Clinical Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy plus Modified Radical Mastectomy for Stage II-III Breast Cancer Patients and Its Influence on Serum Tumor Markers.

Objective: This research aims to assess the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in combination with modified radical mastectomy (MRM) for stage II-III breast cancer (BC) patients and its impact on serum tumor markers (STMs). Methods: The study included 119 stage II-III BC patients treated between June 2018 and June 2021. Among them, 55 cases underwent MRM (reference group), while 64 cases received NACT followed by MRM (research group). We compared intraoperative parameters (blood loss, operation time, hospital stay), clinical outcomes, the incidence of postoperative adverse events (AEs), changes in STMs (CA125, CA153, CEA), and one-year postoperative quality of life (QOL). Results: In comparison to the reference group, the research group exhibited significantly lower intraoperative blood loss, shorter operation times, reduced hospital stays, and higher rates of disease remission. Notably, the research group experienced a lower overall incidence of AEs, including skin flap necrosis, subscalp effusion, infection, and upper limb lymphedema. Postoperatively, all STMs in the research group exhibited statistically significant reductions and were lower than those in the reference group. Additionally, all QOL subscales demonstrated improvements and higher scores in the research group. Conclusions: NACT followed by MRM represents an effective approach for enhancing surgical outcomes and clinical efficacy in stage II-III BC patients. This combination therapy also reduces the risk of postoperative AEs and leads to favorable changes in STMs and postoperative QOL levels.

PTOV1-AS1 desensitizes colorectal cancer cells to 5-FU through depressing miR-149-5p to activate the positive feedback loop with Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

5-Fluorouracil is a commonly used chemotherapy drug for colorectal cancer. Resistance to 5-Fluorouracil remains a challenge. This research aimed to explore the mechanism of 5-Fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to determine the RNA and protein expression in both cells and exosome. Assays in vitro and in vivo were performed to measure the role of miR-149-5p in colorectal cancer cells. RIP, luciferase activity report, and RNA pulldown assay were applied to detect the association of PTOV1-AS1, SUV39H1, miR-149-5p, and FOXM1. MiR-149-5p was down-expressed in 5-Fluorouracil-resistant cells. MiR-149-5p enhanced the effectiveness of 5-Fluorouracil both in vitro and in vivo. Sensitive colorectal cancer cells released exosomal miR-149-5p to sensitize resistant cells to chemotherapy. Mechanistically, miR-149-5p targeted the FOXM1 to inactivate Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and PTOV1-AS1 recruited SUV39H1 to suppress miR-149-5p transcription, in turn activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and forming a positive feedback loop with FOXM1. PTOV1-AS1 inhibits miR-149-5p by a positive feedback loop with FOXM1-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which provides insights into a potential novel target for enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

[Salivary gland cancer: new therapeutic approaches]. / Cancers des glandes salivaires : nouvelles approches thérapeutiques.

Salivary gland carcinomas are rare, characterized by a diversity of histological subtypes associated with variable clinical behavior and prognosis with usually a poor response to chemotherapy. In this context, molecular alterations have been identified and represent potential therapeutic targets: overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and androgen receptors in salivary duct cancer, NOTCH mutations in adenoid cystic carcinoma, NTRK gene fusion in secretory carcinoma. Screening for these molecular alterations is mandatory in all patients with recurrent or metastatic salivary gland cancer as it may allow an individualized treatment.

Les carcinomes des glandes salivaires sont rares et se caractérisent par une grande diversité de sous-types histologiques associés à des comportements cliniques différents, à un pronostic variable et à une réponse habituellement médiocre à la chimiothérapie. Dans ce contexte, des altérations moléculaires ont été identifiées et représentent de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques : surexpression du récepteur 2 du facteur de croissance épidermique humain (HER2) et des récepteurs aux androgènes dans le cancer des canaux salivaires, mutations activatrices de NOTCH dans le carcinome adénoïde kystique, fusion de gène NTRK dans le carcinome sécrétoire notamment. Ces altérations moléculaires doivent être recherchées chez tous les patients présentant un cancer des glandes salivaires récidivant ou métastatique et permettent d'individualiser sa prise en charge.

