Immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors with or without transarterial chemoembolization as first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (CHANCE2201): a target trial emulation study.

Background: The role of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unconfirmed. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with or without TACE as first-line treatment for advanced HCC. Methods: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study included advanced HCC patients receiving either TACE with ICIs plus anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs (TACE-ICI-VEGF) or only ICIs plus anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs (ICI-VEGF) from January 2018 to December 2022. The study design followed the target trial emulation framework with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (sIPTW) to minimize biases. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05332821. Findings: Among 1244 patients included in the analysis, 802 (64.5%) patients received TACE-ICI-VEGF treatment, and 442 (35.5%) patients received ICI-VEGF treatment. The median follow-up time was 21.1 months and 20.6 months, respectively. Post-application of sIPTW, baseline characteristics were well-balanced between the two groups. TACE-ICI-VEGF group exhibited a significantly improved median OS (22.6 months [95% CI: 21.2-23.9] vs 15.9 months [14.9-17.8]; P < 0.0001; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.63 [95% CI: 0.53-0.75]). Median PFS was also longer in TACE-ICI-VEGF group (9.9 months [9.1-10.6] vs 7.4 months [6.7-8.5]; P < 0.0001; aHR 0.74 [0.65-0.85]) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) version 1.1. A higher ORR was observed in TACE-ICI-VEGF group, by either RECIST v1.1 or modified RECIST (41.2% vs 22.9%, P < 0.0001; 47.3% vs 29.7%, P < 0.0001). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 178 patients (22.2%) in TACE-ICI-VEGF group and 80 patients (18.1%) in ICI-VEGF group. Interpretation: This multicenter study supports the use of TACE combined with ICIs and anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs as first-line treatment for advanced HCC, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Jiangsu Provincial Medical Innovation Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and Nanjing Life Health Science and Technology Project.

A novel engineered IL-21 receptor arms T-cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T cells) against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Strategies to improve T cell therapy efficacy in solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are urgently needed. The common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc) family cytokines such as IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21 play fundamental roles in T cell development, differentiation and effector phases. This study aims to determine the combination effects of IL-21 in T cell therapy against HCC and investigate optimized strategies to utilize the effect of IL-21 signal in T cell therapy. The antitumor function of AFP-specific T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) was augmented by exogenous IL-21 in vitro and in vivo. IL-21 enhanced proliferation capacity, promoted memory differentiation, downregulated PD-1 expression and alleviated apoptosis in TCR-T after activation. A novel engineered IL-21 receptor was established, and TCR-T armed with the novel engineered IL-21 receptors (IL-21R-TCR-T) showed upregulated phosphorylated STAT3 expression without exogenous IL-21 ligand. IL-21R-TCR-T showed better proliferation upon activation and superior antitumor function in vitro and in vivo. IL-21R-TCR-T exhibited a less differentiated, exhausted and apoptotic phenotype than conventional TCR-T upon repetitive tumor antigen stimulation. The novel IL-21 receptor in our study programs powerful TCR-T and can avoid side effects induced by IL-21 systemic utilization. The novel IL-21 receptor creates new opportunities for next-generation TCR-T against HCC.

Efficacy and safety of tislelizumab plus lenvatinib as first-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Lenvatinib is widely used in treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), but the benefit of its combination with immunotherapy needs to be verified. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab plus lenvatinib in systemic treatment-naïve patients with uHCC. METHODS: In this multicenter, single-arm, phase 2 study, systemic treatment-naïve patients with uHCC received tislelizumab 200 mg every three weeks plus lenvatinib (bodyweight ≥ 60 kg: 12 mg; < 60 kg: 8 mg; once daily). Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were evaluated in safety run-in phase to determine whether to enter the expansion phase. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by independent review committee (IRC) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1). Based on Simon's two-stage design, > 6 responders were needed in stage 1 (n = 30) to continue the study, and ≥ 18 responders were needed by the end of stage 2 (n = 60) to demonstrate statistical superiority to a historical control of lenvatinib monotherapy. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were enrolled. No DLTs were reported. The study achieved statistical superiority (p = 0.0003) with 23 responders assessed by IRC per RECIST v1.1 in the first 60 patients of the efficacy evaluable analysis set (n = 62). After a median follow-up of 15.7 months, confirmed ORR and disease control rate were 38.7% (24/62, 95% confidence interval [CI], 26.6-51.9) and 90.3% (56/62, 95% CI, 80.1-96.4), respectively. Median progression-free survival was 8.2 months (95% CI, 6.8-not evaluable). Overall survival rate at 12 months was 88.6% (95% CI, 77.7-94.4). Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 18 (28.1%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Tislelizumab plus lenvatinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity with favourable tolerability as first-line therapy for patients with uHCC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04401800).

