AACR Cancer Progress Report 2015

Study protocol of an open-label rospective phase II mbella study of recise neadjuvant therapy for patients with tage II-IIIB resectabl non-small cell lung cancer ()

Background

The outcomes of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) are unfavorable mainly due to a high risk of cancer recurrence. Only around 5% of patients can benefit from perioperative chemotherapy which is the current standard treatment. Recently, promising results with neoadjuvant targeted and immune-therapy therapy have been seen. However, most clinical trials are looking for patients eligible for certain drugs, instead of seeking suitable treatments for certain patients. Therefore, it is necessary to look for more efficient perioperative therapies to increase resectability, reduce recurrence and improve prognosis.

Methods/Design

The study is an open-label, prospective, phase II, umbrella trial, enrolling patients diagnosed with treatment-naïve potentially resectable Stage II-IIIB NSCLC. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) using a 68-gene panel is performed for biopsies of tumor tissues from eligible patients. Enrolled patients are then stratified into six independent cohorts based on the status of gene mutations and PD-L1 status in tumor tissues, that is, ①EGFR 19del group, ②EGFR 21 L858R group, ③EGFR rare mutation group, ④Other driver mutation group, ⑤Drive mutation-negative group with PD-L1≥1%, ⑥Drive mutation-negative group with PD-L1<1%. A Simon's two-stage design is performed in each cohort independently and patients receive corresponding standard therapies accordingly. We aim to enroll 26 patients in each cohort and totally 156 patients will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints include oncological prognosis and perioperative outcomes. Exploratory endpoint is to investigate patient-specific minimal residual disease (MRD) in predicting treatment efficacy and oncological prognosis.

Discussions

This is the first umbrella trial focusing on the safety and efficacy of precise neoadjuvant therapy for patients diagnosed with potentially resectable LA-NSCLC based on NGS results. The results of this trial would help improve overall treatment results in LA-NSCLC patients.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Trial registration number: ChiCTR2100053021.

Advantages and limitations of this study

There is no neoadjuvant umbrella trial focusing on LA-NSCLCs. This is the first neoadjuvant umbrella trial, using a precise individualized approach and seeking suitable drugs for LA-NSCLC patients, with the aim to improve overall treatment outcomes.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2100053021.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole-naphthalene hybrids as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, antiproliferative activity, apoptotic effect, and in silico studies

In the current work, some 1,3,4-oxadiazole-naphthalene hybrids were designed and synthesised as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The synthesised compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against two human cancer cell lines namely, HepG-2 and MCF-7. Compounds that exhibited promising cytotoxicity (5, 8, 15, 16, 17, and 18) were further evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities. Compound 5 showed good antiproliferative activity against both cell lines and inhibitory effect on VEGFR-2. Besides, it induced apoptosis by 22.86% compared to 0.51% in the control (HepG2) cells. This apoptotic effect was supported by a 5.61-fold increase in the level of caspase-3 compared to the control cells. Moreover, it arrested the HepG2 cell growth mostly at the Pre-G1 phase. Several in silico studies were performed including docking, ADMET, and toxicity studies to predict binding mode against VEGFR-2 and to anticipate pharmacokinetic, drug-likeness, and toxicity of the synthesised compounds.

Gasotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment: Impacts on cancer chemotherapy (Review)

Nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide are three endogenous gasotransmitters that serve a role in regulating normal and pathological cellular activities. They can stimulate or inhibit cancer cell proliferation and invasion, as well as interfere with cancer cell responses to drug treatments. Understanding the molecular pathways governing the interactions between these gases and the tumor microenvironment can be utilized for the identification of a novel technique to disrupt cancer cell interactions and may contribute to the conception of effective and safe cancer therapy strategies. The present review discusses the effects of these gases in modulating the action of chemotherapies, as well as prospective pharmacological and therapeutic interfering approaches. A deeper knowledge of the mechanisms that underpin the cellular and pharmacological effects, as well as interactions, of each of the three gases could pave the way for therapeutic treatments and translational research.

