Third Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University

In recent years, immunotherapy represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has led to unprecedented breakthroughs in cancer treatment. However, the fact that many tumors respond poorly or even not to ICIs, partly caused by the absence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), significantly limits the application of ICIs. Converting these immune "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors that may respond to ICIs is an unsolved question in cancer immunotherapy. Since it is a general characteristic of cancers to resist apoptosis, induction of non-apoptotic regulated cell death (RCD) is emerging as a new cancer treatment strategy. Recently, several studies have revealed the interaction between non-apoptotic RCD and antitumor immunity. Specifically, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis exhibit synergistic antitumor immune responses while possibly exerting inhibitory effects on antitumor immune responses. Thus, targeted therapies (inducers or inhibitors) against autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis in combination with immunotherapy may exert potent antitumor activity, even in tumors resistant to ICIs. This review summarizes the multilevel relationship between antitumor immunity and non-apoptotic RCD, including autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis, and the potential targeting application of non-apoptotic RCD to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in malignancy.

PURPOSE: Many patients with HR+, HER2- early breast cancer (EBC) will not experience recurrence or have distant recurrence with currently available standard therapies. However, up to 30% of patients with high-risk clinical and/or pathologic features may experience distant recurrence, many in the first few years. Superior treatment options are needed to prevent early recurrence and development of metastases for this group of patients. Abemaciclib is an oral, continuously dosed, CDK4/6 inhibitor approved for HR+, HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC). Efficacy and safety of abemaciclib in ABC supported evaluation in the adjuvant setting. METHODS: This open-label, phase III study included patients with HR+, HER2-, high-risk EBC, who had surgery and, as indicated, radiotherapy and/or adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with four or more positive nodes, or one to three nodes and either tumor size ≥ 5 cm, histologic grade 3, or central Ki-67 ≥ 20%, were eligible and randomly assigned (1:1) to standard-of-care adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) with or without abemaciclib (150 mg twice daily for 2 years). The primary end point was invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), and secondary end points included distant relapse-free survival, overall survival, and safety. RESULTS: = .01; hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.93), with 2-year IDFS rates of 92.2% versus 88.7%, respectively. Safety data were consistent with the known safety profile of abemaciclib. CONCLUSION: Abemaciclib when combined with ET is the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to demonstrate a significant improvement in IDFS in patients with HR+, HER2- node-positive EBC at high risk of early recurrence.

The malignant tumor is a multi-etiological, systemic and complex disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation and distant metastasis. Anticancer treatments including adjuvant therapies and targeted therapies are effective in eliminating cancer cells but in a limited number of patients. Increasing evidence suggests that the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in tumor development through changes in macromolecule components, degradation enzymes and stiffness. These variations are under the control of cellular components in tumor tissue via the aberrant activation of signaling pathways, the interaction of the ECM components to multiple surface receptors, and mechanical impact. Additionally, the ECM shaped by cancer regulates immune cells which results in an immune suppressive microenvironment and hinders the efficacy of immunotherapies. Thus, the ECM acts as a barrier to protect cancer from treatments and supports tumor progression. Nevertheless, the profound regulatory network of the ECM remodeling hampers the design of individualized antitumor treatment. Here, we elaborate on the composition of the malignant ECM, and discuss the specific mechanisms of the ECM remodeling. Precisely, we highlight the impact of the ECM remodeling on tumor development, including proliferation, anoikis, metastasis, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and immune escape. Finally, we emphasize ECM "normalization" as a potential strategy for anti-malignant treatment.

