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Background: The KDM1A histone demethylase regulates the cellular balance between proliferation and differentiation, and is often deregulated in human cancers including the childhood tumor neuroblastoma. We previously showed that KDM1A is strongly expressed in undifferentiated neuroblastomas and correlates with poor patient prognosis, suggesting a possible clinical benefit from targeting KDM1A. Methods: Here, we tested the efficacy of NCL-1, a small molecule specifically inhibiting KDM1A in preclinical models for neuroblastoma. Results: NCL-1 mimicked the effects of siRNA-mediated KDM1A knockdown and effectively inhibited KDM1A activity in four neuroblastoma cell lines and a patient-representative cell model. KDM1A inhibition shifted the aggressive tumor cell phenotypes towards less aggressive phenotypes. The proliferation and cell viability was reduced, accompanied by the induction of markers of neuronal differentiation. Interventional NCL-1 treatment of nude mice harboring established neuroblastoma xenograft tumors reduced tumor growth and inhibited cell proliferation. Reduced vessel density and defects in blood vessel construction also resulted, and NCL-1 inhibited the growth and tube formation of HUVEC-C cells in vitro. Conclusions : Inhibiting KDM1A could attack aggressive neuroblastomas two-fold, by re-directing tumor cells toward a less aggressive, slower-growing phenotype and by preventing or reducing the vascular support of large tumors.

Background: Capmatinib, a potent and selective MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), holds promise as a therapeutic agent due to its potentially elevated intracranial efficacy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring exon 14 skipping alterations in MET (MET Proto-Oncogene). This study aims to evaluate a targeted therapeutic approach to an MET exon 14 skipping (METex14) advanced NSCLC patient that progressed on Crizotinib and developed off target resistance alteration in PIK3CA., Case Discription: We present a case of advanced METex14 NSCLC patient wherein central nervous system (CNS) relapse occurred post complete surgical resection and remission of the lung tumor under first-line crizotinib treatment. Subsequent disease monitoring demonstrated a profound intracranial response to capmatinib in a crizotinib-resistant brain lesion. Molecular analysis unveiled the original METex14 D1028N driver mutation and a newly arisen PIK3CA bypass mutation, potentially contributing to off-target resistance., Conclusions: Before capmatinib was approved as a first line treatment option for metastatic NSCLC harboring somatic METex14 mutations, crizotinib conferred a potential option for targeted treatment. Switching to a selective MET -TKI like capmatinib with a better CNS penetration, it appears to be a promising approach for CNS metastasized NSCLC patients with METex14 mutations that failed on crizotinib. Further research is needed to more effectively understand and monitor resistance mechanisms using advanced diagnostic techniques such as DNA-based hybrid-capture (HC) next generation sequencing (NGS) to guide molecularly stratified therapy beyond the first line setting., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-23-769/coif). M.F. reports receiving consulting and lecture fees from Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer. M.T. reports receiving honoraria for lectures and presentation for Novartis. F.G. has received consulting fees, payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus and manuscript writing from Roche, Pfizer, MSD, Takeda, BMS, Abbvie, Sanofi, AMGEN and Novartis. He has also been supported by Pierre Fabre, Roche, Abbvie, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca and Takeda for attending meetings or travelling. He is a member of data safety monitoring board and advisory board in AstraZeneca, Roche, Pfizer, Merck and Takeda. His institution received payment for expert testimony by Merck, MSD, Roche, Lilly, Janssen, CSL, Behring, BEigene, AOP, Jazz, Pfizer, Takeda, Novartis, AstraZeneca, BMS, Abbvie, AMGEN, Incyte, Sobi and GSK for expert meetings in NSCLC, Oncology and Hematology Wrap ups. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Background: The PACIFIC study showed that after radio-chemotherapy, patients with NSCLC derived a benefit in PFS and OS when treated with durvalumab. This effect was limited to patients with a PD-L1 expression of >1%, partly because the outcome in the observational control arm was surprisingly favorable. Thus, it could be speculated that a lack of PD-L1 expression confers a favorable outcome for patients with stage III NSCLC., Methods: Clinical data, PD-L1 expression, predictive blood markers, and the outcomes of 99 homogeneously treated patients with stage III NSCLC were retrospectively captured. Statistical analyses using the log rank test were performed., Results: The median OS of patients with an expression of PD-L1 < 1% was 20 months (CI 10.5-29.5) and the median OS of patients with an expression of PD-L1 ≥ 1% was 28 months (CI 16.5-39.2) ( p = 0.734). The median PFS of patients with an expression of PD-L1 < 1% was 9 months (CI 6.3-11.6) and the median PFS of patients with an expression of PD-L1 ≥ 1% was 12 months (CI 9.8-14.2) ( p = 0.112)., Conclusions: The assumption that the lack of PD-L1 expression represents a favorable prognostic factor after radio-chemotherapy vs. PD-L1 expression > 1% was not confirmed.

Purpose: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have shown promising clinical results in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Analysis of biomarker subgroups consistently revealed higher benefits for patients with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). The test that is most often used for the detection of HRD in clinical studies is the Myriad myChoice assay. However, other assays can also be used to assess biomarkers, which are indicative of HRD, genomic instability (GI), and BRCA1 / 2 mutation status. Many of these assays have high potential to be broadly applied in clinical routine diagnostics in a time-effective decentralized manner. Here, we compare the performance of a multitude of alternative assays in comparison with Myriad myChoice in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC)., Methods: DNA from HGSOC samples was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of cases previously run with the Myriad myChoice assay, and GI was measured by multiple molecular assays (CytoSNP, AmoyDx, Illumina TSO500 HRD, OncoScan, NOGGO GISv1, QIAseq HRD Panel and whole genome sequencing), applying different bioinformatics algorithms., Results: Application of different assays to assess GI, including Myriad myChoice, revealed high concordance of the generated scores ranging from very substantial to nearly perfect fit, depending on the assay and bioinformatics pipelines applied. Interlaboratory comparison of assays also showed high concordance of GI scores., Conclusion: Assays for GI assessment not only show a high concordance with each other but also in correlation with Myriad myChoice. Thus, almost all of the assays included here can be used effectively to assess HRD-associated GI in the clinical setting. This is important as PARPi treatment on the basis of these tests is compliant with European Medicines Agency approvals, which are methodologically not test-bound.

Synaptopodin-2 (SYNPO2) is a protein associated with the Z-disc in striated muscle cells. It interacts with α-actinin and filamin C, playing a role in Z-disc maintenance under stress by chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA). In smooth muscle cells, SYNPO2 is a component of dense bodies. Furthermore, it has been proposed to play a role in tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in many different kinds of cancers. Alternative transcription start sites and alternative splicing predict the expression of six putative SYNPO2 isoforms differing by extended amino- and/or carboxy-termini. Our analyses at mRNA and protein levels revealed differential expression of SYNPO2 isoforms in cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle cells. We identified synemin, an intermediate filament protein, as a novel binding partner of the PDZ-domain in the amino-terminal extension of the isoforms mainly expressed in cardiac and smooth muscle cells, and demonstrated colocalization of SYNPO2 and synemin in both cell types. A carboxy-terminal extension, mainly expressed in smooth muscle cells, is sufficient for association with dense bodies and interacts with α-actinin. SYNPO2 therefore represents an additional and novel link between intermediate filaments and the Z-discs in cardiomyocytes and dense bodies in smooth muscle cells, respectively. In pathological skeletal muscle samples, we identified SYNPO2 in the central and intermediate zones of target fibers of patients with neurogenic muscular atrophy, and in nemaline bodies. Our findings help to understand distinct functions of individual SYNPO2 isoforms in different muscle tissues, but also in tumor pathology.

EGFR-mutant lung cancers develop a wide range of potential resistance alterations under therapy with the third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib. MET amplification ranks among the most common acquired resistance alterations and is currently being investigated as a therapeutic target in several studies. Nevertheless, targeted therapy of MET might similarly result in acquired resistance by point mutations in MET, which further expands therapeutic and diagnostic challenges. Here, we report a 50-year-old male patient with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and stepwise acquired resistance by a focal amplification of MET followed by D1246N (D1228N), D1246H (D1228H), and L1213V (L1195V) point mutations in MET, all detected by NGS. The patient successfully responded to the combined and sequential treatment of osimertinib, osimertinib/crizotinib, and third-line osimertinib/cabozantinib. This case highlights the importance of well-designed, sequential molecular diagnostic analyses and the personalized treatment of patients with acquired resistance.

