Multi-omics portrait of ductal carcinoma in situ in young women.

BACKGROUND: Young patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) often face a poorer prognosis. The genomic intricacies in young-onset DCIS, however, remain underexplored. METHODS: To address this gap, we undertook a comprehensive study encompassing exome, transcriptome, and vmethylome analyses. Our investigation included 20 DCIS samples (including 15 young-onset DCIS) and paired samples of normal breast tissue and blood. RESULTS: Through RNA sequencing, we identified two distinct DCIS subgroups: "immune hot" and "immune cold". The "immune hot" subgroup was characterized by increased infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages, elevated expression of PDCD1 and CTLA4, and reduced GATA3 expression. This group also exhibited active immunerelated transcriptional regulators. Mutational analysis revealed alterations in TP53 (38%), GATA3 (25%), and TTN (19%), with two cases showing mutations in APC, ERBB2, and SMARCC1. Common genomic alterations, irrespective of immune status, included gains in copy numbers at 1q, 8q, 17q, and 20q, and losses at 11q, 17p, and 22q. Signature analysis highlighted the predominance of signatures 2 and 1, with "immune cold" samples showing a significant presence of signature 8. Our methylome study on 13 DCIS samples identified 328 hyperdifferentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 521 hypo-DMRs, with "immune cold" cases generally showing lower levels of methylation. CONCLUSION: In summary, the molecular characteristics of young-onset DCIS share similarities with invasive breast cancer (IBC), potentially indicating a poor prognosis. Understanding these characteristics, especially the immune microenvironment of DCIS, could be pivotal in identifying new therapeutic targets and preventive strategies for breast cancer.

Combined Wee1 and EGFR inhibition reveals synergistic antitumor effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common amplified and overexpressed oncogenes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), while the clinical efficacy of EGFR-targeted therapy in ESCC is dismal. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of dual blockage using monoclonal antibody against EGFR (Nimotuzumab) and an Wee1 inhibitor (AZD1775) in ESCC. We found that the mRNA and protein expression of EGFR and Wee1 were positively correlated in ESCC. Nimotuzumab-AZD1775 co-treatment inhibited tumor growth in PDX models with different drug susceptibility. Transcriptome sequencing and mass spectrometry analysis indicated that higher sensitive models showed enrichment of the PI3K/Akt or MAPK signaling pathway in Nimotuzumab-AZD1775 group compared with control group. In vitro experiments showed that the combination further inhibit PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways compared to their monotherapy as indicated by downregulation of pAKT, pS6, pMEK, pErk and p-p38 MAPK. Furthermore, AZD1775 potentiated Nimotuzumab's antitumor effect through inducing apoptosis. Meanwhile, the bioinformatics analysis suggests the POLR2A might be candidate molecule of EGFR/Wee1 downstream. In conclusion, our work uncovers that EGFR-mAb Nimotuzumab combined with Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 elicited potentiated anticancer activity against ESCC cell line and PDXs partially through PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways blockade. These preclinical data raise the promising that ESCC patients may benefit from dual target EGFR and Wee1.

Gimatecan exerts potent antitumor activity against gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo via AKT and MAPK signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: We investigated antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms of DNA topoisomerase I (TopI) inhibitor gimatecan and irinotecan in gastric cancer (GC) in vitro cell lines and in vivo patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. METHODS: GC cell lines SNU-1, HGC27, MGC803 and NCI-N87 were used to evaluate cell viability and apoptosis after gimatecan or irinotecan treatment, using a cell proliferation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. DNA TopI expression and critical molecules of PI3K/AKT, MAPK and apoptosis signaling pathways were analyzed with western blot. For in vivo studies, five PDXs models were treated with gimatecan or irinotecan to assess its antitumor activity. Immunohistochemistry staining of Ki-67 was performed after mice were sacrificed. RESULTS: Gimatecan inhibited the proliferation of GC cells in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis, and gimatecan had greater inhibitory effects than irinotecan. In addition, both gimatecan and irinotecan demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition in in vivo PDX models. Gimatecan treatment significantly inhibited the expression of DNA TopI, phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), phosphorylated MEK (pMEK) and phosphorylated ERK (pERK). Meanwhile, gimatecan could also activate the JNK2 and p38 MAPK pathway as indicated by upregulation of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38) and phosphorylated JNK2 (pJNK2). CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we have shown that the antitumor activity of gimatecan in GC via suppressing AKT and ERK pathway and activating JNK2 and p38 MAPK pathway, which indicated that gimatecan might be an alternative to irinotecan in the treatment of GC.

