Chapters authored
Role of the IL-6/Jak/Stat Pathway in Tumor Angiogenesis: Influence of Estrogen Status
Solid tumors, despite being hypervascularized, are hypoxic. This is due to the imbalance that exists between the inputs of the blood vessels that supply nutrients and O2 and that remove metabolic waste products, on one side; and the demands of the tumor cells that are part of the neoplasm that is forming, on the other. From this perspective, we briefly review the sequence of morphological events that occur during neo-angiogenesis; what chemical mediators are involved in this process; and we emphasize how the IL-6/Jak/Stat signaling pathway is involved in the control of these mediators. At the same time, we review how estrogens intervene in this control procedure, and how it opens the door to understanding the mechanism of action of these mediators. This would make it possible to propose alternative treatments, which can be added to the conventional ones, and which would exploit the findings described here in the search for new antitumor therapies.
Part of the book: Tumor Angiogenesis and Modulators
Statins: Are Lipid-lowering Drugs Useful in Sarcomas?
Sarcomas are rare tumors that are difficult to treat. Many of them are chemo-resistant and with a high tendency to recur. Hence, finding new treatments is imperative in these tumors. Metabolic changes in tumor biology have become an essential characteristic in carcinogenesis processes, highlighting among them the role of lipids in these events, mainly cholesterol biosynthesis. Statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoAR), a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway responsible for cholesterol synthesis, have an effect beyond the reduction in plasma cholesterol levels. These are the so-called pleiotropic effects of statins, responsible for some of the antitumor action of statins. Although there are considerable epidemiological and preclinical evidences that support the use of these medicaments in the treatment of sarcomas as adjuvant reprofiled drugs, clinical trials are disparate and heterogeneous, and do not provide enough information to help determine the convenience of their use, being necessary more studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of statins in sarcomas. The purpose of this review is to update the role played by the reprofiled statins in the treatment of sarcomas.
Part of the book: Bone Tumours