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Bibliography on: Publications by FHCRC Researchers

RJR-3x

Robert J. Robbins is a biologist, an educator, a science administrator, a publisher, an information technologist, and an IT leader and manager who specializes in advancing biomedical knowledge and supporting education through the application of information technology. More About:  RJR | OUR TEAM | OUR SERVICES | THIS WEBSITE

RJR: Recommended Bibliography 29 Sep 2023 at 01:47 Created: 

Publications by FHCRC Researchers

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center began in 1975, with critical help from Washington State's U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson. Fred Hutch quickly became the permanent home to Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who had spent decades developing an innovative treatment for leukemia and other blood cancers. Thomas and his colleagues were working to cure cancer by transplanting human bone marrow after otherwise lethal doses of chemotherapy and radiation. At the Hutch, Thomas improved this treatment and readied it for widespread use. Since then, the pioneering procedure has saved hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. While improving bone marrow transplantation remains central to Fred Hutch's research, it is now only part of its efforts. The Hutch is home to five scientific divisions, three Nobel laureates and more than 2,700 faculty, who collectively have published more than 10,000 scientific papers, presented here as a full bibliography.

NOTE: From 1995 to 2009 I served as the Hutch's vice president for information technology — hence my interest in the organization. Although my role was in the admin division, if you dig through this bibliography, you will find a couple of papers with me as an author.

Created with PubMed® Query: ( fhcrc[Affiliation] OR "fred hutchinson"[Affiliation] OR "Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research"[Affiliation] OR "Fred Hutch"[affiliation] ) NOT pmcbook NOT ispreviousversion

Citations The Papers (from PubMed®)

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RevDate: 2023-09-27

Ghia P, Barnes G, Yang K, et al (2023)

Health-related quality of life in treatment-naive CLL/SLL patients treated with zanubrutinib versus bendamustine plus rituximab.

Current medical research and opinion [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVE: Zanubrutinib is a highly selective, next-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In the phase 3 SEQUOIA trial (NCT03336333), treatment with zanubrutinib resulted in significantly improved progression-free survival compared to bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in adult patients with treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) without del(17p). The current analysis compared the effects of zanubrutinib versus BR on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

METHODS: In the SEQUOIA trial, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed at baseline and every 12 weeks (3 cycles) using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L. Descriptive analyses were performed on all the questionnaires' scales and a mixed model for repeated measures was performed using the key QLQ-C30 endpoints of global health status/QoL (GHS/QoL), physical and role functioning, and symptoms of fatigue, pain, diarrhea, and nausea/vomiting at Weeks 12 and 24.

RESULTS: Compared with BR-treated patients, those in the zanubrutinib arm experienced greater improvements in HRQoL outcomes at both Weeks 12 and 24. By Week 24, mean change differences (95% confidence interval) between the arms were significant for GHS/QoL (4.9 [0.9, 9.0]), physical functioning (3.8 [0.8, 6.7]), diarrhea (-6.2 [-10.0, -2.5]), fatigue (-4.5 [-8.9, -0.1]), and nausea/vomiting (-4.5 [-8.9, -0.1]); role functioning (4.8 [-0.2, 9.7]) was marginally better in the zanubrutinib arm and there were no differences in pain symptoms (-0.4 [-4.3, 5.1]) between the arms.

CONCLUSIONS: During the first 24 weeks of treatment, zanubrutinib was associated with better HRQoL outcomes in patients with treatment-naive CLL/SLL without del(17p) compared to BR.

RevDate: 2023-09-26

Nakamura Y, Mizuno N, Sunakawa Y, et al (2023)

Tucatinib and Trastuzumab for Previously Treated Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Metastatic Biliary Tract Cancer (SGNTUC-019): A Phase II Basket Study.

Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tucatinib and trastuzumab in patients with previously treated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic biliary tract cancer (mBTC).

METHODS: SGNTUC-019 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04579380) is an open-label phase II basket study evaluating the efficacy and safety of tucatinib and trastuzumab in patients with HER2-altered solid tumors. In the biliary tract cancer cohort, patients had previously treated HER2 overexpressing or amplified (HER2+) tumors (identified with local testing) with no prior HER2-directed therapy. The primary end point was confirmed objective response rate (cORR) per investigator assessment. Patients were treated on a 21-day cycle with tucatinib (300 mg orally twice daily) and trastuzumab (8 mg/kg intravenously followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks).

RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled. As of data cutoff (January 30, 2023), the median duration of follow-up was 10.8 months. The cORR was 46.7% (90% CI, 30.8 to 63.0), with a disease control rate of 76.7% (90% CI, 60.6 to 88.5). The median duration of response and progression-free survival were 6.0 months (90% CI, 5.5 to 6.9) and 5.5 months (90% CI, 3.9 to 8.1), respectively. At data cutoff, 15 patients (50.0%) had died, and the estimated 12-month overall survival rate was 53.6% (90% CI, 36.8 to 67.8). The two most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were pyrexia (43.3%) and diarrhea (40.0%). Grade ≥3 TEAEs were reported in 18 patients (60.0%), with the most common being cholangitis, decreased appetite, and nausea (all 10.0%), which were generally not treatment related. TEAEs led to treatment regimen discontinuation in one patient, and there were no deaths due to TEAEs.

CONCLUSION: Tucatinib combined with trastuzumab had clinically significant antitumor activity and was well tolerated in patients with previously treated HER2+ mBTC.

RevDate: 2023-09-26

Hahn WO, Hill JA, JG Kublin (2023)

Targeting enhanced neutralizing antibody responses via increased germinal center activity: early-phase vaccine trials with novel clinical designs.

Current opinion in HIV and AIDS [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent advances in the understanding of the difficult immunologic requirements for the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies for HIV have spurred interest in optimizing vaccine approaches intended to stimulate a robust germinal center reaction. In preclinical models, techniques to optimize the germinal center response have included alterations in the timing, dose, and delivery method of immunogens and have resulted in substantially enhanced germinal center responses in lymph nodes and neutralizing antibodies in serum. One of the most promising approaches involves splitting the initial dose of vaccine into a series of gradual escalating doses administration ("fractional escalating doses"). In principle, these techniques may have broad implications for vaccines targeting a robust antibody response.

RECENT FINDINGS: We review the upcoming vaccine trials that will test these concepts in clinical practice. The trials include both HIV and non-HIV immunogens, and will involve testing these concepts in both healthy adults and immunocompromised persons.

SUMMARY: There are multiple trials that will test whether techniques to alter vaccine delivery such as fractional escalating doses enhances immunologic outcomes.

RevDate: 2023-09-26

McCune JS, Navarro SL, Risler LJ, et al (2023)

The presence of busulfan metabolites and pharmacometabolomics in plasma drawn immediately before allograft infusion in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

Clinical and translational science [Epub ahead of print].

Busulfan is hepatically metabolized through glutathione (GSH) conjugation; in vitro, this process depletes hepatocyte GSH stores and generates the cytotoxic metabolite γ-glutamyldehydroalanylglycine (EdAG), which is too unstable to be quantitated in vivo. We sought to evaluate if pregraft (i.e., immediately before allograft infusion) concentrations of busulfan metabolites' and of endogenous metabolomic compounds (EMCs) representing the glutathione pathway were associated with clinical outcomes in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients receiving busulfan. The clinical outcomes evaluated were relapse, acute graft versus host disease (GVHD), chronic GVHD, non-relapse mortality, and neutrophil nadir. In pregraft samples obtained from patients immediately before allograft infusion, our objectives were to evaluate for: 1. The presence of busulfan and its metabolites tetrahydrothiophenium ion (THT+), tetrahydrothiophene 1-oxide, sulfolane, and 3-hydroxysulfolane (N=124); 2. EMCs using a global metabolomics assay (N=77). 3. The association of the busulfan metabolites and the EMCs with clinical outcomes. In the pregraft samples, busulfan and THT+ could not be detected. Tetrahydrothiophene 1-oxide, sulfolane, and 3-hydroxysulfolane were quantitated in 9.6%, 26%, and 58% of pregraft samples; their concentrations were not associated with clinical outcomes. Four pregraft EMCs were statistically significantly associated with the neutrophil nadir. The pregraft EMCs were not associated with the other clinical outcomes. In conclusion, busulfan's metabolites are present in patients' plasma immediately before allograft infusion; the neutrophil nadir is associated with pregraft EMCs. Future research should investigate the association of clinical outcomes with the concentrations of busulfans' metabolites and EMCs in the pregraft plasma from allogeneic HCT recipients.

RevDate: 2023-09-28

Hamm DC, Paatela EM, Bennett SR, et al (2023)

The transcription factor DUX4 orchestrates translational reprogramming by broadly suppressing translation efficiency and promoting expression of DUX4-induced mRNAs.

PLoS biology, 21(9):e3002317 pii:PBIOLOGY-D-23-01694 [Epub ahead of print].

Translational control is critical for cell fate transitions during development, lineage specification, and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that the transcription factor double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4), and its previously characterized transcriptional program, broadly regulates translation to change the cellular proteome. DUX4 is a key regulator of zygotic genome activation in human embryos, whereas misexpression of DUX4 causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and is associated with MHC-I suppression and immune evasion in cancer. We report that translation initiation and elongation factors are disrupted downstream of DUX4 expression in human myoblasts. Genome-wide translation profiling identified mRNAs susceptible to DUX4-induced translation inhibition, including those encoding antigen presentation factors and muscle lineage proteins, while DUX4-induced mRNAs were robustly translated. Endogenous expression of DUX4 in human FSHD myotubes and cancer cell lines also correlated with reduced protein synthesis and MHC-I presentation. Our findings reveal that DUX4 orchestrates translational reprogramming by suppressing the cellular proteome while maintaining translation of DUX4-induced mRNAs to promote an early developmental program.

RevDate: 2023-09-26
CmpDate: 2023-09-26

Grant-McAuley W, Morgenlander W, Hudelson SE, et al (2023)

Comprehensive profiling of pre-infection antibodies identifies HIV targets associated with viremic control and viral load.

Frontiers in immunology, 14:1178520.

BACKGROUND: High HIV viral load (VL) is associated with increased transmission risk and faster disease progression. HIV controllers achieve viral suppression without antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. We evaluated viremic control in a community-randomized trial with >48,000 participants.

METHODS: A massively multiplexed antibody profiling system, VirScan, was used to quantify pre- and post-infection antibody reactivity to HIV peptides in 664 samples from 429 participants (13 controllers, 135 viremic non-controllers, 64 other non-controllers, 217 uninfected persons). Controllers had VLs <2,000 copies/mL with no ARV drugs detected at the first HIV-positive visit and one year later. Viremic non-controllers had VLs 2,000 copies/mL with no ARV drugs detected at the first HIV-positive visit. Other non-controllers had either ARV drugs detected at the first HIV-positive visit (n=47) or VLs <2,000 copies/mL with no ARV drugs detected at only one HIV-positive visit (n=17).

RESULTS: We identified pre-infection HIV antibody reactivities that correlated with post-infection VL. Pre-infection reactivity to an epitope in the HR2 domain of gp41 was associated with controller status and lower VL. Pre-infection reactivity to an epitope in the C2 domain of gp120 was associated with non-controller status and higher VL. Different patterns of antibody reactivity were observed over time for these two epitopes.

CONCLUSION: These studies suggest that pre-infection HIV antibodies are associated with controller status and modulation of HIV VL. These findings may inform research on antibody-based interventions for HIV treatment.

RevDate: 2023-09-24

Mark C, Meshinchi S, Joyce B, et al (2023)

Treatment outcomes of childhood PICALM::MLLT10 acute leukaemias.

British journal of haematology [Epub ahead of print].

The prognostic impact of PICALM::MLLT10 status in childhood leukaemia is not well described. Ten International Berlin Frankfurt Münster-affiliated study groups and the Children's Oncology Group collaborated in this multicentre retrospective study. The presence of the PICALM::MLLT10 fusion gene was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or RNA sequencing at participating sites. Ninety-eight children met the study criteria. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) predominated 55 (56%) and 39 (40%) patients, respectively. Most patients received a chemotherapy regimen per their disease phenotype: 58% received an ALL regimen, 40% an AML regimen and 1% a hybrid regimen. Outcomes for children with PICALM::MLLT10 ALL were reasonable: 5-year event-free survival (EFS) 67% and 5-year overall survival (OS) 76%, but children with PICALM::MLLT10 AML had poor outcomes: 5-year EFS 22% and 5-year OS 26%. Haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) did not result in a significant improvement in outcomes for PICALM::MLLT10 AML: 5-year EFS 20% for those who received HSCT versus 23% for those who did not (p = 0.6) and 5-year OS 37% versus 36% (p = 0.7). In summary, this study confirms that PICALM::MLLT10 AML is associated with a dismal prognosis and patients cannot be salvaged with HSCT; exploration of novel therapeutic options is warranted.

RevDate: 2023-09-24

Gonzalez FF, Voldal E, Comstock BA, et al (2023)

Placental Histologic Abnormalities and 2-Year Outcomes in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Neonatology pii:000533652 [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the association between placental abnormalities and neurodevelopmental outcomes in a multicenter cohort of newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) that underwent therapeutic hypothermia. We hypothesized that subjects with acute placental abnormalities would have reduced risk of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 2 years of age after undergoing therapeutic hypothermia compared to subjects without acute placental changes.

STUDY DESIGN: Among 500 subjects born at ≥36 weeks gestation with moderate or severe HIE enrolled in the High-dose Erythropoietin for Asphyxia and Encephalopathy (HEAL) Trial, a placental pathologist blinded to clinical information reviewed clinical pathology reports to determine the presence of acute only, chronic only, or both acute and chronic histologic abnormalities. We calculated adjusted relative risks (aRRs) for associations between placental pathologic abnormalities and death or NDI at age 2 years, adjusting for HIE severity, treatment assignment, and site.

RESULT: 321/500 subjects (64%) had available placental pathology reports. Placental abnormalities were characterized as acute only (20%), chronic only (21%), both acute and chronic (43%), and none (15%). The risk of death or NDI was not statistically different between subjects with and without an acute placental abnormality (46 vs. 53%, aRR 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9, 1.4). Subjects with two or more chronic lesions were more likely to have an adverse outcome than subjects with no chronic abnormalities, though this did not reach statistical significance (55 vs. 45%, aRR 1.24, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.56).

CONCLUSION: Placental pathologic findings were not independently associated with risk of death or NDI in subjects with HIE. The relationship between multiple chronic placental lesions and HIE outcomes deserves further study.

RevDate: 2023-09-23

Galloway JG, Sung K, Minot SS, et al (2023)

phippery: a software suite for PhIP-Seq data analysis.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England) pii:7280694 [Epub ahead of print].

SUMMARY: We present the phippery software suite for analyzing data from phage display methods that use immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing to capture antibody binding to peptides, often referred to as PhIP-Seq. It has three main components that can be used separately or in conjunction: (1) A Nextflow pipeline, phip-flow, to process raw sequencing data into a compact, multidimensional dataset format and allows for end-to-end automation of reproducible workflows. (2) A Python API, phippery, which provides interfaces for tasks such as count normalization, enrichment calculation, multidimensional scaling, and more. (3) A Streamlit application, phip-viz, as an interactive interface for visualizing the data as a heatmap in a flexible manner.

All software packages are publicly available under the MIT License.The phip-flow pipeline: https://github.com/matsengrp/phip-flow.The phippery library: https://github.com/matsengrp/phippery.The phip-viz Streamlit application: https://github.com/matsengrp/phip-viz.

RevDate: 2023-09-27
CmpDate: 2023-09-25

Henikoff S, Henikoff JG, Ahmad K, et al (2023)

Epigenomic analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples by CUT&Tag.

Nature communications, 14(1):5930.

For more than a century, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample preparation has been the preferred method for long-term preservation of biological material. However, the use of FFPE samples for epigenomic studies has been difficult because of chromatin damage from long exposure to high concentrations of formaldehyde. Previously, we introduced Cleavage Under Targeted Accessible Chromatin (CUTAC), an antibody-targeted chromatin accessibility mapping protocol based on CUT&Tag. Here we show that simple modifications of our CUTAC protocol either in single tubes or directly on slides produce high-resolution maps of paused RNA Polymerase II at enhancers and promoters using FFPE samples. We find that transcriptional regulatory element differences produced by FFPE-CUTAC distinguish between mouse brain tumors and identify and map regulatory element markers with high confidence and precision, including microRNAs not detectable by RNA-seq. Our simple workflows make possible affordable epigenomic profiling of archived biological samples for biomarker identification, clinical applications and retrospective studies.

RevDate: 2023-09-22

Rick AM, Laurens MB, Huang Y, et al (2023)

Risk of COVID-19 after natural infection or vaccination.

EBioMedicine, 96:104799 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: While vaccines have established utility against COVID-19, phase 3 efficacy studies have generally not comprehensively evaluated protection provided by previous infection or hybrid immunity (previous infection plus vaccination). Individual patient data from US government-supported harmonized vaccine trials provide an unprecedented sample population to address this issue. We characterized the protective efficacy of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against COVID-19 early in the pandemic over three-to six-month follow-up and compared with vaccine-associated protection.

METHODS: In this post-hoc cross-protocol analysis of the Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, we allocated participants into four groups based on previous-infection status at enrolment and treatment: no previous infection/placebo; previous infection/placebo; no previous infection/vaccine; and previous infection/vaccine. The main outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 >7-15 days (per original protocols) after final study injection. We calculated crude and adjusted efficacy measures.

FINDINGS: Previous infection/placebo participants had a 92% decreased risk of future COVID-19 compared to no previous infection/placebo participants (overall hazard ratio [HR] ratio: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.05-0.13). Among single-dose Janssen participants, hybrid immunity conferred greater protection than vaccine alone (HR: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.10). Too few infections were observed to draw statistical inferences comparing hybrid immunity to vaccine alone for other trials. Vaccination, previous infection, and hybrid immunity all provided near-complete protection against severe disease.

INTERPRETATION: Previous infection, any hybrid immunity, and two-dose vaccination all provided substantial protection against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 through the early Delta period. Thus, as a surrogate for natural infection, vaccination remains the safest approach to protection.

