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Journal of Cancer 2023Ovarian cancer (OC) represents the seventh most lethal female tumors worldwide. The combination of PARP inhibitor (PARPi) and angiogenic inhibitor has been shown to be...
Ovarian cancer (OC) represents the seventh most lethal female tumors worldwide. The combination of PARP inhibitor (PARPi) and angiogenic inhibitor has been shown to be effective as a first-line or second-line maintenance regimen to synergistically exert antitumor effects, which prompts us to further evaluate the therapeutic effect of the combination of PARP inhibitor Niraparib and anti-angiogenic Brivanib on OC. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay were applied to evaluate the anti-proliferative effect of Niraparib, Brivanib, or the combination treatment on OC cells. The Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptotic assay was adopted to detect cell apoptosis. Tumor xenograft experiment and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of single or combination treatment on the tumorigenicity of OC . Our current findings revealed that OC cells harboring BRAC1/2 mutations were more sensitive to Niraparib treatment compared to those with BRAC wild-type, and the addition of Brivanib enhanced programmed cell death (PCD) to sensitize OC cells with BRAC mutations to Niraparib treatment . Our work illustrates that the combination regimen of PARPi and angiogenic inhibitor treatment should be beneficial for the OC patients with BRAC mutations, at least partially owing to the induction of multiple forms of programmed cell death (PCD).
PubMed: 38021157
DOI: 10.7150/jca.89082 -
Clinical Colorectal Cancer Dec 2023Cetuximab is a standard of care therapy for patients with RAS wild-type (WT) advanced colorectal cancer. Limited data suggest a wide variation in cetuximab plasma... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Cetuximab is a standard of care therapy for patients with RAS wild-type (WT) advanced colorectal cancer. Limited data suggest a wide variation in cetuximab plasma concentrations after standard dosing regimens. We correlated cetuximab plasma concentrations with survival and toxicity.
METHODS
The CO. 20 study randomized patients with RAS WT advanced colorectal cancer in a 1:1 ratio to cetuximab 400 mg/m intravenously followed by weekly maintenance of 250 mg/m, plus brivanib 800 mg orally daily or placebo. Blood samples obtained at week 5 precetuximab treatment were analyzed by ELISA. Patients were grouped into tertiles based on plasma cetuximab concentrations. Cetuximab concentration tertiles were correlated with survival outcomes and toxicity. Patient demographic and biochemical parameters were evaluated as co-variables.
RESULTS
Week 5 plasma cetuximab concentrations were available for 591 patients (78.8%). The median overall survival (OS) was 11.4 months and 7.8 months for patients in the highest (T3) and lowest tertiles (T1) respectively. On multivariable analysis, plasma cetuximab concentration was associated with OS (HR 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-0.83, P < .001, T3 vs. T1), and a trend towards progression-free survival (HR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.66-1.02, P = .07, T3 vs. T1). There was no association between cetuximab concentration and skin toxicity or diarrhea.
CONCLUSION
The standard cetuximab dosing regimen may not be optimal for all patients. Further pharmacokinetic studies are needed to optimize cetuximab dosing given the potential improvement in OS.
Topics: Humans; Cetuximab; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Disease-Free Survival; Colorectal Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
PubMed: 37704538
DOI: 10.1016/j.clcc.2023.08.006 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2023Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the combination therapy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus multikinase inhibitor (MKI) in patients with...
Transarterial chemoembolization with or without multikinase inhibitors for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BACKGROUND
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the combination therapy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus multikinase inhibitor (MKI) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yielded inconsistent results.
METHODS
In this work, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the TACE+MKI combination therapy versus TACE monotherapy in HCC patients with time to progression (TTP) adopted as primary outcome.
RESULTS
A total of 10 RCTs comprising 2837 patients receiving combination therapy (TACE plus sorafenib, brivanib, orantinib or apatinib) were included. TACE+MKI significantly prolonged TTP (hazard ratio [HR] 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.89, p=0.001) versus TACE monotherapy. Subgroup analysis suggested MKI administration before TACE might be preferable to post-TACE MKI for TTP. TACE+MKI also increased objective response rate (ORR) (risk ratio [RR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.32, p=0.01), but failed to improve overall survival (OS) (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.86-1.13, p=0.82) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.50-1.12, p=0.16). The incidence of any adverse event (AE) did not significantly differ between TACE+MKI and TACE groups (RR 1.17, 95% CI 0.96-1.42, p=0.01), while serious AEs showed significant difference (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.26-1.59, p<0.0001). Nevertheless, these AEs showing significant difference were mainly associated with MKI toxicities rather than TACE.
