Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
The Footprint of Kynurenine Pathway in Every Cancer: A New Target for Chemotherapy Publisher Pubmed



Ala M1
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

Source: European Journal of Pharmacology Published:2021


Abstract

Treatment of cancers has always been a challenge for physicians. Typically, several groups of anti-cancer medications are needed for effective management of an invasive and metastatic cancer. Recently, therapeutic potentiation of immune system markedly improved treatment of cancers. Kynurenine pathway has an interwoven correlation with immune system. Kynurenine promotes T Reg (regulatory) differentiation, which leads to increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and suppression of cytotoxic activity of T cells. Overactivation of kynurenine pathway in cancers provides an immunologically susceptible microenvironment for mutant cells to survive and invade surrounding tissues. Interestingly, kynurenine pathway vigorously interacts with other molecular pathways involved in tumorigenesis. For instance, kynurenine pathway interacts with phospoinosisitide-3 kinase (PI3K), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Wnt/β-catenin, P53, bridging integrator 1 (BIN-1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and collagen type XII α1 chain (COL12A1). Overactivation of kynurenine pathway, particularly overactivation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) predicts poor prognosis of several cancers such as gastrointestinal cancers, gynecological cancers, hematologic malignancies, breast cancer, lung cancer, glioma, melanoma, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, kynurenine increases the invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Recently, IDO inhibitors entered clinical trials and successfully passed their safety tests and showed promising therapeutic efficacy for cancers such as melanoma, brain cancer, renal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. However, a phase III trial of epacadostat, an IDO inhibitor, could not increase the efficacy of treatment with pembrolizumab for melanoma. In this review the expanding knowledge towards kynurenine pathway and its application in each cancer is discussed separately. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Related Docs
View other Related Docs
1. Tryptophan Metabolites Modulate Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer by Affecting Immune System, International Reviews of Immunology (2022)
2. The Interplay Between Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, H. Pylori, Tryptophan, and Arginine in the Pathogenesis of Gastric Cancer, International Reviews of Immunology (2022)
3. The Footprint of Kynurenine Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases, International Journal of Tryptophan Research (2022)
4. Recent Advances in Glioma Cancer Treatment: Conventional and Epigenetic Realms, Vaccines (2022)
5. Tumor Immunology, Clinical Immunology (2022)
6. Kynurenine Pathway and Its Role in Neurologic, Psychiatric, and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Molecular Biology Reports (2023)
7. Recent Progress in the Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Non-Coding Rna-Based Immunotherapy May Improve the Outcome, Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy (2023)
8. Clinical Potential of Pd-1/Pd-L1 Blockade Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma (Rcc): A Rapidly Evolving Strategy, Cancer Cell International (2022)
Experts (# of related papers)
View all Related Experts
Nima Rezaei (7)
Maryam Barkhordar (1)
Other Related Docs
9. Tumor Immunotherapies by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (Icis); the Pros and Cons, Cell Communication and Signaling (2022)
10. Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Cancer, Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: An Evidence-Based Review on Current Status and Future Perspectives (2019)
11. The Molecular Mechanism of Actions and Clinical Utilities of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Comprehensive Review and Future Prospects Toward Personalized Medicine, Frontiers in Immunology (2023)
12. Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Cancer, Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: An Evidence-Based Review on Current Status and Future Perspectives (2018)
13. Macrophage’S Role in Solid Tumors: Two Edges of a Sword, Cancer Cell International (2023)
14. Smart Bio-Encapsulation for Immunotherapy, Smart Nanomaterials for Bioencapsulation (2022)
15. Nano-Immunotherapy: Overcoming Delivery Challenge of Immune Checkpoint Therapy, Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2023)
16. The Roles of Tumor-Derived Exosomes in Altered Differentiation, Maturation and Function of Dendritic Cells, Molecular Cancer (2021)
17. The Roles of the Kynurenine Pathway in Covid-19 Neuropathogenesis, Infection (2024)
18. Controversial Role of Γδ T Cells in Pancreatic Cancer, International Immunopharmacology (2022)
19. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (Ici) Therapy in Central Nervous System Cancers: State-Of-The-Art and Future Outlook, International Immunopharmacology (2025)
20. Advances in Natural Killer Cell Therapies for Breast Cancer, Immunology and Cell Biology (2023)
21. The Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Lung Cancer and Targeted Immunotherapies, Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy (2022)
22. Targeting the Pd-1/Pd-L1 Pathway in Glioblastoma Multiforme: Preclinical Evidence and Clinical Interventions, International Immunopharmacology (2021)
23. Immunoediting in Sars-Cov-2: Mutual Relationship Between the Virus and the Host, International Immunopharmacology (2022)
24. The Pro-Tumorigenic Responses in Metastatic Niches: An Immunological Perspective, Clinical and Translational Oncology (2023)