3-Methyladenine potentiates paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 at thr161 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell

Background:Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)exhibits a significant prevalence in the southern regions of China,and paclitaxel(PTX)is frequently employed as a medication for managing advanced NPC.However,drug resistance is typically accompanied by a poor prognosis.Exploring the synergistic potential of combining multiple chemotherapeutic agents may represent a promising avenue for optimizing treatment efficacy.Methods:This study investigated whether 3-Methyladenine(3-MA)could potentiated the effect of PTX and its potential molecular mechanism.Samples were divided into the following categories:Negative control(NC)with the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO,0.5%v/v),PTX(400 nM),3-MA(4 mM),and PTX(400 nM)+3-MA(4 mM).The viability of NPC cells was assessed using both the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay and the colony formation assay.Microscopic observation was performed to identify morphological cell changes.Flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle status,mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),and apoptotic cells.Western blotting was conducted to quantify the protein expression.Results:3-MA enhanced PTX-specific inhibition of NPC cell proliferation.PTX,either alone or in combination with 3-MA,caused cell cycle halt at the G2/M phase in the majority of NPC cells,and the combination treatment of PTX with 3-MA induced a higher rate of NPC cell death compared to PTX alone.Western blotting results revealed the combination of PTX with 3-MA heightened activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1(CDK1),a key molecule in shifting cells from mitotic arrest to apoptosis,led to a reduction in Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1(MCL-1)expression and an increase in Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)cleavage.Conclusion:The concurrent administration of PTX with 3-MA effectively enhances PTX’s inhibitory impact on NPC and activates the apoptosis signal regulated by CDK1.

Paclitaxel induces human KOSC3 oral cancer cell apoptosis through caspase pathways

Background:Paclitaxel is a compound derived from Pacific yew bark that induces various cancer cell apoptosis.However,whether it also has anticancer activities in KOSC3 cells,an oral cancer cell line,is unclear.Methods:3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide,flow cytometry,and western blotting assays were carried out to assess cell viability,subG1 phase of the cell cycle,and apoptosis-related protein expression,respectively.Results:Ourfindings indicate that paclitaxel could inhibit cell viability and increase the expression of apoptotic markers,including plasma membrane blebbing and the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase in KOSC3 cells.Also,the treatment with paclitaxel remarkably elevated the percentage of the subG1 phase in KOSC3 cells.In addition,treatment with a pan-caspase inhibitor could recover paclitaxel-inhibited cell viability.Moreover,caspase-8,caspase-9,caspase-7,and BH3 interacting domain death agonist(Bid)were activated in paclitaxel-treated KOSC3 cells.Conclusions:Paclitaxel induced apoptosis through caspase cascade in KOSC3 cells.

Hemorrhagic cystitis in gastric cancer after nanoparticle albuminbound paclitaxel:A case report

BACKGROUND The advanced first-line regimen for advanced gastric cancer is based on a combination of fluoropyrimidine and platinum and/or paclitaxel(PTX),forming a two-or three-drug regimen.Compared to conventional PTX,nanoparticle albumin-bound PTX(Nab-PTX)has better therapeutic effects and fewer adverse effects reported in studies.Nab-PTX is a great option for patients presenting with advanced gastric cancer.Herein,we highlight an adverse event(hemorrhagic cystitis)of Nab-PTX in advanced gastric cancer.CASE SUMMARY A 55-year-old male was diagnosed with lymph node metastasis after a laparo-scopic-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer that was treated by Nab-PTX and S-1(AS).On the 15th day after treatment with AS,he was diagnosed with hemorrhagic cystitis.CONCLUSION Physicians should be aware that hemorrhagic cystitis is a potential adverse event associated with Nab-PTX treatment.

Ganoderma lucidum spore oil enhances the effect of paclitaxel,improves the tolerance to paclitaxel and prolongs the survival in Lewis tumor-bearing mice

