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Background Cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) is the second most common primary hepatic malignant tumor, following hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CHOL is highly aggressive and heterogeneous resulting in poor prognosis. The diagnosis and prognosis of CHOL has not improved in the past decade. Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) is reported to be associated with tumors, however, its role in CHOL has not been revealed. This study is mainly for exploring the prognostic values and potential function of ACSL4 in CHOL. Methods We investigated the expression level and prognostic value of ACSL4 in CHOL based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. TIMER2.0, TISIDB and CIBERSORT databases were utilized to assess the associations between ACSL4 and immune infiltration cells in CHOL. Single-cell sequencing data from GSE138709 was analyzed to study the expression of ACSL4 in different types of cells. ACSL4 co-expressed genes were analyzed by Linkedomics. Additionally, Western Blot, qPCR, EdU assay, CCK8 assay, transwell assay and wound healing assay were performed to further confirm the roles of ACSL4 in the pathogenesis of CHOL. Results We found that the level of ACSL4 was higher in CHOL and it was correlated with the diagnosis and prognosis of CHOL patients. Then, we observed that the infiltration level of immune cells was related to the level of ACSL4 in CHOL. Moreover, ACSL4 and its co-expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolism-related pathway and ACSL4 is also a key pro-ferroptosis gene in CHOL. Finally, knockdown of ACSL4 could reverse the tumor-promoting effect of ACSL4 in CHOL. Conclusions The current findings demonstrated ACSL4 may as a novel biomarker for CHOL patients, which might regulate immune microenvironment and metabolism resulting in poor prognosis.

Transarterial chemoembolization is a standard treatment for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study evaluated the anti-tumor effect of the semi-interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel as a novel embolic material for trans-portal vein chemoembolization (TPVE) in vivo. A nude mice orthotopic HCC model was established, followed by TPVE using IPN hydrogel loaded with or without cisplatin. Portal vein blockade was visualized by MRI and the development of tumor was monitored by IVIS Spectrum Imaging. Tumor proliferation and angiogenesis were evaluated by Ki67 and CD34 staining respectively. Intra-tumor caspase 3, Akt, ERK1/2, and VEGF activation were detected by Western Blot. 18 F-FMISO uptake was evaluated by microPET-MRI scanning. IPN hydrogel first embolized the left branch of portal vein within 24 hours and further integrated into the intra-tumor vessels during 2 weeks after the treatment. Mice treated with cisplatin-loaded hydrogels exhibited a significant decrease in tumor growth, along with lower plasma AFP levels as compared to hydrogel-treated and untreated tumor-bearing mice. By Ki67 and CD34 staining, the TPVE with IPN hydrogel suppressed tumor proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, increased tumor apoptosis shown by up-regulation of caspase 3 with decreased expressions of tumor cell survival indicators Akt and ERK1/2 were observed in the treatment groups. Consistent with the decreased expression of VEGF after TPVE, hypoxia level in the tumor was also reduced as indicated by 18 F-FMISO uptake level. IPN hydrogel-based TPVE significantly suppressed the tumor development by regulating intra-tumor angiogenesis and cell survival in an orthotopic HCC mouse model, suggesting a viable embolic agent for transarterial chemoembolization.

PurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitors plus antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors may offer a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this phase 2 trial [registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04052152)], we investigated the safety and efficacy of first-line anti-PD-1 antibody sintilimab plus antiangiogenic TKI anlotinib for advanced HCC.Methods and MaterialsPathologically-proven advanced HCC patients received sintilimab (200 mg) on day 1 and anlotinib (12 mg) once daily on days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks, with a safety run-in for the first six participants to assess dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). The primary endpoints were safety and objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1.ResultsTwenty advanced HCC patients were enrolled. No DLTs occurred in the safety run-in. All patients had treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 8 (40.0%) patients, the most common being decreased platelet count (10.0%) and increased γ-glutamyl transferase (10.0%). No grade 4/5 TRAEs occurred. Five (25%) patients developed immune-related AEs. The ORR was 35.0% (95%CI 15.4%-59.2%) per RECIST v1.1 and 55.0% (95%CI 31.5%-76.9%) per modified RECIST. At data cutoff (March 31, 2021), the median progression-free survival was 12.2 months (95%CI, 3.8 to not reached). The median PFS was significantly longer in patients with lower LDH levels (not reached [NR], 95% CI, 8.7 to NR vs. higher LDH levels 5.2 months, 95% CI 3.4 to NR; P=0.020) and a CONUT score ≤2 (NR, 95% CI 5.1 to NR vs. CONUT score >2 6.2 months, 95% CI 1.8 to NR; P=0.020). Furthermore, patients showing tumor response had a significantly higher median proportion of CD16+CD56+ NK cells than patients who had stable or progressive disease (21.6% vs. 14.6%; P=0.026).ConclusionSintilimab plus anlotinib showed promising clinical activities with manageable toxicity as first-line treatment of advanced HCC.

Background The effect of tumor size on account of long-term survival results in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA) patients has remained a controversial debate. It is urgent necessary to identify the optimal cutoff value of tumor size in PCCA and integrate tumor size with other prognostic factors into a nomogram to improve the predictive accuracy of prognosis of patients with PCCA. Methods Three hundred sixty-three PCCA patients underwent surgical resection were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. X-tile program was used to identify the optimal cutoff value of tumor size. A nomogram including tumor size was established to predict 1-, 3- and 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) based on the independent risk factors chosen by Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable cox regression models. The precision of the nomogram for predicting survival was validated internally and externally. Results PCCA patients underwent surgical resection were classified into 1–19 mm, 20–33 mm and ≥ 34 mm subgroups based on the optimal cutoff for tumor size in terms of CSS. And we noticed that more larger tumor size group had worse tumor grade, advanced T stage, more positive regional lymph nodes and more frequent vascular invasion. The nomogram according to the independent factors was well calibrated and displayed better discrimination power than 7th Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage systems. Conclusions The results demonstrated that the larger tumor size of PCCA was, the worse survival would be. The proposed nomogram, which outperforms the conventional TNM staging system, showed relatively good performance and could be considered as convenient individualized predictive tool for prognosis of PCCA patients.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and its incidence is on the rise. Dietary intervention has emerged as an attractive strategy to curtail its occurrence and progression. Diet is known to influence the gut microbiome, as dietary factors and gut bacteria can act in concert to cause or protect from colorectal cancer. Several studies have presented evidence for such interactions and have pointed out the different ways by which the diet and gut microbiome can be altered to produce beneficial effects. This review article aims to summarize the interrelationship between diet, gut flora and colorectal cancer so that a better preventive approach can be applied.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis, is a malignant cancer with increasing incidence and mortality rates. It is important to survey crucial genes in CCA to find and design potential drug targets, especially for those genes associated with cell proliferation that is a key biological process in tumorgenesis. Herein, we surveyed genes associated with cell proliferation via a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis. Candidate genes were further analyzed using multiple approaches, including cross-analysis from diverse molecular levels, examination of potential function and interactions, and additional experimental validation. We primarily screened 15 potential genes based on 11 validated genes, and these 26 genes were further examined to delineate their biological functions and potential roles in cancer treatment. Several of them were involved synthetically lethal genetic interactions, especially for RECQL4, TOP2A, MKI67 and ASPM, indicating their potential roles in drug design and cancer treatment. Further experimental validation indicated that some genes were significantly upregulated in several cancer cell lines, implying their important roles in tumorigenesis. Our study identifies some genes associated with cell proliferation, which may be potential future targets in molecular targeted therapy.

BackgroundCholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains one of the most lethal malignancies with an increasing incidence globally. Through whole-exome sequencing of 67 CCA tissues, we identified new mutated genes in CCA, including MACF1, METTL14, ROBO1, and so on. The study was designed to explore the effects and mechanism of ROBO1 wild type (ROBO1WT) and ROBO1E280* mutation on the progression of CCA.MethodsWhole-exome sequencing was performed to identify novel mutations in CCAs. In vitro and in vivo experiments were used to examine the function and mechanism of ROBO1WT and ROBO1E280* in cholangiocarcinoma. A tissue microarray including 190 CCA patients and subsequent analyses were performed to indicate the clinical significance of ROBO1.ResultsThrough whole-exome sequencing, we identified a novel CCA-related mutation, ROBO1E280*. ROBO1 was downregulated in CCA tissues, and the downregulation of ROBO1 was significantly correlated with poor prognosis. ROBO1WT suppressed the proliferation and angiogenesis of CCA in vitro and in vivo, while ROBO1E280* lost the inhibitory effects. Mechanically, ROBO1E280* translocated from the cytomembrane to the cytoplasm and interrupted the interaction between SLIT2 and ROBO1. We identified OLFML3 as a potential target of ROBO1 by conducting RNA-Seq assays. OLFML3 expression was downregulated by ROBO1WT and recovered by ROBO1E280*. Functionally, the silence of OLFML3 inhibited CCA proliferation and angiogenesis and was sufficient to repress the loss-of-function role of ROBO1E280*.ConclusionsThese results suggest that ROBO1 may act as a tumor suppressor and potential prognostic marker for CCA. ROBO1E280* mutation is a loss-of-function mutation, and it might serve as a candidate therapeutic target for CCA patients.

BackgroundThe significance of the relationship between the microbiota and diseases is increasingly being recognized. However, the characterization of tumor microbiome and their precise molecular mechanisms through which microbiota promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development are still unclear.MethodsThe intrahepatic microbiota was investigated from tumor, normal adjacent tissues in 46 patients with HCC and normal hepatic tissues in 33 patients with hemangioma by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Taxonomic composition differences in patients were evaluated using Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LefSe) and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) to predict microbial functional pathways. Associations between the most relevant taxa and clinical characteristics of HCC patients were analyzed by Spearman rank correlations. The effects of microbe on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and HCC progression were examined.ResultsWe observed intrahepatic microbiota disturbances by reduced microbial diversity in HCC. The tumor microbiota of the HCC patients with cirrhosis showed higher abundance of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia). S. maltophilia provoked senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in HSCs by activating TLR-4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway, which in turn induced NLRP3 inflammasome complex formation and secreted various inflammatory factors in the liver, thus facilitating HCC progression in mice. Moreover, signs of SASP were also observed in the HSCs in the area of HCC with higher S. maltophilia enrichment arising in patients with cirrhosis.ConclusionsOur analysis of the hepatic microbiota revealed for the first time that patients with HCC exhibited a dysbiotic microbial community with higher S. maltophilia abundance, which induced the expression SASP factors of HSCs and cirrhosis in the liver, concurring in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors monotherapy has been studied in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab, plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) as first-line treatment in advanced BTC and explored the potential biomarkers associated with response.MethodsIn this single-arm, open-label, phase II study, we enrolled stage IV BTC patients. Participants received camrelizumab (3 mg/kg) plus gemcitabine (800 mg/m2) and oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2). Primary endpoints were 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate and safety. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), PFS and overall survival (OS). Exploratory endpoints included association between response and tumor mutational burden (TMB), blood TMB, dynamic change of ctDNA and immune microenvironment.Results54 patients with advanced BTC were screened, of whom 38 eligible patients were enrolled. One patient withdrew informed consent before first dose treatment. Median follow-up was 11.8 months. The 6-month PFS rate was 50% (95% CI 33 to 65). Twenty (54%) out of 37 patients had an objective response. The median PFS was 6.1 months and median OS was 11.8 months. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were fatigue (27 (73%)) and fever (27 (73%)). The most frequent grade 3 or worse TRAEs were hypokalemia (7 (19%)) and fatigue (6 (16%)). The ORR was 80% in patients with programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1% versus 53.8% in PD-L1 TPS 0.05), except that PFS was associated with blood TMB. Patients with positive post-treatment ctDNA had shorter PFS (p=0.007; HR, 2.83; 95% CI 1.27 to 6.28).ConclusionCamrelizumab plus GEMOX showed a promising antitumor activity and acceptable safety profile as first-line treatment in advanced BTC patients. Potential biomarkers are needed to identify patients who might respond to camrelizumab plus GEMOX.Trial registration numberNCT03486678.

