Efficacy and Safety of Weekly Paclitaxel Plus Vistusertib vs Paclitaxel Alone in Patients With Platinum-Resistant Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma: The OCTOPUS Multicenter, Phase 2, Randomized Clinical Trial

VASH2 enhances KIF3C-mediated EGFR-endosomal recycling to promote aggression and chemoresistance of lung squamous cell carcinoma by increasing tubulin detyrosination

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with high mortality and has few therapeutic options. Chemotherapy remains the main treatment for LUSC patients, but multi-drug resistance has become the dominant challenge in the failure of chemotherapy in various cancers. Therefore, the effective therapeutic strategy for LUSC patients is an urgent unmet need. Here, we found vasohibin-2 (VASH2) was a prognostic biomarker for LUSC patients, and VASH2 promoted the malignant biological behaviors of LUSC cells and chemoresistance by increasing the detyrosination of α-tubulin. The high level of detyrosinated-tubulin was negatively associated with patient prognosis. Blocking the tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) activity of VASH2 inhibited the xenograft tumor growth and improved the treatment efficacy of paclitaxel in vivo. Results revealed that VASH2-induced increase in tubulin detyrosination boosted the binding of kinesin family member 3C (KIF3C) to microtubules and enhanced KIF3C-dependent endosomal recycling of EGFR, leading to the prolonged activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. This study demonstrated that VASH2 was not only a prognostic biomarker but also a promising therapeutic target in LUSC, which offers a novel insight that combination of chemotherapy and EpoY, a TCP inhibitor, may be a promising treatment strategy for LUSC patients.

Molecular and modular intricacies of precision oncology

Precision medicine is revolutionizing the world in combating different disease modalities, including cancer. The concept of personalized treatments is not new, but modeling it into a reality has faced various limitations. The last decade has seen significant improvements in incorporating several novel tools, scientific innovations and governmental support in precision oncology. However, the socio-economic factors and risk-benefit analyses are important considerations. This mini review includes a summary of some commendable milestones, which are not just a series of successes, but also a cautious outlook to the challenges and practical implications of the advancing techno-medical era.

A bibliometric analysis of the application of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway in cancer

PI3K-AKT-mTOR plays as important role in the growth, metabolism, proliferation, and migration of cancer cells, and in apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, and angiogenesis in cancer. In this study, the aim was to comprehensively review the current research landscape regarding the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway in cancer, using bibliometrics to analyze research hotspots, and provide ideas for future research directions. Literature published on the topic between January 2006 and May 2023 was retrieved from the Web of Science core database, and key information and a visualization map were analyzed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. A total of 5800 articles from 95 countries/regions were collected, including from China and the USA. The number of publications on the topic increased year on year. The major research institution was the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Oncotarget and Clinical Cancer Research were the most prevalent journals in the field. Of 26,621 authors, R Kurzrock published the most articles, and J Engelman was cited most frequently. "A549 cell," "first line treatment," "first in human phase I," and "inhibitor" were the keywords of emerging research hotspots. Inhibitors of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and their use in clinical therapeutic strategies for cancer were the main topics in the field, and future research should also focus on PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway inhibitors. This study is the first to comprehensively summarize trends and development s in research into the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway in cancer. The information that was obtained clarified recent research frontiers and directions, providing references for scholars of cancer management.

PTEN loss shapes macrophage dynamics in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) remains a disease of poor prognosis that is unresponsive to current immune checkpoint inhibitors. Although PI3K pathway alterations, such as PTEN loss, are common in HGSC, attempts to target this pathway have been unsuccessful. We hypothesized that aberrant PI3K pathway activation may alter the HGSC immune microenvironment and present a targeting opportunity. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified populations of resident macrophages specific to Pten-null omental tumors in murine models, which were confirmed by flow cytometry. These macrophages derived from peritoneal fluid macrophages and had a unique gene expression program, marked by high expression of the enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1). Targeting resident peritoneal macrophages prevented the appearance of HMOX1hi macrophages and reduced tumor growth. Furthermore, direct inhibition of HMOX1 extended survival in vivo. RNA sequencing identified IL33 in Pten-null tumor cells as a likely candidate driver leading to the appearance of HMOX1hi macrophages. Human HGSC tumors also contained HMOX1hi macrophages with a corresponding gene expression program. Moreover, the presence of these macrophages correlated with activated tumoral PI3K/mTOR signaling and poor overall survival in HGSC patients. In contrast, tumors with low numbers of HMOX1hi macrophages were marked by increased adaptive immune response gene expression. These data suggest targeting HMOX1hi macrophages as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating poor prognosis HGSC.

Targeted therapy in high grade serous ovarian Cancer: A literature review

Ovarian cancer continues to have a high mortality rate despite therapeutic advances. Traditionally, treatment has focused on surgery followed by systemic platinum- based chemotherapy. Unfortunately, most patients develop resistance to platinum agents, highlighting the need for targeted therapies. PARP inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents, such as bevacizumab, have more recently changed upfront therapy. Unfortunately, other targeted therapies including immunotherapy have not seen the same success. Emerging therapeutic targets and modalities such as small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, lipid metabolism targeting agents, gene therapy, ribosome targeted drugs as well as several other therapeutic classes have been and are currently under investigation. In this review, we discuss targeted therapies in high grade serous ovarian cancer from preclinical studies to phase III clinical trials.