Purpose:This study aims to investigate whether Ganoderma lucidum spore oil(GLSO)could enhance the effect of paclitaxel(PTX),improve the tolerance to PTX and prolong the overall survival of Lewis tumor-bearing mice,which has never been reported before.Methods:The tumor,spleen,and thymus were weighed at the end of the experiment.Whole blood was collected for hematological index analysis,and the intact femur was removed to determine the bone marrow nucleated cell count(BMN).The percentage of lymphocytes in the spleen of mice was detected by flow cytometry,the activity of NK cells was detected by LDH assay,and the proliferation index of lymphocytes was determined by CCK-8 assay.The overall and mean survival time and life extension rate were calculated using SPSS software.Results:Our data showed that GLSO could enhance the anti-tumor effect of PTX and prolong the survival of mice.The underlying mechanisms of the above effects might be related to the toxic reduction effect of GLSO by relieving hematotoxicity,myelosuppression and immunosuppression.Specifically,GLSO could increase the number of blood cells and bone marrow cells,alleviate the thymic index,and elevate the number and activity of NK cells in mice treated with PTX.Conclusion:GLSO may enhance the efficacy of PTX by boosting the activity of immune NK cells and prolong survival by counteracting PTX-induced bone marrow alterations and improving hematopoiesis.These findings suggested the promising role of GLSO in combination with PTX to extend the survival and increase the tolerance of patients in clinical chemotherapy of lung cancer.

Comparing effectiveness and safety of paclitaxel plus raltitrexed vs. paclitaxel alone in second-line palliative chemotherapy for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma: A randomized phase Ⅱ clinical trial

Objective:Paclitaxel(P)is a standard second-line chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.This study compared the clinical outcome of a paclitaxel plus raltitrexed(RP)regimen as second-line treatment in metastatic gastric cancer(MGC)patients.Methods:An open,randomized,multi-center phase Ⅱ clinical trial was conducted involving 148 patients who were randomly assigned and treated with RP[raltitrexed(3 mg/m^(2)on day 1)and paclitaxel(135 mg/m^(2)on day 1 every 3 weeks)]or P[paclitaxel(135 mg/m^(2)on day 1 every 3 weeks)]as 2nd-line chemotherapy.The primary endpoint was progression-free survival(PFS).The secondary endpoints were the overall response rate(ORR),overall survival(OS),and safety.Results:PFS had a tendency to be prolonged with RP compared to P(2.7 months vs.1.7 months;P=0.148).OS was also prolonged with RP compared to P(10.2 months vs.6.1 months;P=0.140).The ORR was equal in the RP and P groups(6.8%and 4.0%;P=0.72).The disease control rate(DCR)in the RP and P groups was 56.2%and 36.0%,respectively.Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 36.2%(RP)and 28.2%(P)of patients.Frequent grade 3-4 toxicities for RP and P were neutropenia(11.0%and 4.0%),anemia(1.4%and 4.0%),and thrombocytopenia(1.4%and 5.3%),and all grades of peripheral neurotoxicity(12.3%vs.17.3%).All grades of hepatic toxicity were demonstrated for the RP and P groups based on elevated aminotransferase levels(27.4%and 14.1%).Subgroup analysis shows if MGC was combined with ascites or peritoneal involvement,the OS of the RP regimen was longer(P=0.05).Conclusions:Second-line palliative chemotherapy with RP was shown to prolong the PFS and OS,especially among patients with ascites or peritoneal involvement,which warrants confirmation using larger sample studies.

Anti-tumor Effect of Paclitaxel Enhanced by Psoralen at the Cellular Level

[Objectives]To explore the effect of psoralen combined with paclitaxel on the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells.[Methods]The effects of different concentrations of psoralen,paclitaxel,or the combination of psoralen and paclitaxel on cell viability were detected using CCK-8 assay kit.Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis after 24 h of psoralen(0.16,0.32,0.64 mmol/L),paclitaxel(0.1μmol/L),combined action of psoralen(0.32 mmol/L)and paclitaxel(0.1μmol/L)were detected using flow cytometry.[Results]Lower concentration of psoralen(0.04-0.32 mmol/L)showed no significant inhibitory effect on cells.After combined with paclitaxel,the inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cell proliferation was significantly higher than that of the group treated alone.Compared with the paclitaxel group,the cell apoptosis rate in the drug combination group was significantly increased.Different low concentrations of psoralen can block the cell cycle of MCF-7 at G 0/G 1 phase,while paclitaxel can block the cell cycle at G 2/M phase.After combined action,the number of cells blocked at G 2/M phase decreased.[Conclusions]Overall,the combined effect of psoralen and paclitaxel can enhance anti-tumor ability by inhibiting cell proliferation,inducing apoptosis,and blocking cell cycle.

