NKX2.1 (TTF1) germline mutation associated with pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer

Genetics and Genomics of Pulmonary Fibrosis: Charting the Molecular Landscape and Shaping Precision Medicine

Recent genetic and genomic advancements have elucidated the complex etiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other progressive fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), emphasizing the contribution of heritable factors. This state-of-the-art review synthesizes evidence on significant genetic contributors to pulmonary fibrosis (PF), including rare genetic variants and common SNPs. The MUC5B promoter variant is unusual, a common SNP that markedly elevates the risk of early and established PF. We address the utility of genetic variation in enhancing understanding of disease pathogenesis and clinical phenotypes, improving disease definitions, and informing prognosis and treatment response. Critical research gaps are highlighted, particularly the underrepresentation of non-European ancestries in PF genetic studies and the exploration of PF phenotypes beyond usual interstitial pneumonia/IPF. We discuss the role of telomere length, often critically short in PF, and its link to progression and mortality, underscoring the genetic complexity involving telomere biology genes (TERT, TERC) and others like SFTPC and MUC5B. In addition, we address the potential of gene-by-environment interactions to modulate disease manifestation, advocating for precision medicine in PF. Insights from gene expression profiling studies and multiomic analyses highlight the promise for understanding disease pathogenesis and offer new approaches to clinical care, therapeutic drug development, and biomarker discovery. Finally, we discuss the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic research and therapies in PF, stressing the need for sound practices and informed clinical genetic discussions. Looking forward, we advocate for comprehensive genetic testing panels and polygenic risk scores to improve the management of PF and related ILDs across diverse populations.

Exploring Synergistic Interactions between Natural Compounds and Conventional Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Preclinical Models of Lung Cancer

In the current work, the synergy between natural compounds and conventional chemotherapeutic drugs is comprehensively reviewed in light of current preclinical research findings. The prognosis for lung cancer patients is poor, with a 5-year survival rate of 18.1%. The use of natural compounds in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs has gained significant attention as a potential novel approach in the treatment of lung cancer. The present work highlights the importance of finding more effective therapies to increase survival rates. Chemotherapy is a primary treatment option for lung cancer but it has limitations such as reduced effectiveness because cancer cells become resistant. Natural compounds isolated from medicinal plants have shown promising anticancer or chemopreventive properties and their synergistic effect has been observed when combined with conventional therapies. The combined use of an anti-cancer drug and a natural compound exhibits synergistic effects, enhancing overall therapeutic actions against cancer cells. In conclusion, this work provides an overview of the latest preclinical research on medicinal plants and plant-derived compounds as alternative or complementary treatment options for lung cancer chemotherapy and discusses the potential of natural compounds in treating lung cancer with minimal side effects.

High risk of lung cancer in surfactant-related gene variant carriers

BACKGROUND

Several rare surfactant-related gene (SRG) variants associated with interstitial lung disease are suspected to be associated with lung cancer, but data are missing. We aimed to study the epidemiology and phenotype of lung cancer in an international cohort of SRG variant carriers.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of all adults with SRG variants in the OrphaLung network and compared lung cancer risk with telomere-related gene (TRG) variant carriers.

RESULTS

We identified 99 SRG adult variant carriers (SFTPA1 (n=18), SFTPA2 (n=31), SFTPC (n=24), ABCA3 (n=14) and NKX2-1 (n=12)), including 20 (20.2%) with lung cancer (SFTPA1 (n=7), SFTPA2 (n=8), SFTPC (n=3), NKX2-1 (n=2) and ABCA3 (n=0)). Among SRG variant carriers, the odds of lung cancer was associated with age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08), smoking (OR 20.7, 95% CI 6.60-76.2) and SFTPA1/SFTPA2 variants (OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.39-13.2). Adenocarcinoma was the only histological type reported, with programmed death ligand-1 expression ≥1% in tumour cells in three samples. Cancer staging was localised (I/II) in eight (40%) individuals, locally advanced (III) in two (10%) and metastatic (IV) in 10 (50%). We found no somatic variant eligible for targeted therapy. Seven cancers were surgically removed, 10 received systemic therapy, and three received the best supportive care according to their stage and performance status. The median overall survival was 24 months, with stage I/II cancers showing better survival. We identified 233 TRG variant carriers. The comparative risk (subdistribution hazard ratio) for lung cancer in SRG patients versus TRG patients was 18.1 (95% CI 7.1-44.7).

CONCLUSIONS

The high risk of lung cancer among SRG variant carriers suggests specific screening and diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The benefit of regular computed tomography scan follow-up should be evaluated.