CONCLUSIONS
TACE+MKI combination therapy improved TTP and ORR but not OS and PFS in patients with unresectable HCC. Further high-quality trials are needed to verify these clinical benefits, and our findings could be very informative for future trial design.
PubMed: 37361570
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1139025 -
Cancer Medicine Aug 2023Trials of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have not demonstrated dramatic benefits in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), and this may be a function of poor patient... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Trials of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have not demonstrated dramatic benefits in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), and this may be a function of poor patient selection. TKI-induced hypertension is reportedly a surrogate marker for treatment benefit for some tumor types. Our objective was to determine whether hypertension was associated with benefit in the context of CRC treatment, and also to gain insight on the pathogenesis of TKI-induced hypertension by monitoring associated changes in the circulating metabolome.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Clinical data were acquired from clinical trial patients with metastatic CRC randomized to cetuximab ± the TKI brivanib (N = 750). Outcomes were evaluated as a function of treatment-induced hypertension. For metabolomic studies, plasma samples were taken at baseline, as well as at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Samples were submitted to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify treatment-related metabolomic changes associated with TKI-induced hypertension, compared to pre-treatment baseline. A model based on changes in metabolite concentrations was generated using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA).
RESULTS
In the brivanib treated group, 95 patients had treatment-related hypertension within 12 weeks of initiating treatment. TKI-induced hypertension was not associated with a significantly higher response rate, nor was it associated with improved progression-free or overall survival. In metabolomic studies, 386 metabolites were identified. There were 29 metabolites that changed with treatment and distinguished patients with and without TKI-induced hypertension. The OPLS-DA model for brivanib-induced hypertension was significant and robust (R Y score = 0.89, Q Y score = 0.70, CV-ANOVA = 2.01 e-7). Notable metabolomic features previously reported in pre-eclampsia and associated with vasoconstriction were found.
CONCLUSION
TKI-induced hypertension was not associated with clinical benefit in metastatic CRC. We have identified changes in the metabolome that are associated with the development of worsening brivanib-induced hypertension that may be useful in future efforts of characterizing this toxicity.
Topics: Humans; Metabolomics; Colorectal Neoplasms; Metabolome; Triazines; Colonic Neoplasms; Rectal Neoplasms
PubMed: 37329221
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6248 -
PloS One 2023Oral multikinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) but may increase cost. This study...
BACKGROUND
Oral multikinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) but may increase cost. This study compared the cost-effectiveness of oral multikinase inhibitors and ICIs in the first-line treatment of patients with aHCC.
METHODS
A three-state Markov model was established to study the cost-effectiveness of drug treatment from the perspective of Chinese payers. The key outcomes in this study were total cost, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).
RESULTS
The total costs and QALYs of sorafenib, sunitinib, donafenib, lenvatinib, sorafenib plus erlotinib, linifanib, brivanib, sintilimab plus IBI305, and atezolizumab plus bevacizumab were $9070 and 0.25, $9362 and 0.78, $33,814 and 0.45, $49,120 and 0.83, $63,064 and 0.81, $74,814 and 0.82, $81,995 and 0.82, $74083 and 0.85, and $104,188 and 0.84, respectively. The drug regimen with the lowest ICER was sunitinib ($551 per QALY), followed by lenvatinib ($68,869 per QALY). For oral multikinase inhibitors, the ICER of lenvatinib, sorafenib plus erlotinib, linifanib and brivanib compared with sunitinib was $779576, $1534,347, $1768,971, and $1963,064, respectively. For ICIs, sintilimab plus IBI305 is more cost effective than atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. The model was most sensitive to the price of sorafenib, the utility of PD, and the price of second-line drugs.