Importance: Standard first-line therapy for advanced or metastatic esophageal carcinoma is chemotherapy, but the prognosis remains poor. Camrelizumab (an anti-programmed death receptor 1 [PD-1] antibody) showed antitumor activity in previously treated advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of camrelizumab plus chemotherapy vs placebo plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 3 trial (ESCORT-1st study) enrolled patients from 60 hospitals in China between December 3, 2018, and May 12, 2020 (final follow-up, October 30, 2020). A total of 751 patients were screened and 596 eligible patients with untreated advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were randomized. Interventions: Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either camrelizumab 200 mg (n = 298) or placebo (n = 298), combined with up to 6 cycles of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2). All treatments were given intravenously every 3 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: Coprimary end points were overall survival (significance threshold, 1-sided P < .02) and progression-free survival (significance threshold, 1-sided P < .005). Results: Of the 596 patients randomized (median age, 62 years [interquartile range, 56-67 years]; 523 men [87.8%]), 1 patient in the placebo-chemotherapy group did not receive planned treatment. A total of 490 patients (82.2%) had discontinued the study treatment. The median follow-up was 10.8 months. The overall survival for the camrelizumab-chemotherapy group was a median of 15.3 months (95% CI, 12.8-17.3; 135 deaths) vs a median of 12.0 months (95% CI, 11.0-13.3; 174 deaths) for the placebo-chemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] for death, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.56-0.88]; 1-sided P = .001). Progression-free survival for camrelizumab plus chemotherapy was a median of 6.9 months (95% CI, 5.8-7.4; 199 progression or deaths) vs 5.6 months (95% CI, 5.5-5.7; 229 progression or deaths) for the placebo-chemotherapy group (HR for progression or death, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.46-0.68]; 1-sided P < .001). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 189 patients (63.4%) in the camrelizumab-chemotherapy group and 201 (67.7%) in the placebo-chemotherapy group, including treatment-related deaths among 9 patients (3.0%) and 11 patients (3.7%), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the addition of camrelizumab to chemotherapy, compared with placebo and chemotherapy, significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03691090.

Importance: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is accepted as a more effective approach to conventional open distal gastrectomy for early-stage gastric cancer. However, efficacy for locally advanced gastric cancer remains uncertain. Objective: To compare 3-year disease-free survival for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy or open distal gastrectomy. Design, Setting, and Patients: The study was a noninferiority, open-label, randomized clinical trial at 14 centers in China. A total of 1056 eligible patients with clinical stage T2, T3, or T4a gastric cancer without bulky nodes or distant metastases were enrolled from September 2012 to December 2014. Final follow-up was on December 31, 2017. Interventions: Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio after stratification by site, age, cancer stage, and histology to undergo either laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (n = 528) or open distal gastrectomy (n = 528) with D2 lymphadenectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was 3-year disease-free survival with a noninferiority margin of -10% to compare laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with open distal gastrectomy. Secondary end points of 3-year overall survival and recurrence patterns were tested for superiority. Results: Among 1056 patients, 1039 (98.4%; mean age, 56.2 years; 313 [30.1%] women) had surgery (laparoscopic distal gastrectomy [n=519] vs open distal gastrectomy [n=520]), and 999 (94.6%) completed the study. Three-year disease-free survival rate was 76.5% in the laparoscopic distal gastrectomy group and 77.8% in the open distal gastrectomy group, absolute difference of -1.3% and a 1-sided 97.5% CI of -6.5% to ∞, not crossing the prespecified noninferiority margin. Three-year overall survival rate (laparoscopic distal gastrectomy vs open distal gastrectomy: 83.1% vs 85.2%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.64; P = .28) and cumulative incidence of recurrence over the 3-year period (laparoscopic distal gastrectomy vs open distal gastrectomy: 18.8% vs 16.5%; subhazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.54; P = .35) did not significantly differ between laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and open distal gastrectomy groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with a preoperative clinical stage indicating locally advanced gastric cancer, laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, compared with open distal gastrectomy, did not result in inferior disease-free survival at 3 years. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01609309.

