Cabozantinib in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Efficacy and Safety Data from an International Multicenter Real-Life Cohort

Background and Aims: The multikinase inhibitor cabozantinib has been approved for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously treated with sorafenib. We report safety and efficacy data of an international, multicenter, real-life cohort of patients with advanced HCC treated with cabozantinib. Methods: Patients with HCC who were treated with cabozantinib were retrospectively identified across 11 centers in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. Patients’ characteristics, adverse events, duration of treatment and overall survival (OS) data were analyzed until April 1, 2020. Results: Eighty-eight patients from 11 centers were included. The predominant underlying liver diseases were NAFLD/NASH in 26 (30%) and hepatitis C infection in 21 (24%) patients. Seventy-eight patients (89%) were classified as Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage C. Sixty patients (68%) were Child-Pugh A, whereas 22 (25%) were Child-Pugh B, respectively. Cabozantinib was used as systemic second- and third-line or later treatment in 41 (47%) and 46 (52%) patients, respectively. The following best responses under cabozantinib were documented: partial response in 6 (7%), stable disease in 28 (32%), and progressive disease in 28 (32%) patients, respectively. Fifty-two patients (59%) died during follow-up. The median OS from start of cabozantinib treatment was 7.0 months in the entire cohort and 9.7 months in Child-Pugh A patients, while Child-Pugh B patients had a median OS of 3.4 months, respectively. Thirty-seven (42%) patients fulfilled the CELESTIAL inclusion and exclusion criteria, showing a median OS of 11.1 months. Most common adverse events were fatigue (15.6%) and diarrhea (15.6%). Conclusion: Cabozantinib treatment was effective, safe, and feasible in patients with advanced HCC in patients with compensated cirrhosis. Patients in the real-life setting had more advanced liver disease – in which 25% of patients were Child-Pugh B. However, OS in patients with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis was similar to that reported in the phase 3 trial (CELESTIAL)

Etablierung neuer Modelle der Expressionsminderung zur funktionellen Analyse des (Pro)Reninrezeptors

