Risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation in oncological patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors:A case report and literature analysis

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)reactivation(HBVr)represents a severe and potentially life-threatening condition,and preventive measures are available through blood test screening or prophylactic therapy administration.The assessment of HBVr traditionally considers factors such as HBV profile,including hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen,along with type of medication(chemotherapy;immunomodulants).Nevertheless,consideration of possible patient’s underlying tumor and the specific malignancy type(solid or hematologic)plays a crucial role and needs to be assessed for decision-making process.

Navigating the complex terrain of hepatitis B virus reactivation in the era of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors

In this editorial,we offer a summary of the risk associated with hepatitis B reactivation(HBVr)in the setting of both solid and hematologic malignancies treated with Bruton tyrosine kinase(BTK)inhibitors,with insights derived from current studies.Furthermore,we emphasize the critical need for a framework regarding robust risk evaluation in patients undergoing such treatments.This framework is essential for identifying those at increased risk of HBVr,enabling healthcare providers to implement proactive measures to prevent reactivation and ensure the safe administration of BTK inhibitor therapy.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer

The body of evidence investigating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2)directed therapy in patients with breast cancer(BC)has been growing within the last decade.Recently,the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)has been of particular interest in the treatment of human malignancies.This literature commentary is intended to highlight the most recent findings associated with the widely-studied TKI agents and their clinical significance in improving the outcomes of HER2 positive BC.

Efficacy of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Harboring Different Types of EGFR Mutations:A Retrospective Analysis

With the development of molecular pathology, many types of epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR） mutations have been identified. The efficacy of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors（EGFR-TKIs） in non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC） patients with different types of EGFR mutations, especially in patients with single rare mutations or complex mutations（co-occurrence of two or more different mutations）, has not been fully understood. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC patients with different types of EGFR mutations. Clinical data of 809 NSCLC patients who harbored different types of EGFR mutations and treated from January 2012 to October 2016 at Renmin Hospital and Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan, were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics of these patients and the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs were analyzed. Among these patients, 377 patients had only the EGFR del-19 mutation, 362 patients the EGFR L858R mutation in exon 21, 33 patients single rare mutations and 37 patients complex mutations. Among these 809 patients, 239 patients were treated with EGFR-TKIs. In all the 239 patients, the disease control rate（DCR） was 93.7% with two patients（0.2%） achieving complete response（CR）, the median progression free survival（PFS） was 13.0 months（95% confidence interval [CI], 11.6–14.4 months）, and the median overall survival（OS） was 55.0 months（95% CI, 26.3–83.7 months）. Subgroup analysis revealed that the DCR in patients harboring single rare or complex mutations of EGFR was significantly lower than in those with del-19 or L858 R mutation（P〈0.001）. Patients with classic mutations（del-19 and/or L858 R mutations） demonstrated longer PFS（P〈0.001） and OS（P=0.017） than those with uncommon mutations（single rare and/or complex mutations）. Furthermore, the patients with single rare mutations had shorter median OS than in those with other mutations. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the type of EGFR mutations was an independent risk factor for PFS（hazard ratio [HR]=0.308, 95% CI, 0.191–0.494, P〈0.001） and OS（HR=0.221, 95% CI, 0.101–0.480, P〈0.001）. The results suggest that the single rare or complex EGFR mutations confer inferior efficacy of EGFR-TKIs treatment to the classic mutations. The prognosis of the single rare EGFR mutations is depressing. EGFR-TKIs may be not a good choice for NSCLC patients with single rare mutations of EGFR. Further studies in these patients with uncommon mutations（especially for the patients with single rare mutations） are needed to determine a better precision treatment.