Transarterial chemoembolization with/without immune checkpoint inhibitors plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a single center, propensity score matching real-world study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy and safety of Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). METHODS: 456 patients with HCC receiving either TACE in combination with ICIs and TKIs (combination group, n = 139) or TACE monotherapy (monotherapy group, n = 317) were included from Apr 2016 to Dec 2021 in this retrospective study. We employed propensity score matching (PSM), performed 1:2 optimal pair matching, to balance potential bias. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time is 24.7 months (95% CI 22.6-26.8) for matched patients as of March 2022. After matching, the combination group achieved longer OS and PFS (median OS:21.9 vs. 16.3 months, P = 0.022; median PFS: 8.3 vs. 5.1 months, P < 0.0001) than TACE monotherapy group. The combination group had better objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) (ORR: 52.5% vs. 32.8%, P < 0.001; DCR: 82.7% vs. 59.6%, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that patients who received "TKIs + ICIs" after the first TACE procedure (after TACE group) achieved longer OS than those before the first TACE procedure (before TACE group) (26.8 vs. 19.2 months, P = 0.011). Adverse events were consistent with previous studies of TACE-related trials. CONCLUSIONS: TACE plus TKIs and ICIs appeared to deliver longer PFS and OS in HCC patients than TACE monotherapy. "TKIs + ICIs" co-treatment within 3 months after the first TACE procedure might be a better medication strategy.

Arterial chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in China: consensus recommendations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) treatment is widely accepted as one of the alternative therapeutic modalities for HCC owing to its local control effect and low systemic toxicity. Nevertheless, although accumulating high-quality evidence has displayed the superior survival advantages of HAIC of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (HAIC-FOLFOX) compared with standard first-line treatment in different scenarios, the lack of standardization for HAIC procedure and remained controversy limited the proper and safe performance of HAIC treatment in HCC. Therefore, an expert consensus conference was held on March 2023 in Guangzhou, China to review current practices regarding HAIC treatment in patients with HCC and develop widely accepted statements and recommendations. In this article, the latest evidence of HAIC was systematically summarized and the final 22 expert recommendations were proposed, which incorporate the assessment of candidates for HAIC treatment, procedural technique details, therapeutic outcomes, the HAIC-related complications and corresponding treatments, and therapeutic scheme management.

Spleen-dedicated stiffness measurement performed well to rule out high-risk varices in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: Screening for high-risk varices in HCC.

