The nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora detects prey pheromones via G protein-coupled receptors.

The ability to sense prey-derived cues is essential for predatory lifestyles. Under low-nutrient conditions, Arthrobotrys oligospora and other nematode-trapping fungi develop dedicated structures for nematode capture when exposed to nematode-derived cues, including a conserved family of pheromones, the ascarosides. A. oligospora senses ascarosides via conserved MAPK and cAMP-PKA pathways; however, the upstream receptors remain unknown. Here, using genomic, transcriptomic and functional analyses, we identified two families of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in sensing distinct nematode-derived cues. GPCRs homologous to yeast glucose receptors are required for ascaroside sensing, whereas Pth11-like GPCRs contribute to ascaroside-independent nematode sensing. Both GPCR classes activate conserved cAMP-PKA signalling to trigger trap development. This work demonstrates that predatory fungi use multiple GPCRs to sense several distinct nematode-derived cues for prey recognition and to enable a switch to a predatory lifestyle. Identification of these receptors reveals the molecular mechanisms of cross-kingdom communication via conserved pheromones also sensed by plants and animals.

Key processes required for the different stages of fungal carnivory by a nematode-trapping fungus.

Nutritional deprivation triggers a switch from a saprotrophic to predatory lifestyle in soil-dwelling nematode-trapping fungi (NTF). In particular, the NTF Arthrobotrys oligospora secretes food and sex cues to lure nematodes to its mycelium and is triggered to develop specialized trapping devices. Captured nematodes are then invaded and digested by the fungus, thus serving as a food source. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic response of A. oligospora across the stages of sensing, trap development, and digestion upon exposure to the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A. oligospora enacts a dynamic transcriptomic response, especially of protein secretion-related genes, in the presence of prey. Two-thirds of the predicted secretome of A. oligospora was up-regulated in the presence of C. elegans at all time points examined, and among these secreted proteins, 38.5% are predicted to be effector proteins. Furthermore, functional studies disrupting the t-SNARE protein Sso2 resulted in impaired ability to capture nematodes. Additionally, genes of the DUF3129 family, which are expanded in the genomes of several NTF, were highly up-regulated upon nematode exposure. We observed the accumulation of highly expressed DUF3129 proteins in trap cells, leading us to name members of this gene family as Trap Enriched Proteins (TEPs). Gene deletion of the most highly expressed TEP gene, TEP1, impairs the function of traps and prevents the fungus from capturing prey efficiently. In late stages of predation, we observed up-regulation of a variety of proteases, including metalloproteases. Following penetration of nematodes, these metalloproteases facilitate hyphal growth required for colonization of prey. These findings provide insights into the biology of the predatory lifestyle switch in a carnivorous fungus and provide frameworks for other fungal-nematode predator-prey systems.

Development of an Australia and New Zealand Lung Cancer Clinical Quality Registry: a protocol paper.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality, comprising the largest national cancer disease burden in Australia and New Zealand. Regional reports identify substantial evidence-practice gaps, unwarranted variation from best practice, and variation in processes and outcomes of care between treating centres. The Australia and New Zealand Lung Cancer Registry (ANZLCR) will be developed as a Clinical Quality Registry to monitor the safety, quality and effectiveness of lung cancer care in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Patient participants will include all adults >18 years of age with a new diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), SCLC, thymoma or mesothelioma. The ANZLCR will register confirmed diagnoses using opt-out consent. Data will address key patient, disease, management processes and outcomes reported as clinical quality indicators. Electronic data collection facilitated by local data collectors and local, state and federal data linkage will enhance completeness and accuracy. Data will be stored and maintained in a secure web-based data platform overseen by registry management. Central governance with binational representation from consumers, patients and carers, governance, administration, health department, health policy bodies, university research and healthcare workers will provide project oversight. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The ANZLCR has received national ethics approval under the National Mutual Acceptance scheme. Data will be routinely reported to participating sites describing performance against measures of agreed best practice and nationally to stakeholders including federal, state and territory departments of health. Local, regional and (bi)national benchmarks, augmented with online dashboard indicator reporting will enable local targeting of quality improvement efforts.