Prediction of Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Molecular Subtypes of Immune Genes

For those patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is really a heavy burden. Herein, the immune genes of HCC were analyzed in groups to determine prognostic biomarkers related to immune genes in HCC. The mRNA data, clinical data in TCGA-LIHC dataset, and immune gene in the ImmPort database were collected for the combining usage with $K$ -means concordance clustering to cluster HCC patients according to the immune gene matrix. Based on ssGSEA analysis result, HCC patients were sorted into high- and low-immune subtypes, and survival curve presented that patients in high-immune subtypes had a better prognosis. Subsequently, differential expression analysis was performed to obtain immune-related differentially expressed genes (IRGs). Cox and lasso analyses were performed for obtaining five optimal immune genes related to prognosis, and a risk assessment model was then established. Patient samples in the training and validation sets were, respectively, divided into high- and low-risk groups. $K$ - $M$ survival curves presented a better prognosis of patients in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group. The ROC curve indicated that this model was finely used for the prediction of prognosis. In addition, immune infiltration assessment revealed that NR0B1 and FGF9 had potential to impact the tumor immune microenvironment. Finally, using qRT-PCR and transwell assays, it was demonstrated that the macrophage chemotaxis was enhanced when NR0B1 and FGF9 were highly expressed in HCC cells. In general, a 5-gene prognostic risk assessment model was constructed based on immune genes and bioinformatics analysis methods, which provides some reference for the prognosis of HCC as well as immunotherapy.

In Vitro Anticancer and Cancer-Preventive Activity of New Triterpene Glycosides from the Far Eastern Starfish Solaster pacificus

Sea stars or starfish (class Asteroidea) and holothurians or sea cucumbers (class Holothuroidea), belonging to the phylum Echinodermata (echinoderms), are characterized by different sets of glycosidic metabolites: the steroid type in starfish and the triterpene type in holothurians. However, herein we report the isolation of eight new triterpene glycosides, pacificusosides D−K (1−3, 5−9) along with the known cucumarioside D (4), from the alcoholic extract of the Far Eastern starfish Solaster pacificus. The isolated new compounds are closely related to the metabolites of sea cucumbers, and their structures of 1−3 and 5−9 were determined by extensive NMR and ESIMS techniques. Compounds 2, 5, and 8 have a new type of tetrasaccharide chain with a terminal non-methylated monosaccharide unit. Compounds 3, 6, and 9 contain another new type of tetrasaccharide chain, having 6-O-SO3-Glc as one of the sugar units. The cytotoxic activity of 1−9 against non-cancerous mouse epidermal cells JB6 Cl41 and human melanoma cell lines SK-MEL-2, SK-MEL-28, and RPMI-7951 was determined by MTS assay. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, and 9 showed potent cytotoxicity against these cell lines, but the cancer selectivity (SI > 9) was observed only against the SK-MEL-2 cell line. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, and 9 at the non-toxic concentration of 0.1 μM significantly inhibited neoplastic cell transformation of JB6 Cl41 cells induced by chemical carcinogens (EGF, TPA) or ionizing radiation (X-rays and UVB). Moreover, compounds 1 and 4 at the non-toxic concentration of 0.1 µM possessed the highest inhibiting activity on colony formation among the investigated compounds and decreased the colonies number of SK-MEL-2 cells by 64% and 70%, respectively. Thus, triterpene glycosides 1 and 4 can be considered as prospective cancer-preventive and anticancer-compound leaders.

Discovery of new 3-methylquinoxalines as potential anti-cancer agents and apoptosis inducers targeting VEGFR-2: design, synthesis, and in silico studies

