Enhanced antitumor effect of binimetinib in combination with capecitabine for biliary tract cancer patients with mutations in the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway: phase Ib study

Development and safety of investigational and approved drugs targeting the RAS function regulation in RAS mutant cancers

The RAS gene family holds a central position in controlling key cellular activities such as migration, survival, metabolism, and other vital biological processes. The activation of RAS signaling cascades is instrumental in the development of various cancers. Although several RAS inhibitors have gained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for their substantial antitumor effects, their widespread and severe adverse reactions significantly curtail their practical usage in the clinic. Thus, there exists a pressing need for a comprehensive understanding of these adverse events, ensuring the clinical safety of RAS inhibitors through the establishment of precise management guidelines, suitable intermittent dosing schedules, and innovative combination regimens. This review centers on the evolution of RAS inhibitors in cancer therapy, delving into the common adverse effects associated with these inhibitors, their underlying mechanisms, and the potential strategies for mitigation.

Advances in target drugs and immunotherapy for biliary tract cancer

INTRODUCTION

After years of treatment stagnation in biliary tract cancers (BTC), there has been a notable shift with the emergence of targeted therapies and immunotherapy, leading to substantial progress in tackling this aggressive disease.

AREAS COVERED

We provide a comprehensive overview of the target therapies that are already part of the treatment algorithm for BTC, such as FGFR, IDH, and HER2 inhibitors. Additionally, we delve into some less known targets that are being explored, such as KRAS proto-oncogene, MAPK cascade, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and novel molecules directed against P53, claudin, histones, and mitochondrial metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss agnostic drugs and analyze the efficacy data available for BTC specifically. We also examine the expanding world of immunotherapy, with an eye on predictive factors of response for immune checkpoint inhibitors, and on novel immune drugs such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T and vaccines.

EXPERT OPINION

In the expert opinion, we discuss the problem of the scarcity of patients eligible for target therapies and how can clinical trials be designed to overcome this challenge. We also summarize the most promising trials that have the potential to change clinical practice both for immunotherapies and target drugs.

Mucocutaneous toxicities from MEK inhibitors: a scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND

MEK inhibitors cause a wide spectrum of mucocutaneous toxicities which can delay or interrupt life-saving therapy.

PURPOSE

To summarize the morphology, incidence, and clinical presentation of mucocutaneous toxicities from MEK inhibitors via a scoping review of the literature.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the published literature, including clinical trials, retrospective and prospective studies, reviews, and case reports and series. All included literature was analyzed by a panel of pediatric and adult oncodermatologists.

RESULTS

Of 1626 initial citations, 227 articles met final inclusion criteria. Our review identified follicular reactions, ocular toxicities, xerosis, eczematous dermatitis, edema, and paronychia as the most common mucocutaneous side effects from MEK inhibitor therapy. Grade 1 and 2 reactions were the most prevalent and were typically managed while continuing treatment; however, grade 3 toxicities requiring dose reductions or treatment interruptions were also reported.

CONCLUSION

Mucocutaneous toxicities to MEK inhibitor therapy are common and most often mild in severity. Early recognition and treatment can mitigate disruptions in oncologic therapy.

Developing theragnostics for Alzheimer's disease: Insights from cancer treatment

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its associated economic and societal burdens are on the rise, but there are no curative treatments for AD. Interestingly, this neurodegenerative disease shares several biological and pathophysiological features with cancer, including cell-cycle dysregulation, angiogenesis, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein misfolding, and DNA damage. However, the genetic factors contributing to the overlap in biological processes between cancer and AD have not been actively studied. In this review, we discuss the shared biological features of cancer and AD, the molecular targets of anticancer drugs, and therapeutic approaches. First, we outline the common biological features of cancer and AD. Second, we describe several anticancer drugs, their molecular targets, and their effects on AD pathology. Finally, we discuss how protein-protein interactions (PPIs), receptor inhibition, immunotherapy, and gene therapy can be exploited for the cure and management of both cancer and AD. Collectively, this review provides insights for the development of AD theragnostics based on cancer drugs and molecular targets.

