Potential Mechanisms of Hexaconazole Resistance in Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is a serious fungal disease that can dramatically impact wheat production. At present, disease control is mainly achieved by the use of chemical fungicides. Hexaconazole (IUPAC name: 2(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)hexan-2-ol) is a widely used triazole fungicide, but the sensitivity of F. graminearum to this compound has yet to be established. The current study found that the EC50 values of 83 field isolates of F. graminearum ranged between 0.06 and 4.33 µg/ml, with an average EC50 value of 0.78 µg/ml. Assessment of four hexaconazole-resistant laboratory mutants of F. graminearum revealed that their mycelial growth and pathogenicity were reduced compared with their parental isolates and that asexual reproduction was reduced by resistance to hexaconazole. Meanwhile, the mutants appeared to be more sensitive to abiotic stress associated with SDS and H2O2, while their tolerance to high concentrations of Congo red, and Na+ and K+ increased. Molecular analysis revealed numerous point mutations in the FgCYP51 target genes that resulted in amino acid substitutions, including L92P and N123S in FgCYP51A, as well as M331V, F62L, Q252R, A412V, and V488A in FgCYP51B, and S28L, S256A, V307A, D287G, and R515I in FgCYP51C, three of which (S28L, S256A, and V307A) were conserved in all of the resistant mutants. Furthermore, the expression of the FgCYP51 genes in resistant strains was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared with their sensitive parental isolates. Positive cross-resistance was found between hexaconazole and metconazole and flutriafol, as well as with the diarylamine fungicide fluazinam, but not with propiconazole, and the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil, or with tebuconazole, which actually exhibited negative cross-resistance. These results provide valuable insight into resistant mechanisms to triazole fungicides in F. graminearum, as well as the appropriate selection of fungicide combinations for the control of FHB to ensure optimal wheat production.

Ivonescimab Plus Chemotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With EGFR Variant: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: For patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed while receiving EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy, particularly third-generation TKIs, optimal treatment options remain limited. Objective: To compare the efficacy of ivonescimab plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy alone for patients with relapsed advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant. Design, Setting, and Participants: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 3 trial at 55 sites in China enrolled participants from January 2022 to November 2022; a total of 322 eligible patients were enrolled. Interventions: Participants received ivonescimab (n = 161) or placebo (n = 161) plus pemetrexed and carboplatin once every 3 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by maintenance therapy of ivonescimab plus pemetrexed or placebo plus pemetrexed. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population assessed by an independent radiographic review committee (IRRC) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. The results of the first planned interim analysis are reported. Results: Among 322 enrolled patients in the ivonescimab and placebo groups, the median age was 59.6 vs 59.4 years and 52.2% vs 50.9% of patients were female. As of March 10, 2023, median follow-up time was 7.89 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.1 (95% CI, 5.9-8.7) months in the ivonescimab group vs 4.8 (95% CI, 4.2-5.6) months for placebo (difference, 2.3 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.46 [95% CI, 0.34-0.62]; P < .001). The prespecified subgroup analysis showed progression-free survival benefit favoring patients receiving ivonescimab over placebo across almost all subgroups, including patients whose disease progressed while receiving third-generation EGFR-TKI therapy (HR, 0.48 [95% CI 0.35-0.66]) and those with brain metastases (HR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.22-0.73]). The objective response rate was 50.6% (95% CI, 42.6%-58.6%) with ivonescimab and 35.4% (95% CI, 28.0%-43.3%) with placebo (difference, 15.6% [95% CI, 5.3%-26.0%]; P = .006). The median overall survival data were not mature; at data cutoff, 69 patients (21.4%) had died. Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 99 patients (61.5%) in the ivonescimab group vs 79 patients (49.1%) in the placebo group, the most common of which were chemotherapy-related. Grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events occurred in 10 patients (6.2%) in the ivonescimab group vs 4 (2.5%) in the placebo group. Grade 3 or higher vascular endothelial growth factor-related adverse events occurred in 5 patients (3.1%) in the ivonescimab group vs 4 (2.5%) in the placebo group. Conclusions: Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival with tolerable safety profile in TKI-treated non-small cell lung cancer. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05184712.