BACKGROUND: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is required to screen for high-risk varices (HRV) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially since overall survival rates have dramatically improved with new systemic therapies. AIM: To assess the Baveno VI and Baveno VII algorithms' ability to rule out HRV in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC METHODS: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with HBV related, compensated cirrhosis and newly diagnosed HCC who underwent liver stiffness measurement, spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) using a 100-Hz shear wave frequency, and EGD. RESULTS: From September 2021 to August 2023, we enrolled 219 patients with HCC, with 107 (48.9%) Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) A, 28 (12.8%) BCLC B and 84 (38.3%) BCLC C, respectively. HRV prevalence was 28.8% (63/219). Baveno VI criteria safely (HRV missing rate, 3.2%) avoided 27.4% unnecessary EGDs, while the Baveno VII algorithm avoided 49.3% with HRV missing rate at 7.9% (5/63). The SSM ≤40 kPa avoided 47.5% of EGDs safely (HRV missing rate, 4.8%), significantly better than the Baveno VI criteria (p < 0.001) and comparable to the Baveno VII algorithm (p = 0.390). The SSM ≤40 kPa safely avoided EGDs in patient subgroups within Milan criteria, with portal vein tumour thrombosis or BCLC B/C or candidates for systemic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We validated that the SSM ≤40 kPa using a 100-Hz probe could safely eliminate more unnecessary EGDs than the Baveno VI criteria in patients with HBV-related HCC. However, the efficacy of the Baveno VII algorithm in patients with HCC requires further investigation.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with hepatic arterial infusion of oxaliplatin and raltitrexed versus oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has demonstrated promising benefits in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In China, the most frequently used HAIC regimen is oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFOX). However, arterial infusion of fluorouracil over 46 h was not convenient. Raltitrexed, another antimetabolic agent with a long plasma half-life, allows for shorter infusion durations. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and toxicity of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with HAIC with raltitrexed plus oxaliplatin (RALOX) or FOLFOX in patients with intermediate and advanced HCC. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 82 eligible patients from February 2019 to December 2021. Forty patients were treated with FOLFOX HAIC (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m2 administered on day 1, and 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 infusion for 46 h, every 3 weeks) combined with TKIs and ICIs. Forty-two patients received RALOX HAIC (oxaliplatin 100 mg/m2 and raltitrexed 3 mg/m2 on day 1, every 3 weeks) combined with TKIs and ICIs. We compared the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety profile. RESULTS: ORR was similar between the FOLFOX HAIC and RALOX HAIC groups (42.5% vs 42.5%, P = 0.974). DCR also showed no significant difference between the two groups (87.5% vs 85.7%, P = 0.813). Median PFS was 10.7 months in the FOLFOX HAIC group versus 10.2 months in the RALOX HAIC group (P = 0.41). Median OS was 20.3 months in the FOLFOX HAIC group, compared to 17.7 months in the RALOX HAIC group (P = 0.50). Both groups had similar profiles of grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events, including thrombocytopenia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, increased alanine aminotransferase, and leukocytopenia. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness and safety of HAIC with RALOX were comparable to HAIC with FOLFOX in intermediate and advanced HCC patients.

Proteomic and single-cell landscape reveals novel pathogenic mechanisms of HBV-infected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Despite the epidemiological association between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, little is known about the relevant oncogenic effects. A cohort of 32 HBV-infected ICC and 89 non-HBV-ICC patients were characterized using whole-exome sequencing, proteomic analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Proteomic analysis revealed decreased cell-cell junction levels in HBV-ICC patients. The cell-cell junction level had an inverse relationship with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in ICC patients. Analysis of the immune landscape found that more CD8 T cells and Th2 cells were present in HBV-ICC patients. Single-cell analysis indicated that transforming growth factor beta signaling-related EMT program changes increased in tumor cells of HBV-ICC patients. Moreover, ICAM1+ tumor-associated macrophages are correlated with a poor prognosis and contributed to the EMT in HBV-ICC patients. Our findings provide new insights into the behavior of HBV-infected ICC driven by various pathogenic mechanisms involving decreased cell junction levels and increased progression of the EMT program.

[Application of liquid biopsy in early screening and recurrence prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma].

The incidence and mortality of HCC in China account for approximately 50% of all cases worldwide. Low early diagnosis rate and high postoperative recurrence rate are two major causes for poor 5-year survival rate of HCC patients in China. At present, multiple problems such as low performance and compliance of screening technology and lack of effective markers for predicting postoperative recurrence, remain to be resolved. Due to the simplicity and accuracy, new molecular markers, such as liquid biopsy, are expected to serve as supplementary tools to traditional screening and early warning approaches, thereby realizing early detection and accurate treatment of HCC. In this article, research progress upon the clinical application of liquid biopsy in early screening and prediction of postoperative recurrence of HCC was reviewed, and prospects the future research.