Combination Therapy Approach to Overcome the Resistance to PI3K Pathway Inhibitors in Gynecological Cancers

The PI3K signaling pathway plays an essential role in cancer cell proliferation and survival. PI3K pathway inhibitors are now FDA-approved as a single agent treatment or in combination for solid tumors such as renal cell carcinoma or breast cancer. However, despite the high prevalence of PI3K pathway alterations in gynecological cancers and promising preclinical activity in endometrial and ovarian cancer models, PI3K pathway inhibitors showed limited clinical activity in gynecological cancers. In this review, we provide an overview on resistance mechanisms against PI3K pathway inhibitors that limit their use in gynecological malignancies, including genetic alterations that reactivate the PI3K pathway such as PIK3CA mutations and PTEN loss, compensatory signaling pathway activation, and feedback loops causing the reactivation of the PI3K signaling pathway. We also discuss the successes and limitations of recent clinical trials aiming to address such resistance mechanisms through combination therapies.

FTY720 increases paclitaxel efficacy in cisplatin-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Oral squamous cell carcinoma has high recurrence and cisplatin resistance. As cancer stem cells, autophagy, and sphingolipids have been appointed as associated with chemotherapy resistance, we tested combined treatments targeting autophagy and/or sphingolipid metabolism with paclitaxel using cisplatin-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

METHODS

Cisplatin-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells were maintained under exposition to FTY720 and chloroquine combined with paclitaxel and submitted to viability, clonogenicity, and spheres formation assays. The xenograft tumor model using cisplatin-resistant CAL27 cells was adopted to examine the drug combinations' potential antitumoral efficacy. Using an animal model, sphingolipids profiles from plasma and tissue samples were obtained by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to identify potential lipids associated with drug response.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Our results showed higher autophagic flux in cisplatin-resistant Ooral squamous cell carcinoma (CAL27 and SCC9) cells than in parental cells. The combinations of an autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine) or an autophagy inducer/sphingosine kinase 1 antagonist (FTY720) with paclitaxel (PTX) had a synergistic antitumor effect. Treated CisR cells lost clonogenicity and tumor sphere abilities and reduced proteins associated with proliferation, survival, and cancer stem cells. FTY720 plus PTX had higher antitumor efficacy than PTX against CAL27 CisR xenograft tumor formation. Additionally, increases in glucosylceramide, dehydroglucosylceramide, and sphingomyelin were presented in responsive tumors.

CONCLUSION

FTY720 sensitizes cisplatin-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells for paclitaxel.

Advances in the regulatory mechanisms of mTOR in necroptosis

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), an evolutionarily highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, plays a prominent role in controlling gene expression, metabolism, and cell death. Programmed cell death (PCD) is indispensable for maintaining homeostasis by removing senescent, defective, or malignant cells. Necroptosis, a type of PCD, relies on the interplay between receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinases (RIPKs) and the membrane perforation by mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), which is distinguished from apoptosis. With the development of necroptosis-regulating mechanisms, the importance of mTOR in the complex network of intersecting signaling pathways that govern the process has become more evident. mTOR is directly responsible for the regulation of RIPKs. Autophagy is an indirect mechanism by which mTOR regulates the removal and interaction of RIPKs. Another necroptosis trigger is reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by oxidative stress; mTOR regulates necroptosis by exploiting ROS. Considering the intricacy of the signal network, it is reasonable to assume that mTOR exerts a bifacial effect on necroptosis. However, additional research is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this review, we summarized the mechanisms underlying mTOR activation and necroptosis and highlighted the signaling pathway through which mTOR regulates necroptosis. The development of therapeutic targets for various diseases has been greatly advanced by the expanding knowledge of how mTOR regulates necroptosis.

Multifaceted role of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway in human health and disease

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein kinase that controls cellular metabolism, catabolism, immune responses, autophagy, survival, proliferation, and migration, to maintain cellular homeostasis. The mTOR signaling cascade consists of two distinct multi-subunit complexes named mTOR complex 1/2 (mTORC1/2). mTOR catalyzes the phosphorylation of several critical proteins like AKT, protein kinase C, insulin growth factor receptor (IGF-1R), 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K), transcription factor EB (TFEB), sterol-responsive element-binding proteins (SREBPs), Lipin-1, and Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinases. mTOR signaling plays a central role in regulating translation, lipid synthesis, nucleotide synthesis, biogenesis of lysosomes, nutrient sensing, and growth factor signaling. The emerging pieces of evidence have revealed that the constitutive activation of the mTOR pathway due to mutations/amplification/deletion in either mTOR and its complexes (mTORC1 and mTORC2) or upstream targets is responsible for aging, neurological diseases, and human malignancies. Here, we provide the detailed structure of mTOR, its complexes, and the comprehensive role of upstream regulators, as well as downstream effectors of mTOR signaling cascades in the metabolism, biogenesis of biomolecules, immune responses, and autophagy. Additionally, we summarize the potential of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as an important modulator of mTOR signaling. Importantly, we have highlighted the potential of mTOR signaling in aging, neurological disorders, human cancers, cancer stem cells, and drug resistance. Here, we discuss the developments for the therapeutic targeting of mTOR signaling with improved anticancer efficacy for the benefit of cancer patients in clinics.

Drug Repurposing for Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor-Cell-Generated Immunosuppression in Ovarian Cancer: A Literature Review of Potential Candidates

The lethality of patients with ovarian cancer (OC) remains high. Current treatment strategies often do not lead to the desired outcome due to the development of therapy resistance, resulting in high relapse rates. Additionally, clinical trials testing immunotherapy against OC have failed to reach significant results to date. The OC tumor microenvironment and specifically myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are known to generate immunosuppression and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response following immunotherapy treatment. Our review aims to characterize potential candidate treatments to target MDSC in OC through drug-repurposing. A literature search identified repurposable compounds with evidence of their suppressing the effect of MDSC. A total of seventeen compounds were withheld, of which four were considered the most promising. Lurbinectedin, metformin, celecoxib, and 5-azacytidine have reported preclinical effects on MDSC and clinical evidence in OC. They have all been approved for a different indication, characterizing them as the most promising candidates for repurposing to treat patients with OC.