Recently, patients with advanced cancers have been benefited greatly from immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint blockade is still suboptimal in HCC treatment and more immune modifications are needed to achieve an efficient therapeutic goal. Here, we investigated the combined administration of a Listeria-based HCC vaccine, Lmdd-MPFG, and the anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade antibody. We found that Lmdd-MPFG promoted the expression of PD-L1 in HCC cells but resensitized the tumor local T cell to respond to the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Mechanistically, the Lmdd-MPFG vaccine activates the NF-κB pathway in the tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) through the TLR2 and MyD88 pathway, and recruits p62 to activate the autophagy pathway. The overall effect is skewing the TAMs from M2-polarized TAMs into the M1-polarized TAMs. Most importantly, it skewed the cytokine profiles into antitumor one in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This change restores the T-cell reactivity to the anti-PD-1 blockade. Our results suggested that Lmdd-MPFG combined with PD-1 blockade exerted synergistic antitumor effects through modifying TAMs in the TME and removing T-cell inhibitory signals, thereby providing a new potential strategy for HCC treatment.

e16146 Background: The synergic combination of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and antiangiogenic agents has exhibited as an encourage treatment pattern in aHCC. Multi-targeted antiangiogenic TKIs, such as lenvatinib and sorafenib, are approved for 1st-line treatment of aHCC. Sintilimab, a novel selective anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated encouraging clinical activities in aHCC. The trial aims to explore the safety and efficacy of sintilimab plus anlotinib (a TKI against angiogenesis) in aHCC. Methods: This is a single-arm phase 2 study. Eligible Pts with aHCC, BCLC stage C or B (not amenable for surgery and chemoembolization), Child-Pugh scores≤7 and ECOG PS ≤ 1 received 1st-line treatment of sintilimab (200mg, iv, D1) plus anlotinib (12mg, po, QD, D1-14) every 3 wks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoints were safety and objective response rate (ORR, per RECIST 1.1), and secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR) and overall survival (OS). Results: As of January 15, 2021, 20 pts were enrolled (males 18 ; median age 56 yrs [range 41-70] ; BCLCB/C: 5/15 ; Child-Pugh A/B7: 19/1 ; HBV infection 20). All pts received at least two cycles of treatments with median cycles 7.5 [range 2-22]. Median follow-up was 12 months [range 3-19]. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were grade 1-2 with thrombocytopenia (45.0%), hand-foot syndrome (40.0%), hypertension (35.0%), increased AST (35.0%), ALT (30.0%), decreased neutrophil count (25.0%), leukopenia (25.0%). 8 pts experienced manageable grade 3 TRAEs, and no grade 4/5. 12 pts required dose reduction of anlotinib (9 pts to 10 mg and 3 to 8 mg). No treatment withdraw caused by TRAEs. ORR was 40.0% (8/20) with 1 CR and 7 PR, 11 pts were SD, and DCR was 95.0% (19/20). Median DoR was not reached. 6m-PFS rate was 66.4% (95%CI: 47.7%-92.5%), immature median PFS was 14.65 months (95%CI: 5.06 -not reached) with 8 events. Conclusions: The combination of sintilimab and anlotinib showed promising clinical activities with manageable toxicity for first line treatment of aHCC. Clinical trial information: NCT04052152. Research Sponsor: Innovent Biologics, Inc., Chia-Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd. Clinical trial information: NCT04052152.