Glioblastoma multiforme influence on the elemental homeostasis of the distant organs: the results of inter-comparison study carried out with TXRF method

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor which invades the nearby brain tissue but generally does not spread to the distant organs. Nonetheless, if untreated, GBM can result in patient death in time even less than few months from the diagnosis. The influence of the tumor progress on organs other than brain is obvious but still not well described. Therefore, we examined the elemental abnormalities appearing in selected body organs (kidney, heart, spleen, lung) in two rat models of GBM. The animals used for the study were subjected to the implantation of human GBM cell lines (U87MG and T98G) characterized by different levels of invasiveness. The elemental analysis of digested organ samples was carried out using the total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) method, independently, in three European laboratories utilizing various commercially available TXRF spectrometers. The comparison of the data obtained for animals subjected to T98G and U87MG cells implantation showed a number of elemental anomalies in the examined organs. What is more, the abnormalities were found for rats even if neoplastic tumor did not develop in their brains. The most of alterations for both experimental groups were noted in the spleen and lungs, with the direction of the found element changes in these organs being the opposite. The observed disorders of element homeostasis may result from many processes occurring in the animal body as a result of implantation of cancer cells or the development of GBM, including inflammation, anemia of chronic disease or changes in iron metabolism. Tumor induced changes in organ elemental composition detected in cooperating laboratories were usually in a good agreement. In case of elements with higher atomic numbers (Fe, Cu, Zn and Se), 88% of the results were classified as fully compliant. Some discrepancies between the laboratories were found for lighter elements (P, S, K and Ca). However, also in this case, the obtained results fulfilled the requirements of full (the results from three laboratories were in agreement) or partial agreement (the results from two laboratories were in agreement).

The Genetic Landscape of Familial Pulmonary Fibrosis

Rationale and Objectives: Up to 20% of idiopathic interstitial lung disease is familial, referred to as familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF). An integrated analysis of FPF genetic risk was performed by comprehensively evaluating for genetic rare variants (RVs) in a large cohort of FPF kindreds. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing and/or candidate gene sequencing from affected individuals in 569 FPF kindreds was performed, followed by cosegregation analysis in large kindreds, gene burden analysis, gene-based risk scoring, cell-type enrichment analysis, and coexpression network construction. Measurements and Main Results: It was found that 14.9-23.4% of genetic risk in kindreds could be explained by RVs in genes previously linked to FPF, predominantly telomere-related genes. New candidate genes were identified in a small number of families-including SYDE1, SERPINB8, GPR87, and NETO1-and tools were developed for evaluation and prioritization of RV-containing genes across kindreds. Several pathways were enriched for RV-containing genes in FPF, including focal adhesion and mitochondrial complex I assembly. By combining single-cell transcriptomics with prioritized candidate genes, expression of RV-containing genes was discovered to be enriched in smooth muscle cells, type II alveolar epithelial cells, and endothelial cells. Conclusions: In the most comprehensive FPF genetic study to date, the prevalence of RVs in known FPF-related genes was defined, and new candidate genes and pathways relevant to FPF were identified. However, new RV-containing genes shared across multiple kindreds were not identified, thereby suggesting that heterogeneous genetic variants involving a variety of genes and pathways mediate genetic risk in most FPF kindreds.

European Respiratory Society statement on familial pulmonary fibrosis

Genetic predisposition to pulmonary fibrosis has been confirmed by the discovery of several gene mutations that cause pulmonary fibrosis. Although genetic sequencing of familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) cases is embedded in routine clinical practice in several countries, many centres have yet to incorporate genetic sequencing within interstitial lung disease (ILD) services and proper international consensus has not yet been established. An international and multidisciplinary expert Task Force (pulmonologists, geneticists, paediatrician, pathologist, genetic counsellor, patient representative and librarian) reviewed the literature between 1945 and 2022, and reached consensus for all of the following questions: 1) Which patients may benefit from genetic sequencing and clinical counselling? 2) What is known of the natural history of FPF? 3) Which genes are usually tested? 4) What is the evidence for telomere length measurement? 5) What is the role of common genetic variants (polymorphisms) in the diagnostic workup? 6) What are the optimal treatment options for FPF? 7) Which family members are eligible for genetic sequencing? 8) Which clinical screening and follow-up parameters may be considered in family members? Through a robust review of the literature, the Task Force offers a statement on genetic sequencing, clinical management and screening of patients with FPF and their relatives. This proposal may serve as a basis for a prospective evaluation and future international recommendations.