Immediate Versus Delayed Treatment with EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors after First-line Therapy in Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

Objective： To analyze the outcomes of patients who received TKI immediately after the first-line without progression as maintenance treatment （immediate group） vs. those received delayed treatment upon disease progression as second-line therapy （delayed group）. Methods： The study included 159 no-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC） patients who received gefitinib or erlotinib as maintenance treatment in the immediate group （85 patients） or as second-line therapy in the delayed group （74 patients）. The primary end point was progression-free survival （PFS）. EGFR mutation status was detected using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography （DHPLC）. Results： PFS was 17.3 and 16.4 months in the immediate and delayed groups, respectively （hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]： 0.69-1.42; P=0.947）. In a subgroup analysis that included only patients with EGFR mutation, however, PFS was significantly longer in the immediate group than in the delayed group （HR, 0.48; 95% CI： 0.27-0.85; P=0.012）. In patients with wild type EGFR, the risk for disease progression was comparable between the two groups （HR, 1.23; 95% CI： 0.61-2.51; P=0.564）. No significant difference was demonstrated between the immediate and delayed group in terms of the overall survival （OS） （26.1 months vs. 21.6 months, respectively; HR=0.53; 95% CI： 0.27 to 1.06; P=0.072）. There was also no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups. Conclusions： EGFR TKI maintenance improves PFS in patients with EGFR mutation. Prospectively designed clinical studies that compare TKI immediate vs. delayed treatment after first-line chemotherapy upon disease progression are needed.

ABNORMAL PROTEIN TYROSINE KINASES ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN HAEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

Objective: To survey the role of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in the pathogenesis of several hematopoietic malignancies. Methods: By reviewing the published laboratory and clinical studies on PTK-related oncoproteins and their causative role in some leukemias and lymphomas. Results: Protein tyrosine kinases are key participants in signal transduction pathways that regulate cellular growth, activation and differentiations. Aberrant PTK activity resulting from gene mutation (often accompanying chromosome translocation) plays an etiologic role in several clonal hematopoietic malignancies. For example, the PTK product of the BCR-ABL fusion gene resulting from the t (9; 22) translocation exhibits several fold higher tyrosine kinase activity than the product of the ABL gene. Evidence suggests that the BCR-ABL oncoprotein alone is sufficient to case chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and other Ph positive acute leukemia. PTK over-activity resulting from chromosomal translocations creating TEL-ABL, TEL-JAK2 and TEL-PDGFRβ fusion proteins plays an important role in the pathogenesis of other types of leukemia. Another example occurs in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Experimental and clinical evidences indicate that translocations involving ALK gene on chromosome 2p23, most commonly resulting in an NPM-ALK fusion oncogene, result in constitutive activation of ALK and cause ALCL. This group of lymphomas is now named ALK positive lymphoma or ALKoma. Conclusion: Genetic lesions creating aberrant fusion proteins that result in excessive PTK activity are increasingly being recognized as central to the pathogenesis of hemotopoietic malignancies. These chimeric PTK molecules represent attractive disease-specific targets against which new classes therapeutic agents are being developed.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors against Cancer: Their Safety in 216 Moroccan Patients

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become a prominent option in the therapeutic arsenal of several cancers. The safety of these drugs has shown various toxicities with varying frequency and severity between different agents. The aim of this study is to describe the safety profile of different classes of TKI used in various solid tumors. It is a retrospectively descriptive study conducted in the Department of Medical Oncology at Hassan II University Hospital of Fez, Morocco, over a period of 6 years from April 2013 until April 2019. It included 216 patients who received one or more TKI for different indications in solid tumors. The average age in our series was 61.4 years with a sex ratio F/M of 1.07. Among the most used TKIs in our department according to their availability: Imatinib (32%) and sunitinib (32%). All patients received one or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors according to the indication. Kidney cancer was the most common malignancy (36%), followed by gastrointestinal stromal tumors (33%). The median duration of treatment was 15 months with extremes of 1 month and 102 months. The main side effects were: Cutaneous in 43% of patients. Digestive toxicity occurred in 36% of cases. Hematotoxicity was reported in 33% of cases. The safety profile of TKIs used in our study was comparable to their global tolerance reported in literature. More studies are needed to investigate the relationship between their toxicity and their efficacy in Moroccan population.