The worldwide approval of the combination maintenance therapy of olaparib and bevacizumab in advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer requires complex molecular diagnostic assays that are sufficiently robust for the routine detection of driver mutations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes and genomic instability (GI), employing formalin-fixed (FFPE) paraffin-embedded tumor samples without matched normal tissue. We therefore established a DNA-based hybrid capture NGS assay and an associated bioinformatic pipeline that fulfils our institution's specific needs. The assay´s target regions cover the full exonic territory of relevant cancer-related genes and HRR genes and more than 20,000 evenly distributed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci to allow for the detection of genome-wide allele specific copy number alterations (CNA). To determine GI status, we implemented an %CNA score that is robust across a broad range of tumor cell content (25-85%) often found in routine FFPE samples. The assay was established using high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples for which BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status as well as Myriad MyChoice homologous repair deficiency (HRD) status was known. The NOGGO (Northeastern German Society for Gynecologic Oncology) GIS (GI-Score) v1 assay was clinically validated on more than 400 samples of the ENGOT PAOLA-1 clinical trial as part of the European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups (ENGOT) HRD European Initiative. The "NOGGO GIS v1 assay" performed using highly robust hazard ratios for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), as well a significantly lower dropout rate than the Myriad MyChoice clinical trial assay supporting the clinical utility of the assay. We also provide proof of a modular and scalable routine diagnostic method, that can be flexibly adapted and adjusted to meet future clinical needs, emerging biomarkers, and further tumor entities.

Interleukin-2 is central to the induction and maintenance of both natural (nT reg ) and induced Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells (iT reg ). Thus, signals that modulate IL-2 availability may, in turn, also influence T reg homeostasis. Using global knockout and cell-specific knockout mouse models, we evaluated the role of the small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 4d (Arl4d) in regulatory T-cell biology. We show that the expression of Arl4d in T cells restricts both IL-2 production and responsiveness to IL-2, as measured by the phosphorylation of STAT5. Arl4d -deficient CD4 T cells converted more efficiently into Foxp3 + iT reg in vitro in the presence of αCD3ε and TGFβ, which was associated with their enhanced IL-2 secretion. As such, Arl4d -/- CD4 T cells induced significantly less colonic inflammation and lymphocytic infiltration in a model of transfer colitis. Thus, our data reveal a negative regulatory role for Arl4d in CD4 T-cell biology, limiting iT reg conversion via the restriction of IL-2 production, leading to reduced induction of T reg from conventional CD4 T cells.

Background: The present prospective study aimed at determining the impact of cell-free tumor DNA (ct-DNA), CA125 and HE4 from blood and ascites for quantification of tumor burden in patients with advanced high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)., Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from tumor FFPE and ct-DNA from plasma before surgery and on subsequent post-surgical days. Extracted DNA was subjected to hybrid-capture based next generation sequencing. Blood and ascites were sampled before surgery and on subsequent post-surgical days. 20 patients (10 undergoing complete resection (TR0), 10 undergoing incomplete resection (TR>0)) were included., Results: The minor allele frequency (MAF) of TP53 mutations in ct-DNA of all patients with TR0 decreased significantly, compared to only one patient with TR>0. It was not possible to distinguish between patients with TR0 and patients with TR>0, using CA125 and HE4 from blood and ascites., Conclusions: Based upon the present findings, ct-DNA assessment in patients with high-grade serous EOC might help to better determine disease burden compared to standard tumor markers. Further studies should prospectively evaluate whether this enhancement of accuracy can help to optimize management of patients with EOC., Competing Interests: FH: Travel grants: AstraZeneca, Tesaro, Roche; Honoraria: Roche, AstraZeneca; Clovis, Advisory: Roche; SL: personal fees from NEO New Oncology GmbH, personal fees from BioNTech Diagnostics, personal fees from Definiens GmbH; PH: Honoraria: Roche, AstraZeneca, Tesaro; Advisory: Roche, AstraZeneca, Tesaro, PharmaMar, Lilly; SH: none; JS: HONORARIA: Astra Zeneca, Eisai, Clovis, Olympus, Johnsons and Johnson, PharmaMar, Pfizer, TEVA, TESARO, MSD; CONSULTING OR ADVISORY ROLE: Astra Zeneca, Clovis, Lilly, PharmaMar, Pfizer, Roche, TESARO, MSD; RESEARCH FUNDING: Astra Zeneca, Clovis, Merck, Bayer, PharmaMar, Pfizer, TESARO, MSD; TRAVEL, ACCOMODATIONS, EXPENSES: Astra Zeneca, Clovis, PharmaMar, Roche, Pfizer, TESARO, MSD; JT: employed at New Oncology; RM: employed at New Oncology; BA: reports receiving honoraria from Roche, Tesaro, Clovis, AstraZeneca, and Celgene for lectures, and is an unpaid consultant/advisory board member for Roche and Amgen; MB employed at New Oncology; SS: none; EM: employed at New Oncology; MB: Travel support from prIME Oncology; JNM: employed at New Oncology; SP: none; FL: employed at New Oncology; AH: none; CG: employed at New Oncology; EIB: reports receiving honoraria for advisory board and educational activities from AstraZeneca, Clovis, Tesaro, GSK, Roche Pharma, Incyte, Eisai, MSD, Abbvie; reports receiving travel costs from Clovis, Tesaro, Roche Pharma; LCH: employed at New Oncology; AdB: reports honorary for advisory board and educational activities for Roche, Astra Zeneca, Tesaro, Clovis, Biocad, and Genmab; JMH: employed at New Oncology. That the competing interests does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Background: The negative prognostic and predictive value of TP53 co-mutations ( TP53 mt+) in EGFR mutated ( EGFR mt+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasingly being acknowledged. Data consistently show that TP53 mt+ impact negatively on 1st line objective response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with 1st and 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). However, a negative predictive impact has not been shown for the 3rd generation TKI Osimertinib. Therefore, we investigated the impact of TP53 mt+ in EGFR mt+ NSCLC carrying a T790M resistance mutation and treated in 2nd/further lines with Osimertinib., Methods: A total of 77 EGFR mt+ NSCLC IV patients carrying a T790M resistance mutation from two institutions were analyzed for TP53 mt+. Clinical data including sex, age, presence of CNS metastases, etc., as well as types of EGFR and TP53 mt+ were captured. PFS and OS were calculated from the start of Osimertinib., Results: TP53 mt+ were found in 32/77 patients (42%). TP53 mt+ was a statistically significant independent negative predictive factor for PFS and OS. PFS for TP53 mt+ patients were 9 months vs. 14 months for patients with TP53 wild-type ( TP53 WT) (P<0.008). OS for TP53 mt+ patients was 16 months vs. 24 months patients with TP53 WT (P<0.025)., Conclusions: TP53 mt+ have a negative impact on PFS and OS in a group of patients carrying a sensitizing EGFR mt+ and a T790M resistance mutation treated with Osimertinib. These data, together with the data for 1st/2nd generation TKI in 1st line treatment call for additional therapeutic and management concepts for this subgroup of patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-21-754/coif). JR reports speaker’s honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim. PC reports advisory board/speaker’s honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche; research grants: AstraZeneca, Roche. MF reports advisory board: Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer; speaker’s honoraria: Roche, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim. LCH reports advisory board/speaker’s honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Pfizer, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Siemens. M Tiemann reports speaker’s honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim. AS reports advisory board/speaker’s bureau: AIgnostics, Astra Zeneca, AGCT, Bayer, BMS, Eli Lilly, Illumina, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Seattle Genetics, Takeda, Thermo Fisher; travel/research grants: Bayer, BMS, Chugai. M Thomas advisory board/speaker’s honoraria: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Amgen, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Chugai, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda; travel/research grants: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Chugai, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda. FG reports advisory board/speaker’s honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Ariad, Abbvie, Siemens; research grants: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Siemens. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Myeloid cells play an essential role in the maintenance of liver homeostasis, as well as the initiation and termination of innate and adaptive immune responses. In chronic hepatic inflammation, the production of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is pivotal for scarring and fibrosis induction and progression. TGF-β signalling is tightly regulated via the Smad protein family. Smad7 acts as an inhibitor of the TGF-β-signalling pathway, rendering cells that express high levels of it resistant to TGF-β-dependent signal transduction. In hepatocytes, the absence of Smad7 promotes liver fibrosis. Here, we examine whether Smad7 expression in myeloid cells affects the extent of liver inflammation, injury and fibrosis induction during chronic liver inflammation. Using the well-established model of chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-mediated liver injury, we investigated the role of Smad7 in myeloid cells in LysM-Cre Smad fl/fl mice that harbour a myeloid-specific knock-down of Smad7. We found that the chronic application of CCl 4 induces severe liver injury, with elevated serum alanine transaminase (ALT)/aspartate transaminase (AST) levels, centrilobular and periportal necrosis and immune-cell infiltration. However, the myeloid-specific knock-down of Smad7 did not influence these and other parameters in the CCl 4 -treated animals. In summary, our results suggest that, during long-term application of CCl 4 , Smad7 expression in myeloid cells and its potential effects on the TGF-β-signalling pathway are dispensable for regulating the extent of chronic liver injury and inflammation.