EMLI-ICC: an ensemble machine learning-based integration algorithm for metastasis prediction and risk stratification in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Robust strategies to identify patients at high risk for tumor metastasis, such as those frequently observed in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), remain limited. While gene/protein expression profiling holds great potential as an approach to cancer diagnosis and prognosis, previously developed protocols using multiple diagnostic signatures for expression-based metastasis prediction have not been widely applied successfully because batch effects and different data types greatly decreased the predictive performance of gene/protein expression profile-based signatures in interlaboratory and data type dependent validation. To address this problem and assist in more precise diagnosis, we performed a genome-wide integrative proteome and transcriptome analysis and developed an ensemble machine learning-based integration algorithm for metastasis prediction (EMLI-Metastasis) and risk stratification (EMLI-Prognosis) in ICC. Based on massive proteome (216) and transcriptome (244) data sets, 132 feature (biomarker) genes were selected and used to train the EMLI-Metastasis algorithm. To accurately detect the metastasis of ICC patients, we developed a weighted ensemble machine learning method based on k-Top Scoring Pairs (k-TSP) method. This approach generates a metastasis classifier for each bootstrap aggregating training data set. Ten binary expression rank-based classifiers were generated for detection of metastasis separately. To further improve the accuracy of the method, the 10 binary metastasis classifiers were combined by weighted voting based on the score from the prediction results of each classifier. The prediction accuracy of the EMLI-Metastasis algorithm achieved 97.1% and 85.0% in proteome and transcriptome datasets, respectively. Among the 132 feature genes, 21 gene-pair signatures were developed to establish a metastasis-related prognosis risk-stratification model in ICC (EMLI-Prognosis). Based on EMLI-Prognosis algorithm, patients in the high-risk group had significantly dismal overall survival relative to the low-risk group in the clinical cohort (P-value < 0.05). Taken together, the EMLI-ICC algorithm provides a powerful and robust means for accurate metastasis prediction and risk stratification across proteome and transcriptome data types that is superior to currently used clinicopathological features in patients with ICC. Our developed algorithm could have profound implications not just in improved clinical care in cancer metastasis risk prediction, but also more broadly in machine-learning-based multi-cohort diagnosis method development. To make the EMLI-ICC algorithm easily accessible for clinical application, we established a web-based server for metastasis risk prediction (http://ibi.zju.edu.cn/EMLI/).

Characterization of somatic mutations and pathway alterations during hepatocellular carcinoma vascular invasion using next-generation sequencing.

Background: Vascular invasion is an independent risk factors for recurrence and poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms of HCC vascular invasion are largely unknown. Deciphering the molecular changes associated with the vascular invasion process will aid in the identification of therapeutic targets and treatment for patients with HCC. Methods: DNA was extracted from tumor specimens and blood samples collected from 50 patients with HCC. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to detect HCC gene variants. Bioinformatics methods were used to comprehensively analyze the three sets of sequencing data grouped by vascular invasion, including differences in tumor mutation burden (TMB), mutation characteristics, and alterations in signaling pathways. Results: Bioinformatics analysis detected a total of 762 single nucleotide variants (SNVs). The TMB was not significantly different between patients with macrovascular invasion, microvascular invasion (MVI), or avascular invasion. Ten genes related to prognosis or recurrence, and one oncogene related to vascular invasion were screened. Compared with the avascular invasion cluster, the variant genes in the macrovascular and MVI clusters were mainly enriched in the thyroid hormone signaling pathway. In addition, macrovascular invasion variant genes were also enriched in the insulin signaling pathway and the Fanconi anemia pathway. Conclusions: Somatic mutations and pathway changes associated with vascular invasion in HCC were identified. The discovery of the molecular drivers of vascular invasion in HCC provides novel insights that can help guide further patient diagnosis and personalized therapy.

Interaction between baseline HBV loads and the prognosis of patients with HCC receiving anti-PD-1 in combination with antiangiogenic therapy undergoing concurrent TAF prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: A high baseline hepatitis B virus (HBV) load has always been listed as an exclusion criterion for programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor-associated therapy in clinical trials, as the interaction between HBV load and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy with anti HBV therapy remains controversial. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 70 unresectable HCC patients who were seropositive for HBsAg and accepted tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) therapy before anti-PD-1 in combination with an antiangiogenic treatment. Patients were divided into a low HBV DNA group (≤ 2000 IU/ml) and a high HBV DNA group (> 2000 IU/ml) according to the baseline HBV DNA levels. Tumour response and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared, and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify potential risk factors for PFS. The incidences of HBV reactivation and HBV-associated hepatitis were also recorded. RESULTS: 48 patients were assigned to the low group and the remaining 22 patients were assigned to the high group. The objective response rates (ORRs), disease control rates (DCRs), and PFS between the two groups showed no significant difference (P = 0.761, 0.552, and 0.784, respectively). The results of Cox analyses revealed that there was no relationship between baseline HBV load and PFS. Additionally, HBV reactivation occurred in only 2 patients (2.9%), and no patient experienced HBV-related hepatic impairment when given a continuous TAF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline HBV loads do not affect the prognosis of HCC patients receiving anti-PD-1 in combination with an antiangiogenic therapy, while PD-1 inhibitors do not aggravate HBV reactivation and hepatic impairment in patients simultaneously subjected to TAF prophylaxis.