FUNDING: National Institutes of Health.

RevDate: 2023-09-22

Inzaule SC, Siedner MJ, Little SJ, et al (2023)

Recommendations on data sharing in HIV drug resistance research.

PLoS medicine, 20(9):e1004293 pii:PMEDICINE-D-23-01241 [Epub ahead of print].

Author summary • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug resistance has implications for antiretroviral treatment strategies and for containing the HIV pandemic because the development of HIV drug resistance leads to the requirement for antiretroviral drugs that may be less effective, less well-tolerated, and more expensive than those used in first-line regimens. • HIV drug resistance studies are designed to determine which HIV mutations are selected by antiretroviral drugs and, in turn, how these mutations affect antiretroviral drug susceptibility and response to future antiretroviral treatment regimens. • Such studies collectively form a vital knowledge base essential for monitoring global HIV drug resistance trends, interpreting HIV genotypic tests, and updating HIV treatment guidelines. • Although HIV drug resistance data are collected in many studies, such data are often not publicly shared, prompting the need to recommend best practices to encourage and standardize HIV drug resistance data sharing. • In contrast to other viruses, sharing HIV sequences from phylogenetic studies of transmission dynamics requires additional precautions as HIV transmission is criminalized in many countries and regions. • Our recommendations are designed to ensure that the data that contribute to HIV drug resistance knowledge will be available without undue hardship to those publishing HIV drug resistance studies and without risk to people living with HIV.

RevDate: 2023-09-22

Issaka RB, Chan AT, S Gupta (2023)

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Risk Stratification for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Post-Polypectomy Surveillance: Expert Review.

DESCRIPTION: Since the early 2000s, there has been a rapid decline in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, due in large part to screening and removal of precancerous polyps. Despite these improvements, CRC remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, with approximately 53,000 deaths projected in 2023. The aim of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update Expert Review was to describe how individuals should be risk-stratified for CRC screening and post-polypectomy surveillance and to highlight opportunities for future research to fill gaps in the existing literature.

METHODS: This Expert Review was commissioned and approved by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee (CPUC) and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership, and underwent internal peer review by the CPUC and external peer review through standard procedures of Gastroenterology. These Best Practice Advice statements were drawn from a review of the published literature and from expert opinion. Because systematic reviews were not performed, these Best Practice Advice statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. Best Practice Advice Statements BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: All individuals with a first-degree relative (defined as a parent, sibling, or child) who was diagnosed with CRC, particularly before the age of 50 years, should be considered at increased risk for CRC. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: All individuals without a personal history of CRC, inflammatory bowel disease, hereditary CRC syndromes, other CRC predisposing conditions, or a family history of CRC should be considered at average risk for CRC. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Individuals at average risk for CRC should initiate screening at age 45 years and individuals at increased risk for CRC due to having a first-degree relative with CRC should initiate screening 10 years before the age at diagnosis of the youngest affected relative or age 40 years, whichever is earlier. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Risk stratification for initiation of CRC screening should be based on an individual's age, a known or suspected predisposing hereditary CRC syndrome, and/or a family history of CRC. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: The decision to continue CRC screening in individuals older than 75 years should be individualized, based on an assessment of risks, benefits, screening history, and comorbidities. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: Screening options for individuals at average risk for CRC should include colonoscopy, fecal immunochemical test, flexible sigmoidoscopy plus fecal immunochemical test, multitarget stool DNA fecal immunochemical test, and computed tomography colonography, based on availability and individual preference. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Colonoscopy should be the screening strategy used for individuals at increased CRC risk. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: The decision to continue post-polypectomy surveillance for individuals older than 75 years should be individualized, based on an assessment of risks, benefits, and comorbidities. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: Risk-stratification tools for CRC screening and post-polypectomy surveillance that emerge from research should be examined for real-world effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in diverse populations (eg, by race, ethnicity, sex, and other sociodemographic factors associated with disparities in CRC outcomes) before widespread implementation.

RevDate: 2023-09-22

Nguyen DD, Levy JI, Kim C, et al (2023)

Characterizing temporal trends in populations exposed to aircraft noise around U.S. airports: 1995-2015.

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Aircraft noise is a key concern for communities surrounding airports, with increasing evidence for health effects and inequitable distributions of exposure. However, there have been limited national-scale assessments of aircraft noise exposure over time and across noise metrics, limiting evaluation of population exposure patterns.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated national-scale temporal trends in aviation noise exposure by airport characteristics and across racial/ethnic populations in the U.S.

METHODS: Noise contours were modeled for 90 U.S. airports in 5-year intervals between 1995 and 2015 using the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Environmental Design Tool. We utilized linear fixed effects models to estimate changes in noise exposure areas for day-night average sound levels (DNL) of 45, 65, and a nighttime equivalent sound level (Lnight) of 45 A-weighted decibels (dB[A]). We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify distinct groups of airports sharing underlying characteristics. We overlaid noise contours and Census tract data from the U.S. Census Bureau and American Community Surveys for 2000 to 2015 to estimate exposure changes overall and by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS: National-scale analyses showed non-monotonic trends in mean exposed areas that peaked in 2000, followed by a 37% decrease from 2005 to 2010 and a subsequent increase in 2015. We identified four distinct trajectory groups of airports sharing latent characteristics related to size and activity patterns. Those populations identifying as minority (e.g., Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, Asian) experienced higher proportions of exposure relative to their subgroup populations compared to non-Hispanic or White populations across all years, indicating ethnic and racial disparities in airport noise exposure that persist over time.

SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, these data identified differential exposure trends across airports and subpopulations, helping to identify vulnerable communities for aviation noise in the U.S.

IMPACT STATEMENT: We conducted a descriptive analysis of temporal trends in aviation noise exposure in the U.S. at a national level. Using data from 90 U.S. airports over a span of two decades, we characterized the noise exposure trends overall and by airport characteristics, while estimating the numbers of exposed by population demographics to help identify the impact on vulnerable communities who may bear the burden of aircraft noise exposure.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Scholte LLS, Leggat DJ, Cohen KW, et al (2023)

Ultrasound-guided lymph node fine-needle aspiration for evaluating post-vaccination germinal center responses in humans.

STAR protocols, 4(4):102576 [Epub ahead of print].

The lymph node (LN) is a critical biological site for immune maturation after vaccination as it includes several cell populations critical for priming the antibody response. Here, we present a protocol for sampling the LN and isolating cell populations to evaluate immunogens targeting germline cells. We describe steps for media and tube preparation and sample collection using an ultrasound-guided LN fine-needle aspiration procedure. This protocol is safe, quick, low-cost, and less invasive than excisional biopsy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Leggat et al. (2022).[1].

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Chen Z, Giotti B, Kaluzova M, et al (2023)

A paracrine circuit of IL-1β/IL-1R1 between myeloid and tumor cells drives genotype-dependent glioblastoma progression.

The Journal of clinical investigation pii:163802 [Epub ahead of print].

Monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from blood circulation infiltrate glioblastoma (GBM) and promote growth. Here we show that PDGFB-driven GBM cells induce the expression of the potent pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in MDM, which engages IL-1R1 in tumor cells, activates the NF-kB pathway, and subsequently leads to induction of monocyte chemoattractant proteins (MCPs). Thus, a feedforward paracrine circuit of IL-1β/IL-1R1 between tumors and MDM creates an interdependence driving PDGFB-driven GBM progression. Genetic loss or locally antagonizing IL-1β/IL-1R1 leads to reduced MDM infiltration, diminished tumor growth, reduced exhausted CD8+ T cells, and thereby extends the survival of tumor-bearing mice. In contrast to IL-1β, IL-1α exhibits anti-tumor effects. Genetic deletion of Il1a/b is associated with decreased recruitment of lymphoid cells and loss of interferon signaling in various immune populations and subsets of malignant cells and is associated with decreased survival time of PDGFB-driven tumor-bearing mice. In contrast to PDGFB-driven GBM, Nf1-silenced tumors have a constitutively-active NF-kB pathway, which drives the expression of MCPs to recruit monocytes into tumors. These results indicate local antagonism of IL-1β could be considered as an effective therapy specifically for proneural GBM.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Darst BF, Saunders E, Dadaev T, et al (2023)

Germline Sequencing Analysis to Inform Clinical Gene Panel Testing for Aggressive Prostate Cancer.

JAMA oncology pii:2809874 [Epub ahead of print].

IMPORTANCE: Germline gene panel testing is recommended for men with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) or a family history of cancer. While evidence is limited for some genes currently included in panel testing, gene panels are also likely to be incomplete and missing genes that influence PCa risk and aggressive disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify genes associated with aggressive PCa.

A 2-stage exome sequencing case-only genetic association study was conducted including men of European ancestry from 18 international studies. Data analysis was performed from January 2021 to March 2023. Participants were 9185 men with aggressive PCa (including 6033 who died of PCa and 2397 with confirmed metastasis) and 8361 men with nonaggressive PCa.

EXPOSURE: Sequencing data were evaluated exome-wide and in a focused investigation of 29 DNA repair pathway and cancer susceptibility genes, many of which are included on gene panels.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary study outcomes were aggressive (category T4 or both T3 and Gleason score ≥8 tumors, metastatic PCa, or PCa death) vs nonaggressive PCa (category T1 or T2 and Gleason score ≤6 tumors without known recurrence), and metastatic vs nonaggressive PCa.

RESULTS: A total of 17 546 men of European ancestry were included in the analyses; mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 65.1 (9.2) years in patients with aggressive PCa and 63.7 (8.0) years in those with nonaggressive disease. The strongest evidence of association with aggressive or metastatic PCa was noted for rare deleterious variants in known PCa risk genes BRCA2 and ATM (P ≤ 1.9 × 10-6), followed by NBN (P = 1.7 × 10-4). This study found nominal evidence (P < .05) of association with rare deleterious variants in MSH2, XRCC2, and MRE11A. Five other genes had evidence of greater risk (OR≥2) but carrier frequency differences between aggressive and nonaggressive PCa were not statistically significant: TP53, RAD51D, BARD1, GEN1, and SLX4. Deleterious variants in these 11 candidate genes were carried by 2.3% of patients with nonaggressive, 5.6% with aggressive, and 7.0% with metastatic PCa.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this study provide further support for DNA repair and cancer susceptibility genes to better inform disease management in men with PCa and for extending testing to men with nonaggressive disease, as men carrying deleterious alleles in these genes are likely to develop more advanced disease.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Tachiki LML, Hippe DS, Williams Silva K, et al (2023)

Extended duration of treatment using reduced-frequency dosing of anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with advanced melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.

Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Optimal duration of treatment (DoT) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in metastatic cancers remains unclear. Many patients, especially those without radiologic complete remission, develop progressive disease after ICI discontinuation. Extending DoT with ICI may potentially improve efficacy outcomes but presents major logistical and cost challenges with standard frequency dosing (SFD). Receptor occupancy data supports reduced frequency dosing (RFD) of anti-PD-1 antibodies, which may represent a more practical and economically viable option to extend DoT.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with metastatic melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), who received ICI at RFD administered every 3 months, after initial disease control at SFD. We evaluated efficacy, safety, and cost-savings of the RFD approach in this cohort.

RESULTS: Between 2014 and 2021, 23 patients with advanced melanoma (N = 18) or MCC (N = 5) received anti-PD-1 therapy at RFD. Median DoT was 1.1 years at SFD and 1.2 years at RFD. The 3 year PFS after start of RFD was 73% in melanoma and 100% in MCC patients, which compare favorably to historical control rates. In the subset of 15 patients who received at least 2 years of therapy, total savings amounted to $1.1 million in drug costs and 384 h saved despite the extended DoT (median 3.4 years), as compared to the calculated cost of 2 years at SFD.

CONCLUSIONS: ICI administration at RFD can allow extension of treatment duration, while preserving efficacy and reducing logistical and financial burden. RFD approach deserves further exploration in prospective clinical trials.

RevDate: 2023-09-25

Keefe KW, Lanes A, Stratton K, et al (2023)

Assisted reproductive technology use and outcomes in childhood cancer survivors.

Cancer [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Treatment exposures for childhood cancer reduce ovarian reserve. However, the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) among female survivors is not well established.

METHODS: Five-year survivors of childhood cancer in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were linked to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System, which captures national ART outcomes. The authors assessed the live birth rate, the relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and associations with treatment exposure using generalized estimating equations to account for multiple ovarian stimulations per individual. Siblings from a random sample of survivors were recruited to serve as a comparison group.

RESULTS: Among 9885 female survivors, 137 (1.4%; median age at diagnosis, 10 years [range, 0-20 years]; median years of follow-up after age 18 years, 11 years [range, 2-11 years]) underwent 224 ovarian stimulations using autologous or donor eggs and/or gestational carriers (157 autologous ovarian stimulation cycles, 67 donor ovarian stimulation cycles). In siblings, 33 (1.4%) underwent 51 autologous or donor ovarian stimulations. Of those who used embryos from autologous eggs without using gestational carriers, 97 survivors underwent 155 stimulations, resulting in 49 live births, for a 31.6% chance of live birth per ovarian stimulation (vs. 38.3% for siblings; p = .39) and a 43.9% chance of live birth per transfer (vs. 50.0%; p = .33). Prior treatment with cranial radiation therapy (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20-0.97) and pelvic radiation therapy (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.73) resulted in a reduced chance of live birth compared with siblings. The likelihood of live birth after ART treatment in survivors was not affected by alkylator exposure (cyclophosphamide-equivalent dose, ≥8000 mg/m[2] vs. none; RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.52-2.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Childhood cancer survivors are as likely to undergo treatment using ART as sibling controls. The success of ART treatment was not reduced after alkylator exposure. The results from the current study provide needed guidance on the use of ART in this population.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Parikh UM, Penrose KJ, Heaps AL, et al (2023)

HIV Drug Resistance Assessment among Women who Seroconverted during the MTN-025/HOPE Open-Label Extension Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Trial.

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) pii:00126334-990000000-00299 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials of dapivirine vaginal ring have shown it is safe, effective, and desired by women as an HIV prevention option. The risk of drug resistance is a potential concern for dapivirine ring users who acquire HIV. We conducted a comprehensive resistance evaluation of plasma samples from the women who seroconverted during the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN)-025/HOPE open-label study of dapivirine ring.

METHODS: Plasma collected on the visit at which seroconversion was detected was tested by next-generation sequencing with unique molecular identifiers (NGS-UMI) for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drug resistance mutations (DRM) present at ≥1% frequency. Bulk-cloned plasma-derived recombinant HIV was phenotyped in a TZM-bl-based assay for susceptibility to dapivirine and other NNRTI. HIV-1 RNA was retrospectively quantified in plasma samples collected prior to HIV seroconversion.

RESULTS: Among 38 participants who seroconverted in HOPE, 7 (18%) had NNRTI DRM detected by NGS-UMI including A98G, K103N, V106M, E138A and V179D. Six of 7 samples with NNRTI DRM had <3-fold reduction in susceptibility to dapivirine. Only one sample with K103N and a V179I polymorphism had 9-fold reduction in susceptibility to dapivirine, but this genotype occurred in an individual who did not use dapivirine ring, likely indicating transmitted resistance. Detection of NNRTI resistance was not higher in individuals who remained on dapivirine ring >3 months after acquiring HIV infection.

CONCLUSION: NNRTI resistance among women who seroconverted during HOPE was infrequent and selection of dapivirine-specific mutations was not detected. Dapivirine ring is considered a safe and effective option for HIV prevention in women.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Lyman GH, Lyman CH, NM Kuderer (2023)

THE NATURE, ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE: Part I The Fundamental Logic and Organization of Life.

RevDate: 2023-09-25
CmpDate: 2023-09-22

McCoy C, Keshvani N, Warsi M, et al (2023)

Empowering telemetry technicians and enhancing communication to improve in-hospital cardiac arrest survival.

BMJ open quality, 12(3):.

Delays in treatment of in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) are associated with worsened survival. We sought to assess the impact of a bundled intervention on IHCA survival in patients on centralised telemetry. A retrospective quality improvement study was performed of a bundled intervention which incorporated (1) a telemetry hotline for telemetry technicians to reach nursing staff; (2) empowerment of telemetry technicians to directly activate the IHCA response team and (3) a standardised escalation system for automated critical alerts within the nursing mobile phone system. In the 4-year study period, there were 75 IHCAs, including 20 preintervention and 55 postintervention. Cox proportional hazard regression predicts postintervention individuals have a 74% reduced the risk of death (HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.84) during a code and a 55% reduced risk of death (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.89) prior to hospital discharge. Overall code survival improved from 60.0% to 83.6% (p=0.031) with an improvement in ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) code survival from 50.0% to 100.0% (p=0.035). There was no difference in non-telemetry code survival preintervention and postintervention (71.4% vs 71.3%, p=0.999). The bundled intervention, including improved communication between telemetry technicians and nurses as well as empowerment of telemetry technicians to directly activate the IHCA response team, may improve IHCA survival, specifically for VT/VF arrests.

RevDate: 2023-09-20

Phipps WS, Kilgore MR, Kennedy JJ, et al (2023)

Clinical Proteomics for Solid Organ Tissues.

Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP pii:S1535-9476(23)00159-7 [Epub ahead of print].

The evaluation of biopsied solid organ tissue has long relied on visual examination using a microscope. Immunohistochemistry is critical in this process, labeling and detecting cell lineage markers and therapeutic targets. However, while the practice of immunohistochemistry has reshaped diagnostic pathology and facilitated improvements in cancer treatment, it has also been subject to pervasive challenges with respect to standardization and reproducibility. Efforts are ongoing to improve immunohistochemistry, but for some applications, the benefit of such initiatives could be impeded by its reliance on monospecific antibody-protein reagents and limited multiplexing capacity. This perspective surveys the relevant challenges facing traditional immunohistochemistry and describes how mass spectrometry, particularly liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry could help alleviate problems. In particular, targeted mass spectrometry assays could facilitate measurements of individual proteins or analyte panels, using internal standards for more robust quantification and improved interlaboratory reproducibility. Meanwhile, untargeted mass spectrometry, showcased to date clinically in the form of amyloid typing, is inherently multiplexed, facilitating the detection and crude quantification of 100s to 1000s of proteins in a single analysis. Further, data-independent acquisition has yet to be applied in clinical practice, but offers particular strengths that could appeal to clinical users. Finally, we discuss the guidance that is needed to facilitate broader utilization in clinical environments and achieve standardization.