AKR7A3 modulates the metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through regulating PHGDH-suppressed autophagy.

AKR7A3 is a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) protein family, whose primary purpose is to reduce aldehydes and ketones to generate primary and secondary alcohols. It has been reported that AKR7A3 is downregulated in pancreatic cancer (PC). However, the mechanism underlying the effects of AKR7A3 in PC remains largely unclarified. Here, we explored the biological function, molecular mechanism and clinical relevance of AKR7A3 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). AKR7A3 expression was downregulated in PDAC compared with adjacent normal tissues, and the lower AKR7A3 expression was related to poor prognosis. In addition, our results demonstrated that AKR7A3 could be a potential diagnostic marker for PDAC, especially in the early stages. Knockdown of AKR7A3 promoted PDAC progression and chemoresistance, while inhibiting autophagy flux. Mechanistically, AKR7A3 affected the metastasis, autophagy, and chemoresistance of PDAC by regulating PHGDH. Overall, the present study suggests that AKR7A3 inhibits PDAC progression by regulating PHGDH-induced autophagy. In addition, AKR7A3 inhibits chemoresistance via regulating PHGDH and may serve as a new therapeutic target for PDAC.

Hyperthermic intrathoracic/intraperitoneal chemotherapy versus conventional intrapleural/intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the malignant effusion: a multi-center randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of hyperthermic intrathoracic/intraperitoneal chemotherapy versus conventional intrapleural/intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant pleural or peritoneal effusion. METHODS: A randomized clinical trial was carried out in 8 cancer centers across China. Patients with malignant pleural or peritoneal effusion were randomly assigned to the study group or control group. Patients in the study group were treated with cisplatin-based hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), while the control group was treated with conventional intrapleural or intraperitoneal chemotherapy using same chemotherapeutic regime as the study group. The objective response rate (ORR) was analyzed as primary outcome. Quality-of-life (QOL) score was recorded as secondary outcome using the questionnaire 30 (QLQ-C30) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). The efficacy and safety of the two treatments were compared. RESULTS: Total 135 patients were recruited and randomized in this study, with 67 patients in the study group and 68 patients in the control group. The ORR in the study group (80.70%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (31.03%, p < 0.001). However, neither changes of QOL scores, nor incidence rates of adverse events were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.076 and 0.197, respectively). CONCLUSION: Efficacy of HITHOC or HIPEC is superior to that of conventional modality for the treatment of malignant effusion with comparable side effects.

NUCKS1 promotes the progression of colorectal cancer via activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinase substrate 1 (NUCKS1) is highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors and functions as an oncogene; however, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. We aimed to explore the function and regulatory mechanisms of NUCKS1 and potential therapeutic agents targeting NUCKS1 in CRC. We knocked down and overexpressed NUCKS1 in CRC cells and explored its effects in vitro and in vivo. Flow cytometry, CCK-8, Western blotting, colony formation, immunohistochemistry, in vivo tumorigenic, and transmission electron microscopy analyses were performed to determine the effects of NUCKS1 on CRC cell function. LY294002 was used to examine the mechanism of NUCKS1 expression in CRC cells. Potential therapeutic agents for NUCKS1-high CRC patients were analyzed using the CTRP and PRISM datasets, and the function of selected agents was determined by CCK-8 and Western blotting. We revealed that NUCKS1 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and clinically correlated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. NUCKS1 knockdown induces cell cycle arrest, inhibits CRC cell proliferation, and promotes apoptosis and autophagy. These results were reversed when NUCKS1 was overexpressed. Mechanistically, NUCKS1 exerts a cancer-promoting function by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This was reversed when LY294002 was used to inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, we determined that mitoxantrone exhibited high drug sensitivity in NUCKS1-overexpressing CRC cells. This work demonstrated NUCKS1 plays a crucial role in CRC progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Additionally, mitoxantrone may be a potential therapeutic agent for CRC treatment. Therefore, NUCKS1 represents a promising anti-tumor therapeutic target.