SNPC-1.3 is a sex-specific transcription factor that drives male piRNA expression in C. elegans.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play essential roles in silencing repetitive elements to promote fertility in metazoans. Studies in worms, flies, and mammals reveal that piRNAs are expressed in a sex-specific manner. However, the mechanisms underlying this sex-specific regulation are unknown. Here we identify SNPC-1.3, a male germline-enriched variant of a conserved subunit of the small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex, as a male-specific piRNA transcription factor in Caenorhabditis elegans. SNPC-1.3 colocalizes with the core piRNA transcription factor, SNPC-4, in nuclear foci of the male germline. Binding of SNPC-1.3 at male piRNA loci drives spermatogenic piRNA transcription and requires SNPC-4. Loss of snpc-1.3 leads to depletion of male piRNAs and defects in male-dependent fertility. Furthermore, TRA-1, a master regulator of sex determination, binds to the snpc-1.3 promoter and represses its expression during oogenesis. Loss of TRA-1 targeting causes ectopic expression of snpc-1.3 and male piRNAs during oogenesis. Thus, sexually dimorphic regulation of snpc-1.3 expression coordinates male and female piRNA expression during germline development.

Targeted Therapy For RET-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Clinical Development And Future Directions.

Approximately 1-2% of unselected patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) harbor RET rearrangements resulting in enhanced cell survival and proliferation. The initial treatment strategy for RET rearranged NSCLC has been multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibition. With overall response rates (ORR) of 16-53% and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.5-7.3 months these outcomes are clearly inferior to the efficacy outcomes of selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in other oncogene-addicted NSCLC. Additionally, multi-kinase inhibition in RET-driven NSCLC patients showed concerning rates of high-grade toxicity, mainly induced by anti-VEGFR-kinase activity. Novel selective RET inhibitors like BLU-667, LOXO-292 and RXDX-105 have been recently investigated in early phase clinical trials showing promising efficacy with a manageable toxicity profile.

Immune checkpoint blockade in small cell lung cancer.

Despite the highly immunogenic potential of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), progress in evaluating the therapeutic value of immune checkpoint agents has lagged behind that of non-small cell lung cancer. Results from a number of phase I-III clinical trials that specifically address the use of anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 agents in SCLC have now been reported. This review will focus on the available evidence for immune checkpoint blockade in SCLC and review current biomarker strategies with the aim of providing perspective and interpretation of this data for clinical practice.

Optimal management of brain metastases in oncogenic-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Brain metastases are common events in the natural course of many advanced solid cancers like breast, lung and renal cancer or melanoma with a cumulative risk of 10-30% in adults [1-3]. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with an increased risk for the development of brain metastases and the prognosis until recently has been poor except for some patients' subgroups and depending on the disease-specific GPA prognostic factors [4]. For patients receiving only best supportive care, average survival is about 3 months and it is assumed that through additional whole brain radiotherapy average survival may be improved up to 6-9 months in selected patients [5]. In recent years, complex treatment strategies for different solid tumors have been developed and this has impacted on the general management of brain metastases. Most of the studies on brain metastases have included different histological subtypes and therefore have made tumor- specific recommendations difficult. In this review, we discuss the current evidence on management of brain metastases and incorporate specific recent data on oncogenic-driven NSCLC in order to suggest recommendations on the optimal management of brain metastases in this subgroup of NSCLC where formal level I evidence is lacking.

Predictive biomarkers of response for immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint blockade has been a pivotal development in the management of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although durable antitumour activity and improved survival have been observed in a subset of patients, there is a need for additional predictive biomarkers to improve patient selection and avoid toxicity in potential non-responders. This review will address the use and limitations of tumour programmed death-ligand 1 expression as a predictive biomarker and review emerging biomarker strategies specifically related to NSCLC including genetic alterations (tumour mutation burden, loss and gain activated mutations), tumour-related factors (tumour microenvironment) and factors related to the host immune system. Novel approaches in biomarker detection such as peripheral blood monitoring will also be reviewed.