The Combination of Artesunate and Paclitaxel in 1:1 Ratio Induces Apoptosis and Morphology Change on Human Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

The combination of Artesunate (ART) and Paclitaxel (PTX) in two human prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines (PC-3 and LNCaP) was evaluated to investigate the effects on proliferation, apoptosis and morphological changes. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values that were observed by ART and PTX on both LNCaP and PC-3 cell lines at 72-and 120-hour exposure were used to assess these effects. Early and late apoptosis was detected in Annexin V-FITC/PI assay revealed a shift in population of cells towards early and mid-apoptosis with ART + PTX than with ART and PTX individually. More effects were observed on LNCaP cell lines at both 72-hour and 120-hour exposure. The results for the Caspase 3/7 activity assay showed shift of viable population in all induced samples compared to control. Morphological changes occurred in both cell lines;this was validated in qualitative assessment when examined under the inverted microscope. These findings indicated that ART + PTX suppressed PCa cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Atezolizumab and Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Background:Unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative(hormone-receptor-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2[HER2]-negative)breast cancer is an aggressive disease with poor outcomes.Nanoparticle albumin-bound(nab)-paclitaxel may enhance the anticancer activity of atezolizumab.

Preparation,physicochemical characterization and cyctotoxicity of solid dispersion of paclitaxel and polyvinylpyrrolidone

The objective of this study was to prepare and characterize paclitaxel-polyvinylpyrrolidone （PTX-PVP） solid dispersions with the intention of improving its solubility and dissolution properties. The PTX-PVP solid dispersion systems were prepared by solvent method. The release rate ofpaclitaxel was determined from dissolution studies and the physicochemical properties of solid dispersion were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, powder X-ray diffraction （PXRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The cytotoxicities ofpaclitaxel in solid dispersion to the SKOV-3 cells were assayed by a SRB staining method. The results showed that the solubility and dissolution rate of paclitaxel were significantly improved in solid dispersion system compared with that of the pure drug and physical mixture. The results of DSC and PXRD showed that the paclitaxel in solid dispersion was amorphous form. No paclitaxel crystals in the solid dispersions was found during SEM analysis. Cytotoxicity study suggested that the inhibitory rates of PTX-PVP solid dispersion to SKOV-3 cells were higher than that of pure paclitaxel. The solubility and dissolution of paclitaxel were improved by solid dispersion technique. In vitro cytotoxicity of paclitaxel in solid dispersion was higher than that of pure drug.

Efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective： To observe the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel （ABP） monotherapy in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： We retrospectively analyzed the short-term efficacy and toxicities of ABP monotherapy in treating 21 patients who had previously undergone multiple cycles of therapy for their advanced NSCLC in our hospital since 2010. The treatment-related survival was also analyzed. Results： Of these 21 patients, the best overall response was partial response （PR） in 6 patients （28.6%）, stable disease （SD） in I0 patients （47.6%）, and progressive disease （PD） in 5 patients （23.8%）. The overall response rate （ORR） was 28.6% and the disease control rate （DCR） （PR ＋ SD） was 76.2%. The median progression-flee survival （PFS） was 4.0 months （95% CI, 5.0-7.0 months）. The main grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia （11.1%）, peripheral nerve toxicity （5.6%）, muscle and joint aches （5.6%）, and fatigue （5.6%）. Conclusions： The ABP monotherapy can achieve good objective response in advanced NSCLC patients who have previously received multiple cycles of treatment and be well tolerated.

A randomized controlled trial of two chemotherapy regimens-paclitaxel liposome combined with platinum and paclitaxel combined with platinum in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical carcinoma

Objective:The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy,side effect and influence on the survival rate of two chemotherapy regimens,paclitaxel liposome combined with platinum and paclitaxel combined with platinum,in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical carcinoma.Methods:The 162 cases with primary cervical carcinoma diagnosed between January 2008 and November 2009 in Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital(China) were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial.Seventy-one cases were included in paclitaxel group and 91 in paclitaxel liposome group.And the chemotherapy doses were as follows:paclitaxel liposome and paclitaxel 135 mg/m2;cisplatin 80 mg/m2 or carboplatin AUC 4-6;then repeated every 21 days for two or three times.Radical radiotherapy was given to both groups at the same time.Efficacy was evaluated according to the tumor regression six months later and follow-up was done consistently.Results:The overall response rates of paclitaxel group and paclitaxel liposome group were 90.1% and 89 % respectively(P > 0.05).The one year cumulative survival was 91.4% for paclitaxel group and 89.2% for paclitaxel liposome group(P > 0.05).The incidence rates of adverse effects such as rash,gastrointestinal toxicity,bone marrow suppression and muscle/joint pain in paclitaxel liposome group were much lower than those in paclitaxel group(P < 0.05),while there was no difference regarding hair loss,hepatic function damage,peripheral neuritis and other aspects(P > 0.05).Conclusion:Paclitaxel liposome plus platinum is a safe and effective method for staging IIa-IV cervical carcinomas.While the long-term efficacy should be further observed.