RevDate: 2023-09-20

Lieber A, HP Kiem (2023)

Prospects and challenges of in vivo hematopoietic stem cell genome editing for hemoglobinopathies.

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy pii:S1525-0016(23)00494-X [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2023-09-20

Matsui T, C Ogimi (2023)

Risk factors for severity in seasonal respiratory viral infections and how they guide management in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

Current opinion in infectious diseases pii:00001432-990000000-00102 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Seasonal respiratory virus infections (RVIs) often progress to severe diseases in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. This review summarizes the current evidence on risk factors for the severity of RVIs in this high-risk population and provides clinical management.

RECENT FINDINGS: The likelihood of the respiratory viral disease progression depends on the immune status of the host and the type of virus. Conventional host factors, such as the immunodeficiency scoring index and the severe immunodeficiency criteria, have been utilized to estimate the risk of progression to severe disease, including mortality. Recent reports have suggested nonconventional risk factors, such as hyperglycemia, hypoalbuminemia, prior use of antibiotics with broad anaerobic activity, posttransplant cyclophosphamide, and pulmonary impairment after RVIs. Identifying novel and modifiable risk factors is important with the advances of novel therapeutic and preventive interventions for RVIs.

SUMMARY: Validation of recently identified risk factors for severe RVIs in HCT recipients is required. The development of innovative interventions along with appropriate risk stratification is critical to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

RevDate: 2023-09-22

Kadro ZO, Snyder S, Benn R, et al (2023)

Correction to: Impact of the Integrative Oncology Scholars Program on Oncology Providers' Key Knowledge of Dietary Supplements and Antioxidants for Providing Evidence-based Oncology Care.

RevDate: 2023-09-20

Chlebowski RT, AK Aragaki (2023)

Long-term breast cancer incidence trends by mammography, obesity, and menopausal hormone therapy.

Breast cancer research and treatment [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Over the past half century, the annual age-adjusted breast cancer incidence in the USA has fluctuated, potentially influenced by changes in mammography screening, obesity, and menopausal hormone therapy. As the relative contributions of these factors on breast cancer incidence have not been resolved, we assembled reliable sources of year-to-year changes in mammography, obesity, and hormone therapy to graphically display their relationship to breast cancer incidence through 50 years.

METHODS: Year-to-year trends were assembled: for mammography from the Center for Disease Control National Health Interviews; for hormone therapy from the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer report; for obesity from the NCD (Non-Communicable Diseases) Risk Factor Collaboration; and for breast cancer for US women 50-64 years of age from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry findings.

RESULTS: Increases in age-adjusted breast cancer incidence trend from about 1982 to 2002 track both mammography and hormone therapy use but not obesity. However, the sudden decrease in breast cancer incidence in 2003, subsequently sustained at a lower incidence level, only tracks the parallel reduction in hormone therapy use.

CONCLUSION: The sustained reduction in hormone therapy use from 2003 provides a plausible explanation for most of the lower breast cancer incidence seen in US postmenopausal women during the last two decades. The strong observational study obesity association with higher breast cancer risk is not reflected in breast cancer incidence trends.

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Bloom JD, RA Neher (2023)

Fitness effects of mutations to SARS-CoV-2 proteins.

Virus evolution, 9(2):vead055.

Knowledge of the fitness effects of mutations to SARS-CoV-2 can inform assessment of new variants, design of therapeutics resistant to escape, and understanding of the functions of viral proteins. However, experimentally measuring effects of mutations is challenging: we lack tractable lab assays for many SARS-CoV-2 proteins, and comprehensive deep mutational scanning has been applied to only two SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Here, we develop an approach that leverages millions of publicly available SARS-CoV-2 sequences to estimate effects of mutations. We first calculate how many independent occurrences of each mutation are expected to be observed along the SARS-CoV-2 phylogeny in the absence of selection. We then compare these expected observations to the actual observations to estimate the effect of each mutation. These estimates correlate well with deep mutational scanning measurements. For most genes, synonymous mutations are nearly neutral, stop-codon mutations are deleterious, and amino acid mutations have a range of effects. However, some viral accessory proteins are under little to no selection. We provide interactive visualizations of effects of mutations to all SARS-CoV-2 proteins (https://jbloomlab.github.io/SARS2-mut-fitness/). The framework we describe is applicable to any virus for which the number of available sequences is sufficiently large that many independent occurrences of each neutral mutation are observed.

RevDate: 2023-09-21
CmpDate: 2023-09-21

Halsey LG, Careau V, Ainslie PN, et al (2023)

Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty.

Biology letters, 19(9):20230152.

There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks. We tested this hypothesis on a large dataset by comparing the amount of male variation and female variation in total EE, activity EE and basal EE, at different life stages, along with several morphological traits: height, fat free mass and fat mass. Total EE, and to some degree also activity EE, exhibit considerable greater male variation (GMV) in young adults, and then a decreasing GMV in progressively older individuals. Arguably, basal EE, and also morphometrics, do not exhibit this pattern. These findings suggest that single male sexual characteristics may not exhibit peak GMV in young adulthood, however total and perhaps also activity EE, associated with many morphological and physiological traits combined, do exhibit GMV most prominently during the reproductive life stages.

RevDate: 2023-09-20

Schlatter MI, Yandamuri SS, O'Connor KC, et al (2023)

Remission of severe myasthenia gravis after autologous stem cell transplantation.

Annals of clinical and translational neurology [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVE: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoantibody-mediated neuromuscular junction disorder involving the acetylcholine receptors on the motor endplate. The safety and response to high-dose chemotherapy (HDIT) and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) were assessed in a patient with severe refractory MG.

METHODS: As part of a pilot study of HDIT/HCT for patients with treatment-resistant autoimmune neurological disorders, a patient with severe refractory MG underwent treatment. After mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells with rituximab, prednisone, and G-CSF, the patient had HDIT consisting of carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan, and rabbit antithymocyte globulin, followed by autologous HCT. The effect of treatment on the autoantibody to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) was assessed.

RESULTS: The patient had been diagnosed with AChR antibody-positive MG 14 years before HDIT/HCT and had failed thymectomy, therapeutic plasma exchange, and multiple immunomodulatory agents. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) clinical classification was IVb before HDIT/HCT. She tolerated HDIT/HCT well and started to improve clinically within days of treatment. At both 1 and 2 years after HDIT/HCT, patients remained symptom-free. After HDIT/HCT, AChR-binding autoantibodies persisted, and the relative frequency of immune cell subtypes shifted.

INTERPRETATION: HDIT/HCT induced a complete response of disease activity in a patient with severe refractory MG. This response may suggest that a cell-mediated etiology may be a significant contributing factor in refractory MG cases. A phase 2 clinical trial is warranted to establish if HDIT/HCT can be an effective therapy for severe refractory MG and to gain a further understanding of disease pathogenesis.

RevDate: 2023-09-19

Yu B, McCartney S, Strenk S, et al (2023)

Vaginal Bacteria Elicit Acute Inflammatory Response in Fallopian Tube Organoids.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) [Epub ahead of print].

To facilitate in vitro mechanistic studies in pelvic inflammatory disease and subsequent tubal factor infertility, we sought to establish patient tissue derived fallopian tube (FT) organoids and to study their inflammatory response to acute vaginal bacterial infection. FT tissues were obtained from four patients after salpingectomy for benign gynecological diseases. We introduced acute infection in the FT organoid culture system by inoculating the organoid culture media with two common vaginal bacterial species, Lactobacillus crispatus and Fannyhessea vaginae. The inflammatory response elicited in the organoids after acute bacterial infection was analyzed by the expression profile of 249 inflammatory genes. Compared to the negative controls that were not cultured with any bacteria, the organoids cultured with either bacterial species showed multiple differentially expressed inflammatory genes. Marked differences were noted between the Lactobacillus crispatus infected organoids and those infected by Fannyhessea vaginae. Genes from the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) family were highly upregulated in Fannyhessea vaginae infected organoids. Flow cytometry showed that immune cells quickly disappeared during the organoid culture, indicating the inflammatory response observed with bacterial culture was generated by the epithelial cells in the organoids. In summary, we have shown that patient tissue derived FT organoids respond to acute bacterial infection with upregulation of inflammatory genes specific to different vaginal bacterial species. FT organoids is a useful in vitro model system to study the host-pathogen interaction during bacterial infection.

RevDate: 2023-09-19

Chau B, Loggers ET, Cranmer LD, et al (2023)

Secondary Breast Angiosarcoma After a Primary Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database.

American journal of clinical oncology pii:00000421-990000000-00130 [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVES: Angiosarcoma is a rare complication of breast-conserving therapy. This study evaluated the change in incidence between 1992 and 2016 of secondary breast angiosarcoma (SBA) in patients with a history of breast cancer and the impact of management strategies for the original breast carcinoma on angiosarcoma treatment.

METHODS: Breast cancer and angiosarcoma cases were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. SBAs were defined as angiosarcomas located in the breast occurring after a prior breast cancer diagnosis. Primary breast angiosarcomas (PBAs) were defined as an angiosarcoma diagnosis listed as "one primary only." Incidence rates were estimated using a proportion of the US total population. Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association of clinicopathologic characteristics on overall survival.

RESULTS: Between 1992 and 2016, 193 cases of SBA were reported in the SEER dataset in patients with a prior history of breast cancer. The incidence of breast angiosarcoma in patients with a prior diagnosis of breast cancer increased 3-fold from about 10 cases per 100,000 person-years to about 30 cases per 100,000 person-years over this same period (P=0.0037). For treatment of SBA (n=193), almost all (95%) had surgery. Nine percent received radiation (compared with 35% of patients with PBA, P<0.001) and 23% received chemotherapy (vs. 45% for PBA, P=0.11).

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate an increasing incidence of SBA over the study period. These data can help inform shared decision-making for optimal management of locoregional breast cancer and raise awareness of secondary angiosarcoma.

RevDate: 2023-09-19

Agarwal S, Fang L, McGowen K, et al (2023)

Tumor-derived biomarkers predict efficacy of B7H3 antibody-drug conjugate treatment in metastatic prostate cancer models.

The Journal of clinical investigation pii:162148 [Epub ahead of print].

Antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs) are promising targeted cancer therapy; however, patient selection based solely on target antigen expression without consideration for cytotoxic payload vulnerabilities has plateaued clinical benefits. Biomarkers to capture patients who might benefit from specific ADCs have not been systematically determined for any cancer. We present a comprehensive therapeutic and biomarker analysis of a B7H3-ADC with pyrrolobenzodiazepine(PBD) payload in 26 treatment-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer(mPC) models. B7H3 is a tumor-specific surface protein widely expressed in mPC, and PBD is a DNA cross-linking agent. B7H3 expression was necessary but not sufficient for B7H3-PBD-ADC responsiveness. RB1 deficiency and/or replication stress, characteristics of poor prognosis, conferred sensitivity and were associated with complete tumor regression in both neuroendocrine (NEPC) and androgen receptor positive(ARPC) prostate cancer models, even with low B7H3 levels. Non-ARPC models, which are currently lacking efficacious treatment, demonstrated the highest replication stress and were most sensitive to treatment. In RB1 wild-type ARPC tumors, SLFN11 expression or select DNA repair mutations in SLFN11 non-expressors governed response. Importantly, wild-type TP53 predicted non-responsiveness (7/8 models). Overall, biomarker-focused selection of models led to high efficacy of in vivo treatment. These data enable a paradigm shift to biomarker-driven trial designs for maximizing clinical benefit of ADC therapies.

RevDate: 2023-09-18

Macauda A, Briem K, Clay-Gilmour A, et al (2023)

Identification of novel genetic loci for risk of multiple myeloma by functional annotation.

RevDate: 2023-09-18

Lawson MB (2023)

Timeliness as a Mammography Quality Metric.

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR pii:S1546-1440(23)00708-1 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2023-09-17

Redmond BY, Salwa A, Bricker JB, et al (2023)

Personalized feedback intervention for individuals with low distress tolerance who smoke cigarettes: A randomized controlled trial of a digital intervention.

Journal of substance use and addiction treatment pii:S2949-8759(23)00214-X [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States and frequently co-occurs with anxiety and depressive symptoms. A novel and integrative, theory-driven approach to address the heterogeneity of mood-related symptoms associated with cigarette use is to focus on transdiagnostic processes, such as distress tolerance, that underpin both mood-related symptoms and smoking behavior. The current study sought to develop and examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a digitally delivered integrated personalized feedback intervention (PFI) that addresses smoking-distress tolerance relations.

METHODS: Participants included 121 adults (71.1 % male; Mage = 29.33 years, SD = 7.52) who smoked cigarettes daily and reported low distress tolerance. The study randomized participants to the Active PFI (feedback on distress tolerance and smoking) or the Control PFI (feedback on smoking only).

RESULTS: Results indicated feasibility and acceptability demonstrated by the ability to retain participants through the 1-month follow-up (98.2 % retention rate) and positive feedback from participants, including satisfaction regarding the Active PFI. The Active PFI (vs. Control PFI) was also a statistically significant predictor of change in motivation and intention to quit smoking and willingness to use adaptive coping strategies from baseline to 1-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: For individuals with low distress tolerance who smoke cigarettes, this study's findings suggest that the current intervention may be a first-step to aid in increasing motivation/intention to quit smoking and willingness to use adaptive coping strategies.

RevDate: 2023-09-16

Naresh KN, Medeiros LJ, WHO 5th Edition Classification Project (2023)

INTRODUCTION TO THE 5TH EDITION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION OF TUMORS OF THE HEMATOPOIETIC AND LYMPHOID TISSUES.

Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc pii:S0893-3952(23)00235-1 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2023-09-21

Roy A, Shi L, Chang A, et al (2023)

De novo design of highly selective miniprotein inhibitors of integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.

The RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-binding integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8 are clinically validated cancer and fibrosis targets of considerable therapeutic importance. Compounds that can discriminate between the two closely related integrin proteins and other RGD integrins, stabilize specific conformational states, and have sufficient stability enabling tissue restricted administration could have considerable therapeutic utility. Existing small molecules and antibody inhibitors do not have all of these properties, and hence there is a need for new approaches. Here we describe a method for computationally designing hyperstable RGD-containing miniproteins that are highly selective for a single RGD integrin heterodimer and conformational state, and use this strategy to design inhibitors of αvβ6 and αvβ8 with high selectivity. The αvβ6 and αvβ8 inhibitors have picomolar affinities for their targets, and >1000-fold selectivity over other RGD integrins. CryoEM structures are within 0.6-0.7Å root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) to the computational design models; the designed αvβ6 inhibitor and native ligand stabilize the open conformation in contrast to the therapeutic anti-αvβ6 antibody BG00011 that stabilizes the bent-closed conformation and caused on-target toxicity in patients with lung fibrosis, and the αvβ8 inhibitor maintains the constitutively fixed extended-closed αvβ8 conformation. In a mouse model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, the αvβ6 inhibitor potently reduced fibrotic burden and improved overall lung mechanics when delivered via oropharyngeal administration mimicking inhalation, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of de novo designed integrin binding proteins with high selectivity.

RevDate: 2023-09-16

Dayan GH, Rouphael N, Walsh SR, et al (2023)

Efficacy of a bivalent (D614 + B.1.351) SARS-CoV-2 recombinant protein vaccine with AS03 adjuvant in adults: a phase 3, parallel, randomised, modified double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The Lancet. Respiratory medicine pii:S2213-2600(23)00263-1 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccines with alternative strain compositions are needed to provide broad protection against newly emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. This study aimed to describe the clinical efficacy and safety of a bivalent SARS-CoV-2 recombinant protein vaccine as a two-injection primary series during a period of circulation of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.

METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, parallel, randomised, modified double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults aged 18 years or older at 54 clinical research centres in eight countries (Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Uganda, and Ukraine). Participants were recruited from the community and randomly assigned (1:1) by use of an interactive response technology system to receive two intramuscular 0·5 mL injections, 21 days apart, of the bivalent vaccine (5 μg of ancestral [D614] and 5 μg of beta [B.1.351] variant spike protein, with AS03 adjuvant) or placebo (0·9% normal saline). All participants, outcome assessors, and laboratory staff performing assays were masked to group assignments; those involved in the preparation and administration of the vaccines were unmasked. Participants were stratified by age (18-59 years and ≥60 years) and baseline SARS-CoV-2 rapid serodiagnostic test positivity. Symptomatic COVID-19 was defined as laboratory-confirmed (via nucleic acid amplification test or PCR test) COVID-19 with COVID-19-like illness symptoms. The primary efficacy endpoint was the clinical efficacy of the bivalent vaccine for prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 at least 14 days after the second injection (dose 2). Safety was assessed in all participants receiving at least one injection of the study vaccine or placebo. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04904549) and is closed to recruitment.

