PD-L1 overexpression induces STAT signaling and promotes the secretion of pro-angiogenic cytokines in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies (ICI) targeting the immune checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 alone or in combination with chemotherapy have demonstrated relevant benefits and established new standards of care in first-line treatment for advanced non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a relevant percentage of NSCLC patients, even with high PD-L1 expression, did not respond to ICI, highlighting the presence of intracellular resistance mechanisms that could be dependent on high PD-L1 levels. The intracellular signaling induced by PD-L1 in tumor cells and their correlation with angiogenic signaling pathways are not yet fully elucidated. METHODS: The intrinsic role of PD-L1 was initially checked in two PD-L1 overexpressing NSCLC cells by transcriptome profile and kinase array. The correlation of PD-L1 with VEGF, PECAM-1, and angiogenesis was evaluated in a cohort of advanced NSCLC patients. The secreted cytokines involved in tumor angiogenesis were assessed by Luminex assay and their effect on Huvec migration by a non-contact co-culture system. RESULTS: PD-L1 overexpressing cells modulated pathways involved in tumor inflammation and JAK-STAT signaling. In NSCLC patients, PD-L1 expression was correlated with high tumor intra-vasculature. When challenged with PBMC, PD-L1 overexpressing cells produced higher levels of pro-angiogenic factors compared to parental cells, as a consequence of STAT signaling activation. This increased production of cytokines involved in tumor angiogenesis largely stimulated Huvec migration. Finally, the addition of the anti-antiangiogenic agent nintedanib significantly reduced the spread of Huvec cells when exposed to high levels of pro-angiogenic factors. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we reported that high PD-L1 modulates STAT signaling in the presence of PBMC and induces pro-angiogenic factor secretion. This could enforce the role of PD-L1 as a crucial regulator of the tumor microenvironment stimulating tumor progression, both as an inhibitor of T-cell activity and as a promoter of tumor angiogenesis.

Focal adhesion kinase inhibition synergizes with nab-paclitaxel to target pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very lethal disease, with minimal therapeutic options. Aberrant tyrosine kinase activity influences tumor growth and is regulated by phosphorylation. We investigated phosphorylated kinases as target in PDAC. METHODS: Mass spectrometry-based phosphotyrosine proteomic analysis on PDAC cell lines was used to evaluate active kinases. Pathway analysis and inferred kinase activity analysis was performed to identify novel targets. Subsequently, we investigated targeting of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in vitro with drug perturbations in combination with chemotherapeutics used against PDAC. Tyrosine phosphoproteomics upon treatment was performed to evaluate signaling. An orthotopic model of PDAC was used to evaluate the combination of defactinib with nab-paclitaxel. RESULTS: PDAC cell lines portrayed high activity of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases to various degree. The non-receptor kinase, FAK, was identified in all cell lines by our phosphotyrosine proteomic screen and pathway analysis. Targeting of this kinase with defactinib validated reduced phosphorylation profiles. Additionally, FAK inhibition had anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects. Combination with (nab-)paclitaxel had a synergistic effect on cell proliferation in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows high phosphorylation of several oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases in PDAC cells and validated FAK inhibition as potential synergistic target with Nab-paclitaxel against this devastating disease.

Co-expression analysis of pancreatic cancer proteome reveals biology and prognostic biomarkers.

PURPOSE: Despite extensive biological and clinical studies, including comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic profiling efforts, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating disease, with a poor survival and limited therapeutic options. The goal of this study was to assess co-expressed PDAC proteins and their associations with biological pathways and clinical parameters. METHODS: Correlation network analysis is emerging as a powerful approach to infer tumor biology from omics data and to prioritize candidate genes as biomarkers or drug targets. In this study, we applied a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to the proteome of 20 surgically resected PDAC specimens (PXD015744) and confirmed its clinical value in 82 independent primary cases. RESULTS: Using WGCNA, we obtained twelve co-expressed clusters with a distinct biology. Notably, we found that one module enriched for metabolic processes and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) was significantly associated with overall survival (p = 0.01) and disease-free survival (p = 0.03). The prognostic value of three proteins (SPTBN1, KHSRP and PYGL) belonging to this module was confirmed using immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 82 independent resected patients. Risk score evaluation of the prognostic signature confirmed its association with overall survival in multivariate analyses. Finally, immunofluorescence analysis confirmed co-expression of SPTBN1 and KHSRP in Hs766t PDAC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our WGCNA analysis revealed a PDAC module enriched for metabolic and EMT-associated processes. In addition, we found that three of the proteins involved were associated with PDAC survival.

