Induction, growth, drug resistance, and metastasis: A comprehensive summary of the relationship between STAT3 and gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is a prevalent and highly lethal malignancy that poses substantial challenges to healthcare systems globally. Owing to its often asymptomatic nature in early stages, diagnosis frequently occurs at advanced stages when surgical intervention is no longer a viable option, forcing most patients to rely on nonsurgical treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and emerging immunotherapies. Unfortunately, the therapeutic response rates for these treatments are suboptimal, and even among responders, the eventual development of drug resistance remains a significant clinical hurdle. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a widely expressed cellular protein that plays crucial roles in regulating cellular processes such as growth, metabolism, and immune function. Aberrant activation of the STAT3 pathway has been implicated in the initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance of several cancers, with gastric cancer being particularly affected. Dysregulated STAT3 signaling not only drives tumorigenesis but also facilitates the development of resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies, as well as promotes metastatic dissemination. In this study, we explored the critical role of the STAT3 signaling cascade in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, its contribution to drug resistance, and its involvement in the metastatic process. Furthermore, we assess recent advances in the development of STAT3 inhibitors and their potential application as therapeutic agents in the treatment of gastric cancer. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of STAT3 in gastric cancer and offers a foundation for future research aimed at improving therapeutic outcomes in this challenging disease.

Construction of a TAN-associated risk score model with integrated multi-omics data analysis and clinical validation in gastric cancer.

AIMS: An increasing number of studies have highlighted the biological significance of neutrophil activation and polarization in tumor progression. However, the characterization of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) is inadequately investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients' expression profiles were obtained from TCGA, GEO, and IMvigor210 databases. Six algorithms were used to assess immune cell infiltration. RNA sequencing was conducted to evaluate the differentially expressed genes between induced N1- and N2-like neutrophils. A TAN-associated risk score (TRS) model was established using a combination of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and RNA-seq data and further assessed in pan-cancer. A clinical cohort of 117 GC patients was enrolled to assess the role of TANs in GC via immunohistochemistry (IHC). KEY FINDINGS: A TRS signature was built with 10 TAN-related genes (TRGs) and most TRGs were highly abundant in the TANs of the GC microenvironment. The TRS model could accurately predict patients' prognosis, as well as their responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The TRS was positively correlated with pro-tumor immune cells and exhibited negative relationship with anti-tumor immune cells. Additional functional analyses revealed that the signature was positively related to pro-tumor and immunosuppression pathways, such as the hypoxia pathway, across pan-cancer. Furthermore, our clinical cohort demonstrated TANs as an independent prognostic factor for GC patients. SIGNIFICANCE: This study constructed and confirmed the value of a novel TRS model for prognostic prediction of GC and pan-cancer. Further evaluation of TRS and TANs will help strengthen the understanding of the tumor microenvironment and guide more effective therapeutic strategies.

Integrative analysis confirms TPX2 as a novel biomarker for clinical implication, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy response across human solid tumors.

Targeting Protein for Xenopus Kinesin Like Protein 2 (TPX2) serves as a microtubule associated protein for the regulation of spindle assembly and tumorigenesis. We aim to investigate the prognostic and immunological role of TPX2 in pan-cancer. TCGA database, Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH), and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) were retrieved to evaluate the expression pattern of TPX2 as well as its diagnostic and prognostic value in solid tumors. Genomic alterations of TPX2 were assessed with cBioPortal database. In vitro experiments in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were performed to confirm the potential role of TPX2. Overexpression of TPX2 was found in 22 types of cancers, and was positively related with copy number variations (CNV) and negative with methylation. Up-regulated TPX2 could predict worse outcomes in the majority of cancers. Single-cell analysis revealed that TPX2 was mainly distributed in malignant cells (especially in glioma) and proliferating T cells. Genomic alteration of TPX2 was common in different types of tumors, while with prognostic value in two types of cancers. Additionally, significant correlations were found between TPX2 expression and tumor microenvironment (including stromal cells and immune cells) as well as immune related genes across cancer types. Drug sensitivity analysis revealed that TPX2 could predict response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Functional analyses demonstrated close relationship of TPX2 with immune function and malignant phenotypes. Finally, it was confirmed that knockdown of TPX2 could reduce proliferation and migration ability of LUAD cells. In summary, TPX2 could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a potential immunotherapy marker.

