Insights into immuno-oncology drug development landscape with focus on bone metastasis

Recent advances in understanding the role of Wnt5a in prostate cancer and bone metastasis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men, with a high propensity for bone metastasis that significantly impairs patient quality of life. The Wnt5a signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the progression and metastasis of PCa. Wnt5a can act as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor, highlighting its complex and context-dependent functions. In PCa, Wnt5a promotes tumor progression through mechanisms such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and interaction with androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Conversely, Wnt5a can induce dormancy in bone-metastatic PCa cells via the ROR2/SIAH2 axis, inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Understanding the dual roles of Wnt5a in PCa and bone metastasis is crucial for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of disease progression and identifying potential therapeutic targets. This review focuses on the current understanding of Wnt5a's role in PCa and bone metastasis, emphasizing its significance in tumor biology and clinical management.

Analysis of Early Progression in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab

Background/Aim

In the CheckMate 214 trial, approximately 40% of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI) achieved long-term survival and a durable response to treatment. However, about 20% of patients experienced early disease progression (EDP). This retrospective study aimed to identify predictive factors for EDP among patients with aRCC treated with NIVO + IPI.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed clinical information from patients with aRCC, 19 patients in the EDP group and 40 patients in the control disease group, all of whom were treated with NIVO + IPI at Kurume University Hospital between September 2018 and February 2024.

Results

The EDP group exhibited significantly worse progression-free survival and overall survival compared to the control disease group. Multivariate analyses revealed that a performance states (PS) ≥2 (p=0.0312) and the presence of bone metastases (p=0.0374) were independent predictors of EDP.

Conclusion

Treatment with NIVO + IPI in patients with aRCC who have a poor PS or bone metastases may be linked to a high risk of EDP.

Exploring resistance to initial chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer: The role of bone metastasis and other clinicopathologic characteristics

Clinically, approximately 10% to 20% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients do not respond well to initial platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. Knowledge about the clinicopathologic characteristics of these primary drug-resistant populations is limited. This study aimed to explore the clinicopathologic characteristics in SCLC populations insensitive to initial chemotherapy. This study enrolled SCLC patients with insensitivity to initial chemotherapy and analyzed their clinicopathological characteristics. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent factors that influence chemosensitivity. The study evaluated 142 cases to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics of SCLC populations with insensitivity to initial chemotherapy. Between the chemotherapy-insensitive group (n = 32) and the chemotherapy-sensitive group (n = 110), no significant differences were observed in sex, age, smoking status, tumor size, lymph-node metastasis, vascular invasion, carcinomatous lymphangitis, mediastinal invasion, superior vena cava syndrome, tumor stage, brain metastases, pleural metastasis, lung metastasis, adrenal metastasis, or the immunohistochemical markers cytokeratin, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, thyroid transcription factor-1, and Ki-67 (all P > .05). However, significant differences in liver metastasis (P = .005), bone metastasis (P < .001), and neural cell adhesion molecule expression (P = .027) were identified. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that bone metastasis (P = .008) was an independent high-risk factor for insensitivity to initial first-line chemotherapy. Bone metastasis is an independent high-risk factor for insensitivity to initial chemotherapy in SCLC. Enhancing our understanding of SCLC biology and osteoimmuno-oncology could identify new vulnerabilities and better define patient populations that may benefit from tailored clinical treatments to overcome drug resistance.

Immunotherapy in the Battle Against Bone Metastases: Mechanisms and Emerging Treatments

Bone metastases are a prevalent complication in advanced cancers, particularly in breast, prostate, and lung cancers, and are associated with severe skeletal-related events (SREs), including fractures, spinal cord compression, and debilitating pain. Conventional bone-targeted treatments like bisphosphonates and RANKL inhibitors (denosumab) reduce osteoclast-mediated bone resorption but do not directly impact tumor progression within the bone. This review focuses on examining the growing potential of immunotherapy in targeting the unique challenges posed by bone metastases. Even though immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly changed cancer treatment, their impact on bone metastases appears limited because of the bone microenvironment's immunosuppressive traits, which include high levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) and the immune-suppressing cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). This review underscores the investigation of combined therapeutic approaches that might ease these difficulties, such as the synergy of immune checkpoint inhibitors with agents aimed at bones (denosumab, bisphosphonates), chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with different immunotherapeutic methods, including CAR T-cell therapy. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of preclinical studies and clinical trials that show the synergistic potential of these combination approaches, which aim to both enhance immune responses and mitigate bone destruction. By offering an in-depth exploration of how these strategies can be tailored to the bone microenvironment, this review underscores the need for personalized treatment approaches. The findings emphasize the urgent need for further research into overcoming immune evasion in bone metastases, with the goal of improving patient survival and quality of life.