A novel method of bedside hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy for stage-III gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel method of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) as adjuvant therapy for stage-III gastric cancer. METHODS: Patients with stage-III gastric cancer who underwent D2 radical gastrectomy were randomly assigned to the HIPEC or control group four weeks after surgery. The HIPEC group was treated with cisplatin (60 mg/m2) administered with a HIPEC device on days 1 and 3 (30 mg/m2 each time), along with oral S-1, 40-60 mg, twice daily, for 14 days. The control group was treated with cisplatin (60 mg/m2) administered intravenously plus oral S-1 (40-60 mg, 2/d for 14 days). The primary outcome of the study was disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Total 114 patients were included in the study, with 57 patients in each group. The median DFS was 29.0 months in the HIPEC group, which was significantly longer than that in the control group (15.0 months, p = 0.006). The two-year DFS rate in the HIPEC group was higher than that in the control group (50.4% vs. 25.5%). Median OS was 42.0 month in the HIPEC group and 31.0 month in the control (p = 0.042). Peritoneal metastasis occurred in six patients in the HIPEC group (10.5%) and 12 patients in the control (21.1%, p = 0.198). No significant difference in the incidence of adverse event except for thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSION: HIPEC with cisplatin plus oral S-1 is a safe and effective adjuvant therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer following D2 radical gastrectomy. Trial registration: This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier (NCT number): NCT02396498.

TMEM43 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by stabilizing PRPF3 and regulating RAP2B/ERK axis.

BACKGROUND: Transmembrane protein 43 (TMEM43), a member of the transmembrane protein subfamily, plays a critical role in the initiation and development of cancers. However, little is known concerning the biological function and molecular mechanisms of TMEM43 in pancreatic cancer. METHODS: In this study, TMEM43 expression levels were analyzed in pancreatic cancer samples compared with control samples. The relationship of TMEM43 expression and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed in pancreatic cancer patients. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to explore the function and role of TMEM43 in pancreatic cancer. Coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) followed by protein mass spectrometry was applied to analyze the molecular mechanisms of TMEM43 in pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: We demonstrated that TMEM43 expression level is elevated in pancreatic cancer samples compared with control group, and is correlated with poor DFS and OS in pancreatic cancer patients. Knockdown of TMEM43 inhibited pancreatic cancer progression in vitro, decreased the percentage of S phase, and inhibited the tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrated that TMEM43 promoted pancreatic cancer progression by stabilizing PRPF3 and regulating the RAP2B/ERK axis. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that TMEM43 contributes to pancreatic cancer progression through the PRPF3/RAP2B/ERK axis, and might be a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

HSPA5 repressed ferroptosis to promote colorectal cancer development by maintaining GPX4 stability.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant cancers and its pathological mechanism is largely unknown. Unfolded protein response and ferroptosis are both critical factors involved in CRC development. However, their relationship in CRC remains to be explored. In this study, erastin was used to induce ferroptosis in CRC cells. Ferroptosis was confirmed by the detection of glutathione, malondialdehyde, and lipid reactive oxygen species. The CRC datasets were analyzed using the R software, GEPIA2, and TIMER2.0. The results indicated that GPX4 was decreased when treated with the ferroptosis inducer erastin. As an intrinsic protective pathway, the unfolded protein response was activated and HSPA5 was increased during ferroptosis. HSPA5 was found to attenuate erastin-induced GPX4 decrease, repress ferroptosis, and promote CRC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, HSPA5 bound directly to GPX4 and the interaction between HSPA5 and GPX4 increased when treated with erastin for a short time period. Although the HSPA5-GPX4 interaction failed to completely reverse erastin-induced GPX4 decrease, HSPA5 slowed down the GPX4 degradation process and gave CRC cells more time to adjust to erastin toxicity. Additionally, HSPA5 was demonstrated to play a diagnostic role and correlated to the immune microenvironment in CRC patients. Our study demonstrates that increased HSPA5 was an intrinsic protective strategy to resist ferroptosis. Specifically, HSPA5 restrained ferroptosis to promote colorectal cancer development by maintaining GPX4 stability. Our study provides potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Differentially Expressed Proteins and Downstream Signaling Pathways in Chronic Bladder Ischemia.