Abstract Apoptosis has long been recognized as a mechanism that kills the cancer cells by cytotoxic drugs. In recent years, studies have proved that pyroptosis can also shrink tumors and inhibit cells proliferation. Both apoptosis and pyroptosis are caspase-dependent programmed cell death pathways. Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3) is a common key protein in the apoptosis and pyroptosis pathways, and when activated, the expression level of tumor suppressor gene Gasdermin E (GSDME) determines the mechanism of tumor cell death. When GSDME is highly expressed, the active caspase-3 cuts it and releases the N-terminal domain to punch holes in the cell membrane, resulting in cell swelling, rupture, and death. When the expression of GSDME is low, it will lead to the classical mechanism of tumor cell death, which is apoptosis. More interestingly, researchers have found that GSDME can also be located upstream of caspase-3, connecting extrinsic, and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Then, promoting caspase-3 activation, and forming a self-amplifying feed-forward loop. GSDME-mediated pyroptosis is correlated with the side effects of chemotherapy and anti-tumor immunity. This article mainly reviews the caspase-3/GSDME signal pathway as a switch between apoptosis and pyroptosis in cancer, to provide new strategies and targets for cancer treatment.

Abstract There exist differences in the epidemiological characteristics, clinicopathological features, tumor biological characteristics, treatment patterns, and drug selections between gastric cancer patients from the Eastern and Western countries. The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) has organized a panel of senior experts specializing in all sub‐specialties of gastric cancer to compile a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer since 2016 and renews it annually. Taking into account regional differences, giving full consideration to the accessibility of diagnosis and treatment resources, these experts have conducted expert consensus judgment on relevant evidence and made various grades of recommendations for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer to reflect the value of cancer treatment and meeting health economic indexes in China. The 2021 CSCO Clinical Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer covers the diagnosis, treatment, follow‐up, and screening of gastric cancer. Based on the 2020 version of the CSCO Chinese Gastric Cancer guidelines, this updated guideline integrates the results of major clinical studies from China and overseas for the past year, focused on the inclusion of research data from the Chinese population for more personalized and clinically relevant recommendations. For the comprehensive treatment of non‐metastatic gastric cancer, attentions were paid to neoadjuvant treatment. The value of perioperative chemotherapy is gradually becoming clearer and its recommendation level has been updated. For the comprehensive treatment of metastatic gastric cancer, recommendations for immunotherapy were included, and immune checkpoint inhibitors from third‐line to the first‐line of treatment for different patient groups with detailed notes are provided.

PURPOSE: We assessed the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab [an anti-programmed death (PD-1) mAb] plus apatinib (a VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nonrandomized, open-label, multicenter, phase II study enrolled patients with advanced HCC who were treatment-naïve or refractory/intolerant to first-line targeted therapy. Patients received intravenous camrelizumab 200 mg (for bodyweight ≥50 kg) or 3 mg/kg (for bodyweight <50 kg) every 2 weeks plus oral apatinib 250 mg daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by an independent review committee (IRC) per RECIST v1.1. RESULTS: Seventy patients in the first-line setting and 120 patients in the second-line setting were enrolled. As of January 10, 2020, the ORR was 34.3% [24/70; 95% confidence interval (CI), 23.3-46.6] in the first-line and 22.5% (27/120; 95% CI, 15.4-31.0) in the second-line cohort per IRC. Median progression-free survival in both cohorts was 5.7 months (95% CI, 5.4-7.4) and 5.5 months (95% CI, 3.7-5.6), respectively. The 12-month survival rate was 74.7% (95% CI, 62.5-83.5) and 68.2% (95% CI, 59.0-75.7), respectively. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were reported in 147 (77.4%) of 190 patients, with the most common being hypertension (34.2%). Serious TRAEs occurred in 55 (28.9%) patients. Two (1.1%) treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: .