Current and Future Therapeutic Targets for Directed Molecular Therapies in Cholangiocarcinoma

We conducted a comprehensive review of the current literature of published data, clinical trials (MEDLINE; ncbi.pubmed.com), congress contributions (asco.org; esmo.org), and active recruiting clinical trains (clinicaltrial.gov) on targeted therapies in cholangiocarcinoma. Palliative treatment regimens were analyzed as well as preoperative and perioperative treatment options. We summarized the current knowledge for each mutation and molecular pathway that is or has been under clinical evaluation and discussed the results on the background of current treatment guidelines. We established and recommended targeted treatment options that already exist for second-line settings, including IDH-, BRAF-, and NTRK-mutated tumors, as well as for FGFR2 fusion, HER2/neu-overexpression, and microsatellite instable tumors. Other options for targeted treatment include EGFR- or VEGF-dependent pathways, which are known to be overexpressed or dysregulated in this cancer type and are currently under clinical investigation. Targeted therapy in CCA is a hallmark of individualized medicine as these therapies aim to specifically block pathways that promote cancer cell growth and survival, leading to tumor shrinkage and improved patient outcomes based on the molecular profile of the tumor.

Clinical outcomes for previously treated patients with advanced biliary tract cancer: a meta-analysis

Aim: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the efficacy of treatments for previously treated advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients. Materials & methods: Databases were searched for studies evaluating treatments for advanced (unresectable and/or metastatic) BTC patients who progressed on prior therapy. Pooled estimates of objective response rate (ORR), median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using random effects meta-analysis. Results: Across 31 studies evaluating chemotherapy or targeted treatment regimens in an unselected advanced BTC patient population, pooled ORR was 6.9%, median OS was 6.6 months and median PFS was 3.2 months. Conclusion: The efficacy of conventional treatments for previously treated advanced BTC patients is poor and could be improved by novel therapies.

Trans-(±)-TTPG-B Attenuates Cell Cycle Progression and Inhibits Cell Proliferation on Cholangiocarcinoma Cells

This research aimed to determine the target protein and molecular mechanism of trans-(±)-kusunokinin ((±)-KU) derivatives (trans-(±)-ARC and trans-(±)-TTPG-B). Molecular docking was used to predict potential synthesized (±)-KU targets among 22 proteins. The (±)-TTPG-B bound HSP90α better than EC44, native (±)-KU and (-)-KU, and (±)-KU and (-)-ARC. In contrast, (-)-ARC bound PI3K more strongly than any other test compound. CSF1R and AKR1B1 were not supposed to be the target of (±)-TTPG-B and (±)-ARC, unlike native (±)-KU. The (±)-TTPG-B bound Tyr139 and Trp162 of HSP90α. Moreover, (-)-ARC bound PI3K via hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking at distinct amino acids, which was different from the other tested compounds. Using half of the IC50 concentration, (±)-TTPG-B, (±)-KU and (±)-ARC enhanced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase after 12 h and 24 h on KKU-M213 (CCA) cells. The (±)-TTPG-B showed a stronger inhibitory effect than (±)-ARC and (±)-KU on HSP90α, PI3K, HSP90β, c-Myc, AKT, MEK1, CyclinB1, CyclinD1, and CDK1 for 24 and 48 h after treatment with the same concentration (0.015 µM). Thus, trans-(±)-TTPG-B, a newly synthesized compound, has pharmacological potential for development as a target therapy for CCA treatment.

Combination Therapies for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a group of malignant neoplasms that have recently increased in incidence and have a poor prognosis. Surgery is the only curative therapy. However, most patients are only indicated for palliative therapy because of advanced-stage disease at diagnosis and rapid progression. The current first-line treatment for advanced BTC is gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy. Nonetheless, many patients develop resistance to this regimen. Over the years, few chemotherapy regimens have managed to improve the overall survival of patients. Accordingly, novel therapies such as targeted therapy have been introduced to treat this patient population. Extensive research on tumorigenesis and the genetic profiling of BTC have revealed the heterogenicity and potential target pathways, such as EGFR, VEGF, MEK/ERK, PI3K and mTOR. Moreover, mutational analysis has documented the presence of IDH1, FGFR2, HER2, PRKACA, PRKACB, BRAF, and KRAS gene aberrations. The emergence of immunotherapy in recent years has expanded the treatment landscape for this group of malignancies. Cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have been extensively investigated in trials of BTC. Therefore, patient stratification and a combination of various therapies have become a reasonable and important clinical strategy to improve patient outcomes. This review elaborates the literature on combined treatment strategies for advanced BTC from the past few years and ongoing clinical trials to provide new inspiration for the treatment of advanced BTC.

