Aim: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly malignant neoplasm characterized with aggressive local invasion and strong tendency of distant metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play a critical role in the pathogenesis of various malignant tumors. Our previous study aims to explore miRNAs' expression characteristics in NPC tissue, which is barely unknown. Methods: A total of 45 NPC samples (26 metastatic and 19 nonmetastatic) and 16 chronic nasopharyngitis samples were analyzed. miR-10b level was determined by in situ hybridization using digoxigenin-labeled locked nucleic acid-based probe, and latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) expression were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: We show that miR-10b is differentially expressed in NPC tissues. Furthermore, we correlate the expression level of miR-10b with Epstein-Barr virus encoding LMP-1. Overexpression of miR-10b is also found to relate with the clinical phases of NPC. Conclusion: These findings strongly suggest that miR-10b plays an important role in the NPC development.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) takes advantage of the specific binding between antigen and antibody to measure the presence and abundance of antigen while simultaneously providing morphologic context on a tissue section. Since the revolutionary application of heat-induced epitope retrieval methods on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, which started in early 1990s, IHC has been routinely used in diagnostic pathology. This approach has also enabled mining of the rich archives of pathologic specimens for exploration in translational cancer research. Newer IHC biomarkers are being continuously found as aids in differential diagnosis, prediction of outcome or response to molecular-targeted therapies. These are prime examples for translational cancer research. The last decade has witnessed some significant improvements in the use of this technology. This review provides an overview on the current status of IHC as applied in translational cancer research, commenting on the underlying principles in specimen preparation, reagent choice, staining procedure, and results evaluation so that both beginners and seasoned users could appreciate the key factors and benefit from this update.

Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) is critical for glioma initiation and progression. Emerging reports suggest that increased numbers of TSGs, which are critical to cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, DNA repair, and signaling pathways, were silenced in gliomas. Tumor-specific methylation of TSGs in glioma indicates that they could be used as epigenetic biomarkers for molecular diagnosis and therapeutics. This review summarizes the recent discoveries of epigenetically silenced TSGs in human gliomas, providing better understanding of disrupted epigenetic regulation in glioma progression.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common clinical problem caused by cancers. Pleural effusion can be the first sign of cancer in more than 25% of patients. Lung cancer and breast cancer are the most common cancers that metastasize to the pleura in men and women, respectively. Other cancers, including, but not limited to, lymphomas, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer, and several unknown primary cancers can also lead to MPE. Dyspnea and chest pain are the most common symptoms of MPE along with other symptoms such as a cough, weight loss, anorexia, fatigue, and weakness. Aggravation of these symptoms is closely related to the rate of accumulation of pleural effusion. Treatment options to MPE are determined by the type and extent of the underlying malignancy. The major goals of the treatment are to relieve symptoms, restore functions, improve the quality of life, and minimize the duration of hospital stay and costs. Although some patients can be treated with systemic therapies, most of these treatments are temporary, and MPE would recur soon. Hence, further palliative treatments to effectively control pleural effusions and relieve symptoms are necessary. This review addresses the pathophysiology of MPE and the treatment options for patients with MPE.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have gained widespread attention in recent years as a potentially new and crucial tool in biological regulation. Although they have been associated with a range of developmental processes and diseases, knowledge of the mechanisms by which they act is still surprisingly limited. To claim that almost entire mammalian genome is transcribed into functional noncoding transcripts remain controversial. Nevertheless, a small number of well executed studies on ncRNAs have given us important clues concerning the biological function of these molecules, and have successfully uncovered a few of their key functional and mechanistic themes, although the robustness of these models and classification schemes remains to be elucidated. Here, we summarize the new insights into ncRNAs field, discussing what is known about the genomic contexts, biological functions in human cancer, neural system disorders, stem cell (SC) self-renewal, and mechanisms of action of ncRNAs. Meanwhile, we have also tried to shed light on how the recent interest in ncRNAs is deeply rooted in biology's longstanding concern of the evolution and function of genomes.