BACKGROUND: With more than 600,000 mortalities each year, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer worldwide. Recently, mechanisms involving noncoding RNAs have been implicated in the development of CRC. METHODS: We examined expression levels of lncRNA CRNDE and miR-181a-5p in 64 cases of CRC tissues and cell lines by qRT-PCR. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays were performed to examine the effect of CRNDE and miR-181a-5p on proliferation and chemoresistance of CRC cells. Using fluorescence reporter and western blot assays, we also explored the possible mechanisms of CRNDE in CRC cells. RESULTS: In this study, we found that the expression levels of the CRNDE were upregulated in CRC clinical tissue samples. We identified microRNA miR-181a-5p as an inhibitory target of CRNDE. Both CRNDE knockdown and miR-181a-5p overexpression in CRC cell lines led to inhibited cell proliferation and reduced chemoresistance. We also determined that β-catenin and TCF4 were inhibitory targets of miR-181a-5p, and that Wnt/β-catenin signaling was inhibited by both CRNDE knockdown and miR-181a-5p overexpression. Significantly, we found that the repression of cell proliferation, the reduction of chemoresistance, and the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling induced by CRNDE knockdown would require the increased expression of miR-181a-5p. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the lncRNA CRNDE could regulate the progression and chemoresistance of CRC via modulating the expression levels of miR-181a-5p and the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

PURPOSE: To determine whether FOLFOX4 (infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) administered as palliative chemotherapy to patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) provides a survival benefit and efficacy versus doxorubicin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter, open-label, randomized, phase III study in mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand involved 371 patients age 18 to 75 years who had locally advanced or metastatic HCC and were ineligible for curative resection or local treatment. They were randomly assigned at a ratio of one to one to receive either FOLFOX4 (n = 184) or doxorubicin (n = 187). The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR) by RECIST (version 1.0), and safety. RESULTS: At the prespecified final analysis, median OS was 6.40 months with FOLFOX4 (95% CI, 5.30 to 7.03) and 4.97 months with doxorubicin (95% CI, 4.23 to 6.03; P = .07; hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.63 to 1.02). Median PFS was 2.93 months with FOLFOX4 (95% CI, 2.43 to 3.53), and 1.77 months with doxorubicin (95% CI, 1.63 to 2.30; P < .001; HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.79). RR was 8.15% with FOLFOX4 and 2.67% with doxorubicin (P = .02). On continued follow-up, the trend toward increased OS with FOLFOX4 was maintained (P = .04; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.99). Toxicity was consistent with previous experiences with FOLFOX4; proportions of grade 3 to 4 adverse events were similar between treatments. CONCLUSION: Although the study did not meet its primary end point, the trend toward improved OS with FOLFOX4, along with increased PFS and RR, suggests that this regimen may confer some benefit to Asian patients, but an OS benefit cannot be concluded from these data.

OBJECTIVES: We performed a national cross-sectional survey to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with sepsis in ICU in China. DESIGN: A cross-section survey study. SETTING: Forty-four hospitals in mainland China from December 1, 2015, to January 31, 2016. PATIENTS: All septic patients diagnosed according sepsis-1 criteria admitted to participating ICU. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We recorded demographic, physiologic, and microbiological data with follow-up for 90 days or death, if sooner. The frequency of sepsis and 90-day mortality rate were computed, and the relationship with gross domestic product determined. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for 90-day mortality in patients with sepsis. Two-thousand three-hundred twenty-two patients with sepsis were included in the analysis, of whom 786 patients (33.9%) had hospital-acquired sepsis. The most common infection site was the lung (68.2%), followed by abdomen (26.6%) and bloodstream (7.8%). The frequency of sepsis in the ICU was 20.6 cases per 100 ICU admissions (95% CI, 15.8-25.4) with a 90-day mortality of 35.5%. The proportion of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock were 3.10%, 43.6%, and 53.3% with a 90-day mortality of 2.78%, 17.69%, and 51.94%, respectively. Older age, low body weight, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, the number of systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria, comorbid with heart failure, hematologic cancer, immunosuppression, higher level of lactate, infection site (pneumonia and bloodstream) were associated with 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Sepsis affects a fifth of patients admitted to ICUs in mainland China with a 90-day mortality rate of 35.5%. Our findings indicate that a large burden of sepsis, and we need to focus on sepsis as a quality improvement target in China given the high mortality. In addition, further studies are needed to delineate the epidemiology of sepsis outside the ICU.