For many years, the risk-based therapy stratification of children with neuroblastoma has relied on clinical and molecular covariates. In recent years, genome analysis has revealed further alterations defining risk, tumor biology, and therapeutic targets. The implementation of a robust and scalable method for analyzing traditional and new molecular markers in routine diagnostics is an urgent clinical need. Here, we investigated targeted panel sequencing as a diagnostic approach to analyze all relevant genomic neuroblastoma risk markers in one assay. Our "neuroblastoma hybrid capture sequencing panel" (NB-HCSP) assay employs a technology for the high-coverage sequencing (>1000×) of 55 selected genes and neuroblastoma-relevant genomic regions, which allows for the detection of single nucleotide changes, structural rearrangements, and copy number alterations. We validated our assay by analyzing 15 neuroblastoma cell lines and a cohort of 20 neuroblastomas, for which reference routine diagnostic data and genome sequencing data were available. We observed a high concordance for risk markers identified by the NB-HSCP assay, clinical routine diagnostics, and genome sequencing. Subsequently, we demonstrated clinical applicability of the NB-HCSP assay by analyzing routine clinical samples. We conclude that the NB-HCSP assay may be implemented into routine diagnostics as a single assay that covers all essential covariates for initial neuroblastoma classification, extended risk stratification, and targeted therapy selection.

Since 2009, several first, second, and third generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have been approved for targeted treatment of EGFR mutated metastatic non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). A vast majority of patients is improving quickly on treatment; however, resistance is inevitable and typically occurs after one year for TKI of the first and second generation. Osimertinib, a third generation TKI, has recently been approved for first line treatment in the palliative setting and is expected to become approved for the adjuvant setting as well. Progression-free survival (PFS) under osimertinib is superior to its predecessors but its spectrum of resistance alterations appears significantly more diverse compared to first and second generation EGFR TKI. As resistance mechanisms to osimertinib are therapeutically targetable in some cases, it is important to comprehensively test for molecular alterations in the relapse scenario. Liquid biopsy may be advantageous over tissue analysis as it has the potential to represent tumor heterogeneity and clonal diversification. We have previously shown high concordance of hybrid capture (HC) based next generation sequencing (NGS) in liquid biopsy versus solid tumor biopsies. In this study, we now present real-word data from 56 patients with metastatic NSCLC that were tested by liquid biopsy at the time of disease progression on mostly second line treated osimertinib treatment. We present examples of single and multiple TKI resistance mechanisms, including mutations in multiple pathways, copy number changes and rare fusions of RET , ALK , FGFR3 and BRAF . In addition, we present the added value of HC based NGS to reveal polyclonal resistance development at the DNA level encoding multiple EGFR C797S and PIK3CA mutations.

Salivary gland carcinomas represent a heterogeneous group of poorly characterized head and neck tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ALK gene and protein aberrations in a large, well-characterized cohort of these tumors. A total of 182 salivary gland carcinomas were tested for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positivity by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the cut-off of 10% positive cells. ALK positive tumors were subjected to FISH analysis and followed by hybrid capture-based next generation sequencing (NGS). Of the 182 tumors, 8 were ALK positive by IHC. Further analysis using hybrid capture NGS analysis revealed a novel MYO18A (Exon1-40)-ALK (exon 20-29) gene fusion in one case of intraductal carcinoma. Additional genomic analyses resulted in the detection of inactivating mutations in BRAF and TP53, as well as amplifications of ERBB2 and ALK. ALK rearrangements are a rare entity in salivary gland carcinomas. We identified a potentially targetable novel ALK fusion in an intraductal carcinoma of minor salivary glands.

Objective: BRAF mutations have been subtyped in three functional classes with different oncogenic modes of action. The clinical impact of BRAF mutational subtypes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be defined. So far, ambiguous results were reported from analyses of heterogeneous patient cohorts., Methods: We studied patients with metastatic or recurrent NSCLC who were sequentially enrolled in precision oncology programs at two large German lung cancer centres from 2009 to 2019. The study period allowed evaluating the specific impact of BRAF V600E-targeting., Results: In a cohort of 72 patients, BRAF mutation subtyping revealed p.V600E mutations in 31 cases (43%), whereas 41 cases (57%) harboured 18 different BRAF mutational subtypes of functional classes II/III. Functionally relevant comutations were observed in 6.4% of class I, and 24.4% of class II/III BRAF mutations. Most patients were treated with chemotherapy. Targeted therapy was administered in 11 patients with a response rate of 72.7%. PD-1/PD-L1-immunotherapy was given in 14 patients with a response rate of 28.6%. Overall survival of patients with BRAF-mutated NSCLC was inferior (HR 1.38, p = 0.048) as compared to patients with BRAF wild-type cancers. Median time-to-treatment-failure with BRAF-targeting agents was shorter as compared to approved targeted therapy of other oncogenic drivers (HR 1.97, p = 0.05). Survival outcomes were not impacted by BRAF mutation subtype functional class., Conclusions: Patients with BRAF-mutated NSCLC have an inferior prognosis, which is not determined by BRAF mutation functional class. In contrast to NSCLC with other tractable driver mutations, BRAF-mutated NSCLC exhibit high susceptibility to immune checkpoint inhibitors., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement Marcel Wiesweg—Honoraria: Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Roche, Takeda. Research funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Takeda. Julia Roeper—Honoraria: Astra-Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche. Henning Reis—Consulting and advisory role: Bristol-Myers Squibb. Honoraria: Roche and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Travel support: Philips, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Research funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb. Share ownership: Bayer. Martin Metzenmacher—Honoraria: Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda. Wilfried Ernst Erich Eberhardt—Research funding to institution: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astra Zeneca and Eli Lilly. Honoraria: Astra Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Abbvie, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen, Daichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Honoraria for educational lectures from Astra Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Roche, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Amgen, Eli Lilly. Clemens Aigner—Research funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb. Kaid Darwiche—Consultancy/Advisory role: Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis. Honoraria: Boehringer Ingelheim. Hans-Ulrich Schildhaus—Research grant: Novartis, Takeda. Honoraria: Pfizer, Novartis, Roche. Markus Tiemann—Honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Pfizer, Takeda, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck. Frank Griesinger—Research funding to institution: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Siemens. Honoraria for educational lectures: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Ariad, Abbvie, Siemens, Tesaro/GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen, Honoraria: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Ariad, Abbvie, Tesaro/GlaxoSmithKline, Siemens, Amgen. Martin Schuler—Consultant honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, Roche, Takeda. Honoraria for educational lectures: Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Merck, Novartis. Research funding to institution: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Novartis. Other: Universität Duisburg-Essen (Patents). All remaining authors declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Abrogation of Notch signaling, which is pivotal for lung development and pulmonary epithelial cell fate decisions was shown to be involved in the aggressiveness and the differentiation of lung carcinomas. Additionally, the transcription factors YAP and TAZ which are involved in the Hippo pathway, were recently shown to be tightly linked with Notch signaling and to regulate the cell fate in epidermal stem cells. Thus, we aim to elucidate the effects of conditional Notch1 deficiency on carcinogenesis and TAZ expression in lung cancer. Methods: We investigated the effect of conditional Cre-recombinase mediated Notch1 knock-out on lung cancer cells in vivo using an autochthonous mouse model of lung adenocarcinomas driven by Kras LSL-G12V and comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis. In addition, we analyzed clinical samples and human lung cancer cell lines for TAZ expression and supported our findings by publicly available data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results: In mice, we found induction of papillary adenocarcinomas and protrusions of tumor cells from the bronchiolar lining upon Notch1 deficiency. Moreover, the mutated Kras driven lung tumors with deleted Notch1 showed increased TAZ expression and focal nuclear translocation which was frequently observed in human pulmonary adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, but not in small cell lung carcinomas. In addition, we used data from TCGA to show that putative inactivating NOTCH1 mutations co-occur with KRAS mutations and genomic amplifications in lung adenocarcinomas. Conclusion: Our in vivo study provides evidence that Notch1 deficiency in mutated Kras driven lung carcinomas contributes to lung carcinogenesis in a subgroup of patients by increasing TAZ expression who might benefit from TAZ signaling blockade., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Meder, Florin, Ozretić, Nill, Koker, Meemboor, Radtke, Diehl, Ullrich, Odenthal, Büttner and Heukamp.)