Comprehensive analysis of miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs associated with colorectal cancer and the role in tumor immunity.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA (miRNA) which can act as post-transcriptional regulators of mRNAs via base-pairing with complementary sequences within mRNAs is involved in processes of the complex interaction between immune system and tumors. In this research, we elucidated the profiles of miRNAs and target mRNAs expression and their associations with the phenotypic hallmarks of colorectal cancers (CRC) by integrating transcriptomic, immunophenotype, methylation, mutation and survival data. RESULTS: We conducted the analysis of differential miRNA/mRNA expression profile by GEO, TCGA and GTEx databases and the correlation between miRNA and targeted mRNA by miRTarBase and TarBase. Then we detected using qRT-PCR and validated the diagnostic value of miRNA-mRNA regulator pairs by the ROC, calibration curve and DCA. Phenotypic hallmarks of regulatory pairs including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, global methylation and gene mutation were also described. The expression levels of miRNAs and target mRNAs were detected in 80 paired colon tissue samples. Ultimately, we picked up two pivotal regulatory pairs (miR-139-5p/ STC1 and miR-20a-5p/ FGL2) and verified the diagnostic value of the complex model which is the combination of 4 signatures above-mentioned in 3 testing GEO datasets and an external validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: We found that 2 miRNAs by targeting 2 metastasis-related mRNAs were correlated with tumor-infiltrating macrophages, HRAS, and BRAF gene mutation status. Our results established the diagnostic model containing 2 miRNAs and their respective targeted mRNAs to distinguish CRCs and normal controls and displayed their complex roles in CRC pathogenesis especially tumor immunity.

Integrative analysis of negatively regulated miRNA-mRNA axes for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs regulating mRNA expression by targeting at mRNAs is known constructive in tumor occurrence, immune escape, and metastasis. OBJECTIVE: This research aims at finding negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: GENE expression data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO database were employed in differently expressed RNA and miRNA (DE-miRNAs/DE-mRNAs) screening. Function analysis was conducted with DAVID-mirPath. MiRNA-mRNA axes were identified by MiRTarBase and TarBase and verified in esophageal specimen by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) were applied in miRNA-mRNA pairs predictive value estimation. Interactions between miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and immune features were analyzed using CIBERSORT. RESULTS: Combining TCGA database, 4 miRNA and 10 mRNA GEO datasets, totally 26 DE-miRNAs (13 up and 13 down) and 114 DE-mRNAs (64 up and 50 down) were considered significant. MiRTarBase and TarBase identified 37 reverse regulation miRNA-mRNA pairs, 14 of which had been observed in esophageal tissue or cell line. Through analysis of RT-qPCR outcome, miR-106b-5p/KIAA0232 signature was chosen as characteristic pair of ESCC. ROC and DCA verified the predictive value of model containing miRNA-mRNA axis in ESCC. Via affecting mast cells, miR-106b-5p/KIAA0232 may contribute to tumor microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic model of miRNA-mRNA pair in ESCC was established. Their complex role in ESCC pathogenesis especially tumor immunity was partly disclosed.

