Abstract. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding, endogenous, single-stranded RNAs.

Curcumin has been shown to have a wide variety of therapeutic effects, ranging from anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, anti-proliferative, and anti-metastatic. This review provides an overview of the recent research conducted to overcome the problems with the bioavailability of curcumin, and of the preclinical and clinical studies that have reported success in combinatorial strategies coupling curcumin with other treatments. Research on the signaling pathways that curcumin treatment targets shows that it potently acts on major intracellular components involved in key processes such as genomic modulations, cell invasion and cell death pathways. Curcumin is a promising molecule for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Common cancer theories hold that tumor is an uncontrolled somatic cell proliferation caused by the progressive addition of random mutations in critical genes that control cell growth. Nevertheless, various contradictions related to the mutation theory have been reported previously. These events may be elucidated by the persistence of residual tumor cells, called Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) responsible for tumorigenesis, tumor maintenance, tumor spread, and tumor relapse. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of CSCs, with a focus on the possibility to identify specific markers of CSCs, and discuss the clinical application of targeting CSCs for cancer treatment.

The role of angiogenesis for the progressive growth and metastatic process of tumours is well established. What is not clear, though, is the clinical prognostic signi®cance of the angiogenic factors in malignant haematological diseases. In this study, we have assessed the plasma and serum levels of two major angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic ®broblast growth factor (b-FGF) in 55 patients affected by chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMD). This series included 25 patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), 10 patients with chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML), 14 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), and 6 patients with primary myelo®brosis (MF), and they were compared to 20 healthy control subjects. In all patients the plasma VEGF concentration was signi®cantly increased to the healthy control group (P < 0.004). The highest concentrations were found in the patients with ET (178.25 125.22 pg/ml). The VEGF levels were signi®cantly higher in CMD patients with vascular complications than those in CMD patients without complications (P < 0.01). The b-FGF serum levels also appeared to be signi®cantly higher in almost all the CMD patients compared to the control group (P < 0.07). A signi®cant correlation was found between the VEGF levels and the platelet count in the ET patients and the spleen index in the CML patients. VEGF level, in this study, is associated with increased risk of thrombotic complications. There is evidence of increased levels of soluble angiogenic factors in malignant haematological disorders, but their contribution to the progression of diseases is yet unclear. Am.

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