Tagged: Lung Cancer

Trending with Impact: Machine Learning Used to Compare ALK Inhibitors

Researchers use a computer simulated modeling system to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of two ALK inhibitors.

Figure 2: Overview of brigatinib’s and alectinib’s mechanisms of action.
Figure 2: Overview of brigatinib’s and alectinib’s mechanisms of action.

The Trending with Impact series highlights Oncotarget publications attracting higher visibility among readers around the world online, in the news, and on social media—beyond normal readership levels. Look for future science news and articles about the latest trending publications here, and at Oncotarget.com.

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Despite many therapeutic advances over the years, over half of patients with lung cancer die within one year of diagnosis. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises 85% of all lung cancer, and around 3–7% of patients with NSCLC present with a rearranged ALK gene (ALK+). This abnormality produces aberrant ALK protein cell signaling pathway activity and causes cancer cells to grow and metastasize. ALK+ NSCLC patients often develop drug resistance to available ALK inhibitor drugs. 

“Consequently, it is of the upmost importance to adequately use the currently available treatments in the correct order to maximize the life span of NSCLC patients.”

In 2021, researchers from Spain conducted a study published in Oncotarget, titled: “Head to head evaluation of second generation ALK inhibitors brigatinib and alectinib as first-line treatment for ALK+ NSCLC using an in silico systems biology-based approach.” This trending paper was authored by researchers practicing at the Hospital Germans Trias i PujolTakeda Farmacéutica EspañaAnaxomics Biotech, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra

The Study

The researchers first began their study by characterizing the pathophysiology of ALK+ NSCLC after completing a detailed review of review papers published in PubMed between 2013 and 2018.

“To carefully characterize the pathophysiology of ALK+ NSCLC, we conducted an extensive and detailed full-length review of relevant review articles over the last 5 years in the PubMed database (from December 3rd 2013 to December 3rd 2018)[…]” 

Next, to compare the strengths and weaknesses of two second generation ALK inhibitor drugs, brigatinib and alectinib, the researchers used a computer simulated modeling system—in silico. They explain that an in silico method of study can be highly useful when analyzing drug characteristics and predicting the biochemical characteristics and drug mechanisms of action.

“Overall, these systems can be employed for the exploration of anticancer drug mechanisms of action and their efficacy in specific patient profiles.”

The in silico system they used is called a Therapeutic Performance Mapping System (TPMS) and is based on artificial intelligence and pattern recognition models. This TPMS system was “trained” by the researchers in this study and given up-to-date biological and clinical data to input into its configuration. The mathematical models used to obtain the ALK inhibitors’ mechanisms of action were generated following the same methodology as described in this study.

“This methodology integrates available biological, pharmacological and medical information to generate mathematical models that simulate the mechanisms of action of drugs in a pathophysiological human context (Figure 4).”

To detect and explain the biological relationships that occur, the team used two distinct modeling methods: artificial neural networks and sampling-based methods. They applied Sobol sensibility analysis over the TPMS mathematical models in order to account for the impact of any noise affecting the final mechanisms of action. The researchers also performed drug-(patho)physiology motive relation finding and evaluated the impact of potential resistances and drug interferences over the mechanisms of action.

Results & Conclusion

“According to the current knowledge and the data herein presented, brigatinib might be more prone to present relevant metabolic and mechanistic interactions with other drugs than alectinib, which might be a safer option in poly-treated patients.” 

“Brigatinib appears to have a wider mechanism of action, presenting targets that potentially act more strongly in most of the ALK+ NSCLC pathophysiological pathways, including invasiveness to the CNS [central nervous system].” 

“On the other side, alectinib-induced RET inhibition might contribute to reducing the tumour immune evasion mechanisms.”

The researchers found that both drugs are known to be well-tolerated and show similar efficacy for the treatment of ALK+ NSCLC in a first-line setting. However, they explain that the differences in their characteristics shown in this study might allow for administration in more targeted patient populations that might see benefits from either brigatinib or alectinib. This deeper classification may also help when considering potential safety concerns in specific patient subpopulations.

“Future clinical studies will be needed to confirm these findings. The used approach can be applied for the evaluation of other next-generation ALKi, even if not yet approved, or exploring other questions, such as optimal treatment sequence.”

Click here to read the full scientific study, published in Oncotarget.

Oncotarget is a unique platform designed to house scientific studies in a journal format that is available for anyone to read—without a paywall making access more difficult. This means information that has the potential to benefit our societies from the inside out can be shared with friends, neighbors, colleagues and other researchers, far and wide.

For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.

Trending with Impact: Novel MicroRNA Underexpressed in Lung Cancer

In search of new ways to target lung cancer cells, researchers in this study demonstrated that miR-708 has anti-tumorigenic properties.

Photomicrograph of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of a pulmonary (lung) nodule showing adenocarcinoma, a type of non small cell carcinoma.
Photomicrograph of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of a pulmonary (lung) nodule showing adenocarcinoma, a type of non small cell carcinoma.

The Trending with Impact series highlights Oncotarget publications attracting higher visibility among readers around the world online, in the news, and on social media—beyond normal readership levels. Look for future science news and articles about the latest trending publications here, and at Oncotarget.com.

Despite the innumerable biomedical advancements made in the detection, classification, and treatment of cancer since the 1971 National Cancer Act, lung cancer survival rates are still staggeringly low. In addition, every year over $12.1 billion is spent on lung cancer care in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) contributes to 85% of lung cancers and within this classification there are two main subtypes: adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

“Although tumors are differentiated by subtype, LUAD and LUSC are generally treated with the same chemotherapeutics.”