Eupafolin regulates non-small-cell lung cancer cell proliferation,migration, and invasion by suppressing MMP9 and RhoA via FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) predominates lung cancer with a striking percentage of 85%. Eupafolin is documented to possess anti-tumor efficacy, which prompts efforts to uncover its impacts on the pathology of diseases including cancers. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-mediated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) has been found to be associated with several carcinomas. Nevertheless, how eupafolin exerts its effects in NSCLC and whether FAK/PI3K/AKT is related to the corresponding mechanism remain unclear. Thus, the relevant experiments were carried out with NSCLC cells treated with eupafolin and/or LY294002 at first. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays were used to assess cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. Western blot assay was performed to measure the relative protein expressions of phosphorylated (p)-FAK/FAK, p-PI3K/ PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), and ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA), and to determine transfection efficiency. From experimental results, it was found that eupafolin inhibited the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells, and inactivated the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway by downregulating the ratios of p-FAK/FAK, p-PI3K/PI3K, and p-AKT/AKTand the expressions of MMP9 and RhoA. On the contrary, overexpressed FAK upregulated the expressions of FAK, MMP9, and RhoA and the ratios of p-PI3K/ PI3K and p-AKT/AKT, and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. LY294002, conversely, could partly reverse the effects of FAK on the aforementioned aspects of NSCLC cells. Collectively, it was verified in our study that eupafolin regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells by downregulating MMP9 and RhoA expressions via the FAK/PI3K/AKT axis, which may provide a promising avenue for cancer therapy.

Value of negatively correlated miR-205-5p/HMGB3 and miR-96-5p/FOXO1 on the diagnosis of breast cancer and benign breast diseases.

Background: MicroRNA (miRNA) and mRNA levels in matching specimens were used to identify miRNA-mRNA interactions. We aimed to integrate transcriptome, immunophenotype, methylation, mutation, and survival data analyses to examine the profiles of miRNAs and target mRNAs and their associations with breast cancer (BC) diagnosis. Methods: Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), differentially expressed miRNAs and targeted mRNAs were screened from experimentally verified miRNA-target interaction databases using Pearson's correlation analysis. We used real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to verify BC and benign disease samples, and logistic regression analysis was used to establish a diagnostic model based on miRNAs and target mRNAs. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to test the ability to recognize the miRNA-mRNA pairs. Next, we investigated the complex interactions between miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and phenotypic hallmarks. Results: We identified 27 and 359 dysregulated miRNAs and mRNAs, respectively, based on the GEO and TCGA databases. Using Pearson's correlation analysis, 10 negative miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were identified after screening both databases, and the related miRNA and target mRNA levels were assessed in 40 BC tissues and 40 benign breast disease tissues. Two key regulatory pairs (miR-205-5p/High mobility group box 3 (HMGB3) and miR-96-5p/Forkhead Box O1 (FOXO1)) were selected to establish the diagnostic model. They also had utility in survival and clinical analyses. Conclusions: A diagnostic model including two miRNAs and their respective target mRNAs was established to distinguish between BC and benign breast diseases. These markers play essential roles in BC pathogenesis.

Prognostic and Immunological Roles of Cell Cycle Regulator CDCA5 in Human Solid Tumors.

Background: There have been several studies evaluating the prognostic significance of cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5). However, few reports analyzed the correlation between CDCA5 and prognosis of diverse cancers based on large clinical data. We thus comprehensively analyzed CDCA5 expression and clinical significance using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data from 31 types of solid tumors. Methods: The expression profiles of CDCA5 were investigated across pan-cancer samples from the TCGA. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine CDCA5's prognostic value. CDCA5 expression was further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Results: We found that CDCA5 was significantly overexpressed in 22 types of tumors. Up-regulated CDCA5 was significantly related to poor survival in 13 types of tumors. Furthermore, CDCA5 expression was significantly associated with immune cell infiltration. Tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and immune checkpoint expression were significantly correlated with CDCA5 expression. Additional analysis of IMvigor 210 cohort validated that patients with high level of CDCA5 had superior response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that CDCA5 could provide prognostic information in most types of cancers and contributed to tumor immune microenvironment.

