Molecular Targets Research Articles

Abstract PO5-10-08: Clinical Value of Molecular Targets and Genome-Targeted Cancer Therapies Recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for Advanced Breast Cancer

Abstract Background: Genomic testing has expanded the possibilities of precision cancer medicine, particularly for advanced, treatment-resistant breast cancer cases. However, the clinical significance of most genetic alterations remains uncertain, potentially overestimating tailored therapies. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines are evidence-based cancer-specific recommendations used in clinical practice and that are often determinative for insurance coverage. In this study, we assessed the validity of the targets and the clinical benefit of genome-targeted cancer drugs recommended in the NCCN guidelines for metastatic breast cancer. Methods: We identified genome-targeted oncology therapies supporting advanced breast cancer recommendations in the most recent NCCN breast cancer guideline (version 4.2023). Genome-targeted drugs were defined as involving use of a genomic test in which the drug targeted a genomic alteration. We analyzed data from trials supporting advanced genome-targeted breast cancer drugs recommendations. When multiple (or overlapping) articles for the same study were identified, the most recent publication was included. We extracted key details of each trial, including trial design, blinding, phase of clinical trial and primary efficacy end points. We cross-referenced the FDA-approved indications as of 30 June 2023 with the NCCN recommendations for each drug. Strength of evidence supporting molecular targetability was evaluated using the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets (ESCAT). Clinical benefit for genome-targeted oncology therapies was assessed using the ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS). We considered a substantial clinical benefit as a grade of 4 or 5. Molecular targets qualifying for ESCAT category level I-A and I-B associated with substantial clinical benefit by ESMO-MCBS were rated as high-benefit genomic-targeted breast cancer treatments. Results: We identified 47 recommendations supporting 17 genome-targeted drugs, which targeted 11 driver alterations. Out of these recommendations, 29 (62%) aligned with the FDA indications. We associated 47 trials with these recommendations, most randomized (24, 51%), phase 3 (23, 49%) and open-label (42, 89%). The most common primary endpoint (22, 47%) was overall response rate, followed by progression-free survival/time to progression (21, 45%). Twenty-four trials (51%) had a I-A ESCAT targetability, 7 (15%) had a I-B targetability, 6 (13%) had a I-C targetability score and 10 (21%) were categorized as II-B. ERBB2 amplification, germline BRCA1/2 mutations, PIK3CA mutations, and ESR1 mutation were mainly classified as tier I-A based on randomized trials demonstrating the effectiveness of approved targeted therapies in patients with these alterations. By contrast, RET fusions, NTRK fusions, high-tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability were ranked as tier I-C and somatic BRCA mutations, germline PALB2 mutations and HER-2 mutations as II-B. Six trials (14%, 6/42) supporting drug approval demonstrated substantial ESMO-MCBS clinical benefit. Overall, 6 recommendations (14%) had high-benefit genomic-based cancer treatments. Conclusions: Fewer than one-fifth of molecular-targeted cancer therapies recommended in NCCN guidelines for metastatic breast cancer demonstrated substantial patient benefits. Value frameworks like ESCAT and ESMO-MCBS can help stakeholders identify therapies with the greatest potential. Citation Format: Ariadna Tibau, Thomas J. Hwang, Jerry Avorn, Aaron Kesselheim. Clinical Value of Molecular Targets and Genome-Targeted Cancer Therapies Recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for Advanced Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-10-08.

