Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Copy number variation occurred in five genes, including PTEN, CCDN1, FGF19, FGF3 and FGF4. PTEN and fibroblast growth factors might be involved in the molecular regulation of brain metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

P1/2, N=48, Active, not recruiting, National University Hospital, Singapore | Not yet recruiting --> Active, not recruiting | Trial completion date: Mar 2024 --> Jun 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Mar 2023 --> Jul 2024

Our study elucidates a novel mechanism where HNRNPH1 and METTL14 work together to maintain the stability of FLOT2 mRNA, thereby promoting NPC progression. Targeting this pathway presents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NPC.

P1/2, N=26, Active, not recruiting, Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. | N=130 --> 26

P2, N=98, Not yet recruiting, NRG Oncology | Trial completion date: Sep 2026 --> Jan 2027 | Initiation date: Oct 2024 --> Apr 2025 | Trial primary completion date: Sep 2026 --> Jan 2027

We demonstrated that FOXA1 prevents tumor immune evasion by inhibiting IFN-γ induced PD-L1 expression in NPC cells. Our research findings provide new insights into the immunotherapeutic biomarkers and targets for NPC, which is important for the clinical application of programmed cell death protein-1/PD-L1 antibodies in NPC.

P=N/A, N=329, Not yet recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University

Three unnatural phosphopeptides uPP8, uPP15 and uPP20 were designed as potent binders with Kd = 0.18, 0.42 and 0.08 μM, respectively, in which the uPP20 also possessed a good anti-tumor activity against human NPC cells when fused with cell permeation sequence. In addition, we defined a relaxed 6-mer motif for the preferential PLK1 PBD-binding phosphosites, namely [Φ/П]-3-[ζ]-2-[ζ]-1-[pT/pS]0-[Φ/П]+1-[Φ]+2, where the symbols Φ, ζ and П represent hydrophobic, polar and aromatic amino acid types, respectively.  .

In the treatment of locally advanced NPC, a randomized phase III study showed equivalence of induction (ICT) and adjuvant therapy (AT; NCT03306121). PD-1 inhibitors have become established in the palliative therapy of NPC in recent years and could now also play an increasing role in curation: the phase III study "Dipper" showed a significantly better 3‑year event-free survival in patients adjuvantly treated with camrelizumab versus placebo after IT and definitive platinum-containing chemoradiotherapy (dRCT; 89% vs. 80%; NCT03427827). The phase III study "Beacon" showed complete remission in 30.5% of patients after IT with gemcitabine/cisplatin and the PD‑1 inhibitor tislelizumab (three cycles), a rate almost twice as high as with gemcitabine/cisplatin alone (NCT05211232). Intensification of dRCT in NPC using EGFR and VEGF inhibitors appears promising (NCT04447326). Abstracts on salivary gland and nasal and sinus cancers emphasize the importance of targeted therapies. In anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, the combination of a PD‑1 inhibitor and a CTLA4 inhibitor showed a 50% response.

Collectively, our findings suggest that exosomal BART2-5p is involved in pre-metastatic niche formation, identifying secreted BART2-5p as a potential therapeutic target for NPC metastasis. Implications: The finding that secreted BART2-5p is involved in pre-metastatic niche formation may aid the development of potential therapeutic target for NPC metastasis.

These contribute to increasing G3BP1 mRNA stability in the nucleus and lead to up-regulation of G3BP1, which further enhances AKT and ERK signaling and ultimately promotes NPC proliferation and metastasis. These findings reveal that RAN stabilizes intranuclear G3BP1 mRNA by dual mechanisms: recruiting TDP43 into the nucleus and enhancing its interaction with G3BP1 mRNA, suggesting a critical role of RAN in NPC progression and providing a new regulation framework of RBP-RNA.