Tumors of the Digestive System: Comprehensive Review of Ancillary Testing and Biomarkers in the Era of Precision Medicine

Immunotherapy has remained at the vanguard of promising cancer therapeutic regimens due to its exceptionally high specificity for tumor cells and potential for significantly improved treatment-associated quality of life compared to other therapeutic approaches such as surgery and chemoradiation. This is especially true in the digestive system, where high rates of mutation give rise to a host of targetable tumor-specific antigens. Many patients, however, do not exhibit measurable improvements under immunotherapy due to intrinsic or acquired resistance, making predictive biomarkers necessary to determine which patients will benefit from this line of treatment. Many of these biomarkers are assessed empirically by pathologists according to nuanced scoring criteria and algorithms. This review serves to inform clinicians and pathologists of extant and promising upcoming biomarkers predictive of immunotherapeutic efficacy among digestive system malignancies and the ancillary testing required for interpretation by pathologists according to tumor site of origin.

M2-like tumor-associated macrophage-related biomarkers to construct a novel prognostic signature, reveal the immune landscape, and screen drugs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (M2-like TAMs) have important roles in the progression and therapeutics of cancers. We aimed to detect novel M2-like TAM-related biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via integrative analysis of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA-seq data to construct a novel prognostic signature, reveal the “immune landscape”, and screen drugs in HCC.

Methods

M2-like TAM-related genes were obtained by overlapping the marker genes of TAM identified from scRNA-seq data and M2 macrophage modular genes identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) using bulk RNA-seq data. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses were carried out to screen prognostic genes from M2-like TAM-related genes, followed by a construction of a prognostic signature, delineation of risk groups, and external validation of the prognostic signature. Analyses of immune cells, immune function, immune evasion scores, and immune-checkpoint genes between high- and low-risk groups were done to further reveal the immune landscape of HCC patients. To screen potential HCC therapeutic agents, analyses of gene–drug correlation and sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs were conducted.

Results

A total of 127 M2-like TAM-related genes were identified by integrative analysis of scRNA-seq and bulk-seq data. PDLIM3, PAM, PDLIM7, FSCN1, DPYSL2, ARID5B, LGALS3, and KLF2 were screened as prognostic genes in HCC by univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses. Then, a prognostic signature was constructed and validated based on those genes for predicting the survival of HCC patients. In terms of drug screening, expression of PAM and LGALS3 was correlated positively with sensitivity to simvastatin and ARRY-162, respectively. Based on risk grouping, we predicted 10 anticancer drugs with high sensitivity in the high-risk group, with epothilone B having the lowest half-maximal inhibitory concentration among all drugs tested.

Conclusions

Our findings enhance understanding of the M2-like TAM-related molecular mechanisms involved in HCC, reveal the immune landscape of HCC, and provide potential targets for HCC treatment.

Wnt/β-Catenin-Pathway Alterations and Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Lines and Clinical Samples: Towards Specific Vulnerabilities

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) features a dismal prognosis with limited treatment options. Genomic studies have unveiled several promising targets in this disease, including fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) fusions and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations. To fully harness the potential of genomically informed therapies in CCA, it is necessary to thoroughly characterize the available model organisms, including cell lines. One parameter to investigate in CCA is homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). While mutations in homologous recombinational repair (HRR)-related genes have been detected, their predictive value remains undetermined. Using a targeted next-generation sequencing approach, we analyzed 12 human CCA cell lines and compared them to 62 CCA samples of the molecular tumor board cohort. The AmoyDx^® HRD Focus Panel was employed to determine corresponding genomic scar scores (GSS). Ten of twelve cell lines harbored alterations in common HRR-related genes, and five cell lines were HRD-positive, although this parameter did not correlate well with Olaparib sensitivity. Moreover, functionally relevant APC and β-catenin mutations were registered, which were also detected in 4/176 (2.3%) samples on a CCA microarray. Although rare, these alterations were exclusive to large duct type CCA with associated intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct (IPNB) in 3 cases, pointing at a distinct form of cholangiocarcinogenesis with potential specific vulnerabilities.

Second-line treatments in advanced biliary tract cancer: systematic literature review of efficacy, effectiveness and safety

Background: A systematic review was conducted to understand clinical, economic and health-related quality-of-life outcomes in second-line biliary tract cancer. Materials & methods: The review followed established recommendations. The feasibility of network meta-analysis revealed limited networks, thus synthesis was limited to a summary of reported ranges, percentiles and medians. Results: The review included 62 trials and observational studies highly variable with respect to key baseline characteristics. Commonly evaluated second-line treatments included fluoropyrimidine-, gemcitabine- and S-1-based regimens. Across active treatment arms, median overall survival ranged from 3.5 to 15.0 months (median: 6.9), median progression-free survival from 1.4 to 6.5 months (median: 2.9) and objective response from 0 to 36.4%. Outcomes were similar between study types, with a few notable outliers. Treatment-related/-emergent adverse events were infrequently reported; no studies reported economic or health-related quality-of-life outcomes. Conclusions: Biliary tract cancer is a difficult-to-treat disease with poor prognosis. Despite evolving treatment landscapes, more recent studies did not show clinical outcome improvement, highlighting an unmet need among advanced/metastatic patients.