Crossing borders: A systematic review with quantitative analysis of genetic mutations of carcinomas of the biliary tract.

Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) comprises gallbladder and intra-/extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (GBC, ICC, EHC), which are currently classified by anatomical origin. Better understanding of the mutational profile of BTCs might refine classification and improve treatment. We performed a systematic review of studies reporting on mutational profiling of BTC. We included articles reporting on whole-exome/whole-genome-sequencing (WES/WGS) and targeted sequencing (TS) of BTC, published between 2000-2017. Pooled mutation proportions were calculated, stratified by anatomical region and sequencing technique. A total of 25 studies with 1806 patients were included. Overall, TP53 was the most commonly mutated gene in BTC. GBC was associated with mutations in PFKFB3, PLXN2 and PGAP1. Mutations in IDH1, IDH2 and FGFR fusions almost exclusively occurred in ICC patients. Mutations in APC, GNAS and TGFBR2 occurred exclusively in EHC patients. In conclusion, subtypes of BTCs exhibit minor differences in mutational profile, which is likely influenced by the cell of origin.

Randomized phase 2 study of gemcitabine and cisplatin with or without vitamin supplementation in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Preclinical research and prior clinical observations demonstrated reduced toxicity and suggested enhanced efficacy of cisplatin due to folic acid and vitamin B12 suppletion. In this randomized phase 2 trial, we evaluated the addition of folic acid and vitamin B12 to first-line palliative cisplatin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer (AEGC). METHODS: Patients with AEGC were randomized to gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 (i.v. days 1, 8) and cisplatin 80 mg/m2 (i.v. day 1) q 3 weeks with or without folic acid (450 µg/day p.o.) and vitamin B12 (1000 µg i.m. q 9 weeks). The primary endpoint was response rate (RR). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), toxicity, and exploratory biomarker analyses. Cisplatin sensitivity and intracellular platinum levels were determined in adenocarcinoma cell lines cultured under high and low folate conditions in vitro. RESULTS: Adenocarcinoma cells cultured in medium with high folate levels were more sensitive to cisplatin and this was associated with increased intracellular platinum levels. In the randomized phase 2 clinical trial, which ran from October 2004 to September 2013, treatment was initiated in 78 of 82 randomized pts, 39 in each study arm. The RR was similar; 42.1% for supplemented patients vs. 32.4% for unsupplemented patients; p = 0.4. Median OS and TTP were 10.0 and 5.9 months for supplemented vs. 7.7 and 5.4 months for unsupplemented patients (OS, p = 0.9; TTP, p = 0.9). Plasma homocysteine was lower in the supplemented group [n = 20, 6.9 ± 1.6 (mean ± standard error of mean, SEM) µM; vs. 12.5 ± 4.0 µM; p < 0.001]. There was no significant difference in the Cmax of gemcitabine and cisplatin in the two treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation do not improve the RR, PFS, or OS of cisplatin and gemcitabine in patients with AEGC.

Primary and metastatic brain cancer genomics and emerging biomarkers for immunomodulatory cancer treatment.

Recent studies with immunomodulatory agents targeting both cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA4) and programmed cell death 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) have shown to be very effective in several cancers revealing an unexpected great activity in patients with both primary and metastatic brain tumors. Combining anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 agents as upfront systemic therapy has revealed to further increase the clinical benefit observed with single agent, even at cost of higher toxicity. Since the brain is an immunological specialized area it's crucial to establish the specific composition of the brain tumors' microenvironment in order to predict the potential activity of immunomodulatory agents. This review briefly summarizes the basis of the brain immunogenicity, providing the most updated clinical evidences in terms of immune-checkpoint inhibitors efficacy and toxicity in both primary and metastatic brain tumors with the final aim of defining potential biomarkers for immunomodulatory cancer treatment.