Abstract Objective To evaluate sintilimab versus placebo in combination with chemotherapy (cisplatin plus paclitaxel or cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil) as first line treatment of unresectable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Design Multicentre, randomised, double blind, phase 3 trial. Setting 66 sites in China and 13 sites outside of China between 14 December 2018 and 9 April 2021. Participants 659 adults (aged ≥18 years) with advanced or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma who had not received systemic treatment. Intervention Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive sintilimab or placebo (3 mg/kg in patients weighing &lt;60 kg or 200 mg in patients weighing ≥60 kg) in combination with cisplatin 75 mg/m 2 plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m 2 every three weeks. The trial was amended to allow investigators to choose the chemotherapy regimen: cisplatin plus paclitaxel or cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (800 mg/m 2 continuous infusion on days 1-5). Main outcome measures Overall survival in all patients and in patients with combined positive scores of ≥10 for expression of programmed cell death ligand 1. Results 659 patients were randomly assigned to sintilimab (n=327) or placebo (n=332) with chemotherapy. 616 of 659 patients (93%) received sintilimab or placebo in combination with cisplatin plus paclitaxel and 43 of 659 patients (7%) received sintilimab or placebo in combination with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil. At the interim analysis, sintilimab with chemotherapy showed better overall survival compared with placebo and chemotherapy in all patients (median 16.7 v 12.5 months, hazard ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.78, P&lt;0.001) and in patients with combined positive scores of ≥10 (17.2 v 13.6 months, 0.64, 0.48 to 0.85, P=0.002). Sintilimab and chemotherapy significantly improved progression free survival compared with placebo and chemotherapy in all patients (7.2 v 5.7 months, 0.56, 0.46 to 0.68, P&lt;0.001) and in patients with combined positive scores of ≥10 (8.3 v 6.4 months, 0.58, 0.45 to 0.75, P&lt;0.001). Adverse events related to treatment occurred in 321 of 327 patients (98%) in the sintilimab-chemotherapy group versus 326 of 332 (98%) patients in the placebo-chemotherapy group. Rates of adverse events related to treatment, grade ≥3, were 60% (196/327) and 55% (181/332) in the sintilimab-chemotherapy and placebo-chemotherapy groups, respectively. Conclusions Compared with placebo, sintilimab in combination with cisplatin plus paclitaxel showed significant benefits in overall survival and progression free survival as first line treatment in patients with advanced or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Similar benefits of sintilimab with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil seem promising. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03748134 .

The aberrant appearance of DNA in the cytoplasm triggers the activation of cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling and induces the production of type I interferons, which play critical roles in activating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Recently, numerous studies have shown that the activation of STING and the stimulation of type I IFN production are critical for the anticancer immune response. However, emerging evidence suggests that STING also regulates anticancer immunity in a type I IFN-independent manner. For instance, STING has been shown to induce cell death and facilitate the release of cancer cell antigens. Moreover, STING activation has been demonstrated to enhance cancer antigen presentation, contribute to the priming and activation of T cells, facilitate the trafficking and infiltration of T cells into tumors and promote the recognition and killing of cancer cells by T cells. In this review, we focus on STING and the cancer immune response, with particular attention to the roles of STING activation in the cancer-immunity cycle. Additionally, the negative effects of STING activation on the cancer immune response and non-immune roles of STING in cancer have also been discussed.