Effect of a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor nintedanib on bFGF and VEGF concentrations in a rabbit retinal vein occlusion model

AIM:To evaluate whether a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor nintedanib could inhibit basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)simultaneously for retinal vascular disease in vivo.METHODS:After a laser induced rabbit retinal vein occlusion(RVO)model was made,0.5 mg of nintedanib was injected intravitreally in the left eye on the third day while the right eye was as a control.Intracameral samples were taken on the day before laser treatment and days 1,3,7,14,21,and 28 after treatment.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to test the bFGF and VEGF-A concentrations in the aqueous humor.RESULTS:Both bFGF and VEGF-A rose significantly on the third day after laser treatment in both eyes.In the control eye the bFGF concentration peaked on the 14th day while the VEGF-A concentration dropped rapidly soon after the third day.After nintadanib injection in the study eye,both bFGF and VEGF-A showed a significant reduction on the 4th day(7th day after laser treatment)when compared to the control eye,and kept on low level in the following several weeks.CONCLUSION:Intravitreal injection of nintedanib can inhibit the expression of bFGF and VEGF in the process of RVO model to a certain extent,which is expected to become a new method for the treatment of retinal vascular diseases or fibrotic diseases.

Rituximab combined with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor to treat elderly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is a common aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL),accounting for 30%-40%of adult NHLs.This report aims to explore the efficacy and safety of rituximab combined with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors(BTKis)in the treatment of elderly patients with DLBCL.CASE SUMMARY The clinical data of two elderly patients with DLBCL who received rituximab combined with BTKi in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed,and the literature was reviewed.The patients were treated with chemotherapy using the R-miniCHOP regimen for two courses.Then,they received rituximab in combination with BTKi.CONCLUSION The treatment experience in these cases demonstrates the potential efficacy of rituximab combined with BTKi to treat elderly DLBCL patients,thus providing a new treatment strategy.

Gastric cancer secreted miR 214-3p inhibits the anti-angiogenesis effect of apatinib by suppressing ferroptosis in vascular endothelial cells

Diferent from necrosis,apoptosis,autophagy and other forms of cell death,ferroptosis is a mechanism that catalyzes lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated ftty acids under the action of iron divalent or lipoxygenase,leading to cell death.Apatinib is currently used in the third line standard treatment of advanced gastric cancer,targeting the anti-angiogenesis pathway.However,Apatinib mediated ferroptosis in vascular endothelial cells has not been reported yet.Tumor.secreted exosomes can be taken up into target cells to regulate tumor development,but the mechanism related to vascular endothelial cell ferroptosis has not yet been discovered.Here,we show that exosomes secreted by gastric cancer cells carry miR-214.3p into vascular endothelial cells and directdy target zinc finger protein A20 to negatively regulate ACSL4,a key enzyme of lipid peroxidation during frroptosis thereby inhibiting ferroptosis in vascular endothelial cells and reducing the eficiency of Apatinib.In conclusion,inhibition of miR-214-3p can increase the sensitivity of vascular endothelial cells to Apatinib,thereby promoting the antiangiogenic efect of Apatinib,suggesting a potential combination therapy for advanced gastric cancer.

Inetetamab combined with pyrotinib and chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer brain metastasis: A case report

BACKGROUND Breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBM)is an advanced breast disease that is difficult to treat and is associated with a high risk of death.Patient prognosis is usually poor,with reduced quality of life.In this context,we report the case of a patient with HER-2-positive BCBM treated with a macromolecular mAb(ine-tetamab)combined with a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI).CASE SUMMARY The patient was a 58-year-old woman with a 12-year history of type 2 diabetes.She was compliant with regular insulin treatment and had good blood glucose control.The patient was diagnosed with invasive carcinoma of the right breast(T3N1M0 stage IIIa,HER2-positive type)through aspiration biopsy of the ipsilateral breast due to the discovery of a breast tumor in February 2019.Immunohistochemistry showed ER(-),PR(-),HER-2(3+),and Ki-67(55-60%+).Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy,i.e.,the AC-TH regimen(epirubicin,cyclophosphamide,docetaxel-paclitaxel,and trastuzumab),was administered for 8 cycles.She underwent modified radical mastectomy of the right breast in November 2019 and received tocilizumab targeted therapy for 1 year.Brain metastasis was found 9 mo after surgery.She underwent brain metastasectomy in August 2020.Immunohistochemistry showed ER(-)and PR.(-),HER-2(3+),and Ki-67(10-20%+).In November 2020,the patient experienced headache symptoms.After an examination,tumor recurrence in the original surgical region of the brain was observed,and the patient was treated with inetetamab,pyrotinib,and capecitabine.Whole-brain radiotherapy was recommended.The patient and her family refused radiotherapy for personal reasons.In September 2021,a routine examination revealed that the brain tumor was considerably larger.The original systemic treatment was continued and combined with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for brain metastases,followed by regular hospitalization and routine examinations.The patient’s condition is generally stable,and she has a relatively high quality of life.This case report demonstrates that in patients with BCBM and resistance to trastuzumab,inetetamab combined with pyrotinib and chemotherapy can prolong survival.CONCLUSION Inetetamab combined with small molecule TKI drugs,chemotherapy and radiation may be an effective regimen for maintaining stable disease in patients with BCBM.