FINDINGS: Between Oct 19, 2021, and Feb 15, 2022, 13 002 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive the first dose of the study vaccine (n=6512) or placebo (n=6490). 12 924 participants (6472 in the vaccine group and 6452 in the placebo group) received at least one study injection, of whom 7542 (58·4%) were male and 9693 (75·0%) were SARS-CoV-2 non-naive. Of these 12 924 participants, 11 543 (89·3%) received both study injections (5788 in the vaccine group and 5755 in the placebo group). The efficacy-evaluable population after dose 2 comprised 11 416 participants (5736 in the vaccine group and 5680 in the placebo group). The median duration of follow-up was 85 days (IQR 50-95) after dose 1 and 58 days (29-70) after dose 2. 121 symptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported at least 14 days after dose 2 (32 in the vaccine group and 89 in the placebo group), with an overall vaccine efficacy of 64·7% (95% CI 46·6 to 77·2). Vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 was 75·1% (95% CI 56·3 to 86·6) in SARS-CoV-2 non-naive participants and 30·9% (-39·3 to 66·7) in SARS-CoV-2-naive participants. Viral genome sequencing identified the infecting strain in 68 (56·2%) of 121 cases (omicron [BA.1 and BA.2] in 63; delta in four; and both omicron and delta in one). Immediate unsolicited adverse events were reported by four (<0·1%) participants in the vaccine group and seven (0·1%) participants in the placebo group. Immediate unsolicited adverse reactions within 30 min after any injection were reported by four (<0·1%) participants in the vaccine group and six (<0·1%) participants in the placebo group. In the reactogenicity subset with available data, solicited reactions (solicited injection-site reactions and solicited systemic reactions) within 7 days after any injection occurred in 1398 (57·8%) of 2420 vaccine recipients and 983 (40·9%) of 2403 placebo recipients. Grade 3 solicited reactions were reported by 196 (8·1%; 95% CI 7·0 to 9·3) of 2420 vaccine recipients and 118 (4·9%; 4·1 to 5·9) of 2403 placebo recipients within 7 days after any injection, with comparable frequencies after dose 1 and dose 2 in the vaccine group. At least one serious adverse event occurred in 30 (0·5%) participants in the vaccine group and 26 (0·4%) in the placebo group. The proportion of adverse events of special interest and deaths was less than 0·1% in both study groups. No adverse event of special interest, serious adverse event, or death was deemed to be treatment related. There were no reported cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, myocarditis, pericarditis, Bell's Palsy, or Guillain-Barré syndrome, or other immune-mediated diseases.

INTERPRETATION: The bivalent variant vaccine conferred heterologous protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the epidemiological context of the circulating contemporary omicron variant. These findings suggest that vaccines developed with an antigen from a non-predominant strain could confer cross-protection against newly emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants, although further investigation is warranted.

FUNDING: Sanofi, US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Reid MC, Mittler JE, Murphy JT, et al (2023)

Evolution of HIV virulence in response to disease-modifying vaccines: A modeling study.

Vaccine pii:S0264-410X(23)01027-7 [Epub ahead of print].

Pathogens face a tradeoff with respect to virulence; while more virulent strains often have higher per-contact transmission rates, they are also more likely to kill their hosts earlier. Because virulence is a heritable trait, there is concern that a disease-modifying vaccine, which reduces the disease severity of an infected vaccinee without changing the underlying pathogen genotype, may result in the evolution of higher pathogen virulence. We explored the potential for such virulence evolution with a disease-modifying HIV-1 vaccine in an agent-based stochastic epidemic model of HIV in United States men who have sex with men (MSM). In the model, vaccinated agents received no protection against infection, but experienced lower viral loads and slower disease progression. We compared the genotypic set point viral load (SPVL), a measure of HIV virulence, in populations given vaccines that varied in the degree of SPVL reduction they induce. Sensitivity analyses were conducted under varying vaccine coverage scenarios. With continual vaccination rollout under ideal circumstances of 90 % coverage over thirty years, the genotypic SPVL of vaccinated individuals evolved to become greater than the genotypic SPVL of unvaccinated individuals. This virulence evolution in turn diminished the public health benefit of the vaccine, and in some scenarios resulted in an accelerated epidemic. These findings demonstrate the complexity of viral evolution and have important implications for the design and development of HIV vaccines.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Sridhar SS, Powles T, Climent Durán MÁ, et al (2023)

Avelumab First-line Maintenance for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: Analysis from JAVELIN Bladder 100 by Duration of First-line Chemotherapy and Interval Before Maintenance.

European urology pii:S0302-2838(23)03020-8 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: In the JAVELIN Bladder 100 phase 3 trial, avelumab first-line maintenance + best supportive care (BSC) prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) versus BSC alone in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (advanced UC) without progression after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To report post hoc analyses of subgroups defined by the duration of first-line chemotherapy and interval before maintenance.

Patients with advanced UC without progression after four to six cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy and a 4-10-wk interval after chemotherapy (n = 700) were randomized to receive avelumab + BSC or BSC alone. Subgroups were defined by duration (quartile [Q]) and estimated number of cycles of chemotherapy, and interval between chemotherapy and maintenance. The median follow-up was >19 mo in both arms.

OS (primary endpoint), PFS, and safety were assessed.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for OS with avelumab + BSC versus BSC alone were as follows: by chemotherapy duration-Q3: 0.63 (0.39-1.00); by number of cycles-four cycles: 0.69 (0.48-1.00), five cycles: 0.98 (0.57-1.71), and six cycles: 0.66 (0.47-0.92); and by interval-4-<6 wk: 0.75 (0.54-1.04), 6-<8 wk: 0.67 (0.43-1.06), and 8-10 wk: 0.69 (0.47-1.02). Results were similar for PFS. Safety was similar across subgroups. All analyses were exploratory.

CONCLUSIONS: Post hoc analyses of OS and PFS in subgroups defined by first-line chemotherapy duration and interval before maintenance were generally consistent with the results in the overall population, with similar safety findings. Prospective trials are warranted to confirm these findings.

PATIENT SUMMARY: Avelumab maintenance treatment helped patients with advanced urothelial cancer without disease progression after at least four cycles of prior chemotherapy, and who started maintenance treatment at least 4 wk after chemotherapy, to live longer.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Martin TM, Robinson ST, Y Huang (2023)

Discovery medicine - the HVTN's iterative approach to developing an HIV-1 broadly neutralizing vaccine.

Current opinion in HIV and AIDS pii:01222929-990000000-00065 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In the past two decades, there has been an explosion in the discovery of HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and associated vaccine strategies to induce them. This abundance of approaches necessitates a system that accurately and expeditiously identifies the most promising regimens. We herein briefly review the background science of bnAbs, provide a description of the first round of phase 1 discovery medicine studies, and suggest an approach to integrate these into a comprehensive HIV-1-neutralizing vaccine.

RECENT FINDINGS: With recent preclinical success including induction of early stage bnAbs in mouse knockin models and rhesus macaques, successful priming of VRC01-class bnAbs with eOD-GT8 in a recent study in humans, and proof-of-concept that intravenous infusion of VRC01 prevents sexual transmission of virus in humans, the stage is set for a broad and comprehensive bnAb vaccine program. Leveraging significant advances in protein nanoparticle science, mRNA technology, adjuvant development, and B-cell and antibody analyses, the HVTN has reconfigured its HIV-1 vaccine strategy by developing the Discovery Medicine Program to test promising vaccine candidates targeting six key epitopes.

SUMMARY: The HVTN Discovery Medicine program is testing multiple HIV-1-neutralizing vaccine candidates.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Stamatatos L (2023)

'Immunization during ART and ATI for HIV-1 vaccine discovery/development'.

Current opinion in HIV and AIDS pii:01222929-990000000-00062 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Explore whether immunization with germline-targeting Env immunogens during ART, followed by ATI, leads to the identification of viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) that promote and guide the full maturation of broadly neutralizing antibody responses.

RECENT FINDINGS: The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) does not efficiently engage the germline precursors of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). However, Env-derived proteins specifically designed to precisely do that, have been recently developed. These 'germline-targeting' Env immunogens activate naïve B cells that express the germline precursors of bnAbs but by themselves cannot guide their maturation towards their broadly neutralizing forms. This requires sequential immunizations with heterologous sets of Envs. These 'booster' Envs are currently unknown.

SUMMARY: Combining germline-targeting Env immunization approaches during ART with ATI could lead to the identification of natural Envs that are responsible for the maturation of broadly neutralizing antibody responses during infection. Such Envs could then serve as booster immunogens to guide the maturation of glBCRs that have become activated by germline-targeting immunogens in uninfected subjects.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Janes H, S Buchbinder (2023)

Control groups for HIV prevention efficacy trials: what does the future hold?.

Current opinion in HIV and AIDS pii:01222929-990000000-00063 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Ending the HIV epidemic will require the development of additional effective immune-mediated and nonimmune-mediated means of HIV prevention. Evaluating novel interventions requires large, controlled trials demonstrating efficacy. Recent advances in the field of HIV prevention necessitate new approaches to efficacy trial design.

RECENT FINDINGS: Three classes of efficacy trial designs are possible: standard of prevention-controlled trials, active-controlled trials, and active-controlled trials augmented with external control data. Recent experience with these approaches provides lessons on considerations around and success of the designs. Additional experience and development is needed for the augmented active-controlled trial design.

SUMMARY: Efficacy trials of new HIV prevention interventions are feasible but require careful consideration, given the complexity and dynamic state of the prevention field. While standard of prevention-controlled efficacy trials are reasonable approaches for HIV vaccine and monoclonal antibody efficacy trials, trials of new antiretroviral agents may require active-controlled designs.

RevDate: 2023-09-19
CmpDate: 2023-09-18

Buchta Rosean C, Leyder EC, Hamilton J, et al (2023)

LAMP1 targeting of the large T antigen of Merkel cell polyomavirus results in potent CD4 T cell responses and tumor inhibition.

Frontiers in immunology, 14:1253568.

INTRODUCTION: Most cases of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare and highly aggressive type of neuroendocrine skin cancer, are associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection. MCPyV integrates into the host genome, resulting in expression of oncoproteins including a truncated form of the viral large T antigen (LT) in infected cells. These oncoproteins are an attractive target for a therapeutic cancer vaccine.

METHODS: We designed a cancer vaccine that promotes potent, antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses to MCPyV-LT. To activate antigen-specific CD4 T cells in vivo, we utilized our nucleic acid platform, UNITE™ (UNiversal Intracellular Targeted Expression), which fuses a tumor-associated antigen with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1). This lysosomal targeting technology results in enhanced antigen presentation and potent antigen-specific T cell responses. LT[S220A], encoding a mutated form of MCPyV-LT that diminishes its pro-oncogenic properties, was introduced into the UNITE™ platform.

RESULTS: Vaccination with LT[S220A]-UNITE™ DNA vaccine (ITI-3000) induced antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses and a strong humoral response that were sufficient to delay tumor growth of a B16F10 melanoma line expressing LT[S220A]. This effect was dependent on the CD4 T cells' ability to produce IFNγ. Moreover, ITI-3000 induced a favorable tumor microenvironment (TME), including Th1-type cytokines and significantly enhanced numbers of CD4 and CD8 T cells as well as NK and NKT cells. Additionally, ITI-3000 synergized with an α-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to further slow tumor growth and enhance survival.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly suggest that in pre-clinical studies, DNA vaccination with ITI-3000, using the UNITE™ platform, enhances CD4 T cell responses to MCPyV-LT that result in significant anti-tumor immune responses. These data support the initiation of a first-in-human (FIH) Phase 1 open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of ITI-3000 in patients with polyomavirus-positive MCC (NCT05422781).

RevDate: 2023-09-14

Tarlock K, Liu X, Minard CG, et al (2023)

Feasibility of pevonedistat combined with azacitidine, fludarabine, cytarabine in pediatric relapsed/refractory AML: Results from COG ADVL1712.

Pediatric blood & cancer [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Outcomes for children with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are poor, and new therapies are needed. Pevonedistat is an inhibitor of the NEDD-8 activating enzyme, a key regulator of the ubiquitin proteasome system that is responsible for protein turnover, with protein degradation regulating cell growth and survival.

PROCEDURE: We evaluated the feasibility, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of pevonedistat (20 mg/m[2] days 1, 3, 5) in combination with azacitidine, fludarabine, cytarabine (aza-FLA) in children with R/R AML and MDS (NCT03813147). Twelve patients were enrolled, median age was 13 years (range 1-21). Median number of prior chemotherapeutic regimens was two (range one to five), and two (25%) patients had prior hematopoietic cell transplantation. Diagnoses were AML NOS (n = 10, 83%), acute monocytic leukemia (n = 1), and therapy-related AML (n = 1).

RESULTS: Overall, three of 12 (25%) patients experienced DLTs. The day 1 mean ± SD (n = 12) Cmax , VSS , T1/2 , and CL were 223 ± 91 ng/mL, 104 ± 53.8 L/m[2] , 4.3 ± 1.2 hours, and 23.2 ± 6.9 L/h/m[2] , respectively. T1/2 , VSS , and Cmax , but not CL, were significantly different between age groups. The overall response rate was 25%, with n = 3 patients achieving a complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi).

CONCLUSIONS: Pevonedistat 20 mg/m[2] combined with Aza-FLA was tolerable in children with R/R AML with similar toxicity profile to other intensive AML regimens. However, within the confines of a phase 1 study, we did not observe that the pevonedistat + Aza-FLA combination demonstrated significant anti-leukemic activity.

RevDate: 2023-09-20
CmpDate: 2023-09-15

Okeke NL, Ware KB, Campbell R, et al (2023)

Evidence2Practice (E2P): Leveraging Implementation Science to Promote Careers in HIV Research Among Students From Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 94(Suppl 2):S65-S72.

BACKGROUND: The HIV research workforce is not representative of populations most affected by the epidemic. Innovative educational programs are needed to motivate diverse student populations to pursue careers in HIV research.

METHODS: The Duke University Center for AIDS Research Evidence2Practice (E2P) program is a 3-day interactive workshop that introduces students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, implementation science, and human-centered design. Participants develop 1-page action plans to increase awareness and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis on their campus. The program was evaluated using a partially mixed-method concurrent equal status study design with pre-program and post-program surveys and in-depth interviews.

RESULTS: Among the 52 participating students, 44 completed the preworkshop survey, 45 completed the postworkshop survey, and 10 participated in an in-depth interview. Most participants identified as Black or African American and cisgender female. Participating in the E2P program was associated with: (1) an increase in median interest in pursuing a career in HIV research (P < 0.01) and (2) a decrease in median perceived difficulty in starting a career in HIV research (P < 0.01). Several students described that a lack of knowledge about initiating an HIV research career, a perceived lack of qualifications and knowledge about HIV science, and limited experience were major barriers to considering careers in HIV research.

CONCLUSIONS: The E2P program enhanced HBCU students' interest in careers related to HIV research and improved their self-efficacy to pursue such careers. On-campus educational enrichment initiatives, led by active HIV researchers and clinicians, should be a critical part of diversifying the HIV workforce.

RevDate: 2023-09-14

Vaidya R, Unger JM, Loomba R, et al (2023)

Universal Viral Screening of Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients in the United States: A Cost Efficiency Evaluation.

Cancer research communications pii:729060 [Epub ahead of print].

Recommendations for universal screening of cancer patients for HBV, HCV, and HIV are inconsistent. A recent multi-site screening study (S1204) from the SWOG Cancer Research Network found that a substantial number of newly diagnosed cancer patients had previously unknown viral infections. The objective of this study was to determine the cost-efficiency of universal screening of newly diagnosed cancer patients. We estimated the cost-efficiency of universal screening of new cancer cases for HBV, HCV, or HIV, expressed as cost per virus detected, from the health care payer perspective. The prevalence of each virus among this cohort was derived from S1204. Direct medical expenditures included costs associated with laboratory screening tests. Costs per case detected were estimated for each screening strategy. Secondary analysis examined the cost efficiency of screening patients whose viral status at cancer diagnosis was unknown. Among the possible options for universal screening, screening for HBV alone ($581), HCV alone ($782), HBV and HCV ($631) and HBV, HCV, and HIV ($841) were most efficient in terms of cost per case detected. When screening was restricted to patients with unknown viral status, screening for HBV alone ($684), HBV and HCV ($872), HBV and HIV ($1,157), and all three viruses ($1,291) were most efficient in terms of cost per newly detected case. Efficient viral testing strategies represent a relatively modest addition to the overall cost of managing a cancer patient. Screening for HBV, HCV, and HIV infections may be reasonable from both a budget and clinical standpoint.

RevDate: 2023-09-14

Woolston DW, Lee ND, Shadman M, et al (2023)

Ultra-deep mutational landscape in chronic lymphocytic leukemia uncovers dynamics of resistance to targeted therapies.

Haematologica [Epub ahead of print].

BTK inhibitors, Bcl-2 inhibitors, and other targeted therapies have significantly improved outcomes for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With increased survivorship, monitoring disease and deciphering potential mechanisms of resistance to these agents are critical for devising effective treatment strategies. We used duplex sequencing, a technology that enables detection of mutations at ultra-low allelic frequencies, to identify mutations in five genes associated with drug resistance in CLL and followed their evolution in two patients who received multiple targeted therapies and ultimately developed disease progression on pirtobrutinib. In both patients, we detected variants that expanded and reached significant cancer cell fraction (CCF). In patient R001, multiple known resistance mutations in both BTK and PLCG2 appeared following progression on zanubrutinib (BTK p.L528W, p.C481S, PLCG2 S707F, L845F, R665W, and D993H). In contrast, patient R002 developed multiple BTK mutations following acalabrutinib treatment including known resistance mutations p.C481R, p.T474I and p.C481S. We found that pirtobrutinib was able to suppress, but not completely eradicate, BTK p.C481S mutations in both patients, but other resistance mutations such as mutations in PLCG2 and new BTK mutations increased while receiving pirtobrutinib. For example, BTK p.L528W in patient R001 increased in frequency more than 1000-fold (from CCF 0.02% to 35%), and p.T474I in patient R002 increased in CCF from 0.03% to 4.2% (more than 100-fold). Our data illuminates the evolutionary dynamics of resistant clones over the patients' disease course and under selective pressure from different targeted treatments.

RevDate: 2023-09-14

Holtan SG, El Jurdi N, Rashidi A, et al (2023)

Amphiregulin as monitoring biomarker for life-threatening acute graft-versushost disease: secondary analysis of two prospective clinical trials.

Haematologica [Epub ahead of print].

Not available.

RevDate: 2023-09-19
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Bevers TB, Niell BL, Baker JL, et al (2023)

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis, Version 1.2023.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 21(9):900-909.

The NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis provide health care providers with a practical, consistent framework for screening and evaluating a spectrum of clinical presentations and breast lesions. The NCCN Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel is composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, including representation from medical oncology, gynecologic oncology, surgical oncology, internal medicine, family practice, preventive medicine, pathology, diagnostic and interventional radiology, as well as patient advocacy. The NCCN Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel meets at least annually to review emerging data and comments from reviewers within their institutions to guide updates to existing recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel's decision-making and discussion surrounding the most recent updates to the guideline's screening recommendations.

