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Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology 2024Afatinib is indicated for advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and uncommon mutations. However, real-world...
Real-world analysis of afatinib as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced stage non-small-cell lung cancer with uncommon EGFR mutations: a multicenter study in Vietnam.
BACKGROUND
Afatinib is indicated for advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and uncommon mutations. However, real-world studies on this topic are limited. This study aimed to evaluate afatinib as first-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A retrospective study included 92 patients with advanced NSCLC with uncommon and compound EGFR mutations, treated with afatinib as first-line therapy. Patients were followed up and evaluated every 3 months or when symptoms of progressive disease arose. The endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and adverse events.
RESULTS
The G719X EGFR mutation had the highest occurrence rate (53.3% for both monotherapy and the compound). By contrast, the compound mutation G719X-S768I was observed at a rate of 22.8%. The ORR was 75%, with 15.2% of patients achieving complete response. The overall median TTF was 13.8 months. Patients with the G719X EGFR mutation (single and compound) had a median TTF of 19.3 months, longer than that of patients with other mutations, who had a median TTF of 11.2 months. Patients with compound EGFR mutations (G719X and S768I) demonstrated a median TTF of 23.2 months compared to that of 12.3 months for other mutations. Tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg achieved a longer median TTF of 17.1 months compared to 11.2 months with 40 mg. Median TTF differed between patients with and without brain metastasis, at 11.2 and 16.9 months, respectively. Rash (55.4%) and diarrhea (53.3%) were the most common adverse events, primarily grades 1 and 2. Other side effects occurred at a low rate.
CONCLUSION
Afatinib is effective for locally advanced metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations. Patients with G719X, compound G719X-S768I mutations, and tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg had a longer median TTF than those with other mutations.
PubMed: 38736554
DOI: 10.1177/17588359241242972 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Inherited retinal degeneration (RD) constitutes a heterogeneous group of genetic retinal degenerative disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying RD encompass a...
Inherited retinal degeneration (RD) constitutes a heterogeneous group of genetic retinal degenerative disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying RD encompass a diverse spectrum of cellular signaling, with the unfolded protein response (UPR) identified as a common signaling pathway chronically activated in degenerating retinas. TRIB3 has been recognized as a key mediator of the PERK UPR arm, influencing various metabolic pathways, such as insulin signaling, lipid metabolism, and glucose homeostasis, by acting as an AKT pseudokinase that prevents the activation of the AKT → mTOR axis. This study aimed to develop a gene-independent approach targeting the UPR TRIB3 mediator previously tested by our group using a genetic approach in mice with RD. The goal was to validate a therapeutic approach targeting TRIB3 interactomes through the pharmacological targeting of EGFR-TRIB3 and delivering cell-penetrating peptides targeting TRIB3 → AKT. The study employed rd10 and P23H RHO mice, with afatinib treatment conducted in p15 rd10 mice through daily intraperitoneal injections. P15 P23H RHO mice received intraocular injections of cell-penetrating peptides twice at a 2-week interval. Our study revealed that both strategies successfully targeted TRIB3 interactomes, leading to an improvement in scotopic A- and B-wave ERG recordings. Additionally, the afatinib-treated mice manifested enhanced photopic ERG amplitudes accompanied by a delay in photoreceptor cell loss. The treated rd10 retinas also showed increased PDE6β and RHO staining, along with an elevation in total PDE activity in the retinas. Consequently, our study demonstrated the feasibility of a gene-independent strategy to target common signaling in degenerating retinas by employing a TRIB3-based therapeutic approach that delays retinal function and photoreceptor cell loss in two RD models.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Retinal Degeneration; Disease Models, Animal; Cell Cycle Proteins; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Retina
PubMed: 38731938
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094716 -
Heliyon May 2024A775_G776insYVMA, the typical and predominant exon 20 insertion variant in non-small cell lung cancer, exhibits relative insensitivity to covalent -targeted tyrosine...
A775_G776insYVMA, the typical and predominant exon 20 insertion variant in non-small cell lung cancer, exhibits relative insensitivity to covalent -targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, other less common insertions have shown better responses to -targeted inhibitors. M774delinsWLV is a rare exon 20 insertion subtype and its clinical sensitivity to -targeted inhibitors remains unclear. Furthermore, there is a lack of current studies to elucidate its structure and predict its sensitivity to -targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Herein, we presented a case of non-small cell lung cancer harboring M774delinsWLV who derived favorable response and significant survival benefit from -targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A 60-year-old male with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma carrying M774delinsWLV received pyrotinib monotherapy as first-line treatment. After rapid disease progression at three months, sequential combination therapy with pyrotinib and bevacizumab yielded promising antitumor activity and sustained progression-free survival benefits for nearly a year. Subsequent dacomitinib monotherapy displayed significant activity against this uncommon insertion, resulting in a rapid decrease in tumor markers and partial response, along with progression-free survival of one year. The molecular simulation revealed no significant differences in the overall protein structure and binding pocket region between M774delinsWLV and the wild type. Drug binding dynamics simulation indicated that dacomitinib exhibited the most potent binding activity compared to afatinib, pyrotinib and poziotinib. Conclusively, dacomitinib exhibited promising efficacy against the rare exon 20 insertion M774delinsWLV. Extensive investigation is needed to elucidate the effects of -targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors on non-small cell lung cancer with different insertion subtypes.