Objectives: After decades of unsuccessful efforts in inhibiting KRAS, promising clinical data targeting the mutation subtype G12C emerge. Since little is known about outcome with standard treatment of patients with G12C mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we analyzed a large, representative, real-world cohort from Germany., Patients and Methods: A total of 1039 patients with advanced KRAS-mutant or -wildtype NSCLC without druggable alterations have been recruited in the prospective, observational registry CRISP from 12/2015 to 06/2019 by 98 centers in Germany. Details on treatment, best response, and outcome were analyzed for patients with KRAS wildtype, G12C, and non-G12C mutations., Results: Within the study population, 160 (15.4 %) patients presented with KRAS G12C, 251 (24.2 %) with non-G12C mutations, 628 (60.4 %) with KRAS wildtype. High PD-L1 expression (Tumor Proportion Score, TPS > 50 %) was documented for 28.0 %, 43.5 %, and 28.9 % (wildtype, G12C, non-G12C) of the tested patients; 68.8 %, 89.3 %, and 87.7 % of the patients received first-line treatment combined with an immune checkpoint-inhibitor in 2019. TPS > 50 % vs. TPS < 1 % was associated with a significantly decreased risk of mortality in a multivariate Cox model (HR 0.39, 95 % CI 0.26-0.60, p=<0.001). There were no differences in clinical outcome between KRAS wildtype, G12C or non-G12C mutations and KRAS mutational status was not prognostic in the model., Conclusion: Here we describe the so far largest prospectively recruited cohort of patients with advanced NSCLC and KRAS mutations, with special focus on the G12C mutation. These data constitute an extremely valuable historical control for upcoming clinical studies that employ KRAS inhibitors., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although the crucial role of professional phagocytes for the clearance of S. aureus infections is well-established, several studies indicate an adverse role of leukocytes in the dissemination of S. aureus during infection. Since only little is known about macrophages in this context, we analyzed the role of macrophages, and in particular reactive oxygen species deficiency, for the seeding of S. aureus metastases. Infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) with S. aureus revealed that NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2-) deficient, but not NOX1- or NOX4-deficient, BMDM failed to clear intracellular S. aureus . Despite of larger intracellular bacterial burden, NOX2-deficient BMDM showed significantly improved survival. Intravenous injection of mice with in vitro -infected BMDMs carrying intracellular viable S. aureus led to higher bacterial loads in kidney and liver of mice compared to injection with plain S. aureus . An even higher frequency of liver abscesses was observed in mice infected with S. aureus -loaded nox2 -/- BMDM. Thus, the improved intracellular survival of S. aureus and improved viability of NOX2-deficient BMDM is associated with an aggravated metastatic dissemination of S. aureus infection. A combination of vancomycin and the intracellularly active antibiotic rifampicin led to complete elimination of S. aureus from liver within 48 h, which was not achieved with vancomycin treatment alone, underscoring the impact of intracellular S. aureus on the course of disease. The results of our study indicate that intracellular S. aureus carried by macrophages are sufficient to establish a systemic infection. This suggests the inclusion of intracellularly active antibiotics in the therapeutic regimen of invasive S. aureus infections, especially in patients with NADPH oxidase deficiencies such as chronic granulomatous disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Tosetti, Ward, Grumme, Herb, Schramm, Utermöhlen, Heukamp, Krönke and Krut.)

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours (IMT) are a rare cause of endobronchial masses in adults. Surgery has been the mainstay of treatment of endobronchial IMTs, based on the potential for recurrence. Interventional pulmonology has emerged as a minimally invasive and lung function preserving modality in management of airway obstruction due to tumours. We present a series of three adult patients with IMT treated endobronchially with a short discussion on its potential role. We also discuss how molecular analysis of IMTs for mutations in genes such as ALK and ROS1 might provide insights into clinical behaviour and potential targetable therapy in advanced, unresectable and metastatic cases., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: A. Iyer has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: T. Radonic has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: L.C. Heukamp has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: E. Thunnissen has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: J.M.A. Daniels has nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©ERS 2021.)

Introduction: We report on the results of the German early access program (EAP) with the third-generation ALK- and ROS1-inhibitor lorlatinib., Patients and Methods: Patients with documented treatment failure of all approved ALK/ROS1-specific therapies or with resistance mutations not covered by approved inhibitors or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis were enrolled and analyzed., Results: In total, 52 patients were included [median age 57 years (range 32-81), 54% female, 62% never smokers, 98% adenocarcinoma]; 71% and 29% were ALK- and ROS1-positive, respectively. G1202R and G2032R resistance mutations prior to treatment with lorlatinib were observed in 10 of 26 evaluable patients (39%), 11 of 39 patients showed TP53 mutations (28%). Thirty-six patients (69%) had active brain metastases (BM) and nine (17%) leptomeningeal carcinomatosis when entering the EAP. Median number of prior specific TKIs was 3 (range 1-4). Median duration of treatment, progression-free survival (PFS), response rate and time to treatment failure were 10.4 months, 8.0 months, 54% and 13.0 months. Calculated 12-, 18- and 24-months survival rates were 65, 54 and 47%, overall survival since primary diagnosis (OS2) reached 79.6 months. TP53 mutations were associated with a substantially reduced PFS (3.7 versus 10.8 month, HR 3.3, p  = 0.003) and were also identified as a strong prognostic biomarker (HR for OS2 3.0 p  = 0.02). Neither prior treatments with second-generation TKIs nor BM had a significant influence on PFS and OS., Conclusions: Our data from real-life practice demonstrate the efficacy of lorlatinib in mostly heavily pretreated patients, providing a clinically meaningful option for patients with resistance mutations not covered by other targeted therapies and those with BM or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: Dr. Frost reports personal fees and other from AstraZeneca, personal fees and other from BMS, personal fees and other from AbbVie, personal fees and other from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Takeda, outside the submitted work; Dr. Christopoulos reports grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Roche, grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Pfizer, grants and personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Chugai, personal fees from Boehringer, outside the submitted work; Dr. Kauffmann-Guerrero reports personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Takeda, outside the submitted work; Dr. Stratmann reports personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Roche Pharma, outside the submitted work; Dr. Riedel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schäfer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guetz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Christoph reports personal fees and non-financial support from Pfizer, during the conduct of the study; personal fees and non-financial support from Amgen, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, personal fees and non-financial support from Bayer, personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees and non-financial support from Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees and non-financial support from Chugai, personal fees and non-financial support from Merck, Sharp & Dohme, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees and non-financial support from Roche, personal fees and non-financial support from Takeda, outside the submitted work; Dr. Laack has nothing to disclose. Dr. Faehling has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fischer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fenchel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Haen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Heukamp reports personal fees from Roche, personal fees from NEO NewOncology, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from BMS, personal fees from Astra Zeneca, outside the submitted work; Dr. Schulz reports personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees and non-financial support from Roche, outside the submitted work; Dr. Griesinger reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from BMS, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Eli Lilly, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from MSD, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Pfizer, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Roche, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Takeda, personal fees from AbbVie, personal fees from Tesaro/GSK, grants and personal fees from Amgen, personal fees from Blueprint Medicines, outside the submitted work., (© The Author(s), 2021.)

NTRK gene fusions are sporadic genetic alterations that can occur across tumor entities. Whereas they are quite rare in most solid tumors they are present at much higher frequencies in certain rare tumors such as infantile fibrosarcoma, congenital mesoblastic nephroma, secretory breast, or salivary gland carcinoma. NTRK gene fusions or TRK fusion proteins are considered strong oncogenic drivers. If NTRK gene fusions are detected, TRK inhibitors such as entrectinib and larotrectinib can be used regardless of the tumor entity. So far only larotrectinib is approved in the European Union. Both drugs have been shown to be effective and well tolerated in phase I and phase II studies. The low prevalence of TRK fusion-positive cancers poses challenges for diagnostic and clinical work-flows. On one hand, patients with NTRK gene fusions should be identified; on the other hand, epidemiological, histological, and resource-related aspects have to be taken into account. Based on these premises, we suggest a diagnostic algorithm for TRK fusion cancers and present current data on TRK inhibitors.