Dramatic cropland expansion in Myanmar following political reforms threatens biodiversity.

Effective conservation planning needs to consider the threats of cropland expansion to biodiversity. We used Myanmar as a case study to devise a modeling framework to identify which Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are most vulnerable to cropland expansion in a context of increasingly resolved armed conflict. We studied 13 major crops with the potential to expand into KBAs. We used mixed-effects models and an agricultural versus forest rent framework to model current land use and conversion of forests to cropland for each crop. We found that the current cropland distribution is explained by higher agricultural value, lower transportation costs and lower elevation. We also found that protected areas and socio-political instability are effective in slowing down deforestation with conflicts in Myanmar damaging farmland and displacing farmers elsewhere. Under plausible economic development and socio-political stability scenarios, the models forecast 48.5% of land to be converted. We identified export crops such as maize, and pigeon pea as key deforestation drivers. This cropland expansion would pose a major threat to Myanmar's freshwater KBAs. We highlight the importance of considering rapid land-use transitions in the tropics to devise robust conservation plans.

The Role of Targeted Agents and Immunotherapy in Older Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly. This subgroup of patients poses many challenges and an appropriate geriatric assessment is crucial for treatment personalisation in order to reduce the risk of over- or under-treatment. Whilst cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the backbone of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment for decades, the development of targeted agents for driver mutations such as EGFR, ALK, BRAF and ROS1 has changed the treatment paradigm and natural history of this disease. More recently, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionised treatment for a larger group of patients with locally advanced/metastatic disease. Limited data exist on safety and efficacy of these agents in the elderly population. Many questions remain regarding the available evidence for targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockade in NSCLC and, in particular, their role in this subgroup of patients.

Immune checkpoint blockade for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: challenging clinical scenarios.

Immune checkpoint blockade has shown anti-tumour activity and improved survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A number of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody agents have been evaluated in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab are currently approved for use in clinical practice due to demonstrated improvement in response rate, overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL) over standard chemotherapy. We present a series of cases that highlight the clinical challenges that these novel agents present. A review of rare immune-related adverse events (AEs), optimal treatment duration and patient selection will be presented. This series will also address real-life clinical scenarios such as treatment re-challenge and management of immune-related AEs.

The ATPase motor of the Chd1 chromatin remodeler stimulates DNA unwrapping from the nucleosome.

Chromatin remodelers are ATP-dependent motors that reorganize DNA packaging by disrupting canonical histone-DNA contacts within the nucleosome. Here, we show that the Chd1 chromatin remodeler stimulates DNA unwrapping from the edge of the nucleosome in a nucleotide-dependent and DNA sequence-sensitive fashion. Nucleosome binding, monitored by stopped flow, was complex and sensitive to nucleotide, with AMP-PNP promoting faster binding than ADP·BeF3-. Nucleosome unwrapping by Chd1, examined by bulk FRET, occurred in the presence and absence of nucleotide and did not require the Chd1 DNA-binding domain. In AMP-PNP conditions, Chd1 unwrapped one side of the Widom 601 DNA more easily than the other, consistent with previous observations of 601 asymmetry and indicating that Chd1 amplifies intrinsic sequence properties of nucleosomal DNA. Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with contrast variation, we found distinct DNA conformations depending on the nucleotide analog bound to Chd1: with AMP-PNP, DNA primarily unwrapped in-plane with the nucleosomal disk, whereas with ADP·BeF3-, a significant fraction showed distinctive out-of-plane unwrapping as well. Taken together, our findings show tight coupling between entry/exit DNA of the nucleosome and the Chd1 ATPase motor, suggesting that dynamic nucleosome unwrapping is coupled to nucleosome binding and remodeling by Chd1.