Downregulation of iASPP Expression Suppresses Proliferation, Invasion and Increases Chemosensitivity to Paclitaxel of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

Objective Our previous study has revealed that iASPP is elevated in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC)and iASPP overexpression signifcantly correlates with tumor malignant progression and poor survival of HNSCC.This study investigated the function of iASPP playing in proliferation and invasion of HNSCC in vitro.Methods HNSCC cell line Tu686 transfected with Lentiviral vector-mediated iASPP-specific shRNA and control shRNA were named the shRNA-iASPP group and shRNA-NC group,respectively.The non-infected Tu686 cells were named the CON group.CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry,transwell invasion assay were performed to detect the effects of iASPP inhibition in vitro.Results Our results demonstrated that the proliferation of shRNA-iASPP cells at the time of 72 h(F=32.459,P=0.000),96 h(F=51.407,P=0.000),120 h(F=35.125,P=0.000)post-transfection,was significantly lower than that of shRNANC cells and CON cells.The apoptosis ratio of shRNA-iASPP cells was 9.42%±0.39%(F=299.490,P=0.000),which was significantly higher than that of CON cells(2.80%±0.42%)and shRNA-NC cells(3.18%±0.28%).The percentage of shRNA-iASPP cells in G0/G1 phase was 74.65%±1.09%(F=388.901,P=0.000),which was strikingly increased,compared with that of CON cells(55.19%±1.02%)and shRNA-NC cells(54.62%±0.88%).The number of invading cells was 56±4 in the shRNA-iASPP group(F=84.965,P=0.000),which decreased significantly,compared with the CON group(111±3)and the shRNA-NC group(105±8).The survival rate of shRNA-iASPP cells administrated with paclitaxel was highly decreased,compared with CON cells and shRNA-NC cells(F=634.841,P=0.000).Conclusion These results suggest iASPP may play an important role in progression and aggressive behavior of HNSCC and may be an efficient chemotherapeutic target for the treatment of HNSCC.

DL1106与doxorubicin和paclitaxel协同作用及其机制研究

目的探讨DL1106与doxorubicin和paclitaxel对三阴性乳腺癌细胞协同作用效果及研究机制。方法将三阴性乳腺癌细胞MDA-MB-231和BT549分为4组,对照组,DL1106,DL1106+doxorubicin,DL1106+paclitaxel组作用24和48 h。用流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率和细胞周期;用JC-1检测细胞膜电位;用Caspase-Glo?3/7 assay检测细胞内胱天蛋白酶活性;用Western blotting检测细胞周期、细胞凋亡相关蛋白表达。采用si RNA技术敲低P53和PUMA的表达后检测药物联合对细胞的作用效果。结果与DL1106单独作用组细胞相比,DL1106与doxorubicin和paclitaxel联合作用组的细胞在48 h后凋亡率显著下降。DL1106与doxorubicin和paclitaxel联合作用导致细胞膜电位大幅下降并使细胞内胱天蛋白酶活性显著升高。同对照组相比,DL1106,DL1106+doxorubicin,DL1106+paclitaxel作用组的细胞均抑制MDM2的表达,促进P53和PUMA的表达。DL1106+doxorubicin,DL1106+paclitaxel协同作用抑制细胞Cyclin D1和Bcl-2的表达,促进BAX的表达。用P53si RNA和PUMA si RNA分别敲低细胞P53和PUMA的表达后,发现DL1106+doxorubicin,DL1106+paclitaxel联合作用效果明显减弱。结论 DL1106与doxorubicin和paclitaxel对三阴性乳腺癌细胞均具有协同作用,且这种协同作用通过P53/PUMA/BAX/caspase途径发挥作用。