Pyrotinib and trastuzumab plus palbociclib and fulvestrant in HR+/HER2+ breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) patients are at a high risk of developing metastases in the brain. However, research focusing on treatment strategies for hormonal receptor positive (HR+), HER2+ BC patients with brain metastases (BM) remains limited. Thus, a multi-center, prospective trial was conducted in China. Women over the age of 18 who were naive to whole brain radiotherapy and had estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone-receptor (PgR) positive, HER2+ BM were treated with palbociclib, fulvestrant, trastuzumab and pyrotinib, until disease progression or the development of intolerable side effects. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) in the central nervous system (CNS). This ongoing study is still recruiting participants and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04334330). This report presents the findings from an interim analysis. From December 4, 2020, to November 2, 2022, 15 patients were enrolled. Among the 14 patients who were evaluable for clinical response, the ORR was 35.7% (95% CI: 12.8-64.9%), with a CNS-ORR of 28.6% (95% CI: 8.4-58.1%). The median follow-up period was 6.3 months (range, 2.1-14.3 months), during which the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.6 months (95% CI: 4.3-16.9 months), and the median time to CNS progression was 8.5 months (95% CI: 5.9-11.1 months). The most common adverse event was diarrhea (93%), with 33% having grade 3 and 6.7% having grade 4. The study suggests that the combination of palbociclib, trastuzumab, pyrotinib and fulvestrant offers a promising chemo-free treatment strategy for HR+, HER2+ BC patients with BM.

CDK7-YAP-LDHD axis promotes D-lactate elimination and ferroptosis defense to support cancer stem cell-like properties.

Reprogrammed cellular metabolism is essential for maintaining cancer stem cells (CSCs) state. Here, we report that mitochondrial D-lactate catabolism is a necessary initiating oncogenic event during tumorigenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We discover that cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) phosphorylates nuclear Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) at S127 and S397 sites and enhances its transcription function, which promotes D-lactate dehydrogenase (LDHD) protein expression. Moreover, LDHD is enriched significantly in ESCC-CSCs rather than differentiated tumor cells and high LDHD status is connected with poor prognosis in ESCC patients. Mechanistically, the CDK7-YAP-LDHD axis helps ESCC-CSCs escape from ferroptosis induced by D-lactate and generates pyruvate to satisfy energetic demands for their elevated self-renewal potential. Hence, we conclude that esophageal CSCs adopt a D-lactate elimination and pyruvate accumulation mode dependent on CDK7-YAP-LDHD axis, which drives stemness-associated hallmarks of ESCC-CSCs. Reasonably, targeting metabolic checkpoints may serve as an effective strategy for ESCC therapy.

Activated Wnt signaling promotes growth and progression of AFP-producing gastric cancer in preclinical models.

BACKGROUND: Characterized by elevated AFP levels in serum, AFP-producing gastric cancer (APGC) is a very special type of gastric cancer (GC) that is difficult to treat and has poor prognosis. However, little is known about the role of AFP in GC, which was investigated in this study with in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS: APGC cells were established with lentivirus infection and validated by PCR assay and ELISA in HCG27 and AGS cells. Cell growth, migration, and invasion were determined by CCK8, transwell assays, and animal experiments. RNA sequencing, Western blot, dual-luciferase-reporter assays, and RNA interference were employed to understand mechanisms underlying AFP activity, followed by therapeutic investigations for APGC. RESULTS: APGC cells featured significantly increased AFP levels in cellular supernatants. AFP potentiated growth and aggression in GC cell lines and their derived xenografts. Wnt-signaling activation was responsible for AFP function, indicated by decreased Axin 1 and pGSK3ß, followed by cascade activation of ß-catenin, downstream transcription factors TCF1/TCF7, and the target gene - c-Myc. Wnt-signaling blockade by Axin 1 rescue or pathway inhibitor XAV939 reversed AFP function, suggesting the potential therapeutic value of APGC. CONCLUSION: AFP played a critical role in APGC through activating Wnt signaling, and targeting Wnt pathways might be a promising strategy against APGC.

Targeting autophagy potentiates antitumor activity of Met-TKIs against Met-amplified gastric cancer.

Met tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Met-TKIs) subjected to ongoing clinical trials are a promising option for Met-amplified gastric cancer (GC), but how to optimize their antitumor activity especially with combination schemes remains unclear. Since autophagy is known to be initiated by Met-TKIs, we investigated its underlying mechanisms and therapeutic potentials of Met-TKIs combined with autophagy inhibitors against Met-amplified GC. As expected, four Met-TKIs induced autophagy in Met-amplified GC cells marked by p62 degradation, LC3-II accumulation and increased LC3-positive puncta. Autophagy flux activation by Met-TKIs was further validated with combined lysosomal inhibitors, bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Molecular investigations reveal that autophagy induction along with mTOR and ULK1 de-phosphorylation upon Met-TKI treatment could be relieved by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and mTOR agonist MHY1485 (MHY), suggesting that autophagy was initiated by Met-TKIs via Met/mTOR/ULK1 cascade. Intriguingly, Met-TKIs further suppressed cell survival and tumor growth in the presence of autophagy blockade in Met-amplified GC preclinical models. Thus, these findings indicate Met/mTOR/ULK1 cascade responsible for Met-TKI-mediated autophagy and Met-TKIs combined with autophagy inhibitors as a promising choice to treat Met-amplified GC.

