Interleukin inhibitors and the associated risk of candidiasis

Interleukins (ILs) are vital in regulating the immune system, enabling to combat fungal diseases like candidiasis effectively. Their inhibition may cause enhanced susceptibility to infection. IL inhibitors have been employed to control autoimmune diseases and inhibitors of IL-17 and IL-23, for example, have been associated with an elevated risk of Candida infection. Thus, applying IL inhibitors might impact an individual's susceptibility to Candida infections. Variations in the severity of Candida infections have been observed between individuals with different IL inhibitors, necessitating careful consideration of their specific risk profiles. IL-1 inhibitors (anakinra, canakinumab, and rilonacept), IL-2 inhibitors (daclizumab, and basiliximab), and IL-4 inhibitors (dupilumab) have rarely been associated with Candida infection. In contrast, tocilizumab, an inhibitor of IL-6, has demonstrated an elevated risk in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment, as evidenced by a 6.9% prevalence of candidemia among patients using the drug. Furthermore, the incidence of Candida infections appeared to be higher in patients exposed to IL-17 inhibitors than in those exposed to IL-23 inhibitors. Therefore, healthcare practitioners must maintain awareness of the risk of candidiasis associated with using of IL inhibitors before prescribing them. Future prospective studies need to exhaustively investigate candidiasis and its associated risk factors in patients receiving IL inhibitors. Implementing enduring surveillance methods is crucial to ensure IL inhibitors safe and efficient utilization of in clinical settings.

Promoting leisure functions through setting creative linguistic landscapes in recreational zones

Using creativity to promote recreational services is crucial. Accordingly, creative linguistic landscapes (CLLs) are being used to improve visitors' experiences in some recreational zones. However, relevant research is still in its early stages. Therefore, this study was conducted. It summarized the leisure function categories and function evaluation indicators of CLLs in recreational zones respectively based on image materials and related online reviews. The leisure function outcomes of all CLL types were ranked using the fuzzy PROMETHEE method; based on this ranking, a CLL configuration optimization mode was suggested. The findings reveal the following. (1) Currently, there are mainly nine leisure function types of CLL in practice, although the type structure is severely imbalanced; there are 12 primary corresponding function evaluation indicators, although each of them draws significantly different attention. (2) There are notable variations among the outcomes of different types of functions of CLL: mood adjustment is the most advantageous function of CLL for leisure services, followed by emotional guidance and cognitive building functions; (3) According to the study findings, in the configuration of CLL, which aims at leisure function optimization, the "function focusing and coordinating mode (the superior functions of CLL are focused on and its various functions are coordinated)" should be adopted. The results provide meaningful lessons for the establishment of rational and effective CLL in recreational zones.

ATG-101 is a tetravalent PD-L1×4-1BB bispecific antibody that stimulates anti-tumor immunity through PD-L1 blockade and PD-L1-directed 4-1BB activation

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have transformed cancer treatment. However, only a minority of patients achieve a profound response. Many patients are innately resistant while others acquire resistance to ICIs. Furthermore, hepatotoxicity and suboptimal efficacy have hampered the clinical development of agonists of 4-1BB, a promising immune stimulating target. To effectively target 4-1BB and treat diseases resistant to ICIs, we engineered ATG-101, a tetravalent "2+2" PD-L1×4-1BB bispecific antibody. ATG-101 bound PD-L1 and 4-1BB concurrently, with a greater affinity for PD-L1, and potently activated 4-1BB+ T cells when crosslinked with PD-L1+ cells. ATG-101 activated exhausted T cells upon PD-L1 binding, indicating a possible role in reversing T-cell dysfunction. ATG-101 displayed potent antitumor activity in numerous in vivo tumor models, including those resistant or refractory to ICIs. ATG-101 greatly increased the proliferation of CD8+ T cells, the infiltration of effector memory T cells, and the ratio of CD8+ T/Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), rendering an immunologically "cold" tumor "hot". Comprehensive characterization of the TME after ATG-101 treatment using single-cell RNA-sequencing further revealed an altered immune landscape that reflected increased antitumor immunity. ATG-101 was well-tolerated and did not induce hepatotoxicity in non-human primates. According to computational semi-mechanistic pharmacology modeling, 4-1BB/ATG-101/PD-L1 trimer formation and PD-L1 receptor occupancy were both maximized at around 2 mg/kg of ATG-101, providing guidance regarding the optimal biological dose for clinical trials. In summary, by localizing to PD-L1-rich microenvironments and activating 4-1BB+ immune cells in a PD-L1 crosslinking-dependent manner, ATG-101 safely inhibits growth of ICI resistant and refractory tumors.

Comparison of genes involved in brain development: insights into the organization and evolution of the telencephalic pallium

The mechanisms underlying the organization and evolution of the telencephalic pallium are not yet clear.. To address this issue, we first performed comparative analysis of genes critical for the development of the pallium (Emx1/2 and Pax6) and subpallium (Dlx2 and Nkx1/2) among 500 vertebrate species. We found that these genes have no obvious variations in chromosomal duplication/loss, gene locus synteny or Darwinian selection. However, there is an additional fragment of approximately 20 amino acids in mammalian Emx1 and a poly-(Ala)6-7 in Emx2. Lentiviruses expressing mouse or chick Emx2 (m-Emx2 or c-Emx2 Lv) were injected into the ventricle of the chick telencephalon at embryonic Day 3 (E3), and the embryos were allowed to develop to E12-14 or to posthatchling. After transfection with m-Emx2 Lv, the cells expressing Reelin, Vimentin or GABA increased, and neurogenesis of calbindin cells changed towards the mammalian inside-out pattern in the dorsal pallium and mesopallium. In addition, a behavior test for posthatched chicks indicated that the passive avoidance ratio increased significantly. The study suggests that the acquisition of an additional fragment in mammalian Emx2 is associated with the organization and evolution of the mammalian pallium.

Spatiotemporal evolution and mechanisms of tourism efficiency and its decomposition: Evidence from 63 counties in Zhejiang, China

Although efficiency analysis could reflect the state and quality of tourism's economic development, no research has been conducted investigating the spatiotemporal evolution and mechanisms of county-level tourism efficiency. We quantified tourism efficiency and its decomposition in 63 counties of Zhejiang, employing the bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA), hot spot analysis, and quantile regression to explore the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of tourism efficiency, and examine its driving and constraining mechanisms. The results uncovered obvious upward trends in the tourism efficiency of Zhejiang's counties, with the mean value increasing from 0.285 to 0.688. Compared with scale efficiency, the influence of technological efficiency on the growth of comprehensive efficiency increased remarkably. Significant differences were evident in the spatial distributions of the identified hot and cold spots of comprehensive efficiency, which were respectively distributed in northern and southern Zhejiang. The distributions of decomposition efficiency were found to be spatially dependent. The driving mechanism of tourism efficiency involve two driving influences and two constraining influences, including economy and resource driving, market and traffic driving, industry and traffic constraining, and market and industry constraining. The findings of this study contribute to understanding of tourism efficiency growth in regional destinations and provide insights for strategic policymaking in various counties of Zhejiang.

Efficient removal of hexavalent chromium by nano-cerium-based adsorbent: The critical role of valence state and oxygen vacancy

Cerium-based adsorbents have been gradually used for the adsorption removal of highly toxic Cr(VI) from wastewater due to their low toxicity and wide working pH. However, the intrinsic properties of adsorbents contribute significantly to their adsorption performance, and the relationship between them needs to be clarified. Herein, series of nano-cerium based adsorbents (Ce@Cs) with different surface defects and Ce(III) content were prepared to explore their effects on the Cr(VI) adsorption capacity. Results showed that the optimal Ce@C performed well over a wide pH range of 2.0-12.0, and the calculated Cr(VI) adsorption capacity reached 302.43 mg/g at 45 ℃. Ce(III) and surface defects in cerium-based adsorbents exhibited an important influence on the Cr(VI) adsorption performance of Ce@Cs, and their contents showed a good positive correlation with the Cr adsorption capacity (R2 =0.988 and 0.827). A series of evidences confirmed that the generated Ce(III) and oxygen vacancies could provide more sufficient coordination number to promote Cr(VI) complexation with Ce@Cs and lower the impedance of Ce@Cs to improve the reduction of Cr(VI) to low-toxic Cr(III). This work provides new insights into the Cr(VI) adsorption using cerium-based adsorbents, which helps to improve their potential in the purification of Cr(VI)-containing wastewater.

Investigating Structural Relationships between Professional Identity, Learning Engagement, Academic Self-Efficacy, and University Support: Evidence from Tourism Students in China

In order to foster students' development and enhance the training quality within tourism programs at universities, this study aims to investigate the relationships among tourism students' professional identity, academic self-efficacy, learning engagement, and university support. Professional identity refers to learners' recognition and understanding of their study programs and is viewed as a dynamic, progressive process consisting of professional cognition, professional emotion, and professional appraisal. Data were collected from 333 tourism students studying at Chinese universities. They were analyzed through SPSS and SmartPLS. The results revealed that there is no significant correlation between students' professional cognition and learning engagement. However, students' professional emotions and professional appraisals positively influence learning engagement. Moreover, all three dimensions of professional identity exhibit positive effects on students' academic self-efficacy. Additionally, students' academic self-efficacy demonstrates a positive impact on learning engagement, and university support is associated with increased learning engagement and academic self-efficacy. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the learning experience of tourism students and aims to facilitate the advancement of tourism education through cultivating students' professional identity towards tourism and developing students' career commitment in the tourism industry. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Risk of candidiasis associated with interleukin-17 inhibitors: Implications and management

The application of interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitors, including secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, and bimekizumab, are associated with elevated risk of candidiasis. These medications interfere with the IL-17 pathway, which is essential for maintaining mucosal barriers and coordinating the immune response against Candida species. The observational data and clinical trials demonstrate the increased incidence of candidiasis in individuals treated with IL-17 inhibitors. Brodalumab and bimekizumab pose a greater risk than secukinumab in eliciting candidiasis, whereas the data regarding ixekizumab are equivocal. Higher doses and prolonged treatment duration of IL-17 inhibitors increase the risk of candidiasis by compromising the immune response against Candida species. Prior to prescribing IL-17 inhibitors, healthcare professionals should comprehensively evaluate patients' medical histories and assess their risk factors. Patients should be educated on the signs and symptoms of candidiasis to facilitate early detection and intervention. Future research should focus on identifying the risk factors associated with candidiasis in patients receiving IL-17 inhibitors. Prospective studies and long-term surveillance are required to explore the impact of specific inhibitors on the incidence and severity of candidiasis and to evaluate the effectiveness of combination therapies, such as concurrent use of IL-17 inhibitors and prophylactic antifungal agents.