CONCLUSION
For oral multikinase inhibitors, the order of possible treatment options is sunitinib > lenvatinib > sorafenib plus erlotinib > linifanib > brivanib > donafenib. For ICIs, the order of possible treatment options is sintilimab plus IBI305 > atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Sorafenib; Bevacizumab; Sunitinib; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis; Erlotinib Hydrochloride; Liver Neoplasms; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Quality-Adjusted Life Years
PubMed: 37053300
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279786 -
Pharmacological boosting of cGAS activation sensitizes chemotherapy by enhancing antitumor immunity.Cell Reports Mar 2023Enhancing chemosensitivity is one of the largest unmet medical needs in cancer therapy. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) connects genome instability caused by...
Enhancing chemosensitivity is one of the largest unmet medical needs in cancer therapy. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) connects genome instability caused by platinum-based chemotherapeutics to type I interferon (IFN) response. Here, by using a high-throughput small-molecule microarray-based screening of cGAS interacting compounds, we identify brivanib, known as a dual inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor, as a cGAS modulator. Brivanib markedly enhances cGAS-mediated type I IFN response in tumor cells treated with platinum. Mechanistically, brivanib directly targets cGAS and enhances its DNA binding affinity. Importantly, brivanib synergizes with cisplatin in tumor control by boosting CD8 T cell response in a tumor-intrinsic cGAS-dependent manner, which is further validated by a patient-derived tumor-like cell clusters model. Taken together, our findings identify cGAS as an unprecedented target of brivanib and provide a rationale for the combination of brivanib with platinum-based chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment.
Topics: Humans; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Triazines; Alanine; Nucleotidyltransferases; Interferons; Cisplatin; Antineoplastic Agents; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36943864
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112275 -
Cancer Medicine Mar 2023Analyzing longitudinal cancer quality-of-life (QoL) measurements and their impact on clinical outcomes may improve our understanding of patient trajectories during... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
Analyzing longitudinal cancer quality-of-life (QoL) measurements and their impact on clinical outcomes may improve our understanding of patient trajectories during systemic therapy. We applied an unsupervised growth mixture modeling (GMM) approach to identify unobserved subpopulations ("patient clusters") in the CO.20 clinical trial longitudinal QoL data. Classes were then evaluated for differences in clinico-epidemiologic characteristics and overall survival (OS).
METHODS AND MATERIALS
In CO.20, 750 chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were randomized to receive Brivanib+Cetuximab (n = 376, experimental arm) versus Cetuximab+Placebo (n = 374, standard arm) for 16 weeks. EORTC-QLQ-C30 QoL summary scores were calculated for each patient at seven time points, and GMM was applied to identify patient clusters (termed "classes"). Log-rank/Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to analyze the survival performance between classes. Cox analyses were used to explore the relationship between baseline QoL, individual slope, and the quadratic terms from the GMM output with OS.
RESULTS
In univariable analysis, the linear mixed effect model (LMM) identified sex and ECOG Performance Status as strongly associated with the longitudinal QoL score (p < 0.01). The patients within each treatment arm were clustered into three distinct QoL-based classes by GMM, respectively. The three classes identified in the experimental (log-rank p-value = 0.00058) and in the control arms (p < 0.0001) each showed significantly different survival performance. The GMM's baseline, slope, and quadratic terms were each significantly associated with OS (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
GMM can be used to analyze longitudinal QoL data in cancer studies, by identifying unobserved subpopulations (patient clusters). As demonstrated by CO.20 data, these classes can have important implications, including clinical prognostication.
Topics: Humans; Cetuximab; Quality of Life; Cluster Analysis; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
PubMed: 36281472
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5341 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2022Vascular-disrupting agents are an interesting class of anticancer compounds because of their combined mode of action in preventing new blood vessel formation and...