PURPOSE: Growing evidence suggests that ischemia may contribute to aging associated bladder dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms. Our goal was to determine the effects of chronic ischemia on bladder proteomic profiles and characterize downstream signaling pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral iliac artery atherosclerosis and chronic bladder ischemia were created in male Sprague Dawley® rats. At 8 weeks cystometrograms were obtained. Ischemic and control bladder tissues were then processed for label-free quantitative proteomic analysis. GO (Gene Ontology) and IPA (Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis) software were used to classify altered proteins in bladder ischemia. Western blot was done to confirm differentially expressed proteins. Tissue structure was examined by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Chronic ischemia resulted in detrusor instability and noncompliance. Proteomic analysis revealed a total of 4,277 proteins in ischemic and 4,602 in control bladder tissues. In ischemic bladders 359 and 66 proteins were differentially expressed with a greater than twofold and fivefold change, respectively. On GO analysis differentially expressed proteins were associated with molecular signaling mechanisms underlying proteolysis and degenerative processes. Pathway and network analysis of ischemic tissues suggested that altered proteins are involved in ubiquitination, Nrf2 mediated oxidative stress response, cell death, glucose metabolism and cytoskeleton remodeling. Western blot verified changes in 4 representative proteins, including Nedd4l, Mpo, Ca3 and Fkbp5. Altered proteomic profile of the bladder was associated with widespread ultrastructural damage. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations of bladder proteomic profiles in ischemia may provide new insight into molecular pathways underlying bladder dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms in pelvic atherosclerosis.

Polymorphisms of EpCAM gene and prognosis for non-small-cell lung cancer in Han Chinese.

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers and is associated with patient prognosis, including those with lung cancer. However, the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EpCAM gene with the prognosis for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has never been investigated. We evaluated the association between two SNPs, rs1126497 and rs1421, in the EpCAM gene and clinical outcomes in a Chinese cohort of 506 NSCLC patients. The SNPs were genotyped using the Sequenom iPLEX genotyping system. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess the association of EpCAM gene genotypes with the prognosis of NSCLC. We found that the non-synonymous SNP rs1126497 was significantly associated with survival. Compared with the CC genotype, the CT+TT genotype was a risk factor for both death (hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.94; P = 0.040) and recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02-1.77; P = 0.039). However, the SNP rs1421 did not show any significant effect on patient prognosis. Instead, the AG+GG genotype in rs1421 was significantly associated with early T stages (T1/T2) when compared with the AA genotype (odds ratio for late stage = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44-0.96, P = 0.029). Further stratified analysis showed notable modulating effects of clinical characteristics on the associations between variant genotypes of rs1126497 and NSCLC outcomes. In conclusion, our study indicated that the non-synonymous SNP rs1126497 may be a potential prognostic marker for NSCLC patients.

METTL3-mediated RanGAP1 promotes colorectal cancer progression through the MAPK pathway by recruiting YTHDF1.