Objectives: An increasing number of treatment-determining biomarkers has been identified in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and molecular testing is recommended to enable optimal individualized treatment. However, data on implementation of these recommendations in the "real-world" setting are scarce. This study presents comprehensive details on the frequency, methodology and results of biomarker testing of advanced NSCLC in Germany., Patients and Methods: This analysis included 3,717 patients with advanced NSCLC (2,921 non-squamous; 796 squamous), recruited into the CRISP registry at start of systemic therapy by 150 German sites between December 2015 and June 2019. Evaluated were the molecular biomarkers EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, KRAS, MET, TP53, RET, HER2, as well as expression of PD-L1., Results: In total, 90.5 % of the patients were tested for biomarkers. Testing rates were 92.2 % (non-squamous), 70.7 % (squamous) and increased from 83.2 % in 2015/16 to 94.2% in 2019. Overall testing rates for EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and BRAF were 72.5 %, 74.5 %, 66.1 %, and 53.0 %, respectively (non-squamous). Testing rates for PD-L1 expression were 64.5 % (non-squamous), and 58.5 % (squamous). The most common testing methods were immunohistochemistry (68.5 % non-squamous, 58.3 % squamous), and next-generation sequencing (38.7 % non-squamous, 14.4 % squamous). Reasons for not testing were insufficient tumor material or lack of guideline recommendations (squamous). No alteration was found in 37.8 % (non-squamous), and 57.9 % (squamous), respectively. Most common alterations in non-squamous tumors (all patients/all patients tested for the respective biomarker): KRAS (17.3 %/39.2 %), TP53 (14.1 %/51.4 %), and EGFR (11.0 %/15.1 %); in squamous tumors: TP53 (7.0 %/69.1 %), MET (1.5 %/11.1 %), and EGFR (1.1 %/4.4 %). Median PFS (non-squamous) was 8.7 months (95 % CI 7.4-10.4) with druggable EGFR mutation, and 8.0 months (95 % CI 3.9-9.2) with druggable ALK alterations., Conclusion: Testing rates in Germany are high nationwide and acceptable in international comparison, but still leave out a significant portion of patients, who could potentially benefit. Thus, specific measures are needed to increase implementation., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has evolved into a prime example for precision oncology with multiple FDA-approved "precision" drugs. For the majority of NSCLC lacking targetable genetic alterations, immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has become standard of care in first-line treatment or beyond. PD-L1 tumor expression represents the only approved predictive biomarker for PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint inhibition by therapeutic antibodies. Since PD-L1-negative or low-expressing tumors may also respond to ICI, additional factors are likely to contribute in addition to PD-L1 expression. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) has emerged as a potential candidate; however, it is the most complex biomarker so far and might represent a challenge for routine diagnostics. We therefore established a hybrid capture (HC) next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay that covers all oncogenic driver alterations as well as TMB and validated TMB values by correlation with the assay (F1CDx) used for the CheckMate 227 study. Results of the first consecutive 417 patients analyzed in a routine clinical setting are presented. Data show that fast reliable comprehensive diagnostics including TMB and targetable alterations are obtained with a short turn-around time. Thus, even complex biomarkers can easily be implemented in routine practice to optimize treatment decisions for advanced NSCLC.

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) denotes a malignancy with histologically confirmed metastatic spread while the primary tumor remains elusive. Here, we address prognostic and therapeutic implications of mutations and copy number variations (CNVs) detected in tumor tissue in the context of a comprehensive clinical risk assessment. Targeted panel sequencing was performed in 252 CUP patients. 71.8% of patients had unfavorable CUP according to ESMO guidelines. 74.7% were adeno- and 13.7% squamous cell carcinomas. DNA was extracted from microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. For library preparation, mostly multiplex PCR-based Ion Torrent AmpliSeq™ technology with Oncomine comprehensive assays was used. Most frequent genetic alterations were mutations/deletions of TP53 (49.6%), CDKN2A (19.0%) and NOTCH1 (14.1%) as well as oncogenic activation of KRAS (23.4%), FGFR4 (14.9%) and PIK3CA (10.7%). KRAS activation was predominantly found in adenocarcinomas (p = 0.01), PIK3CA activation in squamous cell carcinomas (p = 0.03). Male sex, high ECOG score, unfavorable CUP, higher number of involved organs and RAS activation predicted decreased event-free and overall survival in multivariate analysis. Deletions of CDKN2A were prognostically adverse regarding overall survival. TP53 mutations did not significantly influence prognosis in the overall cohort, but worsened prognosis in otherwise favorable CUP subtypes. Although not standard in CUP, for 17/198 (8.6%) patients molecularly targeted treatment was recommended and 10 patients (5.1%) were treated accordingly. In conclusion, besides the identification of drug targets, panel sequencing in CUP is prognostically relevant, with RAS activation and CDKN2A deletion emerging as novel independent risk factors in a comprehensive assessment with clinicopathological data., (© 2020 UICC.)

Background: Over the past years, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) revolutionized treatment response. 1st-generation (reversible) EGFR TKI and later the 2nd -generation irreversible EGFR TKI Afatinib were aimed to improve treatment response. Nevertheless, diverse resistance mechanisms develop within the first year of therapy. Here, we evaluate the prevalence of acquired resistance mechanisms towards reversible and irreversible EGFR TKI., Methods: Rebiopsies of patients after progression to EGFR TKI therapy (> 6 months) were targeted to histological and molecular analysis. Multiplexed targeted sequencing (NGS) was conducted to identify acquired resistance mutations (e.g. EGFR p.T790M). Further, Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) was applied to investigate the status of bypass mechanisms like, MET or HER2 amplification., Results: One hundred twenty-three rebiopsy samples of patients that underwent first-line EGFR TKI therapy (PFS ≥6 months) were histologically and molecularly profiled upon clinical progression. The EGFR p.T790M mutation is the major mechanism of acquired resistance in patients treated with reversible as well as irreversible EGFR TKI. Nevertheless a statistically significant difference for the acquisition of T790M mutation has been identified: 45% of afatinib- vs 65% of reversible EGFR TKI treated patients developed a T790M mutation (p-value 0.02). Progression free survival (PFS) was comparable in patients treated with irreversible EGFR irrespective of the sensitising primary mutation or the acquisition of p.T790M., Conclusions: The EGFR p.T790M mutation is the most prominent mechanism of resistance to reversible and irreversible EGFR TKI therapy. Nevertheless there is a statistically significant difference of p.T790M acquisition between the two types of TKI, which might be of importance for clinical therapy decision.

Anti-angiogenic treatment targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGFR2 signaling has shown limited efficacy in lung cancer patients. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of VEGFR2 in tumor cells, expressed in ∼20% of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, leads to a pro-invasive phenotype. Drug-induced inhibition of tumor VEGFR2 interferes with the formation of the EphA2/VEGFR2 heterocomplex, thereby allowing RSK to interact with Serine 897 of EphA2. Inhibition of RSK decreases phosphorylation of Serine 897 EphA2. Selective genetic modeling of Serine 897 of EphA2 or inhibition of EphA2 abrogates the formation of metastases in vivo upon VEGFR2 inhibition. In summary, these findings demonstrate that VEGFR2-targeted therapy conditions VEGFR2-positive NSCLC to Serine 897 EphA2-dependent aggressive tumor growth and metastasis. These data shed light on the molecular mechanisms explaining the limited efficacy of VEGFR2-targeted anti-angiogenic treatment in lung cancer patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) regulates target gene expression upon ligand binding. Apart from its effects on metabolism, PPARγ activity can inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by several immune cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages. In chronic inflammatory disease models, PPARγ activation delays the onset and ameliorates disease severity. Here, we investigated the effect of PPARγ activation by the agonist Pioglitazone on the function of hepatic immune cells and its effect in a murine model of immune-mediated hepatitis. Cytokine production by both liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (IL-6) and in T cells ex vivo (IFNγ) was decreased in cells from Pioglitazone-treated mice. However, PPARγ activation did not decrease pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha TNFα production by Kupffer cells after Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation ex vivo. Most interestingly, although PPARγ activation was shown to ameliorate chronic inflammatory diseases, it did not improve hepatic injury in a model of immune-mediated hepatitis. In contrast, Pioglitazone-induced PPARγ activation exacerbated D-galactosamine (GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) hepatitis associated with an increased production of TNFα by Kupffer cells and increased sensitivity of hepatocytes towards TNFα after in vivo Pioglitazone administration. These results unravel liver-specific effects of Pioglitazone that fail to attenuate liver inflammation but rather exacerbate liver injury in an experimental hepatitis model.

Introduction: The impact of TP53 co-mutations in EGFR mutated patients on PFS and OS is controversial. Different classifications of TP53 mutations with respect to functional and potential clinical impact have been published. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed the impact of TP53 co-mutations on ORR, PFS and OS in a cohort of EGFR mutated NSCLC IV patients (UICC 7) using different classifications of TP53 mutations., Methods: 75 EGFR mutated NSCLC IV patients homogeneously treated with 1st line EGFR TKI were analyzed for TP53 co-mutations. TP53 mutations were classified according to three different types of classifications. The endpoints ORR, PFS and OS were investigated., Results: TP53 co-mutations were found in 29/59 patients (49.2%). TP53 co-mutations were a statistically significant independent negative predictive factor for ORR, PFS and OS. TP53 co-mutations were associated with inferior mPFS and mOS: mPFS/mOS 12 vs. 18/24 vs. 42 months for non-disruptive/disruptive mutations vs. WT ( p < 0.004)/( p < 0.009), 11 vs. 17/23 vs. 42 months for pathogenic vs. non-pathogenic/WT ( p < 0.001)/( p < 0.001), and 7 vs. 12 vs. 18/12 vs. 28 vs. 42 months for exon 8 vs. non-exon 8 vs. WT ( p < 0.001)/( p < 0.002)., Conclusions: TP53 co-mutations are frequent in EGFR mt+ NSCLC and have a strong negative impact on all clinical endpoints of TKI therapy., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Julia Roeper: Honorarium: Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim. Markus Falk: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Athena Chalaris-Rißmann: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Anne Ch. Lueers: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Hayat Ramdani: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Katrin Wedeken: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Ursula Stropiep: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Lindas Diehl: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Markus Tiemann: Honorarium: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Roche, Pfizer, Takeda, BMS, MSD; Travel costs: Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Takeda, BMS, MSD. Lukas C. Heukamp: Honararium: NEO New Oncology, BMS, Bayer, Roche, Pfizer; Advisory board: NEO New Oncology, BMS, Bayer, Roche, Pfizer. Fabian Otto-Sobotka: Research fund: DFG, AOK, City of Oldenburg, State of Lower Saxony. Frank Griesinger: Honorarium: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Ariad, Abbvie, Siemens; Advisory board: ASTRA, Boehringer, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Ariad, Abbvie, Siemens; Research fund: Astra Zeneca, Boehringer, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, Siemens.