Abstract PO5-24-06: Genomic findings in metastatic breast cancer

Abstract Introduction: Although metastatic breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, the genomic findings in metastatic breast cancer are not as well characterized as those of primary breast cancers. Metastatic tumors are genetically heterogenous, enriched for resistance mutations, and often lack targetable alterations. Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive metastatic disease of all receptor subtypes is required to identify possible molecular targets and to develop new targeted therapies in an effort to reduce the mortality. Methods: A cohort of 50 metastatic breast cancer cases (n=33 ER+/PR+, n=3 ER+/HER2+, n=3 ER-/HER2+ n=11 TNBC) sequenced at our medical center between 2018-2023 was evaluated, and the molecular findings of the major subtypes were analyzed. Genomic data included mutations, copy number alterations, tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability. Results: The most frequent somatic alteration were PIK3CA mutations, involving 17/33 of ER+/PR+/HER- tumors, 5/11 TNBC tumors and 5/6 HER+ cases. TP53 mutations (frameshift and missense) were more frequently identified in TNBC and HER2+ cases (p< 0.05). Recurrent CCND1, FGFR1 and MYC copy number amplifications were seen almost exclusively in hormone receptor positive/HER2- tumors (p >0.05). ESR1 mutations involved 15% of the ER positive cancers and were frequently associated with co-occurring CCND1 and FGFR1 copy number gains. Significant genomic losses that drive tumorigenesis were also detected. Both CDKN2a and PTEN deletions were found in ER/PR positive disease, as well as triple negative tumors. Genomic deletions associated with worse outcomes such as TP53 and DICER1 were also detected. ERBB2 amplification was 100% concordant with our immunohistochemical and FISH results for the 6 HER2 positive cases. All 50 cases demonstrated a low tumor mutation burden and were microsatellite stable. Conclusion: We detected driver alterations that involve multiple pathways including estrogen receptor signaling, PI3K/AKT/MTOR, the cell cycle, and receptor tyrosine kinases. The genomic alterations are enriched for resistance mechanisms, like ESR1 mutations and FGFR1 gains that mediate resistance to endocrine treatment, as well as PIK3CA, also implicated in both endocrine and HER2-targeting therapy resistance. Of particular interest, were the amplifications detected in the ER+/PR+ tumors, such as CCND1 on chromosome 11q, FGFR1 on 8p and MYC on 8q, which were detected in almost half (45%) of our hormone receptor positive cohort. Some of the identified driver amplifications also define a subset of the Integrated Molecular Subtypes (Curtis et al., Nature; 486(7403): 346–352), i.e., Clusters 2, 6 and 9 that are typically hormone receptor positive but associated with either a very poor prognosis (Cluster 2) or an intermediate prognosis (Clusters 6 and 9), unlike the copy neutral ER positive tumors or those with the classic 1p and 16q alterations. Therefore, copy number profiling of advanced-stage breast cancers may be a useful tool for determining prognosis, identifying possible targetable driver pathways and selecting appropriate patients for molecularly guided clinical trials. Citation Format: Kimberly Cole, Melissa Tjota, Jeremy Segal, Peng Wang, Susanne Crespo-Ramos. Genomic findings in metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-24-06.

Abstract PO1-04-10: Body Mass Index and Treatment Efficacy in advanced Luminal Breast Cancer: Insights from the GEICAM/2013-02 (PEARL) trial

Abstract Background: Endocrine therapy (ET) and treatment directed against molecular targets (CDK 4/6, PI3K, mTOR) constitute the basis of initial treatments for patients with advanced luminal breast cancer. Most of these treatments are oral and have been developed at a fixed dose, without weight adjusted dosing. There is little evidence on the influence that patients’ weight might have on clinical outcomes of these oral drugs in the context of a randomized clinical trial. The present study analyzes the potential impact of the weight of patients treated in the two cohorts of the PEARL trial (NCT02028507) on Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS) and the incidence of side effects in each treatment arm. Methods: GEICAM/2013-02 (PEARL) is a multicenter, phase III randomized clinical trial that enrolled patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who progressed to a prior aromatase inhibitor. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive ET + palbociclib or capecitabine. Patient weight was assessed based on baseline body mass index (BMI) categories: normal (BMI ≤25 Kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 Kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 Kg/m2). Cox's stratified proportional hazard model was used for survival analysis. Adverse events were assessed and graded according to National Cancer Institute common terminology criteria for adverse events (NCI-CTCAE) version 4.0. Results: A total of 600 patients were included in the study and all were evaluable for the weight-based analysis, including 301 in the ET +palbociclib arm and 299 in the capecitabine arm. The distribution of patient’s weights is shown in Table 1. For the Intention-to-treat (ITT) population, no significant difference in the median OS was found between the different weight categories (Normal: 32.8 months vs overweight: 31.9 months, [p=0.467]; obese: 32 months [p=0.407]). Specifically, for patients with normal weight, the median PFS was 9.3 months in the ET + palbociclib group compared to 9.0 months in the capecitabine group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-1.13; p=0.23). In the overweight group, the PFS was 7.5 months in the ET+palbociclib group and 11.1 months in the capecitabine group (HR 1.17, 95% CI: 0.87-1.58; p=0.30) while for the obese group, the PFS was 5.7 months vs 11.7 months (HR 1.14, 95% CI: 0.82-1.59; p=0.43), respectively. No substantial differences in the incidence of grade ≥ 3 events were observed when considering weight categories in the different treatment groups (capecitabine arm (Normal: 60%, Overweight: 70.4%, Obese: 61.6%) and ET+palbociclib arm (Normal: 74.5%, Overweight: 76.1%, Obese: 51.6%). Conclusions: Our findings, despite not finding statistically significant differences, suggest a potentially clinically relevant trend towards improved PFS with capecitabine in overweight and obese patients compared to those receiving palbociclib plus ET. The impact of weight on the outcomes with fixed-dose oral drugs warrants further investigation in future studies. Table 1. Citation Format: Manuel Alva, Sara López-Tarruella, Christoph Zielinski, Manuel Ruíz - Borrego, Nicholas Turner, Eva Ciruelos, Montserrat Muñoz, Begoña Bermejo, Mireia Margelí, Antonio Antón, Zsuzsanna Kahan, Tibor Csöszi, Maribel Casas, Laura Murillo, Serafin Morales Murillo, Emilio Alba, Einav Nili-Gal Yam, Angel Guerrero, Lourdes Calvo, Juan de la Haba-Rodríguez, Manuel Ramos, Isabel Álvarez, Andrés García-Palomo, María Koehler, José Ángel García-Sáenz, J. Ignacio Chacón, Claire Swift, Christiane Thallinger, Miguel Gil-Gil, Miguel Martín. Body Mass Index and Treatment Efficacy in advanced Luminal Breast Cancer: Insights from the GEICAM/2013-02 (PEARL) trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-04-10.