Zinc transporter LIV1: A promising cell surface target for triple negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes contributing to the global cancer burden. The triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) molecular subtype accounts for the most aggressive type. Despite progression in therapeutic options and prognosis in breast cancer treatment options, there remains a high rate of distant relapse. With advancements in understanding the role of zinc and zinc carriers in the prognosis and treatment of the disease, the scope of precision treatment/targeted therapy has been expanded. Zinc levels and zinc transporters play a vital role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, tumor surveillance, apoptosis, and immune function. This review focuses on the zinc transporter, LIV1, as an essential target for breast cancer prognosis and emerging treatment options. Previous studies give an insight into the role of LIV1 in fulfilling the most important hallmarks of cancer such as apoptosis, metastasis, invasion, and evading the immune system. Normal tissue expression of LIV1 is limited. Higher expression of LIV1 has been linked to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, histological grade of cancer, and early node metastasis. LIV1 was found to be one of the attractive targets in the therapeutic hunt for TNBCs. TNBCs are an immunogenic breast cancer subtype. As zinc transporters are known to serve as the metabolic gatekeepers of immune cells, this review bridges tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, TNBC and LIV1. In addition, the suitability of LIV1 as an antibody-drug conjugate (Seattle genetics [SGN]-LIV1A) target in TNBC, represents a promising strategy for patients. Early clinical trial results reveal that this novel agent reduces tumor burden by inducing mitotic arrest, immunomodulation, and immunogenic cell death, warranting further investigation of SGN-LIV1A in combination with immuno-oncology agents. Priming the patient's immune response in combination with SGN-LIV1A could eventually change the landscape for the TNBC patient population.

Regulation of the Effect of Physical Activity Through MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer.

Physical activity and exercise can induce beneficial molecular and biological regulations that have been associated with an incidence of various diseases, including breast cancer. Recent studies demonstrated that the potential links between physical activity-induced circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and cancer risk and progression. Here, we investigated whether altered miRNAs by exercise could influence breast cancer progression. After primary searching in PubMed and reviewing the full-text papers, candidate miRNAs altered by exercise in breast cancer were identified. Analysis of expression profiles and clinical outcomes of altered miRNAs using The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets showed altered miRNAs expressions were significantly associated with the patient's prognosis, whereas prognostic values of each miRNA varied in different stages and subtypes. In addition, altered miRNAs profiles regulated various target genes and key signaling pathways in tumorigenesis, including pathways in cancer and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway; however, miRNAs regulated the expression of target genes differently according to tumor stages and subtypes. These results indicate that circulating miRNAs are promising noninvasive stable biomarkers for early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring the response to clinical therapies of breast cancer. Moreover, stages and subtype-stratified approaches for breast cancer progression would be needed to evaluate the prognostic value of miRNAs for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Leukemia stem cell immunophenotyping tool for diagnostic, prognosis, and therapeutics.

The existence of cancer stem cells is debatable in numerous solid tumors, yet in leukemia, there is compelling evidence of this cell population. Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are altered cells in which accumulating genetic and/or epigenetic alterations occur, resulting in the transition between the normal, preleukemic, and leukemic status. These cells do not follow the normal differentiation program; they are arrested in a primitive state but with high proliferation potential, generating undifferentiated blast accumulation and a lack of a mature cell population. The identification of LSCs might guide stem cell biology research and provide key points of distinction between these cells and their normal counterparts. The identification and characterization of the main features of LSCs can be useful as tools for diagnosis and treatment. In this context, the aim of the present review was to connect immunophenotype data in the main types of leukemia to further guide technical improvements.

Development and clinical applications of cancer immunotherapy against PD-1 signaling pathway.

Dramatic advances in immune therapy have emerged as a promising strategy in cancer therapeutics. In addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, inhibitors targeting immune-checkpoint molecules such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) demonstrate impressive clinical benefits in clinical trials. In this review, we present background information about therapies involving PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and provide an overview of current clinical trials. Furthermore, we present recent advances involving predictive biomarkers associated with positive therapeutic outcomes in cancer immunotherapy.

Epidermal growth factor receptor targeting IgG3 triggers complement-mediated lysis of decay-accelerating factor expressing tumor cells through the alternative pathway amplification loop.