Evolving Paradigms in the Systemic Treatment of Advanced Gallbladder Cancer: Updates in Year 2022

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a biological, anatomical, and clinically distinct subset of biliary tract cancers (BTC), which also include extra- and intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) clearly shows that GBC is genetically different from cholangiocarcinoma. Although GBC is a relatively rare cancer, it is highly aggressive and carries a grave prognosis. To date, complete surgical resection remains the only path for cure but is limited to patients with early-stage disease. The majority of the patients are diagnosed at an advanced, inoperable stage when systemic treatment is administered as an attempt to enable surgery or for palliation. Gemcitabine and platinum-based chemotherapies have been the main treatment modality for unresectable, locally advanced, and metastatic gallbladder cancer. However, over the past decade, the treatment paradigm has evolved. These include the introduction of newer chemotherapeutic strategies after progression on frontline chemotherapy, incorporation of targeted therapeutics towards driver mutations of genes including HER2, FGFR, BRAF, as well as approaches to unleash host anti-tumor immunity using immune checkpoint inhibitors. Notably, due to the rarity of BTC in general, most clinical trials included both GBC and cholangiocarcinomas. Here, we provide a review on the pathogenesis of GBC, past and current systemic treatment options focusing specifically on GBC, clinical trials tailored towards its genetic mutations, and emerging treatment strategies based on promising recent clinical studies.

The new insight of treatment in Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a relatively rare malignant tumor originating from the bile duct epithelial cells, and it is one of the malignant tumors with fast growth in incidence and death rate in recent years. CCA carries a very poor prognosis due to a typically late clinical presentation and a poor response to current therapeutics. Currently, surgery is the only possible curative treatment, radiotherapy and chemotherapy also play an important role in slowing down disease progression, while targeted therapy and immunotherapy are changing with each passing day and their combined effect may have great potential for the treatment of CCA; Clinical trials of various treatment options for CCA are also being conducted. This article reviews the different treatment options for CCA and explores the adjuvant treatment for it from a new perspective. In the future, the goal of treatment should be multiple and combined for different CCA patients to achieve individualized programs and improve overall survival.

Molecular Targets and Emerging Therapies for Advanced Gallbladder Cancer

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), for their low incidence, have been often considered together. Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common biliary tract malignancy, characterized by late diagnosis and poor prognosis, and although it is considered a rare tumor in western countries, other areas of the world show considerable incidence rates. In 2010, results from the large phase III ABC-02 clinical trial on GBC identified the gemcitabine and cisplatin combination as the most effective first-line regimen for both GBC and other BTCs. Since then, various systemic therapies have proven active in BTCs in both first- and second-line settings. Molecular profiling has highlighted important genetic differences between GBC and other BTCs, opening new ways for targeted therapy in advanced disease where standard chemotherapies show marginal benefit. Genome-wide data analysis have shown that GBC molecular landscape offer possible strategies for precision medicine approaches, and a better molecular understanding of the GBC is needed to better stratify patients for treatment. In this review, we discuss the molecular targetable agents for GBC, including the results that emerged by clinical trials exploring new treatment strategies.

Current and emerging therapies for advanced biliary tract cancers

Biliary tract cancers (cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers) are increasing in incidence and have a poor prognosis. Most patients present with advanced disease, for which the treatment is palliative chemotherapy. Over the past few years, the genomic landscape of biliary tract cancers has been examined and several targeted therapies have been developed. Molecular targets with clinically meaningful activity include fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), RAS-RAF-MEK (MAP2K1)-ERK (MAPK3), HER2 (also known as ERBB2), DNA mismatch repair, and NTRK. Pemigatinib, a FGFR1-3 inhibitor, showed encouraging response rates and survival data as second-line treatment and received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in April, 2020, for previously treated advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 gene fusion or rearrangements. Ivosidenib, an IDH1 inhibitor, showed improved progression-free survival versus placebo in second-line treatment in the phase 3 ClarIDHy trial. Early phase trials of dabrafenib plus trametinib (BRAF and MEK inhibition) and zanidatamab (a bispecific HER2-antibody) have yielded encouraging response rates. Immunotherapy has mainly produced responses in tumours with deficient mismatch repair or high microsatellite instability (also known as dMMR or MSI-H) or higher PD-L1 score, or both. However, early phase trials of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in unselected patient populations appear promising. NTRK inhibitors have also shown promise in early phase trials of NTRK-fusion positive solid tumours, including cholangiocarcinoma. In this Review, we discuss current and emerging therapies for advanced biliary tract cancers, with a focus on molecularly targeted therapy.