Role of proton-coupled folate transporter in pemetrexed resistance of mesothelioma: clinical evidence and new pharmacological tools.

BACKGROUND: Thymidylate synthase (TS) has a predictive role in pemetrexed treatment of mesothelioma; however, additional chemoresistance mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we explored the role of the reduced-folate carrier (RFC/SLC19A1) and proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT/SLC46A1) in antifolate resistance in mesothelioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PCFT, RFC and TS RNA and PCFT protein levels were determined by quantitative RT-PCR of frozen tissues and immunohistochemistry of tissue-microarrays, respectively, in two cohorts of pemetrexed-treated patients. Data were analyzed by t-test, Fisher's/log-rank test and Cox proportional models. The contribution of PCFT expression and PCFT-promoter methylation to pemetrexed activity were evaluated in mesothelioma cells and spheroids, through 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine-mediated demethylation and siRNA-knockdown. RESULTS: Pemetrexed-treated patients with low PCFT had significantly lower rates of disease control, and shorter overall survival (OS), in both the test (N = 73, 11.3 versus 20.1 months, P = 0.01) and validation (N = 51, 12.6 versus 30.3 months, P = 0.02) cohorts. Multivariate analysis confirmed PCFT-independent prognostic role. Low-PCFT protein levels were also associated with shorter OS. Patients with both low-PCFT and high-TS levels had the worst prognosis (OS, 5.5 months), whereas associations were neither found for RFC nor in pemetrexed-untreated patients. PCFT silencing reduced pemetrexed sensitivity, whereas 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine overcame resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify for the first time PCFT as a novel mesothelioma prognostic biomarker, prompting prospective trials for its validation. Moreover, preclinical data suggest that targeting PCFT-promoter methylation might eradicate pemetrexed-resistant cells characterized by low-PCFT expression.

Key biological processes driving metastatic spread of pancreatic cancer as identified by multi-omics studies.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive malignancy, characterized by a high metastatic burden, already at the time of diagnosis. The metastatic potential of PDAC is one of the main reasons for the poor outcome next to lack of significant improvement in effective treatments in the last decade. Key mutated driver genes, such as activating KRAS mutations, are concordantly expressed in primary and metastatic tumors. However, the biology behind the metastatic potential of PDAC is not fully understood. Recently, large-scale omic approaches have revealed new mechanisms by which PDAC cells gain their metastatic potency. In particular, genomic studies have shown that multiple heterogeneous subclones reside in the primary tumor with different metastatic potential. The development of metastases may be correlated to a more mesenchymal transcriptomic subtype. However, for cancer cells to survive in a distant organ, metastatic sites need to be modulated into pre-metastatic niches. Proteomic studies identified the influence of exosomes on the Kuppfer cells in the liver, which could function to prepare this tissue for metastatic colonization. Phosphoproteomics adds an extra layer to the established omic techniques by unravelling key functional signaling. Future studies integrating results from these large-scale omic approaches will hopefully improve PDAC prognosis through identification of new therapeutic targets and patient selection tools. In this article, we will review the current knowledge on the biology of PDAC metastasis unravelled by large scale multi-omic approaches.

Never let it go: Stopping key mechanisms underlying metastasis to fight pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive neoplasm, predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths before 2030. This dismal trend is mainly due to lack of effective treatments against its metastatic behavior. Therefore, a better understanding of the key mechanisms underlying metastasis should provide new opportunities for therapeutic purposes. Genomic analyses revealed that aberrations that fuel PDAC tumorigenesis and progression, such as SMAD4 loss, are also implicated in metastasis. Recently, microRNAs have been shown to play a regulatory role in the metastatic behavior of many tumors, including PDAC. In particular, miR-10 and miR-21 have appeared as master regulators of the metastatic program, while members of the miR-200 family are involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal switch, favoring cell migration and invasiveness. Several studies have also found a close relationship between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and biological features of metastasis, and the CSC markers ALDH1, ABCG2 and c-Met are expressed at high levels in metastatic PDAC cells. Emerging evidence reveals that exosomes are involved in the modulation of the tumor microenvironment and can initiate PDAC pre-metastatic niche formation in the liver and lungs. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of all these pivotal factors in the metastatic behavior of PDAC, and discuss their potential exploitation in the clinic to improve current therapeutics and identify new drug targets.