Ran GTPase activating protein 1 (RanGAP1) has been implicated in various diseases, but its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remains unclear. Using tumor tissues and public databases, we found that RanGAP1 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and was associated with poor prognosis of patients. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was found to play an important role in higher expression of RanGAP1. MeRIP-seq, RIP-qPCR, Luciferase reporter assays and other related experiment elucidated the molecular mechanism underlying m6A modification of RanGAP1. Besides, cell function experiments and xenograft tumor models corroborated the function of RanGAP1 in CRC progression. By RNA-seq and related analysis, RanGAP1 was verified to influent CRC progression via the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Therefore, N6-methyladenosine modification of RanGAP1 by METTL3/YTHDF1 plays a role in CRC progression through the MAPK pathway and could be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC. Schematic diagram showed that N6-methyladenosine modification of RanGAP1 promotes CRC progression via the MAPK signaling pathway.

Advances and clinical challenges of mesenchymal stem cell therapy.

In recent years, cell therapy has provided desirable properties for promising new drugs. Mesenchymal stem cells are promising candidates for developing genetic engineering and drug delivery strategies due to their inherent properties, including immune regulation, homing ability and tumor tropism. The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells is being investigated for cancer therapy, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, among others. Mesenchymal stem cells are attractive cellular carriers for synthetic nanoparticles for drug delivery due to their inherent homing ability. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the various genetic and non-genetic strategies of mesenchymal stem cells and their derivatives in drug delivery, tumor therapy, immune regulation, tissue regeneration and other fields. In addition, we discuss the current limitations of stem cell therapy and the challenges in clinical translation, aiming to identify important development areas and potential future directions.

ING5 inhibits aerobic glycolysis of lung cancer cells by promoting TIE1-mediated phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 at Y163.

Aerobic glycolysis is critical for tumor growth and metastasis. Previously, we have found that the overexpression of the inhibitor of growth 5 (ING5) inhibits lung cancer aggressiveness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, whether ING5 regulates lung cancer metabolism reprogramming remains unknown. Here, by quantitative proteomics, we showed that ING5 differentially regulates protein phosphorylation and identified a new site (Y163) of the key glycolytic enzyme PDK1 whose phosphorylation was upregulated 13.847-fold. By clinical study, decreased p-PDK1Y163 was observed in lung cancer tissues and correlated with poor survival. p-PDK1Y163 represents the negative regulatory mechanism of PDK1 by causing PDHA1 dephosphorylation and activation, leading to switching from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation, with increasing oxygen consumption and decreasing lactate production. These effects could be impaired by PDK1Y163F mutation, which also impaired the inhibitory effects of ING5 on cancer cell EMT and invasiveness. Mouse xenograft models confirmed the indispensable role of p-PDK1Y163 in ING5-inhibited tumor growth and metastasis. By siRNA screening, ING5-upregulated TIE1 was identified as the upstream tyrosine protein kinase targeting PDK1Y163. TIE1 knockdown induced the dephosphorylation of PDK1Y163 and increased the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Collectively, ING5 overexpression-upregulated TIE1 phosphorylates PDK1Y163, which is critical for the inhibition of aerobic glycolysis and invasiveness of lung cancer cells.

Savolitinib in patients in China with locally advanced or metastatic treatment-naive non-small-cell lung cancer harbouring MET exon 14 skipping mutations: results from a single-arm, multicohort, multicentre, open-label, phase 3b confirmatory study.

