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State-of-the-Art Molecular Oncology in Korea

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 3951

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in molecular aspects of all types of human cancers in Korea by inviting contributions from Korean research institutes/laboratories that consolidate our understanding of this area. We encourage submission of high-quality manuscripts that provide novel mechanistic insights and details of the molecular signatures of oncogenic transformation. We also encourage submission of high-quality manuscripts that focus on translating basic molecular knowledge to new clinical applications in oncology. The scope of this section includes, but is not limited to:

  • Biological processes, such as gene activity in relation with specific molecular pathways, in the development and progression of cancers
  • Mechanisms of metastasis (vascular and lymphatic dissemination and seeding)
  • Molecular interactions in the tumor microenvironment, including tumor-immune interactions
  • Genomic profiling of human cancers and any other ‘systems biology’ approaches in understanding development of human cancers
  • Preclinical research that leads to novel therapies derived from molecular processes and cellular interactions, including gene therapy, therapy based on biologicals, hormonal therapy, and cancer vaccines, and other types of immunotherapies
  • Studies of alternative therapies treating cancer including traditional medicine, natural products, etc.

Prof. Dr. Bonglee Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer
  • Korea
  • tumor microenvironment
  • metastasis
  • angiogenesis
  • apoptosis
  • autophagy
  • traditional medicine
  • natural products

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2836 KiB  
Article
Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Is Associated with the Composition of Lactobacillus: Microbiome Analysis of Prostatic Tissue
by Jae Heon Kim, Hoonhee Seo, Sukyung Kim, Asad Ul-Haq, Md Abdur Rahim, Sujin Jo, Ho-Yeon Song and Yun Seob Song
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10423; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241310423 - 21 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1858
Abstract
Many human pathologies, such as malignancy, are linked with specific bacteria and changes in the constituents of the microbiome. In order to examine the association between an imbalance of bacteria and prostate carcinoma, a comparison of the microbiomes present in patients with biochemical [...] Read more.
Many human pathologies, such as malignancy, are linked with specific bacteria and changes in the constituents of the microbiome. In order to examine the association between an imbalance of bacteria and prostate carcinoma, a comparison of the microbiomes present in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) or NO BCR (NBCR) was performed. Additionally, 16S rRNA-based next-generation sequencing was applied to identify the bacterial profiles within these tumors in terms of the bacteria and operational genes present. The percentage average taxonomic composition between the taxa indicated no difference between BCR and NBCR. In addition, alpha and beta diversity indices presented no distinction between the cohorts in any statistical method. However, taxonomic biomarker discovery indicated a relatively higher population of Lactobacillus in the NBCR group, and this finding was supported by PCR data. Along with that, differences in the operational activity of the bacterial genes were also determined. It is proposed that the biochemical recurrence was linked to the quantity of Lactobacillus present. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiome involved in prostate carcinoma and the potential association between them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Oncology in Korea)
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18 pages, 2791 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Therapeutic Effect of Optimized Melittin-dKLA, a Peptide Agent Targeting M2-like Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
by Soyoung Kim, Ilseob Choi, Ik-Hwan Han and Hyunsu Bae
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15751; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms232415751 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1538
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a high possibility of metastasis. M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the main components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play a key role in TNBC metastasis. Therefore, TAMs may be a potential target for reducing TNBC [...] Read more.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a high possibility of metastasis. M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the main components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play a key role in TNBC metastasis. Therefore, TAMs may be a potential target for reducing TNBC metastasis. Melittin-dKLA, a peptide composed of fused melittin and pro-apoptotic peptide d(KLAKLAK)2 (dKLA), showed a potent therapeutic effect against cancers by depleting TAMs. However, melittin has a strong adverse hemolytic effect. Hence, we attempted to improve the therapeutic potential of melittin-dKLA by reducing toxicity and increasing stability. Nine truncated melittin fragments were synthesized and examined. Of the nine peptides, the melittin-dKLA8-26 showed the best binding properties to M2 macrophages and discriminated M0/M1/M2. All fragments, except melittin, lost their hemolytic effects. To increase the stability of the peptide, melittin-dKLA8-26 fragment was conjugated with PEGylation at the amino terminus and was named PEG-melittin-dKLA8-26. This final drug candidate was assessed in vivo in a murine TNBC model and showed superior effects on tumor growth, survival rates, and lung metastasis compared with the previously used melittin-dKLA. Taken together, our study showed that the novel PEG-melittin-dKLA8-26 possesses potential as a new drug for treating TNBC and TNBC-mediated metastasis by targeting TAMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Oncology in Korea)
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