Analysis of aberrant miRNA-mRNA interaction networks in prostate cancer to conjecture its molecular mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) capable of post-transcriptionally regulating mRNA expression are essential to tumor occurrence and progression. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to find negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD). METHODS: Combining The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA-Seq data with Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) mRNA/miRNA expression profiles, differently expressed miRNA/mRNA (DE-miRNAs/DE-mRNAs) were identified. MiRNA-mRNA pairs were screened by miRTarBase and TarBase, databases collecting experimentally confirmed miRNA-mRNA pairs, and verified in 30 paired prostate specimens by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The diagnostic values of miRNA-mRNA pairs were measured by receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA). DAVID-mirPath database and Connectivity Map were employed in GO/KEGG analysis and compounds research. Interactions between miRNA-mRNA pairs and phenotypic features were analyzed with correlation heatmap in hiplot. RESULTS: Based on TCGA RNA-Seq data, 22 miRNA and 14 mRNA GEO datasets, 67 (20 down and 47 up) miRNAs and 351 (139 up and 212 down) mRNAs were selected. After screening from 2 databases, 8 miRNA (up)-mRNA (down) and 7 miRNA (down)-mRNA (up) pairs were identified with Pearson's correlation in TCGA. By external validation, miR-221-3p (down)/GALNT3 (up) and miR-20a-5p (up)/FRMD6 (down) were chosen. The model combing 4 signatures possessed better diagnostic value. These two miRNA-mRNA pairs were significantly connected with immune cells fraction and tumor immune microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic model containing 2 negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs was established to distinguish PRADs from normal controls.

Integrated Analyses of m6A Regulator-Based Signature on Its Clinical Application and Immunogenomic Landscape in Stomach Adenocarcinoma.

Background: The whole tumor microenvironment (TME) infiltration features monitored by integrated roles of different RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulators remain elusive. Our study is aimed at exploring the association between m6A modification patterns, TME cell-infiltrating levels, and patients' prognosis in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) patients. Methods: Consensus clustering was performed based on the integrated analyses of 17 m6A regulators and 229 m6A-related hallmark genes in STAD (The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, n = 443; Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) GSE57303, n = 70, GSE62254 n = 300, and GSE84437 n = 433). A m6ASig scoring system was calculated by the principal component analysis (PCA), and its prognostic value was validated in an independent dataset GES15459. Results: Three m6A clusters were identified among 1246 STAD patients, which had significant overall survival (OS) differences and demonstrated different TME immune cell infiltration and biological behaviors. According to the m6ASig score, which was generated from the m6A-related hallmark genes, STAD patients were divided into the high-m6ASig group (n = 585) and low-m6ASig group (n = 586). Patients in the high-m6ASig group had a notably prolonged OS and higher immune cell infiltration. Moreover, patients with higher m6ASig score were associated with higher microsatellite instability (MSI); higher PD-L1, CTLA4, and ERBB2 expressions; and greater tumor mutation burden (TMB). Patients with higher m6ASig score demonstrated a better immune response and drug sensitivity. Conclusion: Our m6ASig scoring system could characterize TME immune cell infiltration, thus predict patient's prognosis and immunotherapy and chemotherapy efficacy, offering a novel tool for the individualized therapeutic implications for STAD patients.

Construction of the miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Networks and Explore Their Role in the Development of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: MicroRNA (miRNA) binds to target mRNA and inhibit post-transcriptional gene expression. It plays an essential role in regulating gene expression, cell cycle, and biological development. This study aims to identify potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks that contribute to the pathogenesis of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Patients and Methods: MiRNA microarray and RNA-Seq datasets were obtained from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), miRcancer, and dbDEMC. The GEO2R tool, "limma" and "DEseq" R packages were used to perform differential expression analysis. Gene enrichment analysis was conducted using the DAVID, DIANA, and Hiplot tools. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were screened from the experimentally validated miRNA-target interactions databases (miRTarBase and TarBase). External validation was carried out in 30 pairs of LUSC tissues by Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value. Clinical, survival and phenotypic analysis of miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were further explored. Results: We screened 5 miRNA and 10 mRNA expression datasets from GEO and identified 7 DE-miRNAs and 270 DE-mRNAs. After databases screening and correlation analysis, four pairs of miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were screened out. The miRNA-mRNA network of miR-205-5p (up) and PTPRM (down) was validated in 30 pairs of LUSC tissues. MiR-205-5p and PTPRM have good diagnostic efficacy and are expressed differently in different clinical features and are related to tumor immunity. Conclusion: The research identified a potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network, providing a new way to explore the genesis and development of LUSC.