BACKGROUND: Savolitinib has been approved in China for advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations in previously treated patients and those unable to receive platinum-based chemotherapy. We report results from a treatment-naive cohort of a phase 3b study that was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of savolitinib in locally advanced or metastatic METex14-mutated NSCLC. METHODS: This single-arm, multicohort, multicentre, open-label, phase 3b study was done at 48 hospitals in China in adult (≥18 years) patients with locally advanced or metastatic METex14-mutated NSCLC who had not received previous systemic antitumour therapy. Patients with a bodyweight of 50 kg or more and those with a bodyweight of less than 50 kg received savolitinib once daily at 600 mg or 400 mg, respectively, in 21-day cycles. The primary endpoint was objective response rate assessed by independent review committee (IRC) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours, version 1.1. The full analysis set comprised all patients who received at least one dose of study medication, which was used to assess the efficacy endpoints and baseline and safety data. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04923945) and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Aug 31, 2021, and Oct 20, 2023, 125 treatment-naive patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 87 were enrolled and received savolitinib. The median age of patients was 70·0 years (IQR 65·2-75·8) and 51 (59%) of 87 patients were male and 36 (41%) were female. In the full analysis set, the IRC-assessed objective response rate was 62% (95% CI 51-72) and the investigator-assessed objective response rate was 60% (49-70), showing a high concordance rate (84%). Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 85 (98%) of 87 patients, with peripheral oedema (54 [62%]) being the most common. Two of these treatment-related adverse events led to death (cardiac failure n=1, unknown reasons n=1). INTERPRETATION: Savolitinib showed manageable toxicity and promising efficacy in treatment-naive patients with advanced or metastatic METex14-mutated NSCLC. FUNDING: HUTCHMED and AstraZeneca.

The up-regulation of cysteine-rich protein 61 induced by transforming growth factor beta enhances osteosarcoma cell migration.

Overexpressed cysteine-rich protein 61 (Cyr61) is believed to enhance osteosarcoma (OS) cell metastasis, but the mechanism of Cyr61 overexpression in OS is not clear so far. In this study 33 OS samples were analyzed by immunostaining and focused on two parts: the correlation between overexpression of Cyr61 and OS metastasis; the mechanism of regulating Cyr61 expression in OS. Twenty-five out of 33 cases (75.76 %) with metastasis showed high expression of Cyr61. Furthermore, Cyr61 expression in Saos-2 cells was reduced by siRNA, and lower expression of Cyr61 in Saos-2 cell resulted in a cell migration deficiency and had no effect on cell proliferation. Particularly, Cyr61 expression was significantly increased in Saos-2 cells in response to different dosages of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), indicating that the expression of Cyr61 is TGF-ß dependent. A transwell assay showed that Saos-2 cells stimulated with TGF-ß had a greater capacity for migration than the control cells. The p38 MAPK-specific inhibitor SB203580 was able to reduce Cyr61 expression and inhibit the migration of Saos-2 cells stimulated with TGF-ß. These results obtained provide new evidence that overexpressed Cyr61 plays a key role in the metastasis of OS cells and Cyr61 is a potential target downstream of TGF-ß/p38 MAPK to regulate cell migration.

A bioequivalence study of trifluridine/tipiracil tablets in Chinese metastatic colorectal cancer patients under fed conditions.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Trifluridine (FTD) remained at higher concentrations longer when administered along with tipiracil (TPI) compared with FTD alone. Lonsurf® is a combination formulation consisting of FTD and TPI. This study aimed to investigate the bioequivalence of FTD/TPI formulations in Chinese metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. METHODS: In this phase I, randomized, open-label, single-dose, two-sequence, four-cycle crossover study in mCRC patients, the bioequivalence of 60 mg (20 mg tablet, 3 tablets) of the test formulation and the reference formulation (Lonsurf®) was evaluated. Due to its high variability, the method of reference-scaled average bioequivalence (RSABE) was used to investigate the bioequivalence of the test and reference formulations. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were enrolled. 78.1% of the subjects were male, and the mean (standard deviation) age was 53.9 (SD = ± 9.0) years old. The time to reach the maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) was almost 2.0 h post-dose. The geometric least-squares mean ratios (GMRs) (test/reference) of Cmax and AUC0-t for FTD were 95.3% and 102.9%, respectively, with 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for the natural log-transformed ratios of Cmax and AUC0-t of 90.0-100.9% and 99.9-105.9%, while the GMRs of Cmax and AUC0-t for TPI were 95.7% and 100.7%, respectively, with 90% CIs of 90.5-101.2% and 97.0-104.7%. In addition, the GMRs of Cmax and AUC0-t for FTD's major metabolite, trifluorothymine (FTY), were 94.8 (90% CI 90.3-99.5%) and 99.33 (90% CI 96.9-101.9%), respectively. These were in accord with the FDA bioequivalence definition interval of 80-125%. CONCLUSION: The test and reference FTD/TPI formulations were bioequivalent in Chinese mCRC patients under fed conditions.