Binding of C1q to target-bound IgG initiates complement-mediated lysis (CML) of pathogens, as well as of malignant or apoptotic cells, and thus constitutes an integral part of the innate immune system. Despite its prominent molecular flexibility and higher C1q binding affinity compared with human IgG1, IgG3 does not consistently promote superior CML. Hence the aim of this study was to investigate underlying molecular mechanisms of IgG1- and IgG3-driven complement activation using isotype variants of the therapeutic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Ab cetuximab. Both IgG1 and IgG3 Abs demonstrated similar EGFR binding and similar efficiency in Fab-mediated effector mechanisms. Whereas anti-EGFR-IgG1 did not promote CML of investigated target cells, anti-EGFR-IgG3 triggered significant CML of some, but not all tested cell lines. CML triggered by anti-EGFR-IgG3 negatively correlated with expression levels of the membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins CD55 and CD59, but not CD46. Notably, anti-EGFR-IgG3 promoted strong C1q and C3b, but relatively low C4b and C5b-9 deposition on analyzed cell lines. Furthermore, anti-EGFR-IgG3 triggered C4a release on all cells but failed to induce C3a and C5a release on CD55/CD59 highly expressing cells. RNA interference-induced knockdown or overexpression of membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins revealed CD55 expression to be a pivotal determinant of anti-EGFR-IgG3-triggered CML and to force a switch from classical complement pathway activation to C1q-dependent alternative pathway amplification. Together, these data suggest human anti-EGFR-IgG3, although highly reactive with C1q, to weakly promote assembly of the classical C3 convertase that is further suppressed in the presence of CD55, forcing human IgG3 to act mainly through the alternative pathway.

MicroRNA-224: as a potential target for miR-based therapy of cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules which regulate the target gene expression posttranscriptionally. Increasing studies have shown that microRNAs play important roles in multiple biological pathways. For instance, aberrant expression of microRNA-224 (miR-224) plays a vital role in tumor biology in various types of human cancer. Here, we aim to summarize the molecular mechanisms that lead to the overexpression of miR-224 in cancers, analyze the effect of miR-224 on tumor biology, and reveal the clinical significance of miR-224. MiR-224 regulates its targets by modulating messenger RNA (mRNA) stability and/or protein translation, and it would provide new insight into molecular targeting cancer treatment.

Biomarker validation: common data analysis concerns.

Biomarker validation, like any other confirmatory process based on statistical methodology, must discern associations that occur by chance from those reflecting true biological relationships. Validity of a biomarker is established by authenticating its correlation with clinical outcome. Validated biomarkers can lead to targeted therapy, improve clinical diagnosis, and serve as useful prognostic and predictive factors of clinical outcome. Statistical concerns such as confounding and multiplicity are common in biomarker validation studies. This article discusses four major areas of concern in the biomarker validation process and some of the proposed solutions. Because present-day statistical packages enable the researcher to address these common concerns, the purpose of this discussion is to raise awareness of these statistical issues in the hope of improving the reproducibility of validation study findings.

An NKp30-based chimeric antigen receptor promotes T cell effector functions and antitumor efficacy in vivo.

NKp30 is a natural cytotoxicity receptor that is expressed on NK cells and recognizes B7-H6, which is expressed on several types of tumors but few normal cells. To target effector T cells against B7-H6+ tumors, we developed several chimeric AgRs (CARs) based on NKp30, which contain the CD28- and/or CD3ζ-signaling domains with the transmembrane domains from CD3ζ, CD28, or CD8α. The data show that chimeric NKp30-expressing T cells responded to B7-H6+ tumor cells. The NKp30 CAR-expressing T cells produced IFN-γ and killed B7-H6 ligand-expressing tumor cells; this response was dependent upon ligand expression on target cells but not on MHC expression. PBMC-derived dendritic cells also express NKp30 ligands, including immature dendritic cells, and they can stimulate NKp30 CAR-bearing T cells to produce IFN-γ, but to a lesser extent. The addition of a CD28-signaling domain significantly enhanced the activity of the NKp30 CAR in a PI3K-dependent manner. Adoptive transfer of T cells expressing a chimeric NKp30 receptor containing a CD28-signaling domain inhibited the growth of a B7-H6-expressing murine lymphoma (RMA/B7-H6) in vivo. Moreover, mice that remained tumor-free were resistant to a subsequent challenge with the wild-type RMA tumor cells, suggesting the generation of immunity against other tumor Ags. Overall, this study demonstrates the specificity and therapeutic potential of adoptive immunotherapy with NKp30 CAR-expressing T cells against B7-H6+ tumor cells in vivo.

Cancer stem cells--the current status of an old concept: literature review and clinical approaches.

