New insight into strategies used to develop long-acting G-CSF biologics for neutropenia therapy

Over the last 20 years, granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) have become the major therapeutic option for the treatment of patients with neutropenia. Most of the current G-CSFs require daily injections, which are inconvenient and expensive for patients. Increased understanding of G-CSFs' structure, expression, and mechanism of clearance has been very instrumental in the development of new generations of long-acting G-CSFs with improved efficacy. Several approaches to reducing G-CSF clearance via conjugation techniques have been investigated. PEGylation, glycosylation, polysialylation, or conjugation with immunoglobulins or albumins have successfully increased G-CSFs' half-lives. Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) has been successfully approved and marketed for the treatment of patients with neutropenia. The rapidly expanding market for G-CSFs has increased demand for G-CSF biosimilars. Therefore, the importance of this review is to highlight the principle, elimination's route, half-life, clearance, safety, benefits, and limitations of different strategies and techniques used to increase the half-life of biotherapeutic G-CSFs. Understanding these strategies will allow for a new treatment with more competitive manufacturing and lower unit costs compared with that of Neulasta.

Bax/Bcl-2 Cascade Is Regulated by the EGFR Pathway: Therapeutic Targeting of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) comprises 80%-85% of lung cancer cases. EGFR is involved in several cancer developments, including NSCLC. The EGFR pathway regulates the Bax/Bcl-2 cascade in NSCLC. Increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms of fundamental tumor progression has guided the development of numerous antitumor drugs. The development and improvement of rationally planned inhibitors and agents targeting particular cellular and biological pathways in cancer have been signified as a most important paradigm shift in the strategy to treat and manage lung cancer. Newer approaches and novel chemotherapeutic agents are required to accompany present cancer therapies for improving efficiency. Using natural products as a drug with an effective delivery system may benefit therapeutics. Naturally originated compounds such as phytochemicals provide crucial sources for novel agents/drugs and resources for tumor therapy. Applying the small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs)/phytochemicals has led to potent preclinical discoveries in various human tumor preclinical models, including lung cancer. In this review, we summarize recent information on the molecular mechanisms of the Bax/Bcl-2 cascade and EGFR pathway in NSCLC and target them for therapeutic implications. We further described the therapeutic potential of Bax/Bcl-2/EGFR SMIs, mainly those with more potent and selectivity, including gefitinib, EGCG, ABT-737, thymoquinone, quercetin, and venetoclax. In addition, we explained the targeting EGFR pathway and ongoing in vitro and in vivo and clinical investigations in NSCLC. Exploration of such inhibitors facilitates the future treatment and management of NSCLC.

In silico modeling of the interaction between TEX19 and LIRE1, and analysis of TEX19 gene missense SNPs

BACKGROUND

Testis expressed 19 (TEX19) is a specific human stem cell gene identified as cancer-testis antigen (CTA), which emerged as a potential therapeutic drug target. TEX19.1, a mouse paralog of human TEX19, can interact with LINE-1 retrotransposable element ORF1 protein (LIRE1) and subsequently restrict mobilization of LINE-1 elements in the genome.

AIM

This study aimed to predict the interaction of TEX19 with LIRE1 and analyze TEX19 missense polymorphisms. TEX19 model was generated using I-TASSER and the interaction between TEX19 and LIRE1 was studied using the HADDOCK software.

METHODS

The stability of the docking formed complex was studied through the molecular dynamic simulation using GROMACS. Missense SNPs (n=102) of TEX19 were screened for their potential effects on protein structure and function using different software.

RESULTS

Outcomes of this study revealed amino acids that potentially stabilize the predicted interaction interface between TEX19 and LIRE1. Of these SNPs, 37 were predicted to play a probably damaging role for the protein, three of them (F35S, P61R, and E55L) located at the binding site of LIRE1 and could disturb this binding affinity.

CONCLUSION

This information can be verified by further in vitro and in vivo experimentations and could be exploited for potential therapeutic targets.

Prostate cancer and therapeutic challenges

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most prevalent type of cancer in men worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the rate of PC is increasing annually. The sex steroid hormones androgens and their receptors have critical roles in PC development and progression. Additionally, apoptosis-related proteins such as heat-shock proteins are vital molecules in PC development. Steroid hormone-deprivation therapies remain the essential treatment for patients with metastatic PCs; however, acquired resistance to hormone deprivation and the transition to PC androgen independence is a major health obstacle. In this review, we aim to detail the roles of androgens, androgen receptors and sex steroid hormones in inducing apoptosis in PC.

Abstract P4-09-13: Spectrum analysis of the inherited mutations of BRCA1/-2 genes that associated with high risk breast cancer in Saudi population

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common prevalent cancer among female worldwide, despite the advances in molecular biology. In Saudi Arabia, the disease represents 19.9% of the total cancer-related deaths in women. Inherited mutations of BRCA1/-2 are well documented to be associated with higher risk of breast cancer.

Aim: To investigate the role of inherited mutation in BRCA1/-2 genes that associated with breast cancer in Saudi population.

Methodology: A total of 41 FFPE samples were collected from BC patients admitted to KFSHRC-Jeddah from 2013 to 2018. Genomic DNA was extracted using the Qiagen FFPE kit. A100ng of each DNA samples were used for library preparation using Ion AmpliSeq™ Library Kit Plus with Saudi Inherited Cancer Panel. Ion Torrent Proton platforms were used for DNA sequencing on Ion Torrent PGM using Ion PI™ Hi-Q™ Sequencing 200 Kit.

Results: A total of 26 distinct heterozygous BRCA1/-2 variants were identified in Saudi population, 15 variants in BRCA1 gene and 11 in BRCA2 gene. In BRCA1, one variant was nonframeshift deletion and 11 were missense, 3 variants likely benign, while in BRCA 2, one was stopgain and 6 were missense and 4 variants likely benign.

Conclusion: Screening of BRCA1/-2 genes mutations helps in understanding the risk associated with mutations of other forms of cancer in Saudi population. The preliminary data is used as an establishing of a high-throughput NGS molecular profiling for Saudi breast cancer patients

Citation Format: Yousef MohammedRabaa Hawsawi, Abdelrazak Meliti, Edward Cupler, Turki Sobahy, Samar Zailaie, Mohammed Baghdadi, Hosam Alardati. Spectrum analysis of the inherited mutations of BRCA1/-2 genes that associated with high risk breast cancer in Saudi population [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-09-13.