RevDate: 2023-09-19
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Ettinger DS, Wood DE, Stevenson J, et al (2023)

Mesothelioma: Peritoneal, Version 2.2023, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 21(9):961-979.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer originating in mesothelial surfaces of the peritoneum, pleura, and other sites. These NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) focus on peritoneal mesothelioma (PeM). The NCCN Guidelines for PeM provide recommendations for workup, diagnosis, and treatment of primary as well as previously treated PeM. The diagnosis of PeM may be delayed because PeM mimics other diseases and conditions and because the disease is so rare. The pathology section was recently updated to include new information about markers used to identify mesothelioma, which is difficult to diagnose. The term "malignant" is no longer used to classify mesotheliomas, because all mesotheliomas are now defined as malignant.

RevDate: 2023-09-16

Bensson-Ravunniarath M, Bryan Ringel J, Avgar A, et al (2023)

Having a Say Matters: The Association Between Home Health Aides' Voice and Job Satisfaction.

Risk management and healthcare policy, 16:1791-1800.

PURPOSE: Despite a rapidly growing need for home health aides (HHAs), turnover rates are high. While this is driven in large part by the demanding nature of their work and low wages, another factor may be that HHAs are often not considered part of the medical team which can leave them feeling unheard by other healthcare professionals. We sought to determine whether this concept, or HHAs' perceived voice, was associated with job satisfaction.

METHODS AND DESIGN: This cross-sectional survey of English- and Spanish-speaking HHAs caring for adults with heart failure (HF) was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021 in New York, NY in partnership with a labor management fund of a large healthcare union that provides benefits and training to HHAs. Voice was assessed with a validated 5-item scale (total score range 5 to 25). Job Satisfaction was assessed with the 5-item Work Domain Satisfaction Scale (total score range 5 to 35). Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between voice and job satisfaction.

RESULTS: A total of 413 HHAs employed by 56 unique home care agencies completed the survey; they had a mean age of 48 years, 97.6% were female, 60.2% were Hispanic, and they worked as HHAs for a median of 10 years (IQR, 5, 17). They had a median Voice score of 18 (IQR 15-20) and mean job satisfaction score of 26.4 (SD 5.6). Higher levels of voice (1.75 [0.46-3.04]) were associated with greater job satisfaction (p=0.008). When adjusting for Race/Ethnicity, HF training, and HF knowledge, the association between Voice and job satisfaction remained significant ((1.77 [0.40-3.13]).

CONCLUSION: HHAs with a voice in the care of their patients experienced greater job satisfaction. Voice may be an important target for interventions aiming to improve HHAs' retention in the field.

RevDate: 2023-09-16

Palmieri R, Paterno G, Mallegni F, et al (2023)

Therapy-related Myeloid Neoplasms: Considerations for Patients' Clinical Evaluation.

Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases, 15(1):e2023051.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) encompass a specific sub-group of myeloid malignancies arising after exposure to radio/cytotoxic agents for the treatment of unrelated diseases. Such malignancies present unique features, including advanced age, high comorbidities burden, and unfavorable genetic profiles. All these features justify the need for a specific diagnostic work-up and dedicated treatment algorithms. However, as new classification systems recognize the unique clinical characteristics exhibited by t-MN patients, how to assess fitness status in this clinical setting is largely unexplored. Optimizing fitness assessment would be crucial in the management of t-MN patients, considering that factors usually contributing to a worse or better outcome (like age, comorbidities, and treatment history) are patient-specific. In the absence of specific tools for fitness assessment in this peculiar category of AML, the aim of this review is to describe all those factors related to patient, treatment, and disease that allow planning treatments with an optimal risk/benefit ratio.

RevDate: 2023-09-18

Stafford E, Dimitrov D, Ceballos R, et al (2023)

Retrospective Analysis of Equity-Based Optimization for COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences.

Marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States were disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To study these disparities, we construct an age-and-race-stratified mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission fitted to age-and-race-stratified data from 2020 in Oregon and analyze counter-factual vaccination strategies in early 2021. We consider two racial groups: non-Hispanic White persons and persons belonging to BIPOC groups (including non-Hispanic Black persons, non-Hispanic Asian persons, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons, and Hispanic or Latino persons). We allocate a limited amount of vaccine to minimize overall disease burden (deaths or years of life lost), inequity in disease outcomes between racial groups (measured with five different metrics), or both. We find that, when allocating small amounts of vaccine (10% coverage), there is a trade-off between minimizing disease burden and minimizing inequity. Older age groups, who are at a greater risk of severe disease and death, are prioritized when minimizing measures of disease burden, and younger BIPOC groups, who face the most inequities, are prioritized when minimizing measures of inequity. The allocation strategies that minimize combinations of measures can produce middle-ground solutions that similarly improve both disease burden and inequity, but the trade-off can only be mitigated by increasing the vaccine supply. With enough resources to vaccinate 20% of the population the trade-off lessens, and with 30% coverage, we can optimize both equity and mortality. Our goal is to provide a race-conscious framework to quantify and minimize inequity that can be used for future pandemics and other public health interventions.

RevDate: 2023-09-16
CmpDate: 2023-09-15

Roy A, Shi L, Chang A, et al (2023)

De novo design of highly selective miniprotein inhibitors of integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8.

Nature communications, 14(1):5660.

The RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-binding integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8 are clinically validated cancer and fibrosis targets of considerable therapeutic importance. Compounds that can discriminate between homologous αvβ6 and αvβ8 and other RGD integrins, stabilize specific conformational states, and have high thermal stability could have considerable therapeutic utility. Existing small molecule and antibody inhibitors do not have all these properties, and hence new approaches are needed. Here we describe a generalized method for computationally designing RGD-containing miniproteins selective for a single RGD integrin heterodimer and conformational state. We design hyperstable, selective αvβ6 and αvβ8 inhibitors that bind with picomolar affinity. CryoEM structures of the designed inhibitor-integrin complexes are very close to the computational design models, and show that the inhibitors stabilize specific conformational states of the αvβ6 and the αvβ8 integrins. In a lung fibrosis mouse model, the αvβ6 inhibitor potently reduced fibrotic burden and improved overall lung mechanics, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of de novo designed integrin binding proteins with high selectivity.

RevDate: 2023-09-13

Arnold EA, Kaai RJ, Leung K, et al (2023)

Adenovirus protein VII binds the A-box of HMGB1 to repress interferon responses.

PLoS pathogens, 19(9):e1011633 pii:PPATHOGENS-D-23-00671 [Epub ahead of print].

Viruses hijack host proteins to promote infection and dampen host defenses. Adenovirus encodes the multifunctional protein VII that serves both to compact viral genomes inside the virion and disrupt host chromatin. Protein VII binds the abundant nuclear protein high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and sequesters HMGB1 in chromatin. HMGB1 is an abundant host nuclear protein that can also be released from infected cells as an alarmin to amplify inflammatory responses. By sequestering HMGB1, protein VII prevents its release, thus inhibiting downstream inflammatory signaling. However, the consequences of this chromatin sequestration on host transcription are unknown. Here, we employ bacterial two-hybrid interaction assays and human cell culture to interrogate the mechanism of the protein VII-HMGB1 interaction. HMGB1 contains two DNA binding domains, the A- and B-boxes, that bend DNA to promote transcription factor binding while the C-terminal tail regulates this interaction. We demonstrate that protein VII interacts directly with the A-box of HMGB1, an interaction that is inhibited by the HMGB1 C-terminal tail. By cellular fractionation, we show that protein VII renders A-box containing constructs insoluble, thereby acting to prevent their release from cells. This sequestration is not dependent on HMGB1's ability to bind DNA but does require post-translational modifications on protein VII. Importantly, we demonstrate that protein VII inhibits expression of interferon β, in an HMGB1-dependent manner, but does not affect transcription of downstream interferon-stimulated genes. Together, our results demonstrate that protein VII specifically harnesses HMGB1 through its A-box domain to depress the innate immune response and promote infection.

RevDate: 2023-09-16
CmpDate: 2023-09-14

Satram S, Ghafoori P, Reyes CM, et al (2023)

Assessment of symptoms in COMET-ICE, a phase 2/3 study of sotrovimab for early treatment of non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Journal of patient-reported outcomes, 7(1):92.

BACKGROUND: The COMET-ICE trial demonstrated that sotrovimab clinically and statistically significantly reduces the risk of all-cause > 24-h hospitalization or death due to any cause among patients with COVID-19 at high risk of disease progression. Patient-reported outcomes are important to capture symptom burden of COVID-19 and assess treatment effectiveness. This study investigated symptoms and their impact over the acute phase of COVID-19 infection among patients on sotrovimab versus placebo.

METHODS: Randomized (1:1), double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, phase 2/3 study in 57 centers across five countries. Participants were non-hospitalized patients with symptomatic, mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and ≥ 1 baseline risk factor for disease progression (aged ≥ 55 years or ≥ 1 of the following: diabetes requiring medication, obesity, chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or moderate-to-severe asthma). An intravenous infusion of sotrovimab 500 mg or placebo was administered on Day 1. The FLU-PRO Plus questionnaire was administered once-daily with 24-h recall from Day 1-21, and at Day 29. Intensity and duration of COVID-19 symptoms were determined from area under the curve (AUC) and mean change in total and individual domain scores through Days 7, 14, and 21. Time to symptom alleviation was assessed.

RESULTS: In total, 1057 patients were randomized to sotrovimab (n = 528) or placebo (n = 529). At Day 7, mean decrease in FLU-PRO Plus total score (measured by AUC) was statistically significantly greater for patients on sotrovimab (-3.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) -3.27 to -2.83]) than placebo (-1.98 [95% CI -2.20 to -1.76]; difference -1.07 [95% CI -1.38 to -0.76]; p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed at Days 14 and 21. A more rapid decline in symptom severity was observed with sotrovimab versus placebo through Week 1 and the first 21 days post-treatment. By Day 21, 41% of patients on sotrovimab and 34% on placebo reported symptom resolution. In a post-hoc analysis, median time to symptom alleviation was 4 and 6 days, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Sotrovimab provides significant and rapid improvements in patient-reported COVID-19 symptoms, as measured by the FLU-PRO Plus. These results further show the benefits of sotrovimab in alleviating symptoms among high-risk patients with COVID-19. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.Gov: NCT04545060 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04545060). Date of registration: September 10, 2020 (retrospectively registered).

RevDate: 2023-09-13

Dacic S, Travis W, Redman M, et al (2023)

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Study of Reproducibility in Assessment of Pathologic Response in Resected Lung Cancers After Neoadjuvant Therapy.

Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer pii:S1556-0864(23)00685-8 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Pathologic response has been proposed as an early clinical trial end point of survival after neoadjuvant treatment in clinical trials of NSCLC. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) published recommendations for pathologic evaluation of resected lung cancers after neoadjuvant therapy. The aim of this study was to assess pathologic response interobserver reproducibility using IASLC criteria.

METHODS: An international panel of 11 pulmonary pathologists reviewed hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides from the lung tumors of resected NSCLC from 84 patients who received neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors in six clinical trials. Pathologic response was assessed for percent viable tumor, necrosis, and stroma. For each slide, tumor bed area was measured microscopically, and pre-embedded formulas calculated unweighted and weighted major pathologic response (MPR) averages to reflect variable tumor bed proportion.

RESULTS: Unanimous agreement among pathologists for MPR was observed in 68 patients (81%), and inter-rater agreement (IRA) was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-0.92) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79-0.93) for unweighted and weighted averages, respectively. Overall, unweighted and weighted methods did not reveal significant differences in the classification of MPR. The highest concordance by both methods was observed for cases with more than 95% viable tumor (IRA = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96-1) and 0% viable tumor (IRA = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.98). The most common reasons for discrepancies included interpretations of tumor bed, presence of prominent stromal inflammation, distinction between reactive and neoplastic pneumocytes, and assessment of invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed excellent reliability in cases with no residual viable tumor and good reliability for MPR with the IASLC recommended less than or equal to 10% cutoff for viable tumor after neoadjuvant therapy.

RevDate: 2023-09-16

Nichols HB, Wernli KJ, Chawla N, et al (2023)

Challenges and Opportunities of Epidemiological Studies to Reduce the Burden of Cancers in Young Adults.

Current epidemiology reports, 10(3):115-124.

There are >1.9 million survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers (AYA, diagnosed at ages 15-39) living in the U.S. today. Epidemiologic studies to address the cancer burden in this group have been a relatively recent focus of the research community. In this article, we discuss approaches and data resources for cancer epidemiology and health services research in the AYA population. We consider research that uses data from cancer registries, vital records, healthcare utilization, and surveys, and the accompanying challenges and opportunities of each. To illustrate the strengths of each data source, we present example research questions or areas that are aligned with these data sources and salient to AYAs. Integrating the respective strengths of cancer registry, vital records, healthcare data, and survey-based studies sets the foundation for innovative and impactful research on AYA cancer treatment and survivorship to inform a comprehensive understanding of diverse AYA needs and experiences.

RevDate: 2023-09-13

Li X, Hoogland AI, Small BJ, et al (2023)

Trajectories and risk factors of fatigue following colorectal cancer diagnosis.

Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland [Epub ahead of print].

AIM: This study sought to identify groups of colorectal cancer patients based upon trajectories of fatigue and examine how demographic, clinical and behavioural risk factors differentiate these groups.

METHOD: Patients were from six cancer centres in the United States and Germany. Fatigue was measured using the fatigue subscale of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) at five time points (baseline/enrolment and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after diagnosis). Piecewise growth mixture models identified latent trajectories of fatigue. Logistic regression models examined differences in demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics between fatigue trajectory groups.

RESULTS: Among 1615 participants (57% men, 86% non-Hispanic White, mean age 61 ± 13 years at diagnosis), three distinct groups were identified. In the high fatigue group (36%), fatigue significantly increased in the first 6 months after diagnosis and then showed statistically and clinically significant improvement from 6 to 24 months (P values < 0.01). Throughout the study period, average fatigue met or exceeded cutoffs for clinical significance. In the moderate (34%) and low (30%) fatigue groups, fatigue levels remained below or near population norms across the study period. Patients who were diagnosed with Stage II-IV disease and/or current smokers were more likely to be in the high fatigue than in the moderate fatigue group (P values < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: A large proportion of colorectal cancer patients experienced sustained fatigue after initiation of cancer treatment. Patients with high fatigue at the time of diagnosis may benefit from early supportive care.

RevDate: 2023-09-15

Sala-Torra O, Reddy S, Hung LH, et al (2023)

Rapid detection of myeloid neoplasm fusions using single-molecule long-read sequencing.

PLOS global public health, 3(9):e0002267.

Recurrent gene fusions are common drivers of disease pathophysiology in leukemias. Identifying these structural variants helps stratify disease by risk and assists with therapy choice. Precise molecular diagnosis in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) is challenging given the complexity of assays, trained technical support, and the availability of reliable electricity. Current fusion detection methods require a long turnaround time (7-10 days) or advance knowledge of the genes involved in the fusions. Recent technology developments have made sequencing possible without a sophisticated molecular laboratory, potentially making molecular diagnosis accessible to remote areas and low-income settings. We describe a long-read sequencing DNA assay designed with CRISPR guides to select and enrich for recurrent leukemia fusion genes, that does not need a priori knowledge of the abnormality present. By applying rapid sequencing technology based on nanopores, we sequenced long pieces of genomic DNA and successfully detected fusion genes in cell lines and primary specimens (e.g., BCR::ABL1, PML::RARA, CBFB::MYH11, KMT2A::AFF1) using cloud-based bioinformatics workflows with novel custom fusion finder software. We detected fusion genes in 100% of cell lines with the expected breakpoints and confirmed the presence or absence of a recurrent fusion gene in 12 of 14 patient cases. With our optimized assay and cloud-based bioinformatics workflow, these assays and analyses could be performed in under 8 hours. The platform's portability, potential for adaptation to lower-cost devices, and integrated cloud analysis make this assay a candidate to be placed in settings like LMIC to bridge the need of bedside rapid molecular diagnostics.

RevDate: 2023-09-12

Rodríguez-Arbolí E, Lee CJ, Caballero-Velázquez T, et al (2023)

Targeting Hedgehog Signaling with Glasdegib in Patients with Refractory Sclerotic Chronic GVHD: A Report of Two Phase I/II Trials.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research pii:729028 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Sclerotic chronic GVHD (scGVHD) is characterized by progressive skin fibrosis and frequent refractoriness to available therapies. Aberrant activation of Hedgehog signaling in dermal fibroblasts has been implicated in scGVHD. Here, we report the results of two phase I/II studies (NCT03415867, GETH-TC; NCT04111497, FHD) that evaluated glasdegib, a smoothened antagonist, as a novel therapeutic agent in refractory scGVHD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients with active scGVHD after ≥1 (FHD) or ≥2 (GETH-TC) lines of therapy were enrolled. Primary endpoints were dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and MTD in the GETH-TC trial, and safety and tolerability measures in the FHD trial. Glasdegib was administered once daily in 28-day cycles. Responses were scored per 2014 NIH cGVHD criteria. Correlative studies were performed to evaluate the role of fibroblast-independent immune mechanisms on clinical activity.

RESULTS: Twenty (GETH-TC) and 15 (FHD) patients were recruited. Treatment-emergent grade (G) ≥2 adverse events (AE) in the GETH-TC trial included muscle cramps (85%), alopecia (50%), and dysgeusia (35%). Two patients experienced a DLT (G3 muscle cramps), and the MTD was established at 50 mg. G3 muscle cramps were the most frequently reported AE (33%) in the FHD trial. At 12-months, the skin/joint scGVHD overall response rate was 65% (all partial responses) in the GETH-TC trial and 47% (6 partial responses, 1 complete response) in the FHD cohort. No immune correlates of response were identified.

CONCLUSIONS: Glasdegib demonstrated promising responses in patients with refractory scGVHD, but tolerability was limited by muscle cramping.