There is an urgent need to design new anticancer agents that can prevent cancer cell proliferation even with minimal side effects. Accordingly, two new series of 3-methylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one and 3-methylquinoxaline-2-thiol derivatives were designed to act as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The designed derivatives were synthesised and evaluated in vitro as cytotoxic agents against two human cancer cell lines namely, HepG-2 and MCF-7. Also, the synthesised derivatives were assessed for their VEGFR-2inhibitory effect. The most promising member 11e were further investigated to reach a valuable insight about its apoptotic effect through cell cycle and apoptosis analyses. Moreover, deep investigations were carried out for compound 11e using western-plot analyses to detect its effect against some apoptotic and apoptotic parameters including caspase-9, caspase-3, BAX, and Bcl-2. Many in silico investigations including docking, ADMET, toxicity studies were performed to predict binding affinity, pharmacokinetic, drug likeness, and toxicity of the synthesised compounds. The results revealed that compounds 11e, 11g, 12e, 12g, and 12k exhibited promising cytotoxic activities (IC50 range is 2.1 - 9.8 µM), comparing to sorafenib (IC50 = 3.4 and 2.2 µM against MCF-7 and HepG2, respectively). Moreover, 11b, 11f, 11g, 12e, 12f, 12g, and 12k showed the highest VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities (IC50 range is 2.9 - 5.4 µM), comparing to sorafenib (IC50 = 3.07 nM). Additionally, compound 11e had good potential to arrest the HepG2 cell growth at G2/M phase and to induce apoptosis by 49.14% compared to the control cells (9.71%). As well, such compound showed a significant increase in the level of caspase-3 (2.34-fold), caspase-9 (2.34-fold), and BAX (3.14-fold), and a significant decrease in Bcl-2 level (3.13-fold). For in silico studies, the synthesised compounds showed binding mode similar to that of the reference compound (sorafenib).

Antibiotic resistance in the patient with cancer: Escalating challenges and paths forward

Infection is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer. Loss of efficacy in antibiotics due to antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an urgent threat against the continuing success of cancer therapy. In this review, the authors focus on recent updates on the impact of antibiotic resistance in the cancer setting, particularly on the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). This review highlights the health and financial impact of antibiotic resistance in patients with cancer. Furthermore, the authors recommend measures to control the emergence of antibiotic resistance, highlighting the risk factors associated with cancer care. A lack of data in the etiology of infections, specifically in oncology patients in United States, is identified as a concern, and the authors advocate for a centralized and specialized surveillance system for patients with cancer to predict and prevent the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Finding better ways to predict, prevent, and treat antibiotic-resistant infections will have a major positive impact on the care of those with cancer.

Combined Anticancer Effect of Sulfated Laminaran from the Brown Alga Alaria angusta and Polyhydroxysteroid Glycosides from the Starfish Protoreaster lincki on 3D Colorectal Carcinoma HCT 116 Cell Line

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent types of malignancy in the world. The search for new approaches of increasing the efficacy of cancer therapy is relevant. This work was aimed to study individual, combined anticancer effects, and molecular mechanism of action of sulfated laminaran AaLs of the brown alga Alaria angusta and protolinckiosides A (PL1), B (PL2), and linckoside L1 (L1) of the starfish Protoreaster lincki using a 3D cell culture model. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS), soft agar, 3D spheroids invasion, and Western blotting assays were performed to determine the effect and mechanism of the action of investigated compounds or their combinations on proliferation, colony formation, and the invasion of 3D HCT 116 spheroids. AaLs, PL1, PL2, and L1 individually inhibited viability, colony growth, and the invasion of 3D HCT 116 spheroids in a variable degree with greater activity of linckoside L1. AaLs in combination with L1 exerted synergism of a combined anticancer effect through the inactivation of protein kinase B (AKT) kinase and, consequently, the induction of apoptosis via the regulation of proapoptotic/antiapoptotic proteins balance. The obtained data about the efficacy of the combined anticancer effect of a laminaran derivative of brown algae and polyhydroxysteroid glycosides of starfish open up prospects for the development of new therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer treatment.

The Functional Role of Long Non-coding RNA UCA1 in Human Multiple Cancers: a Review Study

In various cancers, high-grade tumor and poor survival rate in patients with upregulated lncRNAs UCA1 have been confirmed. Urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) is an oncogenic non-coding RNA with a length of more than 200 nucleotides. The UCA1 regulate critical biological processes that are involved in cancer progression, including cancer cell growth, invasion, migration, metastasis, and angiogenesis. So It should not surprise that UCA1 overexpresses in variety of cancers type, including pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, adrenal cancer, hypopharyngeal cancer, oral cancer, gallbladder cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, osteosarcoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, leukemia, glioma, thyroid cancer, medulloblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple myeloma. In this article, we review the biological function and regulatory mechanism of UCA1 in several cancers and also, we will discuss the potential of its as cancer biomarker and cancer treatment.