[Nutritional and Functional assessment of peritoneal dialysis patients in the clinical practice: Report from MITO-DP Group]. / Valutazione Nutrizionale e Funzionale dei pazienti in dialisi peritoneale nella pratica clinica: l'esperienza del Gruppo Medico-Infermieristico Toscano di Dialisi Peritoneale (M.I.TO.-DP).

Nutritional abnormalities and physical inactivity are risk factors of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with ESRD. Identify and define malnutrition, in particular protein-energy depletion (PEW), is an important task in the management of renal patients. The aim of this multicenter observational study was to implement the assessment of nutritional status and functional capacity in patients on peritoneal dialysis, including tests and validated methods which are relatively easy to apply in daily clinical practice. The study includes all the 133 prevalent patients (80 m, 53 f, age 65 14 years), in peritoneal dialysis treatment (vintage 26 19 months) in 9 centers in Tuscany. We performed anthropometry, bioimpedance (BIA), clinical biochemistry, evaluation of habitual physical activity (RAPA tests) and performance (Sit-To-Stand test), appetite-evaluation questionnaire, and indices including the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS), Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI), Charlson comorbidity index, Barthel and Karnowsky index. The latter showed a condition of dependence in 7.2% and 19.7% of cases, respectively. Poor appetite was recorded in 48.2%. The majority of patients fell within the overweight / obesity range (51%) with waist circumference values associated with increased cardiovascular risk in 51% of males and 60% of females. At the BIA analysis, a BCMI <8 kg/m2 was detected in 39% of patients; an estimated protein intake <1.0 g / kg/d was found in 59% of cases; 34% of patients had serum albumin <3.5 g / dl; control of acidosis was good (bicarbonate 25.4 3.8 mM) but hyperphosphatemia was present in 64.6% of patients. A condition of sedentary or light physical activity was reported by 65.1% of patients, vigorous activity only by 11.9%. The 86.5% of patients able to perform the Sit-to-stand test reported a lower than the reference values for age and sex. A diagnosis of PEW was possible in 8% of our series, while a MIS score> 11, indicative of PEW, took place in 12.7% of cases. The values of the MIS correlated directly with age and the degree of comorbidity and inversely with the sit-to-stand test, RAPA tests and appetite level. The data in this study show that single tests indicative of malnutrition disorders are frequent to be found in our series of peritoneal dialysis patients. However, a diagnosis of PEW is quite infrequent. A large percentage of patients are overweight with increased abdominal adiposity, and reduced cell mass and protein intake below recommended levels; the level of habitual physical activity is low, and the level of physical capability is scarce. Therefore it is conceivable a nutritional counseling intervention to increase the intake of proteins, limiting the phosphorus and (when indicated) energy intake and to stimulating spontaneous physical activity or arranging assisted programs for functional rehabilitation. Close monitoring of the nutritional status and implementation of programs of adapted physical activity should have a prominent role in the clinical management of patients on peritoneal dialysis.

MET as a potential target for the treatment of upper gastrointestinal cancers: characterization of novel c-Met inhibitors from bench to bedside.

The receptor tyrosine kinase mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) plays a pivotal role in regulation of cell proliferation and migration. Abnormal expression of c-Met has been associated with poor prognosis in several cancer types, including upper gastrointestinal malignancies. Moreover, c-Met interaction with multiple signalling pathways involved in tumor growth and invasive/metastatic phenotype has gained substantial attention in the last few years, suggesting the therapeutic potential of this target. This has led to the development and evaluation of a number of c-Met inhibitors. Here we describe the critical role of the HGF/c-Met pathway in cancer, as well as the preclinical and clinical investigations on c-Met inhibitors in solid tumors, with particular emphasis on recent findings with small-molecule inhibitors in gastrointestinal cancers. Clinical trials with several of these novel inhibitors have been encouraging and one of them, crizotinib (dual c-Met/ALK inhibitor), has recently been approved for lung cancers with ALK-rearrangement. There are accumulating evidences on the therapeutic potential of this and other c-Met inhibitors for the treatment of other malignancies, such as gastric and pancreatic cancers. These inhibitors might be used in combination with chemotherapy as well as with other biological agents, in order to overcome different resistance mechanisms. However, further studies are needed to identify determinants of the activity of c-Met inhibitors, through the analysis of genetic and environmental alterations affecting c-Met and parallel pro-cancer pathways. These studies will be critical to improve the efficacy and selectivity of current and future anticancer strategies targeting c-Met.