Network Pharmacology Prediction and Metabolomics Validation of the Novel Targets of Morus alba L. against High-Fat Diet-Induced Diabetes Mellitus in C57/6J Mice

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an endocrine-metabolic disorder that has limited approaches to treat effectively. Morus alba L., also known as mulberry, is a well-known medicinal plant, and its branch bark has shown hypoglycemic activity. It is rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients. In this study, we used metabolomics combined with network pharmacology to investigate the molecular mechanism and potential key targets of mulberry branch bark powder (MBBP) for treating DM. Serum metabolomics was performed to analyze the differences in metabolites and enrich metabolic pathways. Network pharmacology, based on systems biology tools, was applied to generate the pathway-target-compound network. Integrated analyses were then used to screen for key targets. To verify the obtained key targets, we used a molecular docking method and experimental validation. Our findings revealed that thirty-five endogenous metabolites contributed to the therapeutic impact of MBBP against DM. The analysis of 10 hub genes in the compound-target network partially supported the enrichment of metabolic pathways. Further analysis focused on two compounds (eugenol and mulberrofuran A) and three key targets (NOS2, MAOA, and CYP1A1). This study explores the active compounds of MBBP against DM and provides a novel perspective for improving DM treatment based on key targets.

Abstract PO4-14-03: Results of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients at a Single Institute in Japan

Abstract BACKGROUND. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) was officially approved by the Japanese National Health Insurance System in June 2019. Currently, three CGP tests are available: FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx), OncoGuide NCC Oncopanel (NCC), and FoundationOne Liquid CDx (F1LCDx). This study examines the clinical significance of CGP testing in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in Japan. METHODS. The subjects were 105 patients (pts) who underwent CGP testing at our hospital from June 2019 to July 2023. Of these, 64 pts received tissue panels for F1CDx, 25 pts for F1LCDx, and 16 pts for others. Based on the reports from the testing companies and the expert panel committee's review, we evaluated the percentage of patients for whom matched therapy (MT) was recommended, whether MT was performed, and the prognosis of the group of patients for whom MT was performed. Overall survival was analyzed with the log-rank test. RESULTS. Of the 105 patients who underwent CGP testing, 47 pts (44.8%) were recommended MT corresponding to ESCAT(ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets) ranking I/II or clinical trials due to genetic alterations, and only 7 pts (6.7%) reached those treatments. Three HER2-negative patients were prescribed anti-HER2 therapy for ERBB2 amplification, one patient was prescribed entrectinib for NTRK fusion, and three patients participated in clinical trial for ERBB2 mutation and FGFR1 rearrangement. If ESCAT ranking beyond I/II and recommended therapy from FoundationOne report (e.g Abemaciclib for CCND1 amplification, Everolimus for PTEN loss)are added, 64 pts (60.1%) were considered these treatments, and 19 pts (18.1%) actually received these treatment. Among these 19 pts, overall survival was significant improved that of patientswho did not reach treatment (21.1 m vs 6.2 m, p=0.0097). CONCLUSIONS. We examined the rate of MT attainment by CGP in mBC at a single institute. We found that the rate of MT attainment with ESCAT ranking I/II, or clinical trials corresponding to genetic mutations, was low. The overall survival of patients who underwent MT, which can be performed by Japanese insurance, was significantly different from that of patients who did not undergo MT. Low accessibility of ESCAT ranking I/II MT may be because, in Japan, CGP testing is available only for patients who have completed or are expected to complete standard therapy. Early use of CGP testing and an increase in clinical trials will be desirable in Japan. Citation Format: Tomomi Kon, Hiroshi Tada, Minoru Miyashita, Akiko Ebata, Narumi Harada-Shoji, Yohei Hamanaka, Miku Sato, Mika Yanagaki, Satoko Tsunokake, Tokiwa Motonari, Asumi Yamazaki, Takanori Ishida. Results of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients at a Single Institute in Japan [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-14-03.

Abstract PO1-24-08: Targeting of HER3 potentiates the antitumor activity of paclitaxel against triple negative breast cancer