Abstract 496: Targeting CD73-adenosine axis for the treatment of multiple myeloma

Background: Currently, the commonly used and active agents such as proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulator (IMiDs), and CD38 antibody have significantly improved the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM). However, MM is still considered incurable, and almost all MM patients eventually experience relapse. Relapsed/refractory MM (rrMM) remains a disease with an unmet need for additional therapeutic options, especially drugs with a novel mechanism of action. CD73 is a cell surface enzyme which is highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment. CD73, in concert with CD39, converts ATP to adenosine, which promotes the onset and progression of cancer via inhibiting T cells, NK cells, and DCs, inducing immunosuppressive cell types and enhancing their functions (Gao et al., 2014). Indeed, elevated levels of adenosine have been observed in various cancers, including MM (Ray A et al., 2022). ATG-037 is a highly potent and selective oral small molecule inhibitor of CD73. In this study, we evaluated the potential of ATG-037 in treating multiple myeloma.

Methods: The inhibition of enzyme function of recombinant and cell surface CD73 was evaluated by measuring the concentration of inorganic phosphate using Malachite Green. Reversal of AMP/adenosine-mediated human T cell suppression by CD73 inhibitors was determined in the presence of exogenous AMP. The in vivo efficacy was assessed in syngeneic myeloma models, J558 and MCP-11. The murine myeloma cells were implanted subcutaneously into BALB/c mice, and ATG-037 (100 mg/kg) or vehicle was orally administered BID starting day one post-implantation.

Results: ATG-037 demonstrated complete inhibition of CD73 activity without “hook effect”, whereas MEDI9447, a CD73 antibody, did not reach 100% inhibition and with reduced inhibition of CD73 activity at higher antibody concentrations. T cell proliferation and activation induced by CD3/CD28 activator were suppressed by extracellular 20 μM or 100 μM AMP, and the suppression was relieved by the addition of ATG-037. Furthermore, compared to the vehicle control, ATG-037 at 100 mg/kg exhibited significant tumor growth inhibition with a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) value of 30.88% on Day 16 after implantation in J558 model. ATG-037 (100 mg/kg) also demonstrated significant in vivo anti-tumor efficacy against MCP-11 myeloma compared with the vehicle control group, with a TGI value of 24.27% on Day 17 after implantation. ATG-037 treatment was well tolerated, with no significant body weight loss or severe adverse effects observed in both models.

Conclusion: ATG-037 demonstrated potent and complete CD73 enzyme inhibition without “hook effect”, restoring T cell functions from AMP-mediated suppression. And this is the first report that a CD73 inhibitor demonstrates in vivo efficacy in myeloma animal models. The single agent anti-myeloma efficacy of ATG-037 warrants further clinical investigation.

Citation Format: Gang Bian, Jiahui Hua, Ge Lin, Yu Bai, Tianci Zhu, Bin Jiang, Jay Mei, Bo Shan, Bing Hou. Targeting CD73-adenosine axis for the treatment of multiple myeloma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 496.

Corrigendum: The Bcl-2-associated athanogene gene family in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and the function of NtBAG5 in leaf senescence

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1108588.].

The Bcl-2-associated athanogene gene family in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and the function of NtBAG5 in leaf senescence

Leaf senescence in tobacco is closely related to leaf maturation and secondary metabolites. Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) family members are highly conserved proteins and play key roles in senescence, growth and development, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Herein, the BAG family of tobacco was identified and characterized. In total, 19 tobacco BAG protein candidate genes were identified and divided into two classes, class I comprising NtBAG1a-e, NtBAG3a-b, and NtBAG4a-c and class II including NtBAG5a-e, NtBAG6a-b, and NtBAG7. Genes in the same subfamily or branch of the phylogenetic tree exhibited similarities in gene structure and the cis-element on promoters. RNA-seq and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that the expression of NtBAG5c-f and NtBAG6a-b was upregulated in senescent leaves, implying that they play a role in regulating leaf senescence. NtBAG5c was localized in the nucleus and cell wall as a homology of leaf senescence related gene AtBAG5. Further, the interaction of NtBAG5c with heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) and sHSP20 was demonstrated using yeast two-hybrid experiment. Virus-induced gene silencing indicated that NtBAG5c reduced the lignin content and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) accumulation. In NtBAG5c-silenced plants, the expression of multiple senescence-related genes cysteine proteinase (NtCP1), SENESCENCE 4 (SEN4) and SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE 12 (SAG12) was downregulated. In conclusion, tobacco BAG protein candidate genes were identified and characterized for the first time.

The Influencing Effect of Tourism Economy on Green Development Efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta

In the context of ecological priority and green development strategy, accelerating the upgrading of tourism structure and promoting the development of ecotourism is an important guarantee to achieve green and low-carbon economic growth and high-quality development. On the basis of constructing comprehensive evaluation indicators of tourism development (TD) and green development efficiency (GDE), this study analyzed the impulse response relationship between TD and GDE and the impact effect of TD on GDE in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2000-2018. Findings showed that: (1) During the study period, TD generally exhibited a W-shaped fluctuating upward trend and GDE showed a staggered evolution of upward and downward fluctuations, while both regional gaps of TD and GDE continued to decrease. (2) Most cities had made a leap from low to medium, high, and higher levels of tourism development, with tourism development levels decreasing along the Yangtze River basin to the north and south of the delta. The overall green development efficiency was relatively low, showing a spatial pattern of high value in the southern delta and low value in the northwest delta. (3) There was a one-way Granger causality of TD on GDE, and the impact of TD on GDE showed a significant positive cumulative effect. (4) TD exhibited a significant inverted U-shaped impact on GDE. The economic development level and government intervention had a significant positive impact on GDE. The proportion of secondary industry, energy consumption intensity, and foreign direct investment had a significant negative driving effect on GDE. While the impact of environmental regulation on GDE was insignificant positive. This study has great practical significance to alleviate the problems of urban resources and environment, and to realize a green economy and high-quality life.

Distribution and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species from mainland China: A systematic analysis

Antifungal resistance to Candida pathogens increases morbidity and mortality of immunosuppressive patients, an emerging crisis worldwide. Understanding the Candida prevalence and antifungal susceptibility pattern is necessary to control and treat candidiasis. We aimed to systematically analyse the susceptibility profiles of Candida species published in the last ten years (December 2011 to December 2021) from mainland China. The studies were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct search engines. Out of 89 included studies, a total of 44,716 Candida isolates were collected, mainly comprising C. albicans (49.36%), C. tropicalis (21.89%), C. parapsilosis (13.92%), and C. glabrata (11.37%). The lowest susceptibility was detected for azole group; fluconazole susceptibilities against C. parapsilosis, C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, C. pelliculosa, and C. auris were 93.25%, 91.6%, 79.4%, 77.95%, 76%, 50%, and 0% respectively. Amphotericin B and anidulafungin were the most susceptible drugs for all Candida species. Resistance to azole was mainly linked with mutations in ERG11, ERG3, ERG4, MRR1-2, MSH-2, and PDR-1 genes. Mutation in FKS-1 and FKS-2 in C. auris and C. glabrata causing resistance to echinocandins was stated in two studies. Gaps in the studies' characteristics were detected, such as 79.77%, 47.19 %, 26.97%, 7.86%, and 4.49% studies did not mention the mortality rates, age, gender, breakpoint reference guidelines, and fungal identification method, respectively. The current study demonstrates the overall antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species, gaps in surveillance studies and risk-reduction strategies that could be supportive in candidiasis therapy and for the researchers in their future studies.

Abstract 2679: Synergistic effects of the combination of Kras (G12C) with SHP2, ERK 1/2, mTORC1/2 or XPO1 inhibition for the treatment of Kras (G12C) mutated cancer

Background: RAS proteins play a vital role in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival, through their association and crosstalk with multiple pathways, the best characterized of which are the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk and PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathways. Activating mutations in KRAS are a hallmark of cancer. Clinical targeting of KRAS G12C mutation has demonstrated profound overall response rate (ORR) with relatively short progression-free survival (PFS). Some potential reasons for short PFS are MAPK pathway re-activation through wild type RAS and activation of PI3K/mTOR pathway, which lead to the bypass and acquired resistance to KRAS G12C inhibitors. The combination of KRAS G12C inhibitor with mTOR or ERK1/2 inhibitor might overcome drug resistance and prolong PFS. This study tested the antitumor effects induced by the combination of ATG-012, a KRAS G12C inhibitor, with SHP2 inhibitor (ET0038), ERK 1/2 kinase inhibitor (ATG-017), mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor (ATG-008) or XPO1 inhibitor (selinexor), in preclinical tumor models.