Researchers, from the New Jersey Medical School’s academic health center, Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences, say that discovering new biomarkers that can help better distinguish between NSCLC subtypes is necessary to improve patient outcomes. In 2020, they conducted a study of a microRNA that is dysregulated in lung cancer, miR-708, to clarify its tumor suppressive or oncogenic functions within lung cancer cells.

“Lung cancer is a complex collection of deadly diseases that are generally hard to detect and treat. Therefore, it is crucial to develop novel methods to identify, distinguish, and treat lung cancer.”

The Study

The researchers in this study explain that it is crucial to take the entire tumor microenvironment (TME) into consideration when devising treatments for cancerous tumors. Historically, many chemotherapies that have been developed are successful in targeting tumors, but contribute to damaging the surrounding cells and tissues in the TME—contributing to harm and extending recovery time. In newer treatments being developed, researchers have considered the benefits of targeting the pro-tumor effects of particular immune cells and activating the immune system to attack cancer cells.

“miR-708 has previously been described as being both oncogenic and tumor suppressive in lung cancer [63–65]. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the tumor suppressive or oncogenic functions of miR-708 in lung cancer cells.”

This new potential microRNA with potent anti-tumorigenic effects for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was identified by the researchers. To determine the clinical relevance of miR-708 in lung cancer patients, the researchers analyzed data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) using the TCGA-assembler 2 R software package. They used mammalian cell cultures to perform miRNA and 5-Azacytidine treatments, RNA isolation using TRIzol, quantitative real-time RT-PCR, western blot analysis, plasmids, luciferase reporter assays, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) analysis, phenotypic assays; Water Soluble Tetrazolium Salts (WST)-1 assay; Ki-67 staining; Annexin V staining; Cell migration assay, and Bioinformatic and statistical analyses.

“We next examined expression of miR-708 in normal and lung cancer cells to determine if our cell lines faithfully replicated clinical data.”

Results

The researchers discovered miR-708 was underexpressed in lung cancer cells compared to normal lung cells. A lower expression of miR-708 correlated with decreased survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma non-small cell lung cancer. They demonstrated that miR-708 suppressed the production of the pro-tumorigenic hormone called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (located in the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic inflammatory pathway), by directly repressing the expression of COX-2 and mPGES-1 in lung cancer cells.

“We also demonstrated that miR-708 decreases lung cancer cell metabolism (Figure 5), proliferation (Figure 6), survival (Figure 7), and migration (Figure 8).” 

Conclusion

The researchers were left with some outstanding questions about miR-708. First, they wondered why miR-708 expression is decreased in lung cancer cells compared to normal cells in the lungs. They suggest the cause may be the hypermethylation of the ODZ4 promoter region in lung cancer cells, a loss of tumor suppressive transcription factors, repressed CHOP activity, or specifically, the glucocorticoid receptor-alpha (GRα) repression of CHOP activity.

“Our work has identified novel tumor suppressive miR-708 functions by suppressing oncogenic PGE2 production through targeting of COX-2 and mPGES-1. These findings could be the foundation for identifying novel miR-708 targets, as well as regulators of miR-708 expression in cancer.”

“Moreover, our study highlights the need to better understand lung cancer biology to improve diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, ultimately aiming to increase positive patient outcomes.”

Click here to read the full scientific study, published in Oncotarget.

Oncotarget is a unique platform designed to house scientific studies in a journal format that is available for anyone to read—without a paywall making access more difficult. This means information that has the potential to benefit our societies from the inside out can be shared with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and other researchers, far and wide.

For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.

Special Collection by Oncotarget: Lung Cancer

Oncotarget Special Collection: Lung Cancer
Oncotarget Special Collection: Lung Cancer
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Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. According to the CDC, smoking cigarettes is linked to 80-90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. In non-smokers, lung cancer can be caused by exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, asbestos, diesel exhaust, and other chemicals and factors. 

Some symptoms of lung cancer include pain in chest or ribs, frequent respiratory infections, shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue or loss of appetite. As numerous research studies about lung cancer are currently underway, we hope this Special Collection will set future research in motion to discover more causes and treatments for this disease.

Special Collections: Lung Cancer

Oncotarget publishes open access peer-reviewed literature about research studies, clinical studies, reviews, case reports, and meta-analyses on a variety of different topics pertaining to cancer. Lung cancer continues to be an area of interest for researchers, therefore, the Special Collection on Lung Cancer was created by Oncotarget for scientists and researchers to discover new biomarkers, mechanisms, and therapies to treat this cancer.

All content submitted for publication has been reviewed by a diligent board of academic editors and world-renowned scientists and researchers. In this Special Collection, the content focussing on lung cancer is organized together in one place, including papers such as “Molecular pathways and therapeutic targets in lung cancer” by Emma Shtivelman, Thomas Hensing, George R. Simon, Phillip A. Dennis, Gregory A. Otterson, Raphael Bueno, and Ravi Salgia. This review is a summary of the pathways and mechanisms involved in current treatment methods for lung cancer of various types.

This meta-analysis examines the relationship between exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter or fine particles) and lung cancer incidence and mortality: “Relationship between exposure to PM2.5 and lung cancer incidence and mortality: A meta-analysis” by Feifei Huang, Bing Pan, Jun Wu, Engeng Chen, and Liying Chen.

This review focuses on improved anticancer agents and therapy options for lung cancer patients with acquired EGFR TKI (chemotherapy) resistance: “Clinical strategies for acquired epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in non-small-cell lung cancer patients” by Lijun Dong, Dan Lei, and Haijun Zhang.

Read more about lung cancer on Oncotarget.com.

Oncotarget is a unique platform designed to house scientific studies in a journal format that is available for anyone to read—without a paywall making access more difficult. This means information that has the potential to benefit our societies from the inside out can be shared with friends, neighbors, colleagues and other researchers, far and wide.