As regards their morphology and biology, tumours consist of heterogeneous cell populations. The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis assumes that a tumour is hierarchically organized and not all of the cells are equally capable of generating descendants, similarly to normal tissue. The only cells being able to self-renew and produce a heterogeneous tumour cell population are cancer stem cells. CSCs probably derive from normal stem cells, although progenitor cells may be taken into consideration as the source of cancer stem cells. CSCs reside in the niche defined as the microenvironment formed by stromal cells, vasculature and extracellular matrix. The CSC assays include FACS sorting, xenotransplantation to immunodeficient mice (SCID), incubation with Hoechst 33342 dye, cell culture in non-adherent conditions, cell culture with bromodeoxyuridine. CSCs have certain properties that make them resistant to anticancer therapy, which suggests they may be the target for potential therapeutic strategies.

Clinical application of microRNA testing in neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is well documented that dysregulation of microRNAs is a hallmark of human cancers. Thus, this family of small non-coding regulatory molecules represents an excellent source of sensitive biomarkers. Unique microRNAs expression profiles have been associated with different types and subsets of gastrointestinal tumors including gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). GEP-NETs are a heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation. At present, early detection and surgical resection of GEP-NETs represent the best chance for a cure. Thus, clinically useful biomarkers for GEP-NETs that strongly correlate with early detection are urgently needed. The purpose of this review is to summarize the role of miRNAs in GEP-NET carcinogenesis and their possible use as novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

Established and emerging biomarkers of immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma.

Immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have heralded impressive progress for patient care in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Despite this success, some patients' disease fails to respond, and other patients experience significant side effects. Thus, development of biomarkers is needed to ensure that patients can be selected to maximize benefit from immunotherapies. Improving clinicians' ability to predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy and which are most at risk of adverse events - namely through clinical biomarkers - is indispensable for patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. Accordingly, an evolving suite of therapeutic biomarkers continues to be investigated. This review discusses biomarkers for immunotherapy in RCC, highlighting current practices and emerging innovations, aiming to contribute to improved outcomes for patients with RCC.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a type of kidney cancer. Treatments that target the body's immune system, called immunotherapies, are generally effective in RCC, but not all patients' cancer will respond (shrink or disappear) after receiving this treatment. Because of this, signals, called biomarkers, are needed to signal which patients' cancer will respond and which patients may experience unwanted side effects after treatment. This article highlights biomarkers that have been or are being studied for understanding immunotherapy in RCC.

Elucidating the Heterogeneity of Immunotherapy Response and Immune-Related Toxicities by Longitudinal ctDNA and Immune Cell Compartment Tracking in Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: Although immunotherapy is the mainstay of therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), robust biomarkers of clinical response are lacking. The heterogeneity of clinical responses together with the limited value of radiographic response assessments to timely and accurately predict therapeutic effect-especially in the setting of stable disease-calls for the development of molecularly informed real-time minimally invasive approaches. In addition to capturing tumor regression, liquid biopsies may be informative in capturing immune-related adverse events (irAE). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We investigated longitudinal changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with metastatic NSCLC who received immunotherapy-based regimens. Using ctDNA targeted error-correction sequencing together with matched sequencing of white blood cells and tumor tissue, we tracked serial changes in cell-free tumor load (cfTL) and determined molecular response. Peripheral T-cell repertoire dynamics were serially assessed and evaluated together with plasma protein expression profiles. RESULTS: Molecular response, defined as complete clearance of cfTL, was significantly associated with progression-free (log-rank P = 0.0003) and overall survival (log-rank P = 0.01) and was particularly informative in capturing differential survival outcomes among patients with radiographically stable disease. For patients who developed irAEs, on-treatment peripheral blood T-cell repertoire reshaping, assessed by significant T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypic expansions and regressions, was identified on average 5 months prior to clinical diagnosis of an irAE. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular responses assist with the interpretation of heterogeneous clinical responses, especially for patients with stable disease. Our complementary assessment of the peripheral tumor and immune compartments provides an approach for monitoring of clinical benefits and irAEs during immunotherapy.

PRESSING Need of Precision Care in HER2-Positive Colorectal Cancer: The ELEPHANT in the Room.

Although dual HER2 inhibition has shown promising clinical activity in patients with RAS wild-type HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer, predictive biomarkers of response/resistance are less well characterized. Activating HER2/RTK/MAPK genomic alterations appears to blunt the clinical benefit of dual anti-HER2 therapy and may hold a potential albeit partial role in patient selection. See related article by Randon et al., p. 436.