Im Rahmen der Promotionsarbeit wurden Modelle der Expressionsminderung für In-vitro-Studien zur Wirkung des (Pro)Renin-Rezeptors ((P)RR) etabliert und Analysen hinsichtlich möglicher Effekte auf pH-Werte in Organellen im Vergleich zu den Effekten des spezifischen V-ATPase-Blockers Bafilomycin A durchgeführt. Einerseits erfolgte ein induzierter Knock-out mittels Cre/loxP-System bei embryonalen Fibroblasten der Maus (MEF), andererseits wurde als mildere Alternative eines konsequenten Knock-out eine transiente Downregulation mittels siRNA smart Pool bei Renin sezernierenden As4.1-Zellen durchgeführt. Anhand beider Modelle konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass sich eine Expressionsminderung des (P)RR sowie ein V-ATPase-Block mittels Bafilomycin A1 negativ auf das Zellüberleben und auf die Proliferation der Zellen auswirkte. Bei den (P)RR-Knock-out-MEF kam es zu keinen pH-Wert-Veränderungen, während unter der Behandlung mit Bafilomycin A1 als Ursache für das Zellsterben eine eindeutige pH-Wert-Erhöhung in späten Endosomen und Lysosomen ausgemacht werden konnte. Sekretionsanalysen zur basalen Renin- und Proreninfreisetzung und Analysen zum jeweiligen Proteingehalt der As4.1-Zellen zeigten in den (P)RR-Knock-down-Zellen keine Veränderungen. Nur der spezifische Block der V-ATPasen mittels Bafilomycin A führte zu einer gesteigerten Rate der basalen Reninfreisetzung. Untersuchungen saurer Organellen der As4.1-Zellen ergaben hingegen interessante Ergebnisse: Während ein V-ATPase-Block erwartungsgemäß zu einer geringen Fluoreszenzintensität der pH-sensitiven Farbstoffe Lysosensor und Lysotracker führte, nahm die Intensität in (P)RR-Knock-down-Zellen überraschenderweise zu. Aus diesem gegensinnigen Effekt ließe sich die Hypothese ableiten, der (P)RR sei ein natürlicher Inhibitor der V-ATPase. Die direkte Interaktion beider Proteine und die Hemmung der V-ATPase-Aktivität durch den (P)RR/ATP6ap2 bleiben jedoch durch funktionelle Analysen zu überprüfen. Die Arbeit trägt mit der Etablierung neuer Modelle der (P)RR-Depletion sowie mit den Daten zu pH-Werten in Organellen zur Aufklärung der Wirkungen des (Pro)Renin-Rezeptors bei.Binding of renin and its precursor prorenin to the (pro)renin receptor (P)RR enhances local angiotensin II formation and activates intracellular pathways related to fibrosis. However, a truncated form of the (P)RR was found to be associated with vacuolar H+-ATPasen (V-ATPase), implicating a fundamental role of the (P)RR in cellular physiology. We generated two in vitro models, a stable (P)RR-knockout in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) and a (P)RR-knockdown in renin producing As4.1-cells, to analyse the consequences of (P)RR loss and its function in intracellular acidification and (pro)renin release. We showed that (P)RR loss as well as a specific block of the V-ATPase with bafilomycin A1 resulted in cell death of MEF and As4.1-cells. (P)RR-knockout in MEF didn’t alter the pH in late endosomes and lysosomes while treatment with bafilomycin A1 resulted in an increased pH of these intracellular vesicles leading to cell death. In As4.1-cells treatment with bafilomycin A1 decreased fluorescence intensity of Lysotracker and Lysosensor implicating an impaired vesicular acidification. Instead, (P)RR-knockdown resulted in an increased fluorescence intensity raising the question, if the (P)RR is a physiological inhibitor of the V-ATPase in As4.1 cells. Basal (pro)renin release was not altered by (P)RR-knockdown. Taken together, these results show that the (P)RR is essential for cell survival and therefore a transient knockdown is the better choice for functional analyses than a complete knockout. Furthermore, (P)RR seems to regulate V-ATPase function, but the molecular mechanism remains to be identified

Tailored Systemic Therapy for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Liver metastases are the most common site of metastatic spread in colorectal cancer. Current treatment approaches involve effective systemic therapies in combination with surgical and/or interventional strategies. Multimodal strategies greatly improved clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer over the last decades. Identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers helped to comprehensively refine individual targeted treatment approaches and resulted in median overall survival rates of 30 months or longer. Current guidelines, thus, recommend treatment selection according to patients’ performance status, tumor localization and stage as well as the tumor’s molecular and genetic status. Here, we outline the latest developments in molecular decision-making for patients with upfront resectable, potentially or initially unresectable and non/never-resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases

Risk Stratification in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Validation of the A.L.A.N. Score

Background. In addition to the clinical parameters, immune-inflammatory markers have emerged as prognostic factors in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (ABC). The recently proposed A.L.A.N. score combines both in an easily applicable manner. The aim of this study was to perform the first external evaluation of this score. Methods. All patients from our clinical registry unit who had unresectable ABC underwent first-line chemotherapy from 2006 to 2018 and met the inclusion criteria of the original study were included (n =  74). The A.L.A.N. score comprises the following parameters: actual neutrophil count, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, albumin, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (A.L.A.N.). Univariate and multivariate hazard regression analyses were performed to evaluate the score’s parameters regarding overall survival (OS). The concordance index (C-index) and integrated Brier score (IBS) were calculated to evaluate the score’s predictive performance. Results. Low, intermediate, and high A.L.A.N. scores corresponded to median OS of 21.9, 11.4, and 4.3 months, respectively, resulting in a significant risk stratification (log-rank p=0.017). In multivariate analysis, a high-risk A.L.A.N. score remained an independent predictor of poor survival (p=0.016). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was not a significant factor for poor OS in the analyses in the cohort. The score’s ability to predict individual patient survival was only moderate with a C-index of 0.63. Conclusions. The A.L.A.N. score can be used to identify risk groups with a poor prognosis prior to the start of chemotherapy. However, the ability of the score to predict individual patient outcome was only moderate; thus, it may only serve as a minor component in the complex interdisciplinary discussion

