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Purpose: The prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), traditionally determined by anatomic histology and TNM staging, neglects the biological features of the tumor that may be important in determining patient outcome and guiding therapeutic interventions. Identifying patients with NSCLC at increased risk of recurrence after curative-intent surgery remains an important unmet need so that known effective adjuvant treatments can be offered to those at highest risk of recurrence., Methods: Relative gene expression level in the primary tumor and normal bronchial tissues was used to retrospectively assess their association with disease-free survival (DFS) in a cohort of 120 patients with NSCLC who underwent curative-intent surgery., Results: Low versus high Digital Display Precision Predictor (DDPP) score (a measure of relative gene expression) was significantly associated with shorter DFS (highest recurrence risk; P = .006) in all patients and in patients with TNM stages 1-2 ( P = .00051; n = 83). For patients with stages 1-2 and low DDPP score (n = 29), adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved DFS ( P = .0041). High co-overexpression of CTLA-4 , PD-L1 , and ICOS in normal lung (28 of 120 patients) was also significantly associated with decreased DFS ( P = .0013), suggesting an immune tolerance to tumor neoantigens in some patients. Patients with DDPP low and immunotolerant normal tissue had the shortest DFS ( P = 2.12E-11)., Conclusion: TNM stage, DDPP score, and immune competence status of normal lung are independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. Our findings open new avenues for prospective prognostic assessment and treatment assignment on the basis of transcriptomic profiling of tumor and normal lung tissue in patients with NSCLC., Competing Interests: Vladimir LazarPatents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: I am inventor on patentes filed by WIN Consortium I do not receive money Nicolas GirardEmployment: AstraZeneca (I)Consulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Lilly, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Takeda, Janssen, Sanofi, AmgenResearch Funding: Roche (Inst), AstraZeneca (Inst), BMS (Inst)Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche Eric RaymondEmployment: Genoscience Pharma, SCOR, StromaCare, Onward TherapeuticsLeadership: AFR-OncologyStock and Other Ownership Interests: Neuronax, Oncoethix, Genoscience Pharma, SCORConsulting or Advisory Role: Lilly, Pfizer, Merck Serono, PharmaEngine, Novartis/lpsen, Celgene Jean-François MartiniEmployment: PfizerStock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer Susan GalbraithEmployment: AstraZenecaLeadership: BB Biotech VenturesStock and Other Ownership Interests: AstraZeneca Benjamin SolomonConsulting or Advisory Role: BayerResearch Funding: AstraZeneca/Merck (Inst)Open Payments Link: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/358846 Hovav NechushtanResearch Funding: AstraZeneca (Inst), Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (Inst), Lilly (Inst), Merck KGaA (Inst)Uncompensated Relationships: MSD Amir OnnHonoraria: Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, MSD, AmgenConsulting or Advisory Role: Boehringer Ingelheim, MSDSpeakers' Bureau: AstraZeneca Raanan BergerStock and Other Ownership Interests: BelongHonoraria: Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche Israel, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, MSDConsulting or Advisory Role: Belong, MSD Oncology, BMSSpeakers' Bureau: Mitra Biotech, BMS, MSD OncologyTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Mitra Biotech, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, AstraZeneca Sadakatsu IkedaHonoraria: Chugai Pharma, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Guardant Health, Bristol Myers Squibb-Ono Pharmaceutical, MSD, ACT Genomics, Roche, Canon Medical System, ACT MedConsulting or Advisory Role: Genodive Pharma (Inst)Research Funding: ACT Genomics (Inst), Hitachi (Inst), Canon Medical System (Inst) Ulrik LassenHonoraria: Bayer, Pfizer, NovartisConsulting or Advisory Role: Bayer, PfizerResearch Funding: BMS (Inst), Roche (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), GlaxoSmithKline (Inst), Incyte (Inst), Lilly (Inst) Enriqueta FelipConsulting or Advisory Role: Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Merck Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, Peptomyc, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH, F. Hoffmann La Roche, Merck Sharp & DohmeSpeakers’ Bureau: AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lilly, Medscape, Merck Sharp & Dohme, PeerVoice, Pfizer, Takeda, Amgen, F. Hoffmann La Roche, Janssen, Medical Trends, Merck Serono, Sanofi, TouchONCOLOGYResearch Funding: Merck (Inst), Merck KGaA (Inst)Other Relationship: GRiFOLS Josep TaberneroStock and Other Ownership Interests: Oniria TherapeuticsConsulting or Advisory Role: Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly, MSD, Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Peptomyc, Chugai