Synergistic interaction of novel lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors with gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cells in hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia is a driving force in pancreatic-ductal-adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth, metastasis and chemoresistance. The muscle-isoform of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-A) constitutes a major checkpoint for the switch to anaerobic glycolysis, ensuring supply of energy and anabolites in hypoxic-environments. Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological interaction of novel LDH-A inhibitors in combination with gemcitabine in PDAC cells. METHODS: Lactate dehydrogenase A levels were studied by quantitative RT-PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence and activity assays in 14 PDAC cells, including primary-cell-cultures and spheroids, in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Cell proliferation, migration and key determinants of drug activity were evaluated by sulforhodamine-B-assay, wound-healing assay, PCR and LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: Lactate dehydrogenase A was significantly increased under hypoxic conditions (1% O2), where the novel LDH-A inhibitors proved to be particularly effective (e.g., with IC50 values of 0.9 vs 16.3 µM for NHI-1 in LPC006 in hypoxia vs normoxia, respectively). These compounds induced apoptosis, affected invasiveness and spheroid-growth, reducing expression of metalloproteinases and cancer-stem-like-cells markers (CD133+). Their synergistic interaction with gemcitabine, with combination index values <0.4 in hypoxia, might also be attributed to modulation of gemcitabine metabolism, overcoming the reduced synthesis of phosphorylated metabolites. CONCLUSION: Lactate dehydrogenase A is a viable target in PDAC, and novel LDH-A inhibitors display synergistic cytotoxic activity with gemcitabine, offering an innovative tool in hypoxic tumours.

Molecular mechanisms and modulation of key pathways underlying the synergistic interaction of sorafenib with erlotinib in non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.

Combination of drugs with different targets is a logical approach to overcome multilevel cross-stimulation among key pathways in NSCLC progression such as EGFR, K-Ras and VEGFR. The sorafenib-erlotinib combination showed clinical activity and acceptable safety. Therefore, we evaluated mechanisms underlying sorafenib-erlotinib interaction in seven NSCLC cell lines selected for their heterogeneous pattern of EGFR and Raf-kinase-inhibitor protein (RKIP) expression, and EGFR/K-Ras mutations. Pharmacologic interaction was studied using MTT/SRB assays and the combination index (CI) method, while effects on EGFR, Erk1/2 and Akt phosphorylation, cell cycle and apoptosis were studied with western-blot, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Intracellular drug concentrations were measured with LC-MS/MS, whereas kinase activity profiles were generated on tyrosine kinase peptide substrate arrays. Synergism was detected in all cell lines, with CIs < 0.6 in K-Ras mutated A549, SW1573 and H460, as well as in H1975 (EGFR-T790M) cells. Sorafenib slowed cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis, which was significantly increased in the combination. Moreover, sorafenib reduced Akt/ERK phosphorylation in erlotinib-resistant cells, associated with significant RKIP up-regulation. No direct drug interaction was detected by LC-MS/MS measurement, while lysates from A549 and H1975 cells exposed to erlotinib+sorafenib showed a significant inhibition in the phosphorylation of 16 overlapping peptides, including sites from RAF, VEGFR2, PDGFR, CDK2 and SRC, suggesting new markers to identify NSCLC patients who are likely to respond to this treatment. In conclusion, several mechanisms, including apoptosis-induction, modulation of expression/phosphorylation of RKIP and crucial kinases contribute to erlotinib-sorafenib synergistic interaction and should be evaluated in future trials for the rational development of this combination in NSCLC.