PubMed: 38707278
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30312 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024Front-line therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is the standard of care for treating patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC with the common sensitizing...
BACKGROUND
Front-line therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is the standard of care for treating patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC with the common sensitizing exon 19 deletion and exon 21 L858R point mutations. However, EGFR TKI resistance inevitably develops. The optimal subsequent therapy remains to be identified, although platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens are often administered. Our objectives were to describe baseline characteristics, survival, and subsequent treatment patterns for patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC with exon 19 deletion or L858R mutation who received a platinum-based combination regimen after front-line EGFR TKI therapy.
METHODS
This retrospective study used a nationwide electronic health record-derived deidentified database to select adult patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, evidence of exon 19 deletion or L858R mutation, and ECOG performance status of 0-2 who initiated platinum-containing chemotherapy, with or without concomitant immunotherapy, from 1-January-2011 to 30-June-2020 following receipt of any EGFR TKI as first-line therapy or, alternatively, a first- or second-generation EGFR TKI (erlotinib, afatinib, gefitinib, dacomitinib) as first-line therapy followed by the third-generation EGFR TKI osimertinib as second-line therapy. Data cut-off was 30-June-2022. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) after initiation of pemetrexed-platinum (n=119) or any platinum-based combination regimen (platinum cohort; n=311).
RESULTS
The two cohorts included two-thirds women (65%-66%) and 57%-58% nonsmokers; median ages were 66 and 65 years in pemetrexed-platinum and platinum cohorts, respectively. Median OS was 10.3 months (95% CI, 8.1-13.9) from pemetrexed-platinum initiation and 12.4 months (95% CI, 10.2-15.2) from platinum initiation; 12-month survival rates were 48% and 51%, respectively; 260 patients (84%) had died by the end of the study.
CONCLUSION
The suboptimal survival outcomes recorded in this study demonstrate the unmet need to identify more effective subsequent treatment regimens for patients with -mutated advanced nonsquamous NSCLC after EGFR TKI resistance develops.
PubMed: 38699642
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1285280 -
Neuro-oncology Advances 2024Afatinib (BIBW2992; Gilotrif®) is a selective and irreversible inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB; EGFR) family. It inhibits EGFR, HER2, and HER4...
BACKGROUND
Afatinib (BIBW2992; Gilotrif®) is a selective and irreversible inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB; EGFR) family. It inhibits EGFR, HER2, and HER4 phosphorylation, resulting in tumor growth inhibition and regression. This phase I dose-escalation trial of pulsatile afatinib examined the safety, drug penetration into the central nervous system, preliminary antitumor activity, and recommended phase II dose in patients with progressive or recurrent brain cancers.
METHODS
Afatinib was taken orally once every 4 days or once every 7 days depending on dose cohort, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
RESULTS
A total of 24 patients received the investigational agent and were evaluable for safety analyses, and 21 patients were evaluable for efficacy. Dosing was administered at 80 mg every 4 days, 120 mg every 4 days, 180 mg every 4 days, or 280 mg every 7 days. A recommended phase II dose of pulsatile afatinib was established at 280 mg every 7 days as there were no dose-limiting toxicities in any of the dosing cohorts and all toxicities were deemed manageable. The most common drug-related toxicities were diarrhea, rash, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, stomatitis, pruritus, and limb edema. Out of the 21 patients evaluable for efficacy, 2 patients (9.5%) exhibited partial response based on Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria and disease stabilization was seen in 3 patients (14.3%).
CONCLUSIONS
Afatinib taken orally was safe and well-tolerated up to 280 mg every 7 days in brain cancer patients.
PubMed: 38680990
DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdae049 -
Pneumonia (Nathan Qld.) Apr 2024Pneumonic-type lung adenocarcinoma (P-ADC) is a rare and challenging subtype of primary lung cancer that can be difficult to distinguish from pneumonia based on...
BACKGROUND
Pneumonic-type lung adenocarcinoma (P-ADC) is a rare and challenging subtype of primary lung cancer that can be difficult to distinguish from pneumonia based on radiological images. Furthermore, no drugs are currently available that specifically target KRAS G12V.
CASE PRESENTATION
Here we report a case of P-ADC with typical and informative imaging features throughout the course of the disease, including patchy shadows, high-density lesions with aerated bronchus, diffuse ground-glass opacities, and nodular shadows from computed tomography (CT) scan. The KRAS G12V mutation was detected using Next-generation sequencing (NGS). An individualized Afatinib-based therapeutic schedule was prescribed and achieved sustained response after multiple lines of treatment had failed.
CONCLUSION
Our case highlights the typical and dynamic changes in imaging features of P-ADC and provides an indicative treatment strategy for KRAS G12V-mutated lung adenocarcinoma.
PubMed: 38659041
DOI: 10.1186/s41479-024-00128-w -
Taiwan Journal of Ophthalmology 2024This case discussed a significant ocular side effect, bilateral keratitis, which could be induced by afatinib, an irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine...