Pharma, Pfizer, Seattle Genetics, Array BioPharma, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Menarini, Servier, HalioDx, F. Hoffmann La Roche, Mirati Therapeutics, Pierre Fabre, Tessa Therapeutics, TheraMyc, Daiichi Sankyo, Samsung Bioepis, IQvia, Ikena Oncology, Merus, Neophore, Orion Biotechnology, Hutchison MediPharma, Scandion Oncology, Ona Therapeutics, Sotio, Inspirna, Scorpion TherapeuticsOther Relationship: Imedex, Medscape, MJH Life Sciences, Peerview, Physicans' Education Resource Alan SpatzConsulting or Advisory Role: Janssen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer/EMD Serono, Merck, Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bayer, AbbVieResearch Funding: Merck (Inst), Bristol Myers Squibb (Inst) C.S. PrameshStock and Other Ownership Interests: Aurobindo Philippe GirardHonoraria: Bayer, LEO Pharma, BMS/PfizerConsulting or Advisory Role: LEO Pharma, Bayer, BMS/PfizerTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Bayer, LEO Pharma, BMS/Pfizer Jean-Yves BlayLeadership: Innate PharmaHonoraria: Roche, AstraZeneca, PharmaMar, MSD, BMS, Bayer, Ignyta, DecipheraConsulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Pharmamar, Deciphera, Blueprint Medicines, Bayer, Karyopharm TherapeuticsResearch Funding: GlaxoSmithKline (Inst), Pharmamar (Inst), Novartis (Inst), Bayer (Inst), Roche (Inst), BMS (Inst), MSD (Inst), Deciphera (Inst), AstraZeneca (Inst), OSE Pharma (Inst)Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche Angel PorgadorStock and Other Ownership Interests: PooldiConsulting or Advisory Role: PiNKPatents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: Ben-Gurion University, Israel, several patents Eitan RubinStock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer Razelle KurzrockLeadership: CureMatch, CureMetrixStock and Other Ownership Interests: CureMatch, IDbyDNA, CureMetrixHonoraria: Roche, EUSA Pharma, NeoGenomics Laboratories, Biocom, NeoMed, Advanced Therapeutics, LEK, AACR, Chugai Pharma USA, Wiley, Merck, Pfizer, Meyer Consulting, Foundation Medicine, Turning Point Therapeutics, Bicara TherapeuticsConsulting or Advisory Role: Actuate Therapeutics, Loxo, XBiotech, NeoMed, Roche, Gaido, Soluventis, Pfizer, Merck, Turning Point Therapeutics, TD2/Volastra, Bicara Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Biological Dynamics, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, EOM Pharmaceuticals, lylon, ProsperdtxSpeakers' Bureau: RocheResearch Funding: Guardant Health (Inst), Sequenom (Inst), Merck Serono (Inst), Genentech (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), Foundation Medicine (Inst), Incyte (Inst), Konica Minolta (Inst), Grifols (Inst), OmniSeq (Inst), Debiopharm Group (Inst), Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Top Alliance BioScience (Inst), Takeda (Isnt), Medlmmune (Inst), Biological Dynamics (Inst)Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche, EUSA Pharma, NeoGenomics Laboratories, Biocom, NeoMed, Advanced Therapeutics, LEK, AACR, Chugai Pharma USA, Wiley Richard L. SchilskyLeadership: Clarified Precision MedicineStock and Other Ownership Interests: EQRxConsulting or Advisory Role: Cellworks, Scandion Oncology, Bryologyx, IIIumina, EQRx, Syapse, ZephyrAIResearch Funding: AstraZeneca (Inst), Bayer (Inst), Bristol Myers Squibb (Inst), Genentech/Roche (Inst), Lilly (Inst), Merck (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Seattle Genetics (Inst)Open Payments Link: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/I138818/summaryNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Background: The Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Consortium has developed the Simplified Interventional Mapping System (SIMS) to better define the cancer molecular milieu based on genomics/transcriptomics from tumor and analogous normal tissue biopsies. SPRING is the first trial to assess a SIMS-based tri-therapy regimen in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC (no EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 alterations; PD-L1 unrestricted; ≤2 prior therapy lines) received avelumab, axitinib, and palbociclib (3 + 3 dose escalation design)., Results: Fifteen patients were treated (five centers, four countries): six at each of dose levels 1 (DL1) and DL2; three at DL3. The most common ≥Grade 3 adverse events were neutropenia, hypertension, and fatigue. The recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) was DL1: avelumab 10 mg/kg IV q2weeks, axitinib 3 mg po bid, and palbociclib 75 mg po daily (7 days off/21 days on). Four patients (27%) achieved a partial response (PR) (progression-free survival [PFS]: 14, 24, 25 and 144+ weeks), including two after progression on pembrolizumab. Four patients attained stable disease (SD) that lasted ≥24 weeks: 24, 27, 29, and 64 weeks. At DL1 (RP2D), four of six patients (66%) achieved stable disease (SD) ≥6 months/PR (2 each). Responders included patients with no detectable PD-L1 expression and low tumor mutational burden., Conclusions: Overall, eight of 15 patients (53%) achieved clinical benefit (SD ≥ 24 weeks/PR) on the