Pre-treatment soluble PD-L1 as a predictor of overall survival for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as anti-PD-L1 and anti-PD-1 agents have been proven to be effective in various cancers. However, the rate of non-responders is still high in all cancer entities. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers that could help to optimize therapeutic decision-making is of great clinical importance. Soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and PD-1 (sPD-1) are emerging blood-based biomarkers and were previously shown to be prognostic in various clinical studies. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic relevance of sPD-L1 and sPD-1 in patients with different tumor entities who underwent ICI therapy. METHODS: We searched for articles in PubMed via Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); furthermore, we analyzed on-treatment serum level changes of sPD-L1 and sPD-1 during ICI therapy. RESULTS: We synthesized the data of 1,054 patients with different cancer types from 15 articles. Pooled univariate analysis showed that elevated levels of sPD-L1 were significantly associated with inferior OS (HR = 1.67; CI:1.26-2.23, I2 = 79%, p < 0.001). The strongest association was found in non-small cell lung cancer, whereas weaker or no association was observed in melanoma as well as in renal cell and esophageal cancers. Pooled multivariate analysis also showed that elevated levels of sPD-L1 correlated with worse OS (HR = 1.62; CI: 1.00-2.62, I2 = 84%, p = 0.05) and PFS (HR = 1.71; CI:1.00-2.94, I2 = 82%, p = 0.051). Furthermore, we observed that one or three months of anti-PD-L1 treatment caused a strong (27.67-fold) elevation of sPD-L1 levels in malignant mesothelioma and urothelial cancer. CONCLUSIONS: We found significantly inferior OS in ICI-treated cancer patients with elevated pre-treatment sPD-L1 levels, but this association seems to be tumor type dependent. In addition, sPD-L1 increases during anti-PD-L1 therapy seems to be therapy specific.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Prognostic Value of Circulating MMP-7 Levels in Urothelial Carcinoma: A Combined Cohort Analysis, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis.

Lymph node (LN) status is the most significant prognostic factor for invasive urothelial bladder cancer (UBC); however, the optimal extent of LN dissection (LND) is debated. We assessed circulating matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) as a prognostic factor and decision-making marker for the extent of LND. Preoperative serum MMP-7 levels were determined in two independent UBC cohorts (n = 188; n = 68) and in one control cohort (n = 97) by using the ELISA method. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prognostic role of circulating pretreatment MMP-7 levels were performed. Serum MMP-7 levels were higher in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001) with the highest levels in LN-positive cases. Half of LN-positive UBC patients had low MMP-7 levels, whereas the survival of LN-negative patients with high serum MMP-7 findings was poor. MMP-7 levels were independently associated with poor survival in both cohorts (p = 0.006, p < 0.001). Accordingly, our systematic review of six eligible publications revealed a 2.5-fold higher mortality risk in patients with high MMP-7 levels. In conclusion, preoperative MMP-7 level is a validated and independent prognostic factor in urothelial cancer. It cannot be used to decide between regional or extended LND but may be useful in identifying LN-negative high-risk patients with potentially undetected metastases.

A quantitative polymerase chain reaction based method for molecular subtype classification of urinary bladder cancer-Stromal gene expressions show higher prognostic values than intrinsic tumor genes.

Transcriptome-based molecular subtypes of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have been shown to be both prognostic and predictive, but are not used in routine clinical practice. We aimed to develop a feasible, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)-based method for molecular subtyping. First, we defined a 68-gene set covering tumor intrinsic (luminal, basal, squamous, neuronal, epithelial-to-mesenchymal, in situ carcinoma) and stromal (immune, extracellular matrix, p53-like) signatures. Then, classifier methods with this 68-gene panel were developed in silico and validated on public data sets with available subtype class information (MD Anderson [MDA], The Cancer Genome Atlas [TCGA], Lund, Consensus). Finally, expression of the selected 68 genes was determined in 104 frozen tissue samples of our MIBC cohort by RT-qPCR using the TaqMan Array Card platform and samples were classified by our newly developed classifiers. The prognostic value of each subtype classification system and molecular signature scores were assessed. We found that the reduced marker set combined with the developed classifiers were able to reproduce the TCGA II, MDA, Lund and Consensus subtype classification systems with an overlap of 79%, 76%, 69% and 64%, respectively. Importantly, we could successfully classify 96% (100/104) of our MIBC samples by using RT-qPCR. Neuronal and luminal subtypes and low stromal gene expressions were associated with poor survival. In conclusion, we developed a robust and feasible method for the molecular subtyping according to the TCGA II, MDA, Lund and Consensus classifications. Our results suggest that stromal signatures have a superior prognostic value compared to tumor intrinsic signatures and therefore underline the importance of tumor-stroma interaction during the progression of MIBC.