Abstract Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression. This aggressive form of breast cancer carries a higher risk of recurrence compared to other subtypes, presenting a significant clinical challenge. Although chemotherapy is commonly used as the primary treatment for a substantial number of TNBC patients, it is often accompanied by drug resistance and frequent tumor recurrence. Urgent efforts are needed to identify novel molecular targets specific to TNBC and develop effective therapies to combat this aggressive disease. The ultimate objective is to discover treatments capable of overcoming drug resistance and improving the overall survival of patients with TNBC. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of HER3 in TNBC samples. Western blots were used to assess protein expression and activation. Cell proliferation and viability were determined by cell growth (MTS) assays. TCGA databases were analyzed to correlate HER3 mRNA expression with the clinical outcomes of TNBC patients. Specific shRNA was used to knockdown HER3 expression. LIVE/DEAD Cell Imaging was to detect live and dead cells. Orthotopic tumor models were established in nude mice to determine the capability of TNBC cells forming tumors and to test if our newly developed anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4A7 could potentiate the antitumor activity of paclitaxel in vivo. Results: The chemo-resistant subline HCC1806-TR was obtained by subjecting TNBC HCC1806 cells to prolonged treatment with paclitaxel. In comparison to the parental cell line HCC1806-P, HCC1806-TR exhibited enhanced HER3 expression and activation. It is noteworthy that approximately half of the tested TNBC specimens and cell lines displayed elevated expression of HER3. Analyzing TCGA databases revealed that TNBC patients with high levels of HER3 mRNA expression in their tumors had significantly poorer overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) compared to those with low HER3 expression. Specifically knockdown of HER3 markedly inhibited TNBC cell proliferation and mammosphere formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Blockade of HER3 signaling with our mAb (4A7) in combination with paclitaxel exerted significant antitumor activity against TNBC in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that increased HER3 is an effective therapeutic target for TNBC and our anti-HER3 mAb (4A7) may enhance the efficacy of paclitaxel in TNBC. Keywords: HER3, Anbibody, Chemotherapy, Triple Negative Breast Cancer Citation Format: Hui Lyu, Sanbao Ruan, Congcong Tan, Ann Thor, Bolin Liu. Targeting of HER3 potentiates the antitumor activity of paclitaxel against triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-24-08.

Abstract PS09-08: Genomic characterization of endocrine resistance in ER+HER2+ breast cancers in the POETIC Trial

Abstract Background: Mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy are not well understood within ER+HER2+ breast cancer (BC). Our prior work suggested that intrinsic HER2-Enriched (HER2E) molecular subtype predicts early resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AI) (Bergamino eBioMedicine 2022) and high on-treatment (on-Txt) Ki67 levels predict poor survival (Smith Lancet Oncol 2020). Improved early detection of persistent proliferating tumor cells with endocrine resistance pathways could be targeted by pre-emptive personalized therapy and reduction in recurrence. In this study, we proposed to further identify additional alterations/features from genomic and spatial data to provide unprecedented new insight into intrinsic and adaptive resistant pathways in tumor cells that may assist to identify molecular targets for treatment. Materials: POETIC was a phase III trial of post-menopausal patients with ER/PR+ invasive BC (n = 4480) randomized 2:1 to 2 weeks of peri-operative AI (POAI) vs control, followed by standard-of-care treatment. Ki67 was assessed by IHC and intra-tumor heterogeneity was evaluated (5-15 regions) for all the POETIC POAI samples (N = 2487). ER+HER2+ samples were classified as good responders (GR) or poor responders (PR) based on a reduction in Ki67 between pre-treatment (pre-Txt) and 2-week on-Txt samples. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were assessed; multiplex Immunofluorescence (mIF) was performed to measure immune cell densities in tumor and stroma compartments (CD3, CD20, CD68, FOXP3, and CD3 FOXP3 co-expression). Gene expression profiles by BC360™ (Nanostring) on all 210 pairs of POAI treated ER+/HER2+; whole exome sequencing (WES, 100X) were performed on pre-Txt tumor and blood samples from 13 GR, 17 PR, and 9 HER2E GR. We performed GeoMx Whole Transcriptome on 4 pairs (pre-Txt and on-Txt) of GR and GeoMx Proteins (77 including IO proteins) on 6 pairs of GRs and 6 pairs of PRs. Results: The most frequently mutated genes were TP53, PIK3CA, GATA3, and CHD4. Only TP53 was associated with PR (Fisher’s exact p=0.01). TP53 mutated cases had higher expression of TP53 mutant-like gene expression signature compared to wild-type cases (Wilcoxon test p=0.001), mIF FOXP3 (Wilcoxon test p = 0.0005), and CD68 (Wilcoxon test p = 0.019) density score. However, within the HER2-E subset, we found that TP53 mutations were associated with GR (Fisher’s exact p=0.02). We found spatial heterogeneity of Ki67 IHC levels across POAI samples. Examining IHC, while there was higher heterogeneity of Ki67 in the ER+HER2- samples (n = 2264) with 3% of pre-Txt and 9% on-Txt, 6% of ER+HER2+ samples (13/223, 6 LumA, 5 LumB, and 2 HER2E) showed heterogeneity of Ki67 exclusively on-Txt. Even in GR tumors with Ki67 < 10% on-Txt, we identified hotspots with retained proliferating Ki67+ cells after 2 weeks of POAI. The lobular tumors were GR and had characteristic CDH1 mutations. Importantly, cases with persistent areas of Ki67+ cells, regardless of Her2 status, were associated with late relapse. To further explore intratumoral heterogeneity, we performed spatial whole transcriptomics profiling on 95 regions from 4 pairs of GR samples (Ki67 > 10% at baseline and Ki67 < 10% on-Txt) and found low intratumoral heterogeneity in the pre-Txt samples that increased at 2 weeks on-Txt. In a larger set of samples including both GR and PR with the GeoMx protein method, we found increased intratumoral heterogeneity in the PR vs GR. Conclusion: While TP53 mutation was generally a predictor of poor response; in HER2-E it paradoxically was associated with a good early response to aromatase inhibitor which warrants further investigation. Ki67 levels in ER+HER2+ showed higher intratumoral heterogeneity in a subset of patients on treatment suggesting the potential of persistent, proliferating cells leading to later recurrence. Our spatial RNA and protein data further observe the intratumoral heterogeneity that identifies pathways for use as potential spatial biomarkers. Citation Format: Maggie Chon U Cheang, Xixuan Zhu, Orsolya Sipos, Anastasia Alataki, Mikayla Feldbauer, Elena López-Knowles, Holly Tovey, Lucy Kilburn, Milana Bergamino Sirvén, Dhrusti Patel, Hui Xiao, Perry Maxwell, Anthony Skene, Chris Holcombe, Manuel Salto-Tellez, Nicholas Turner, Andrew Dodson, Ian Smith, John Robertson, Judith Bliss, Gene Schuster, Roberto Salgado, Mitch Dowsett, Katherine A Hoadley. Genomic characterization of endocrine resistance in ER+HER2+ breast cancers in the POETIC Trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PS09-08.