avelumab, axitinib, and palbociclib combination. This triplet showed antitumor activity in NSCLC, including in tumors post-pembrolizumab progression, and was active at the RP2D, which was well tolerated. NCT03386929 clinicaltrial.gov., (© 2022 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment options most often consist of surgical resection along with adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT). The benefit of ACT however is modest and is accompanied by important side effects., Objective: One central quest in the field is therefore the identification of a predictive marker of the response to ACT., Methods: We applied an unbiased approach based on high content analysis of expression data generated from a discovery patient cohort., Results: We identified MMS19, a component of the cytoplasmic Iron-Sulfur Assembly (CIA) machinery important for the Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) pathway as a pivotal gene for cisplatin toxicity. We then confirmed the association between MMS19 expression and the response to Cisplatin treatment in a panel of NSCLC cell lines. Finally we validated these pre-clinical data in a subgroup of JBR.10 trial patients through a hypothesis-driven analysis, and showed that MMS19 levels associated with ACT benefit., Conclusions: We therefore propose the expression level of MMS19 as a candidate predictive marker of ACT benefit in resected NSCLC patients.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Targeted monotherapies produce high regression rates, albeit for limited patient subgroups, who inevitably succumb. We present a novel strategy for identifying customized combinations of triplets of targeted agents, utilizing a simplified interventional mapping system (SIMS) that merges knowledge about existent drugs and their impact on the hallmarks of cancer. Based on interrogation of matched lung tumor and normal tissue using targeted genomic sequencing, copy number variation, transcriptomics, and miRNA expression, the activation status of 24 interventional nodes was elucidated. An algorithm was developed to create a scoring system that enables ranking of the activated interventional nodes for each patient. Based on the trends of co-activation at interventional points, combinations of drug triplets were defined in order to overcome resistance. This methodology will inform a prospective trial to be conducted by the WIN consortium, aiming to significantly impact survival in metastatic NSCLC and other malignancies.

Bevacizumab is one of the most widely used antiangiogenic drugs in oncology, but the overall beneficial effects of this VEGF-A targeting agent are relatively modest, in part due to the lack of a biomarker to select patients most likely to respond favorably. Several molecular aberrations in cancer influence angiogenesis, including mutations in the tumor suppressor gene TP53, which occur frequently in many human malignancies. In this study, we present a multiple regression analysis of transcriptomic data in 123 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showing that TP53 mutations are associated with higher VEGF-A expression (P = 0.006). This association was interesting given a recent retrospective study showing longer progression-free survival in patients with diverse tumors who receive bevacizumab, if tumors harbor mutant TP53 instead of wild-type TP53. Thus, our current findings linking TP53 mutation with VEGF-A upregulation offered a mechanistic explanation for why patients exhibit improved outcomes after bevacizumab treatment when their tumors harbor mutant TP53 versus wild-type TP53. Overall, this work warrants further evaluation of TP53 as a ready biomarker to predict bevacizumab response in NSCLC and possibly other tumor types., (©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Biological heterogeneity is common in many diseases and it is often the reason for therapeutic failures. Thus, there is great interest in classifying a disease into subtypes that have clinical significance in terms of prognosis or therapy response. One of the most popular methods to uncover unrecognized subtypes is cluster analysis. However, classical clustering methods such as k-means clustering or hierarchical clustering are not guaranteed to produce clinically interesting subtypes. This could be because the main statistical variability--the basis of cluster generation--is dominated by genes not associated with the clinical phenotype of interest. Furthermore, a strong prognostic factor might be relevant for a certain subgroup but not for the whole population; thus an analysis of the whole sample may not reveal this prognostic factor. To address these problems we investigate methods to identify and assess clinically interesting subgroups in a heterogeneous population. The identification step uses a clustering algorithm and to assess significance we use a false discovery rate- (FDR-) based measure. Under the heterogeneity condition the standard FDR estimate is shown to overestimate the true FDR value, but this is remedied by an improved FDR estimation procedure. As illustrations, two real data examples from gene expression studies of lung cancer are provided.