Thymic carcinoid with multiple bone metastases:A case report

BACKGROUND Thymic carcinoid(TC)is a rare entity among anterior mediastinal malignancies.TCs are neuroendocrine carcinomas that constitute approximately 2%–5%of all thymic epithelial tumors.CASE SUMMARY The study reported a rare TC with multiple bone metastases.A 77-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of lower back pain and weight loss of 5 kg.Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed damage to the lumbar spine,sacrocaudal vertebrae and iliac crest,suggesting bone metastasis;computed tomography(CT)scan of the thorax showed a calcified anterior mediastinal mass;positron emission tomography-CT demonstrated multiple abnormal bone signals;and laboratory work-up showed no endocrine abnormalities.Fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed predominantly single small,round to oval cells with scant cytoplasm and some loose clusters,suggesting endocrine manifestations.The pathological diagnosis was atypical carcinoid,which tend to originate from the thymus and was classified as intermediate-highly invasive.The patient underwent anlotinib-targeted therapy.Anlotinib(12 mg)was administered daily for 2 wk,after which the patient was allowed to rest for 21 d.Follow-up CT after one year demonstrated that the tumor had shrunk by approximately 29%after therapy.Treatment has a long stable disease benefit of more than 2.5 years.CONCLUSION These findings demonstrated that anlotinib is a promising treatment regimen for patients with TC and multiple bone metastases.

Ibrutinib and atrial fibrillation:An in-depth review of clinical implications and management strategies

Ibrutinib,a targeted therapy for B-cell malignancies,has shown remarkable efficacy in treating various hematologic cancers.However,its clinical use has raised concerns regarding cardiovascular complications,notably atrial fibrillation(AF).This comprehensive review critically evaluates the association between ibrutinib and AF by examining incidence,risk factors,mechanistic links,and management strategies.Through an extensive analysis of original research articles,this review elucidates the complex interplay between ibrutinib’s therapeutic benefits and cardiovascular risks.Moreover,it highlights the need for personalized treatment approaches,vigilant monitoring,and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient outcomes and safety in the context of ibrutinib therapy.The review provides a valuable resource for healthcare professionals aiming to navigate the intricacies of ibrutinib’s therapeutic landscape while prioritizing patient well-being.

Inhibitory effects of regorafenib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on corneal neovascularization