Exploiting the combination of entomopathogenic fungi and Illicium verum essential oil against Aedes aegypti larvae

Here, the effectiveness of Beauveria bassiana LCM S19 and Metarhizium anisopliae LCM S01, combined with Illicium verum essential oil (EO) against Aedes aegypti larvae was investigated. The EO compounds were first identified through gas chromatography, with the primary compound being (E)-anethole. Subsequently, in silico analysis was employed to predict the biological activity of (E)-anethole, revealing 89 molecular targets, which included insecticidal activity. Next the impact of EO on fungal viability and colony growth was examined and the EO had no effect on fungal development. Next, we investigated the influence of EO on fungal viability and colony growth, revealing that the EO had no discernible impact on fungal development. Following this, individual assessments were carried out to determine larval susceptibility to EO at concentrations of 40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm, as well as with both fungal isolates at conidial concentrations of 1 × 106, 1 × 107, and 1 × 108 conidia/mL. Larval survival was then monitored over a period of seven days. To further optimize the larvicidal potential, EO at a concentration of 40 ppm was combined with both isolates at a conidial concentration of 1 × 106 conidia/mL and tested against mosquito larvae, as described earlier. The combination of M. anisopliae and EO resulted in a substantial decrease, with only 20 % of larvae surviving over a seven-day period, in contrast to approximately 50 % survival observed in the pure M. anisopliae or EO treatments. B. bassiana, whether used alone or in combination with EO, exhibited a 50 % reduction in larval survival. The combination of M. anisopliae and EO exhibited a synergistic effect in targeting Ae. aegypti larvae, whereas B. bassiana, in conjunction with EO, had an additive effect. Notably, the combination achieved its impact in just 3 days, whereas the pure fungus required 7 days to yield similar results. These findings underscore the substantial potential of combining I. verum essential oil with both fungal isolates against Ae. aegypti larvae.

The therapeutic effect and targets of herba Sarcandrae on breast cancer and the construction of a prognostic signature consisting of inflammation-related genes

BackgroundThe prevalence of breast cancer (BRCA), which is common among women, is on the rise. This study applied network pharmacology to explore the potential mechanism of action of herba sarcandrae in BRCA and construct a prognostic signature composed of inflammation-related genes. MethodsThe active ingredients of herba sarcandrae were screened using the SymMap, TCMID, and TCMSP platforms, and the molecular targets were determined in the UniProt database. The “drug-active compound-potential target” network was established with Cytoscape 3.7.2. The molecular targets were subjected to disease ontology, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analyses. AutoDock software was used for molecular docking. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to inflammation were obtained from the BRCA Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In the training cohort, the univariate Cox regression model was applied to preliminarily screen prognostic genes. A multigene signature was built by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model, followed by validation through Kaplan‒Meier, Cox, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. ResultsForty-one active compounds were identified, and 265 therapeutic targets for herba sarcandrae were predicted. GO enrichment results revealed significant enrichment of biological processes, such as response to xenobiotic stimuli, response to nutrient levels, and response to lipopolysaccharide. KEGG analysis revealed significant enrichment of pathways such as AGE-RAGE and chemical carcinogenesis receptor activation signaling pathways. In addition, the herbs Marc-Andre and rutin were shown to mediate BRCA cell proliferation and apoptosis via the interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway. Sixteen inflammatory signatures, including BST2, GPR132, IL12B, IL18, IL1R1, IL2RB, IRF1, and others, were constructed, and the risk score was found to be a strong independent prognostic factor for overall survival in BRCA patients. The 16-inflammation signature was associated with several clinical features (age, clinical stage, T, and N classifications) and could reflect immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironments with different immune cells. ConclusionsHerba sarcandrae and rutin were shown to mediate BRCA cell proliferation and apoptosis via the IRF1/STAT3/PD-L1 pathway, and the 16-member inflammatory signature might be a novel biomarker for predicting BRCA patient prognosis, providing more accurate guidance for clinical treatment prognosis evaluation and having important reference value for individualized treatment selection.