Myeloid cells are essential for the initiation and termination of innate and adaptive immunity that create homeostasis in the liver. Smad7 is an inhibitor of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, which regulates inflammatory cellular processes. Knockdown of Smad7 in hepatocytes has been shown to promote liver fibrosis, but little is known about the effects of Smad7 in myeloid cells during inflammatory responses in the liver. Using mice with a myeloid-specific knockdown of Smad7 (LysM-Cre Smad7 fl/fl ), we investigated the impact of Smad7 deficiency in myeloid cells on liver inflammation and regeneration using the well-established model of CCl 4 -mediated liver injury. Early (24/48 h) and late (7 d) time points were analyzed. We found that CCl 4 induces severe liver injury, with elevated serum ALT levels, centrilobular and periportal necrosis, infiltrating myeloid cells and an increase of inflammatory cytokines in the liver. Furthermore, as expected, inflammation peaked at 24 h and subsided after 7 d. However, the knockdown of Smad7 in myeloid cells did not affect any of the investigated parameters in the CCl 4 -treated animals. In summary, our results suggest that the inhibition of TGF-β signaling via Smad7 expression in myeloid cells is dispensable for the induction and control of acute CCl 4 -induced liver injury.

Introduction: ROS1 rearrangements are found in 1% of lung cancer patients. Therapeutic efficacy of crizotinib in this subset has been shown in early phase trials in the United States and East Asia. Here we present data on efficacy and safety of a prospective phase II trial evaluating crizotinib in European ROS1-positive patients (EUCROSS)., Patients and Methods: The trial was a multicenter, single-arm phase II trial (Clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT02183870). Key eligibility criteria included patients who were 18 years of age or older with advanced/metastatic lung cancer and centrally confirmed ROS1-rearranged lung cancer (fluorescence-in situ hybridization). Treatment included 250 mg crizotinib twice daily. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1). Key secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, efficacy by independent radiologic review, safety, health-related quality of life, and molecular characterization of tumor tissue., Results: Thirty-four patients received treatment. Four patients were excluded from efficacy analysis. Investigator ORR was 70% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51-85; 21 of 30 patients) and median PFS was 20.0 months (95% CI: 10.1-not reached). Two patients with ROS1 wild-type sequences assessed by DNA sequencing had progression as best response. CD74-ROS1-positive patients had a trend towards a higher ORR and longer median PFS. TP53-co-mutant patients had a significantly shorter median PFS than wild-type patients (7.0 months, 95% CI: 1.7-20.0 versus 24.1 months, 95% CI: 10.1-not reached; p = 0.022). Treatment-related adverse events were documented in 33 of 34 patients (97%)., Conclusions: Crizotinib is highly effective and safe in patients with ROS1-rearranged lung cancer. ROS1-/TP53-co-aberrant patients had a significantly worse outcome compared to TP53 wild-type patients., (Copyright © 2019 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective in acquired resistance (AR) to early-generation EGFR TKIs in EGFR-mutant lung cancer. However, efficacy is marked by interindividual heterogeneity. We present the molecular profiles of pretreatment and post-treatment samples from patients treated with third-generation EGFR TKIs and their impact on treatment outcomes., Methods: Using the databases of two lung cancer networks and two lung cancer centers, we molecularly characterized 124 patients with EGFR p.T790M-positive AR to early-generation EGFR TKIs. In 56 patients, correlative analyses of third-generation EGFR TKI treatment outcomes and molecular characteristics were feasible. In addition, matched post-treatment biopsy samples were collected for 29 patients with progression to third-generation EGFR TKIs., Results: Co-occurring genetic aberrations were found in 74.4% of EGFR p.T790-positive samples (n = 124). Mutations in TP53 were the most frequent aberrations detected (44.5%; n = 53) and had no significant impact on third-generation EGFR TKI treatment. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor ( MET ) amplifications were found in 5% of samples (n = 6) and reduced efficacy of third-generation EGFR TKIs significantly (eg, median progression-free survival, 1.0 months; 95% CI, 0.37 to 1.72 v 8.2 months; 95% CI, 1.69 to 14.77 months; P ≤ .001). Genetic changes in the 29 samples with AR to third-generation EGFR TKIs were found in EGFR (eg, p.T790M loss, acquisition of p.C797S or p.G724S) or in other genes (eg, MET amplification, KRAS mutations)., Conclusion: Additional genetic aberrations are frequent in EGFR-mutant lung cancer and may mediate innate and AR to third-generation EGFR TKIs. MET amplification was strongly associated with primary treatment failure and was a common mechanism of AR to third-generation EGFR TKIs. Thus, combining EGFR inhibitors with TKIs targeting common mechanisms of resistance may delay AR., Competing Interests: The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/po/author-center. Sebastian MichelsHonoraria: Novartis, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche Pharma AG Consulting or Advisory Role: Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, Roche Pharma AG Research Funding: Pfizer (Inst), Novartis (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst) Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: NovartisCarina HeydtHonoraria: AstraZeneca, IlluminaNuria PardoOther Relationship: PfizerKim MonkhorstConsulting or Advisory Role: Pfizer, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, MSD, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb Speakers' Bureau: Quadia Research Funding: AstraZeneca, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Personal Genome Diagnostics Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Takeda, Pfizer, RocheVanessa RüsselerTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Ventana Medical SystemsJan StratmannHonoraria: Bristol-Myers Squibb Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: NovartisFrank GriesingerHonoraria: Genentech, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, AbbVie, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ipsen, Novartis Consulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca, Genentech, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Takeda, AbbVie, Novartis, Bayer Research Funding: AstraZeneca (Inst), Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), MSD (Inst), Celgene (Inst), Eli Lilly (Inst), Novartis (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), Roche (Inst), Takeda (Inst)Jana FassunkeHonoraria: AstraZenecaRieke FischerHonoraria: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, MSD Research Funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), MSD (Inst) Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: MediolanumOliver GautschiOther Relationship: AstraZeneca, PfizerEva GeissingerHonoraria: MSD Sharp & Dohme Consulting or Advisory Role: NovartisHans-Georg KoppHonoraria: MSD Oncology, Boehringer Ingelheim, LEO Pharma, PharmaMar, Roche, Pfizer, Chugai Pharma, Takeda Consulting or Advisory Role: MSD Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Roche, AstraZeneca Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Novartis, PharmaMar, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD Oncology, Bristol-Myers SquibbAdrianus J. de LangenConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), MSD Oncology (Inst), Roche (Inst), Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Pfizer (Inst) Research Funding: AstraZeneca (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), Merck Serono (Inst), MSD Oncology (Inst), Roche (Inst)Alex Martinez-MartiHonoraria: Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim Consulting or Advisory Role: Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim Speakers' Bureau: F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim Research Funding: Merck Serono Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, MSD Oncology, Boehringer IngelheimLucia NogovaHonoraria: Pfizer, Celgene, Novartis, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Consulting or Advisory Role: Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Janssen, Pfizer Research Funding: Pfizer, (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), Novartis (Inst), MSD (Inst), Janssen (Inst) Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Novartis, Pfizer, Celgene, Boehringer IngelheimDennis PlenkerStock and Other Ownership Interests: Roche, Foundation Medicine Patents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: A patent of NRG1 fusions has been filedMichael PueskenConsulting or Advisory Role: MSD Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: ShireErnst RodermannConsulting or Advisory Role: Amgen, CelgeneAndreas H. ScheelHonoraria: MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Dako/Agilent Technologies Consulting or Advisory Role: MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Dako/Agilent TechnologiesMatthias SchefflerHonoraria: Healthcare Consulting Cologne, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda Consulting or Advisory Role: Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Boehringer IngelheimRuth Seggewiss-BernhardtHonoraria: Novartis, Celgene, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ipsen, Pfizer, AstraZeneca Consulting or Advisory Role: MSD, Pfizer Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Astellas Pharma, Celgene, IpsenMartin SebastianHonoraria: AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer/EMD Serono, MSD, Takeda, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Boehringer Ingelheim, AbbVie Consulting or Advisory Role: Genentech, MSD, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Takeda, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Celgene Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Pfizer, TakedaMartin L. SosResearch Funding: Novartis, NovartisLukas C. HeukampEmployment: NEO New Oncology, Hämatopathologie Hamburg Honoraria: Roche Pharma, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim Consulting or Advisory Role: Roche Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, NovartisEnriqueta FelipConsulting or Advisory Role: Pfizer, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Guardant Health, Novartis, Takeda, AbbVie, Blueprint Medicines, Eli Lilly, Merck KGaA, Merck Sharp & Dohme Speakers' Bureau: AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Roche, Pfizer, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Merck KGaA, Takeda Research Funding: Fundación Merck Salud (Inst), EMD Serono (Inst)Sabine Merkelbach-BruseHonoraria: AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche Pharma Consulting or Advisory Role: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, PfizerEgbert F. SmitConsulting or Advisory Role: Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca (Inst), Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Genentech (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst), Merck KGaA (Inst), MSD Oncology (Inst), Takeda (Inst), Bayer (Inst) Research Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim (Inst), Bayer (Inst), Genentech (Inst), AstraZeneca (Inst), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Inst)Reinhard BüttnerStock and Other Ownership Interests: Co-founder and CSO for Targos Mol. Pathol. (Kassel/Germany) and TAMP (Atlanta, GA) Honoraria: AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono, MSD, Novartis, Qiagen, Pfizer, Roche Research Funding: Roche (Inst)Juergen WolfHonoraria: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD, Novartis, Roche Consulting or Advisory Role: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chugai Pharma, Ignyta, Eli Lilly, MSD Oncology, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche Research Funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Pfizer No other potential conflicts of interest were reported., (© 2019 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)

