Panax notoginseng (PN) is a Chinese medicinal herb that is traditionally used to treat inflammation and immune-related diseases. Its major active constituents are saponins, the types and levels of... Show morePanax notoginseng (PN) is a Chinese medicinal herb that is traditionally used to treat inflammation and immune-related diseases. Its major active constituents are saponins, the types and levels of which can be changed in the process of steaming. These differences in saponins are causally relevant to the differences in the therapeutic efficacies of raw and steamed PN. In this study, we have prepared the extracts of steamed PN (SPNE) with 70% ethanol and investigated their immunomodulatory effect using a zebrafish tail-fin amputation model. A fingerprint-effect relationship analysis was performed to uncover active constituents of SPNE samples related to the inhibitory effect on neutrophil number. The results showed that SPNE significantly inhibited the neutrophil number at the amputation site of zebrafish larvae. And SPNE extracts steamed at higher temperatures and for longer time periods showed a stronger inhibitory effect. Ginsenosides Rh-1, Rk(3), Rh-4, 20(S)-Rg(3), and 20(R)-Rg(3), of which the levels were increased along with the duration of steaming, were found to be the major active constituents contributing to the neutrophil-inhibiting effect of SPNE. By additionally investigating the number of neutrophils in the entire tail of zebrafish larvae and performing TUNEL assays, we found that the decreased number of neutrophils at the amputation site was due to both the inhibition of their migration and apoptosis-inducing effects of the ginsenosides in SPNE on neutrophils. Among them, Rh-1 and 20(R)-Rg(3) did not affect the number of neutrophils at the entire tail, suggesting that they only inhibit the migration of neutrophils. In contrast, ginsenosides Rk(3), Rh-4, 20(S)-Rg(3), and SPNE did not only inhibit the migration of neutrophils but also promoted neutrophilic cell death. In conclusion, this study sheds light on how SPNE, in particular the ginsenosides it contains, plays a role in immune modulation. Show less
Tan, D.S.W.; Kim, S.W.; Aix, S.P.; Sequist, L.V.; Smit, E.F.; Yang, J.C.H.; ... ; Kim, D.W. 2022
Introduction: Nazartinib, a novel third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, previously demonstrated antitumor activity and manageable safety in patients with EGFR-mut ant advanced non-small... Show moreIntroduction: Nazartinib, a novel third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, previously demonstrated antitumor activity and manageable safety in patients with EGFR-mut ant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received <= 3 prior lines of systemic ther-apy. Herein, we report phase 2 efficacy and safety of first-line nazartinib. Methods: This single-arm, open-label, global study enrolled treatment-naive adult patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating mutations (eg, L858R and/or ex19del). Patients with neurologically stable and controlled brain metastases were also eligible. Patients received oral nazartinib 150 mg once daily. The primary endpoint was Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC)-assessed overall response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1. Results: Forty-five patients received >= 1 dose of nazartinib. The median follow-up time from enrollment to data cutoff (November 1, 2019) was 30 months (range: 25-34). The BIRC-assessed ORR was 69% (95% CI, 53-82). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 18 months (95% CI, 15-not estimable [NE]). The median overall survival was NE. In patients with baseline brain metastases (n = 18), the ORR and median PFS (95% CIs) were 67% (41-87) and 17 months (11-21). Seventeen of 18 patients had brain metastases as non-target lesions; the CNS lesions were absent/normalized in 9 of 17 (53%). Only 2 of 27 patients without baseline brain metastases developed new brain metastases postbaseline. Most frequent adverse events (>= 25%, any grade, all-causality) were diarrhea (47%), maculopapular rash (38%), pyrexia (29%), cough, and stomatitis (27% each). Conclusions: First-line nazartinib demonstrated promising efficacy, including clinically meaningful antitumor activity in the brain, and manageable safety in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. (C) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Show less
BACKGROUNDAmong patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC),METexon 14 skipping mutations occur in 3 to 4% andMETamplifications occur in 1 to 6%. Capmatinib, a selective inhibitor of the MET... Show moreBACKGROUNDAmong patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC),METexon 14 skipping mutations occur in 3 to 4% andMETamplifications occur in 1 to 6%. Capmatinib, a selective inhibitor of the MET receptor, has shown activity in cancer models with various types of MET activation.METHODSWe conducted a multiple-cohort, phase 2 study evaluating capmatinib in patients withMET-dysregulated advanced NSCLC. Patients were assigned to cohorts on the basis of previous lines of therapy andMETstatus (METexon 14 skipping mutation orMETamplification according to gene copy number in tumor tissue). Patients received capmatinib (400-mg tablet) twice daily. The primary end point was overall response (complete or partial response), and the key secondary end point was response duration; both end points were assessed by an independent review committee whose members were unaware of the cohort assignments.RESULTSA total of 364 patients were assigned to the cohorts. Among patients with NSCLC with aMETexon 14 skipping mutation, overall response was observed in 41% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29 to 53) of 69 patients who had received one or two lines of therapy previously and in 68% (95% CI, 48 to 84) of 28 patients who had not received treatment previously; the median duration of response was 9.7 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 13.0) and 12.6 months (95% CI, 5.6 to could not be estimated), respectively. Limited efficacy was observed in previously treated patients withMETamplification who had a gene copy number of less than 10 (overall response in 7 to 12% of patients). Among patients withMETamplification and a gene copy number of 10 or higher, overall response was observed in 29% (95% CI, 19 to 41) of previously treated patients and in 40% (95% CI, 16 to 68) of those who had not received treatment previously. The most frequently reported adverse events were peripheral edema (in 51%) and nausea (in 45%); these events were mostly of grade 1 or 2.CONCLUSIONSCapmatinib showed substantial antitumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC with aMETexon 14 skipping mutation, particularly in those not treated previously. The efficacy inMET-amplified advanced NSCLC was higher in tumors with a high gene copy number than in those with a low gene copy number. Low-grade peripheral edema and nausea were the main toxic effects. Show less