P1, N=98, Active, not recruiting, Novartis Pharmaceuticals | Trial primary completion date: May 2025 --> Dec 2024

As p-HSP27 plays different roles in different stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis, it can increase the migration ability of CNE2 cells and reduce its invasion ability. p-HSP27 may induce EMT changes in CNE2 by down-regulating E-cadherin, thus promoting CNE2 migration, and may inhibit CNE2 invasion by down-regulating MMPs expression.

P1/2, N=12, Terminated, Atara Biotherapeutics | Phase classification: P1b/2 --> P1/2

P2, N=32, Enrolling by invitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University

P=N/A, N=66, Not yet recruiting, University of California, San Francisco

P=N/A, N=0, Not yet recruiting, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital; PEKING UNIVERSITY SHENZHEN HOSPITAL

P=N/A, N=50, Recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

P=N/A, N=1900, Not yet recruiting, School of Public Health, Fudan University; School of Public Health, Fudan University

P=N/A, N=384, Recruiting, West China Hospital, Sichuan University; West China Hospital, Sichuan University

P=N/A, N=150, Not yet recruiting, Shanghai General Hospital; Shanghai General Hospital

P2, N=33, Not yet recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

P2, N=72, Recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

P2, N=150, Not yet recruiting, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University

This study preliminarily explored the involvement of HPRT1 in NPC based on some cellular assays in vitro, which may provide evidence for investigating the specific mechanism underlying the effects of HPRT1 in cancers.

No abstract available

The increased expression of KIF15 was found to be associated with the progression of NPC and play a role in the development of radioresistance in NPC. Inhibiting KIF15 was shown to impede tumor growth and improve the sensitivity of NPC to radiotherapy by triggering autophagy via the STAT3/ATG7 pathway.

P=N/A, N=8, Completed, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

P2/3, N=685, Active, not recruiting, NRG Oncology | Phase classification: P3 --> P2/3

P2, N=20, Enrolling by invitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University

UBR5 silencing inhibits tumor growth, glycolysis and M2 polarization through RORA/SPLUNC1 signaling in mice. In conclusion, UBR5 promotes proliferation, glycolysis and M2 polarization by metabolically reprograming NPC cells through suppression of the RORA/SPLUNC1 signaling.

Increased HOTTIP expression in serum indicates a poor prognosis and may be used as a molecular marker and therapeutic target in NPC.

Abnormal expression of this protein is closely linked to the formation of various malignancies (osteosarcoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, etc.). This review examines the multifaceted functions of YB1 and its critical role in osteosarcoma progression, providing new perspectives for potential therapeutic strategies.

P4, N=100, Recruiting, Coherus Biosciences, Inc. | Not yet recruiting --> Recruiting

P3, N=586, Recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University

Degradation of STAT3 by C210 enhanced the EBV-reactivating and anticancer capacity of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Depletion of XPB blocked SAHA-induced expression of late viral genes and production of infectious virions. These results elucidate a novel Hsp90 inhibitor targeting EBV lytic phase and extend the research on lytic induction strategy, which may offer reference value in the treatment of EBV-positive malignancies.

P2, N=61, Recruiting, Stanford University | N=30 --> 61 | Trial completion date: Feb 2026 --> Feb 2031 | Trial primary completion date: Feb 2025 --> Feb 2028

Moreover, investigations have focused on elucidating the correlation between the systemic levels of these cytokines and the incidence and prognosis of NPC. This comprehensive review aims to delineate the advancements in research concerning the relationship between inflammatory factors and NPC while considering their prospective roles as novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers in the context of NPC.

P3, N=242, Not yet recruiting, Sun Yat-sen University

P1, N=182, Active, not recruiting, Incyte Corporation | Trial completion date: Oct 2025 --> Dec 2024 | Trial primary completion date: Jul 2025 --> Aug 2024

In NPC tumor-bearing mice, hnRNPK knockdown enhances the efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy. Consequently, this work identifies a potential target for enhancing the sensitivity of NPC cells to chemotherapy.

Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of combining cisplatin and S63845, which warrants further investigation.