Methods: The in vivo combinations of the drugs were tested in NCI-H358 (non-small cell lung cancer) and Mia-Paca-2 (pancreatic cancer) CDX mouse model. The tumor bearing mouse were treated with vehicle control, ATG-012 (3 to 100 mg/kg, QD), ET0038 (5mg/kg, QD), selinexor (10mg/kg, MWF), ATG-017 (25mg/kg, QD), ATG-008 (10mg/kg, QD) or the combination for 18 to 27 days. Tumor size was measured twice a week and tumor growth inhibition (TGI) was evaluated compared with vehicle control group.

Results: In the NCI-H358 CDX in vivo study, mono therapy with ATG-012 (10mg/kg), selinexor, or ATG-017 induced tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of 44.29%,73.71% and 80.85%, respectively on day 8 after grouping. The combination of ATG-012 and selinexor showed 84.96% TGI, while ATG-012 plus ATG-017 showed 97.13% TGI. The combinations induced continual tumor regression from day 9 to day 21.In the Mia-PaCa-2 CDX in vivo study, the mono therapy with ATG-012 (3 mg/kg) showed 65.6% TGI on day 27 after grouping, while single agent ET0038 or ATG-008 treatment induced 84.6% and 75.4% TGI, respectively. The combination of ATG-012 and ET0038 showed 119.1% TGI; and ATG-012 -ATG-008 combination showed 92.3% TGI.

Conclusions: Strong in vivo synergism has been observed for the combination of a Kras (G12C) inhibitor (ATG-012) with a SHP2 inhibitor, ERK 1/2 inhibitor, mTORC1/2 inhibitor or XPO1 inhibitor, suggesting promising clinical therapeutic strategies for cancer patients carrying the KRAS G12C mutation.

Citation Format: Jian Wang, Peng Chen, Ya Kong, Hui Yuwen, Bin Jiang, Linjie Tian, Bing Hou, Jay Mei, Bo Shan. Synergistic effects of the combination of Kras (G12C) with SHP2, ERK 1/2, mTORC1/2 or XPO1 inhibition for the treatment of Kras (G12C) mutated cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2679.

Abstract 2604: The novel ATR inhibitor ATG-018 is efficacious in preclinical cancer models

Background: The ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase plays a central role in the DNA damage response (DDR) by activating essential signaling pathways of DNA damage repair. Inhibiting normal ATR function leads to increasing accumulation of double-strand breaks (DSB), particularly in genomically unstable tumor cells with preexisting replication stress, resulting in further genomic instability, mitotic catastrophe, and cell death. Targeting ATR is, therefore, a relevant strategy for the development of novel anticancer agents. This study tested the antitumor effects induced by ATG-018, a novel small molecule ATR inhibitor, in preclinical tumor models.

Methods: Firstly, the antiproliferative activity of ATG-018 was evaluated against a panel of 143 tumor cell lines. Cell proliferation was measured after 72 hours of exposure to ATG-018, using CellTiter-Glo Cell Viability Assay. An unbiased genomic analysis of the tested cell lines was used to discover potential predictive biomarkers. The activity of ATR-inhibition by ATG-018 was determined by measuring phospho-Ser345 CHK1 protein level in HT-29 cells, using pCHK1 AlphaScreen assay. A mobility shift-based ATR kinase reaction assay was used to assess the direct inhibition of ATR by ATG-018. The in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of ATG-018 was evaluated in LoVo (colorectal cancer), OE21 (esophageal cancer) and OCI-LY-19 (lymphoma) CDX mouse models, respectively.

Results: Potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy has been observed for ATG-018. For cell proliferation inhibition, the IC50 of ATG-018 ranged from 0.22μM to 10μM in 137 out of 143 cell lines, including both solid tumor and hematological malignancies, while ATG-018 did not affect the viability of normal PBMCs. A series of genetic alterations has been discovered to be correlated with the sensitivity to ATG-018, which could be potential predictive biomarkers. For ATR activity inhibition, the IC50 of ATG-018 required for ATR downstream (CHK1) phosphorylation inhibition was 1.4nM in HT-29 cells and the IC50 required for inhibiting ATR kinase reaction was 16nM. Dose-dependent antitumor efficacy was observed with ATG-018 in LoVo, OE21 and OCI-LY-19 CDX models. 10 mg/kg ATG-018 showed a statistically significant antitumor activity in all the three CDX models. In the OCI-LY-19 CDX model, 10 mg/kg ATG-018 showed 73.52% TGI on day 14 after grouping (p value=0.0014), and 50mg/kg ATG-018 induced tumor regression.

Conclusions: Single agent ATG-018 exhibited strong monotherapy efficacy in preclinical cancer models with certain homologous recombination deficiencies, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for such patient populations.

Citation Format: Hui Yuwen, Ya Kong, Lulu Jiang, Min Deng, Jiamei Luo, Bin Jiang, Bing Hou, Bo Shan, Jay Mei. The novel ATR inhibitor ATG-018 is efficacious in preclinical cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2604.

Abstract 2576: ATG-037, a highly potent small molecule CD73 inhibitor has superior activity of reversing immunosuppression in higher-AMP environments compared with anti-CD73 antibodies

Background: CD73 is a cell surface enzyme which is highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Degradation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) into adenosine by CD73 results in the generation of an immunosuppressed and pro-angiogenic niche within the TME that promotes the onset and progression of cancer. Targeting CD73 has resulted in favourable anti-tumor effects in preclinical models and in clinic. One of the key mechanisms of therapeutic activity by CD73 inhibition is restoring the normal function of effector T cells from adenosine inhibition. ATG-037 is a highly potent and selective oral small molecule inhibitor of CD73. This study compared the ability of ATG-037 and clinical CD73 antibodies in reverting immunosuppression in higher-AMP environments in vitro.

Methods: The activity of ATG-037 and CD73 antibodies (Hu101-28, MEDI9447) in inhibiting enzyme function of cell surface CD73 was evaluated by measuring the ATP-dependent oxidation of luciferin, which is inhibited by AMP, using Cell Titer Glo assay. Reversal of AMP/adenosine-mediated immune suppression of human T cells by CD73 inhibitors was determined by measuring T cell function in the presence of different concentrations of exogenous AMP. Markers for T cell proliferation, activation and cytotoxicity were assessed by flow cytometry, and the cytokine levels were measured by ELISA.

Results: ATG-037, Hu101-28 and MEDI9447 inhibited the enzyme activity of cell surface-expressed CD73 on human A375 cells under 100 µM AMP with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.36 nM,20.94 nM and 3.46 nM, respectively. ATG-037 demonstrated complete inhibition of CD73 activity, whereas MEDI9447 did not reach complete CD73 inhibition. T cell proliferation and activation induced by CD3/CD28 dynabeads were suppressed by 100 µM of extracellular AMP and the suppression was relieved by the addition of ATG-037 with half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 21.6 nM for CD8+ T cell proliferation, 27 nM for T cell activation, 2 nM for granzyme B expression, and 6.5 nM for T cell IFN-γ production. While Hu101-28 and MEDI9447 fail to restore the T cell function. In a mixed lymphocyte reaction assay, ATG-037, but not Hu101-28 or MEDI9447 reversed AMP-dependent T cell suppression. In addition, ATG-037 rescued immune cell activation in high AMP (500 µM, 1000 µM) environments.

Conclusion: ATG-037 demonstrated potent and complete CD73 enzyme inhibition and stronger ability in restoring T cell function from high-level AMP mediated suppression, compared with clinical anti-CD73 antibodies. These data implicate the potential therapeutic advantages of small molecule CD73 inhibitors over blocking antibodies.

Citation Format: Gang Bian, Jiahui Hua, Linjie Tian, Kevin Lynch, Jay Mei, Bo Shan, Bing Hou. ATG-037, a highly potent small molecule CD73 inhibitor has superior activity of reversing immunosuppression in higher-AMP environments compared with anti-CD73 antibodies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2576.

Abstract 1143: ATG-022, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting Claudin 18.2, demonstrated potent in vivo efficacy in gastric cancer patient-derived xenografts

Background: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have become promising antitumor agents in recent years. ADCs are comprised of a monoclonal antibody, targeting antigens expressed at higher levels on tumor cells than on normal cells, cross-linked to small molecule payloads with cytotoxic activity. Human Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) is overexpressed in a large proportion of gastric and pancreatic cancers, with restricted normal tissue expression. The monoclonal antibody targeting CLDN18.2 (IMAB362) has demonstrated promising clinical benefit in combination with chemotherapies for gastric cancer patients. However, the same antibody shows suboptimal efficacy in patients with low CLDN18.2 expression. Here we report the potent in vivo efficacy of ATG-022, a CLDN18.2 ADC, in multiple gastric cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, including those with low CLDN18.2 expression.

Methods: The binding affinity of ATG-022 with CLDN18.2 was detected by SPR and FACs analysis. The in vitro 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of ATG-022 was determined in CLDN18.2 positive cell lines using CellTiter-Glo luminescent cell viability assay. In vivo efficacy of ATG-022 was evaluated in a series of gastric cancer PDX models with different expression level of CLDN18.2 The expression level of CLDN18.2 was determined using IHC staining. ATG-022 was dosed twice at 1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg every two weeks.

Results: ATG-022 binds to CLDN18.2 protein with sub-nM affinity. It induced potent in vitro cytotoxicity in CHOK1 cells overexpressing CLDN18.2, with an IC50 of 5-7nM. Bystander killing by ATG-022 was observed. ATG-022 demonstrated potent in vivo antitumor efficacy in a gastric cancer PDX model with high CLDN18.2 expression. Intravenous dosing of 1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, and 10 mg/kg ATG-022 induced 35.41%, 71.56% tumor growth inhibition (%TGI) and tumor regression respectively. In a PDX model with low CLDN18.2 expression, 3 mg/kg ATG-022 or 10 mg/kg clinical benchmark CLDN18.2-ADC did not inhibit tumor growth, while 10 mg/kg ATG-022 induced tumor regression.