Hepatic Tumor Stiffness Measured by Shear Wave Elastography Is Prognostic for HCC Progression Following Treatment With Anti-PD-1 Antibodies Plus Lenvatinib: A Retrospective Analysis of Two Independent Cohorts.

Background: The clinical significance of liver stiffness (LS) measured by shear wave elastography (SWE) in programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of baseline LS by SWE prior to PD-1 inhibitor treatment in combination with lenvatinib. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients (n=133) with HCC who received anti-PD-1 antibodies plus lenvatinib at two high-volume medical centres, between January 2020 and June 2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to develop a novel nomogram. RNA sequencing and immunohistochemical staining were used to assess the heterogeneity of biological and immune characteristics associated with tumor stiffness. Results: The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the whole population were 23.4% and 72.2%, respectively. A LS value of the baseline tumorous foci of 19.53 kPa had the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity, making it the optimal cut-off value for predicting PD-1 inhibitor efficacy. The nomogram comprised baseline tumor LS and albumin-bilirubin grade (ALBI), which provided favorable calibration and discrimination in the training dataset with an AUC of 0.840 (95%CI: 0.750-0.931) and a C-index of 0.828. Further, it showed acceptable discrimination in the validation cohort, with an AUC of 0.827 (95%CI: 0.673-0.980) and C-index of 0.803. The differentially expressed genes enriched in high stiffness tumors were predominantly associated with metabolic pathways, while those enriched in low stiffness tumors were related to DNA damage repair. Furthermore, patients with high stiffness tumors had a relatively lower infiltration of immune cells and histone deacetylase pathway inhibitors were identified as candidate drugs to promote the efficacy of immunotherapy. Conclusions: Baseline LS value of tumorous foci by SWE-that is, before administration of a PD-1 inhibitor in combination with lenvatinib-is a convenient predictor of PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in patients with advanced HCC, which has potential to be used for pretreatment stratification to optimize treatment of advanced HCC.

Molecular Subgroups of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Discovered by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing-Assisted Multiomics Analysis.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a relatively rare but highly aggressive tumor type that responds poorly to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Comprehensive molecular characterization of ICC is essential for the development of novel therapeutics. Here, we constructed two independent cohorts from two clinic centers. A comprehensive multiomics analysis of ICC via proteomic, whole-exome sequencing (WES), and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed. Novel ICC tumor subtypes were derived in the training cohort (n = 110) using proteomic signatures and their associated activated pathways, which were further validated in a validation cohort (n = 41). Three molecular subtypes, chromatin remodeling, metabolism, and chronic inflammation, with distinct prognoses in ICC were identified. The chronic inflammation subtype was associated with a poor prognosis. Our random forest algorithm revealed that mutation of lysine methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) frequently occurred in the metabolism subtype and was associated with lower inflammatory activity. scRNA-seq further identified an APOE+C1QB+ macrophage subtype, which showed the capacity to reshape the chronic inflammation subtype and contribute to a poor prognosis in ICC. Altogether, with single-cell transcriptome-assisted multiomics analysis, we identified novel molecular subtypes of ICC and validated APOE+C1QB+ tumor-associated macrophages as potential immunotherapy targets against ICC.