[Current diagnostic and treatment strategies for urachal cancer]. / Az urachuscarcinoma aktuális diagnosztikai és kezelési lehetoségei.

Urachal carcinoma is a rare malignancy that is uniquely associated with the field of urology. Urachal carcinoma is mostly diagnosed in urological care centers due to its most frequently presenting symptom that is hematuria. Currently available diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge is solely based on case reports and single center series, while no prospective clinical studies are carried out due to the modest number of patients. These circumstances have made creating professional guidelines challenging, hence the treatment of urachal carcinoma is commonly based on individual clinical decisions. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology, diagnostic modalities, prognosis as well as local and systemic therapeutic approaches of urachal carcinoma. Furthermore, we aim to draw conclusions from this knowledge base that may guide clinical decision-making. Finally, we highlight some of the novel therapeutic strategies that hold the potential to improve urachal carcinoma patients' prognosis and quality of life. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(16): 602-609.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma in real-life clinical practice: results of a multicentric, retrospective study.

Clinical trials revealed significant antitumor activity for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). Due to their strict eligibility criteria, clinical trials include selected patient cohorts, and thus do not necessarily represent real-world population outcomes. In this multicentric, retrospective study, we investigated real-world data to assess the effectiveness of pembrolizumab and atezolizumab and to evaluate the prognostic value of routinely available clinicopathological and laboratory parameters. Clinical and follow-up data from mUC patients who received ICIs (01/2017-12/2021) were evaluated. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and duration of response (DOR) were used as endpoints. Patients' (n = 210, n = 76 atezolizumab and 134 pembrolizumab) median OS and PFS were 13.6 and 5.9 months, respectively. Impaired ECOG-PS, the presence of visceral, liver or bone metastases, and hemoglobin levels were independently associated with poor OS and DCR. Furthermore, Bellmunt risk factors and the enhanced Bellmunt-CRP score were shown to be prognostic for OS, PFS and DCR. In conclusion, ICIs are effective treatments for a broad range of mUC patients. Our results confirmed the prognostic value of numerous risk factors and showed that Bellmunt risk scores can further be improved when adding CRP to the model.

Comparative proteome and serum analysis identified FSCN1 as a marker of abiraterone resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone (Abi) is an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor that significantly improves patients' life expectancy in metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Despite its beneficial effects, many patients have baseline or acquired resistance against Abi. The aim of this study was to identify predictive serum biomarkers for Abi treatment. METHODS: We performed a comparative proteome analysis on three Abi sensitive (LNCaPabl, LAPC4, DuCaP) and resistant (LNCaPabl-Abi, LAPC4-Abi, DuCaP-Abi) PCa cell lines using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. Two bioinformatic selection workflows were applied to select the most promising candidate serum markers. Serum levels of selected proteins were assessed in samples of 100 Abi-treated patients with metastatic castration-resistant disease (mCRPC) using ELISA. Moreover, FSCN1 serum concentrations were measured in samples of 69 Docetaxel (Doc) treated mCRPC patients. RESULTS: Our proteome analysis identified 68 significantly, at least two-fold upregulated proteins in Abi resistant cells. Using two filtering workflows four proteins (AMACR, KLK2, FSCN1 and CTAG1A) were selected for ELISA analyses. We found high baseline FSCN1 serum levels to be significantly associated with poor survival in Abi-treated mCRPC patients. Moreover, the multivariable analysis revealed that higher ECOG status (>1) and high baseline FSCN1 serum levels (>10.22 ng/ml by ROC cut-off) were independently associated with worse survival in Abi-treated patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively). In contrast, no association was found between serum FSCN1 concentrations and overall survival in Doc-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis identified baseline FSCN1 serum levels to be independently associated with poor survival of Abi-treated, but not Doc-treated mCRPC patients, suggesting a therapy specific prognostic value for FSCN1.