The good, the bad and the ugly: a tale of miR-101, miR-21 and miR-155 in pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: This multicenter study evaluated three candidate microRNAs (miRNAs) (miR-21, miR-155 and miR-101) as potential biomarkers in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: miRNA expression was quantified by quantitative RT-PCR in 86 laser-microdissected specimens, including 65 invasive IPMNs, 16 non-invasive IPMNs and 5 normal pancreatic ductal tissues. Univariate and multivariate analyses compared miRNAs and clinical parameters with overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: miR-21 and miR-155 were up-regulated in invasive IPMNs compared with non-invasive IPMNs, as well as in non-invasive IPMNs compared with normal tissues. Conversely, miR-101 levels were significantly higher in non-invasive IPMNs and normal tissues compared with invasive IPMNs. High levels of miR-21 were associated with worse OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37-5.65, P = 0.0047]. Patients with high-miR-21 expression also had a shorter median DFS (10.9 versus 29.9 months, P = 0.01). Multivariate analysis confirmed miR-21 as independently prognostic for mortality and disease progression (death risk: HR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.5-7.0, P = 0.02; progression risk: HR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2-4.8, P = 0.02), as well as positive lymph-node status (death risk: HR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1-6.3, P = 0.03; progression risk: HR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.8, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: miR-21, miR-155 and miR-101 showed significant differences in invasive versus non-invasive IPMNs. miR-21 emerged as an independent prognostic biomarker in invasive IPMNs and should be validated in prospective studies.

Correlation of cytidine deaminase polymorphisms and activity with clinical outcome in gemcitabine-/platinum-treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cytidine deaminase (CDA) polymorphisms 79A>C and 435C>T and/or CDA enzymatic activity influenced clinical outcome in 126 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with gemcitabine-platinum-regimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: CDA polymorphisms and activity were analysed by PCR and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses compared biological/clinical parameters with response, clinical benefit, time to progression (TtP) and overall survival (OS) using Pearson's χ(2) test, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Patients with CDA A79A/A79C genotypes had significantly longer TtP (6.0 versus 3.0 months; P = 0.001) and OS (11.0 versus 5.0 months; P = 0.001) than patients with C79C genotype. Patients harbouring CDA C435C/C435T genotypes also had a longer OS (P = 0.025), but no correlations were observed with TtP. Conversely, patients with low-CDA activity had a significantly higher response rate (37.7% versus 13.8%; P = 0.006), clinical benefit (91.8% versus 51.7%; P < 0.001), as well as longer TtP (8.0 versus 3.0 months; P < 0.001) and OS (19.0 versus 6.0 months; P < 0.001). Furthermore, enzymatic activity emerged as an independent predictor for death/progression risk at multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: CDA enzymatic activity appears to be the strongest candidate biomarker of activity and efficacy of platinum-gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and should be validated in a prospective study.

Preclinical emergence of vandetanib as a potent antitumour agent in mesothelioma: molecular mechanisms underlying its synergistic interaction with pemetrexed and carboplatin.

BACKGROUND: Although pemetrexed, a potent thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitor, enhances the cytoytoxic effect of platinum compounds against malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), novel combinations with effective targeted therapies are warranted. To this end, the current study evaluates new targeted agents and their pharmacological interaction with carboplatin-pemetrexed in human MPM cell lines. METHODS: We treated H2052, H2452, H28 and MSTO-211H cells with carboplatin, pemetrexed and targeted compounds (gefitinib, erlotinib, sorafenib, vandetanib, enzastaurin and ZM447439) and evaluated the modulation of pivotal pathways in drug activity and cancer cell proliferation. RESULTS: Vandetanib emerged as the compound with the most potent cytotoxic activity, which interacted synergistically with carboplatin and pemetrexed. Drug combinations blocked Akt phosphorylation and increased apoptosis. Vandetanib significantly downregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Erk/Akt phosphorylation as well as E2F-1 mRNA and TS mRNA/protein levels. Moreover, pemetrexed decreased Akt phosphorylation and expression of DNA repair genes. Finally, most MPM samples displayed detectable levels of EGFR and TS, the variability of which could be used for patients' stratification in future trials with vandetanib-pemetrexed-carboplatin combination. CONCLUSION: Vandetanib markedly enhances pemetrexed-carboplatin activity against human MPM cells. Induction of apoptosis, modulation of EGFR/Akt/Erk phosphorylation and expression of key determinants for pemetrexed and carboplatin activity contribute to this synergistic interaction, and, together with the expression of these determinants in MPM samples, warrant further clinical investigation.