Background: High-risk neuroblastoma with N-Myc amplification remains a therapeutic challenge in paediatric oncology. Antagonism of pro-death Bcl-2 homology (BH) proteins to pro-survival BH members such as Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 has become a treatment approach, but previous studies suggest that a combined inhibition of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 is necessary. TW-37 inhibits Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 with almost the same affinity. However, single-agent cytotoxicity of TW-37 in neuroblastoma cell lines has not been investigated., Methods: Cell viability, apoptosis, proliferation and changes in growth properties were determined in SKNAS, IMR-5, SY5Y and Kelly cells after treatment with TW-37. After transfection with Mcl-1 or Bcl-2 siRNA, apoptosis and proliferation were investigated in Kelly cells. Mice with Kelly cell line xenografts were treated with TW-37 and tumor growth, survival and apoptosis were determined., Results: Cell lines with N-Myc amplification were more sensitive to TW-37 treatment, IC50 values for IMR-5 and Kelly cells being 0.28 μM and 0.22 μM, compared to SY5Y cells and SKNAS cells (IC50 0.96 μM and 0.83 μM). Treatment with TW-37 resulted in increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation rates, especially in IMR5 and Kelly cells. Bcl-2 as well as Mcl-1 knockdown induced apoptosis in Kelly cells. TW-37 led to a decrease in tumor growth and a favorable survival (p = 0.0379) in a Kelly neuroblastoma xenografts mouse model., Conclusion: TW-37 has strong single-agent cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, combined inhibition of Bcl-2/Mcl-1 by TW-37 in N-Myc amplified neuroblastoma may represent an interesting therapeutic strategy.

Introduction: Diffuse gastric cancer is associated with poor prognosis. We report a patient with metastatic gastric linitis plastica harboring human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER2 ) activating mutation and HER2 amplification., Case Description: The patient received 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid and oxaliplatin combined with trastuzumab/pertuzumab, resulting in disease control for 8 months. Second-line therapy with nivolumab and trastuzumab/pertuzumab was well-tolerated, with macroscopic peritoneal response. Following ovarian progression and surgical resection of ovarian metastases, immunohistochemistry of PD-L1 was negative; proteomics demonstrated normal expression of HER2 and absence of PD-L1, while genomics showed HER2 amplification, suggesting mechanisms of escape to dual HER2 blockade by downregulation of HER2 and to nivolumab by the absence of PD-L1. Based upon this and nonexpression of biomarkers of taxane resistance, therapy was changed to paclitaxel. Two and a half years after diagnosis, the patient is undergoing treatment, with excellent performance status., Conclusions: Molecular analysis and personalized therapy can help optimize treatment in difficult-to-treat cancers.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a key regulator of adaptive immune responses but its regulation is incompletely understood. We previously found that PDL1-dependent signals were pivotal for liver sinusoidal endothelial cell-mediated priming of CD8 T cells, which have a strongly reduced capacity to produce IL-2. Here, we show that the expression of the ARF-like GTPase Arl4d is PD-L1-dependently induced in such LSEC-primed T cells, and is associated with reduced IL-2 secretion and Akt phosphorylation. Conversely, Arl4d-deficient T cells overproduced IL-2 upon stimulation. Arl4d-deficiency in CD8 T cells also enhanced their expansion and effector function during viral infection in vivo. Consistent with their increased IL-2 production, Arl4d-deficient T cells showed enhanced development into KLRG1 + CD127 - short-lived effector cells (SLEC), which is dependent on IL-2 availability. Thus, our data reveal a PD-L1-dependent regulatory circuitry that involves the induction of Arl4d for limiting IL-2 production in T cells.

Purpose: KEAP1 and NFE2L2 mutations are associated with impaired prognosis in a variety of cancers and with squamous cell carcinoma formation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about frequency, histology dependence, molecular and clinical presentation as well as response to systemic treatment in NSCLC. Experimental Design: Tumor tissue of 1,391 patients with NSCLC was analyzed using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Clinical and pathologic characteristics, survival, and treatment outcome of patients with KEAP1 or NFE2L2 mutations were assessed. Results: KEAP1 mutations occurred with a frequency of 11.3% ( n = 157) and NFE2L2 mutations with a frequency of 3.5% ( n = 49) in NSCLC patients. In the vast majority of patients, both mutations did not occur simultaneously. KEAP1 mutations were found mainly in adenocarcinoma (AD; 72%), while NFE2L2 mutations were more common in squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC; 59%). KEAP1 mutations were spread over the whole protein, whereas NFE2L2 mutations were clustered in specific hotspot regions. In over 80% of the patients both mutations co-occurred with other cancer-related mutations, among them also targetable aberrations like activating EGFR mutations or MET amplification. Both patient groups showed different patterns of metastases, stage distribution and performance state. No patient with KEAP1 mutation had a response on systemic treatment in first-, second-, or third-line setting. Of NFE2L2 -mutated patients, none responded to second- or third-line therapy. Conclusions: KEAP1 - and NFE2L2 -mutated NSCLC patients represent a highly heterogeneous patient cohort. Both are associated with different histologies and usually are found together with other cancer-related, partly targetable, genetic aberrations. In addition, both markers seem to be predictive for chemotherapy resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 24(13); 3087-96. ©2018 AACR ., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

LIN28B is a RNA-binding protein regulating predominantly let-7 microRNAs with essential functions in inflammation, wound healing, embryonic stem cells, and cancer. LIN28B expression is associated with tumor initiation, progression, resistance, and poor outcome in several solid cancers, including lung cancer. However, the functional role of LIN28B, especially in non-small cell lung adenocarcinomas, remains elusive. Here, we investigated the effects of LIN28B expression on lung tumorigenesis using LIN28B transgenic overexpression in an autochthonous KRAS G12V -driven mouse model. We found that LIN28B overexpression significantly increased the number of CD44+/CD326+ tumor cells, upregulated VEGF-A and miR-21 and promoted tumor angiogenesis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) accompanied by enhanced AKT phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of c-MYC. Moreover, LIN28B accelerated tumor initiation and enhanced proliferation which led to a shortened overall survival. In addition, we analyzed lung adenocarcinomas of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and found LIN28B expression in 24% of KRAS-mutated cases, which underscore the relevance of our model.