Wee1 Inhibitor AZD1775 Combined with Cisplatin Potentiates Anticancer Activity against Gastric Cancer by Increasing DNA Damage and Cell Apoptosis.

Based on the mechanisms by which Wee1 inhibitor and cisplatin played their own role, a promising strategy of Wee1 inhibitor combined with cisplatin was proposed, which was investigated in gastric cancer (GC). Either Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 or cisplatin alone had a certain inhibitory effect on in vitro cell proliferation; however, the inhibitory effect was more significant when AZD1775 combined with cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanisms unveiled that the increased DNA damage indicated by increased γH2AX protein, as well as augmented cell apoptosis indicated by upregulated proapoptotic proteins, was responsible for the significant inhibitory effect of AZD1775 plus cisplatin. Moreover, compared to any single drug, in vitro cell migration and invasion abilities were further attenuated by AZD1775 combined with cisplatin. There were suggestive results that the potentiated cytotoxicity between AZD1775 and cisplatin deserved a deep exploration in the future.

Augmented antitumor activity by olaparib plus AZD1775 in gastric cancer through disrupting DNA damage repair pathways and DNA damage checkpoint.

BACKGROUND: Targeting poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) has been recently identified as a promising option against gastric cancer (GC). However, PARP inhibitors alone achieve limited efficacy. Combination strategies, especially with homologous recombination (HR) impairment, are of great hope to optimize PARP inhibitor's efficacy and expand target populations but remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated whether a WEE1/ Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) dual inhibitor AZD1775 reported to impair HR augmented anticancer activity of a PARP inhibitor olaparib and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: GC cell lines and in vivo xenografts were employed to determine antitumor activity of PARP inhibitor combined with WEE1/PLK1 dual inhibitor AZD1775. Western blot, genetic knockdown by siRNA, flow cytometry, Immunohistochemistry were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: AZD1775 dually targeting WEE1/PLK1 enhanced effects of olaparib on growth inhibition and apoptotic induction in GC cells. Mechanistic investigations elucidate that WEE1/PLK1 blockade downregulated several HR-related proteins and caused an accumulation in γH2AX. As confirmed in both GC cell lines and mice bearing GC xenografts, these effects were enhanced by AZD1775-olaparib combination compared to olaparib alone, suggesting that disrupting HR-mediated DNA damage repairs (DDR) by WEE1/PLK1 blockade might be responsible for improved GC cells' response to PARP inhibitors. Given the DNA damage checkpoint as a primary target of WEE1 inhibition, our data also demonstrate that AZD1775 abrogated olaparib-activated DNA damage checkpoint through CDC2 de-phosphorylation, followed by mitotic progression with unrepaired DNA damage (marked by increased pHH3-stained and γH2AX-stained cells, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PARP inhibitor olaparib combined with WEE1/PLK1 dual inhibitor AZD1775 elicited potentiated anticancer activity through disrupting DDR signaling and the DNA damage checkpoint. It sheds light on the combination strategy of WEE1/PLK1 dual inhibitors with PARP inhibitors in the treatment of GC, even in HR-proficient patients.

Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 as a promising therapeutic strategy against paclitaxel-resistant gastric cancer via targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is widely used in the front-line chemotherapy for gastric cancer (GC), but resistance limits its use. Due to the lack of proper models, mechanisms underlying PTX resistance in GC were not well studied. Using established PTX-resistant GC cell sublines HGC-27R, we for the first time integrated biological traits and molecular mechanisms of PTX resistance in GC. Data revealed that PTX-resistant GC cells were characterized by microtubular disorders, an EMT phenotype, reduced responses to antimitotic drugs, and resistance to apoptosis (marked by upregulated ß-tubulin III, vimentin, attenuated changes in G2/M molecules or pro-apoptotic factors in response to antimitotic drugs or apoptotic inducers, respectively). Activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase, the serine/threonine kinase Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were also observed, which might be the reason for above phenotypic alternations. In vitro data suggested that targeting these pathways were sufficient to elicit antitumor responses in PTX-resistant GC, in which the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 displayed higher therapeutic efficiency than the mTOR inhibitor everolimus or the MEK inhibitor AZD6244. Antitumor effects of BEZ235 were also confirmed in mice bearing HGC-27R tumors. Thus, these data suggest that PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathway inhibition, especially PI3K/mTOR dual blockade, might be a promising therapeutic strategy against PTX-resistant GC.