Current and future therapeutic approaches for the treatment of small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive disease characterized by a high response rate to first-line chemotherapy, but most patients relapse within 1 year with disappointing results to second-line treatments. Chemotherapy has reached a plateau of effectiveness and new therapeutic strategies are needed to change the natural history of SCLC. Areas covered: This review will focus on the current results and the future development of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of SCLC. Expert commentary: Immunotherapy is becoming a new frontier for the management of SCLC with preliminary interesting results. To date, no targeted drugs have been approved for clinical practice but several novel agents are in an advanced stage of clinical development in SCLC.

Phase II study of everolimus (RAD001) monotherapy as first-line treatment in advanced biliary tract cancer with biomarker exploration: the RADiChol Study.

BACKGROUND: Advanced biliary tract cancers (BTCs) have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. This exploratory phase II study aimed to evaluate the activity of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus in advanced BTC and explore prognostic biomarkers. METHODS: Patients with advanced BTCs, who had not received chemotherapy for advanced disease, were enroled to receive everolimus (10 mg daily). The primary endpoint was disease control rate (DCR) at 12 weeks. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events. Activation status of the RAS and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathways was assessed by DNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry on archival tumour tissue. RESULTS: The study enroled 27 patients and the DCR at 12 weeks was 48%. Median PFS was 5.5 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-10.0 months) and median OS was 9.5 months (95% CI: 5.5-16.6 months). DCR at 12 weeks was significantly worse for gall bladder carcinoma compared to other anatomical sites, and there was a trend towards a worsened PFS and OS. Treatment was well tolerated. KRAS (12%) and PIK3CA mutations (12%) were uncommon. Immunohistochemical staining for PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways did not significantly correlate with outcome. CONCLUSION: In unselected patients, everolimus demonstrated clinical activity as first-line monotherapy in advanced BTC.

Successful use of equine anti-thymocyte globulin (ATGAM) for fulminant myocarditis secondary to nivolumab therapy.

BACKGROUND: Immune-mediated myocarditis is an uncommon adverse effect of immune checkpoint inhibition and is associated with a high rate of mortality. METHODS: In this reported case, a 64-year-old woman with right temporo-parietal glioblastoma IDH-WT was treated with nivolumab, temozolomide and radiation therapy on a clinical trial. She developed malignant arrhythmias secondary to histologically confirmed severe immune-mediated myocarditis. She was treated with equine anti-thymocyte globulin (ATGAM) due to development of malignant arrhythmias refractory to high-dose corticosteroids. RESULTS: This report describes the only case of immune-mediated myocarditis treated with ATGAM resulting in a favourable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Use of ATGAM should be considered in cases of steroid-refractory immune-mediated myocarditis and administered in close consultation with a cardiac transplant team experienced in the use of this agent.

Survival Impact of Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Resected Locally Advanced Rectal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent data has created uncertainty regarding the benefit of adjuvant fluoropyrimidine-containing chemotherapy following preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). In particular, patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) may derive no benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with LARC, diagnosed between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2014 at 3 Melbourne health services. Patients were identified from the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Outcomes and Research Database, where a defined data set is prospectively collected on consecutive patients. Patient demographics, pCR rates, postoperative treatment, recurrence, and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 717 patients with LARC were identified, of whom 555 (77%) had received preoperative long-course chemoradiation followed by surgery. Four hundred fifty-two of 555 patients (81%) subsequently received adjuvant fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 45.9 months, 95 (21%) patients in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 20 (19%) in the surveillance group had relapsed. Five-year relapse-free survival was 77% in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 71% in the surveillance group with no significant difference on univariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-1.51; P = .780). No significant impact on relapse-free survival was seen for either pCR or non-pCR patients. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 85% in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 74% in the surveillance group with a nonsignificant trend towards OS benefit (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.37-1.05; P = .074). A significant OS benefit favoring adjuvant chemotherapy was seen in the non-pCR subset of patients (HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28-0.86; P = .014). CONCLUSION: A high proportion of patients in this routine practice cohort received adjuvant chemotherapy following preoperative treatment and surgery for LARC. Adjuvant chemotherapy administration was associated with a significant improvement in 5-year OS only in the patients with a non-pCR.