Everolimus prolonged survival in transgenic mice with EGFR-driven lung tumors

The complexity of EGFR exon 19 deletion and L858R mutant cells as assessed by proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics

Most lung adenocarcinoma-associated EGFR tyrosine kinase mutations are either an exon 19 deletion (19Del) or L858R point mutation in exon 21. Although patients whose tumors contain either of these mutations exhibit increased sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, progression-free and overall survival appear to be longer in patients with 19Del than in those with L858R. In mutant-transfected Ba/F3 cells, 19Del and L858R were compared by multi-omics analyses including proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Proteome analysis identified increased plastin-2, TKT, PDIA5, and ENO1 expression in L858R cells, and increased EEF1G expression in 19Del cells. RNA sequencing showed significant differences between 19Del and L858R cells in 112 genes. Metabolome analysis showed that amino acids, adenylate, guanylate, NADPH, lactic acid, pyruvic acid glucose 6-phosphate, and ribose 5-phosphate were significantly different between the two mutant cells. Because GSH was increased with L858R, we combined osimertinib with the GSH inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine in L858R cells and observed synergistic effects. The complexity of EGFR 19Del and L858R mutant cells was demonstrated by proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics analyses. Therapeutic strategies for lung cancer with different EGFR mutations could be considered because of their different metabolic phenotypes.

The Anti-Cancer Effects of a Zotarolimus and 5-Fluorouracil Combination Treatment on A549 Cell-Derived Tumors in BALB/c Nude Mice

Zotarolimus is a semi-synthetic derivative of rapamycin and a novel immunosuppressive agent used to prevent graft rejection. The pharmacological pathway of zotarolimus restricts the kinase activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which potentially leads to reductions in cell division, cell growth, cell proliferation, and inflammation. These pathways have a critical influence on tumorigenesis. This study aims to examine the anti-tumor effect of zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line implanted in BALB/c nude mice by estimating tumor growth, apoptosis expression, inflammation, and metastasis. We established A549 xenografts in nude mice, following which we randomly divided the mice into four groups: control, 5-FU (100 mg/kg/week), zotarolimus (2 mg/kg/day), and zotarolimus combined with 5-FU. Compared the results with those for control mice, we found that mice treated with zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-FU retarded tumor growth; increased tumor apoptosis through the enhanced expression of cleaved caspase 3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation; decreased inflammation cytokines levels (e.g., IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6); reduced inflammation-related factors such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA; enhanced anti-inflammation-related factors including IL-10 and inhibitor of NF-κB kinase α (IκBα) mRNA; and inhibited metastasis-related factors such as transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), CD44, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Notably, mice treated with zotarolimus combined with 5-FU had significantly retarded tumor growth, reduced tumor size, and increased tumor inhibition compared with the groups of mice treated with 5-FU or zotarolimus alone. The in vivo study confirmed that zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-FU could retard lung adenocarcinoma growth and inhibit tumorigenesis. Zotarolimus and 5-FU were found to have an obvious synergistic tumor-inhibiting effect on lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, both zotarolimus alone and zotarolimus combined with 5-FU may be potential anti-tumor agents for treatment of human lung adenocarcinoma.

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.

Persistence of smoking induced non-small cell lung carcinogenesis by decreasing ERBB pathway-related microRNA expression

Background

Tobacco use is responsible for approximately 80–90% of non‐small cell lung cancer cases. A large evidence base has shown that the ERBB pathway is associated with the occurrence of lung cancer. However, the mechanisms of how smoking activates the ERBB pathway have yet to be explained. We hypothesized that microRNAs may induce ERBB pathway activity during the process of lung cancer carcinogenesis.

Methods

We analyzed microRNA array data from the Gene Expression Omnibus and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes to determine any associations between genes and smoking in three groups of patients with NSCLC: smokers, former smokers, and non‐smokers.

Results

The interaction network among miRNAs, including hsa‐mir‐185‐3p, hsa‐mir‐4295, hsa‐mir‐4288, and hsa‐mir‐613, promotes lung cancer development by affecting the ERBB pathway.

Conclusion

Our findings provide evidence to explain the mechanism of lung cancer development in smokers.

Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography combined with a targeted nanoparticle contrast agent for screening for early-phase non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and patients with NSCLC are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. This is primarily due to a lack of advanced and sensitive protocols for the detection of early stage NSCLC. Therefore, methods for the accurate diagnosis of early stage NSCLC are urgently required to improve survival rates. The present study investigated the use of contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) combined with a targeted nanoparticle contrast agent (TNCA) to diagnose early-stage NSCLC in a mice xenograft model. The TNCA used was lenvatinib, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1-3, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1-4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase receptor Ret and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor Kit. Xenograft NSCLC mice were established and used to analyze the efficacy of CECT-TNCA compared with CT scanning alone. The TNCA was inhaled with the use of an atomizer. The results demonstrated that CECT-TNCA improved the sensitivity of the diagnosis of early stage NSCLC. In addition, imaging using the TNCA enabled the visualization of nodules in the lung in mice with early stage NSCLC. In addition, lung nodule signal enhancement was increased in CECT-TNCA compared with CT, suggesting a high accurate accumulation of the TNCA in tumor nodules. Mice diagnosed with early stage NSCLC exhibited a higher eradication rate of NSCLC after treatment with cisplatin compared with mice with advanced stage NSCLC. These data indicate that the sensitivity and accuracy of CT imaging for the diagnosis of early stage NSCLC was improved through combination with the liposome-encapsulated TNCA.