Conclusions: ATG-022 demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects, with in vivo efficacy observed in CLDN18.2-low expression PDX models, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer patients with a broad range of CLDN18.2 expression levels.

Citation Format: Peng Chen, Yun Liu, Min Deng, Linjie Tian, Kevin Lynch, Bo Shan, Jay Mei, Bing Hou. ATG-022, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting Claudin 18.2, demonstrated potent in vivo efficacy in gastric cancer patient-derived xenografts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1143.

Abstract 4032: Identification of Muc5B mutation as a positive predictive biomarker for mTORC1/2 inhibition by ATG-008 in lung cancer

Background: mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell growth, metabolism, proliferation, and survival. mTOR complex-1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex-2 (mTORC2) are critical mediators of the PI3K-AKT pathway. Signaling by the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is frequently deregulated in solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Inhibition of mTOR by small molecule inhibitors has therefore attracted great attention as an anti-cancer therapy. However, due to relatively modest clinical efficacy, no mTOR inhibitor has been approved for the treatment of lung cancer. The research of potentially predictive biomarkers is a key aspect of all anti-tumor treatment strategies to improve the proportion of patients benefiting from therapy. Multiple genetic alternations have been reported to be correlated with better anti-tumor efficacy of mTOR inhibition in animal models or patients, such as NFE2L2 mutation, STK11 mutation, or RICTOR amplification. Here, we report Muc5B mutation as a positive predictive biomarker for mTORC1/2 inhibition by ATG-008 (Onatasertib), a dual mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor, in preclinical lung cancer models.

Methods: 31 different lung cancer cell lines were treated with ATG-008 in vitro to determine the dose-response curves and the Area Under Curve (AUC) values. According to the AUC, the cell lines were classified as a sensitive group, medium group, and insensitive group. Unbiased genomic analysis of the tested cell lines was used to correlate the gene mutation, amplification, and expression with the sensitivity to ATG-008. The potential positive predictive biomarker, MUC5B mutation, was further validated in lung cancer CDX mouse models. Mouse bearing lung cancer cell lines with or without MUC5B mutation were orally treated with ATG-008 to determine the in vivo tumor growth inhibition.

Results: ATG-008 inhibits lung cancer cell growth in vitro, with IC50 values ranging from 0.36µM to >10µM. By genomic analysis, we identified 23 genes with a significant difference in AUC values between mutant and wild type cell lines, among which MUC5B mutation was found in 7/10 sensitive cell lines and only 2/10 in insensitive cell lines. Cell lines that carried MUC5B mutation had significantly lower AUC compared with MUC5B wild type cell lines (p=0.0084). Oral dosing of ATG-008, 10mg/kg, QD, induced potent tumor growth inhibition(TGI) in MUC5B mutant CDX models, with 53.2% TGI in NCI-H82 model and 81.9% TGI in SK-MES-1 model. However, in MUC5B wild type models, the TGI is only 20.5% in NCI-H209 model and 36% in NCI-H526.

Conclusion: These results suggest that the presence of MUC5B mutation correlates with more potent anti-tumor efficacy of ATG-008, potentially serving as a positive predictive biomarker for patient enrichment that warrants further investigation in the clinic.

Citation Format: Bing Hou, Hui Xie, Shengyue Piao, Zhi Guo, Bo Shan, Jay Mei. Identification of Muc5B mutation as a positive predictive biomarker for mTORC1/2 inhibition by ATG-008 in lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 4032.

[Relationship between white matter lesions and theresponse of cerebral spinal fluid tap test and clinical features in the patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus]

Objective: To explore the relationship between white matter lesions and clinical features and response of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) tap test in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus(iNPH). Methods: Possible iNPH patients were enrolled from outpatients and inpatients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2014 and 2019. All patients underwent detailed neuropsychological and walking assessments, CSF tap test, as well as head magnetic resonance imaging. The Fazekas score of white matter lesions, the fractional anisotropy (FA)and mean diffusivity (MD) values of regions of interest by means ofdiffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were compared between CSF tap test positive and negative response groups. The correlation between DTI parameters and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Results: Forty-three patients (29 male and 14 female, age range: 52-79 years] wererecruited.Compared with the negative group, patients in the positive group tended to have higher Fazekas score of periventricular white matter(U=108.00, P=0.03), higher MD value of the region near anterior horn of left lateral ventricles[(1.14±0.27)×10^-9mm²/s vs (0.85±0.08) ×10^-9mm²/s, P=0.003], lower FA value of the region near anterior horn of the right lateral ventricles[(0.20±0.07)vs(0.27±0.09), P=0.058], and higher MD value near the posterior horn of right lateral ventricle [(1.17±0.34)×10^-9mm²/s vs (0.95±0.01)×10^-9mm²/s, P=0.003]. FA and MD were significantly correlated with motor function, cognitive and functional scores, and iNPH grading scale (iNPHGS) scores(all P<0.05). Conclusions: The white matter lesions might be one of the pathogeneses of lNPH and apathological changewhich can be reversed by CSF drainage. More white matter lesions should not be the contraindication of CSF drainage surgery.

High-altitude hypoxia-induced rat alveolar cell injury by increasing autophagy

Autophagy has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various lung diseases. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in lung injury induced by high-altitude hypoxia. Wistar rats were randomized into four groups for exposure to normal altitude or high altitude for 1, 7, 14 and 21 days with no treatment or with the treatment of 1 mg/kg rapamycin or 2 mg/kg 3-methyladenine (3-MA) for consecutive 21 days respectively. In control rats, the alveolar structure was intact with regularly arranged cells. However, inflammatory cell infiltration and shrunk alveoli were observed in rats exposed to hypoxia. Rapamycin treatment led to many shrunken alveoli with a large number of red blood cells in them. In contrast, 3-MA treatment led to almost intact alveoli or only a few shrunken alveoli. Compared to the control group exposure to high-altitude hypoxia for longer periods resulted in the aggravation of the lung injury, the formation of autophagosomes with a double-membrane structure and increased levels of Beclin-1 and LC3-II in alveolar tissues. Rapamycin treatment resulted in significant increase in Beclin-1 and LC3-II levels and further aggravation of alveolar tissue damage, while 3-MA treatment led to opposite effects. In conclusion, exposure to high-altitude hypoxia can induce autophagy of alveolar cells, which may be an important mechanism of high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury. The inhibition of autophagy may be a promising therapy strategy for high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury.

Antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida isolated from cutaneous candidiasis patients in eastern Guangdong region: A retrospective study of the past 10 years

Cutaneous candidiasis is one of the most prevalent mycotic infections caused by Candida species. The severity of infection mounts faster when the species shows antifungal resistance. In the current retrospective study, we aimed to analyze the occurrence, causes of cutaneous candidiasis, and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida isolates from Skin and Venereal Diseases Prevention and Control Hospital of Shantou, located in eastern Guangdong, China. The laboratory data of all patients (n = 3,113) suffering from various skin and venereal infections during January 2012 to December 2021 was analyzed through Excel and GraphPad prism. Our analysis indicate that cutaneous candidiasis was 22.29% (n = 694), of which 78.53% (n = 554) of patients were males and 21.47% (n = 149) of patients were females. The median age of patients with cutaneous candidiasis was 38-year [interquartile range (30-48)]. Most cases occurred in the adult age group (19-50  years). Regarding the species type, the Candida albicans were prominently detected (n = 664, 95.68%), while non-C. albicans were found only in 30 (4.32%) patients, which were C. glabrata (n = 18), C. krusei (n = 8), C. tropicalis (n = 3), and C. parapsilosis (n = 1). The C. albicans susceptibility rate for terbinafine, miconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, nystatin, 5-flucytosine and amphotericin B were 10.83, 29.32, 59.39, 78.53, 85.28, 87.75, 99.59, 99.41, and 100%, respectively. Finally, all C. glabrata isolates were found susceptible to all tested azole drugs with exception to miconazole against which 8.33% of isolates showed resistance. The findings of this study will help healthcare officials to establish better antifungal stewardship in the region.

Quantum transfer through small networks coupled to phonons: Effects of topology versus phonons

Particle or energy transfer through quantum networks is determined by network topology and couplings to environments. This study examines the combined effect of topology and external couplings on the efficiency of directional quantum transfer through quantum networks. We consider a microscopic model of qubit networks coupled to external vibrations by Holstein and Peierls couplings. By treating the positions of the network sites and the site-dependent phonon frequencies as independent variables, we determine the Hamiltonian parameters corresponding to minimum transfer time by Bayesian optimization. The results show that Holstein couplings may accelerate transfer through suboptimal network configurations but cannot accelerate quantum dynamics beyond the limit of the transfer time in an optimal phonon-free configuration. By contrast, Peierls couplings distort the optimal networks to accelerate quantum transfer through configurations with less than six sites. However, the speed-up offered by Peierls couplings decreases with the network size and disappears for networks with more than seven sites. For networks with seven sites or more, Peierls couplings distort the optimal network configurations and change the mechanism of quantum transfer but do not affect the lower limit of the transfer time. The machine-learning approach demonstrated here can be applied to determine quantum speed limits in other applications.

