COVID-19 in patients with lung cancer
The research centers around the study of 102 patients who suffered from both lung cancer and COVID-19 (Luo et al., 2020). The study sought to find the impact of cancer-directed treatments and the factors which determined severity and recovery. The study claims that COVID-19 is severe in patients who have lung cancer. Patient-specific features play the most important role in determining severity, whereas certain surgeries and systemic therapies proved to show little impact. What is more, the study proves that diminished smoking history is an important factor that shortens the recovery period. The rates provided in the study show that 62% of patients with lung cancer were hospitalized, and 25% of them died. These rates are extremely high and prove that lung cancer and the patient’s specific features are instrumental in realizing the best treatment options. More than half of all the patients examined finally managed to recover. Nevertheless, a minimum of 14 days is usually required to fully recover. The study pinpoints the vulnerability of patients with lung cancer during the pandemic and calls for increased attention to the needs of this group of patients, as they need both COVID-19 treatment and cancer care.
Autophagy-related MicroRNAs in chronic lung diseases and lung cancer
The study notes that autophagy regulation and miRNAs have been implicated in several diseases, such as CF, IPF, and COPD (Rezaei et al., 2020). The research that is described in the article centers around the role of deregulation of the autophagy process and the way it affects the lungs. Many studies have already highlighted the importance of the molecular mechanisms which initiate lung cancer. Autophagy is a vital process that initiates the degradation of protein aggregates and the recycling process of damaged long-lived proteins and organelles. The above-mentioned processes are crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. At the same time, the deregulation of the process has been implicated in several chronic diseases and disorders. One of the diseases that strongly correlate with the deregulation of autophagy is lung cancer. The authors of the study claim that chronic lung diseases often lead to the initiation and progression of lung cancer. Autophagy is generally believed to be one of the key factors that may perform this transition from a chronic disease to cancer. Data collected by the researchers shows that understanding the role miRNAs play in regulating many autophagy-related proteins can lead to a comprehensive understanding of treatment options, which include the use of miRNAs regulation processes. Moreover, the authors of the study pinpoint that tobacco smoking and many aspects of poor living conditions lead to people’s neglectful approach to their lung diseases. That is why it is of major importance to realize the exact mechanisms that initiate lung cancer and the most efficient and affordable methods of preventing such processes. One of the most straightforward and efficient ways to understand the pathogenesis of lung cancer is researching the molecular mechanisms that slowly initiate it.
The METeoric Rise of MET in Lung Cancer
The study analyzes the driver mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Friedlaender et al., 2020). Therefore, dysregulated activation of the MET tyrosine kinase receptor was thoroughly studied. MET mutations occur in approximately 3% to 5% of patients with NSCLC. That is why it is of major importance to investigate the biology of MET, as it can provide the best treatment options, which include multiple targeted therapies. MET dysregulation generally includes a set of alterations that lead to the prolonged activation of cellular MET receptors. The authors of the study suppose that it is essential to continue the research in the field of MET inhibition. Even though certain advances have been made in multiple spheres connected to MET, the best treatment option has not been found yet. The researchers hope that the rise of MET treatment (understanding all the mechanisms of action of MET TKIs and resistance pathways) will provide therapeutic options to all patients.
References
Friedlaender, A., Drilon, A., Banna, G. L., Peters, S., & Addeo, A. (2020). The METeoric rise of MET in lung cancer. Cancer, 126(22), 4826–4837. Web.
Luo, J., Rizvi, H., Preeshagul, I. R., Egger, J. V., Hoyos, D., Bandlamudi, C., McCarthy, C.G., Falcon, C. J., Schoenfeld, A. J., Arbour, K. C., Chaft, J. E., Daly, R. M., Drilon, A., Eng, J., Iqbal, A., Lai, W. V., Li, B. T., Lito, P., Namakydoust, A., … Hellmann, M. D. (2020). COVID-19 in patients with lung cancer. Annals of Oncology, 31(10), 1386–1396.Web.
Rezaei, S., Mahjoubin-Tehran, M., Aghaee-Bakhtiari, S. H., Jalili, A., Movahedpour, A., Khan, H., Moghoofei, M., Shojaei, Z., Hamblin, M. R., Mirzaei, H. (2020). Autophagy-related MicroRNAs in chronic lung diseases and lung cancer. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, (153)9, 103063. Web.