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a leading cause of cancer deaths, represents a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, mostly comprising squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), adenocarcinoma (AC) and large-cell carcinoma (LCC). The objectives of this study were to utilize integrated genomic data including copy-number alteration, mRNA, microRNA expression and candidate-gene full sequencing data to characterize the molecular distinctions between AC and SCC., Methods: Comparative genomic hybridization followed by mutational analysis, gene expression and miRNA microarray profiling were performed on 123 paired tumor and non-tumor tissue samples from patients with NSCLC., Results: At DNA, mRNA and miRNA levels we could identify molecular markers that discriminated significantly between the various histopathological entities of NSCLC. We identified 34 genomic clusters using aCGH data; several genes exhibited a different profile of aberrations between AC and SCC, including PIK3CA, SOX2, THPO, TP63, PDGFB genes. Gene expression profiling analysis identified SPP1, CTHRC1 and GREM1 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of the cancer, and SPINK1 and BMP7 to distinguish between AC and SCC in small biopsies or in blood samples. Using integrated genomics approach we found in recurrently altered regions a list of three potential driver genes, MRPS22, NDRG1 and RNF7, which were consistently over-expressed in amplified regions, had wide-spread correlation with an average of ~800 genes throughout the genome and highly associated with histological types. Using a network enrichment analysis, the targets of these potential drivers were seen to be involved in DNA replication, cell cycle, mismatch repair, p53 signalling pathway and other lung cancer related signalling pathways, and many immunological pathways. Furthermore, we also identified one potential driver miRNA hsa-miR-944., Conclusions: Integrated molecular characterization of AC and SCC helped identify clinically relevant markers and potential drivers, which are recurrent and stable changes at DNA level that have functional implications at RNA level and have strong association with histological subtypes.

In this study, we have analyzed human primary lung adenocarcinoma tumors using global mass spectrometry to elucidate the biological mechanisms behind relapse post surgery. In total, we identified over 3000 proteins with high confidence. Supervised multivariate analysis was used to select 132 proteins separating the prognostic groups. Based on in-depth bioinformatics analysis, we hypothesized that the tumors with poor prognosis had a higher glycolytic activity and HIF activation. By measuring the bioenergetic cellular index of the tumors, we could detect a higher dependency of glycolysis among the tumors with poor prognosis. Further, we could also detect an up-regulation of HIF1α mRNA expression in tumors with early relapse. Finally, we selected three proteins that were upregulated in the poor prognosis group (cathepsin D, ENO1, and VDAC1) to confirm that the proteins indeed originated from the tumor and not from a stromal or inflammatory component. Overall, these findings show how in-depth analysis of clinical material can lead to an increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind tumor progression.

Purpose: Characterization of the genomic changes that drive an individual patient's disease is critical in management of many cancers. In patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), obtaining tumor samples of sufficient size for genomic profiling on recurrence is often challenging. We undertook this study to compare genomic alterations identified in archived primary tumors from patients with NSCLC with those identified in metachronous or synchronous metastases., Patients and Methods: Primary and matched metastatic tumor pairs from 15 patients were analyzed by using a targeted next-generation sequencing assay in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments laboratory. Genomic libraries were captured for 3,230 exons in 182 cancer-related genes plus 37 introns from 14 genes often rearranged in cancer and sequenced to high coverage., Results: Among 30 tumors, 311 genomic alterations were identified of which 63 were known recurrent (32 in primary tumor, 31 in metastasis) and 248 were nonrecurrent (likely passenger). TP53 mutations were the most frequently observed recurrent alterations (12 patients). Tumors harbored two or more (maximum four) recurrent alterations in 10 patients. Comparative analysis of recurrent alterations between primary tumor and matched metastasis revealed a concordance rate of 94% compared with 63% for likely passenger alterations., Conclusion: This high concordance suggests that for the purposes of genomic profiling, use of archived primary tumor can identify the key recurrent somatic alterations present in matched NSCLC metastases and may provide much of the relevant genomic information required to guide treatment on recurrence.