Purpose: We sought to investigate the clinical response to MET inhibition in patients diagnosed with structural MET alterations and to characterize their functional relevance in cellular models. Experimental Design: Patients were selected for treatment with crizotinib upon results of hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing. To confirm the clinical observations, we analyzed cellular models that express these MET kinase alterations. Results: Three individual patients were identified to harbor alterations within the MET receptor. Two patients showed genomic rearrangements, leading to a gene fusion of KIF5B or STARD3NL and MET One patient diagnosed with an EML4-ALK rearrangement developed a MET kinase domain duplication as a resistance mechanism to ceritinib. All 3 patients showed a partial response to crizotinib that effectively inhibits MET and ALK among other kinases. The results were further confirmed using orthogonal cellular models. Conclusions: Crizotinib leads to a clinical response in patients with MET rearrangements. Our functional analyses together with the clinical data suggest that these structural alterations may represent actionable targets in lung cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1337-43. ©2017 AACR ., (©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Aims: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry has become a mandatory diagnostic test in the treatment of lung cancer. Several research initiatives have started to harmonise the five PD-L1 immunohistochemistry assays that have been used in clinical trials. Here, we report data on interlaboratory and interassay concordance for commercial assays ('assays') and laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) at 10 German testing sites., Methods and Results: To assess interlaboratory concordance, a tissue microarray containing 21 pulmonary carcinoma specimens was centrally prepared. Pre-cut sections were stained at 10 sites by the use of assays 28-8, 22C3, SP263, and SP142, as well as 11 LDTs. Assay performance was evaluated with a second tissue microarray containing 11 cell lines with defined PD-L1 expression. Quality control was centrally performed by manual and digital analyses. The assays yielded reproducible IHC staining patterns at all sites. In agreement with previous studies, 22C3, 28-8 and SP263 showed similar staining patterns, whereas SP142 was distinct. Among the LDTs, six of 11 protocols showed staining patterns similar to those of assays 22C3 and 28-8. Interlaboratory concordance of tumour cell scoring by use of a six-step system was moderate (Light's κ = 0.43-0.69), whereas the clinically approved cut-offs of ≥1% and ≥50% showed substantial concordance (κ = 0.73-0.89). Immune cell scoring by the use of SP142 yielded moderate concordance (κ = 0.42)., Conclusions: The data confirm the previously described staining patterns of the assays, and show that they can be reproducibly employed at different sites. LDTs with staining results similar to those of the assays are implementable, but have to be carefully validated., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Detection of somatic genomic alterations in the plasma of patients with cancer ("liquid biopsy") are increasingly being used in the clinic. However, the concordance of alterations identified in liquid biopsies with those detected in cancer specimens is not routinely being determined., Methods: We sought to systematically compare alterations found by a massively parallel sequencing liquid biopsy assay covering 39 genes (NEOliquid [NEO New Oncology GmbH, Köln, Germany]) with those identified through routine diagnostic testing in a certified central pathology laboratory in a cohort of patients with nonsquamous NSCLC. NEOliquid is based on enrichment of the genomic territory of interest by hybrid capture and is thus capable of detecting point mutations, small insertions and deletions, copy number alterations, and gene rearrangements/fusions in a single assay., Results: In a cohort of 82 patients with matched blood/tissue samples, the concordance between NEOliquid and tissue-based routine testing was 98%, the sensitivity of NEOliquid was higher than 70%, and the specificity was 100%. Discordant cases included those with insufficient amounts of circulaating tumor DNA in plasma and cases in which known driver mutations (e.g., isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)), 1 systolic gene [IDH1] R132H, kinesin family member 5B gene [KIF5b-ret proto-oncogene [RET], or MNNG HOS Transforming gene [MET] exon 14) were found in the plasma but were not interrogated by routine tissue analyses., Conclusions: In summary, NEOliquid offers accurate and reliable detection of clinically relevant driver alterations in plasma of patients with cancer., (Copyright © 2017 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Kinase inhibitors represent the backbone of targeted cancer therapy, yet only a limited number of oncogenic drivers are directly druggable. By interrogating the activity of 1,505 kinase inhibitors, we found that BRD4-NUT-rearranged NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) cells are specifically killed by CDK9 inhibition (CDK9i) and depend on CDK9 and Cyclin-T1 expression. We show that CDK9i leads to robust induction of apoptosis and of markers of DNA damage response in NMC cells. While both CDK9i and bromodomain inhibition over time result in reduced Myc protein expression, only bromodomain inhibition induces cell differentiation and a p21-induced cell-cycle arrest in these cells. Finally, RNA-seq and ChIP-based analyses reveal a BRD4-NUT-specific CDK9i-induced perturbation of transcriptional elongation. Thus, our data provide a mechanistic basis for the genotype-dependent vulnerability of NMC cells to CDK9i that may be of relevance for the development of targeted therapies for NMC patients., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Current therapy of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood, achieves 40-70% survival. Secondary chemotherapy resistance contributes to treatment failure, where TP53 pathway dysfunction plays a key role. MDM2 interaction with TP53 leads to its degradation. Reactivating TP53 functionality using small-molecule inhibitors, such as RITA, to disrupt TP53-MDM2 binding may have therapeutic potential. We show here that RITA decreased viability of all 4 analyzed medulloblastoma cell lines, regardless of TP53 functional status. The decrease in cell viability was accompanied in 3 of the 4 medulloblastoma cell lines by accumulation of TP53 protein in the cells and increased CDKN1A expression. RITA treatment in mouse models inhibited medulloblastoma xenograft tumor growth. These data demonstrate that RITA treatment reduces medulloblastoma cell viability in both in vitro and in vivo models, and acts independently of cellular TP53 status, identifying RITA as a potential therapeutic agent to treat medulloblastoma.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that promotes G2/M-phase transition, is expressed in elevated levels in high-risk neuroblastomas and correlates with unfavorable patient outcome. Recently, we and others have presented PLK1 as a potential drug target for neuroblastoma, and reported that the BI2536 PLK1 inhibitor showed antitumoral actvity in preclinical neuroblastoma models. Here we analyzed the effects of GSK461364, a competitive inhibitor for ATP binding to PLK1, on typical tumorigenic properties of preclinical in vitro and in vivo neuroblastoma models. GSK461364 treatment of neuroblastoma cell lines reduced cell viability and proliferative capacity, caused cell cycle arrest and massively induced apoptosis. These phenotypic consequences were induced by treatment in the low-dose nanomolar range, and were independent of MYCN copy number status. GSK461364 treatment strongly delayed established xenograft tumor growth in nude mice, and significantly increased survival time in the treatment group. These preclinical findings indicate PLK1 inhibitors may be effective for patients with high-risk or relapsed neuroblastomas with upregulated PLK1 and might be considered for entry into early phase clinical trials in pediatric patients.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive thyroid cancer with a median survival of 4-6 months. Identification of mutations contributing to aberrant activation of signaling cascades in ATC may provide novel opportunities for targeted therapy. Thirty-nine ATC samples were studied by next-generation sequencing (NGS) with an established gene panel. High quality readout was obtained in 30/39 ATC. Twenty-eight ATC harbored a mutation in at least one of the studied genes: TP53 (18/30), NF1 (11/30), ALK (6/30), NRAS (4/30), ATRX (3/30), BRAF (2/30), HRAS (2/30), KRAS (1/30). In 17/30 ATC (54 %) mutations were found in two or more genes. Twenty-one of the identified variants are listed in COSMIC as somatic mutations reported in other cancer entities. In three ATC samples no mutations were detected and none of the ATCs was positive for BRAF V600E . The most frequent mutations were found in TP53 (60 %), followed by NF1 (37 %). ALK mutations were detected in 20 % of ATC and were more frequent than RAS or BRAF mutations. ATRX mutations were identified in 10 % of the ATC samples. These sequencing data from 30 ATC samples demonstrate the accumulation of genetic alterations in ATC because in 90 % of samples mutations were already found in the investigated nine genes alone. Mutations were found with high prevalence in established tumor suppressor and oncogenes in ATC, such as TP53 and H/K/NRAS, but also, although less frequent, in genes that may harbor the potential for targeted treatment in a subset of ATC patients, such as ALK and NF1.

Quantitative and qualitative changes in mRNA translation occur in tumor cells and support cancer progression and metastasis. Posttranscriptional modifications of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) at the wobble uridine 34 (U34) base are highly conserved and contribute to translation fidelity. Here, we show that ELP3 and CTU1/2, partner enzymes in U34 mcm 5 s 2 -tRNA modification, are up-regulated in human breast cancers and sustain metastasis. Elp3 genetic ablation strongly impaired invasion and metastasis formation in the PyMT model of invasive breast cancer. Mechanistically, ELP3 and CTU1/2 support cellular invasion through the translation of the oncoprotein DEK. As a result, DEK promotes the IRES-dependent translation of the proinvasive transcription factor LEF1. Consistently, a DEK mutant, whose codon composition is independent of U34 mcm 5 s 2 -tRNA modification, escapes the ELP3- and CTU1-dependent regulation and restores the IRES-dependent LEF1 expression. Our results demonstrate that the key role of U34 tRNA modification is to support specific translation during breast cancer progression and highlight a functional link between tRNA modification- and IRES-dependent translation during tumor cell invasion and metastasis., (© 2016 Delaunay et al.)