紫杉醇(Paclitaxel)治疗晚期鼻咽癌的临床研究

评价紫杉醇对晚期鼻咽癌的客观疗效及毒副反应。方法 :采用紫杉醇175mg/m2,3h静脉滴注 (每3周1次 )方案共治疗晚期鼻咽癌病人22例 ,所有病人均接受两个疗程以上的化疗。结果 :22例病人均可评价疗效 ,有7例病人达到PR ,有效率为31 .82 %。主要毒副反应为骨髓抑制、恶心和呕吐、肌痛和关节痛、脱发等。大部分病人为Ⅰ～Ⅱ度反应 ,病人耐受良好。经常规预防用药后 ,未观察到有严重的过敏反应。结论 :紫杉醇是一种对晚期鼻咽癌有效的化疗药物 ,该剂量的紫杉醇临床使用较为安全 ,值得进一步的临床研究。

A phase Ⅱ study of paclitaxel and nedaplatin as front-line chemotherapy in Chinese patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxelnedaplatin combination as a front-line regimen in Chinese patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:A two-center,open-label,single-arm phaseⅡstudy was designed.Thirty-nine patients were enrolled and included in the intention-to-treat analysis of efficacy and adverse events.Patients received 175mg/m2of paclitaxel over a 3 h infusion on 1 d,followed by nedaplatin 80 mg/m2in a 1 h infusion on 2 d every3 wk until the documented disease progression,unac-ceptable toxicity or patient’s refusal.RESULTS:Of the 36 patients assessable for efficacy,there were 2 patients(5.1%)with complete response and 16 patients(41.0%)with partial response,giving an overall response rate of 46.1%.The median progression-free survival and median overall survival for all patients were 7.1 mo(95%CI:4.6-9.7)and 12.4 mo(95%CI:9.5-15.3),respectively.Toxicities were moderate and manageable.Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia(15.4%),nausea(10.3%),anemia(7.7%),thrombocytopenia(5.1%),vomiting(5.1%)and neutropenia fever(2.6%).CONCLUSION:The combination of paclitaxel and nedaplatin is active and well tolerated as a first-line therapy for patients with metastatic ESCC.

Paclitaxel ameliorates fibrosis in hepatic stellate cells via inhibition of TGF-β/Smad activity

AIM: To investigated if paclitaxel can attenuate hepatic fi brosis in rat hepatic stellate cells (RHSCs). METHODS: RHSCs were cultured in vitro and randomly assigned to four groups: normal control group (treated only with Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium), Taxol group (200 nmol/L paclitaxel was added to the cell culture), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β group (5 ng/mL recombinant human TGF-β1 was added to the cell culture), and TGF-β + Taxol group. TGF-β signaling cascade and status of various extracellular matrix proteins were evaluated by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. RESULTS: The paclitaxel treatment markedly suppressed Smad2/3 phosphorylation. This was associated with attenuated expression of collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ and fi bronectin in RHSCs.CONCLUSION: These data indicate that 200 nmol/L paclitaxel ameliorates hepatic fi brosis via modulating TGF-β signaling, and that paclitaxel may have some therapeutic value in humans with hepatic fi brosis.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin in lymph node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective： No standard postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy has ever been established in node-positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC）. This is a study to explore the effect of postoperative paelitaxel （PTX） and cisplatin （DDP） in lymph node-positive, completely resected thoracic ESCC patients. Methods： We conducted a prospective phase II trial. Patients had pathologically node-positive thoracic ESCC with negative margins. Outcomes of disease-free survival （DFS） and overall survival （OS） were compared with a matched historical control cohort. The postoperative chemotherapy regimen consisted of 4 to 6 cycles of PTX 150 mg/m2 administered intravenously on d 1 followed by DDP 50 mg/m2 on d 2 every 14 d. Results： Forty-three patients were accrued from December 2007 to May 2012 at Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for adjuvant chemotherapy. The historical control group consisted of 80 patients who received complete resection but no adjuvant chemotherapy during the same period of time. Of the 43 patients with adjuvant chemotherapy, 37 （86.0%） patients completed 4 to 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The 3-year DFS rates were 56.3% in the adjuvant group and 34.6% in the control group （P=0.006）. The 3-year OS rates were 55.0% in the adjuvant group and 37.5% in the control group （P=0.013）. Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative chemotherapy was the significant predictor for improved OS （P=0.005）. Conclusions： Biweekly adjuvant PTX and DDP might improve 3-year DFS and OS in lymph node-positive, curatively resected thoracic ESCC patients. These conclusions warrant further study in randomized phase III clinical trials.