Removal of endothelial surface-associated von villebrand factor suppresses accelerate datherosclerosis after myocardial infarction

BackgroundThromboinflammation involving platelet adhesion to endothelial surface-associated von Willebrand factor (VWF) has been implicated in the accelerated progression of non-culprit plaques after MI. The aim of this study was to use arterial endothelial molecular imaging to mechanistically evaluate endothelial-associated VWF as a therapeutic target for reducing remote plaque activation after myocardial infarction (MI).MethodsHyperlipidemic mice deficient for the low-density lipoprotein receptor and Apobec-1 underwent closed-chest MI and were treated chronically with either: (i) recombinant ADAMTS13 which is responsible for proteolytic removal of VWF from the endothelial surface, (ii) N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which removes VWF by disulfide bond reduction, (iii) function-blocking anti-factor XI (FXI) antibody, or (iv) no therapy. Non-ischemic controls were also studied. At day 3 and 21, ultrasound molecular imaging was performed with probes targeted to endothelial-associated VWF A1-domain, platelet GPIbα, P-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) at lesion-prone sites of the aorta. Histology was performed at day 21.ResultsAortic signal for P-selectin, VCAM-1, VWF, and platelet-GPIbα were all increased several-fold (p < 0.01) in post-MI mice versus sham-treated animals at day 3 and 21. Treatment with NAC and ADAMTS13 significantly attenuated the post-MI increase for all four molecular targets by > 50% (p < 0.05 vs. non-treated at day 3 and 21). On aortic root histology, mice undergoing MI versus controls had 2–4 fold greater plaque size and macrophage content (p < 0.05), approximately 20-fold greater platelet adhesion (p < 0.05), and increased staining for markers of platelet transforming growth factor-β1 signaling. Accelerated plaque growth and inflammatory activation was almost entirely prevented by ADAMTS13 and NAC. Inhibition of FXI had no significant effect on molecular imaging signal or plaque morphology.ConclusionsPlaque inflammatory activation in remote arteries after MI is strongly influenced by VWF-mediated platelet adhesion to the endothelium. These findings support investigation into new secondary preventive therapies for reducing non-culprit artery events after MI.

A Review of the Current State and Future Directions for Management of Scalp and Facial Vascular Malformations.

Vascular malformations are structural abnormalities that are thought to result from errors in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis during embryogenesis. Vascular malformations of the scalp present unique management challenges due to aesthetic and functional implications. This review examines the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management techniques for six common types of vascular malformations of the face and scalp : infantile hemangioma, capillary malformations, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations, arteriovenous malformations, and arteriovenous fistulas. These lesions range from common to rare, and have very different natural histories and management paradigms. There has been increasing understanding of the molecular pathways that are altered in association with these vascular lesions and these molecular targets may represent novel strategies of treating lesions that have historically been approached from a structural perspective only.

Narrative Testimony and Characteristics of Rottlerin for the Treatment of Various Kinds of Cancer

Abstract: From ancient times until now, scientists have focused on herbal medicaments for treating various diseases. Rottlerin, a potent PKCδ inhibitor, is one of the greatest herbal medications. Over the years, it was identified that rottlerin has several cellular and molecular targets that could be involved in the fight against cancer. The past and present research has clearly shown that rottlerin inhibits the transcription factors, enzymes, and signaling molecules that regulate the death and life of cancer cells. Although the anticancer property of rottlerin has primarily been attributed to the induction of autophagy and apoptosis, current research has revealed the existence of different damage pathways. The major part described in this mini-review is the antitumor/anticancer effects of rottlerin in various organs of the human body affected by breast cancer, pancreatic cell cancer, bladder cancer, NSCLC, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, etc.

The dual role of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol in alleviating pulmonary fibrosis through the gut-lung axis

BackgroundPulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a progressive lung disease characterized by the diffuse interstitial tissue, leading to severe breathing difficulties. The existing treatment methods are primarily aimed at slowing the progression of the disease, underscoring the urgent need to discover new drug interventions targeting novel sites. The "gut-lung axis" represents a complex bidirectional communication system where the gut microbiota not only influences lung immunity but also responds to lung-derived signals. Recent advances have uncovered that alterations in gut microbiota composition can significantly impact respiratory diseases, offering new insights into their pathogenesis and potential therapeutic approaches. MethodsThis study is based on the fundamental concepts of the lung-gut axis and our previous research, further exploring the potential mechanisms of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) in ginseng against PF. We utilized a bleomycin-induced mouse model of PF and employed metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the pathways through which PPD regulates the pulmonary fibrosis process via the gut-lung axis. Finally, we employed strategies such as antibiotic-induced microbiota disruption and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to provide a comprehensive perspective on how PPD regulates pulmonary fibrosis through gut microbiota. ResultsThe results of the bleomycin (BLM) mouse model of PF proved that PPD can directly act on the glycolysis- related metabolic reprogramming process in lung and the AMPK/STING pathway to improve PF. Combined the analysis of gut microbiota and related metabolites, we found that PPD can regulate the process of PF through the gut-lung axis target points G6PD and SPHK1. FMT and antibiotic-induced microbiota disruption further confirmed intermediate effect of gut microbiota in PF process and the treatment of PPD. Our study suggests that PPD can alleviate the process of pulmonary fibrosis either by directly acting on the lungs or by regulating the gut microbiota. ConclusionThis study positions PPD as a vanguard in the therapeutic landscape for pulmonary fibrosis, offering a dual mechanism of action that encompasses both modulation of gut microbiota and direct intervention at molecular targets. These insights highlight the immense therapeutic potential of harnessing the gut-lung axis.

Overexpression of SOCS2 Inhibits EMT and M2 Macrophage Polarization in Cervical Cancer via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway.

SOCS2 is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein family associated with the occurrence and development of multiple cancers. This study revealed the expression and molecular mechanisms of SOCS2 in cervical cancer. In this study, RT-qPCR, Western Blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of SOCS2 in cervical cancer tissues and tumor cells. We overexpressed SOCS2 in SiHa cells via lentivirus. In-vitro experiments were used to investigate the changes in cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability before and after SOCS2 overexpression. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and EMTrelated proteins. M0 macrophages were co-cultured with the tumor-conditioned medium. The effect of SOCS2 on macrophage polarization was examined by RT-qPCR. SOCS2 expression level was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues. SOCS2 was negatively correlated with CD163+M2 macrophages. Overexpression of SOCS2 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. The expressions of Twist- 2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were decreased, while the expression of E-cadherin was increased. Moreover, the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 were decreased. After the addition of RhIL-6, the expression of E-cadherin protein in the LV-SOCS2 group was reversed. CM in the LV-SOCS2 group inhibited the polarization of M2 macrophages. SOCS2 acts as a novel biological target and suppressor of cervical cancer through IL- 6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Genome-Wide Screening Approaches for Biochemical Reactions Independent of Cell Growth.

Genome-wide screening is a potent approach for comprehensively understanding the molecular mechanisms of biological phenomena. However, despite its widespread use in the past decades across various biological targets, its application to biochemical reactions with temporal and reversible biological outputs remains a formidable challenge. To uncover the molecular machinery underlying various biochemical reactions, we have recently developed the revival screening method, which combines flow cytometry-based cell sorting with library reconstruction from collected cells. Our refinements to the traditional genome-wide screening technique have proven successful in revealing the molecular machinery of biochemical reactions of interest. In this article, we elucidate the technical basis of revival screening, focusing on its application to CRISPR-Cas9 single guide RNA (sgRNA) library and complementary DNA (cDNA) library screening. Finally, we also discuss the future of genome-wide screening while describing recent achievements from in vitro and in vivo screening.

YOLOv8-MU: An Improved YOLOv8 Underwater Detector Based on a Large Kernel Block and a Multi-Branch Reparameterization Module.

Underwater visual detection technology is crucial for marine exploration and monitoring. Given the growing demand for accurate underwater target recognition, this study introduces an innovative architecture, YOLOv8-MU, which significantly enhances the detection accuracy. This model incorporates the large kernel block (LarK block) from UniRepLKNet to optimize the backbone network, achieving a broader receptive field without increasing the model's depth. Additionally, the integration of C2fSTR, which combines the Swin transformer with the C2f module, and the SPPFCSPC_EMA module, which blends Cross-Stage Partial Fast Spatial Pyramid Pooling (SPPFCSPC) with attention mechanisms, notably improves the detection accuracy and robustness for various biological targets. A fusion block from DAMO-YOLO further enhances the multi-scale feature extraction capabilities in the model's neck. Moreover, the adoption of the MPDIoU loss function, designed around the vertex distance, effectively addresses the challenges of localization accuracy and boundary clarity in underwater organism detection. The experimental results on the URPC2019 dataset indicate that YOLOv8-MU achieves an mAP@0.5 of 78.4%, showing an improvement of 4.0% over the original YOLOv8 model. Additionally, on the URPC2020 dataset, it achieves 80.9%, and, on the Aquarium dataset, it reaches 75.5%, surpassing other models, including YOLOv5 and YOLOv8n, thus confirming the wide applicability and generalization capabilities of our proposed improved model architecture. Furthermore, an evaluation on the improved URPC2019 dataset demonstrates leading performance (SOTA), with an mAP@0.5 of 88.1%, further verifying its superiority on this dataset. These results highlight the model's broad applicability and generalization capabilities across various underwater datasets.

Gedunin modulates cellular growth and apoptosis in glioblastoma cell lines.

