RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Tumorigenesis: Megaphone MYC | PDF (171 KB)
p733 | doi:10.1038/nrc3384
Is the transcription factor MYC an amplifier of gene transcription?
DNA damage: The enemy within | PDF (341 KB)
p734 | doi:10.1038/nrc3381
Reactive aldehydes generated by metabolism may contribute to the pathogenesis of Fanconi anaemia.
Tumorigenesis: Influencing those around you | PDF (414 KB)
p734 | doi:10.1038/nrc3385
Mitochondrial defects in cells expressing oncogenic RASV12 can induce surrounding cells to proliferate owing to effects on the Hippo pathway.
IN THE NEWS
Fatal attraction | PDF (74 KB)
p735 | doi:10.1038/nrc3389
New research suggests that magnetic nanoparticles could be used to induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
Angiogenesis: A deeper understanding of VEGFR inhibitors | PDF (322 KB)
p735 | doi:10.1038/nrc3390
An analysis of the structual binding and potency of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors indicates that the inclusion of interactions with the juxtamemebrane domain better reflects the efficacy of these drugs in renal cell carcinoma.
Metabolism: TAp63 tips the energy balance? | PDF (183 KB)
p736 | doi:10.1038/nrc3386
A new study characterizes metabolic roles for the tumour suppressing TAp63 isoforms of p63.
RNA splicing: Layered regulation | PDF (120 KB)
p736 | doi:10.1038/nrc3388
A pathway in which alternative splicing of histone variant isoforms regulates transcription of redox metabolism genes has been shown to have a role in tumour cell invasion and might be relevant in human breast cancer.
TRIAL WATCH
Predicting prognosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer | PDF (77 KB)
p736 | doi:10.1038/nrc3391
Two prospective studies reported in The Lancet Oncology have shown that mRNA expression signatures from whole blood can be used to stratify patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer into high- and low-risk groups.
Epigenetics: Melanoma insights written in the DNA | PDF (254 KB)
p738 | doi:10.1038/nrc3382
A new study shows that disruptions to a DNA modification in melanoma may hold diagnostic and therapeutic promise.
Immunotherapy: Adapt and survive | PDF (404 KB)
p738 | doi:10.1038/nrc3387
A new mouse model of adoptive cell transfer for the treatment of melanoma indicates that dedifferentiation of melanoma cells, driven by an inflammatory response, might have a role in resistance.
Tumorigenesis: Pushing pancreatic cancer to take off | PDF (404 KB)
p739 | doi:10.1038/nrc3383
Two papers published in Cancer Cell have examined the role of epidermal growth factor receptor signalling in KRAS-driven pancreatic tumorigenesis.
IN BRIEF
Microenvironment: The effects of endotrophin in tumour progression | PDF (90 KB)
p737 | doi:10.1038/nrc3392
Nanotechnology: Tissue penetration of photodynamic therapy | PDF (90KB)
p737 | doi:10.1038/nrc3393
Therapeutics: Drug synergies for imatinib-resistant CML | PDF (90 KB)
p737 | doi:10.1038/nrc3394
Immunotherapy: A skin test to predict melanoma vaccine efficacy | PDF (90 KB)
p737 | doi:10.1038/nrc3395
REVIEWS
The NAD metabolome — a key determinant of cancer cell biology
Alberto Chiarugi, Christian Dölle, Roberta Felici & Mathias Ziegler
p741 | doi:10.1038/nrc3340
NAD is a vital molecule in all organisms and is a key component of both energy and signal transduction — processes that undergo crucial changes in cancer cells. NAD+-dependent signalling reactions involve the degradation of the molecule, so permanent nucleotide resynthesis through different biosynthetic pathways is crucial for incessant cancer cell proliferation. Is targeting of NAD metabolism a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment?
- Abstract
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Extracellular assembly and activation principles of oncogenic class III receptor tyrosine kinases
Kenneth Verstraete & Savvas N. Savvides
p753 | doi:10.1038/nrc3371
Intracellular signalling cascades initiated by class III receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK-IIIs) and their cytokine ligands are implicated in a wide range of inflammatory disorders and cancers. This Review discusses recent crystal structure data of RTK-III ectodomains in complex with cognate cytokines and the insights that these provide in terms of RTK-III activation, evolution, pathology and new therapeutic approaches.
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PERSPECTIVES
OPINION
Cancer stem cell definitions and terminology: the devil is in the details
Peter Valent, Dominique Bonnet, Ruggero De Maria, Tsvee Lapidot, Mhairi Copland, Junia V. Melo, Christine Chomienne, Fumihiko Ishikawa, Jan Jacob Schuringa, Giorgio Stassi, Brian Huntly, Harald Herrmann, Jean Soulier, Alexander Roesch, Gerrit Jan Schuurhuis, Stefan Wöhrer, Michel Arock, Johannes Zuber, Sabine Cerny-Reiterer, Hans E. Johnsen, Michael Andreeff & Connie Eaves
p767 | doi:10.1038/nrc3368
This article outlines some of the issues surrounding the terminology used for cancer stem cells (CSCs) and how CSCs are defined, with an aim to develop a consensus. More precise reporting of parameters used to identify CSCs is also recommended to enhance our understanding of CSC biology and to ultimately eradicate these cells in patients.
- Abstract
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OPINION
Challenges and opportunities in childhood cancer drug development
Robin E. Norris & Peter C. Adamson
p776 | doi:10.1038/nrc3370
Despite recent advances, the acute and long-term morbidity of current curative therapies can be substantial, and several childhood cancers still have unacceptably low cure rates. Does the development of molecularly targeted anticancer drugs offer the prospect of more effective therapy for childhood cancers?
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OPINION
Phospholipase signalling networks in cancer
Jong Bae Park, Chang Sup Lee, Jin-Hyeok Jang, Jaewang Ghim, Youn-Jae Kim, Sungyoung You, Daehee Hwang, Pann-Ghill Suh & Sung Ho Ryu
p782 | doi:10.1038/nrc3379
Although the roles of individual phospholipases and their lipid mediators in cancer have been studied extensively, it is less clear how these enzymes interact with each other and other cellular pathways to affect cancer-associated processes. This Opinion article argues that a thorough understanding of phospholipase signalling networks is necessary to determine whether these enzymes can be targeted therapeutically.
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- Supplementary information