Comprehensive Phenotyping of Dendritic Cells in Cancer Patients by Flow Cytometry

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the complex interplay between tumor cells and the immune system. During the elimination phase of cancer immunoediting, immunostimulatory DCs are critical for the control of tumor growth. During the escape phase, regulatory DCs sustain tumor tolerance and contribute to the development of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that characterizes this phase. Moreover, increasing evidence indicates that DCs are also critical for the success of cancer immunotherapy. Hence, there is increasing need to fully characterize DC subsets and their activatory/inhibitory profile in cancer patients. In this review, we describe the role played by different DC subsets in the different phases of cancer immunoediting, the function exerted by different activatory and inhibitory molecules expressed on DC surface, and the cytokines produced by distinct DC subsets, in order to provide an overview on the DC features that may be useful to be assessed when dealing with the flow cytometric characterization of DCs in cancer patients. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Impact of the Human Microbiome in Forensic Sciences: a Systematic Review

Numerous studies relate differences in microbial communities to human health and disease; however, little is known about microbial changes that occur postmortem or the possible applications of microbiome analysis in the field of forensic science. The aim of this review was to study the microbiome and its applications in forensic sciences and to determine the main lines of investigation that are emerging, as well as its possible contributions to the forensic field. A systematic review of the human microbiome in relation to forensic science was carried out by following PRISMA guidelines. This study sheds light on the role of microbiome research in the postmortem interval during the process of decomposition, identifying death caused by drowning or sudden death, locating the geographical location of death, establishing a connection between the human microbiome and personal items, sexual contact, and the identification of individuals. Actinomycetaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Alcaligenaceae, and Bacilli play an important role in determining the postmortem interval. Aeromonas can be used to determine the cause of death, and Corynebacterium or Helicobacter pylori can be used to ascertain personal identity or geographical location. Several studies point to a promising future for microbiome analysis in the different fields of forensic science, opening up an important new area of research.

From Bioinspired Glue to Medicine: Polydopamine as a Biomedical Material

Biological structures have emerged through millennia of evolution, and nature has fine-tuned the material properties in order to optimise the structure-function relationship. Following this paradigm, polydopamine (PDA), which was found to be crucial for the adhesion of mussels to wet surfaces, was hence initially introduced as a coating substance to increase the chemical reactivity and surface adhesion properties. Structurally, polydopamine is very similar to melanin, which is a pigment of human skin responsible for the protection of underlying skin layers by efficiently absorbing light with potentially harmful wavelengths. Recent findings have shown the subsequent release of the energy (in the form of heat) upon light excitation, presenting it as an ideal candidate for photothermal applications. Thus, polydopamine can both be used to (i) coat nanoparticle surfaces and to (ii) form capsules and ultra-small (nano)particles/nanocomposites while retaining bulk characteristics (i.e., biocompatibility, stability under UV irradiation, heat conversion, and activity during photoacoustic imaging). Due to the aforementioned properties, polydopamine-based materials have since been tested in adhesive and in energy-related as well as in a range of medical applications such as for tumour ablation, imaging, and drug delivery. In this review, we focus upon how different forms of the material can be synthesised and the use of polydopamine in biological and biomedical applications.

Ras-Mediated Activation of NF-κB and DNA Damage Response in Carcinogenesis

Cancer is a multi-step process during which cells acquire mutations that eventually lead to uncontrolled cell growth and division and evasion of programmed cell death. The oncogenes such as Ras and c-Myc may be responsible in all three major stages of cancer i.e., early, intermediate, and late. The NF-κB has been shown to control the expression of genes linked with tumor pathways such as chronic inflammation, tumor cell survival, anti-apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. In the last few decades, various biomarker pathways have been identified that play a critical role in carcinogenesis such as Ras, NF-κB and DNA damage.