RevDate: 2023-09-11

Onega T, Abraham L, Miglioretti DL, et al (2023)

Digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis for detecting invasive lobular and ductal carcinoma.

Breast cancer research and treatment [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a distinct histological subtype of breast cancer that can make early detection with mammography challenging. We compared imaging performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to digital mammography (DM) for diagnoses of ILC, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and invasive mixed carcinoma (IMC) in a screening population.

METHODS: We included screening exams (DM; n = 1,715,249 or DBT; n = 414,793) from 2011 to 2018 among 839,801 women in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Examinations were followed for one year to ascertain incident ILC, IDC, or IMC. We measured cancer detection rate (CDR) and interval invasive cancer rate/1000 screening examinations for each histological subtype and stratified by breast density and modality. We calculated relative risk (RR) for DM vs. DBT using log-binomial models to adjust for the propensity of receiving DBT vs. DM.

RESULTS: Unadjusted CDR per 1000 mammograms of ILC overall was 0.33 (95%CI: 0.30-0.36) for DM; 0.45 (95%CI: 0.39-0.52) for DBT, and for women with dense breasts- 0.33 (95%CI: 0.29-0.37) for DM and 0.54 (95%CI: 0.43-0.66) for DBT. Similar results were noted for IDC and IMC. Adjusted models showed a significantly increased RR for cancer detection with DBT compared to DM among women with dense breasts for all three histologies (RR; 95%CI: ILC 1.53; 1.09-2.14, IDC 1.21; 1.02-1.44, IMC 1.76; 1.30-2.38), but no significant increase among women with non-dense breasts.

CONCLUSION: DBT was associated with higher CDR for ILC, IDC, and IMC for women with dense breasts. Early detection of ILC with DBT may improve outcomes for this distinct clinical entity.

RevDate: 2023-09-11

Wang Y, Ronckers CM, van Leeuwen FE, et al (2023)

Subsequent female breast cancer risk associated with anthracycline chemotherapy for childhood cancer.

Nature medicine [Epub ahead of print].

Anthracycline-based chemotherapy is associated with increased subsequent breast cancer (SBC) risk in female childhood cancer survivors, but the current evidence is insufficient to support early breast cancer screening recommendations for survivors treated with anthracyclines. In this study, we pooled individual patient data of 17,903 survivors from six well-established studies, of whom 782 (4.4%) developed a SBC, and analyzed dose-dependent effects of individual anthracycline agents on developing SBC and interactions with chest radiotherapy. A dose-dependent increased SBC risk was seen for doxorubicin (hazard ratio (HR) per 100 mg m[-][2]: 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-1.31), with more than twofold increased risk for survivors treated with ≥200 mg m[-2] cumulative doxorubicin dose versus no doxorubicin (HR: 2.50 for 200-299 mg m[-][2], HR: 2.33 for 300-399 mg m[-][2] and HR: 2.78 for ≥400 mg m[-][2]). For daunorubicin, the associations were not statistically significant. Epirubicin was associated with increased SBC risk (yes/no, HR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.59-6.63). For patients treated with or without chest irradiation, HRs per 100 mg m[-][2] of doxorubicin were 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02-1.21) and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.17-1.36), respectively. Our findings support that early initiation of SBC surveillance may be reasonable for survivors who received ≥200 mg m[-][2] cumulative doxorubicin dose and should be considered in SBC surveillance guidelines for survivors and future treatment protocols.

RevDate: 2023-09-11

Lupo PJ, Chambers TM, Mueller BA, et al (2023)

Nonchromosomal birth defects and risk of childhood acute leukemia: An assessment in 15 000 leukemia cases and 46 000 controls from the Childhood Cancer and Leukemia International Consortium.

International journal of cancer [Epub ahead of print].

Although recent studies have demonstrated associations between nonchromosomal birth defects and several pediatric cancers, less is known about their role on childhood leukemia susceptibility. Using data from the Childhood Cancer and Leukemia International Consortium, we evaluated associations between nonchromosomal birth defects and childhood leukemia. Pooling consortium data from 18 questionnaire-based and three registry-based case-control studies across 13 countries, we used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between a spectrum of birth defects and leukemia. Our analyses included acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n = 13 115) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n = 2120) cases, along with 46 172 controls. We used the false discovery rate to account for multiple comparisons. In the questionnaire-based studies, the prevalence of birth defects was 5% among cases vs 4% in controls, whereas, in the registry-based studies, the prevalence was 11% among cases vs 7% in controls. In pooled adjusted analyses, there were several notable associations, including (1) digestive system defects and ALL (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.46-4.98); (2) congenital anomalies of the heart and circulatory system and AML (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.81-4.52) and (3) nervous system defects and AML (OR = 4.23, 95% CI: 1.50-11.89). Effect sizes were generally larger in registry-based studies. Overall, our results could point to novel genetic and environmental factors associated with birth defects that could also increase leukemia susceptibility. Additionally, differences between questionnaire- and registry-based studies point to the importance of complementary sources of birth defect phenotype data when exploring these associations.

RevDate: 2023-09-11

Bonini C, Chapuis AG, Hudecek M, et al (2023)

Genome editing in engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapy.

Human gene therapy [Epub ahead of print].

Advanced gene transfer technologies and profound immunological insights have enabled substantial increases in the efficacy of anti-cancer adoptive cellular therapy (ACT). In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency have approved six engineered T cell therapeutic products, all chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered T cells directed against B cell malignancies. Despite encouraging clinical results, engineered T cell ACT is still constrained by challenges, which could be addressed by genome editing. As RNA-guided Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology passes its 10-year anniversary, we review emerging applications of genome editing approaches designed to: 1) overcome resistance to therapy, including cancer immune evasion mechanisms; 2) avoid unwanted immune reactions related to allogeneic T cell products; 3) increase fitness, expansion capacity, persistence and potency of engineered T cells, while preserving their safety profile; and 4) improve the ability of therapeutic cells to resist immunosuppressive signals active in the tumor microenvironment. Overall, these innovative approaches should widen the safe and effective use of ACT to larger numbers of patients affected by cancer.

RevDate: 2023-09-13

Stafford E, Dimitrov D, Ceballos R, et al (2023)

Retrospective analysis of equity-based optimization for COVID-19 vaccine allocation.

PNAS nexus, 2(9):pgad283.

Marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States were disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To study these disparities, we construct an age-and-race-stratified mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission fitted to age-and-race-stratified data from 2020 in Oregon and analyze counterfactual vaccination strategies in early 2021. We consider two racial groups: non-Hispanic White persons and persons belonging to BIPOC groups (including non-Hispanic Black persons, non-Hispanic Asian persons, non-Hispanic American-Indian or Alaska-Native persons, and Hispanic or Latino persons). We allocate a limited amount of vaccine to minimize overall disease burden (deaths or years of life lost), inequity in disease outcomes between racial groups (measured with five different metrics), or both. We find that, when allocating small amounts of vaccine (10% coverage), there is a trade-off between minimizing disease burden and minimizing inequity. Older age groups, who are at a greater risk of severe disease and death, are prioritized when minimizing measures of disease burden, and younger BIPOC groups, who face the most inequities, are prioritized when minimizing measures of inequity. The allocation strategies that minimize combinations of measures can produce middle-ground solutions that similarly improve both disease burden and inequity, but the trade-off can only be mitigated by increasing the vaccine supply. With enough resources to vaccinate 20% of the population the trade-off lessens, and with 30% coverage, we can optimize both equity and mortality. Our goal is to provide a race-conscious framework to quantify and minimize inequity that can be used for future pandemics and other public health interventions.

RevDate: 2023-09-12
CmpDate: 2023-09-12

Ganguly AP, Baker KK, Redman MW, et al (2023)

Racial disparities in the screening mammography continuum within a heterogeneous health care system.

Cancer, 129(S19):3171-3181.

BACKGROUND: Decreased mammography drives breast cancer disparities. Black women have lower rates of mammography completion than White women, and this contributes to disparities in outcomes. Points of disparity along the continuum for screening mammography remain underresearched.

METHODS: The authors compared mammography referrals for Black and White women aged 40-74 years at a heterogeneous academic medical center. Completion of steps of the screening mammography continuum was compared between Black and White women within two age cohorts: 40-49 and 50-74 years. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race and mammogram completion.

RESULTS: Among 26,476 women, 3090 (12%) were Black, and 23,386 (88%) were White. Among Black women aged 50-74 years who were due for mammography, 40% had referrals, 39% were scheduled, and 21% completed mammography; the corresponding values for White women were 42%, 41%, and 27%, respectively. Similar differences in referral outcomes were noted for women aged 40-49 years, although Black women had lower rates of provider-initiated referrals (9% vs. 13%). Adjusted analyses for those aged 40-49 and 50-74 years demonstrated an association between Black race and lower rates of mammography completion (odds ratio [OR] for 40-49 years, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.57-0.95; p = .02; OR for 50-74 years, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.98; p = .02). In multivariable analyses, noncommercial insurance and higher comorbidity were associated with lower rates of mammography. Provider-initiated referral was positively correlated to mammogram completion.

CONCLUSIONS: Black race was associated with 15%-26% lower mammography completion (adjusted). Both groups experienced the highest attrition after scheduling mammograms, although attrition was more precipitous for Black women. These findings have implications for future interventions, including increasing provider-initiated referrals and decreasing barriers to attending scheduled mammograms.

RevDate: 2023-09-10

Smith AA, Nip Y, Bennett SR, et al (2023)

DUX4 expression in cancer induces a metastable early embryonic totipotent program.

Cell reports, 42(9):113114 pii:S2211-1247(23)01125-7 [Epub ahead of print].

The transcription factor DUX4 regulates a portion of the zygotic gene activation (ZGA) program in the early embryo. Many cancers express DUX4 but it is unknown whether this generates cells similar to early embryonic stem cells. Here we identified cancer cell lines that express DUX4 and showed that DUX4 is transiently expressed in a small subset of the cells. DUX4 expression activates the DUX4-regulated ZGA transcriptional program, the subsequent 8C-like program, and markers of early embryonic lineages, while suppressing steady-state and interferon-induced MHC class I expression. Although DUX4 was expressed in a small number of cells under standard culture conditions, DNA damage or changes in growth conditions increased the fraction of cells expressing DUX4 and its downstream programs. Our demonstration that transient expression of endogenous DUX4 in cancer cells induces a metastable early embryonic stem cell program and suppresses antigen presentation has implications for cancer growth, progression, and immune evasion.

RevDate: 2023-09-10

Irwin T, Yeung CCS, MM Shinohara (2023)

Desmoplakin I/II immunohistochemical staining may be a helpful tool in differentiating cutaneous graft versus host disease from the erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis spectrum disorders.

Journal of cutaneous pathology [Epub ahead of print].

Cutaneous graft versus host disease (cGVHD) has substantial clinical and histopathologic overlap with erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). This overlap can make it difficult to distinguish these disorders in patients who have received hematopoietic transplants. We sought to evaluate the utility of Dp I/II immunohistochemical stain in differentiating EM/SJS/TEN and cGVHD in a large cohort. Skin biopsy specimens from patients with cGVHD (n = 58) and EM/SJS/TEN (n = 60) were evaluated for Dp I/II expression by immunohistochemistry. We found a statistically significant difference in Dp I/II staining between cGVHD (all grades) and EM/SJS/TEN (mean scores 1.62 and 2.14, respectively; p < 0.005), as well as between Grades 2 + 3 cGVHD and EM/SJS/TEN (mean scores 2.26 and 1.62, respectively; p < 0.005), while we did not find a significant difference between Grade 4 cGVHD and EM/SJS/TEN (mean scores 1.69 and 1.62, respectively; p = 0.71). Dp I/II immunostain may be useful for differentiating EM/SJS/TEN from Grade 2 and Grade 3 cGVHD, especially in clinically ambiguous cases without extracutaneous GVHD.

RevDate: 2023-09-14

Despres HW, Mills MG, Schmidt MM, et al (2023)

Surveillance of Vermont wildlife in 2021-2022 reveals no detected SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.

Previous studies have documented natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 in various domestic and wild animals. More recently, studies have been published noting the susceptibility of members of the Cervidae family, and infections in both wild and captive cervid populations. In this study, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in mammalian wildlife within the state of Vermont. 739 nasal or throat samples were collected from wildlife throughout the state during the 2021 and 2022 harvest season. Data was collected from red and gray foxes (Vulpes vulples and Urocyon cineroargentus , respectively), fishers (Martes pennati), river otters (Lutra canadensis), coyotes (Canis lantrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus rufus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 via quantitative RT-qPCR using the CDC N1/N2 primer set and/or the WHO-E gene primer set. Our results indicate that no sampled wildlife were positive for SARS-CoV-2. This finding is surprising, given that most published North America studies have found SARS-CoV-2 within their deer populations. The absence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in populations sampled here may provide insights in to the various environmental and anthropogenic factors that reduce spillover and spread in North American's wildlife populations.

RevDate: 2023-09-09

Lamble AJ, Moskop A, Pulsipher MA, et al (2023)

INSPIRED Symposium Part 2: Prevention and Management of Relapse Following CAR T-cell therapy for B-ALL.

Transplantation and cellular therapy pii:S2666-6367(23)01511-7 [Epub ahead of print].

While CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has been transformative in in inducing and sustaining remission, relapse rates remain unacceptably high, with about 50% of children and young adults experiencing relapse within the first-year post-infusion. Emerging strategies to extend the durability of remission involve the use of prognostic biomarkers to identify those at high risk of relapse or incorporate strategies aimed to enhancing functional CAR T cell persistence. Nonetheless, with antigen loss/downregulation or evolution to lineage switch as major mechanisms of relapse, optimizing single antigen targeting alone is insufficient. With a focus on relapse prevention strategies, including post-infusion surveillance and treatment approaches being explored to optimize post-CAR management (e.g., combinatorial antigen targeting strategies, pre-emptive hematopoietic cell transplantation), we review the current state of the art in the prevention and management of post CAR T cell relapse. We highlight the advancements made within the field as well as identify gaps in the literature to guide future research in optimizing the prevention and management of post-CAR T cell relapses in children and young adults with B-ALL.

RevDate: 2023-09-09

Papini C, Mirzaei S, Xing M, et al (2023)

Evolving therapies, neurocognitive outcomes and functional independence in adult survivors of childhood glioma.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute pii:7265405 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Treatment of childhood glioma has evolved to reduce radiotherapy exposure with the goal of limiting late toxicity. However, the associations between treatment changes and neurocognition, and the contribution of neurocognition and chronic health conditions (CHCs) to attainment of adult independence, remain unknown.

METHODS: Adult survivors of childhood glioma diagnosed 1970-1999 in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (n = 1,284; median [min-max] 30 [18-51] years at assessment; 22 [15-34] years from diagnosis) self-reported neurocognitive impairment and CHCs. Multivariable models evaluated associations between changes in treatment exposures (surgery only, chemotherapy [±surgery], cranial radiation [±chemotherapy/surgery]) and neurocognitive impairment. Latent class analysis with five indicators (employment, independent living, assistance with routine/personal care needs, driver's license, marital/partner status) identified classes of functional independence. Path analysis tested associations among treatment exposures, neurocognitive impairment, CHCs, and functional independence. Statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS: Cranial radiation exposure decreased over time [51% (1970s), 46% (1980s), 27% (1990s)]. However, compared to siblings, survivors with any treatment exposure were at elevated risk for neurocognitive impairment, including surgery only (e.g., memory: relative risk [RR]=2.22; task efficiency: RR = 1.88; both P's<.001). Three classes of functional independence were identified: independent (58%), moderately independent (20%), and non-independent (22%). Cranial radiation was associated with non-independence through impaired task efficiency (β = 0.06), sensorimotor (β = 0.06) and endocrine (β = 0.10) CHCs, and through the associations between these CHCs and task efficiency (each β = 0.04). Sensorimotor and endocrine CHCs were associated with non-independence through memory.

CONCLUSION: Most long-term glioma survivors achieve adult independence. However, functional non-independence is associated with treatment-related neurocognitive impairment and CHCs.

RevDate: 2023-09-12

Kennedy LC, Kazerouni AS, Chau B, et al (2023)

Associations of Multiparametric Breast MRI Features, Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes, and Immune Gene Signature Scores Following a Single Dose of Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Cancers, 15(17):.

Dynamic biomarkers that permit the real-time monitoring of the tumor microenvironment response to therapy are an unmet need in breast cancer. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated value as a predictor of pathologic complete response and may reflect immune cell changes in the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the value of breast MRI features as early markers of treatment-induced immune response. Fourteen patients with early HER2+ breast cancer were enrolled in a window-of-opportunity study where a single dose of trastuzumab was administered and both tissue and MRIs were obtained at the pre- and post-treatment stages. Functional diffusion-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI tumor measures were compared with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and RNA immune signature scores. Both the pre-treatment apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the change in peak percent enhancement (DPE) were associated with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with trastuzumab therapy (r = -0.67 and -0.69, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Low pre-treatment ADC and a greater decrease in PE in response to treatment were also associated with immune-activated tumor microenvironments as defined by RNA immune signatures. Breast MRI features hold promise as biomarkers of early immune response to treatment in HER2+ breast cancer.

RevDate: 2023-09-11
CmpDate: 2023-09-11

Wakabayashi N, Yagishita Y, Joshi T, et al (2023)

Forced Hepatic Expression of NRF2 or NQO1 Impedes Hepatocyte Lipid Accumulation in a Lipodystrophy Mouse Model.

International journal of molecular sciences, 24(17):.