AIM:To evaluate the inhibitory effects of regorafenib(BAY 73-4506),a multikinase inhibitor,on corneal neovascularization(NV).METHODS:Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g,were used.Corneal NV was induced by NaOH in the left eyes of each rat.Following the establishment of alkali burn,the animals were randomized into five groups according to topical treatment.Group 1(n=6)received 0.9%NaCl,Group 2(n=6)received dimethyl sulfoxide,Group 3(n=6)received regorafenib 1 mg/mL,Group 4(n=6)received bevacizumab 5 mg/mL and Group 5(n=6)received 0.1%dexamethasone phosphate.On the 7d,the corneal surface covered with neovascular vessels was measured on photographs as the percentage of the cornea’s total area using computer-imaging analysis.The corneas obtained from rats were semiquantitatively evaluated for caspase-3 and vascular endothelial growth factor by immunostaining.RESULTS:A statistically significant difference in the percent area of corneal NV was found among the groups(P【0.001).Although the Group 5 had the smallest percent area of corneal NV,there was no difference among Groups 3,4 and 5(P】0.005).There was a statistically significant difference among the groups in apoptotic cell density(P=0.002).The staining intensity of vascular endothelial growth factor in the epithelial and endothelial layers of cornea was significantly different among the groups(P【0.05).The staining intensity of epithelial and endothelial vascular endothelial growth factor was significantly weaker in Groups 3,4 and 5 thanin Groups 1 and 2.CONCLUSION:Topical administration of regorafenib 1mg/mL is partly effective for preventing alkali-induced corneal NV in rats.

Repurposed anti-cancer epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors: mechanisms of neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease

Numerous molecular mechanisms are being examined in an attempt to discover disease-modifying drugs to slow down the underlying neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.Recent studies have shown the beneficial effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors on the enhancement of behavioral and pathological sequelae in Alzheimer’s disease.Despite the promising effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in Alzheimer’s disease,there is no irrefutable neuroprotective evidence in well-established animal models using epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors due to many un-explored downstream signaling pathways.This caused controversy about the potential involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in any prospective clinical trial.In this review,the mystery beyond the under-investigation of epidermal growth factor receptor in Alzheimer’s disease will be discussed.Furthermore,their molecular mechanisms in neurodegeneration will be explained.Also,we will shed light on SARS-COVID-19 induced neurological manifestations mediated by epidermal growth factor modulation.Finally,we will discuss future perspectives and under-examined epidermal growth factor receptor downstream signaling pathways that warrant more exploration.We conclude that epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors are novel effective therapeutic approaches that require further research in attempts to be repositioned in the delay of Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Predictive indicators of successful tyrosine kinase inhibitor discontinuation in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Clinical trials have demonstrated that some patients with chronic myeloid leukemia(CML)treated for several years with tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)who have maintained a molecular response can successfully discontinue treatment without relapsing.Treatment free remission(TFR)can be reached by approximately 50%of patients who discontinue.Despite having similar levels of deep molecular response and an identical duration of treatment,the factors that influence the successful discontinuation of CML patients remain to be determined.In this review we will explore the factors identified to date that can help predict whether a patient will successfully achieve TFR.We will also discuss the need for the identification of predictive biomarkers associated with a high probability of achieving TFR for the future personalized identification of patients who are suitable for the discontinuation of TKI treatment.

Role of spleen tyrosine kinase in liver diseases

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK),a non-receptor tyrosine kinase,is expressed in most hematopoietic cells and non-hematopoietic cells and play a crucial role in both immune and non-immune biological responses.SYK mediate diverse cellular responses via an immune-receptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs)-dependent signalling pathways,ITAMs-independent and ITAMs-semidependent signalling pathways.In liver,SYK expression has been observed in parenchymal (hepatocytes) and non-parenchymal cells (hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells) and found to be positively correlated with the disease severity.The implication of SYK pathway has been reported in different liver diseases including liver fibrosis,viral hepatitis,alcoholic liver disease,non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Antagonism of SYK pathway using kinase inhibitors have shown to attenuate the progression of liver diseases thereby suggesting SYK as a highly promising therapeutic target.This review summarizes the current understanding of SYK and its therapeutic implication in liver diseases.

Prevention and management of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with hematological malignancies in the targeted therapy era