The spliceosome is a large ribonucleoprotein complex that guides pre-mRNA splicing in eukaryotic cells. Here, we determine whether the spliceosome could constitute an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. Analysis of gene expression arrays from lung, breast, and ovarian cancers datasets revealed that several genes encoding components of the core spliceosome composed of a heteroheptameric Sm complex were overexpressed in malignant disease as compared with benign lesions and could also define a subset of highly aggressive breast cancers. siRNA-mediated depletion of SmE (SNRPE) or SmD1 (SNRPD1) led to a marked reduction of cell viability in breast, lung, and melanoma cancer cell lines, whereas it had little effect on the survival of the nonmalignant MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. SNRPE or SNRPD1 depletion did not lead to apoptotic cell death but autophagy, another form of cell death. Indeed, induction of autophagy was revealed by cytoplasmic accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and by an increase in both LC3 (MAP1LC3A) protein conversion and the amount of acidic autophagic vacuoles. Knockdown of SNRPE dramatically decreased mTOR mRNA and protein levels and was accompanied by a deregulation of the mTOR pathway, which, in part, explains the SNRPE-dependent induction of autophagy. These findings provide a rational to develop new therapeutic agents targeting spliceosome core components in oncology., (©2013 AACR.)

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are routinely treated with cytotoxic agents such as cisplatin. Through a genome-wide siRNA-based screen, we identified vitamin B6 metabolism as a central regulator of cisplatin responses in vitro and in vivo. By aggravating a bioenergetic catastrophe that involves the depletion of intracellular glutathione, vitamin B6 exacerbates cisplatin-mediated DNA damage, thus sensitizing a large panel of cancer cell lines to apoptosis. Moreover, vitamin B6 sensitizes cancer cells to apoptosis induction by distinct types of physical and chemical stress, including multiple chemotherapeutics. This effect requires pyridoxal kinase (PDXK), the enzyme that generates the bioactive form of vitamin B6. In line with a general role of vitamin B6 in stress responses, low PDXK expression levels were found to be associated with poor disease outcome in two independent cohorts of patients with NSCLC. These results indicate that PDXK expression levels constitute a biomarker for risk stratification among patients with NSCLC., (Copyright © 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is a protein involved in repair of DNA platinum adducts and stalled DNA replication forks. We and others have previously shown the influence of ERCC1 expression upon survival rates and benefit of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about the molecular characteristics of ERCC1-positive and ERCC1-negative tumors., Experimental Design: We took advantage of a cohort of 91 patients with resected NSCLC, for which we had matched frozen and paraffin-embedded samples to explore the comparative molecular portraits of ERCC1-positive and ERCC1-negative tumors of NSCLC. We carried out a global molecular analysis including assessment of ERCC1 expression levels by using both immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR), genomic instability, global gene and miRNA expression, and sequencing of selected key genes involved in lung carcinogenesis., Results: ERCC1 protein and mRNA expression were significantly correlated. However, we observed several cases with clear discrepancies. We noted that ERCC1-negative tumors had a higher rate of genomic abnormalities versus ERCC1-positive tumors. ERCC1-positive tumors seemed to share a common DNA damage response (DDR) phenotype with the overexpression of seven genes linked to DDR. The miRNA expression analysis identified miR-375 as significantly underexpressed in ERCC1-positive tumors., Conclusions: Our data show inconsistencies in ERCC1 expression between IHC and qRT-PCR readouts. Furthermore, ERCC1 status is not linked to specific mutational patterns or frequencies. Finally, ERCC1-negative tumors have a high rate of genomic aberrations that could consequently influence prognosis in patients with resected NSCLC., (©2011 AACR.)