Substantiate a read-across hypothesis by using transcriptome data-A case study on volatile diketones

This case study explores the applicability of transcriptome data to characterize a common mechanism of action within groups of short-chain aliphatic α-, β-, and γ-diketones. Human reference in vivo data indicate that the α-diketone diacetyl induces bronchiolitis obliterans in workers involved in the preparation of microwave popcorn. The other three α-diketones induced inflammatory responses in preclinical in vivo animal studies, whereas beta and gamma diketones in addition caused neuronal effects. We investigated early transcriptional responses in primary human bronchiolar (PBEC) cell cultures after 24 h and 72 h of air-liquid exposure. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were assessed based on transcriptome data generated with the EUToxRisk gene panel of Temp-O-Seq^®. For each individual substance, genes were identified displaying a consistent differential expression across dose and exposure duration. The log fold change values of the DEG profiles indicate that α- and β-diketones are more active compared to γ-diketones. α-diketones in particular showed a highly concordant expression pattern, which may serve as a first indication of the shared mode of action. In order to gain a better mechanistic understanding, the resultant DEGs were submitted to a pathway analysis using ConsensusPathDB. The four α-diketones showed very similar results with regard to the number of activated and shared pathways. Overall, the number of signaling pathways decreased from α-to β-to γ-diketones. Additionally, we reconstructed networks of genes that interact with one another and are associated with different adverse outcomes such as fibrosis, inflammation or apoptosis using the TRANSPATH-database. Transcription factor enrichment and upstream analyses with the geneXplain platform revealed highly interacting gene products (called master regulators, MRs) per case study compound. The mapping of the resultant MRs on the reconstructed networks, visualized similar gene regulation with regard to fibrosis, inflammation and apoptosis. This analysis showed that transcriptome data can strengthen the similarity assessment of compounds, which is of particular importance, e.g., in read-across approaches. It is one important step towards grouping of compounds based on biological profiles.

Rare surfactant-related variants in familial and sporadic pulmonary fibrosis

The role of constitutional genetic defects in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is increasingly appreciated. Monogenic disorders associated with IPF affect two pathways: telomere maintenance, accounting for approximately 10% of all patients with IPF, and surfactant biology, responsible for 1%-3% of cases and often co-occurring with lung cancer. We examined the prevalence of rare variants in five surfactant-related genes, SFTPA1, SFPTA2, SFTPC, ABCA3, and NKX2-1, that were previously linked to lung disease in whole genome sequencing data from 431 patients with IPF. We identified functionally deleterious rare variants in SFTPA2 with a prevalence of 1.3% in individuals with and without a family history of IPF. All individuals had no personal history of lung cancer, but substantial bronchiolar metaplasia was noted on lung explants and biopsies. Five patients had novel missense variants in NKX2-1, but the contribution to disease is unclear. In general, patients were younger and had longer telomeres compared with the majority of patients with IPF suggesting that these features may be useful for identifying this subset of patients in the clinic. These data suggest that SFTPA2 variants may be more common in unselected IPF cohorts and may manifest in the absence of personal/family history of lung cancer or IPF.

Genetics in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Clinical Perspective

BACKGROUND

Unraveling the genetic background in a significant proportion of patients with both sporadic and familial IPF provided new insights into the pathogenic pathways of pulmonary fibrosis.

AIM

The aim of the present study is to overview the clinical significance of genetics in IPF.

PERSPECTIVE

It is fascinating to realize the so-far underestimated but dynamically increasing impact that genetics has on aspects related to the pathophysiology, accurate and early diagnosis, and treatment and prevention of this devastating disease. Genetics in IPF have contributed as no other in unchaining the disease from the dogma of a "a sporadic entity of the elderly, limited to the lungs" and allowed all scientists, but mostly clinicians, all over the world to consider its many aspects and "faces" in all age groups, including its co-existence with several extra pulmonary conditions from cutaneous albinism to bone-marrow and liver failure.

CONCLUSION

By providing additional evidence for unsuspected characteristics such as immunodeficiency, impaired mucus, and surfactant and telomere maintenance that very often co-exist through the interaction of common and rare genetic variants in the same patient, genetics have created a generous and pluralistic yet unifying platform that could lead to the understanding of the injurious and pro-fibrotic effects of many seemingly unrelated extrinsic and intrinsic offending factors. The same platform constantly instructs us about our limitations as well as about the heritability, the knowledge and the wisdom that is still missing.