TGFβ promotes YAP‐dependent AXL induction in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer cells

The acquisition of chemoresistance remains a major cause of cancer mortality due to the limited accessibility of targeted or immune therapies. However, given that severe alterations of molecular features during epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) lead to acquired chemoresistance, emerging studies have focused on identifying targetable drivers associated with acquired chemoresistance. Particularly, AXL, a key receptor tyrosine kinase that confers resistance against targets and chemotherapeutics, is highly expressed in mesenchymal cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of AXL induction in mesenchymal cancer cells is poorly understood. Our study revealed that the YAP signature, which was highly enriched in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer, was closely correlated to AXL expression in 181 lung cancer cell lines. Moreover, using isogenic lung cancer cell pairs, we also found that doxorubicin treatment induced YAP nuclear translocation in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer cells to induce AXL expression. Additionally, the concurrent activation of TGFβ signaling coordinated YAP‐dependent AXL expression through SMAD4. These data suggest that crosstalk between YAP and the TGFβ/SMAD axis upon treatment with chemotherapeutics might be a promising target to improve chemosensitivity in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer.

Abbreviations

AUC

area under the curve

AXL

AXL receptor tyrosine kinase

BCL2

B‐cell lymphoma 2

CTD2

cancer target discovery and development

CTGF

connective tissue growth factor

DEG

differentially expressed genes

DOXO

doxorubicin

EMT

epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Eto

etoposide

FDA

Food and Drug Administration

ITGB3

integrin beta‐3

MAPK

mitogen‐activated protein kinase

MMP2

matrix metalloproteinase‐2

MMP9

matrix metalloproteinase‐9

mRNA

messenger RNA

NF‐κB

nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells

SBE

SMAD binding element

SERPINE1

serpin family E member 1

siRNA

small interfering RNA

ssGSEA

single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis

TCGA

The Cancer Genome Atlas

TGFβ

transforming growth factor beta

YAP

Yes‐associated protein

YAP8SA

mutants of inhibitory phosphorylation site at eight serine to Alanine of YAP

ZEB1

zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1

ZEB2

zinc finger E‐box‐binding homeobox 2

     

Animal Models of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma–Past,Present, and Future

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the fastest rising cancer in the United States. It develops from long‐standing gastroesophageal reflux disease which affects >20% of the general population. It carries a very poor prognosis with 5‐year survival <20%. The disease is known to sequentially progress from reflux esophagitis to a metaplastic precursor, Barrett''s esophagus and then onto dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, only few patients with reflux develop Barrett''s esophagus and only a minority of these turn malignant. The reason for this heterogeneity in clinical progression is unknown. To improve patient management, molecular changes which facilitate disease progression must be identified. Animal models can provide a comprehensive functional and anatomic platform for such a study. Rats and mice have been the most widely studied but disease homology with humans has been questioned. No animal model naturally simulates the inflammation to adenocarcinoma progression as in humans, with all models requiring surgical bypass or destruction of existing antireflux mechanisms. Valuable properties of individual models could be utilized to holistically evaluate disease progression. In this review paper, we critically examined the current animal models of Barrett''s esophagus, their differences and homologies with human disease and how they have shaped our current understanding of Barrett''s carcinogenesis.     

非手术治疗破裂型腰椎间盘突出症5年随访研究

目的:探讨非手术治疗破裂型腰椎间盘突出症的近中期疗效及预后转归。方法:选取2011年2月至2014年2月接受非手术治疗的75例单节段破裂型腰椎间盘突出症患者进行前瞻性研究,男53例,女22例;年龄18～58(35.62±9.96岁);病程5 d～6个月,平均(46.45±40.66) d。突出节段:L_(3,4) 4例,L_(4,5) 29例,L_5S_1 42例。放射痛左侧46例,右侧29例。选取治疗前,治疗后3个月、6个月、1年、2年、5年6个时间点对患者JOA评分、直腿抬高角度(SLRT)、指地距统计分析。计算末次随访时(治疗后5年)JOA改善率,根据JOA评分评定疗效;分析治疗前、末次随访(治疗后5年)椎间盘突出物体积变化,计算突出物体积吸收率,观察突出物吸收情况;分析JOA改善率与突出物吸收率之间关系。结果:71例患者完成随访,非手术治疗后3个月、6个月、1年、2年、5年JOA评分、SLRT、指地距与治疗前比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后5年与6个月、治疗后5年与2年、治疗后2年与6个月JOA评分比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05),其余各时间点两两比较,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后5年与6个月、治疗后5年与2年、治疗后2年与6个月SLRT、指地距比较,差异亦无统计学意义(P0.05),其余各时间点两两比较,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。末次随访JOA改善率为(62.69±2.47)%,按照JOA评分评定疗效,结果优26例,良26例,可14例,差5例,优良率73.24%;突出物体积由起始的(1 981.73±588.72) mm3减少至(1 011.82±395.47) mm3,总体吸收率(45.65±2.83)%,突出物发生明显吸收24例,部分吸收26例,未吸收19例,增大2例。JOA改善率与突出物吸收率作Spearman秩相关分析,发现两者呈中等以上正相关(r=0.679,P0.001)。结论:非手术治疗破裂型腰椎间盘突出症可取得良好疗效,明确了破裂型腰椎间盘突出症的病情特点及预后转归,同时部分患者发生"重吸收"现象。     

Brand-Name Antidepressants Outperform Their Generic Counterparts in Preventing Hospitalization for Depression: The Real-World Evidence from Taiwan

BackgroundGeneric antidepressants are approved on the market based on evidence of bioequivalence to their brand-name versions. We aimed to assess whether generic antidepressants exert equal effectiveness as their brand-name counterparts for treating patients with depressive disorders.MethodsIn a nationwide, population-based cohort in Taiwan from 1997 through 2013, patients with a diagnosis of a depressive disorder aged between 18 and 65 years who were new users of antidepressant drugs were classified into either the brand-name group or the generic group. All patients were followed up until medication discontinuation or the end of the study period. We assessed the risk for hospitalization as a primary outcome and augmentation therapy, daily dose, medication discontinuation, or switching to another antidepressant as secondary outcomes.ResultsA total of 277 651 brand-name users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.2 years) and 270 583 generic users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.0 years) were divided into 10 different antidepressant groups (fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, moclobemide, imipramine, and bupropion). We found that patients treated with the generic form of sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, and bupropion demonstrated significantly higher risks of psychiatric hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.20–2.34), compared to their brand-name counterparts. The differences between brand-name antidepressants and their generic counterparts in secondary outcomes varied across different drugs.ConclusionsCompared to most generic antidepressants, brand-name drugs exhibited more protective effects on psychiatric hospitalization for depressive patients. These findings could serve as an important reference for clinicians when encountering patients with depressive disorder.