In Search of Lost Biomarker for Immunotherapy in Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Chemo-immunotherapy is the current standard of care for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, but predictive biomarkers are lacking. In a recent article, the authors report the predictive role of programmed death ligand-1 expression and tissue tumor mutational burden on durvalumab ± tremelimumab + platinum-etoposide efficacy. See related article by Paz-Ares et al., p. 824.

Combining Genomic Biomarkers to Guide Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: The clinical value of STK11, KEAP1, and EGFR alterations for guiding immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial, as some patients with these proposed resistance biomarkers show durable ICB responses. More specific combinatorial biomarker approaches are urgently needed for this disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To develop a combinatorial biomarker strategy with increased specificity for ICB unresponsiveness in NSCLC, we performed a comprehensive analysis of 254 patients with NSCLC treated with ligand programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade monotherapy, including a discovery cohort of 75 patients subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and an independent validation cohort of 169 patients subjected to tumor-normal large panel sequencing. The specificity of STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alterations for ICB unresponsiveness was assessed in the contexts of a low (<10 muts/Mb) or high (≥10 muts/Mb) tumor mutational burden (TMB). RESULTS: In low TMB cases, STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alterations were highly specific biomarkers for ICB resistance, with 0/15 (0.0%) and 1/34 (2.9%) biomarker-positive patients showing treatment benefit in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. This contrasted with high TMB cases, where 11/13 (85%) and 15/34 (44%) patients with at least one STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alteration showed durable treatment benefit in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. These findings were supported by analyses of progression-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The unexpected ICB responses in patients carrying resistance biomarkers in STK11, KEAP1, and EGFR were almost exclusively observed in patients with a high TMB. Considering these alterations in context, the TMB offered a highly specific combinatorial biomarker strategy for limiting overtreatment in NSCLC.

The Impact of Circulating Tumor Cell HOXB13 RNA Detection in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) Treated with Abiraterone or Enzalutamide.

PURPOSE: HOXB13 is an androgen receptor (AR) coregulator specifically expressed in cells of prostatic lineage. We sought to associate circulating tumor cell (CTC) HOXB13 expression with outcomes in men with mCRPC treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the multicenter prospective PROPHECY trial of mCRPC men (NCT02269982, n = 118) treated with abiraterone/enzalutamide. CTC detection and HOXB13 complementary DNA (cDNA) expression was measured using a modified Adnatest, grouping patients into 3 categories: CTC 0 (undetectable); CTC+ HOXB13 CTC low (<4 copies); or CTC+ HOXB13 CTC high. The HOXB13 threshold was determined by maximally selected rank statistics for prognostic associations with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: We included 102 men with sufficient CTC HOXB13 cDNA, identifying 25%, 31%, and 44% of patients who were CTC 0, CTC+ HOXB13 low, and CTC+ HOXB13 high, respectively. Median OS were 25.7, 27.8, and 12.1 months whereas the median PFS were 9.0, 7.7, and 3.8 months, respectively. In subgroup analysis among men with CellSearch CTCs ≥5 copies/mL and adjusting for prior abi/enza treatment and Halabi clinical risk score, the multivariate HR for HOXB13 CTC detection was 2.39 (95% CI, 1.06-5.40) for OS and 2.78 (95% CI, 1.38-5.59) for PFS, respectively. Low HOXB13 CTC detection was associated with lower CTC PSA, PSMA, AR-FL, and AR-V7 detection, and more liver/lung metastases (41% vs. 25%). CONCLUSIONS: Higher CTC HOXB13 expression is associated with AR-dependent biomarkers in CTCs and is adversely prognostic in the context of potent AR inhibition in men with mCRPC.

Aptamers: a promising tool for cancer imaging, diagnosis, and therapy.

Aptamers are a group of molecules, which can specifically bind, track, and inhibit target molecules, comprising DNA aptamers, RNA aptamers, and peptide aptamers. So far, there are much progress about developing novel aptamers and their expansile applications. This prospect systematically introduces the composition and technological evolution of aptamers, and then focuses on the application of aptamers in cancer diagnosis, imaging, and therapy. Following this, we discuss the potential to harness aptamers in discovering the biomarker of stem cells, which is favorable for us to study the normal developmental or abnormal pathological process of tissue and to deliver drugs into target cells or tissues in the future.