608 Synergistic effect of the combination of ATG-017, an ERK1/2 inhibitor, and immune checkpoint inhibitor in preclinical cancer models

Background

The RAS/MAPK pathway has emerged as a critical pathway for therapeutic targeting in a spectrum of solid tumor and hematological malignances. Inhibitors targeting MAPK pathway targets, such as RAS, BRAF, or MEK have been approved for the treatment of cancer either as monotherapy or in combination. However, there has been no approved drug targeting ERK1/2, the terminal kinases in the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK signal transduction cascade. The combination of ERK1/2 inhibitor and checkpoint inhibitors as therapeutic strategy has not been explored in clinic. ATG-017 is an oral, potent, and highly selective inhibitor of ERK1/2, which is under Phase 1 clinical investigation. ATG-012 is a novel inhibitor of KRAS G12C. In this study, we tested the anti-tumor effect induced by the combination of ATG-017, or ATG-012, and an anti-PDL1 antibody in preclinical cancer models.

Methods

We assessed the anti-cancer effects of ERK1/2, KRAS G12C and PD1/PDL1 inhibition as monotherapy, and as combinations. Anti-PDL1 antibody (atezolizumab), the combination of ATG-012 or ATG-017 and atezolizumab, and the triple combination of atezolizumab, ATG-012 and ATG-017 were tested in a PD(L)1 blockade insensitive syngeneic lung cancer model,LL/2. The ATG-017-atezolizumab combination was also evaluated in a KRAS G13C-mutant,PD(L)1 blockade insensitive lymphoma model, EL4. To further investigate if ERK1/2 inhibition could enhance the efficacy of atezolizumab in a MAPK aberration-independent manner, the ATG-017-atezolizumab combination was tested in a MAPK wild type lymphoma model, A20. As well as assessment of impact on tumor growth, the impact of the drugs on tumor infiltrating leukocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry.

Results

The combination of ERK1/2 inhibition and an anti-PDL1 antibody showed enhanced efficacy in mouse syngeneic tumor models. In the EL4 model, neither ATG-017 nor atezolizumab showed single agent activity, while the combination showed significant tumor growth inhibition (TGI=22%) on day 9. No body weight loss was observed. The percentage of infiltrating CD8+ T cells, NK cells and CD8:CD4 ratio were found increased in the combination group. The mean percentage of CD8+T cells among CD45+ cells increased from 4.17% (IgG +Vehicle control), 3.81% (ATG-017), 3.23% (atezolizumab), to 12.92% in the combination group. The CD8:CD4 ratio were 0.25 (IgG+Vehicle), 0.32(ATG-017), 0.17 (atezolizumab) and 0.67 (combination), respectively (Figure 1). More data from LL/2 and A20 model are being generated.

Conclusions

Synergism has been observed for the combination of checkpoint inhibition and ERK1/2 inhibition in vivo, suggesting promising therapeutic strategies for cancer patients that warrants further clinical investigation.

Ethics Approval

The protocol and any amendment(s) or procedures involving the care and use of animals in this study were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of CrownBio prior to execution. During the study, the care and use of animals were conducted in accordance with the regulations of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).All studies were conducted following an approved IACUC protocol. AUP NO.: AN-2004-09-309

Abstract 608 Figure 1

ATG-017-Atezolizumab combination showed in vivo synergism(A) Tumor growth curve and (B) mean body weight of EL4 syngeneic model; N=8 for each treatment group. (C) ATG-017-Atezolizumab combination increased tumor infiltrating CD8+T cells (left), CD8+/CD4+ ratio (middle), and tumor infiltrating NK cells (right). The TILs were isolated from tumor samples shown in (A). N=3 for each group.

893 ATG-101, a novel PD-L1/4–1BB bispecific antibody, augments anti-tumor immunity through immune checkpoint inhibition and PDL1-directed 4–1BB activation

Background

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) blockade therapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape of malignancies. However, only a minority of patients are anticipated to experience a deep and durable response. In addition, successful therapeutic agonism of 4-1BB, a promising co-stimulatory immunologic target, has been limited by major safety concerns of hepatotoxicity or suboptimal agonistic potency. ATG-101, a novel PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific antibody, was designed to activate 4-1BB positive T cells in a PDL1-crosslinking dependent manner and to effectively treat tumors without on-target-off-tumor liver toxicity (figure 1).

Methods

ATG-101 was developed by introducing lower affinity 4-1BB scFv into a human IgG1 PD-L1 monoclonal antibody. The N297A mutation on CH2 abolishes the binding capacity to most FcγRs but retains the binding to FcγRn. A series of in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to evaluate the potency, safety and specific mechanism of action.

Results

ATG-101 simultaneous binds to 4-1BB and PD-L1 with higher affinity to PD-L1, and potently activates 4-1BB positive T cells when crosslinked by PD-L1 positive cells. Upon crosslinking, ATG-101 also activates PD1+TIM3+ exhausted T cells in vitro, suggesting a potential in reversing T-cell dysfunction and exhaustion (figure 1). ATG-101 shows potent anti-tumor activities in various animal models, including h4-1BB humanized mice bearing MC38 colon cancer, PD(L)1 blockade insensitive B16F10 melanoma and EL4 lymphoma, with no body weight loss observed. To evaluate ATG-101 efficacy in tumors progressing after anti-PD(L)1 treatment, mice bearing MC38 tumors were treated with anti-PDL1 initially to achieve tumor growth inhibition, and half of the mice switched to ATG-101 upon disease progression, the other mice continuing with anti-PD-L1 treatment. ATG-101 induced potent tumor growth inhibition and tumor regression in anti-PDL1-resistant tumors and prolonged survival. Flow cytometry and multiplex IHC staining of tumor samples from mice treated with ATG-101 or control suggest that ATG-101 increases the infiltration, proliferation and activation of CD8+ T cells (figure 2), the infiltration of natural killer T cells and the CD8+/Treg ratio in TILs. In a 4-week GLP toxicity study in cynomolgus monkey, up to 100mg/kg repeated doses of ATG-101 were well tolerated with no hepatotoxicity observed.

Abstract 893 Figure 1

ATG-101 conditionally activates exhausted T cells. (A) Mechanism of action of ATG-101 (B) Exhausted T cells were induced by CD3+T cells cultured with anti-CD3/CD28 beads for 6 days. The percentage of terminally exhausted T cells (PD-1+Tim-3+) and progenitor exhausted T cells (PD-1+Tim-3-) were increased on Day6 (C) With the presence of PD-L1 positive cells, ATG-101 induced the IL2 and INF-γ secretion by exhausted T cells.

Abstract 893 Figure 2

Potent in vivo efficacy of ATG-101. (A) Representative MC38 tumor growth curve for individual mice treated with PBS (black), 10mpk atezolizumab (Atezo) only (red) or mice initially treated with 10mpk atezolizumab and switched to 13mpk ATG-101 upon disease progression (red-green); the arrow indicates the day switching Atezo to ATG-101; (B) MC38 tumor growth curve for all individual mice treated with PBS (black, n=6), atezolizumab only (red, n=14), and atezolizumab initially before switching to ATG-101 upon disease progression (red-green, n=14) ; (C) Survival data of mouse shown in (B); (D) Representative images for multiplex IHC staining of tumor samples collected from mouse from (B). (E) Quantitative analysis of TILs shown in (D). Compared with PBS group or atezo-only group, ATG-101 significantly increased the infiltration of T cells in the tumor microenvironment. MHCII: APC Cells, CD4+ CD8-: Helper T Cells, CD4- CD8+: Cytotoxic T Cells, CD4- CD8- F4/80- PDL1+: Tumor Cells.

Conclusions

ATG-101 demonstrated significant anti-tumor activity in various tumor models including those progressing on anti PD(L)1 treatment. Good safety and PK/PD properties has been demonstrated in preclinical in vivo models. A phase I, multicenter, dose-escalating clinical trial evaluating ATG-101 in patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies is ongoing.

Ethics Approval

The protocol and any amendment(s) or procedures involving the care and use of animals in this study were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of CrownBio or Innostar prior to execution with an AUP number or IACUC approval number for each animal study. During the study, the care and use of animals were conducted in accordance with the regulations of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).All studies were conducted following an approved IACUC protocol. AUP NO.:2004-12-1465, 2004-12-1000; IACUC approval number: IACUC-2021-M-003

227 A computational semi-mechanistic pharmacology model of ATG101, a PD-L1/4–1BB bispecific antibody for treatment of solid tumors and NHL

Background

Bispecific antibodies have shown significant promise as therapies for various cancers.1 ATG101 is a bispecific antibody that crosslinks tumor-expressed PD-L1 to T-cell-expressed 4-1BB, thereby selectively activating tumor-infiltrating T-cells while inhibiting immune checkpoints. The pharmacologically active complex, which is a trimer consisting of drug bound to both PD-L1 and 4-1BB and is difficult to measure directly, was predicted using a semi-mechanistic pharmacological model by integrating and calibrating against data from multiple in vitro assays. The model was then used to predict both (1) the number of PD-L1:ATG101:4-1BB trimers formed per T-cell and (2) PD-L1 occupancy, allowing it to quantify 4-1BB-driven activation as well as checkpoint blockade along the PD-1:PD-L1 axis in vivo.

Methods

Model structure

A single-compartment in vitro model and a three-compartment in vivo model were built (figure 1). The bispecific molecules could first bind to either 4-1BB or PD-L1 and then crosslink the other receptor to form a trimer.Parameter estimation: The model’s binding parameters were calibrated to experimental in vitro data (figure 2). Two crosslinking rates were carried forward to model predictions to capture uncertainty in its value. Other model parameters were estimated from the literature.Model validation: The model was validated by comparing model simulations to data from two in vitro assays (figure 3).In vivo predictions: Simulations of ATG101 in human solid tumor patients were performed using the calibrated binding parameters and standard antibody pharmacokinetic parameters. Simulations varied the crosslinking rate and number of PD-L1 receptors per tumor cell to capture important sources of uncertainty and variability. Single IV bolus doses ranging from 0.001 to 30 mg/kg were simulated.

