Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) develop as a result of complex interactions among genes, innate immunity and environmental factors, which are related to the gut microbiota. Multiple clinical and animal data have shown that Akkermansia muciniphila is associated with a healthy mucosa. However, its precise role in colitis is currently unknown. Our study aimed to determine its protective effects and underlying mechanisms in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Twenty-four C57BL/6 male mice were administered A. muciniphila MucT or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) once daily by oral gavage for 14 days. Colitis was induced by drinking 2% DSS from days 0 to 6, followed by 2 days of drinking normal water. Mice were weighed daily and then sacrificed on day 8. We found that A. muciniphila improved DSS-induced colitis, which was evidenced by reduced weight loss, colon length shortening and histopathology scores and enhanced barrier function. Serum and tissue levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (TNF-α, IL1α, IL6, IL12A, MIP-1A, G-CSF, and KC) decreased as a result of A. muciniphila administration. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences showed that A. muciniphila induced significant gut microbiota alterations. Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that pro-inflammatory cytokines and other injury factors were negatively associated with Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia, Ruminococcaceae, and Rikenellaceae, which were prominently abundant in A. muciniphila-treated mice. We confirmed that A. muciniphila treatment could ameliorate mucosal inflammation either via microbe-host interactions, which protect the gut barrier function and reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines, or by improving the microbial community. Our findings suggest that A. muciniphila may be a potential probiotic agent for ameliorating colitis.

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a critical effector molecule for B cell development and plays a major role in lymphoma genesis. Ibrutinib is the first-generation BTK inhibitor. Ibrutinib has off-target effects on EGFR, ITK, and Tec family kinases, which explains the untoward effects of ibrutinib. Resistance to ibrutinib was also reported. The C481S mutation in the BTK kinase domain was reported to be a major mechanism of resistance to ibrutinib. This review summarizes the clinical development of novel BTK inhibitors, , ONO/GS-4059, and BGB-3111.

Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by immune-tolerance and immunotherapeutic resistance. We discovered upregulation of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIP1) in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in PDA. To study its role in oncogenic progression, we developed a selective small molecule RIP1 inhibitor with high in vivo exposure. Targeting RIP1 reprogrammed TAMs toward an MHCIIhiTNFα+IFNγ+ immunogenic phenotype in a STAT1-dependent manner. RIP1 inhibition in TAMs resulted in cytotoxic T cell activation and T-helper cell differentiation towards a mixed Th1/Th17 phenotype, leading to tumor-immunity in mice and in organotypic models of human PDA. Targeting RIP1 synergized with PD1- and ICOS-based immunotherapies. Tumor-promoting effects of RIP1 were independent of its co-association with RIP3. Collectively, our work describes RIP1 as a checkpoint kinase governing tumor-immunity.

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is associated with a poor outcome. Currently, the treatment needs of NKTCL remain unmet, and efforts to further improve treatment are urgently needed. Herein, seven patients with NKTCL who failed to respond to various types of chemotherapies were treated with the anti-programmed death 1 (anti-PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab at 100 mg every 3 weeks. After a median of four cycles of treatment (range 2–18), four out of seven patients responded (two complete response, two partial response, overall response rate 57%). Expression of PD1-ligand available was 50, 20, 30, 70, and 30% of five patients respectively. It is negative in one patient and not tested in one patient. Adverse events, which mostly ranged from grade I to grade III, were tolerable and could be safely handled, although immune-related pneumonitis was notable. Overall, PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab represents a favorable strategy for the treatment of refractory/relapsed NKTCL.

More and more targeted agents become available for B cell malignancies with increasing precision and potency. The first-in-class Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, ibrutinib, has been in clinical use for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. More selective BTK inhibitors (ACP-196, ONO/GS-4059, BGB-3111, CC-292) are being explored. Acalabrutinib (ACP-196) is a novel irreversible second-generation BTK inhibitor that was shown to be more potent and selective than ibrutinib. This review summarized the preclinical research and clinical data of acalabrutinib.

HMGA2, a high-mobility-group AT-hook protein, is an oncogene involved in tumorigenesis of many malignant neoplasms. HMGA2 overexpression is common in both early and later stage of high grade ovarian serous papillary carcinoma. To test whether HMGA2 participates in the initiation of ovarian cancer and promotion of aggressive tumor growth, we examined the oncogenic properties of HMGA2 in ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cell lines. We found that introduction of HMGA2 overexpression was sufficient to induce OSE transformation in vitro. HMGA2-mediated OSE transformation resulted in tumor formation in xenografts of nude mice. By silencing HMGA2 in HMGA2 overexpressing OSE and ovarian cancer cell lines, the aggressiveness of tumor cell growth behaviors was partially suppressed. Global gene profiling analyses revealed that HMGA2-mediated tumorigenesis was associated with expression changes of target genes and microRNAs that are involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Lumican (LUM), a tumor suppressor that inhibits EMT, was found to be transcriptionally repressed by HMGA2 and was frequently lost in human high-grade serous papillary carcinoma.

Crizotinib as the first-generation ALK inhibitor has shown significant activity in ALK-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Second- and third-generation ALK inhibitors are entering clinical applications for ALK+ NSCLC. In addition, a third-generation ALK inhibitor, lorlatinib (PF-06463922), was reported to resensitize NSCLC to crizotinib. This review provided a summary of clinical development of alectinib, ceritinib, brigatinib (AP26113), and lorlatinib.

DDGP chemotherapy resulted in significant improvement in PFS, OS, and better tolerability compared with SMILE chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced NK/T-cell lymphoma patients. Clin Cancer Res; 22(21); 5223-8. ©2016 AACR.