Predictive value of molecular subtypes and APOBEC3G for adjuvant chemotherapy in urothelial bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Although targeted approaches have become available in second- and third-line settings, platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard first-line treatment for advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Therefore, the prediction of platinum resistance is of utmost clinical importance. METHODS: In this study, we established a routine compatible method for the molecular classification of MIBC samples according to various classification systems and applied this method to evaluate the impact of subtypes on survival after adjuvant chemotherapy. This retrospective study included 191 patients with advanced MIBC (pT≥3 or pN+) who underwent radical cystectomy, with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. A 48-gene panel and classifier rule set were established to determine molecular subtypes according to TCGA, MDA, LundTax, and Consensus classifications. Additionally, 12 single platinum-predictive candidate genes were assessed. The results were correlated with patients' clinicopathological and follow-up data and were validated using independent data sets. RESULTS: Our final evaluation of 159 patients demonstrated better survival in the luminal groups for those who received chemotherapy compared with those who did not. In contrast, no such differences were observed in basal subtypes. The use of chemotherapy was associated with better survival in patients with high APOBEC3G expression (p < 0.002). This association was confirmed using an independent data set of patients who received neoadjuvant platinum therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method robustly replicates the most commonly used transcriptome-based subtype classifications from paraffin-embedded tissue samples. The luminal, but not basal, molecular subtypes had the greatest benefit from adjuvant platinum therapy. We identified and validated APOBEC3G as a novel predictive marker for platinum-treated patients.

Clinical sequencing identifies potential actionable alterations in a high rate of urachal and primary bladder adenocarcinomas.

OBJECTIVE: Administration of targeted therapies provides a promising treatment strategy for urachal adenocarcinoma (UrC) or primary bladder adenocarcinoma (PBAC); however, the selection of appropriate drugs remains difficult. Here, we aimed to establish a routine compatible methodological pipeline for the identification of the most important therapeutic targets and potentially effective drugs for UrC and PBAC. METHODS: Next-generation sequencing, using a 161 cancer driver gene panel, was performed on 41 UrC and 13 PBAC samples. Clinically relevant alterations were filtered, and therapeutic interpretation was performed by in silico evaluation of drug-gene interactions. RESULTS: After data processing, 45/54 samples passed the quality control. Sequencing analysis revealed 191 pathogenic mutations in 68 genes. The most frequent gain-of-function mutations in UrC were found in KRAS (33%), and MYC (15%), while in PBAC KRAS (25%), MYC (25%), FLT3 (17%) and TERT (17%) were recurrently affected. The most frequently affected pathways were the cell cycle regulation, and the DNA damage control pathway. Actionable mutations with at least one available approved drug were identified in 31/33 (94%) UrC and 8/12 (67%) PBAC patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we developed a data-processing pipeline for the detection and therapeutic interpretation of genetic alterations in two rare cancers. Our analyses revealed actionable mutations in a high rate of cases, suggesting that this approach is a potentially feasible strategy for both UrC and PBAC treatments.

High Pretreatment Serum PD-L1 Levels Are Associated with Muscle Invasion and Shorter Survival in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint molecule and a widely used therapeutic target in urothelial cancer. Its circulating, soluble levels (sPD-L1) were recently suggested to be associated with the presence and prognosis of various malignancies but have not yet been investigated in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). In this study, we assessed sPD-L1 levels in 97 prospectively collected serum samples from 61 UTUC patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), chemotherapy (CTX), or immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. In addition to pretreatment samples, postoperative and on-treatment sPD-L1 levels were determined in some patients by using ELISA. In the RNU group, elevated preoperative sPD-L1 was associated with a higher tumor grade (p = 0.019), stage (p < 0.001) and the presence of metastasis (p = 0.002). High sPD-L1 levels were significantly associated with worse survival in both the RNU and CTX cohorts. sPD-L1 levels were significantly elevated in postoperative samples (p = 0.011), while they remained unchanged during CTX. Interestingly, ICI treatment caused a strong, 25-fold increase in sPD-L1 (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that elevated preoperative sPD-L1 level is a predictor of higher pathological tumor stage and worse survival in UTUC, which therefore may help to optimize therapeutic decision-making. The observed characteristic sPD-L1 flare during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy may have clinical significance.

Elevated Pre-Treatment Serum MMP-7 Levels Are Associated with the Presence of Metastasis and Poor Survival in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare cancer with a barely predictable clinical behaviour. Serum MMP-7 is a validated prognostic marker in urothelial bladder cancer, a tumour entity with large clinical, histological, and molecular similarity to UTUC. The serum MMP-7 levels have not yet been investigated in UTUC. In the present study, we determined MMP-7 concentrations in an overall number of 103 serum samples from 57 UTUC patients who underwent surgical or systemic (platinum or immune checkpoint inhibitor) therapy by using the ELISA method. In addition to pre-treatment samples, the serum samples collected at predefined time points after or during therapy were also investigated. Serum MMP-7 concentrations were correlated with clinicopathological and follow-up data. Our results revealed significantly, two-fold elevated pre-treatment serum MMP-7 levels in metastatic cases of UTUC in both the radical surgery- and the chemotherapy-treated cohorts (p = 0.045 and p = 0.040, respectively). In addition, high serum MMP-7 levels significantly decreased after radical surgery, and high pre-treatment MMP-7 concentrations were associated with shorter survival both in the surgery- and chemotherapy-treated cohorts (p = 0.029 and p = 0.001, respectively). Our results revealed pre-treatment serum MMP-7 as a prognostic marker for UTUC, which may help to improve preoperative risk-stratification and thereby improve therapeutic decision-making.