Results

The model predicts trimer formation exhibits a non-monotonic dose response and that doses between 0.3 and 3 mg/kg maximize trimer formation. Simulations predict that ATG101 can sustain greater than 80% and 70% trimer formation and 90% and 95% PD-L1 occupancy in the tumor at a dose of 2 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg, respectively, once every three weeks (figure 4).

Abstract 227 Figure 1

Model structure diagram for (A) the one-compartment in vitro model and (B) the three-compartment in vivo model

Abstract 227 Figure 2

Comparison of in vitro model simulations to data used for calibration. The 4-1BB and PD-L1 monovalent binding affinities were calibrated to (A) 4-1BB expressing 293T cell binding data and (B) PD-L1-expressing CHO cell data. The crosslinking rate was calibrated to luciferase assays measuring NFκB signaling via 4-1BB crosslinking. In these assays, 4-1BB-expressing 293T cells were incubated with ATG101 and either (C) unstimulated or IFNγ-stimulated PD-L1-expressing MC38 cells or (D) PD-L1-expressing CHO cells

Abstact 227 Figure 3

Comparison of in vitro model simulations to data used for model validation. Lines show simulations, and points show data. (A) PD-1:PD-L1 blockade assay. Reduction in PD-1 binding to PD-L1 at various concentrations of ATG101 was measured on hPD-L1-expressing CHO cells via flow cytometry. (B) IL-2 release assay. PBMCs were activated with staphylococcal enterotoxin A and incubated with ATG101.

Abstract 227 Figure 4

Trimer formation versus PD-L1 RO at day 21 following a single dose, predicted for different PD-L1 expression levels and crosslinking strengths. Each point represents a dose, with the color indicating the dose level. Panels show predictions for different numbers of PD-L1 receptors per tumor cell (columns) and crosslinking strengths (rows). The x axis indicates the PD-L1 RO at day 21, and the y axis indicates the average number of trimers per T-cell over the 21-day interval following the dose.

Conclusions

For bispecific antibodies acting via both receptor crosslinking and checkpoint blockade, reductions in trimer at large doses may complicate dose selection. By predicting PD-L1 RO and trimer formation, the model provides a rational basis for clinical dose selection. ATG101 is predicted to be capable of maintaining near-maximal trimer levels across a range of concentrations, allowing it to be dosed at levels high enough to attain greater than 90% PD-L1 receptor occupancy.

References

Huehls AM, Coupet TA, Sentman CL. Bispecific T-cell engagers for cancer immunotherapy. Immunol Cell Biol 2015;93:290–296

[Early outcome of valve sparing aortic root replacement with partial upper sternotomy]

Objective: To examine the early outcome of valve sparing aortic root replacement with reimplantation technique (David procedure) with partial upper sternotomy. Methods: From April 2016 to April 2020, 31 patients underwent valve sparing aortic root replacement under partial upper sternotomy at Vascular Surgery Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. There were 28 males and 3 females, aging (44±13) years (range: 11 to 65 years). Preoperative aortic regurgitation was found greater than moderate in 15 patients, moderate in 6 patients and less than moderate in 10 patients. The diameter of aortic annulus was (26±3) mm (range: 21 to 34 mm), the diameter of aortic sinus was (51±6) mm (range: 41 to 68 mm), the diameter of ascending aorta was (43±8) mm (range: 26 to 62 mm). The preoperative ejection fraction was (65±4) % (range: 59% to 72%) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was (55±6) mm (range: 42 to 68 mm). All cases were treated with David Ⅰ procedure, including simple David procedure in 26 patients, David+ascending aorta and partial aortic arch replacement in 3 patients, David+thoracic endovascular aortic repair in 1 patient, David+stent elephant trunk implantation in 1 patient. Results: The operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamping time were (330±58) minutes (range: 214 to 481 minutes), (138±23) minutes (range: 106 to 192 minutes) and (108±17) minutes (range: 82 to 154 minutes), respectively. There were no death and serious complications (stroke, myocardial infarction, renal insufficiency, severe infection, etc.). The postoperative drainage volume within 24 hours was (314±145) ml (range: 130 to 830 ml). The intubation time was (14±3) hours (range: 8 to 21 hours), and the ICU time was (M(Q_R)) 2.1(1.5) days (range: 1.0 to 5.0 days). Eight patients had no blood transfusion, the proportion of red blood cell use was 9.7% (3/31), plasma use was 22.6% (7/31), and platelet use was 71.0% (22/31). The postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction was (62±4)% (range: 54% to 69%), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was (48±4) mm (range: 39 to 56 mm). After operation, aortic regurgitation was significantly improved, with no more than moderate regurgitation, small to moderate regurgitation in 3 patients, minor regurgitation in 3 patients, micro regurgitation in 12 patients and no regurgitation in 13 patients. The follow-up period was 3.5(6.1) months (range: 2.0 to 39.0 months). Echocardiographic follow-up data were obtained in 26 cases, including moderate regurgitation in 1 patient, small to moderate regurgitation in 9 patients, minor regurgitation in 5 patients, micro regurgitation in 6 patients and no regurgitation in 5 patients. There were no major adverse cardiovascular events and aortic events during the follow-up period. No patient was reoperated for aortic regurgitation. Conclusion: Valve sparing aortic root replacement under partial upper sternotomy is safe and feasible, and the early result is satisfactory.

Selinexor, a novel selective inhibitor of nuclear export, reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection and protects the respiratory system in vivo

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the recent global pandemic. The nuclear export protein (XPO1) has a direct role in the export of SARS-CoV proteins including ORF3b, ORF9b, and nucleocapsid. Inhibition of XPO1 induces anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antioxidant pathways. Selinexor is an FDA-approved XPO1 inhibitor. Through bioinformatics analysis, we predicted nuclear export sequences in the ACE-2 protein and confirmed by in vitro testing that inhibition of XPO1 with selinexor induces nuclear localization of ACE-2. Administration of selinexor inhibited viral infection prophylactically as well as therapeutically in vitro. In a ferret model of COVID-19, selinexor treatment reduced viral load in the lungs and protected against tissue damage in the nasal turbinates and lungs in vivo. Our studies demonstrated that selinexor downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and GMCSF, commonly associated with the cytokine storm observed in COVID-19 patients. Our findings indicate that nuclear export is critical for SARS-CoV-2 infection and for COVID-19 pathology and suggest that inhibition of XPO1 by selinexor could be a viable anti-viral treatment option.

Population-based evaluation of the risk factors and prognosis among renal cell carcinoma patients with initially diagnosed lung metastases

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate risk factors and prognosis of lung metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

METHODS

56,617 patients with RCC were selected from the SEER database. Based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression, the risk factors for developing lung metastases were derived. 2906 patients were initially diagnosed with lung metastases, and then were used to research the prognostic factors. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed for the prediction of cancer-specific mortality.

RESULTS

In total, 2906 RCC patients were initially diagnosed with lung metastases. The prevalence of lung metastases in RCC was approximately 5% with poor survival. Aging, male, other race (American Indian/AK native, Asian Pacific islander) uninsured status, bilateral tumor, collecting duct, higher T stage, local lymph node metastases, higher tumor grade, and evidence of other distant metastases were significantly associated with developing lung metastases at diagnosis. Age >70 years-old, black, female, bilateral tumor, T4 stage, higher tumor grade, local lymph node metastases, collecting duct, and evidence of bone, liver, or brain metastases were related to higher risk of mortality. Blacks and female have lower odds of developing lung metastases at the time of diagnosis both in crude and adjusted logistic regression. Meanwhile, blacks and female showed higher risk of mortality compared with whites and male in Cox regression analyses.

CONCLUSION

Several factors related to the development and prognosis of lung metastases were revealed, especially black people and female gender have lower risk of developing lung metastatic RCC at initial diagnosis but have higher risk of mortality. These may provide preventive guidelines for the screening and treatment of lung metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Diverse bacterial profile in extraradicular biofilms and periradicular lesions associated with persistent apical periodontitis

AIM

To characterize the bacterial community present in the extraradicular biofilm and periradicular lesions associated with persistent apical periodontitis.

METHODOLOGY

Eighteen adult patients who presented with persistent periradicular lesions after root canal treatment and scheduled for endodontic surgery were selected. During surgery, extraradicular samples of biofilms and periradicular lesions were collected. Ten pairs of periradicular lesions and extraradicular biofilm samples were randomly selected for ribosomal 16S rRNA cloning and sequencing. A Wilcoxon's rank-sum test was used to compare total bacterial counts and the levels of individual genera and species between the two groups (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

Overall, seventy-three phylotypes belonging to six different phyla were identified from 1000 sequenced clones. Mogibacterium timidum, Streptococcus intermedius and Enterococcus faecalis predominated in both extraradicular biofilm and periapical lesions. Propionibacterium propionicus, Abiotrophia adiacens, Peptostreptococcus prevotii, Campylobacter gracilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found in significantly higher levels in the extraradicular biofilm than periapical lesions, whilst Parvimonas micra and Atopobium rimae were more abundant in periapical lesions (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The microbial profile of extraradicular biofilms differed from periapical lesions, indicating the presence of diverse bacterial populations in these regions. Several genera and species were significantly associated with the formation of extraradicular biofilms.