Vascular-disrupting agents are an interesting class of anticancer compounds because of their combined mode of action in preventing new blood vessel formation and disruption of already existing vasculature in the immediate microenvironment of solid tumors. The validation of vascular disruption properties of these drugs is rarely addressed due to the lack of proper angiogenesis models comprising mature and long-lived vascular-like networks. We herein report an indirect coculture model of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) to form three-dimensional profuse vascular-like networks. HUVECs embedded and sandwiched in the collagen scaffold were cocultured with HDFs located outside the scaffold. The indirect coculture approach with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) producing HDFs triggered the formation of progressively maturing lumenized vascular-like networks of endothelial cells within less than 7 days, which have proven to be viably maintained in culture beyond day 21. Molecular weight-dependent Texas red-dextran permeability studies indicated high vascular barrier function of the generated networks. Their longevity allowed us to study the dose-dependent response upon treatment with the three known antiangiogenic and/or vascular disrupting agents brivanib, combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P), and 6´-sialylgalactose (SG) semi-quantitative brightfield and qualitative confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) image analysis. Compared to the reported data on efficacy of these drugs in terms of antiangiogenic and vascular disrupting effects, we observed similar trends with our 3D model, which are not reflected in conventional angiogenesis assays. High-vascular disruption under continuous treatment of the matured vascular-like network was observed at concentrations ≥3.5 ng·ml for CA4P and ≥300 nM for brivanib. In contrast, SG failed to induce any significant vascular disruption . This advanced model of a 3D vascular-like network allows for testing single and combinational antiangiogenic and vascular disrupting effects with optimized dosing and may thus bridge the gap between the and experiments in validating hits from high-throughput screening. Moreover, the physiological 3D environment mimicking assay is not only highly relevant to studies linked to cancer but also to the field of tissue regeneration.
PubMed: 35769106
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.888492 -
Oncotarget 2022Chemotherapy options for treating CRC have rapidly expanded in recent years, and few have predictive biomarkers. Oncologists are challenged with evidence-based selection... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
PURPOSE
Chemotherapy options for treating CRC have rapidly expanded in recent years, and few have predictive biomarkers. Oncologists are challenged with evidence-based selection of treatments, and response is evaluated retrospectively based on serial imaging beginning after 2-3 months. As a result, cumulative toxicities may appear in patients who will not benefit. Early recognition of non-benefit would reduce cumulative toxicities. Our objective was to determine treatment-related changes in the circulating metabolome corresponding to treatment futility.
METHODS
Metabolomic studies were performed on serial plasma samples from patients with CRC in a randomized controlled trial of cetuximab vs. cetuximab + brivanib ( = 188). GC-MS quantified named 94 metabolites and concentrations were evaluated at baseline, Weeks 1, 4 and 12 after treatment initiation. In a discovery cohort ( = 68), a model distinguishing changes in metabolites associated with radiographic disease progression and response was generated using OPLS-DA. A cohort of 120 patients was used for validation of the model.
RESULTS
By one week after treatment, a stable model of 21 metabolites could distinguish between progression and partial response (R2Y = 0.859; Q2Y = 0.605; = 5e-4). In the validation cohort, patients with the biomarker had a significantly shorter OS ( < 0.0001). In a separate cohort of patients with HCC on axitinib, appearance of the biomarker also signified a shorter PFS (1.7 months vs. 9.2 months, = 0.001).
CONCLUSION
We have identified changes in the metabolome that appear within 1 week of starting treatment associated with treatment futility. The novel approach described is applicable to future efforts in developing a biomarker for early assessment of treatment efficacy.
Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Axitinib; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cetuximab; Colonic Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Medical Futility; Rectal Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35028011
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28165 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver disorder worldwide, and its progressive form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a growing cause of liver... (Review)
Review
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver disorder worldwide, and its progressive form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a growing cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lifestyle changes, which are capable of improving the prognosis, are hard to achieve, whereas a pharmacologic therapy able to combine efficacy and safety is still lacking. Looking at the pathophysiology of various liver diseases, such as NASH, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC, the process of angiogenesis is a key mechanism influencing the disease progression. The relationship between the worsening of chronic liver disease and angiogenesis may suggest a possible use of drugs with antiangiogenic activity as a tool to stop or slow the progression of the disorder. In this review, we highlight the available preclinical data supporting a role of known antiangiogenic drugs (e.g., sorafenib), or phytotherapeutic compounds with multiple mechanism of actions, including also antiangiogenic activities (e.g., berberine), in the treatment of NASH.
PubMed: 34681219
DOI: 10.3390/ph14100995