Lipodystrophy is a disorder featuring loss of normal adipose tissue depots due to impaired production of normal adipocytes. It leads to a gain of fat deposition in ectopic tissues such as liver and skeletal muscle that results in steatosis, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Previously, we established a Rosa [NIC/NIC]::AdiCre lipodystrophy model mouse. The lipodystrophic phenotype that included hepatomegaly accompanied with hepatic damage due to higher lipid accumulation was attenuated substantially by amplified systemic NRF2 signaling in mice with hypomorphic expression of Keap1; whole-body Nrf2 deletion abrogated this protection. To determine whether hepatic-specific NRF2 signaling would be sufficient for protection against hepatomegaly and fatty liver development, direct, powerful, transient expression of Nrf2 or its target gene Nqo1 was achieved by administration through hydrodynamic tail vein injection of pCAG expression vectors of dominant-active Nrf2 and Nqo1 in Rosa [NIC/NIC]::AdiCre mice fed a 9% fat diet. Both vectors enabled protection from hepatic damage, with the pCAG-Nqo1 vector being the more effective as seen with a ~50% decrease in hepatic triglyceride levels. Therefore, activating NRF2 signaling or direct elevation of NQO1 in the liver provides new possibilities to partially reduce steatosis that accompanies lipodystrophy.

RevDate: 2023-09-08

Deng L, Jiang C, Attwood K, et al (2023)

Risk of Further Progression or Death Among Durable Progression-Free Survivors With Melanoma or Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in PD-1 Blockade Trials: Implications for Imaging Surveillance.

JCO oncology practice [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Durable progression-free survivors (dPFSors) over 2 years have been reported among patients with melanoma or non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received PD-(L)1 therapy. However, risk of progression still exists and the optimal imaging surveillance interval is unknown.

METHODS: Individual patient data for progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted from PD-1 blockade clinical trials with a follow-up of at least 5 years. Patients with a PFS of at least 2 years were considered as dPFSors. Conditional risks of progression/death (P/D) every 3, 4, 6, and 12 months in each subsequent year were calculated. We prespecified three different levels of risk between scans (10%, 15%, or 20%) to allow clinicians and patients to decide on the scanning interval on the basis of considerations of imaging frequency and risk tolerance. An interval is considered acceptable if the upper bound of the 95% CI of the risk at each scan is lower than a prespecified level.

RESULTS: Of 1,495 and 3,752 patients with melanoma and NSCLC, 474 (31.7%) and 586 (15.6%) were dPFSors, respectively. Among them, the PFS probability for an additional 3 years was 76.4% and 48.1%, respectively. Not more than 8% of patients had P/D in any quarter in the 3 years. With a risk threshold of 10%, melanoma dPFSors can be scanned every 6 months during the third year and then every 12 months in years 4 and 5. The interval for NSCLC would be every 3 months in the third year and every 4 months in years 4 and 5. The higher risk tolerance of 15% and 20% would allow for less frequent scans.

CONCLUSION: On the basis of their own risk tolerance level, our findings allow clinicians and dPFSors make data-driven decisions regarding the imaging surveillance schedule beyond every 3 months.

RevDate: 2023-09-08

Sadowska-Klasa A, Leisenring WM, Limaye AP, et al (2023)

Cytomegalovirus Viral Load Threshold to Guide Preemptive Therapy in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients: Correlation with CMV Disease.

The Journal of infectious diseases pii:7264774 [Epub ahead of print].

A systematic review of recent randomized and observational studies demonstrated that antiviral preemptive therapy started at cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load thresholds between 2 and 3 log10 IU/mL were associated with similar CMV disease rates. Thus, viral thresholds in this range appear to effectively protect patients not receiving prophylaxis.

RevDate: 2023-09-07

Tieu HV, Karuna S, Huang Y, et al (2023)

Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant oligomeric gp145 subtype C Env protein (gp145 C.6980) HIV vaccine candidate in healthy, HIV-1-uninfected adult participants in the US.

Vaccine pii:S0264-410X(23)00877-0 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: An approach to a preventive HIV vaccine is induction of effective broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and effector binding antibodies (bAbs). Preclinical studies suggest that trimeric envelope (Env) proteins may elicit nAbs, which led to the development of the recombinant gp145 subtype C Env protein (gp145 C.6980) immunogen. HVTN 122 was a Phase 1 trial that evaluated the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of gp145 C.6980 in adults.

METHODS: Healthy, HIV-1 seronegative adults received three intramuscular injections of gp145 C.6980 with aluminum hydroxide (alum) at months 0, 2, and 6 at either 300 mcg (high dose, n = 25) or 100 mcg (low dose, n = 15), or placebo/saline (placebo, n = 5). Participants were followed for 12 months.

RESULTS: Forty-five participants were enrolled. High and low doses of the study protein were well-tolerated, with mild or moderate reactogenicity commonly reported. Only one adverse event (mild injection site pruritis) in one participant (low dose) was considered product-related; there were no dose-limiting toxicities. High and low dose recipients demonstrated robust bAb responses to vaccine-matched consensus gp140 Env and subtype-matched gp120 Env proteins two weeks post-last vaccination (response rates >90 %), while no responses were detected to a heterologous subtype-matched V1V2 antigen. No significant differences were seen between high and low dose groups. Participants in both experimental arms demonstrated nAb response rates of 76.5 % to a tier 1 virus (MW9635.26), but no responses to tier 2 isolates. Env-specific CD4 + T-cell responses were elicited in 36.4 % of vaccine recipients, without significant differences between groups; no participants demonstrated CD8 + T-cell responses.

CONCLUSIONS: Three doses of novel subtype C gp145 Env protein with alum were safe and well-tolerated. Participants demonstrated bAb, Env-specific CD4 + T-cell, and tier 1 nAb responses, but the regimen failed to induce tier 2 or heterologous nAb responses.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03382418.

RevDate: 2023-09-11
CmpDate: 2023-09-11

Vaidya R, Unger JM, Qian L, et al (2023)

Representativeness of Patients Enrolled in the Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP).

JCO precision oncology, 7:e2300218.

PURPOSE: Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP), a public-private partnership, established infrastructure for conducting a biomarker-driven master protocol in molecularly targeted therapies. We compared characteristics of patients enrolled in Lung-MAP with those of patients in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) trials to examine if master protocols improve trial access.

METHODS: We examined patients enrolled in Lung-MAP (2014-2020) according to sociodemographic characteristics. Proportions for characteristics were compared with those for a set of advanced NSCLC trials (2001-2020) and the US advanced NSCLC population using SEER registry data (2014-2018). Characteristics of patients enrolled in Lung-MAP treatment substudies were examined in subgroup analysis. Two-sided tests of proportions at an alpha of .01 were used for all comparisons.

RESULTS: A total of 3,556 patients enrolled in Lung-MAP were compared with 2,215 patients enrolled in other NSCLC studies. Patients enrolled in Lung-MAP were more likely to be 65 years and older (57.2% v 46.3%; P < .0001), from rural areas (17.3% v 14.4%; P = .004), and from socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods (42.2% v 36.7%, P < .0001), but less likely to be female (38.6% v 47.2%; P < .0001), Asian (2.8% v 5.1%; P < .0001), or Hispanic (2.4% v 3.8%; P = .003). Among patients younger than 65 years, Lung-MAP enrolled more patients using Medicaid/no insurance (27.6% v 17.8%; P < .0001). Compared with the US advanced NSCLC population, Lung-MAP under represented patients 65 years and older (57.2% v 69.8%; P < .0001), females (38.6% v 46.0%; P < .0001), and racial or ethnic minorities (14.8% v 21.5%; P < .0001).

CONCLUSION: Master protocols may improve access to trials using novel therapeutics for older patients and socioeconomically vulnerable patients compared with conventional trials, but specific patient exclusion criteria influenced demographic composition. Further research examining participation barriers for under represented racial or ethnic minorities in precision medicine clinical trials is warranted.

RevDate: 2023-09-10

GBD 2019 Lip, Oral, and Pharyngeal Cancer Collaborators, Cunha ARD, Compton K, et al (2023)

The Global, Regional, and National Burden of Adult Lip, Oral, and Pharyngeal Cancer in 204 Countries and Territories: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

JAMA oncology [Epub ahead of print].

IMPORTANCE: Lip, oral, and pharyngeal cancers are important contributors to cancer burden worldwide, and a comprehensive evaluation of their burden globally, regionally, and nationally is crucial for effective policy planning.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the total and risk-attributable burden of lip and oral cavity cancer (LOC) and other pharyngeal cancer (OPC) for 204 countries and territories and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) using 2019 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study estimates.

EVIDENCE REVIEW: The incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to LOC and OPC from 1990 to 2019 were estimated using GBD 2019 methods. The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate the proportion of deaths and DALYs for LOC and OPC attributable to smoking, tobacco, and alcohol consumption in 2019.

FINDINGS: In 2019, 370 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 338 000-401 000) cases and 199 000 (95% UI, 181 000-217 000) deaths for LOC and 167 000 (95% UI, 153 000-180 000) cases and 114 000 (95% UI, 103 000-126 000) deaths for OPC were estimated to occur globally, contributing 5.5 million (95% UI, 5.0-6.0 million) and 3.2 million (95% UI, 2.9-3.6 million) DALYs, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, low-middle and low SDI regions consistently showed the highest age-standardized mortality rates due to LOC and OPC, while the high SDI strata exhibited age-standardized incidence rates decreasing for LOC and increasing for OPC. Globally in 2019, smoking had the greatest contribution to risk-attributable OPC deaths for both sexes (55.8% [95% UI, 49.2%-62.0%] of all OPC deaths in male individuals and 17.4% [95% UI, 13.8%-21.2%] of all OPC deaths in female individuals). Smoking and alcohol both contributed to substantial LOC deaths globally among male individuals (42.3% [95% UI, 35.2%-48.6%] and 40.2% [95% UI, 33.3%-46.8%] of all risk-attributable cancer deaths, respectively), while chewing tobacco contributed to the greatest attributable LOC deaths among female individuals (27.6% [95% UI, 21.5%-33.8%]), driven by high risk-attributable burden in South and Southeast Asia.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this systematic analysis, disparities in LOC and OPC burden existed across the SDI spectrum, and a considerable percentage of burden was attributable to tobacco and alcohol use. These estimates can contribute to an understanding of the distribution and disparities in LOC and OPC burden globally and support cancer control planning efforts.

RevDate: 2023-09-07

Tham K, Prelewicz S, deHoll S, et al (2023)

Infectious complications among patients receiving ibrutinib for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists pii:7262802 [Epub ahead of print].

DISCLAIMER: In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

PURPOSE: Ibrutinib is a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat multiple hematologic malignancies and graft-versus-host disease. Though less myelosuppressive than cytotoxic chemotherapy, increased infections, including invasive fungal infections (IFIs), have been reported with ibrutinib use. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and risk factors for infection associated with ibrutinib at our institution.

METHODS: Patients who received ibrutinib between June 2014 and August 2019 were included. Primary endpoints were the incidence of any infection and the incidence of serious infection (defined as hospitalization, parenteral antimicrobial therapy, or pneumonia regardless of hospitalization). Infection risk factors were assessed using logistic regression.

RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two patients were identified (78% male; median age, 71 years). The most common indications for ibrutinib were chronic lymphocytic leukemia (67%) and mantle cell lymphoma (12%). The median time from ibrutinib initiation to first infection was 125 days. Prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) (odds ratio [OR], 4.60; 95% CI, 1.22-17.4) and corticosteroid use (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 1.52-20.3) were significant risk factors for serious infection. IFIs were diagnosed in 7 patients (5%): 5 had Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and 2 were infected with invasive molds.

CONCLUSION: Serious infection and IFI rates are high but similar to those previously described. Risk factors for serious infection included allo-HSCT and corticosteroid use. Targeted antimicrobial prophylaxis should be evaluated in prospective studies in patients on ibrutinib to reduce serious infections and IFI.

RevDate: 2023-09-09
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Bacsik DJ, Dadonaite B, Butler A, et al (2023)

Influenza virus transcription and progeny production are poorly correlated in single cells.

eLife, 12:.

The ultimate success of a viral infection at the cellular level is determined by the number of progeny virions produced. However, most single-cell studies of infection quantify the expression of viral transcripts and proteins, rather than the amount of progeny virions released from infected cells. Here, we overcome this limitation by simultaneously measuring transcription and progeny production from single influenza virus-infected cells by embedding nucleotide barcodes in the viral genome. We find that viral transcription and progeny production are poorly correlated in single cells. The cells that transcribe the most viral mRNA do not produce the most viral progeny and often represent aberrant infections that fail to express the influenza NS gene. However, only some of the discrepancy between transcription and progeny production can be explained by viral gene absence or mutations: there is also a wide range of progeny production among cells infected by complete unmutated virions. Overall, our results show that viral transcription is a relatively poor predictor of an infected cell's contribution to the progeny population.

RevDate: 2023-09-09
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Mujugira A, Nakyanzi A, Donnell D, et al (2023)

Partner testing with HIV self-test distribution by Ugandan pregnant women living with HIV: a randomized trial.

Journal of the International AIDS Society, 26(9):e26156.

INTRODUCTION: Secondary distribution of HIV self-tests (HIVST) by HIV-negative pregnant women to male partners increases men's testing rates. We examined whether this strategy promotes male partner testing for pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV).

METHODS: We conducted an open-label individually randomized trial in Kampala, Uganda, in which PWLHIV ≥18 years who reported a partner of unknown HIV status were randomized 2:1 to secondary distribution of HIVST for male partner(s) or standard-of-care (SOC; invitation letter to male partner for fast-track testing). Women were followed until 12 months post-partum. Male partners were offered confirmatory HIV testing and facilitated linkage to antiretroviral treatment (ART) or oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Using intention-to-treat analysis, primary outcomes were male partner testing at the clinic and initiation on PrEP or ART evaluated through 12 months post-partum (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03484533).

RESULTS: From November 2018 to March 2020, 500 PWLHIV were enrolled with a median age of 27 years (interquartile range [IQR] 23-30); 332 were randomized to HIVST and 168 to SOC with 437 PWLHIV (87.4%) completing 12 months follow-up post-partum. Of 236 male partners who tested at the clinic and enrolled (47.2%), their median age was 31 years (IQR 27-36), 45 (88.3%) men with HIV started ART and 113 (61.1%) HIV-negative men started PrEP. There was no intervention effect on male partner testing (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79-1.37) or time to ART or PrEP initiation (HR 0.96; 95% CI: 0.69-1.33). Two male partners and two infants acquired HIV for an incidence of 0.99 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.12-3.58) and 1.46 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.18%-5.28%), respectively. Social harms related to study participation were experienced by six women (HIVST = 5, SOC = 1).

CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the partners of Ugandan PWLHIV tested for HIV with similar HIV testing rates and linkage to ART or PrEP among the secondary distribution of HIVST and SOC arms. Although half of men became aware of their HIV serostatus and linked to services, additional strategies to reach male partners of women in antenatal care are needed to increase HIV testing and linkage to services among men.

RevDate: 2023-09-08
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

O'Brien VP, Kang Y, Shenoy MK, et al (2023)

Single-cell Profiling Uncovers a Muc4-Expressing Metaplastic Gastric Cell Type Sustained by Helicobacter pylori-driven Inflammation.

Cancer research communications, 3(9):1756-1769.

UNLABELLED: Mechanisms for Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-driven stomach cancer are not fully understood. In a transgenic mouse model of gastric preneoplasia, concomitant Hp infection and induction of constitutively active KRAS (Hp+KRAS+) alters metaplasia phenotypes and elicits greater inflammation than either perturbation alone. Gastric single-cell RNA sequencing showed that Hp+KRAS+ mice had a large population of metaplastic pit cells that expressed the intestinal mucin Muc4 and the growth factor amphiregulin. Flow cytometry and IHC-based immune profiling revealed that metaplastic pit cells were associated with macrophage and T-cell inflammation. Accordingly, expansion of metaplastic pit cells was prevented by gastric immunosuppression and reversed by antibiotic eradication of Hp. Finally, MUC4 expression was significantly associated with proliferation in human gastric cancer samples. These studies identify an Hp-associated metaplastic pit cell lineage, also found in human gastric cancer tissues, whose expansion is driven by Hp-dependent inflammation.

SIGNIFICANCE: Using a mouse model, we have delineated metaplastic pit cells as a precancerous cell type whose expansion requires Hp-driven inflammation. In humans, metaplastic pit cells show enhanced proliferation as well as enrichment in precancer and early cancer tissues, highlighting an early step in the gastric metaplasia to cancer cascade.

RevDate: 2023-09-11
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Despres HW, Mills MG, Schmidt MM, et al (2023)

Surveillance of Vermont wildlife in 2021-2022 reveals no detected SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA.

Scientific reports, 13(1):14683.

Previous studies have documented natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 in various domestic and wild animals. More recently, studies have been published noting the susceptibility of members of the Cervidae family, and infections in both wild and captive cervid populations. In this study, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in mammalian wildlife within the state of Vermont. 739 nasal or throat samples were collected from wildlife throughout the state during the 2021 and 2022 harvest season. Data was collected from red and gray foxes (Vulpes vulples and Urocyon cineroargentus, respectively), fishers (Martes pennati), river otters (Lutra canadensis), coyotes (Canis lantrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus rufus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 via quantitative RT-qPCR using the CDC N1/N2 primer set and/or the WHO-E gene primer set. Surprisingly, we initially detected a number of N1 and/or N2 positive samples with high cycle threshold values, though after conducting environmental swabbing of the laboratory and verifying with a second independent primer set (WHO-E) and PCR without reverse transcriptase, we showed that these were false positives due to plasmid contamination from a construct expressing the N gene in the general laboratory environment. Our final results indicate that no sampled wildlife were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and highlight the importance of physically separate locations for the processing of samples for surveillance and experiments that require the use of plasmid DNA containing the target RNA sequence. These negative findings are surprising, given that most published North America studies have found SARS-CoV-2 within their deer populations. The absence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in populations sampled here may provide insights in to the various environmental and anthropogenic factors that reduce spillover and spread in North American's wildlife populations.

RevDate: 2023-09-11

Olson AT, Kang Y, Ladha AM, et al (2023)

Polypharmacology-based kinome screen identifies new regulators of KSHV reactivation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.