Machine learning-based integration develops a metabolism-derived consensus model for improving immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PAC) is one of the most malignant cancer types and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option. PAC cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, which is thought to modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and affect immunotherapy outcomes. However, the metabolic landscape of PAC and its association with the TME remains largely unexplored. METHODS: We characterized the metabolic landscape of PAC based on 112 metabolic pathways and constructed a novel metabolism-related signature (MBS) using data from 1,188 patients with PAC. We evaluated the predictive performance of MBS for immunotherapy outcomes in 11 immunotherapy cohorts from both bulk-RNA and single-cell perspectives. We validated our results using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, colony-formation assays, and an in-house cohort. RESULTS: MBS was found to be negatively associated with antitumor immunity, while positively correlated with cancer stemness, intratumoral heterogeneity, and immune resistant pathways. Notably, MBS outperformed other acknowledged signatures for predicting immunotherapy response in multiple immunotherapy cohorts. Additionally, MBS was a powerful and robust biomarker for predicting prognosis compared with 66 published signatures. Further, we identified dasatinib and epothilone B as potential therapeutic options for MBS-high patients, which were validated through experiments. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides insights into the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in PAC and introduces MBS as a robust metabolism-based indicator for predicting response to immunotherapy and prognosis in patients with PAC. These findings have significant implications for the development of personalized treatment strategies in patients with PAC and highlight the importance of considering metabolic pathways and immune infiltration in TME regulation.

Progress in Pluronic F127 Derivatives for Application in Wound Healing and Repair.

Pluronic F127 hydrogel biomaterial has garnered considerable attention in wound healing and repair due to its remarkable properties including temperature sensitivity, injectability, biodegradability, and maintain a moist wound environment. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth exploration of the recent advancements in Pluronic F127-derived hydrogels, such as F127-CHO, F127-NH2, and F127-DA, focusing on their applications in the treatment of various types of wounds, ranging from burns and acute wounds to infected wounds, diabetic wounds, cutaneous tumor wounds, and uterine scars. Furthermore, the review meticulously examines the intricate interaction mechanisms employed by these hydrogels within the wound microenvironment. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Pluronic F127, analyzing the current state of wound healing development, and expanding on the trend of targeting mitochondria and cells with F127 as a nanomaterial. The review enhances our understanding of the therapeutic effects of these hydrogels aims to foster the development of effective and safe wound-healing modalities. The valuable insights provided this review have the potential to inspire novel ideas for clinical treatment and facilitate the advancement of innovative wound management approaches.

Down-regulation of ß3-integrin inhibits bone metastasis of small cell lung cancer.

Bone is one of the most frequent targets of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) metastasis, but the molecular mechanism remains unclear. ß3-integrin plays an important role in invasion of various kinds of tumors. Yet, its role in bone-metastasis of SCLC is still unknown. In this study, we first examined the expression of ß3-integrin in SBC-5 and SBC-3 cells by real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. We found that, compared to none bone-metastatic SBC-3 cells, ß3-integrin was highly expressed in SBC-5 cells, a specific bone-metastatic SCLC cells line characterized in our previous study. We next constructed ß3-integrin siRNA and transfected SBC-5 cell line, and found that ß3-integrin siRNA significantly down-regulated the ß3-integrin mRNA level and protein expression in SBC-5 cell line. We further found that inhibition of ß3-integrin significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. In addition, the ß3-integrin down-regulated cells presented significant decrease in cell adhesion, migration and invasion activity. Our results suggest the ß3-integrin has an essential effect on tumor cell proliferation and progression, and may be a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of skeletal metastases of lung cancer.