This case discussed a significant ocular side effect, bilateral keratitis, which could be induced by afatinib, an irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). We explored the disease progression of a 52-year-old, stage IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma male patient, who was under afatinib treatment and had experienced progressive bilateral eye dryness and tenderness on increasing afatinib from 40 mg every other day to 40 mg daily. Clinical examination noted bilateral visual acuity reduction, diffuse superficial punctate keratopathy in the right eye, and a central epithelial defect in the left eye. Seidel test results were negative for both eyes, with no corneal infiltration, lagophthalmos, anterior chamber cell precipitation, or retinal lesion. Symptoms subsequently resolved after reducing the frequency of afatinib used, along with intensive ocular hydration. In summary, this case highlighted afatinib's potential link to bilateral keratitis, and early afatinib dose adjustment with supportive medication could significantly reverse the condition.
PubMed: 38654991
DOI: 10.4103/tjo.TJO-D-24-00003 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the western world, offering advanced stage patients with few viable...
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the western world, offering advanced stage patients with few viable treatment options. Consequently, there remains an urgent unmet need to develop novel therapeutic strategies that can effectively inhibit pro-oncogenic molecular targets underpinning PDACs pathogenesis and progression. One such target is c-RAF, a downstream effector of RAS that is considered essential for the oncogenic growth and survival of mutant RAS-driven cancers (including KRAS PDAC). Herein, we demonstrate how a novel cell-penetrating peptide disruptor (DRx-170) of the c-RAF-PDE8A protein-protein interaction (PPI) represents a differentiated approach to exploiting the c-RAF-cAMP/PKA signaling axes and treating KRAS-c-RAF dependent PDAC. Through disrupting the c-RAF-PDE8A protein complex, DRx-170 promotes the inactivation of c-RAF through an allosteric mechanism, dependent upon inactivating PKA phosphorylation. DRx-170 inhibits cell proliferation, adhesion and migration of a KRAS PDAC cell line (PANC1), independent of ERK1/2 activity. Moreover, combining DRx-170 with afatinib significantly enhances PANC1 growth inhibition in both 2D and 3D cellular models. DRx-170 sensitivity appears to correlate with c-RAF dependency. This proof-of-concept study supports the development of DRx-170 as a novel and differentiated strategy for targeting c-RAF activity in KRAS-c-RAF dependent PDAC.
Topics: Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Pancreatic Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal; Signal Transduction; Cell Proliferation; Cell Line, Tumor; 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases
PubMed: 38637546
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59451-3 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a pivotal role in cancer therapeutics, with small-molecule EGFR inhibitors emerging as significant agents in combating... (Review)
Review
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a pivotal role in cancer therapeutics, with small-molecule EGFR inhibitors emerging as significant agents in combating this disease. This review explores the synthesis and clinical utilization of EGFR inhibitors, starting with the indispensable role of EGFR in oncogenesis and emphasizing the intricate molecular aspects of the EGFR-signaling pathway. It subsequently provides information on the structural characteristics of representative small-molecule EGFR inhibitors in the clinic. The synthetic methods and associated challenges pertaining to these compounds are thoroughly examined, along with innovative strategies to overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, the review discusses the clinical applications of FDA-approved EGFR inhibitors such as erlotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, and osimertinib across various cancer types and their corresponding clinical outcomes. Additionally, it addresses the emergence of resistance mechanisms and potential counterstrategies. Taken together, this review aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, clinicians, and pharmaceutical scientists interested in comprehending the current landscape of small-molecule EGFR inhibitors.
Topics: Humans; Afatinib; Carcinogenesis; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; ErbB Receptors; Erlotinib Hydrochloride
PubMed: 38611728
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29071448 -
Genome Medicine Apr 2024Most primary Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBCs) show amplification of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene, leading to increased protein expression....
BACKGROUND
Most primary Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBCs) show amplification of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene, leading to increased protein expression. However, unlike other EGFR-driven cancers, targeting this receptor in TNBC yields inconsistent therapeutic responses.
METHODS
To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this variability, we employ cellular barcoding and single-cell transcriptomics to reconstruct the subclonal dynamics of EGFR-amplified TNBC cells in response to afatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that irreversibly inhibits EGFR.
RESULTS
Integrated lineage tracing analysis revealed a rare pre-existing subpopulation of cells with distinct biological signature, including elevated expression levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 (IGFBP2). We show that IGFBP2 overexpression is sufficient to render TNBC cells tolerant to afatinib treatment by activating the compensatory insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF1-R) signalling pathway. Finally, based on reconstructed mechanisms of resistance, we employ deep learning techniques to predict the afatinib sensitivity of TNBC cells.
CONCLUSIONS
Our strategy proved effective in reconstructing the complex signalling network driving EGFR-targeted therapy resistance, offering new insights for the development of individualized treatment strategies in TNBC.
Topics: Humans; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Afatinib; Cell Lineage; ErbB Receptors; Signal Transduction; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Cell Line, Tumor
PubMed: 38605363
DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01327-2