Immunotherapy in the Fight Against Bone Metastases: A Review of Recent Developments and Challenges

OPINION STATEMENT

Bone metastasis, a frequent and detrimental complication of advanced cancers, often triggers bone deterioration events that severely compromise patient quality of life and prognosis. The past few years have witnessed the emergence and continuous advancements in immunotherapy, ushering in innovative therapeutic prospects for bone metastasis. These advancements include not only the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), both as standalone and combined treatments, but also the investigation of novel targets within immune cells residing in bone metastases. These breakthroughs have instilled fresh optimism for effectively managing patients with bone metastasis. This article endeavors to present an exhaustive review of the recent progress made across a spectrum of immunotherapeutic strategies and targeted therapies specifically designed for individuals battling bone metastasis from malignant tumors. By doing so, it seeks to offer insights that can inform clinical practices and guide further medical research in this domain.

Study on psychological resilience and associated influencing factors in lung cancer patients with bone metastases

BACKGROUND

Evaluating the psychological resilience of lung cancer (LC) patients helps understand their mental state and guides future treatment. However, there is limited research on the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone metastases.

AIM

To explore the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone metastases and identify factors that may influence psychological resilience.

METHODS

LC patients with bone metastases who met the inclusion criteria were screened from those admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The psychological scores of the enrolled patients were collected. They were then grouped based on the mean psychological score: Those with scores lower than the mean value were placed in the low-score group and those with scores equal to or greater than the mean value was placed in the high-score group. The baseline data (age, gender, education level, marital status, residence, monthly income, and religious beliefs), along with self-efficacy and medical coping mode scores, were compared.

RESULTS

This study included 142 LC patients with bone metastases admitted to our hospital from June 2022 to December 2023, with an average psychological resilience score of 63.24 ± 9.96 points. After grouping, the low-score group consisted of 69 patients, including 42 males and 27 females, with an average age of 67.38 ± 9.55 years. The high-score group consisted of 73 patients, including 49 males and 24 females, with a mean age of 61.97 ± 5.00 years. χ 2 analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups in education level (χ 2 = 6.604, P = 0.037), residence (χ 2 = 12.950, P = 0.002), monthly income (χ 2 = 9.375, P = 0.009), and medical coping modes (χ 2 = 19.150, P = 0.000). Independent sample t-test showed that the high-score group had significantly higher self-efficacy scores (t = 3.383, P = 0.001) and lower age than the low-score group (t = 4.256, P < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression hazard analysis confirmed that self-efficacy is an independent protective factor for psychological resilience [odds ratio (OR) = 0.926, P = 0.035, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.862-0.995], while age (OR = 1.099, P = 0.003, 95%CI: 1.034-1.169) and medical coping modes (avoidance vs confrontation: OR = 3.767, P = 0.012, 95%CI: 1.342-10.570; resignation vs confrontation: OR = 5.687, P = 0.001, 95%CI: 1.974-16.385) were identified as independent risk factors. A predictive model based on self-efficacy, age, and medical coping modes was developed. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve value of 0.778 (95%CI: 0.701-0.856, P < 0.001), indicating that the model has good predictive performance.

CONCLUSION

LC patients with bone metastases are less psychologically resilient than the general population. Factors such as self-efficacy, age, and medical coping modes influence their psychological resilience. Patients with low self-efficacy, old age, and avoidance/resignation coping modes should be closely observed.

Bridging the Gap in Understanding Bone Metastasis: A Multifaceted Perspective

The treatment of patients with advanced cancer poses clinical problems due to the complications that arise as the disease progresses. Bone metastases are a common problem that cancer patients may face, and currently, there are no effective drugs to treat these individuals. Prostate, breast, and lung cancers often spread to the bone, causing significant and disabling health conditions. The bone is a highly active and dynamic tissue and is considered a favorable environment for the growth of cancer. The role of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the process of bone remodeling and the way in which their interactions change during the progression of metastasis is critical to understanding the pathophysiology of this disease. These interactions create a self-perpetuating loop that stimulates the growth of metastatic cells in the bone. The metabolic reprogramming of both cancer cells and cells in the bone microenvironment has serious implications for the development and progression of metastasis. Insight into the process of bone remodeling and the systemic elements that regulate this process, as well as the cellular changes that occur during the progression of bone metastases, is critical to the discovery of a cure for this disease. It is crucial to explore different therapeutic options that focus specifically on malignancy in the bone microenvironment in order to effectively treat this disease. This review will focus on the bone remodeling process and the effects of metabolic disorders as well as systemic factors like hormones and cytokines on the development of bone metastases. We will also examine the various therapeutic alternatives available today and the upcoming advances in novel treatments.