BACKGROUND: The randomized, double-blind OlympiA trial compared 1 year of the oral poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, olaparib, to matching placebo as adjuvant therapy for patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 (gBRCA1/2pv) and high-risk, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, early breast cancer (EBC). The first pre-specified interim analysis (IA) previously demonstrated statistically significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and distant disease-free survival (DDFS). The olaparib group had fewer deaths than the placebo group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance for overall survival (OS). We now report the pre-specified second IA of OS with updates of IDFS, DDFS, and safety. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to olaparib or placebo following (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy if indicated. Endocrine therapy was given concurrently with study medication for hormone receptor-positive cancers. Statistical significance for OS at this IA required P < 0.015. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 3.5 years, the second IA of OS demonstrated significant improvement in the olaparib group relative to the placebo group [hazard ratio 0.68; 98.5% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-0.97; P = 0.009]. Four-year OS was 89.8% in the olaparib group and 86.4% in the placebo group (Δ 3.4%, 95% CI -0.1% to 6.8%). Four-year IDFS for the olaparib group versus placebo group was 82.7% versus 75.4% (Δ 7.3%, 95% CI 3.0% to 11.5%) and 4-year DDFS was 86.5% versus 79.1% (Δ 7.4%, 95% CI 3.6% to 11.3%), respectively. Subset analyses for OS, IDFS, and DDFS demonstrated benefit across major subgroups. No new safety signals were identified including no new cases of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. CONCLUSION: With 3.5 years of median follow-up, OlympiA demonstrates statistically significant improvement in OS with adjuvant olaparib compared with placebo for gBRCA1/2pv-associated EBC and maintained improvements in the previously reported, statistically significant endpoints of IDFS and DDFS with no new safety signals.

Therapeutic nanosystems which can be triggered by the distinctive tumor microenvironment possess great selectivity and safety to treat cancers via in situ transformation of nontoxic prodrugs into toxic therapeutic agents. Here, we constructed intelligent, magnetic targeting, and tumor microenvironment-responsive nanocatalysts that can acquire oxidation therapy of cancer via specific reaction at tumor site. The magnetic nanoparticle core of iron carbide-glucose oxidase (Fe5C2-GOD) achieved by physical absorption has a high enzyme payload, and the manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoshell as an intelligent “gatekeeper” shields GOD from premature leaking until reaching tumor tissue. Fe5C2-GOD@MnO2 nanocatalysts maintained inactive in normal cells upon systemic administration. On the contrary, after endocytosis by tumor cells, tumor acidic microenvironment induced decomposition of MnO2 nanoshell into Mn2+ and O2, meanwhile releasing GOD. Mn2+ could serve as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for real-time monitoring treatment process. Then the generated O2 and released GOD in nanocatalysts could effectively exhaust glucose in tumor cells, simultaneously generating plenty of H2O2 which may accelerate the subsequent Fenton reaction catalyzed by the Fe5C2 magnetic core in mildly acidic tumor microenvironments. Finally, we demonstrated the tumor site-specific production of highly toxic hydroxyl radicals for enhanced anticancer therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity in mice.

PURPOSE Donafenib, a novel multikinase inhibitor and a deuterated sorafenib derivative, has shown efficacy in phase Ia and Ib hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) studies. This study compared the efficacy and safety of donafenib versus sorafenib as first-line therapy for advanced HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS This open-label, randomized, parallel-controlled, multicenter phase II-III trial enrolled patients with unresectable or metastatic HCC, a Child-Pugh score ≤ 7, and no prior systemic therapy from 37 sites across China. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral donafenib (0.2 g) or sorafenib (0.4 g) twice daily until intolerable toxicity or disease progression. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), tested for noninferiority and superiority. Efficacy was primarily assessed in the full analysis set (FAS), and safety was assessed in all treated patients. RESULTS Between March 21, 2016, and April 16, 2018, 668 patients (intention-to-treat) were randomly assigned to donafenib and sorafenib treatment arms; the FAS included 328 and 331 patients, respectively. Median OS was significantly longer with donafenib than sorafenib treatment (FAS; 12.1 v 10.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.831; 95% CI, 0.699 to 0.988; P = .0245); donafenib also exhibited superior OS outcomes versus sorafenib in the intention-to-treat population. The median progression-free survival was 3.7 v 3.6 months ( P = .0570). The objective response rate was 4.6% v 2.7% ( P = .2448), and the disease control rate was 30.8% v 28.7% (FAS; P = .5532). Drug-related grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in significantly fewer patients receiving donafenib than sorafenib (125 [38%] v 165 [50%]; P = .0018). CONCLUSION Donafenib showed superiority over sorafenib in improving OS and has favorable safety and tolerability in Chinese patients with advanced HCC, showing promise as a potential first-line monotherapy for these patients.