Glioblastomas are characterized by aggressive behavior. Surgery, radiotherapy, and alkylating agents, including temozolomide are the most common treatment options for glioblastoma. Often, conventional therapies fail to treat these tumors since they develop drug resistance. There is a need for newer agents to combat this deadly tumor. Natural products such as gedunin have shown efficacy in several human diseases. A comprehensive study of gedunin, an heat shock protein (HSP)90 inhibitor, has not been thoroughly investigated in glioblastoma cell lines with different genetic modifications. A key objective of this study was to determine how gedunin affects the biological and signaling mechanisms in glioblastoma cells, and to determine how those mechanisms affect the proliferation and apoptosis of glioblastoma cells. The viability potentials of gedunin were tested using MTT, cell counts, and wound healing assays. Gedunin's effects on glioma cells were further validated using LDH and colony formation assays. In addition, we investigated the survival and apoptotic molecular signaling targets perturbed by gedunin using Western blot analysis and flow cytometry. Our results show that there was a reduction in cell viability and inhibition of wound healing in the cells tested. Western blot analysis of the gene expression data revealed genes such as EGFR and mTOR/Akt/NF kappa B to be associated with gedunin sensitivity. Gedunin treatment induced apoptosis by cleaving poly ADP-ribose polymerase, activating caspases, and downregulating BCL-xL. Based on these results, gedunin suppressed cell growth and HSP client proteins, resulting in apoptosis in glioblastoma cell lines. Our data provide in vitro support for the anticancer activity of gedunin in glioma cells by downregulating cancer survival proteins.

Overexpression of TRIM44 mediates the NF-κB pathway to promote the progression of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most commonly seen cancer in the US, and patients with OC are commonly diagnosed in the advanced stage. Research into the molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets of OC is becoming increasingly urgent. In our study, we worked to discover the role of TRIM44 in OC development. This study explored whether the overexpression of TRIM44 mediates the NF-kB pathway to promote the progression of OC. A TRIM44 overexpression model was constructed in SKOV3 cells, and the proliferation ability of the cells was detected using the CCK-8 assay. The migration healing ability of cells was detected using cell scratch assay. Cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell nesting. TUNEL was applied to detect apoptosis, and ELISA and western blot were used to detect the expression of NF-κB signaling pathway proteins. The pathological changes of the tumor tissues were observed using HE staining in a mouse ovarian cancer xenograft model. Immunofluorescence double staining, RT-PCR, and western blot were used to determine the expression of relevant factors in tumour tissues. TRIM44 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SKOV3 cells in vitro and inhibited apoptosis while enhancing the growth of tumours in vivo. TRIM44 regulated the NF-κB signaling pathway. TRIM44 overexpression can regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote the progression of OC, and TRIM44 may be a potential therapeutic target for OC.

Identifying Cell Population Heterogeneity in Cerebral Palsy Muscle

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neuromuscular condition that affects movement and muscle tone, and often leads to contractures. Muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) have been shown to decrease in CP, but the overall resident muscle cell populations have not been characterized. Our objective is to identify differences in the cell populations and transcriptomes of muscle biopsies taken from CP and typically developing patients (TD) using single cell RNA sequencing. We hypothesize that cells taken from CP patient muscle will have a different distribution amongst populations. Gene enrichment, psuedotime analysis, subclustering, and interactome analysis were conducted to investigate muscle resident cell populations. The results demonstrated that, while there was not a significant disparity between cell populations of CP and TD muscle, there were differences in the subpopulations of MuSCs and fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs). These results indicate that FAPs from CP patients tend to be more pro-fibrotic and may signal to MuSCs to undergo apoptosis. This study may help to identify molecular and cellular targets for CP therapies. Funding provided by the Hartwell Foundation. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Pathogens of the oak processionary moth Thaumetopoea processionea: Developing a user-friendly bioassay system and metagenome analyses for microorganisms

The oak processionary moth (OPM) Thaumetopoea processionea is a pest of oak trees and poses health risks to humans due to the urticating setae of later instar larvae. For this reason, it is difficult to rear OPM under laboratory conditions, carry out bioassays or examine larvae for pathogens. Biological control targets the early larval instars and is based primarily on commercial preparations of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Btk). To test the entomopathogenic potential of other spore-forming bacteria, a user-friendly bioassay system was developed that (i) applies bacterial spore suspensions by oak bud dipping, (ii) targets first instar larvae through feeding exposure and (iii) takes into account their group-feeding behavior. A negligible mortality in the untreated control proved the functionality of the newly established bioassay system. Whereas the commercial Btk HD-1 strain was used as a bioassay standard and confirmed as being highly efficient, a Bacillus wiedmannii strain was ineffective in killing OPM larvae. Larvae, which died during the infection experiment, were further subjected to Nanopore sequencing for a metagenomic approach for entomopathogen detection. It further corroborated that B.wiedmannii was not able to infect and establish in OPM, but identified potential insect pathogenic species from the genera Serratia and Pseudomonas.