Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed worldwide with high morbidity; drug resistance is often responsible for treatment failure in CRC. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play distinct regulatory roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression and chemoresistance. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed database in order to sum up and discuss the role of exosomal ncRNAs (ex-ncRNAs) in CRC drug resistance/response and their possible mechanisms. Results: Thirty-six (36) original research articles were identified; these included exosome or extracellular vesicle (EV)-containing microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and small-interfering (siRNAs). No studies were found for piwi-interacting RNAs. Conclusions: Exosomal transfer of ncRNAs has been documented as a new mechanism of CRC drug resistance. Despite being in its infancy, it has emerged as a promising field for research in order to (i) discover novel biomarkers for therapy monitoring and/or (ii) reverse drug desensitization.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, which causes 313,959 new cases and 207,252 deaths worldwide annually. The lack of specific symptoms, together with no effective screening tools, results in 75% of patients receiving their diagnosis at an advanced stage. The combination of cytoreductive surgery with platinum-based chemotherapy plays a pivotal role in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, but patients still experience poor long-term survival because of frequent relapses and chemotherapy resistance. The treatment landscape has evolved because bevacizumab and Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase inhibitors now serve as frontline and maintenance therapies for homologous recombination-deficient tumors. Treatment decisions for recurrent disease depend on platinum sensitivity assessment, which determines the appropriate therapeutic approach, while targeted agents deliver significant benefits to specific patient groups. The development of antibody-drug conjugates such as mirvetuximab soravtansine and immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines, demonstrates promising investigative potential. The precision of therapy improves through the use of emerging biomarkers and molecular profiling techniques. The future management of this disease may change because of innovative approaches that include adoptive cell therapy, cytokine therapy, and oncolytic viruses. The progress made in ovarian cancer treatment still faces challenges when it comes to drug resistance, survival improvement, and life quality preservation. The development of translational research alongside clinical trials remains essential to bridge treatment gaps while creating personalized therapies based on molecular and clinical tumor characteristics.

Colorectal cancer represents a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Despite improvements, chemotherapy remains the backbone of colorectal cancer treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate the variation of circulating microRNA expression profiles and the response to irinotecan-based treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer and to identify relevant target genes and molecular functions. Serum samples from 95 metastatic colorectal cancer patients were analyzed. The microRNA expression was tested with a NucleoSpin miRNA kit (Machnery-Nagel, Germany), and a machine learning approach was subsequently applied for microRNA profiling. The top 10 upregulated microRNAs in the non-responders group were hsa-miR-181b-5p, hsa-miR-10b-5p, hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-181a-5p, hsa-miR-181d-5p, hsa-miR-301a-3p, hsa-miR-92a-3p, hsa-miR-155-5p, hsa-miR-30c-5p, and hsa-let-7i-5p. Similarly, the top 10 downregulated microRNAs were hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-215-5p, hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-let-7a-5p, hsa-miR-10a-5p, hsa-miR-142-5p, hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-122-5p, and hsa-miR-17-5p. The upregulation of microRNAs in the miR-181 family and the downregulation of those in the let-7 family appear to be mostly involved with non-responsiveness to irinotecan-based treatment.

Introduction: During the evolution of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several drug candidates have been proposed for repositioning towards a quest for more effective treatments. Methodology: We reviewed recent literature (Pubmed, Google, Clinicaltrials.gov), as of the middle of May 2021, for evidence regarding the potential benefit from poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors and vascular endothelial growth factor blockade in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors have been suggested as potential agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by a variety of mechanisms. vascular endothelial growth factor-associated vascular permeability is implicated with increased vascular leakage and pulmonary oedema. Thus, anti-angiogenesis factors, such as bevacizumab are being investigated in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Conclusions: The synergistic potential of these two classes of inhibitors in severe COVID-19 management could be beneficial. Further research should be carried out in order to support this hypothesis.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Skin metastases from internal organs are rare; skin metastasis from GC occurs even more rarely than skin metastases originating from other organs, and is associated with systematic disease and poor prognosis. The present study described an interesting and rare case of an extensive skin rash in a 42-year-old man diagnosed with GC, which was mainly affecting his left hemithorax, abdomen and back. The rash masqueraded as erysipelas and was initially treated as such; however, it did not respond to antibiotics, corticosteroids and antihistamines. Due to its persistence and location, the rash was biopsied and GC metastasis was confirmed. Third-line chemotherapy was administered and the rash decreased in size; however, the patient suffered from disease deterioration with lung metastases and respiratory failure. The patient eventually died 4 months after the diagnosis of skin metastasis. In conclusion, cutaneous metastasis should be considered as a late and difficult to treat metastasis of GC, which requires high surveillance from medical oncologists, and a multidisciplinary approach for prompt and accurate diagnosis.

The most common histological subtypes of endometrial cancer consist of endometrioid and uterine serous carcinoma, with the latter being more aggressive and accompanied by poor prognosis. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor associated with cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. HER2 positivity can be diagnosed in many solid tumors. It has been found that approximately one-third of the patients diagnosed with serous carcinoma may overexpress HER2/neu protein and/or show the amplification of the c-erBb2 gene. The prognostic and predictive value of HER2 biomarker is nowadays highlighted and the updates of HER2-directed treatment offer new opportunities for improved efficacy and survival. A number of HER2-targeted therapies have become available in recent years and have had promising results, prompting full drug approvals and additional investigation in many cancer types, among which is endometrial cancer. Data from clinical trials combining classical chemotherapy with anti-HER2 agents, mainly trastuzumab, alone or in combination with pertuzumab, do exist and have been incorporated into international guidelines. Moreover, further research with antibody–drug conjugates and tyrosine kinase inhibitors is being conducted. Acquired resistance remains an important problem, and its underlying mechanisms in endometrial cancer are mostly unknown. Studies exploring earlier use of Her2-directed therapy are also on the way. The purpose of this literature review is to describe the available therapies in the current clinical practice and the most prominent research data regarding the future. In any case, a number of unmet medical needs do exist for HER2-positive serous endometrial cancer, and additional research and studies are warranted to provide further understanding and improved outcomes for this tumor type.