Purpose: Phototherapy, known for its high selectivity, few side effects, strong controllability, and synergistic enhancement of combined treatments, is widely used in treating diseases like cervical cancer. Methods: In this study, hollow mesoporous manganese dioxide was used as a carrier to construct positively charged, poly(allylamine hydrochloride)–modified nanoparticles (NPs). The NP was efficiently loaded with the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) via the addition of hydrogen phosphate ions to produce a counterion aggregation effect. HeLa cell membrane encapsulation was performed to achieve the final M-HMnO 2 @ICG NP. In this structure, the HMnO 2 carrier responsively degrades to release ICG in the tumor microenvironment, self-generates O 2 for sensitization to ICG-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT), and consumes GSH to expand the oxidative stress therapeutic effect [chemodynamic therapy (CDT) + PDT]. The ICG accumulated in tumor tissues exerts a synergistic PDT/photothermal therapy (PTT) effect through single laser irradiation, improving efficiency and reducing side effects. The cell membrane encapsulation increases nanomedicine accumulation in tumor tissues and confers an immune evasion ability. In addition, high local temperatures induced by PTT can enhance CDT. These properties of the NP enable full achievement of PTT/PDT/CDT and targeted effects. Results: Mn 2+ can serve as a magnetic resonance imaging agent to guide therapy, and ICG can be used for photothermal and fluorescence imaging. After its intravenous injection, M-HMnO 2 @ICG accumulated effectively at mouse tumor sites; the optimal timing of in-vivo laser treatment could be verified by near-infrared fluorescence, magnetic resonance, and photothermal imaging. The M-HMnO 2 @ICG NPs had the best antitumor effects among treatment groups under near-infrared light conditions, and showed good biocompatibility. Conclusion: In this study, we designed a nano-biomimetic delivery system that improves hypoxia, responds to the tumor microenvironment, and efficiently loads ICG. It provides a new economical and convenient strategy for synergistic phototherapy and CDT for cervical cancer. Keywords: phototherapy, reactive oxygen species, hypoxia relief, collaborative therapy

Importance: Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) have limited effective and tolerable treatment options. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral fruquintinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, as third-line or later therapy in patients with metastatic CRC. Design, Setting, and Participants: FRESCO (Fruquintinib Efficacy and Safety in 3+ Line Colorectal Cancer Patients) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter (28 hospitals in China), phase 3 clinical trial. From December 2014 to May 2016, screening took place among 519 patients aged 18 to 75 years who had metastatic CRC that progressed after at least 2 lines of chemotherapy but had not received VEGFR inhibitor therapy; 416 met the eligibility criteria and were stratified by prior anti-VEGF therapy and K-ras status. The final date of follow-up was January 17, 2017. Interventions: Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either fruquintinib, 5 mg (n = 278) or placebo (n = 138) orally, once daily for 21 days, followed by 7 days off in 28-day cycles, until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or study withdrawal. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was overall survival. Key secondary efficacy endpoints were progression-free survival (time from randomization to disease progression or death), objective response rate (confirmed complete or partial response), and disease control rate (complete or partial response, or stable disease recorded ≥8 weeks postrandomization). Duration of response was also assessed. Safety outcomes included treatment-emergent adverse events. Results: Of the 416 randomized patients (mean age, 54.6 years; 161 [38.7%] women), 404 (97.1%) completed the trial. Median overall survival was significantly prolonged with fruquintinib compared with placebo (9.3 months [95% CI, 8.2-10.5] vs 6.6 months [95% CI, 5.9-8.1]); hazard ratio (HR) for death, 0.65 (95% CI, 0.51-0.83; P < .001). Median progression-free survival was also significantly increased with fruquintinib (3.7 months [95% CI, 3.7-4.6] vs 1.8 months [95% CI, 1.8-1.8] months); HR for progression or death, 0.26 (95% CI, 0.21 to 0.34; P < .001). Grades 3 and 4 treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 61.2% (170) of patients who received fruquintinib and 19.7% (27) who received placebo. Serious adverse events were reported by 15.5% (43) of patients in the fruquintinib group and 5.8% (8) in the placebo group, with 14.4% (40) of fruquintinib-treated and 5.1% (7) of placebo-treated patients requiring hospitalization. Conclusions and Relevance: Among Chinese patients with metastatic CRC who had tumor progression following at least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens, oral fruquintinib compared with placebo resulted in a statistically significant increase in overall survival. Further research is needed to assess efficacy outside of China. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02314819.