Cross talk between acetylation and methylation regulators reveals histone modifier expression patterns posing prognostic and therapeutic implications on patients with colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in histone modifications have been reported to be related to tumorigenicity and tumor progression. However, whether histone modification can aid the classification of patients or influence clinical behavior in patients with colon cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate histone modifier expression patterns using the unsupervised clustering of the transcriptomic expressions of 88 histone acetylation and methylation regulators. RESULTS: In this study, by consensus clustering analysis based on the transcriptome data of 88 histone modification regulators, we identified four distinct expression patterns of histone modifiers associated with different prognoses, intrinsic fluorouracil sensitivities, biological pathways, and tumor microenvironment characteristics among 1372 colon cancer samples. In these four clusters, the HMC4 cluster represented a stroma activation phenotype characterized by both the worst prognosis and lowest response rates to fluorouracil treatment. Then, we established a scoring scheme comprising 155 genes designated as "HM_score" by using the Boruta algorithm to distinguish colon cancer patients within the HMC4 cluster. Patients with a high HM_score were considered to have high stromal pathway activation, high stromal fraction, and an unfavorable prognosis. Further analyses indicated that a high HM_score also correlated with reduced therapeutic benefits from fluorouracil chemotherapy. Moreover, through CRISPR library screening, ZEB2 was found to be a critical driver gene that mediates fluorouracil resistance, which is associated with histone modifier expression patterns. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that characterizing histone modifier expression patterns may help better understand the epigenetic mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity in patients with colon cancer and provide more personalized therapeutic strategies.

Lenvatinib Plus Camrelizumab vs. Lenvatinib Monotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Combining an antiangiogenic agent with an anti-PD-1 agent is a promising strategy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aims: To explore the effectiveness and tolerability of lenvatinib plus camrelizumab vs. lenvatinib monotherapy as a first-line treatment for unresectable HCC. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study included patients with unresectable HCC treated with oral lenvatinib 8 mg daily and intravenous camrelizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (L+C group) or lenvatinib 12 mg or 8 mg daily (L group) in four Chinese centers between September 2018 and February 2020. Tumor response was evaluated according to RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST. The outcomes included objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), 1-year OS rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Results: By March 31, 2021, 92 patients were finally included, with 48 and 44 in the L+C and L groups, respectively. ORR was significantly higher in the L+C group than in the L group (RECIST 1.1: 37.5% vs. 13.6%, P=0.009; mRECIST: 41.7% vs. 20.5%, P=0.029). Median OS and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 13.9 (13.3-18.3) months in the L group and not reached in the L+C group (P=0.015). The 1-year survival rate was 79.2% and 56.8% in the L+C and L groups, respectively. Median PFS was 10.3 (6.6-14.0) months and 7.5 (5.7-9.3) months in the L+C and L groups, respectively (P=0.0098). Combined therapy vs. monotherapy was independently associated with a prolonged OS (hazard ratio=0.380, 95% CI=: 0.196-0.739, P=0.004) and a prolonged PFS (hazard ratio=0.454, 95%CI=0.282-0.731, P=0.001). The safety profile was comparable between the two groups. The most common adverse event in the L+C and L groups was loss of appetite (41.7% vs. 40.9%, P=0.941). Three patients in the L+C group and two in the L group terminated treatment owing to adverse events. Conclusion: First-line lenvatinib plus camrelizumab showed better effectiveness than lenvatinib alone in patients with unresectable HCC.

Interaction between hepatitis B virus infection and the efficacy of camrelizumab in combination with apatinib therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between hepatitis B virus (HBV) load and anti-programmed cell death (PD)-1 in combination with (+) antiangiogenic therapy remains controversial, especially for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study sought to explore the effects of HBV load and antiviral therapy on anti-PD-1+ antiangiogenic therapy, and the rate of HBV reactivation during anti-PD-1+ antiangiogenic treatment. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of camrelizumab combined with apatinib (C+A) therapy between January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2021 in patients with unresectable HCC who were seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and received antiviral therapy before C+A involvement. The effects of HBV load and antiviral therapy on C+A and the rate of HBV reactivation during C+A treatment were examined. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients were included in the analysis. The patients had a mean age of 55 years, and 72 (83.7%) were male. The objective response rates (ORRs) in patients with low (<2,000 IU/mL) and high (≥2,000 IU/mL) baseline HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels were 34.5% and 32.2%, respectively (χ2=0.046; P=0.829), while the disease control rates (DCRs) were 67.3% and 80.6%, respectively (χ2=1.762; P=0.184). The results of the univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the baseline HBV DNA level did not affect PD. Additionally, none of the 86 patients suffered from HBV reactivation or HBV-related hepatic impairment with continuous antiviral treatment, regardless of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) type (F=1.473; P=0.228). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline HBV loads did not affect the tumor responses of HCC patients receiving anti-PD-1+ antiangiogenic therapy. Thus, HBV reactivation should not be a contradiction for anti-PD-1+ antiangiogenic therapy among patients undergoing continuous and effective antiviral treatment.