Oncological relevance of gut and urine microbiomes / A béltartalom és a vizelet mikrobiom-összetételének onkológiai vonatkozásai.

Összefoglaló. Az immunrendszer nem megfelelo muködése meghatározó szerepet játszik a daganatok kialakulásában, progressziójában és az egyes terápiák hatékonyságában is. A bélrendszer baktériumai a szervezet immunitásán keresztül képesek befolyásolni a szervezet gyógyszeres terápiákra adott válaszreakcióját, kiváltképpen az immunellenorzopont-gátló kezelések hatását. Az újgenerációs nukleinsav-szekvenálási technológiák felhasználásával részletes képet kaphatunk a szervezetben jelen lévo baktériumok minoségi és mennyiségi viszonyairól. A közelmúltban összefüggést igazoltak a vastagbéldaganat, a melanoma, a vesesejtes carcinoma és a nem kissejtes tüdorák esetén alkalmazott immunellenorzopont-gátló terápiák hatékonysága és a bél mikrobiom-összetétele között. Számos olyan baktériumot azonosítottak, melynek jelenlétébol, illetve mennyiségébol következtethetünk az egyes kezelésekkel szembeni egyéni érzékenységre. Ezzel összhangban, az antibiotikumkezelés által okozott dysbiosis növelte az immunellenorzopont-gátló terápia sikertelenségének kockázatát. Ezen eredmények tükrében a jövoben a mikrobiom-összetétel meghatározása is fontos tényezo lehet az immunterápiák hatékonyságának elorejelzésében, illetve egyre inkább bizonyított, hogy a széles spektrumú antibiotikumkezelés a legtöbbször csökkenti a daganatellenes immunterápiák hatékonyságát. Jelenleg folyó klinikai vizsgálatok pedig a mikrobiom-összetétel mesterséges úton történo megváltoztatásának terápiás lehetoségeit tanulmányozzák. Bebizonyosodott, hogy a korábbi állásponttal szemben a vizelet nem steril. DNS-szekvenálás alkalmazásával számos olyan, a vizeletben eloforduló baktériumot sikerült azonosítani, melynek jelenléte hozzájárulhat a húgyhólyagrák kialakulásához és progressziójához, illetve a húgyhólyagban lokálisan alkalmazott BCG-terápia hatékonyságához. Jelen munkában a közelmúlt publikációit feldolgozva összefoglaljuk, mely baktériumok jelenléte hozható összefüggésbe a különbözo daganatok kialakulásával, progressziójával és terápiarezisztenciájával. Orv Hetil. 2020; 162(15): 579-586. Summary. Dysfunction of the immune system plays a crucial role in the development and progression of cancer as well as the effectiveness of antitumor therapies. Gut microbiota, due to their impact on the immune system, are able to influence response to anticancer drug therapies. Next-generation DNA-sequencing technologies enabled a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative exploration of the gut microbiome. An increasing body of evidence indicates the association between the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies and gut microbiome composition in colorectal cancer, malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. Recently, several bacterial strains and species were shown to be associated with treatment efficacies. In accordance, dysbiosis caused by antibiotic treatment was found to increase the risk of failure to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. In the light of these results, examination of microbiome composition may become an important factor for the prediction of immunotherapies. Currently ongoing clinical trials are investigating the potential of therapeutic alteration of microbiome composition. Contrary to the previous view, urine has been shown not to be sterile. By using sensitive DNA-sequencing technologies, several urinary bacteria could be identified which may contribute to the development and progression of bladder cancer and may influence the efficacy of intravesical BCG therapy. In the present work, we summarize recent studies that identified the presence of certain bacteria associated with the development, progression, and therapy resistance of various cancers. Orv Hetil. 2020; 162(15): 579-586.

Large Stokes-shift bioorthogonal probes for STED, 2P-STED and multi-color STED nanoscopy.