536 Background: We conducted a trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SHR-1210 (a humanized anti-programmed cell death receptor 1 antibody) plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) as in untreated patients (pts) with biliary tract cancer (BTC) (NCT03486678). This study is to explore the predictive biomarkers for efficacy. Methods: Baseline lymphocyte count and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level were obtained from routine tests. Gene mutation and tumor mutation burden (TMB) from baseline tissue and blood samples were tested by the next generation sequencing (NGS) with a 425-gene panel. The expressions of PD-L1 and markers for lymphocyte, natural killer cells, and macrophages in baseline tumor tissue samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: The median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in this trial was 6.2m and 12.1m, respectively. Firstly, pts with normal LDH level (≤271 U/L) had a tendency for longer PFS (6.2m vs 5.0m, p = 0.053) and significantly longer OS (p = 12.6m vs 6.8m, p < 0.001) than those with elevated LDH ( > 271 U/L). Low baseline lymphocyte count (≤ 1.1×109/L) was related to worse OS (12.6m vs 6.9m, p < 0.001) and PFS (6.2m vs 3.9m, p = 0.021). Secondly, baseline tissue and ctDNA gene mutations were detected in 33 and 30 pts, respectively. Tissue analysis showed that pts with STK11 (p = 0.0254), CTNNB1 (p < 0.001) and SMARCA4 (p = 0.0181) wild type showed significantly longer PFS than those with mutations. Pts with ARID1A gene wild type showed a tendency for longer PFS (p = 0.0634) and significantly longer OS (p = 0.0149). Gene mutations from baseline ctDNA revealed that pts with wild type SMARCA4, CTNNB1, STK11, and NF1 had longer PFS than those with mutations. Lastly, IHC meant that PD-L1 positivity may be related to longer PFS (TPS > 1%, p = 0.08; IPS > 1%, p = 0.05). Besides, pts with CD68+ HLA-DR+ macrophages > 0.01%, CD68+ HLA-DR- macrophages>2.5%, and CD56bright>1.7% and CD56dim > 0.05 also got PFS benefits (all p < 0.05). TMB (cutoff = 7 muts/mbp) was not associated with PFS. Conclusions: Despite limited sample size, biomarkers from routine blood test, gene mutation and immune microenvironment can be helpful to stratify pts who are sensitive to immunotherapy in advanced BTC. Clinical trial information: NCT03486678.

535 Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SHR-1210 (a humanized anti-programmed cell death receptor 1 antibody) plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) as first line treatment in patients (pts) with biliary tract cancer (BTC). Methods: This was a single-arm, single-center, exploratory trial, which included advanced BTC pts. Pts received SHR-1210 (3mg/kg, total dose ≤200mg, ivd, D1/2W) combined with gemcitabine (800 mg/m2, ivd, D1/2W) and oxaliplatin (85mg/m2, ivd, D2/2W). Combined chemotherapy lasted for no more than 12 cycles. Once chemotherapy intolerance occurred or at end of 12-cycle combined chemotherapy, pts with stable disease or objective response would continue to take SHR-1210 as single agent until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was the 6-month progression free survival (PFS) rate. Results: From February 2018 to April 2019, 37 eligible pts were enrolled. The median age was 64 (range 41-74) years, male/female was 70.3/29.7%, and bile duct cancer/gallbladder cancer was 59.5/40.5%. All 37 pts were included in the safety analysis. The overall AE incidence rate was 97.3%. The incidence of grade ≥3 AEs was 73.0%, which mainly included increased GGT (gammaglutamyltransferase, 18.9%), hypokalemia (18.9%), and fatigue (16.2%). Particularly, the incidence of fever is 73.0%, in which 2 pts experienced grade 3/4 fever. Among 36 evaluable pts, 19 pts got partial response (PR, 52.8%), 14 pts stable disease (SD, 38.9%), and 3 pts progressive disease (PD, 8.3%) at best. The primary endpoint 6-month PFS rate was 50.0% (95% CI 32.4-65.4), which indicated that the primary endpoint of the study was reached, and mPFS was 6.2 months (95% CI 4.2-7.1). The 12-month overall survival (OS) rate was 50.5% (95% CI 30.6-67.4), and mOS was 12.1 months (95% CI 8.0-NA). Conclusions: This study has reached the pre-defined primary endpoint with a high response rate. Predictive biomarker analysis was reported in another abstract. Further study is needed to validate the efficacy of this combination. Clinical trial information: NCT03486678.