Costimulatory Molecules and Immune Checkpoints Are Differentially Expressed on Different Subsets of Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in initiating and shaping immune responses. The effects of DCs on adaptive immune responses depend partly on functional specialization of distinct DC subsets, and partly on the activation state of DCs, which is largely dictated by environmental signals. Fully activated immunostimulatory DCs express high levels of costimulatory molecules, produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, and stimulate T cell proliferation, whereas tolerogenic DCs express low levels of costimulatory molecules, produce immunomodulatory cytokines and impair T cell proliferation. Relevant to the increasing use of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer treatment, signals generated from inhibitory checkpoint molecules on DC surface may also contribute to the inhibitory properties of tolerogenic DCs. Yet, our knowledge on the expression of inhibitory molecules on human DC subsets is fragmentary. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the expression of three immune checkpoints on peripheral blood DC subsets, in basal conditions and upon exposure to pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory stimuli, by using a flow cytometric panel that allows a direct comparison of the activatory/inhibitory phenotype of DC-lineage and inflammatory DC subsets. We demonstrated that functionally distinct DC subsets are characterized by differential expression of activatory and inhibitory molecules, and that cDC1s in particular are endowed with a unique immune checkpoint repertoire characterized by high TIM-3 expression, scarce PD-L1 expression and lack of ILT2. Notably, this unique cDC1 repertoire was subverted in a group of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes included in the study. Applied to the characterization of DCs in the tumor microenvironment, this panel has the potential to provide valuable information to be used for investigating the role of DC subsets in cancer, guiding DC-targeting treatments, and possibly identifying predictive biomarkers for clinical response to cancer immunotherapy.

There Is Something Fishy About Liver Cancer: Zebrafish Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the mortality resulting from HCC are both increasing. Most patients with HCC are diagnosed at advanced stages when curative treatments are impossible. Current drug therapy extends mean overall survival by only a short period of time. Genetic mutations associated with HCC vary widely. Therefore, transgenic and mutant animal models are needed to investigate the molecular effects of specific mutations, classify them as drivers or passengers, and develop targeted treatments. Cirrhosis, however, is the premalignant state common to 90% of HCC patients. Currently, no specific therapies are available to halt or reverse the progression of cirrhosis to HCC. Understanding the genetic drivers of HCC as well as the biochemical, mechanical, hormonal, and metabolic changes associated with cirrhosis could lead to novel treatments and cancer prevention strategies. Although additional therapies recently received Food and Drug Administration approval, significant clinical breakthroughs have not emerged since the introduction of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib, necessitating alternate research strategies. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are effective for disease modeling because of their high degree of gene and organ architecture conservation with human beings, ease of transgenesis and mutagenesis, high fecundity, and low housing cost. Here, we review zebrafish models of HCC and identify areas on which to focus future research efforts to maximize the advantages of the zebrafish model system.

Antiproliferative properties of iron supramolecular cylinders

The use of metallohelicates as potential antiproliferative agents is mostly exemplified by one sole family of supramolecular compounds that is based on bis-iminopyridine ligands. In the present investigation, two other types of metallocylinders have been selected and their potential DNA-binding and cytotoxic properties have been investigated. Hence, two new neutral iron(III) metallosupramolecular compounds have been prepared from bis-β-diketone ligands, and a known cationic iron(II) helicate from bis-pyrazole ligands has been used for comparison purposes. DNA-interaction experiments and cell studies reveal remarkable biological properties for one of the neutral iron cylinders and the positively charged, pyrazole-based helicate, as illustrated by their antiproliferative behaviours, which are far better than those of two well-known compounds, i.e. the most studied metallohelicate in the field and cisplatin.

Biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint blockade in cancer treatment

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis) are emerging as the new corner stone of cancer treatment due to their ability to produce durable responses in patients with various cancers. But, objective responses to ICPis vary among each type of cancer. Further, treatment with ICPis is often associated with risk of developing immune-related adverse event, which are potentially life-threatening if untreated, indicating a need for patient selection. However, given the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and the dynamic interaction between tumor and immune cells, development of robust biomarkers to predict patients who are likely to respond to treatment with ICPis remains a challenge. In this review we present an overview of the immune monitoring strategies that are currently in use to enable appropriate patient selection.

