Prognostic and predictive values of oncogenic BRAF, NRAS, c-KIT and MITF in cutaneous and mucous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Mutations of BRAF, NRAS and c-KIT oncogenes are preferentially described in certain histological subtypes of melanoma and linked to specific histopathological features. BRAF-, MEK- and KIT-inhibitors led to improvement in overall survival of patients harbouring mutated metastatic melanoma. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and types of BRAF, NRAS, c-KIT and MITF mutations in cutaneous and mucous melanoma and to correlate mutation status with clinicopathological features and outcome. METHODS: Clinicopathological features and mutation status of 108 samples and of 98 consecutive patients were, respectively, assessed in one retrospective and one prospective study. Clinicopathological features were correlated with mutation status and the predictive value of these mutations was studied. RESULTS: This work identified significant correlations between BRAF mutations and melanoma occurring on non-chronic sun-damaged skin and superficial spreading melanoma (P < 0.05) on one hand, and between NRAS mutations and nodular melanoma (P < 0.05) on the other hand. Younger age (P < 0.05), microscopic (P < 0.05) and macroscopic (P < 0.05) lymphatic involvement at diagnosis of primary melanoma were significantly linked to BRAF mutations. A mutated status was a positive predictive factor of a response to BRAF inhibitors (OR = 3.44). Mutated melanoma showed a significantly (P = 0.038) higher objective response rate to cytotoxic chemotherapy (26.3%) than wild-type tumours (6.7%). CONCLUSION: Clinical and pathological characteristics of the primary melanoma differed between wild-type and BRAF- or NRAS-mutated tumours. Patients with BRAF-mutated tumours were younger at diagnosis of primary melanoma. Patients carrying mutations showed better responses better to specific kinase inhibitors and interestingly also to systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Exosome secretion, including the DNA damage-induced p53-dependent secretory pathway, is severely compromised in TSAP6/Steap3-null mice.

TSAP6 (tumor suppressor-activated pathway 6), also known as Steap3, is a direct p53 transcriptional target gene. It regulates protein secretion, for example translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), which is implicated in tumor reversion. In keeping with the latter, we show herein that TSAP6 is a glycosylated protein present in the trans-Golgi network, endosomal-vesicular compartment and cytoplasmic membrane. To further investigate the physiological function of TSAP6, we have generated TSAP6-deficient mice. These mice exhibit microcytic anemia with abnormal reticulocyte maturation and deficient transferrin receptor downregulation, a process known to be dependent on exosomal secretion. Moreover, we provide direct evidence that exosome production is severely compromised in TSAP6-null cells. Finally, we show that the DNA damage-induced p53-dependent nonclassical exosomal secretory pathway is abrogated in TSAP6-null cells. Given the fact that exosomes are used as cell-free vaccines against cancer and that they could be involved in the biogenesis and spread of human immunodeficiency virus, it is important to understand their regulation. The results presented here provide the first genetic demonstration that exosome formation is a tightly controlled biological process dependent of TSAP6.

TCTP protects from apoptotic cell death by antagonizing bax function.

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a potential target for cancer therapy. It functions as a growth regulating protein implicated in the TSC1-TSC2 -mTOR pathway or a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor for the elongation factors EF1A and EF1Bbeta. Accumulating evidence indicates that TCTP also functions as an antiapoptotic protein, through a hitherto unknown mechanism. In keeping with this, we show here that loss of tctp expression in mice leads to increased spontaneous apoptosis during embryogenesis and causes lethality between E6.5 and E9.5. To gain further mechanistic insights into this apoptotic function, we solved and refined the crystal structure of human TCTP at 2.0 A resolution. We found a structural similarity between the H2-H3 helices of TCTP and the H5-H6 helices of Bax, which have been previously implicated in regulating the mitochondrial membrane permeability during apoptosis. By site-directed mutagenesis we establish the relevance of the H2-H3 helices in TCTP's antiapoptotic function. Finally, we show that TCTP antagonizes apoptosis by inserting into the mitochondrial membrane and inhibiting Bax dimerization. Together, these data therefore further confirm the antiapoptotic role of TCTP in vivo and provide new mechanistic insights into this key function of TCTP.

[Search for the T790M mutation: The need to persevere]. / Recherche de la mutation T790M : savoir persévérer.

In cases of advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer, first or second generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI-EGFR 1G or TKI-EGFR 2G) are recommended as first line treatment. Inexorably, progressive disease occurs and, in 50-60% of the cases, is secondary to a T790M resistant mutation. The prescription of osimertinib (TKI-EGFR3G) in second line is dependent on identification of the T790M mutation. We report 7 cases in which the identification of the T790M mutation required repeated analyses of cell free DNA and/or biopsies over a period of time. In some cases, a positive result was obtained a long time after progressive disease had been diagnosed during treatment with first or second generation EGFR-TKI. We discuss here the different modalities of screening for the T790M mutation and we encourage persevering in this search when no alternative mechanism of resistance has been identified.