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are noncoding RNAs that regulate multiple cellular processes, including proliferation and apoptosis. We used microarray technology to identify miRNAs that were upregulated by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells in response to cisplatin (CDDP). The corresponding synthetic miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs) per se were not lethal when transfected into A549 cells yet affected cell death induction by CDDP, C2-ceramide, cadmium, etoposide, and mitoxantrone in an inducer-specific fashion. Whereas synthetic miRNA inhibitors (anti-miRNAs) targeting miR-181a and miR-630 failed to modulate the response of A549 to CDDP, pre-miR-181a and pre-miR-630 enhanced and reduced CDDP-triggered cell death, respectively. Pre-miR-181a and pre-miR-630 consistently modulated mitochondrial/postmitochondrial steps of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, including Bax oligomerization, mitochondrial transmembrane potential dissipation, and the proteolytic maturation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, pre-miR-630 blocked early manifestations of the DNA damage response, including the phosphorylation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase and of two ATM substrates, histone H2AX and p53. Pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of p53 corroborated the hypothesis that pre-miR-630 (but not pre-miR-181a) blocks the upstream signaling pathways that are ignited by DNA damage and converge on p53 activation. Pre-miR-630 arrested A549 cells in the G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle, correlating with increased levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1) as well as with reduced proliferation rates and resulting in greatly diminished sensitivity of A549 cells to the late S-G2-M cell cycle arrest mediated by CDDP. Altogether, these results identify miR-181a and miR-630 as novel modulators of the CDDP response in NSCLC.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) responds to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib. However, secondary somatic EGFR mutations (e.g., T790M) confer resistance to erlotinib. BMS-690514, a novel panHER/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor described here, exerted antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects on NSCLC cell lines, with prominent efficacy on H1975 cells expressing the T790M mutation. In this model, BMS-690514 induced a G(1) cell cycle arrest, as well as ultrastructural hallmarks of apoptosis, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, and activation of caspases involved in the intrinsic (e.g., caspase-2, caspase-3, caspase-7, and caspase-9), but not in the extrinsic (e.g., caspase-8), pathway. Caspase inhibition conferred partial protection against BMS-690514 cytotoxicity, pointing to the involvement of both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent effector mechanisms. Transcriptome analyses revealed the up-regulation of proapoptotic (e.g., Bim, Puma) and cell cycle inhibitory (e.g., p27(Kip1), p57(Kip2)) factors, as well as the down-regulation of antiapoptotic (e.g., Mcl1), heat shock (e.g., HSP40, HSP70, HSP90), and cell cycle promoting [e.g., cyclins B1, D1, and D3; cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1); MCM family proteins; proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)] proteins. BMS-690514-induced death of H1975 cells was modified in a unique fashion by a panel of small interfering RNAs targeting apoptosis modulators. Down-regulation of components of the nuclear factor-kappaB survival pathway (e.g., p65, Nemo/IKK gamma, TAB2) sensitized cells to BMS-690514, whereas knockdown of proapoptotic factors (e.g., Puma, Bax, Bak, caspase-2, etc.) and DNA damage-related proteins (e.g., ERCC1, hTERT) exerted cytoprotective effects. BMS-690514 is a new pan-HER/VEGFR inhibitor that may become an alternative to erlotinib for the treatment of NSCLC.

Various T cell adhesion molecules and their cognate receptors on target cells promote T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated cell killing. In this report, we demonstrate that the interaction of epithelial cell marker E-cadherin with integrin alpha(E)(CD103)beta(7), often expressed by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), plays a major role in effective tumor cell lysis. Indeed, we found that although tumor-specific CD103(+) TIL-derived cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones are able to kill E-cadherin(+)/intercellular adhesion molecule 1(-) autologous tumor cells, CD103(-) peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL)-derived counterparts are inefficient. This cell killing is abrogated after treatment of the TIL clones with a blocking anti-CD103 monoclonal antibody or after targeting E-cadherin in the tumor using ribonucleic acid interference. Confocal microscopy analysis also demonstrated that alpha(E)beta(7) is recruited at the immunological synapse and that its interaction with E-cadherin is required for cytolytic granule polarization and subsequent exocytosis. Moreover, we report that the CD103(-) profile, frequently observed in PBL-derived CTL clones and associated with poor cytotoxicity against the cognate tumor, is up-regulated upon TCR engagement and transforming growth factor beta1 treatment, resulting in strong potentiation of antitumor lytic function. Thus, CD8(+)/CD103(+) tumor-reactive T lymphocytes infiltrating epithelial tumors most likely play a major role in antitumor cytotoxic response through alpha(E)beta(7)-E-cadherin interactions.