Depression accelerates gastric cancer invasion and metastasis by inducing a neuroendocrine phenotype via the catecholamine/ß2 -AR/MACC1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common, easily ignored, accompanied disease of gastric cancer (GC) patients and is often observed with elevated plasma catecholamine levels. Depression frequently promotes GC progression and leads to poor clinical outcomes; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying depression-induced GC progression remain poorly understood. We aimed to study the effects of depression on GC progression and explore possible mechanisms mediating the action of depression-associated catecholamines on GC. METHODS: Depression states of GC patients were graded using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and plasma catecholamine levels were examined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Migrative and invasive GC cells were examined using transwell assays, and metastatic GC niches were imaged using bioluminescence technology in a depression mouse model established with chronic unpredictable mild stress. Mouse depression-like behaviors were assessed through sucrose preference, forced swimming, and tail suspension tests. Characteristics of the neuroendocrine phenotype were observed via RT-PCR, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Fifty-one GC patients (age: 53.61 ± 1.79 years; cancer duration: 3.71 ± 0.33 months; depression duration: 2.37 ± 0.38 months; male-to-female ratio: 1.55:1) were enrolled in the study. Depression grade was significantly higher in GC patients showing higher plasma levels of catecholamines (epinephrine: P = 0.018; noradrenaline: P = 0.009), higher oncogene metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) level (P = 0.018), and metastasis (P < 0.001). Further, depression-associated catecholamine specifically bound to the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ß2 -AR) and upregulated MACC1 expression, and thus promoting neuroendocrine phenotypic transformation through direct binding between MACC1 and synaptophysin. Eventually, the neuroendocrine phenotypic transformation accelerated GC invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. However, ß2 -AR antagonist ICI-118,551 or MACC1 silencing effectively blocked the catecholamine-induced neuroendocrine phenotypic transformation and eliminated depression-enhanced GC migration and invasion. Moreover, ß2 -AR blocking or MACC1 silencing prevented GC metastasis attributed to a neuroendocrine phenotype in a depression mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: Catecholamine-induced neuroendocrine phenotypes of GC cells led to depression-accelerated GC invasion and metastasis via the ß2 -AR/MACC1 axis, while ß2 -AR antagonist or MACC1 silencing could reverse it, showing promising potential therapeutic strategies for improving the outcome of GC patients with comorbid depression.

DEAH-box polypeptide 32 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via activating the ß-catenin pathway.

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is refractory cancer with high morbidity and high mortality. DEAH-box polypeptide 32 (DHX32) was upregulated in several types of malignancies and predicted poor prognosis. Herein, we investigated the role of DHX32 in HCC progression. METHODS: The expression of DHX32, ß-catenin, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related makers were determined by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR assays. Cell proliferation was tested by EdU cell proliferation assay. The effect of DHX32 and ß-catenin on cell migration and invasion were detected by wound-healing and Traswell invasion assays. Tumour xenografts were performed to determine the effect of DHX32 on HCC tumour growth. RESULTS: High level of DHX32 expression was associated with reduced overall survival in HCC patients. DHX32 expression was upregulated in human HCC cells and ectopic expression of DHX32 induced EMT, promoted the mobility and proliferation of HCC cells, and enhanced tumour growth in vivo. Silencing DHX32 reversed EMT, inhibited the malignancy behaviors of HCC cells, and suppressed tumour growth. Mechanistically, silencing DHX32 decreased the expression of ß-cateninin in nucleus and ß-catenin siRNA abrogated DHX32-mediated HCC progression. CONCLUSION: DHX32 was an attractive regulator of HCC progression and indicated DHX32 canserve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC patients.