简介：Thelasttenyearshaveseenremarkableprogressincancerresearch.However,despitesignificantbreakthroughsintheunderstanding,prevention,andtreatmentofcancer,thediseasecontinuestoaffectmillionsofpeopleworldwide.Cancer’scomplexitycompoundedwithfinancial,policyandregulatoryroadblockshasslowedtherateofprogressbeingmadeagainstcancer.Inthispaper,wereviewafewofthemostrecentbreakthroughsthatarefuelingmedicaladvancesandbringingnewhopeforpatientsaffectedbythisdevastatingdisease.Wealsoaddressthechallengesfacingusandtheopportunitiestoacceleratefutureprogressagainstcancer.TheeffortsoftheAmericanAssociationforCancerResearch(AACR)toaddressthecancerburdenalreadyextendbeyondthebordersoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.TheAACRiscommittedtoincreasingitseffortstostemthetideofcancerworldwidebypromotinginnovativeprograms,strategies,andinitiativesforcancerresearchersandallthoseengagedincancer-relatedbiomedicalsciencesaroundtheworld.

简介：Irradiationfromdiversesourcesisubiquitousandcloselyassociatedwithhumanactivities.Radiationtherapy(RT),animportantcomponentofmultipleradiationorigins,isacommontherapeuticmodalityforcancer.Moreimportantly,RTprovidessignificantcontributiontooncotherapybykillingtumorcells.However,duringthecourseoftherapy,irradiationofnormaltissuescanresultinawiderangeofsideeffects,includingself-limitedacutetoxicities,mildchronicsymptoms,orsevereorgandysfunction.Althoughnumerouspromisingradioprotectiveagentshaveemerged,onlyafewhavesuccessfullyenteredthemarketbecauseofvariouslimitations.Atpresent,thewidelyacceptedhypothesisforprotectionagainstradiation-causedinjuryinvolvestheWntcanonicalpathway.ActivatingtheWnt/β-cateninsignalingpathwaymayprotectthesalivarygland,oralmucosa,andgastrointestinalepitheliumfromradiationdamage.Theunderlyingmechanismsincludeinhibitingapoptosisandpreservingnormaltissuefunctions.However,aberrantWntsignalingunderliesawiderangeofpathologiesinhumans,anditsvariouscomponentscontributetocancer.Moreover,studieshavesuggestedthatWnt/β-cateninsignalingmayleadtoradioresistanceofcancerstemcell.ThesefactsmarkedlycomplicateanydefinitionoftheexactfunctionoftheWntpathway.