Expressions of Thymidylate Synthase, Thymidine Phosphorylase, Class Ⅲ β-tubulin, and Excision Repair Cross-complementing Group 1 Predict Response in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Capecitabine Plus Paclitaxel or Cisplatin

Objective: To evaluate the role of class III β-tubulin (TUBB3), thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) in clinical outcome of advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine plus paclitaxel or cisplatin. Methods: The clinical data and tumor specimens from 57 advanced gastric cancer patients receiving first-line capecitabine plus paclitaxel (cohort 1, n=36) and capecitabine plus cisplatin (cohort 2, n=21) were retrospectively collected, and TUBB3, TS, TP, and ERCC1 expressions were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The associations between expressions of biomarkers and response or survival were analyzed statistically. Results: The median age of 57 patients was 57 years (range: 27–75 years) with 38 males and 19 females. Of all patients, the response rates of patients with high TP, low TP and high TS, low TS expressions were 57.1%, 27.6% (P=0.024), and 55.2%, 28.6% (P=0.042), respectively. Among cohort 1, the response rates and median overall survivals of patients with low and high TUBB3 expressions were 61.1% vs. 33.3% (P=0.095) and 13.8 months vs. 6.6 months (P=0.019), respectively; the response rate (87.5%) of patients with low TUBB3 and high TP expressions was higher than that (14.3%) of patients with high TUBB3 and low TP expressions (P=0.01). Among cohort 2, the response rates of patients with low ERCC1 and high ERCC1 expressions were 45.5% and 20.0% respectively (P=0.361). Conclusion: TUBB3, TS and TP expressions could predict the response of advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine-based and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. These results will be further confirmed in future large samples.

Weekly albumin-bound paclitaxel/cisplatin versus gemcitabine/cisplatin as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer:A phase II open-label clinical study

Objective: The aim of this trial was to compare both the efficacy and the safety of a weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel(nab-paclitaxel) plus cisplatin vs. gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods: A total of 84 participants received either 100 mg/m^2 nab-paclitaxel each week on d 1, 8 and 15 of a 28 day cycle, as well as cisplatin 75 mg/m^2 on d 1 every three weeks(nab-TP arm); or gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m^2 on d 1 and 8, plus cisplatin 75 mg/m^2 on d 1 every three weeks(GP arm). The primary end point was progression-free survival(PFS). The secondary end points were overall response rate(ORR) and overall survival(OS).Results: According to our analysis, the median PFS was 4.8 months for the nab-TP arm vs. 5.2 months for the GP arm(P=0.55). Analysis showed the median OS was 14.6 months for participants who were in the nab-TP arm vs. 15.1 months for those in the GP arm(P=0.94). Besides, nab-TP showed OS advantages over GP in patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) mutation(26.7 vs. 15.3 months, P=0.046) and patients with a performance status of 0(23.5 vs. 14.7 months, P=0.020). It was found that incidences of drug-related grade 3 or 4 toxicities were comparable between the two treatment arms.Conclusions: Therefore, it can be seen that weekly nab-TP treatment has a similar efficacy and tolerability to GP treatment for patients who are undergoing their first-line treatment for NSCLC. It could be that survival differences among platinum doublets in the context of both EGFR mutation and performance status have the potential to be the basis for our further clinical trials.

Pharmacokinetic study of paclitaxel in malignant ascites from advanced gastric cancer patients

AIM： To examine the paclitaxel concentrations in plasma and ascites after its intravenous administration in patients with ascites due to peritonitis carcinomatosa resulting from advanced gastric cancer. METHODS： Two patients with ascites due to peritonitis carcinomatosa resulting from gastric cancer were included in this study. The paclitaxel concentrations in plasma and ascites were investigated for 72 h in case 1 and 168 h in case 2 after intravenous administration. RESULTS： The paclitaxel concentration in plasma peaked immediately after administration, followed by rapid decrease below the threshold value of 0.1 μmol （85 ng/mL） within 24 h. In contrast, the paclitaxel concentration in ascites increased gradually for 24 h after administration to a level consistent with the level found in plasma. After 24 h the level of paclitaxel in ascites and plasma became similar, with the optimal level being maintained up to 72 h following administration. CONCLUSION： The concentration of paclitaxel in ascites is maintained within the optimal level for the treatment of cancer cells for up to 72 h after intravenous administration. Paclitaxel is a promising drug for the treatment of malignant ascites of gastric cancer.