Comprehensive analysis of negatively correlated miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs associated with microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) and target mRNAs are associated with different frequencies of microsatellite instability. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to elucidate the profiles of miRNAs and target mRNAs expression and their associations with the phenotypic hallmarks of microsatellite instability in colorectal cancers (CRC) by integrating transcriptomic, immunophenotype, methylation, mutation, and survival data. METHODS: Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were screened out and then the miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were identified through two databases. We verified that the expression levels were detected in 40 microsatellite instable (MSI) and 40 microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC samples and used the logistic regression and the Cox regression method to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of negative regulatory pairs respectively. RESULTS: The best diagnostic model that combines miR-31-5p, PLAGL2, miR-361-5p, and RAB27B, which were associated with immune microenvironment, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and overall DNA methylation, could significantly predict microsatellite instability in colon tissues. MiR-31-5p and RAB27B could also predict the overall survival of MSS CRCs. CONCLUSION: This study generated a predictive model of the combination of miRNAs and mRNAs to distinguish MSI versus MSS CRCs and elaborated their potential molecular mechanisms and biological functions.

Global analysis of miRNA-mRNA regulation pair in bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of short non-coding RNA molecules that functions in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. This study aims to identify critical miRNA-mRNA regulation pairs contributing to bladder cancer (BLCA) pathogenesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MiRNA and mRNA microarray and RNA-sequencing datasets were downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO) and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) databases. The tool of GEO2R and R packages were used to screen differential miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) and DAVID, DIANA, and Hiplot tools were used to perform gene enrichment analysis. The miRNA-mRNA regulation pair were screened from the experimentally validated miRNA-target interactions databases (miRTarbase and TarBase). Twenty-eight pairs of BLCA tissues were used to further verify the screened DE-miRNAs and DE-mRNAs by quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The diagnostic value of the miRNA-mRNA regulation pairs was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). The correlation analysis between the selected miRNA-mRNAs regulation pair and clinical, survival and tumor-related phenotypes was performed in this study. RESULTS: After miRTarBase, the analysis of 2 miRNA datasets, 6 mRNA datasets, and TCGA-BLCA dataset, a total of 13 miRNAs (5 downregulated and 8 upregulated in BLCA tissues) and 181 mRNAs (72 upregulated and 109 downregulated in BLCA tissues) were screened out. The pairs of miR-17-5p (upregulated in BLCA tissues) and TGFBR2 (downregulated in BLCA tissues) were verified in the external validation cohort (28 BLCA vs. 28 NC) using qRT-PCR. Areas under the ROC curve of the miRNA-mRNA regulation pair panel were 0.929 (95% CI: 0.885-0.972, p < 0.0001) in TCGA-BLCA and 0.767 (95% CI: 0.643-0.891, p = 0.001) in the external validation. The DCA also showed that the miRNA-mRNA regulation pairs had an excellent diagnostic performance distinguishing BLCA from normal controls. Correlation analysis showed that miR-17-5p and TGFBR2 correlated with tumor immunity. CONCLUSIONS: The research identified potential miRNA-mRNA regulation pairs, providing a new idea for exploring the genesis and development of BLCA.

A novel 6-gene signature derived from tumor-infiltrating T cells and neutrophils predicts survival of bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Intratumoral immune cells were reported to be associated with prognosis of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC). However, the role of immune cells related genes in BUC prognosis is less well defined. In the study, we analyzed data retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas database and found higher neutrophils and lower T cells infiltration in BUC tumor tissues were significantly correlated with patients' worse prognosis. Additionally, the expression levels of 164 genes were significantly correlated with T cells and neutrophils proportions. A Cox proportional-hazards model integrating 6 genes expression (EMP1, RASGRP4, HSPA1L, AHNAK, SLC1A6, and PRSS8) was identified. The 6-gene signature outperformed other clinical factors in risk prediction and was an independent prognostic factor for BUC. The findings were further conformed in three Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (n=331) and Jiangsu Province Hospital cohort (n = 46). Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the model was highly involved in some immune-related pathways. A comprehensive nomogram combining the model and other clinical parameters was finally constructed to facilitate clinical application. In conclusion, a T cell and neutrophil-associated 6-gene prognostic model was identified for the survival prediction of BUC patients.

Targeted DNA profiling and the prevalence of NTRK aberrations in Chinese patients with head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Head and neck cancers are aggressive epithelial tumours that are recognised as being particularly challenging to treat. Here, we report the targeted DNA profiling and the prevalence of neurotrophic-tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinase gene (NTRK) aberrations in Chinese patients with head and neck cancers. METHODS: Samples of 127 patients with head and neck cancer were retrospectively analysed. Profiling was performed by next-generation sequencing of the 1021-gene panel with tumour tissue and matched peripheral blood control samples. RESULTS: This study was inspired by the outcome benefit of a parotid cancer patient harbouring ETV6-NTRK3 fusion, who received crizotinib treatment and achieved a 2-year progression-free survival. Genomic profiling of 127 patients with head and neck cancers indicated that TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene both in our cohort and in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A higher prevalence of NTRK genetic aberrations (7.9%, 10/127), including NTRK fusion (3.1%) and mutation, was observed in our population than in TCGA. The most common fusion was the ETV6-NTRK3. Compared to the NTRK-wt group, the NTRK aberration group had more APC and PTPRD aberrations (p < 0.05). NTRK fusion was also associated with lower tumour mutation burden (TMB) (p < 0.05). TP53 and LRP1B mutations were significantly associated with higher TMB (both p < 0.01), which may be potential markers of immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report targeted DNA profiling of Chinese patients with head and neck cancers. As NTRK genetic aberrations are more common in this Chinese population, the efficacy of NTRK inhibitors should be studied further.

MicroRNA profiling in serum: Potential signatures for breast cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) prove to be potential non-invasive indicators of cancers. The purpose of this study is to profile serum miRNA expression in breast cancer (BC) patients to find potential biomarkers for BC diagnosis. METHODS: The miRNA expression patterns of serum samples from 216 BC patients and 214 normal control subjects were compared. A four-phase validation was conducted for biomarker identification. In the screening phase, the Exiqon miRNA qPCR panel was employed to select candidates, which were further analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR in the following training, testing, and external validation phases. RESULTS: A 12-miRNA (let-7b-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-25-3p, miR-425-5p, miR-451a, miR-92a-3p, miR-93-5p, and miR-16-5p) panel in serum was constructed. The diagnostic performance of the panel was assessed using ROC curve analyses. The area under the curves (AUCs) were 0.952, 0.956, 0.941 and 0.950 for the four separate phases, respectively. Additionally, the expression features of the 12 miRNAs were further explored in 32 pairs of BC tumor and para-tumor tissues, and 32 pairs of serum exosomes samples from patients and healthy subjects. miR-16-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-25-3p, miR-425-5p, and miR-93-5p were highly overexpressed and let-7b-5p was conversely downregulated in tumor tissues. Excluding miR-20a-5p and miR-223-3p, the 10 other miRNAs were all significantly upregulated in BC serum-derived exosomes. CONCLUSION: A signature consisting of 12 serum miRNAs was identified and showed potential for use in non-invasive diagnosis of BC.