Targeted therapies for gallbladder cancer: an overview of agents in preclinical and clinical development

Introduction: Gallbladder cancer (GC) is a rare malignancy with a dismal prognosis. When diagnosed early enough, it can be cured by surgical removal. Unfortunately, only few GC patients can be amenable to surgery, though, with a high relapse rate. Conventional chemotherapy remains the golden standard for unresectable or metastatic GC, both in the first and second-line settings, even if leading to a fair outcome improvement.Areas covered: In recent years, according to the concept of 'precision medicine', new potential molecular targets have been examined. We provided a general outline of the current first- and second-line chemotherapies. New therapeutic possibilities are also reviewed, particularly HER2, EGFR, VEGF, TKI, MEK and BRAF inhibitors, and immunotherapy. Furthermore, published clinical trials are utilized to analyze the principal drug effectiveness in GC.Expert opinion: GC is characterized by vast cancer heterogeneity and individual's efficacy to different drugs. The ongoing trials have the potentiality of reshaping the landscape of systemic treatments for GC in the very next years. Nowadays, amongst therapeutic combinations, the addition of ICIs to chemotherapy has yielded encouraging results needing confirmation. In the next future, systematic implementation of gene profiling and further explorations of combination therapies will likely change the treatment scenario.

Promising Molecular Targets for the Targeted Therapy of Biliary Tract Cancers: An Overview

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death, due to the limited benefits of current systematic therapies and the heterogeneity of the tumor itself. High heterogeneity means that the clinical and molecular features vary between different subtypes of BTC, while the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Targeted therapy, where inhibitors are developed to selectively combine with targeted molecules in order to block abnormal signaling pathways in BTC, has shown promise as an emerging form of treatment for various types of cancer. In this article, a comprehensive review is conducted to examine potential molecular targets for BTC targeted therapy and their mechanisms. Furthermore, preliminary data published from clinical trials is utilized to analyze the main drugs used to combat BTC. The collective information presented in this article has provided useful insights into the current understanding of BTC.

The prognostic role of soluble transforming growth factor-β and its correlation with soluble programmed death-ligand 1 in biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the association between soluble TGF-β (sTGF-β) and soluble PD-L1 (sPDL1), the dynamics of sTGF-β during treatment and its prognostic role in biliary tract cancer (BTC).

METHODS

The study population consisted of 90 BTC patients with first-line chemotherapy (cohort 1) and 35 BTC patients with second- or third-line chemotherapy (cohort 2). Plasma sTGF-β and sPDL1 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

In both groups, sTGF-β was positive correlated with sPDL1 for baseline and change values after treatment. sTGF-β was elevated at disease progression compared to baseline in cohort 1 (P < .001). Increased sTGF-β after treatment revealed worse DFS and OS (P = .024, P = .028, respectively) in cohort 1 and significantly shorter OS (P = .020) in cohort 2. In multivariable analysis, this prognostic value of increased sTGF-β for OS retained its significance in both cohorts (Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.1-3.0, P = .028, in cohort 1; HR = 4.7, 95% CI, 1.5-14.6, P = .007, in cohort 2).

CONCLUSIONS

In BTC, sTGF-β was positively correlated with sPDL1 for baseline and changes after chemotherapy, and increased as tumour burden. sTGF-β could be associated with survival; particularly, an elevated value after treatment suggests worse prognosis.

Development of Possible Next Line of Systemic Therapies for Gemcitabine-Resistant Biliary Tract Cancers: A Perspective from Clinical Trials

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) compromises a heterogenous group of tumors with poor prognoses. Curative surgery remains the first choice for localized disease; however, most BTC patients have had unresectable or metastatic disease. The gold standard therapy for these patients is chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin. There are no consensus guidelines for standard treatment in a second-line setting, although the data of the ABC-06 trial showed a slight survival benefit from oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy. Recent progress in comprehensive genomic profiling for advanced BTC (ABTC) has helped to clarify tumorigenesis and facilitate the coming era of precision medicine. Generally, targeted agents fail to show significant clinical benefits in unselected populations. Only fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)- and BRAF mutation-enriched populations have survival benefits from the corresponding inhibitors. Several interesting targeted agents for monotherapies or combination therapies with other compounds are currently ongoing or recruiting. Here, we review the published data from clinical trials of second-line therapies after the failure of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in ABTC. The results were stratified by different genetic alternations, as well as by chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.