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Optimal treatment for resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is controversial, especially in the context of potential benefit of combining PD‐1 blockade with neoadjuvant therapy. This phase 2 study aimed to assess neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy in this population. Patients (clinical stage II‐IVA) received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NIC) with camrelizumab (200 mg on day 1) plus nab‐paclitaxel (260 mg/m2 in total on day 1 and day 8) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2 in total on days 1‐3) of each 21‐day cycle. Surgery was performed approximately 6 weeks after completion of NIC. Primary endpoint was complete pathologic response (CPR) rate in primary tumor. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1, 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) rate after surgery, PFS, overall survival (OS) and safety during NIC and perioperative period. Between 17 January 2020 and 8 December 2020, 56 patients were enrolled, and 51 received esophagectomy. Data cutoff date was 25 August 2021. The CPR rate was 35.3% (95% CI, 21.7%‐48.9%). NIC had an ORR of 66.7% (95% CI, 40.0%‐70.4%) and treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs) of low severity (grade 1‐2, 75.0%; grade 3, 10.7%; grade 4‐5, no). No perioperative mortality occurred. Three (5.9%) patients had tumor recurrence and one (2.0%) patient died. The 2‐year PFS rate, median PFS and median OS had not been reached yet. Camrelizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable ESCC demonstrates promising efficacy with acceptable toxicity, providing a feasible and effective option. Study is ongoing for long‐term survival analyses.

The Hippo signaling pathway is a critical regulator of organ size control during development, and its deregulation is associated with cancers. Acting downstream of this pathway, Yes-associated protein (YAP) was implicated in tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to explore the expression patterns and clinical significance of YAP in human colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition, we investigated the relationship between YAP expression and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in CRC. A total of 139 cases of CRC tissues were investigated by immunohistochemistry for the expression of YAP, cyclin D1, and β-catenin. The association between YAP expression and clinicopathologic features was analyzed. Our results showed that YAP was overexpressed in 52.5 % (73/139) cases of CRC and predominantly presented in the nucleus. There was an excellent correlation between YAP expression and pTNM stage (p = 0.0024). YAP expression in CRC was significantly correlated with nodal status (p = 0.0034), tumor status (p = 0.0382), and cyclin D1 overexpression (p < 0.0001). Importantly, YAP expression was associated with short overall survival (p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with YAP-positive and nuclear β-catenin-positive profiles had worse overall survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that YAP expression was an independent prognostic indicator of CRC (p = 0.0207). Our results indicated that YAP overexpression contributed to the tumorigenesis and played a pivotal role in the progression in CRC, and the interaction of YAP and Wnt/β-catenin pathways needs further exploration.

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Background: In our previous study, we found that periostin was upregulated in prostate cancer, and its expression could be modulated by TGF-β. TGF-β could upregulate periostin expression in some cells, and both TGF-β and periostin could induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). We aimed to study the effect of periostin in the process of TGF-β-induced EMT in prostate cancer cells. Methods: We constructed a lentivirus vector containing the periostin gene and transduced it into PC3 and DU145 cells. After confirming periostin overexpression by PCR and Western blotting, we used an MTT assay to establish a growth curve to measure cell proliferation. Additionally, we performed transwell and wound healing assays to measure cell invasion and migration, respectively. Lastly, we measured the expression of EMT associated factors using Western blot analysis to test the effect of periostin on EMT in prostate cancer cells. Results: PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed that periostin was upregulated after infection with the periostin lentiviral vector. Periostin overexpression promoted increased cell proliferation, invasion, and migration as measured by MTT, transwell, and wound healing assays, respectively. Western blot analysis illustrated that periostin overexpression increased the expression of EMT associated factors, and periostin overexpression activated Akt and GSK-3β, which could be inhibited using a PI3K inhibitor. Additionally, TGF-β increased the levels of STAT3, Twist1 and periostin, while both STAT3 shRNA and Twist1 shRNA inhibited periostin expression. However, STAT3 shRNA also decreased Twist1 expression. Although reduction of STAT3, Twist1 or periostin levels with shRNA inhibited TGF-β-induced overexpression of EMT associated factors, periostin overexpression could reverse such inhibition by interfering with STAT3 and Twist1. Similarly, periostin overexpression also reversed inhibition of cell invasion induced by interference of STAT3 and Twist1. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that periostin is an important mediator of TGF-β-induced EMT and suggest that periostin is a potential therapeutic target for suppressing the metastatic progression of prostate cancer.

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GQI can visualize the tracts in the peritumoral edema of cerebral tumors better than DTI. Although GQI has many limitations, its future in the preoperative guidance of brain tumor lesions is promising.