Pamiparib dose escalation in Chinese patients with non-mucinous high-grade ovarian cancer or advanced triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of pamiparib, an investigational PARP1/2 inhibitor, was established as 60 mg twice daily (BID) in a first-in-human (FIH) study (NCT02361723). METHODS: Chinese patients with advanced non-mucinous high-grade ovarian cancer (HGOC) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) whose disease either progressed despite standard therapy, or for which there is no standard therapy were enrolled in the dose-escalation (DE) portion of a phase 1/2 study (NCT03333915). The primary endpoint was safety/tolerability; secondary objectives were pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity. BRCA1/2 mutation status was retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Nine HGOC and six TNBC patients (N = 15; n = 4, 20 mg; n = 4, 40 mg; n = 7, 60 mg) were enrolled; as of 30 September 2019, one HGOC patient remained on treatment. Seven patients (n = 5, HGOC; n = 2, TNBC) had germline BRCA1/2 mutation (gBRCAmut ); all HGOC patients were resistant/refractory to platinum. Asthenia and nausea (n = 12 each) were the most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Decreased hemoglobin was the most common grade 3 TRAE (n = 3); no grade ≥4 AEs were observed. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported. Pamiparib plasma exposure was similar to exposure observed in the FIH study after a single-dose administration, albeit slightly higher at steady state. Among 13 RECIST-evaluable patients, two with HGOC (gBRCAmut , n = 1) achieved a confirmed partial response and six with HGOC (gBRCAmut , n = 4) achieved stable disease; all TNBC RECIST-evaluable patients (n = 5) reported progressive disease. CONCLUSIONS: Pamiparib was generally well tolerated in Chinese patients, with durable responses observed in patients with HGOC. Based on these results, pamiparib 60 mg BID was confirmed as the RP2D.

A Partial Response of Pulmonary Pleomorphic Carcinoma to Camrelizumab (PD1 Monoclonal Antibody) Monotherapy: A Case Report.

We report a case of a 68-year-old man diagnosed with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma who showed partial response after a single treatment with camrelizumab (PD1 monoclonal antibody). The patient's tumor was positive for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and progressed rapidly after a course of chemotherapy. Fortunately, the tumors dramatically shrank after one cycle of camrelizumab, an anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody developed by Chinese Hengrui Medicine. In conclusion, camrelizumab may be a good treatment option, especially in tumors that express PD-L1.

Serum microRNA expression profiling revealing potential diagnostic biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood circulation can serve as promising diagnostic markers for cancers. This four-stage study aimed at finding serum miRNAs as potential biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma (LA) diagnosis. METHODS: The study was carried out between 2016 and 2017. The Exiqon miRNA qPCR panel (3 LA vs. 1 normal control [NC] pooled serum samples) was used for initial screening to acquire miRNA profiles. Thirty-five dysregulated miRNAs were further evaluated in the training (24 LA vs. 24 NCs) and testing stages (110 LA vs. 110 NCs) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: Four serum miRNAs (miR-133a-3p, miR-584-5p, miR-10b-5p, and miR-221-3p) were significantly overexpressed in LA patients compared with NCs. The diagnostic value of the four-miRNA panel was validated by an external cohort (36 LA vs. 36 NCs). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the four-miRNA panel in the training, testing, and external validation stages were 0.734, 0.803, and 0.894 respectively. Meanwhile, the expression level of miR-221-3p was much higher in LA tumor samples than that in the adjacent normal tissues (19 LA vs. 19 NCs). The expression level of miR-10b-5p was also elevated in the serum-derived exosomes samples (18 LA vs. 18 NCs). The expression of miR-133a-3p, miR-584-5p, and miR-10b-5p was significantly elevated in LA patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation compared with NCs. CONCLUSION: The study established a four-miRNA signature in serum that could improve the diagnostic capability of LA.