Computational models for predicting drug responses in cancer research

The computational prediction of drug responses based on the analysis of multiple types of genome-wide molecular data is vital for accomplishing the promise of precision medicine in oncology. This will benefit cancer patients by matching their tumor characteristics to the most effective therapy available. As larger and more diverse layers of patient-related data become available, further demands for new bioinformatics approaches and expertise will arise. This article reviews key strategies, resources and techniques for the prediction of drug sensitivity in cell lines and patient-derived samples. It discusses major advances and challenges associated with the different model development steps. This review highlights major trends in this area, and will assist researchers in the assessment of recent progress and in the selection of approaches to emerging applications in oncology.

Ursodeoxycholic acid induces autophagy via LC3B to suppress hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer worldwide. Researchers have found that UDCA can be used to inhibit the growth of tumors. Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) is an important reglator of autophagosomes. No researches have been published on the relationship of UDCA and LC3B.

METHODS

A Cell Counting Kit-8 cell viability assay, cell migration assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were conducted for the SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cell lines. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to analyze nude mice with 7721 xenograftes. The expression of LC3B was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

Our studies demonstrated that UDCA reduced the viability of the primary HCC cell lines 7721 and HepG2 (Student's t-test, P<0.05) and inhibited the migration of 7721 cells (Student's t-test, P<0.05). UDCA also increased the expression of LC3B and p53 in vitro (Student's t-test, P<0.05). Additionally, UDCA inhibited the growth of tumors (Student's t-test, P<0.05) and promoted the expression of LC3B in nude mice.

CONCLUSION

Our data showed that UDCA promoted the expression of LC3B, with suppressed HCC in vivo and in vitro.

Feedback activation of AMPK-mediated autophagy acceleration is a key resistance mechanism against SCD1 inhibitor-induced cell growth inhibition

Elucidating the bioactive compound modes of action is crucial for increasing success rates in drug development. For anticancer drugs, defining effective drug combinations that overcome resistance improves therapeutic efficacy. Herein, by using a biologically annotated compound library, we performed a large-scale combination screening with Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) inhibitor, T-3764518, which partially inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation. T-3764518 induced phosphorylation and activation of AMPK in HCT-116 cells, which led to blockade of downstream fatty acid synthesis and acceleration of autophagy. Attenuation of fatty acid synthesis by small molecules suppressed the growth inhibitory effect of T-3764518. In contrast, combination of T-3764518 with autophagy flux inhibitors synergistically inhibited cellular proliferation. Experiments using SCD1 knock-out cells validated the results obtained with T-3764518. The results of our study indicated that activation of autophagy serves as a survival signal when SCD1 is inhibited in HCT-116 cells. Furthermore, these findings suggest that combining SCD1 inhibitor with autophagy inhibitors is a promising anticancer therapy.

Insights into the activation mechanism of class I HDAC complexes by inositol phosphates

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1, 2 and 3 form the catalytic subunit of several large transcriptional repression complexes. Unexpectedly, the enzymatic activity of HDACs in these complexes has been shown to be regulated by inositol phosphates, which bind in a pocket sandwiched between the HDAC and co-repressor proteins. However, the actual mechanism of activation remains poorly understood. Here we have elucidated the stereochemical requirements for binding and activation by inositol phosphates, demonstrating that activation requires three adjacent phosphate groups and that other positions on the inositol ring can tolerate bulky substituents. We also demonstrate that there is allosteric communication between the inositol-binding site and the active site. The crystal structure of the HDAC1:MTA1 complex bound to a novel peptide-based inhibitor and to inositol hexaphosphate suggests a molecular basis of substrate recognition, and an entropically driven allosteric mechanism of activation.

Role of BET proteins in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a deadly disease with few therapeutic options once patients become resistant to second generation drugs targeting the AR-transcriptional program. The BET-BRD readers of chromatin are key regulators of AR-, ERG-, and c-Myc-mediated transcription in CRPC. BET-BRD inhibitors have demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy in models of CRPC and are currently being evaluated in several clinical trials. These novel drugs have the potential to transform the way we treat CRPC in the near future.