Synthesis and multiple STED imaging applications of four, red-emitting (610-670 nm), tetrazine-functionalized fluorescent probes (CBRD = Chemical Biology Research group Dye 1-4) with large Stokes-shift is presented. Present studies revealed the super-resolution microscopy applicability of the probes as demonstrated through bioorthogonal labeling scheme of cytoskeletal proteins actin and keratin-19, and mitochondrial protein TOMM20. Furthermore, super-resolved images of insulin receptors in live-cell bioorthogonal labeling schemes through a genetically encoded cyclooctynylated non-canonical amino acid are also presented. The large Stokes-shifts and the wide spectral bands of the probes enabled the use of two common depletion lasers (660 nm and 775 nm). The probes were also found suitable for super-resolution microscopy in combination with two-photon excitation (2P-STED) resulting in improved spatial resolution. One of the dyes was also used together with two commercial dyes in the three-color STED imaging of intracellular structures.

High Serum PD-L1 Levels Are Associated with Poor Survival in Urothelial Cancer Patients Treated with Chemotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Serum PD-L1 (sPD-L1) levels are associated with prognosis in various tumors but has not yet been investigated in advanced bladder cancer. We assessed pretreatment serum samples from 83 BC patients who received platinum chemotherapy and from 12 patients who underwent immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. In addition, on-treatment samples from further therapy cycles were collected during chemotherapy (n = 58) and ICI therapy (n = 11). Serum PD-L1 levels were determined using ELISA. High baseline sPD-L1 levels were associated with worse ECOG status (p = 0.007) and shorter overall survival for both chemotherapy- and ICI-treated patients (p = 0.002 and p = 0.040, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed high baseline sPD-L1 level as an independent predictor of poor survival for platinum-treated patients (p = 0.002). A correlation analysis between serum concentrations of PD-L1 and matrix metalloprotease-7 (MMP-7)-a protease which was recently found to cleave PD-L1-revealed a positive correlation (p = 0.001). No significant sPD-L1 changes were detected during chemotherapy, while in contrast we found a strong, 25-fold increase in sPD-L1 levels during atezolizumab treatment. In conclusion, our work demonstrates that pretreatment sPD-L1 levels are associated with a poor prognosis of BC patients undergoing platinum and ICI therapy. Future research should prospectively address the value of sPD-L1 in predicting treatment response.

Molecular underpinnings of systemic treatment resistance in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer / [Az áttétes kasztrációrezisztens prosztatarák gyógyszer-rezisztenciájának molekuláris vonatkozásai]

In the last few years, several new drugs with various mechanisms of action have been approved for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Due to this development, therapeutic decision-making has become increasingly complex. Therefore, therapy selection as well as timing and sequence of treatments need to be optimized in an individual manner. In addition, also for these novel therapies, baseline and acquired as well as cross-resistance have been observed. Underlying mechanisms become increasingly clear, resulting in a shift from empiric-based towards rational-based therapeutic decision-making. In the present review, we provide an overview on the resistance mechanisms against the most frequently applied systemic treatments of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer such as docetaxel, abiraterone and enzalutamide. We summarize - among others - the mechanisms by MDR (multidrug-resistant) protein expression, alterations of androgen receptor, Wnt, p53 and DNA-repair pathways (BRCA/ATM) as well as resistance through therapy-induced neuroendocrine differentiation of the tumour. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(20): 813-820.

MMP-7 Serum and Tissue Levels Are Associated with Poor Survival in Platinum-Treated Bladder Cancer Patients.

Chemotherapy resistance is a main cause of therapeutic failure and death in bladder cancer. With the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors, prediction of platinum treatment became of great clinical importance. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) was shown to be involved in cisplatin resistance. Therefore, tissue and circulating MMP-7 levels were evaluated in 124 bladder cancer patients who received postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy. Tissue MMP-7 levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 72 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded chemo-naïve tumor samples, while MMP-7 serum concentrations were determined in 132 serum samples of an independent cohort of 52 patients. MMP-7 tissue and serum levels were correlated with clinicopathological and follow-up data. MMP-7 gene expression was determined by RT-qPCR in 20 urothelial cancer cell lines and two non-malignant urothelial cell lines. MMP-7 was overexpressed in RT-112 and T-24 cells by stable transfection, to assess its functional involvement in platinum sensitivity. High MMP-7 tissue expression and pretreatment serum concentrations were independently associated with poor overall survival (tissue HR = 2.296, 95%CI = 1.235-4.268 and p = 0.009; serum HR = 2.743, 95%CI = 1.258-5.984 and p = 0.011). Therefore, MMP-7 tissue and serum analysis may help to optimize therapeutic decisions. Stable overexpression in RT-112 and T-24 cells did not affect platinum sensitivity.