The Addition of Transarterial Chemoembolization to Palliative Chemotherapy Extends Survival in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Incidence and mortality of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) have been increasing continuously. Recent studies suggest that the combination of palliative chemotherapy (pCTX) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) improves overall survival (OS). This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of patients treated with TACE and pCTX in unresectable iCCA at our tertiary care center. A group of 14 patients was treated with both pCTX and TACE. The non-randomized control group of 59 patients received pCTX alone. Patients received a median of two pCTX lines in both groups. Those treated with TACE underwent a median number of 3.5 sessions. Median OS from the time of unresectability was 26.2 months in the pCTX + TACE group versus 13.1 months in the pCTX group (p = 0.008). Controlling for albumin, bilirubin, ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status, and UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) stage, the addition of TACE still conferred an OS benefit of 12.95 months (p = 0.014). A propensity score matching analysis yielded an OS benefit of 14 months from the time of unresectability for the pCTX + TACE group (p = 0.020). The addition of TACE to pCTX may provide an OS benefit for patients with unresectable iCCA. Thus, patients with liver-dominant iCCA undergoing standard-of-care pCTX should be considered for additional treatment with TACE

Ginkgo biloba induces different gene expression signatures and oncogenic pathways in malignant and non-malignant cells of the liver.

Ginkgo biloba (EGb761) is a widely used botanical drug. Several reports indicate that EGb761 confers preventive as well as anti-tumorigenic properties in a variety of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We here evaluate functional effects and molecular alterations induced by EGb761 in hepatoma cells and non-malignant hepatocytes. Hepatoma cell lines, primary human HCC cells and immortalized human hepatocytes (IH) were exposed to various concentrations (0-1000 μg/ml) of EGb761. Apoptosis and proliferation were evaluated after 72h of EGb761 exposure. Response to oxidative stress, tumorigenic properties and molecular changes were further investigated. While anti-oxidant effects were detected in all cell lines, EGb761 promoted anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects mainly in hepatoma cells. Consistently, EGb761 treatment caused a significant reduction in colony and sphere forming ability in hepatoma cells and no mentionable changes in IH. Transcriptomic changes involved oxidative stress response as well as key oncogenic pathways resembling Nrf2- and mTOR signaling pathway. Taken together, EGb761 induces differential effects in non-transformed and cancer cells. While treatment confers protective effects in non-malignant cells, EGb761 significantly impairs tumorigenic properties in cancer cells by affecting key oncogenic pathways. Results provide the rational for clinical testing of EGb761 in preventive and therapeutic strategies in human liver diseases

Epigenetic modifications precede molecular alterations and drive human hepatocarcinogenesis

Development of primary liver cancer is a multistage process. Detailed understanding of sequential epigenetic alterations is largely missing. Here, we performed Infinium Human Methylation 450k BeadChips and RNA-Seq analyses for genome-wide methylome and transcriptome profiling of cirrhotic liver (n = 7), low-(n = 4) and high-grade (n = 9) dysplastic lesions, and early (n = 5) and progressed (n = 3) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) synchronously detected in 8 patients with HCC with chronic hepatitis B infection. Integrative analyses of epigenetically driven molecular changes were identified and validated in 2 independent cohorts comprising 887 HCCs. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing was further employed for clonality analyses, indicating multiclonal origin in the majority of investigated HCCs. Alterations in DNA methylation progressively increased from liver cirrhosis (CL) to dysplastic lesions and reached a maximum in early HCCs. Associated early alterations identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) involved apoptosis, immune regulation, and stemness pathways, while late changes centered on cell survival, proliferation, and invasion. We further validated 23 putative epidrivers with concomitant expression changes and associated with overall survival. Functionally, Striatin 4 (STRN4) was demonstrated to be epigenetically regulated, and inhibition of STRN4 significantly suppressed tumorigenicity of HCC cell lines. Overall, application of integrative genomic analyses defines epigenetic driver alterations and provides promising targets for potentially novel therapeutic approaches