Vemurafenib and dabrafenib selectively inhibit the v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) kinase, resulting in high response rates and increased survival in melanoma. Approximately 22% of individuals treated with vemurafenib develop cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) during therapy. The prevailing explanation for this is drug-induced paradoxical ERK activation, resulting in hyperproliferation. Here we show an unexpected and novel effect of vemurafenib/PLX4720 in suppressing apoptosis through the inhibition of multiple off-target kinases upstream of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), principally ZAK. JNK signaling is suppressed in multiple contexts, including in cSCC of vemurafenib-treated patients, as well as in mice. Expression of a mutant ZAK that cannot be inhibited reverses the suppression of JNK activation and apoptosis. Our results implicate suppression of JNK-dependent apoptosis as a significant, independent mechanism that cooperates with paradoxical ERK activation to induce cSCC, suggesting broad implications for understanding toxicities associated with BRAF inhibitors and for their use in combination therapies.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00969.001

BACKGROUND: ERBB receptor tyrosine kinases can mediate proliferation, migration, adhesion, differentiation, and survival in many types of cells and play critical roles in many malignancies. Recent reports suggest a role for EGFR signaling in proliferation and survival of neuroblastoma, a common form of pediatric cancer that often has an extremely poor outcome. METHODS: The authors examined ERBB family expression in neuroblastoma cell lines and patient samples by flow cytometry, western blot, and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). Response to ERBB inhibition was assessed in vitro by cell-cycle analysis and western blot and in vivo by serial tumor-size measurements. RESULTS: A panel of neuroblastoma cell lines and primary patient tumors expressed EGFR, HER-3, and HER-4, with HER-2 in some tumors. HER-4 mRNA was expressed predominantly in cleavable isoforms. Whereas EGFR inhibition with erlotinib and pan-ERBB inhibition with CI-1033 inhibited EGFinduced phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT, and ERK1/2, only CI-1033 induced growth inhibition and dose-dependent apoptosis in vitro. Both CI-1033 and erlotinib treatment of neuroblastoma xenograft tumors resulted in decreased tumor growth in vivo, although CI-1033 was more effective. In vivo expression of EGFR was observed predominantly in vascular endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Pan-ERBB inhibition is required for ERBB-related neuroblastoma apoptosis in vitro, although EGFR contributes indirectly to tumor growth in vivo. Inhibition of EGFR in endothelial cells may be an important aspect of erlotinib's impact on neuroblastoma growth in vivo. Our results suggest that non-EGFR ERBB family members contribute directly to neuroblastoma growth and survival, and pan-ERBB inhibition represents a potential therapeutic target for treating neuroblastoma.

Background The UBE4B gene, located on chromosome 1p36, encodes a ubiquitin ligase that interacts with Hrs, a protein involved in EGFR trafficking, suggesting a link between EGFR trafficking and neuroblastoma pathogenesis. We have analyzed the roles of UBE4B in the outcomes of neuroblastoma patients and in neuroblastoma tumor cell proliferation, EGFR trafficking, and response to EGFR inhibition. Methods We examined the association of UBE4B expression with neuroblastoma patient survival using available microarray datasets. We measured UBE4B and EGFR protein levels in patient tumor samples and EGFR degradation rates in neuroblastoma cell lines and analyzed the effects of UBE4B on neuroblastoma tumor cell growth. The effects of the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab were examined in neuroblastoma cells expressing wild-type and mutant UBE4B. Results Low UBE4B gene expression is associated with poor outcomes in patients with neuroblastoma. UBE4B overexpression reduced neuroblastoma tumor cell proliferation, and UBE4B expression was inversely related to EGFR expression in patient tumor samples. EGFR degradation rates correlated with cellular UBE4B levels. Enhanced expression of catalytically active UBE4B resulted in reduced sensitivity to EGFR inhibition. Conclusions We have demonstrated associations between UBE4B expression and neuroblastoma patient outcomes and between UBE4B and EGFR expression in neuroblastoma tumor samples. Moreover, levels of UBE4B influenced neuroblastoma tumor cell proliferation, EGFR degradation, and response to EGFR inhibition. These results suggest UBE4B-mediated GFR trafficking may contribute to the poor prognosis of neuroblastoma tumors with 1p36 deletions, and that UBE4B expression may be a marker that can predict responses of neuroblastoma tumors to treatment.

Background Within the past decade, colorectal surgery length of stay (LOS) has decreased from an average of 5-6 days to 2-3 days. However, elective colon resections have yet to become a common procedure with the potential for same-day discharge. During the COVID pandemic, hospital capacity was exceptionally strained and colon resections were delayed due to the lack of inpatient beds available. Purpose We sought to create a protocolized ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) pathway that would allow for safe and feasible ambulatory colon resections as well as decreasing overall hospital inpatient burden. Research Design Between November 2020 and March 2022, 15 patients were offered same-day discharges under the HOME protocol. Of the 15 patients, 11 patients agreed to be discharged home the day of surgery and followed prospectively for 30 days. All procedures were performed robotically. Study Sample Patients were selected based on level of preoperative health (ASA class 1 and 2), low-risk for loss to follow-up, ability for close family supervision for 3 days postoperatively, and type of procedure (partial colectomy). Close follow-up was achieved with daily telephonic or televideo visits for 3 days post-operatively, as well as a 2-week outpatient clinic follow-up. Data Collection A total of 11 patient underwent same-day surgery utilizing the protocol, 5 females and 6 males, between the ages of 34 and 62. All patients were ASA class 2. Indications for colon resection were cecal volvulus (1), recurrent sigmmoid diverticulitis (9), and Crohn's disease (1). Primary outcome was readmission rates within the 30-days. Results There were no readmissions or complications during the perioperative 30-day period. There was one emergency department return for pain who was not admitted. Average operative time was 132.1 minutes. Conclusion Using a novel enhanced recovery protocol, we demonstrated the feasibility and safety of ambulatory partial colectomy in a highly select small subset of patients.

Disseminated histoplasmosis most commonly occurs in immunosuppressed individuals and involves the skin in approximately 6% of patients. Cutaneous histoplasmosis with an intraepithelial-predominant distribution has not been described. A 47-year-old man was admitted to our institution with fever and vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bacteremia. He had been diagnosed with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia 4 years earlier and had undergone matched-unrelated-donor stem cell transplant 2 years earlier; on admission, he had relapsed disease. His medical history was significant for disseminated histoplasmosis 6 months before admission, controlled with multiple antifungal regimens. During this final hospitalization, the patient developed multiple 2-5 mm erythematous papules, a hemorrhagic crust across the chest, shoulders, forearms, dorsal aspect of the fingers, abdomen and thighs. Skin biopsy revealed clusters of oval yeast forms mostly confined to the cytoplasm of keratinocytes and within the stratum corneum; scattered organisms were present in the underlying superficial dermis without any significant associated inflammatory infiltrate. Special stains and immunohistochemical studies confirmed these to be Histoplasma organisms. We highlight this previously unrecognized pattern of cutaneous histoplasmosis to ensure its prompt recognition and appropriate antifungal therapy.