A Noninvasive Multianalytical Approach for Lung Cancer Diagnosis of Patients with Pulmonary Nodules

Addressing the high false-positive rate of conventional low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer diagnosis, the efficacy of incorporating blood-based noninvasive testing for assisting practicing clinician's decision making in diagnosis of pulmonary nodules (PNs) is investigated. In this prospective observative study, next generation sequencing- (NGS-) based cell-free DNA (cfDNA) mutation profiling, NGS-based cfDNA methylation profiling, and blood-based protein cancer biomarker testing are performed for patients with PNs, who are diagnosed as high-risk patients through LDCT and subsequently undergo surgical resections, with tissue sections pathologically examined and classified. Using pathological classification as the gold standard, statistical and machine learning methods are used to select molecular markers associated with tissue's malignant classification based on a 98-patient discovery cohort (28 benign and 70 malignant), and to construct an integrative multianalytical model for tissue malignancy prediction. Predictive models based on individual testing platforms have shown varying levels of performance, while their final integrative model produces an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.85. The model's performance is further confirmed on a 29-patient independent validation cohort (14 benign and 15 malignant, with power > 0.90), reproducing AUC of 0.86, which translates to an overall sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 85.7%.

Abstract 1380: Synergistic effect of the combination of XPO1 and mTORC1/2 inhibition for the treatment of triple-hit DLBCL

Background Double/triple-hit lymphoma is an aggressive form of DLBCL with particularly poor outcome. XPO1 (exportin 1) is a well characterized nuclear export protein which is overexpressed in multiple tumor types. XPO1 exports many tumor-suppressor proteins and thus acts as a protooncogene by removing tumor suppressor protein and growth regulatory factors from the nucleus, where they are active, to the cytoplasm. First-in-class, single agent oral XPO1 inhibitor, Selinexor (ATG-010), was recently approved for the treatment of patients with DLBCL (de novo or transformed from follicular NHL) after at least two prior therapies. mTOR complex-1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex-2 (mTORC2) are critical mediators of the PI3K-AKT pathway. Signaling by the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is frequently deregulated in NHL. Inhibition of mTOR has shown preclinical and clinical efficacy in treating DLBCL. This study tested the antitumor effects induced by the combination of the XPO1 inhibitor, Selinexor and the dual mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor, ATG-008 (Onatasertib) on triple-hit DLBCL cells, DoHH2.

Methods Firstly, the in vitro 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of two compounds was determined in DoHH2 cell line using CellTiter-Glo luminescent cell viability assay. The synergy effect of compound ATG-008 in combination with ATG-010 were evaluated by combination index (CI). The synergy effect is calculated by the Chou-Talalay Method [1]. The CI score ranging from 0.1-0.9 suggests very strong to slight synergism. The in vivo combination of the drugs were tested in DoHH2 CDX mouse model. The tumor bearing mouse were treated with vehicle control, Selinexor (5mg/kg, MWF), ATG-008 (10mg/kg, QD) or the combination for 21 days. The tumor size was measured twice a week and tumor growth inhibition (TGI) was evaluated compared with vehicle control group.

Results Potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy and synergy has been observed for the combination of the two drugs. The in vitro IC50 for DOHH-2 cell line were 0.85µM and 0.08µM for ATG-008 and Selinexor, respectively. Synergy has been observed for most combo concentrations tested with the strongest synergism observed for ATG-008 (1.7µM) + Selinexor (0.16µM). The combination index was 0.48. In the DoHH2 CDX in vivo study, the mono therapy of ATG-008 showed 41% TGI at day 19 after grouping (p value&lt;0.001), and 19% TGI for Selinexor (p value= 0.147) mono therapy treatment group. The combination of ATG-008 and Selinexor showed 75% TGI (p value&lt;0.01).

Conclusions Strong synergism has been observed for the combination of XPO1 and mTORC1/2 inhibition by Selinexor and ATG-008, respectively, suggesting promising therapeutic strategies for double/triple-hit lymphoma patients that warrants further investigation. [1]Chou TC. Cancer Res. 2010 Jan 15;70(2):440-6.

Citation Format: Bing Hou, Aihua Wang, Bo Shan, Jay Mei. Synergistic effect of the combination of XPO1 and mTORC1/2 inhibition for the treatment of triple-hit DLBCL [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1380.

REPORT- Clinical outcomes of using second - versus first-Generation EGFR-tkis for the First-Line treatment of advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations: A meta-analysis

First-generation EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib/erlotinib) and second-generation EGFR-TKI (afatinib) have become the current first-line treatments for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, the effects of using second-generation EGFR-TKIs compared to those of using first-generation EGFR-TKIs as a first-line treatment for NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations remain unknown. We conducted this meta-analysis based on 4 retrospective and 2 randomized controlled studies published between 2016 and 2018. We surveyed the effectiveness of afatinib/dacomitinib and gefitinib/erlotinib as first-line treatments for stage III-IV EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients. The combined hazard ratio (HR) for the progression free survival (PFS) of second-generation EGFR-TKI group versus that first-generation drug group was 0.64 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.55-0.74; P<0.001], demonstrating a superior PFS in the second-generation group. This outcome coincided with the subgroup analyses comparing the PFS of patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion (HR = 0.68 [95% CI 0.55-0.83; P = 0.0002]) or L858R mutation (HR = 0.64 [95% CI 0.51-0.81; p=0.0002]). Meanwhile, second-generation drugs could to significantly improve the time to progression (TTFs) compared to first-generation drugs (HR = 0.81 [95% CI 0.67-0.89; P = 0.03]). Afatinib and dacomitinib may be the superior first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations.

[Expression of lncRNA MIR210HG in preeclampsia placental tissue and its functional analysis]

Objective: To investigate the differential expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in placental tissues of women with preeclampsia (PE) and the effect of MIR210HG on the biological function of HTR8/SVneo cells. Methods: A total of 39 cases of PE women (PE group) and 39 cases of normal pregnant women (CTL group) admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from July 2018 to July 2019 were collected. (1) Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to analyze the differentially expressed lncRNAs in the placental tissues of the two groups. (2) The expression level of MIR210HG, one of the differentially expressed lncRNAs, in the placental tissues of the two groups was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. And the correlations between the expression level of MIR210HG and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and neonatal birth weight were analyzed. (3) The constructed small interfering RNA and negative control (NC) RNA were transfected into the HTR8/SVneo cells. The cells were divided into MIR210HG knockdown (KD) group and NC group. The effects of living cell counting (CCK-8) and transwell assay on the proliferation and migration of HTR8/SVneo cells were detected. (4) RNA interacting with MIR210HG was predicted using the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes (ENCORI) database. Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) and BioCarta pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Results: (1) A total of 26 significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs were found by RNA-seq, among which 21 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 5 lncRNAs were down-regulated. (2) The relative expression level of MIR210HG in the PE group was significantly higher than that in the CTL group (9.30±1.90 and 1.10±0.20, respectively; t=4.425, P<0.01). The relative expression level of MIR210HG had positive linear correlation with systolic blood pressure (r²=0.234, P<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (r²=0.190, P<0.05), but had a negative linear correlation with newborn birth weight (r²=0.157, P<0.05). (3) Compared with the NC group, the proliferation and migration ability of HTR8/SVneo cells in the KD group were increased (all P<0.05). (4) A total of 38 RNAs that might interact with MIR210HG were predicted by ENCORI database. GO functional annotation analysis showed that MIR210HG might be involved in the functions of 27 pathways, including the regulation of production of molecular mediator of immune response, etc; KEGG pathway analysis showed that MIR210HG might be involved in the function of 8 pathways including allograft rejection, etc; Biocarta pathway analysis showed that MIR210HG may be involved in the functions of 8 pathways, including the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) pathway, etc. Conclusion: The expression of MIR210HG is up-regulated in the placental tissue of PE women, and MIR210HG might be a regulator of the biological behavior of trophoblast cells.

Population-based evaluation of the risk factors and prognosis among renal cell carcinoma patients with initially diagnosed lung metastases

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate risk factors and prognosis of lung metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

METHODS

56, 617 patients with RCC were selected from the SEER database. Based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression, the risk factors for developing lung metastases were derived. 2, 906 patients were initially diagnosed with lung metastases, and then were used to research the prognostic factors. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed for the prediction of cancer-specific mortality.

RESULTS

In total, 2,906 RCC patients were initially diagnosed with lung metastases. The prevalence of lung metastases in RCC was approximately 5% with poor survival. Aging, male, other race (American Indian /AK native, Asian Pacific islander) uninsured status, bilateral tumor, collecting duct, higher T stage, local lymph node metastases, higher tumor grade, and evidence of other distant metastases were significantly associated with developing lung metastases at diagnosis. Age > 70 years-old, black, female, bilateral tumor, T4 stage, higher tumor grade, local lymph node metastases, collecting duct, and evidence of bone, liver, or brain metastases were related to higher risk of mortality. Blacks and female have lower odds of developing lung metastases at the time of diagnosis both in crude and adjusted logistic regression. Meanwhile, blacks and female showed higher risk of mortality compared with whites and male in Cox regression analyses.

