Sustained Aurora Kinase B Expression Confers Resistance to PI3K Inhibition in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

De-regulation of aurora kinases by oncogenic HPV; implications in cancer development and treatment

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause diseases ranging from benign warts to invasive cancers. HPVs are the cause of almost all cervical cancers and a sub-set of other epithelial malignancies including head and neck cancers, specifically within the oropharynx. The oncogenic properties of HPV are largely mediated through the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7, which disrupt many cellular pathways to drive uncontrolled cell proliferation. One family of proteins targeted by HPV is the Aurora kinase family. Aurora kinases are serine/threonine kinases including Aurora kinase A (AURKA), B (AURKB), and C (AURKC) which are often dysregulated in many cancer types, including HPV driven cancers. All three family members play essential roles in mitotic regulation and accurate cell division. The deregulation of Aurora kinases by HPV infection highlights their potential as therapeutic targets in HPV-associated malignancies. Targeting Aurora kinase activity, in combination with current HPV therapies, may provide new avenues for treating HPV-induced cancers and reducing the burden of HPV-related diseases. Combinatorial inhibition targets distinct but overlapping functions of these kinases, thereby reducing the potential for cancer cells to develop resistance. This broad impact emphasizes the capability for Aurora kinase inhibitors not only as anti-mitotic agents but also as modulators of multiple oncogenic pathways. This review explores the combinatorial effects of Aurora kinase inhibition, offering insights into novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HPV-driven cancers.

New advances in the therapeutic strategy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A review of latest therapies and cutting-edge research

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, particularly when diagnosed at advanced stages. Despite progress in surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapeutic interventions, the five-year survival rate remains low due to high rates of recurrence and therapeutic resistance. This review explores recent advances in therapeutic strategies for HNSCC, focusing on targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and innovative drug delivery systems. Targeted therapies, such as EGFR inhibitors and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors, offer promising options for overcoming HNSCC, though resistance challenges persist. Emerging treatments, including dual-target inhibitors and personalized therapeutic approaches, show potential in addressing these limitations. Immunotherapy, particularly PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, has achieved positive outcomes in a subset of patients, though overall response rates remain modest. Strategies aimed at enhancing immune responses, such as combination therapies and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, are actively being investigated to improve efficacy. This review also underscores the critical role of the tumor microenvironment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC progression and therapeutic resistance. Novel approaches, including smart drug delivery systems utilizing nanotechnology and immune modulation, are opening new avenues for more personalized and effective treatments. Ongoing interdisciplinary research into molecular targets and advanced drug delivery techniques holds great promise for significantly improving patient outcomes in HNSCC.

Aurora B facilitates cholangiocarcinoma progression by stabilizing c-Myc

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignancy that arises from biliary epithelial cells, has a dismal prognosis, and few targeted therapies are available. Aurora B, a key mitotic regulator, has been reported to be involved in the progression of various tumors, yet its role in CCA is still unclarified.

METHODS

Human CCA tissues and murine spontaneous CCA models were used to assess Aurora B expression in CCA. A loss-of-function model was constructed in CCA cells to determine the role of Aurora B in CCA progression. Subcutaneous and liver orthotopic xenograft models were used to assess the therapeutic potential of Aurora B inhibitors in CCA.

RESULTS

In murine spontaneous CCA models, Aurora B was significantly upregulated. Elevated Aurora B expression was also observed in 62.3% of human specimens in our validation cohort (143 CCA specimens), and high Aurora B expression was positively correlated with pathological parameters of tumors and poor survival. Knockdown of Aurora B by siRNA and heteroduplex oligonucleotide (HDO) or an Aurora B kinase inhibitor (AZD1152) significantly suppressed CCA progression via G2/M arrest induction. An interaction between Aurora B and c-Myc was found in CCA cells. Targeting Aurora B significantly reduced this interaction and accelerated the proteasomal degradation of c-Myc, suggesting that Aurora B promoted the malignant properties of CCA by stabilizing c-Myc. Furthermore, sequential application of AZD1152 or Aurora B HDO drastically improved the efficacy of gemcitabine in CCA.

CONCLUSIONS

Aurora B plays an essential role in CCA progression by modulating c-Myc stability and represents a new target for treatment and chemosensitization in CCA.

Artificial Intelligence Application for Anti-tumor Drug Synergy Prediction

Currently, the main therapeutic methods for cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy still plays an important role in tumor therapy. Due to the variety of pathogenic factors, the development process of tumors is complex and regulated by many factors, and the treatment of a single drug is easy to cause the human body to produce a drug-resistant phenotype to specific drugs and eventually leads to treatment failure. In the process of clinical tumor treatment, the combination of multiple drugs can produce stronger anti-tumor effects by regulating multiple mechanisms and can reduce the problem of tumor drug resistance while reducing the toxic side effects of drugs. Therefore, it is still a great challenge to construct an efficient and accurate screening method that can systematically consider the synergistic anti- tumor effects of multiple drugs. However, anti-tumor drug synergy prediction is of importance in improving cancer treatment outcomes. However, identifying effective drug combinations remains a complex and challenging task. This review provides a comprehensive overview of cancer drug synergy therapy and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in cancer drug synergy prediction. In addition, we discuss the challenges and perspectives associated with deep learning approaches. In conclusion, the review of the AI techniques' application in cancer drug synergy prediction can further advance our understanding of cancer drug synergy and provide more effective treatment plans and reasonable drug use strategies for clinical guidance.

Modulation of Notch Signaling by Small-Molecular Compounds and Its Potential in Anticancer Studies

Notch signaling is responsible for conveying messages between cells through direct contact, playing a pivotal role in tissue development and homeostasis. The modulation of Notch-related processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, viability, and cell fate, offer opportunities to better understand and prevent disease progression, including cancer. Currently, research efforts are mainly focused on attempts to inhibit Notch signaling in tumors with strong oncogenic, gain-of-function (GoF) or hyperactivation of Notch signaling. The goal is to reduce the growth and proliferation of cancer cells, interfere with neo-angiogenesis, increase chemosensitivity, potentially target cancer stem cells, tumor dormancy, and invasion, and induce apoptosis. Attempts to pharmacologically enhance or restore disturbed Notch signaling for anticancer therapies are less frequent. However, in some cancer types, such as squamous cell carcinomas, preferentially, loss-of-function (LoF) mutations have been confirmed, and restoring but not blocking Notch functions may be beneficial for therapy. The modulation of Notch signaling can be performed at several key levels related to NOTCH receptor expression, translation, posttranslational (proteolytic) processing, glycosylation, transport, and activation. This further includes blocking the interaction with Notch-related nuclear DNA transcription. Examples of small-molecular chemical compounds, that modulate individual elements of Notch signaling at the mentioned levels, have been described in the recent literature.