug resistance, and metastasis. It also can promote stemness in many cancers, and also can stress reactions control, bone generation, hematopoietic growth, adipose tissue performance, and body growth, and contributes to cardiovascular disorders. The role GDF‐15 to develop and progress cancer is complicated and remains unclear. GDF‐15 possesses tumor suppressor properties, as well as an oncogenic effect. GDF‐15 antitumorigenic and protumorigenic impacts on tumor development are linked to the cancer type and stage. However, the GDF‐15 signaling and mechanism have not yet been completely identified because of no recognized cognate receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a unique population in the tumor, but they only comprise 2%–5% of the tumor bulk. Although CSCs share several features with embryonic stem cells, CSCs can give rise to the tumor cells. CSCs overexpress embryonic transcription factor NANOG, which is downregulated in differentiated tissues. This transcription factor confers CSC's stemness, unlimited self‐renewal, metastasis, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and drug‐resistance with the assistance of WNT, OCT4, SOX2, Hedgehog, BMI‐1, and other complexes. NANOG facilitates CSCs development via multiple pathways, like angiogenesis and lessening E‐cadherin expression levels, which paves the road for metastasis. Moreover, NANOG represses apoptosis and leads to drug‐resistance. This review aims to highlight the pivotal role of NANOG and the pertained pathways in CSCs. Also, this current study intends to demonstrate that targeting NANOG can dimmish the CSCs, sensitize the tumor to chemotherapy, and eradicate the cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal B‐cell malignancy characterized by the accumulation of neoplastic proliferation of a plasma cell in the bone marrow that produces a monoclonal immunoglobulin. The immune checkpoint inhibitors against programmed death‐1/programmed death‐1 ligand and cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 axis have demonstrated appropriate anticancer activity in several solid tumors and liquid cancers, and are rapidly transforming the practice of medical oncology. However, in a high percentage of patients, the efficacy of immune checkpoints blockade remains limited due to innate or primary resistance. Moreover, the malignancies progress in many patients due to acquired or secondary resistance, even after the clinical response to immune checkpoints' blockade. The evidence shows that multiple tumor‐intrinsic and tumor‐extrinsic factors and alterations in signaling pathways are involved in primary and secondary resistance to immune checkpoints blockade. Improved identification of intrinsic and extrinsic factors and mechanisms of resistance or response to immune checkpoints blockade may not only provide novel prognostic or predictive biomarkers but also guide the optimal combination/sequencing of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in the clinic. Here, we review the underlying biology and role of immune checkpoints blockade in patients with MM. Furthermore, we review the host and tumor‐related factor effects on immune checkpoints blockade in MM immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still considered as the third most frequent cancer in the world. Microsatellite instability (MSI), inflammation, and microRNAs have been demonstrated as the main contributing factors in CRC. Subtype 1 CRC is defined by NK cells infiltration, induction of Th1 lymphocyte and cytotoxic T cell responses as well as upregulation of immune checkpoint proteins including programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1). Based on the diverse features of CRC, such as the stage and localization of the tumor, several treatment approaches are available. However, the efficiency of these treatments may be decreased due to the development of diverse resistance mechanisms. It has been proven that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can increase the effectiveness of CRC treatments. Nowadays, several mAbs including nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for the treatment of CRC. Immune checkpoint receptors including PD‐1 can be inhibited by these antibodies. Combination therapy gives an opportunity for advanced treatment for CRC patients. In this review, an update has been provided on the molecular mechanisms involved in MSI colorectal cancer immune microenvironment by focusing on PD‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and treatment of patients with advanced immunotherapy, which were examined in the different clinical trial phases. Considering induced expression of PD‐L1 by conventional chemotherapeutics, we have summarized the role of PD‐L1 in CRC, the chemotherapy effects on the PD‐1/PD‐L1 axis and novel combined approaches to enhance immunotherapy of CRC by focusing on PD‐L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common bone tumors in children and adolescents that cause a high rate of mortality in this age group and tends to be metastatic, in spite of chemotherapy and surgery. The main reason for this can be returned to a small group of malignant cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs). OS‐CSCs play a key role in the resistance to treatment and relapse and metastasis through self‐renewal and differentiation abilities. In this review, we intend to go through the different aspects of this malignant disease, including the cancer stem cell‐phenotype, methods for isolating CSCs, signaling pathways, and molecular markers in this disease, and drugs showing resistance in treatment efforts of OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR‐29 family is one of the small noncoding RNAs and has a very important role in many physiologic and pathologic functions through regulating the target genes that play roles in various bioprocesses such as proliferation, survival, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Thus, we aim to survey the potential of the miR‐29 family in normal model and development and progression of malignancy in this study. In addition, the potential role of miR‐29 family has been studied as the clinical marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of many cancers as the potential targets to treat cancer. Moreover, it was stated in summary that the herbal compounds can regulate miR‐29 family in cancers. Therefore, regulating the expression of the miR‐29 family in a variety of cancers can be a new strategy to obtain better results from cancerous patients' treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]