CONCLUSION

Several factors related to the development and prognosis of lung metastases were revealed, especially black people and female gender have lower risk of developing lung metastatic RCC at initial diagnosis but have higher risk of mortality. These may provide preventive guidelines for the screening and treatment of lung metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Tumor-derived exosomal miR-103a-2-5p facilitates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation and migration

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the different expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the plasma derived exosomes of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 9 patients with ESCC and 9 patients with benign diseases were involved. miRNA sequencing was performed to screen differential expression of microRNAs in plasma exosomes between patients with ESCC and controls. The function of miRNA on proliferation and migration abilities was determined by CCK-8 analysis, wound scratch and transwell test. Predicted target genes were screened by databases and confirmed by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 10 miRNAs (7 upregulated and 3 downregulated) that were differentially expressed in plasma exosomes between patients with ESCC and control patients (fold change, FC ≥ 2.0 or ≤ -2.0, p ≤ 0.05) by miRNA sequencing. Ten miRNAs were detected by qRT-PCR to verify the results of the miRNA sequencing. MiR-103a-2-5p demonstrated the most significant differential expression in both exosomes of ESCC cell lines and plasma of patients as compared with control patients and was therefore selected for subsequent functional experiments. Overexpression of miR-103a-2-5p promoted proliferation and migration in TE-1 cells, whereas inhibition of miR-103a-2-5p suppressed proliferation and migration in KYSE-150 cells. Exosomes extracted from the cells transfected with miR-103a-2-5p mimics significantly increased the proliferation and migration of two ESCC cell lines. Two genes, CDH11 and NR3C1 were identified as predicted targets of miR-103a-2-5p by the bioinformatics tools TargetScan, MiRanda, and mirDIP and RT-qPCR.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results shed light on how exosomal miR-103a-2-5p can promote proliferation and migration of ESCC cells and may represent a potential target for ESCC therapies.

FAM83H overexpression predicts worse prognosis and correlates with less CD8+ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Family with sequence similarity 83 members H (FAM83H) is one member of Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) family, which possess oncogenic properties in several types of cancer. However, the potential function of FAM83H in pancreatic cancer (PC) still remain unknown.

AIM

This study aims to explore the role of FAM83H during pancreatic carcinogenesis and the regulation of immune infiltration in PC.

METHODS

In the current study, the clinical significance and potential biological of FAM83H were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. Possible associations between FAM83H expression and tumor immunity were analyzed using ESTIMATE algorithm and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA).

RESULTS

FAM83H expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues, and positively associated with higher histologic grade, tumor recurrence, and worse prognosis. FAM83H overexpression is notably associated with KRAS activation. And functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that FAM83H may be involved in positive regulation of cell proliferation and migration, Ras protein signal transduction, regulation of cell-matrix adhesion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), TGF-β receptor signaling in EMT, and activated NOTCH transmits signal to the nucleus. ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA demonstrated that FAM83H overexpression suppressed the infiltration and antitumor activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially for CD8⁺ T cells. Besides, FAM83H overexpression significantly correlated with low expression of TIL-related gene markers (e.g. CD8A, CD8B, CD2, CD3D, and CD3E).

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that FAM83H overexpression predicts poor prognosis and correlates with less CD8⁺ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in PC.

Mismatch of cognition and neural networks in asymptomatic middle cerebral artery steno-occlusive disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The role of intracranial steno-occlusive disease in cognitive impairment and dementia is unclear and has not been well studied.

METHODS

A total of 32 consecutive patients (13 males, aged 54 ± 12 years) with asymptomatic steno-occlusive middle cerebral artery (MCA) disease, defined as >70% stenosis on maximum intensity projection images or a complete signal loss of MCA trunk on magnetic resonance angiography, and 20 age- and education-matched normal controls (12 males, 60 ± 8 years old) were compared for neuropsychological performance, gray matter volume and neural network analysis.

RESULTS

The patient group did not show a significant decrease in gray matter volume or cognitive tests except for their performance on the grooved pegboard test. However, graph analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging showed significant decreases in network strength, global efficiency and the clustering coefficient, as well as a longer characteristic path length (P < 0.05). The diffusive decrease pattern was particularly located in interhemispheric connectivity and there was no compensatory hyperconnectivity in any brain regions.

CONCLUSION

In asymptomatic steno-occlusive MCA disease, cognition and neural network changes are mismatched and have underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that are different from those of neurodegenerative disease.

An array of 60,000 antibodies for proteome-scale antibody generation and target discovery

Antibodies are essential for elucidating gene function. However, affordable technology for proteome-scale antibody generation does not exist. To address this, we developed Proteome Epitope Tag Antibody Library (PETAL) and its array. PETAL consists of 62,208 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against 15,199 peptides from diverse proteomes. PETAL harbors binders for a great multitude of proteins in nature due to antibody multispecificity, an intrinsic antibody feature. Distinctive combinations of 10,000 to 20,000 mAbs were found to target specific proteomes by array screening. Phenotype-specific mAb-protein pairs were found for maize and zebrafish samples. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry mAbs for membrane proteins and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing mAbs for transcription factors were identified from respective proteome-binding PETAL mAbs. Differential screening of cell surface proteomes of tumor and normal tissues identified internalizing tumor antigens for antibody-drug conjugates. By finding high-affinity mAbs at a fraction of current time and cost, PETAL enables proteome-scale antibody generation and target discovery.

Combined propidium monoazide pretreatment with high-throughput sequencing evaluated the bacterial diversity in chicken skin after thermal treatment

AIMS

The purpose of this experiment was to study the bacterial diversity and predominance of spoilage bacteria in chicken skin at different thermal treatment temperatures (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120°C).

METHOD AND RESULTS

Bacteria in chicken skin was collected, then propidium monoazide treatment to remove the DNA of dead cell, total DNA was extracted by Tiandz Bacterial DNA Kit, and investigated by high-throughput sequencing of the v3/v4 regions of the 16S rDNA gene. A total of 796 008 high-quality bacterial sequences were obtained for assessing the microbial diversity of chicken skin from seven thermal treatment group and control group. The results showed that the bacterial diversity in chicken skin at 90°C was lowest. And Acinetobacter (25·88%), Clostridium (20·70%), Bacteroides (13·93%) and Myroides (13·13%) were the main flora at 25°C; The Clostridium was dominant genus of the samples heat-treated by 60, 70, 80 and 90°C, the proportion of this genus were up to 64·86, 77·42, 52·22 and 87·30% respectively. The Bacillus was the main flora of the samples heat-treated by 100, 110 and 120°C, and the relative percentages were 39·44, 79·61 and 45·96% respectively. In addition, high-temperature-resistant Serratia was found in chicken skin.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed that the relationship between thermal treatment temperature and bacterial diversity and dominant spoilage bacteria in chicken skin, which had a strong guiding significance for the control and prediction of micro-organisms in foods.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The results of this paper could provide a theoretical basis for meat products containing chicken skin, including the safe use of chicken skin, determination of sterilization process parameters and selection of preservatives for compounding, which has strong practicality in China.

Fine-Grained Parcellation of the Macaque Nucleus Accumbens by High-Resolution Diffusion Tensor Tractography

Limited in part by the spatial resolution of typical in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, recent neuroimaging studies have only identified a connectivity-based shell-core-like partitioning of the nucleus accumbens (Acb) in humans. This has hindered the process of making a more refined description of the Acb using non-invasive neuroimaging technologies and approaches. In this study, high-resolution ex vivo macaque brain diffusion MRI data were acquired to investigate the tractography-based parcellation of the Acb. Our results identified a shell-core-like partitioning in macaques that is similar to that in humans as well as an alternative solution that subdivided the Acb into four parcels, the medial shell, the lateral shell, the ventral core, and the dorsal core. Furthermore, we characterized the specific anatomical and functional connectivity profiles of these Acb subregions and generalized their specialized functions to establish a fine-grained macaque Acb brainnetome atlas. This atlas should be helpful in neuroimaging, stereotactic surgery, and comparative neuroimaging studies to reveal the neurophysiological substrates of various diseases and cognitive functions associated with the Acb.

Bacillus licheniformis Zhengchangsheng® attenuates DSS-induced colitis and modulates the gut microbiota in mice

Human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and experimental colitis models in mice are associated with shifts in gut microbiota composition, and several probiotics are widely used to improve gastrointestinal health. Here, we investigated whether the probiotic Bacillus licheniformis Zhengchangsheng® (BL) ameliorates dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis through alteration of the gut microbiota. Experimental colitis was induced in BALB/C mice by dissolving 3% DSS in their drinking water for 7 days, which were gavaged with 0.2 ml phosphate-buffered saline or BL (3×107 cfu/ml) once a day. Administration of BL attenuated several effects of DSS-induced colitis, including weight loss, increased disease activity index, and disrupted intestinal barrier integrity. In addition, BL mitigated the reduction in faecal microbiota richness in DSS treated mice. Interestingly, BL was found to reduce the elevated circulating endotoxin level in mice with colitis by modulating the microbial composition of the microbiota, and this was highly associated with a proportional decrease in gut Bacteroidetes. Our results demonstrate that BL can attenuate DSS-induced colitis and provide valuable insight into microbiota interactions during IBD.

Attenuated plasmodium sporozoite expressing MAGE-A3 induces antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response against lung cancer in mice

Objective

Cancer vaccines that rely on tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses, are promising anti-cancer adjuvant immunotherapies. This study investigated whether genetically attenuated Plasmodium sporozoite (GAS) could be used as a novel vector to induce antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses against lung cancer.

Methods

We constructed GAS/MAGE-A3, a recombinant GAS engineered to express the lung cancer-specific antigen, melanoma-associated antigen 3 (MAGE-A3), and assessed its therapeutic effects against lung cancer.

Results

Robust parasite-specific CD8α^lowCD11a^high and CD49d^highCD11a^high CD4⁺ T cell responses as well as a MAGE-A3-specific CD8⁺ T cell response were induced in GAS/MAGE-A3-immunized mice. Adoptive transfer of GAS/MAGE-A3-induced CD8⁺ T cells from HLA-A2 transgenic mice into lung cancer-bearing nude mice inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that GAS/MAGE-A3 induces a strong MAGE-A3-specific CD8⁺ T cell response against lung cancer in vivo, and indicate that GAS is a novel and efficacious antigen delivery vector for antitumor immunotherapy.