Hepatitis due to hepatitis B virus(HBV)reactivation can be serious and potentially fatal,but is preventable.HBV reactivation is most commonly reported in patients receiving chemotherapy,especially rituximab-containing therapy for hematological malignancies and those receiving stem cell transplantation.Patients with inactive and even resolved HBV infection still have persistence of HBV genomes in the liver.The expression of these silent genomes is controlled by the immune system.Suppression or ablation of immune cells,most importantly B cells,may lead to reactivation of seemingly resolved HBV infection.Thus,all patients with hematological malignancies receiving anticancer therapy should be screened for active or resolved HBV infection by blood tests for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen.Patients found to be positive for HBsAg should be given prophylactic antiviral therapy.For patients with resolved HBV infection,there are two approaches.The first is pre-emptive therapy guided by serial HBV DNA monitoring,and treatment with antiviral therapy as soon as HBV DNA becomes detectable.The second approach is prophy-lactic antiviral therapy,particularly for patients receiving high-risk therapy,especially anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Entecavir and tenofovir are the preferred antiviral choices.Many new effective therapies for hematological malignancies have been introduced in the past decade,for example,chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy,novel monoclonal antibodies,bispecific antibody drug conjugates,and small molecule inhibitors,which may be associated with HBV reactivation.Although there is limited evidence to guide the optimal preventive measures,we recommend antivi-ral prophylaxis in HBsAg-positive patients receiving novel treatments,including Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors,B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitors,and CAR-T cell therapy.Further studies are needed to determine the risk of HBV reactivation with these agents and the best prophylactic strategy.

Systemic treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is most commonly found in the context of liver cirrhosis and,in rare cases,in a healthy liver.Its prevalence has risen in recent years,particularly in Western nations,due to the increasing frequency of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Advanced HCC has a poor prognosis.For many years,the only proven therapy for unresectable HCC(uHCC)was sorafenib,a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.Recently,the synergistic effect of an immune checkpoint inhibitor,atezolizumab,and bevacizumab outperformed sorafenib alone in terms of survival,making it the recommended first-line therapy.Other multikinase inhibitors,lenvatinib and regorafenib,were also recommended as first and second-line drugs,respectively.Intermediate-stage HCC patients with retained liver function,particularly uHCC without extrahepatic metastasis,may benefit from trans-arterial chemoembolization.The current problem in uHCC is selecting a patient for the best treatment while considering the preexisting liver condition and liver function.Indeed,all study patients had a Child-Pugh class A,and the best therapy for other individuals is unknown.Additionally,in the absence of a medical contraindication,atezolizumab could be combined with bevacizumab for uHCC systemic therapy.Several studies are now underway to evaluate immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with anti-angiogenic drugs,and the first findings are encouraging.The paradigm of uHCC therapy is changing dramatically,and many obstacles remain for optimum patient management in the near future.The purpose of this commentary review was to give an insight into current systemic treatment options for patients with uHCC who are not candidates for surgery to cure the disease.

Tumor-derived insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 contributes to resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Background:Antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)provide one of the few therapeutic options for effective treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,patients with HCC often develop resistance toward antiangiogenic TKIs,and the underlying mechanisms are not understood.The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms underlying antiangiogenic TKI resistance in HCC.Methods:We used an unbiased proteomic approach to define proteins that were responsible for the resistance to antiangiogenic TKIs in HCC patients.We evaluated the prognosis,therapeutic response,and serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1(IGFBP-1)levels of 31 lenvatinib-treated HCC patients.Based on the array of results,a retrospective clinical study and preclinical experiments using mouse and human hepatoma cells were conducted.Additionally,in vivo genetic and pharmacological gain-and loss-of-function experiments were performed.Results:In the patient cohort,IGFBP-1 was identified as the signaling molecule with the highest expression that was inversely associated with overall survival.Mechanistically,antiangiogenic TKI treatment markedly elevated tumor IGFBP-1 levels via the hypoxia-hypoxia inducible factor signaling.IGFBP-1 stimulated angiogenesis through activation of the integrinα5β1-focal adhesion kinase pathway.Consequently,loss of IGFBP-1 and integrinα5β1 by genetic and pharmacological approaches re-sensitized HCC to lenvatinib treatment.Conclusions:Together,our data shed light onmechanisms underlying acquired resistance of HCC to antiangiogenic TKIs.Antiangiogenic TKIs induced an increase of tumor IGFBP-1,which promoted angiogenesis through activating the IGFBP-1-integrinα5β1 pathway.These data bolster the application of a new therapeutic concept by combining antiangiogenic TKIs with IGFBP-1 inhibitors.