UNLABELLED: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes several human diseases including Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a leading cause of cancer in Africa and in patients with AIDS. KS tumor cells harbor KSHV predominantly in a latent form, while typically <5% contain lytic replicating virus. Because both latent and lytic stages likely contribute to cancer initiation and progression, continued dissection of host regulators of this biological switch will provide insights into fundamental pathways controlling the KSHV life cycle and related disease pathogenesis. Several cellular protein kinases have been reported to promote or restrict KSHV reactivation, but our knowledge of these signaling mediators and pathways is incomplete. We employed a polypharmacology-based kinome screen to identifiy specific kinases that regulate KSHV reactivation. Those identified by the screen and validated by knockdown experiments included several kinases that enhance lytic reactivation: ERBB2 (HER2 or neu), ERBB3 (HER3), ERBB4 (HER4), MKNK2 (MNK2), ITK, TEC, and DSTYK (RIPK5). Conversely, ERBB1 (EGFR1 or HER1), MKNK1 (MNK1) and FRK (PTK5) were found to promote the maintenance of latency. Mechanistic characterization of ERBB2 pro-lytic functions revealed a signaling connection between ERBB2 and the activation of CREB1, a transcription factor that drives KSHV lytic gene expression. These studies provided a proof-of-principle application of a polypharmacology-based kinome screen for the study of KSHV reactivation and enabled the discovery of both kinase inhibitors and specific kinases that regulate the KSHV latent-to-lytic replication switch.

AUTHOR SUMMARY: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer particularly prevalent in Africa. In cancer cells, the virus persists in a quiescent form called latency, in which only a few viral genes are made. Periodically, the virus switches into an active replicative cycle in which most of the viral genes are made and new virus is produced. What controls the switch from latency to active replication is not well understood, but cellular kinases, enzymes that control many cellular processes, have been implicated. Using a cell culture model of KSHV reactivation along with an innovative screening method that probes the effects of many cellular kinases simultaneously, we identified drugs that significantly limit KSHV reactivation, as well as specific kinases that either enhance or restrict KSHV replicative cycle. Among these were the ERBB kinases which are known to regulate growth of cancer cells. Understanding how these and other kinases contribute to the switch leading to production of more infectious virus helps us understand the mediators and mechanisms of KSHV diseases. Additionally, because kinase inhibitors are proving to be effective for treating other diseases including some cancers, identifying ones that restrict KSHV replicative cycle may lead to new approaches to treating KSHV-related diseases.

RevDate: 2023-09-09
CmpDate: 2023-09-08

Blayney DW, Kuderer NM, Cummings Joyner AK, et al (2023)

Real-World Impact of Prophylactic Growth Factor Use on Timing of Febrile Neutropenia and Infection After High-Risk Chemotherapy.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 21(9):945-950.e16.

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic growth-factor therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) reduces the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) in patients with breast cancer initiating myelosuppressive chemotherapy. However, little is known about the protective benefit early in the chemotherapy cycle.

METHODS: To assess the relationship between G-CSF prophylaxis and incidence of FN/infection in week 1 versus beyond week 1 of the first chemotherapy cycle, a retrospective study was conducted using Medicare claims from 2005 through 2020 among patients with breast cancer initiating high-risk chemotherapy. Two cohorts were compared based on G-CSF prophylaxis within 3 days following chemotherapy initiation. The primary outcome was FN or infection, defined as hospitalization with neutropenia, fever, or infection diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were a stricter definition of FN and infection-related hospitalization. Unadjusted and regression-adjusted proportions of patients experiencing each outcome during week 1 versus beyond week 1 of the first chemotherapy cycle were compared.

RESULTS: Of 78,810 patients meeting all inclusion criteria (>98% female; mean age, 69 years), 79% initiated TC (docetaxel/cyclophosphamide), 14% TCH (docetaxel/carboplatin/trastuzumab), and 7% TAC (docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide). Among patients receiving G-CSF (74%), incidence of first-cycle FN/infection was lower compared with patients not receiving G-CSF (overall, 6% vs 13%; TAC, 12% vs 19%; TC, 6% vs 12%; TCH, 5% vs 15%). However, patients who received G-CSF were generally more likely to experience FN/infection in week 1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.24 for all; 1.73 for TAC; 1.35 for TC; and 0.76 for TCH). Results were similar for strictly defined FN (overall aOR, 1.29 for week 1 and 0.12 for beyond week 1) and infection-related hospitalization (overall aOR, 1.33 for week 1 and 0.27 for beyond week 1).

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the rates of chemotherapy-related FN and infection in week 1 of the first chemotherapy cycle are similar for patients receiving and not receiving G-CSF, suggesting continued risk in week 1 despite prophylactic G-CSF.

RevDate: 2023-09-06

Hoffman-Censits J, Grivas P, Powles T, et al (2023)

The JAVELIN Bladder Medley trial: avelumab-based combinations as first-line maintenance in advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Future oncology (London, England) [Epub ahead of print].

Results from JAVELIN Bladder 100 established avelumab (anti-PD-L1) first-line maintenance as the standard-of-care treatment for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has not progressed with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. We describe the design of JAVELIN Bladder Medley (NCT05327530), an ongoing phase II, multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-arm, umbrella trial. Overall, 252 patients with advanced UC who are progression-free following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy will be randomized 1:2:2:2 to receive maintenance therapy with avelumab alone (control group) or combined with sacituzumab govitecan (anti-Trop-2/topoisomerase inhibitor conjugate), M6223 (anti-TIGIT) or NKTR-255 (recombinant human IL-15). Primary end points are progression-free survival per investigator and safety/tolerability of the combination regimens. Secondary end points include overall survival, objective response and duration of response per investigator, and pharmacokinetics.

RevDate: 2023-09-06

Ravandi F, Cloos J, Buccisano F, et al (2023)

Measurable residual disease monitoring in patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated with lower-intensity therapy: Roadmap from an ELN-DAVID expert panel.

American journal of hematology [Epub ahead of print].

With the availability of effective targeted agents, significant changes have occurred in the management of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) over the past several years, particularly for those considered unfit for intensive chemotherapy. While testing for measurable residual disease (MRD) is now routinely performed in patients treated with intensive chemotherapy to refine prognosis and, possibly, inform treatment decision-making, its value in the context of lower-intensity regimens is unclear. As such regimens have gained in popularity and can be associated with higher response rates, the need to better define the role of MRD assessment and the appropriate time points and assays used for this purpose has increased. This report outlines a roadmap for MRD testing in patients with AML treated with lower-intensity regimens. Experts from the European LeukemiaNet (ELN)-DAVID AML MRD working group reviewed all available data to propose a framework for MRD testing in future trials and clinical practice. A Delphi poll served to optimize consensus. Establishment of uniform standards for MRD assessments in lower-intensity regimens used in treating patients with AML is clinically relevant and important for optimizing testing and, ultimately, improving treatment outcomes of these patients.

RevDate: 2023-09-08
CmpDate: 2023-09-07

Azulay A, Cohen-Lavi L, Friedman LM, et al (2023)

Mapping antibody footprints using binding profiles.

Cell reports methods, 3(8):100566.

The increasing use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in biology and medicine necessitates efficient methods for characterizing their binding epitopes. Here, we developed a high-throughput antibody footprinting method based on binding profiles. We used an antigen microarray to profile 23 human anti-influenza hemagglutinin (HA) mAbs using HA proteins of 43 human influenza strains isolated between 1918 and 2018. We showed that the mAb's binding profile can be used to characterize its influenza subtype specificity, binding region, and binding site. We present mAb-Patch-an epitope prediction method that is based on a mAb's binding profile and the 3D structure of its antigen. mAb-Patch was evaluated using four mAbs with known solved mAb-HA structures. mAb-Patch identifies over 67% of the true epitope when considering only 50-60 positions along the antigen. Our work provides proof of concept for utilizing antibody binding profiles to screen large panels of mAbs and to down-select antibodies for further functional studies.

RevDate: 2023-09-08
CmpDate: 2023-09-07

Einav T, R Ma (2023)

Using interpretable machine learning to extend heterogeneous antibody-virus datasets.

Cell reports methods, 3(8):100540.

A central challenge in biology is to use existing measurements to predict the outcomes of future experiments. For the rapidly evolving influenza virus, variants examined in one study will often have little to no overlap with other studies, making it difficult to discern patterns or unify datasets. We develop a computational framework that predicts how an antibody or serum would inhibit any variant from any other study. We validate this method using hemagglutination inhibition data from seven studies and predict 2,000,000 new values ± uncertainties. Our analysis quantifies the transferability between vaccination and infection studies in humans and ferrets, shows that serum potency is negatively correlated with breadth, and provides a tool for pandemic preparedness. In essence, this approach enables a shift in perspective when analyzing data from "what you see is what you get" into "what anyone sees is what everyone gets."

RevDate: 2023-09-06

Zarling LC, Stevenson PA, Soma LA, et al (2023)

Hyper-CVAD versus dose-adjusted EPOCH as initial treatment for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

European journal of haematology [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVES: We recently performed a single-arm phase II trial of DA-EPOCH in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We sought to compare these results to those with standard Hyper-CVAD.

METHODS: We created a retrospective matched cohort of patients who received Hyper-CVAD (n = 69) at our center and otherwise met eligibility criteria for the DA-EPOCH trial (n = 53).

RESULTS: Our outcomes support the use of Hyper-CVAD over DA-EPOCH in Ph- disease for both overall survival (OS; HR 0.18, p = .004) and event-free survival (EFS; HR 0.51, p = .06). In contrast, outcomes were similar in Ph+ disease (OS HR 0.97, p = .96; EFS HR 0.65, p = .21). Rates of morphologic remission and measurable residual-disease negativity were similar between the regimens. Hyper-CVAD was associated with significantly more febrile neutropenia (OR 1.9, p = .03) and a greater incidence of Grade 4 or 5 adverse events (20% vs. 6%). Average transfusions per cycle of both red blood cells (p < .001) and platelets (p < .001) were five-fold higher with Hyper-CVAD.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support continued use of Hyper-CVAD for Ph- ALL but suggest that DA-EPOCH may be a reasonable alternative for Ph+ ALL. These data also highlight a potential role for DA-EPOCH in resource-limited settings or when more intense therapy is not feasible.

RevDate: 2023-09-05

Grabner E, Stare E, Fanedl L, et al (2023)

Corrigendum to "Expanding the rumen Prevotella collection: the description of Prevotella communis, sp. nov. of ovine origin" [Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 46(4) (2023) 126437].

RevDate: 2023-09-05

Olson AT, Kang Y, Ladha AM, et al (2023)

Polypharmacology-based kinome screen identifies new regulators of KSHV reactivation.

PLoS pathogens, 19(9):e1011169 pii:PPATHOGENS-D-23-00185 [Epub ahead of print].

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes several human diseases including Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a leading cause of cancer in Africa and in patients with AIDS. KS tumor cells harbor KSHV predominantly in a latent form, while typically <5% contain lytic replicating virus. Because both latent and lytic stages likely contribute to cancer initiation and progression, continued dissection of host regulators of this biological switch will provide insights into fundamental pathways controlling the KSHV life cycle and related disease pathogenesis. Several cellular protein kinases have been reported to promote or restrict KSHV reactivation, but our knowledge of these signaling mediators and pathways is incomplete. We employed a polypharmacology-based kinome screen to identify specific kinases that regulate KSHV reactivation. Those identified by the screen and validated by knockdown experiments included several kinases that enhance lytic reactivation: ERBB2 (HER2 or neu), ERBB3 (HER3), ERBB4 (HER4), MKNK2 (MNK2), ITK, TEC, and DSTYK (RIPK5). Conversely, ERBB1 (EGFR1 or HER1), MKNK1 (MNK1) and FRK (PTK5) were found to promote the maintenance of latency. Mechanistic characterization of ERBB2 pro-lytic functions revealed a signaling connection between ERBB2 and the activation of CREB1, a transcription factor that drives KSHV lytic gene expression. These studies provided a proof-of-principle application of a polypharmacology-based kinome screen for the study of KSHV reactivation and enabled the discovery of both kinase inhibitors and specific kinases that regulate the KSHV latent-to-lytic replication switch.

RevDate: 2023-09-08

Easterling D, Jacob RR, Brownson RC, et al (2023)

Participatory Logic Modeling in a Multi-Site Initiative to Advance Implementation Science.

Research square.

Background: It is increasingly being recognized that logic models should be developed through a participatory approach which allows input from those who carry out the program being evaluated. While there are many positive examples of participatory logic modeling, funders have generally not used this approach in the context of multi-site initiatives. This article describes an instance where the funder and evaluator of a multi-site initiative fully engaged the funded organizations in developing the initiative logic model. The focus of the case study is Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC [3]), a multi-year initiative funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Methods: The case study was collectively constructed by representatives of the seven centers funded under ISC [3] . Members of the Cross-Center Evaluation (CCE) Work Group jointly articulated the process through which the logic model was developed and refined. Individual Work Group members contributed descriptions of how their respective centers reviewed and used the logic model. Cross-cutting themes and lessons emerged through CCE Work Group meetings and the writing process. Results: The initial logic model for ISC [3] changed in significant ways as a result of the input of the funded groups. Authentic participation in the development of the logic model led to strong buy-in among the centers, as evidenced by their utilization. The centers shifted both their evaluation design and their programmatic strategy to better accommodate the expectations reflected in the initiative logic model. Conclusions: The ISC [3] case study provides a positive example of how participatory logic modeling can be mutually beneficial to funders, grantees and evaluators of multi-site initiatives. Funded groups have important insights about what is feasible and what will be required to achieve the initiative's stated objectives. They can also help identify the contextual factors that either inhibit or facilitate success, which can then be incorporated into both the logic model and the evaluation design. In addition, when grantees co-develop the logic model, they have a better understanding and appreciation of the funder's expectations, and thus are better positioned to meet those expectations.

RevDate: 2023-09-04

Knight TE, Ahn KW, Hebert KM, et al (2023)

No impact of CD34[+] cell dose on outcome among children undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for high-risk neuroblastoma.

RevDate: 2023-09-04

Berndt SI, Vijai J, Benavente Y, et al (2023)

Correction: Distinct germline genetic susceptibility profiles identified for common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes.

RevDate: 2023-09-04

Lyman GH, Lyman CH, NM Kuderer (2023)

PERCEPTION, COGNITION AND THOUGHT: Part V Entropy, the Arrow of Time and the Present.

RevDate: 2023-09-04

Ku TSN, Al Mohajer M, Newton JA, et al (2023)

Improving antimicrobial use through better diagnosis: The relationship between diagnostic stewardship and antimicrobial stewardship.

Infection control and hospital epidemiology pii:S0899823X23001563 [Epub ahead of print].

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) exist to optimize antibiotic use, reduce selection for antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, and improve patient outcomes. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to optimal antibiotic use. Because diagnostic testing plays a significant role in diagnosing patients, it has one of the strongest influences on clinician antibiotic prescribing behaviors. Diagnostic stewardship, consequently, has emerged to improve clinician diagnostic testing and test result interpretation. Antimicrobial stewardship and diagnostic stewardship share common goals and are synergistic when used together. Although ASP requires a relationship with clinicians and focuses on person-to-person communication, diagnostic stewardship centers on a relationship with the laboratory and hardwiring testing changes into laboratory processes and the electronic health record. Here, we discuss how diagnostic stewardship can optimize the "Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making" created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and work synergistically with ASPs.

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RJR Experience and Expertise

Researcher

Robbins holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in the life sciences. He served as a tenured faculty member in the Zoology and Biological Science departments at Michigan State University. He is currently exploring the intersection between genomics, microbial ecology, and biodiversity — an area that promises to transform our understanding of the biosphere.

Educator

Robbins has extensive experience in college-level education: At MSU he taught introductory biology, genetics, and population genetics. At JHU, he was an instructor for a special course on biological database design. At FHCRC, he team-taught a graduate-level course on the history of genetics. At Bellevue College he taught medical informatics.

Administrator

Robbins has been involved in science administration at both the federal and the institutional levels. At NSF he was a program officer for database activities in the life sciences, at DOE he was a program officer for information infrastructure in the human genome project. At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, he served as a vice president for fifteen years.

Technologist

Robbins has been involved with information technology since writing his first Fortran program as a college student. At NSF he was the first program officer for database activities in the life sciences. At JHU he held an appointment in the CS department and served as director of the informatics core for the Genome Data Base. At the FHCRC he was VP for Information Technology.

Publisher

While still at Michigan State, Robbins started his first publishing venture, founding a small company that addressed the short-run publishing needs of instructors in very large undergraduate classes. For more than 20 years, Robbins has been operating The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project, a web site dedicated to the digital publishing of critical works in science, especially classical genetics.

Speaker

Robbins is well-known for his speaking abilities and is often called upon to provide keynote or plenary addresses at international meetings. For example, in July, 2012, he gave a well-received keynote address at the Global Biodiversity Informatics Congress, sponsored by GBIF and held in Copenhagen. The slides from that talk can be seen HERE.

Facilitator

Robbins is a skilled meeting facilitator. He prefers a participatory approach, with part of the meeting involving dynamic breakout groups, created by the participants in real time: (1) individuals propose breakout groups; (2) everyone signs up for one (or more) groups; (3) the groups with the most interested parties then meet, with reports from each group presented and discussed in a subsequent plenary session.

Designer

Robbins has been engaged with photography and design since the 1960s, when he worked for a professional photography laboratory. He now prefers digital photography and tools for their precision and reproducibility. He designed his first web site more than 20 years ago and he personally designed and implemented this web site. He engages in graphic design as a hobby.

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Cancer is the generic name for more than 100 diseases in which cells begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner. Usually, when cells get too old or damaged, they die and new cells take their place. Cancer begins when genetic changes impair this orderly process so that some cells start to grow uncontrollably. The Emperor of All Maladies is a "biography" of cancer — from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. This is a must read book for anyone with an interest in cancer. R. Robbins

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Collection of publications by R J Robbins

Reprints and preprints of publications, slide presentations, instructional materials, and data compilations written or prepared by Robert Robbins. Most papers deal with computational biology, genome informatics, using information technology to support biomedical research, and related matters.

Research Gate page for R J Robbins

ResearchGate is a social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a study by Nature and an article in Times Higher Education , it is the largest academic social network in terms of active users.

Curriculum Vitae for R J Robbins

short personal version

Curriculum Vitae for R J Robbins

long standard version

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