IMPORTANCE: This study demonstrates that tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy is associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (sq-NSCLC). OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety/tolerability of tislelizumab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone as first-line treatment for patients with advanced sq-NSCLC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This open-label, randomized phase 3 clinical trial was conducted at 46 sites in China between July 2018 and June 2019 and included patients with treatment-naive, histologically confirmed stage IIIB/IV sq-NSCLC. The data cutoff for these analyses was December 6, 2019; data extraction occurred on January 7, 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive 1 of the following regimens intravenously on a 21-day cycle: tislelizumab (200 mg, day 1) plus paclitaxel (175 mg/m2, day 1) and carboplatin (area under the concentration of 5, day 1) (arm A); tislelizumab plus nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2, days 1, 8, and 15) and carboplatin (arm B); and paclitaxel and carboplatin (arm C). Patients were stratified by disease stage and tumor programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (<1% vs 1%-49% vs ≥50%). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an independent review committee (IRC). Secondary end points included overall survival, investigator-assessed (INV) PFS, IRC-assessed objective response rate (ORR), and IRC-assessed duration of response, as well as the incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Overall, 355 patients (median [range] age, 62 [34-74] years; 330 men [91.7%]) with sq-NSCLC received treatment. After a median study follow-up of 8.6 months (95% CI, 8.1-9.0 months), IRC-assessed PFS was significantly improved with tislelizumab plus chemotherapy (arm A, 7.6 months; arm B, 7.6 months) vs chemotherapy alone (arm C, 5.5 months; hazard ratios were 0.524 (95% CI, 0.370-0.742; P < .001 [A vs C]) and 0.478 (95% CI, 0.336-0.679; P < .001 [B vs C]). Higher IRC-assessed ORR and longer IRC-assessed duration of response were observed in arms A (72.5%; 8.2 months) and B (74.8%; 8.6 months) vs C (49.6%; 4.2 months). No association was observed between PD-L1 expression and IRC-assessed PFS or ORR. Discontinuation of any treatment because of AEs was reported in 15 (12.5%; arm A), 35 (29.7%; arm B), and 18 (15.4%; arm C) patients. In each arm, the most common grade of 3 or greater AE was decreased neutrophil levels, which aligned with known chemotherapy toxic effects. Six treatment-related AEs leading to death occurred; however, no deaths were solely attributed to tislelizumab. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial, adding tislelizumab to chemotherapy was associated with significantly prolonged IRC-assessed PFS, higher IRC-assessed ORRs, and a manageable safety/tolerability profile in patients with advanced sq-NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 expression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03594747.

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified play a vital role in various different types of cancer via sponging miRNAs (microRNAs). However, their role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains largely unclear. In this study, we systematically characterized the circRNA expression profiles in the LUAD cancer tissues and paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Three circRNAs were found to be significantly upregulated. Among them, has-circRNA-002178 was further confirmed to be upregulated in the LUAD tissues, and LUAD cancer cells. Subsequently, we also found has-circRNA-002178 could enhance PDL1 expression via sponging miR-34 in cancer cells to induce T-cell exhaustion. More importantly, circRNA-002178 could be detected in exosomes of plasma from LUAD patients and could serve as biomarkers for LUAD early diagnosis. Finally, we found circRNA-002178 could be delivered into CD8 + T cells to induce PD1 expression via exosomes. Taken together, our study revealed that circRNA-002178 could act as a ceRNA to promote PDL1/PD1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma.