Viewport Size Code:
Login | Create New Account
picture

  MENU

About | Classical Genetics | Timelines | What's New | What's Hot

About | Classical Genetics | Timelines | What's New | What's Hot

icon

Bibliography Options Menu

icon
QUERY RUN:
HITS:
PAGE OPTIONS:
Hide Abstracts   |   Hide Additional Links
NOTE:
Long bibliographies are displayed in blocks of 100 citations at a time. At the end of each block there is an option to load the next block.

Bibliography on: Publications by FHCRC Researchers

The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project: Providing world-wide, free access to classic scientific papers and other scholarly materials, since 1993.

More About:  ESP | OUR CONTENT | THIS WEBSITE | WHAT'S NEW | WHAT'S HOT

ESP: PubMed Auto Bibliography 18 Apr 2025 at 01:49 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®)

-->

RevDate: 2025-04-15

Tereshchenko LG, Haq KT, Howell SJ, et al (2025)

Sex differences in global electrical heterogeneity: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Heart rhythm O2, 6(1):97-102.

RevDate: 2025-04-13

Alver SK, Peters-Samuelson BA, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, et al (2025)

Association of meal timing with adiposity measures and gut microbiome characteristics in a cohort study: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

The American journal of clinical nutrition pii:S0002-9165(25)00189-3 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Time-restricted eating may help control weight through caloric restriction, circadian rhythm, or influence on the gut microbiome (GMB). Physical activity (PA) also plays a role, as people with a longer eating window (EW: time between first and last daily intake) may be more active. The associations between meal timing, adiposity, PA, sedentary behavior (SB) and GMB characteristics are of interest in Hispanic/Latino persons, who experience a high burden of cardiometabolic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: We explored the relationship of EW with energy intake and accelerometer-measured activity and assessed whether a longer EW and later midpoint of intake (MOI: midpoint time of intake) are associated with adiposity and GMB differences in Hispanic/Latino adults.

METHODS: Using data from the prospective Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (n=11,778 participants with valid 24-hour dietary recall and accelerometer data, no unplanned weight loss, and BMI ≥18.5; n=1925 with GMB data) we explored the relationship between EW, SB and energy intake. We used multivariable linear regression models to study the relationship between EW or MOI and adiposity measures and GMB characteristics, adjusted for clinical, behavioral, and demographic characteristics.

RESULTS: Those with longer EW tended to have less SB and greater energy intake, suggesting that some individuals may balance greater intake with greater expenditure. After adjustments including energy balance, each hour of EW was associated with 0.29% higher BMI (95% CI 0.07, 0.51), p=0.011. Longer EW and caloric EW (EWC: EW, caloric meals only) were associated with several obesity-associated GMB taxa, such as Streptococcus (enriched, β [95% CI] 0.04 [0.01, 0.07] for EW). MOI was not significantly associated with adiposity or GMB characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS: Shorter EW may promote healthy weight, but some individuals with longer vs shorter EWs tend to have greater activity that could balance their greater energy intake. EW and EWC may influence GMB characteristics.

RevDate: 2025-04-15
CmpDate: 2025-04-13

Dima D, Goel U, Ullah F, et al (2025)

Presentation and Outcomes of Localized Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloidosis: 14-Year Experience of an Academic Center.

Hematological oncology, 43(3):e70082.

Localized light chain amyloidosis (loc-AL) is a rare disorder characterized by localized deposition of misfolded AL fibrils. There are limited data on patterns of disease presentation and long-term outcomes. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 146 patients with loc-AL at our institution between January 1, 2010, and March 1, 2024. We excluded patients with evidence of systemic AL amyloidosis. We calculated local (PFSL) and systemic (PFSs) progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method. We found that loc-AL most commonly involved the respiratory (26%), gastrointestinal (17%), head and neck (17%) and genitourinary (10%) systems. Overall, 51% patients were asymptomatic at presentation, and 16% had a co-existent autoimmune disease. First line management included observation (52%), surgical resection (39%), chemotherapy (3%), and radiation (2%). Most patients (59%) had a response with first-line therapy. The median PFSL was ∼15 years (10-year PFSL 68%), and median OS was not reached (10-year OS 83%). None of the patients had progression to systemic amyloidosis. Seventeen patients had local recurrence and required second line therapy. In conclusion, loc-AL has an excellent prognosis and does not progress to systemic AL amyloidosis. Observation and/or surgical removal are usually adequate first-line approaches; however, a small proportion of patients can relapse locally requiring repeated interventions for symptom control.

RevDate: 2025-04-12

Lawrence MG, Keerthikumar S, Townley SL, et al (2025)

Reprogramming of Androgen Receptor Activity in Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer is Shaped by Truncated Variants.

European urology focus pii:S2405-4569(25)00073-2 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Under the selective pressure of treatment, prostate cancer cells express constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) variants. Whether AR variants mediate therapy resistance remains contested, because they are often coexpressed with abundant full-length AR. Therefore, we sought to determine how truncated variants shape AR chromatin occupancy and responses to treatments in both the presence and absence of full-length AR.

METHODS: We used a cohort of patient-derived xenografts of metastatic prostate cancer with diverse AR alterations. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing were used to compare the landscape of AR binding and transcriptomic features. We assessed responses to castration by castrating host mice and evaluated responses to bipolar androgen therapy by administering testosterone cypionate.

KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: By profiling the AR cistrome, we identified a distinct group of tumours defined by ARv567es expression, a variant arising due to structural rearrangements of the AR gene. ARv567es-positive tumours also had a distinct epigenomic profile and altered transcriptional features, including loss of canonical AR-regulated gene signatures and elevated expression of AR-repressed genes. ARv567es-positive tumours were resistant to castration and bipolar androgen therapy. In tumours that coexpress full-length AR, this involves dampened transcriptional responses and disruption of the autoregulatory loop that modulates AR levels. Study limitations include the need for additional models of AR-driven prostate cancer.

The emergence of ARv567es via gene rearrangements causes transcriptional reprogramming and therapy resistance. This highlights ARv567es as a potential as a marker to guide treatment decisions.

RevDate: 2025-04-14
CmpDate: 2025-04-11

Zhang X, Brody JA, Graff M, et al (2025)

Whole genome sequencing analysis of body mass index identifies novel African ancestry-specific risk allele.

Nature communications, 16(1):3470.

Obesity is a major public health crisis associated with high mortality rates. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigating body mass index (BMI) have largely relied on imputed data from European individuals. This study leveraged whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 88,873 participants from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, of which 51% were of non-European population groups. We discovered 18 BMI-associated signals (P < 5 × 10[-9]), including two secondary signals. Notably, we identified and replicated a novel low-frequency single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in MTMR3 that was common in individuals of African descent. Using a diverse study population, we further identified two novel secondary signals in known BMI loci and pinpointed two likely causal variants in the POC5 and DMD loci. Our work demonstrates the benefits of combining WGS and diverse cohorts in expanding current catalog of variants and genes confer risk for obesity, bringing us one step closer to personalized medicine.

RevDate: 2025-04-13

Fisher LH, Lazarus E, Yu C, et al (2025)

ALVAC-prime and monomeric gp120 protein boost induces distinct HIV-1 specific humoral and cellular responses compared with adenovirus-prime and trimeric gp140 protein boost.

PLOS global public health, 5(4):e0004250.

Although clade-specific and cross-clade mosaic prime-boost HIV-1 vaccine regimens were advanced to the HVTN 702 and HVTN 705 efficacy trials, neither regimen prevented HIV acquisition. The respective Phase 1/2a studies, HVTN 100 (NCT02404311) and HVTN 117/HPX2004 (NCT02788045), provided rich immunological data, including previously identified correlates of risk, for comparing immune responses elicited by these vaccine regimens over time. We analyzed antibody responses measured by binding antibody multiplex assay, and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses measured by intracellular cytokine staining in per-protocol vaccinees in HVTN 100 (n=186) vs. HVTN 117/HPX2004 (n=99) after the months 6 and 12 vaccinations (months 6.5/7 and 12.5/13), and 6 months after the last vaccination (month 18). At month 12.5/13, both regimens induced similarly high IgG breadth against gp120, gp140, and V1V2 antigens, and similar IgG responses to gp70-BCaseA V1V2. IgG V1V2 responses were more durable in HVTN 117/HPX2004, with the largest difference in the gp70-BCaseA V1V2 IgG response rate at month 18 (17.8% in HVTN 100 vs 61.9% in HVTN 117/HPX2004, p<0.001). IgG3 responses to consensus Env antigens were higher and more durable in HVTN117/HPX2004; for example, IgG3 response rate to the consensus gp140 antigen was 65.9% in HVTN 117/HPX2004 vs 6.3% in HVTN 100 at month 18 (TMLE p<0.0001). At month 18, both regimens induced similar IgG3 responses to gp70-BCaseA V1V2 (3.2% in HVTN 100 vs 1.1% in HVTN 117/HPX2004). Polyfunctional CD4+ Env was significantly higher in HVTN 100, and polyfunctional CD4+ Gag was higher in HVTN 117/HPX2004. CD8+ T-cell responses were not seen in HVTN 100, while CD8+ T-cell response rates in HVTN 117/HPX2004 reached up to 42%. Despite the distinct immune responses induced by the two HIV vaccine regimens, the lack of demonstrated efficacy suggests that broader, higher magnitude, and possibly qualitatively different immune responses are needed for protection against HIV acquisition. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02404311 and NCT02788045; South African National Clinical Trials Registry (DOH-27-0215-4796).

RevDate: 2025-04-13
CmpDate: 2025-04-11

Ramani H, Cleret-Buhot A, Sylla M, et al (2025)

Opposite Roles of IL-32α Versus IL-32β/γ Isoforms in Promoting Monocyte-Derived Osteoblast/Osteoclast Differentiation and Vascular Calcification in People with HIV.

Cells, 14(7):.

People with HIV (PWH) have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our recent data demonstrated that the multi-isoform proinflammatory cytokine IL-32 is upregulated in PWH and is associated with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which IL-32 contributes to the pathogenesis of these diseases remain unclear. Here, we show that while the less expressed IL-32α isoform induces the differentiation of human classical monocytes into the calcium-resorbing osteoclast cells, the dominantly expressed isoforms IL-32β and IL-32γ suppress this function through the inhibition of TGF-β and induce the differentiation of monocytes into the calcium-depositing osteocalcin+ osteoblasts. These results aligned with the increase in plasma levels of osteoprotegerin, a biomarker of vascular calcification, and its association with the presence of coronary artery subclinical atherosclerosis and calcium score in PWH. These findings support a novel role for the proinflammatory cytokine IL-32 in the pathophysiology of CVD by increasing vascular calcification in PWH.

RevDate: 2025-04-12

Onwuka JU, Zahed H, Feng X, et al (2025)

Association between socioeconomic position and lung cancer incidence in 16 countries: a prospective cohort consortium study.

EClinicalMedicine, 82:103152.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported higher lung cancer incidence among groups with lower socioeconomic position (SEP). However, it is not known how this difference in lung cancer incidence between SEP groups varies across different geographical settings. Furthermore, most prior studies that assessed the association between SEP and lung cancer incidence were conducted without detailed adjustment for smoking. Therefore, we aimed to assess this relationship across world regions.

METHODS: In this international prospective cohort consortium study, we used data from the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium (LC3), which includes 20 prospective population cohorts from 16 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Participants were enrolled between 1985 and 2010 and followed for cancer outcomes using registry linkages and/or active follow-up. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between educational level (our primary measure of SEP, in 4 categories) and incident lung cancer using Cox proportional hazards models separately for participants with and without a smoking history. The models were adjusted for age, sex, cohort (when multiple cohorts were included), smoking duration, cigarettes per day, and time since cessation.

FINDINGS: Among 2,487,511 participants, 53,830 developed lung cancer during a 13.5-year median follow-up (IQR = 6.5-15.0 years). Among participants with a smoking history, higher education was associated with decreased lung cancer incidence in nearly every cohort after detailed smoking adjustment. By world region, this association was observed in North America (HR per one-category increase in education [HRtrend] = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.87-0.89), Europe (HRtrend = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.88-0.91), and Asia (HRtrend = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86-0.96), but not in the Australian study (HRtrend = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.95-1.09). By histological subtype, education associated most strongly with squamous cell carcinoma and more weakly with adenocarcinoma (p-heterogeneity < 0.0001). Among participants who never smoked, there was no association between education and lung cancer incidence in any cohort (all p-trend > 0.05), except the USA Southern Community Cohort Study (HRtrend = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62-0.90).

INTERPRETATION: Based on longitudinal data from 2.5 million participants from 16 countries, our findings suggest that higher educational attainment was associated with lower lung cancer risk among participants with a smoking history, but not among participants who never smoked. Limitations of our study include that cohort participants cannot fully represent the general populations of the geographical regions included, and education was the only measure of SEP consistently available across our consortium.

FUNDING: This study was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF), and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

RevDate: 2025-04-11

Jennewein MF, Schultz MD, Beaver S, et al (2025)

Intranasal replicon SARS-CoV-2 vaccine produces protective respiratory and systemic immunity and prevents viral transmission.

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy pii:S1525-0016(25)00281-3 [Epub ahead of print].

While mRNA vaccines have been effective in combating SARS-CoV-2, waning of vaccine-induced antibody responses and lack of vaccine-induced respiratory tract immunity contribute to ongoing infection and transmission. In this work, we compare and contrast intranasal (i.n.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration of a SARS-CoV-2 replicon vaccine delivered by a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC). Both i.m. and i.n. vaccines induce potent systemic serum neutralizing antibodies, bone marrow-resident IgG-secreting cells, and splenic T cell responses. The i.n. vaccine additionally induces robust respiratory mucosal immune responses, including SARS-CoV-2-reactive lung-resident memory T cell populations. As a booster following previous i.m. vaccination, the i.n. vaccine also elicits the development of mucosal virus-specific T cells. Both the i.m. and i.n. administered vaccines durably protect hamsters from infection-associated morbidity upon viral challenge, significantly reducing viral loads and preventing challenged hamsters from transmitting virus to naïve cagemates. This replicon-NLC vaccine's potent systemic immunogenicity, and additional mucosal immunogenicity when delivered i.n., may be key for combating SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens.

RevDate: 2025-04-15
CmpDate: 2025-04-10

Petty LE, Chen HH, Frankel EG, et al (2025)

Large-scale multi-omics analyses in Hispanic/Latino populations identify genes for cardiometabolic traits.

Nature communications, 16(1):3438.

Here, we present a multi-omics study of type 2 diabetes and quantitative blood lipid and lipoprotein traits conducted to date in Hispanic/Latino populations (nmax = 63,184). We conduct a meta-analysis of 16 type 2 diabetes and 19 lipid trait GWAS, identifying 20 genome-wide significant loci for type 2 diabetes, including one novel locus and novel signals at two known loci, based on fine-mapping. We also identify sixty-one genome-wide significant loci across the lipid/lipoprotein traits, including nine novel loci, and novel signals at 19 known loci through fine-mapping. Next, we analyze genetically regulated expression, perform Mendelian randomization, and analyze association with transcriptomic and proteomic measure using multi-omics data from a Hispanic/Latino population. Using this approach, we identify genes linked to type 2 diabetes and lipid/lipoprotein traits, including TMEM205 and NEDD9 for HDL cholesterol, TREH for triglycerides, and ANXA4 for type 2 diabetes.

RevDate: 2025-04-10

Zhao Y, Gulati R, Lange J, et al (2025)

Sensitivity Measures in Studies of Cancer Early Detection Biomarkers.

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology pii:757333 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: The sensitivity of a cancer screening biomarker to detect prevalent preclinical cancer drives screening benefit. Studies estimate sensitivity at different points in the biomarker development process. We examine how closely these estimates reflect the sensitivity to detect preclinical cancer (preclinical sensitivity).

METHODS: We posit that preclinical sensitivity is inversely proportional to the preclinical sojourn time. We simulate studies and estimates of sensitivity corresponding to the Early Detection Research Network's Phases of Biomarker Development. Sensitivity estimates based on clinically diagnosed cases (Phase 2, clinical sensitivity), archived-sample studies (Phase 3, archived-sample sensitivity), and prospectively screened cohorts (Phases 4 and 5, prospective empirical sensitivity) are defined and compared against the corresponding expected preclinical sensitivity.

RESULTS: Clinical sensitivity is generally optimistic. Archived-sample sensitivity is optimistic near clinical diagnosis but may be pessimistic at longer look-back intervals, with bias dependent also on test specificity. Prospective empirical sensitivity is optimistic when the sojourn time is long relative to the screening interval. Bias in prospective empirical sensitivity depends also on the frequency and accuracy of confirmation testing following a positive screening test.

CONCLUSIONS: Sensitivity estimates from different phases of biomarker development should be distinguished and labeled accordingly to facilitate realistic assessment of diagnostic performance and prediction of potential benefit.

IMPACT: Our study highlights the need for clearer terminology to describe sensitivity of cancer early detection biomarkers. We introduce new labels, explain biases in sensitivity estimates, and advocate for improved communication to enhance understanding of diagnostic test performance.

RevDate: 2025-04-12
CmpDate: 2025-04-10

Gray CN, Ashokkumar M, Janssens DH, et al (2025)

Integrator complex subunit 12 knockout overcomes a transcriptional block to HIV latency reversal.

eLife, 13:.

The latent HIV reservoir is a major barrier to HIV cure. Combining latency reversal agents (LRAs) with differing mechanisms of action such as AZD5582, a non-canonical NF-kB activator, and I-BET151, a bromodomain inhibitor is appealing toward inducing HIV-1 reactivation. However, even this LRA combination needs improvement as it is inefficient at activating proviruses in cells of people living with HIV (PLWH). We performed a CRISPR screen in conjunction with AZD5582 & I-BET151 and identified a member of the Integrator complex as a target to improve this LRA combination, specifically Integrator complex subunit 12 (INTS12). Integrator functions as a genome-wide attenuator of transcription that acts on elongation through its RNA cleavage and phosphatase modules. Knockout of INTS12 improved latency reactivation at the transcriptional level and is more specific to the HIV-1 provirus than AZD5582 & I-BET151 treatment alone. We found that INTS12 is present on chromatin at the promoter of HIV and therefore its effect on HIV may be direct. Additionally, we observed more RNAPII in the gene body of HIV only with the combination of INTS12 knockout with AZD5582 & I-BET151, indicating that INTS12 induces a transcriptional elongation block to viral reactivation. Moreover, knockout of INTS12 increased HIV-1 reactivation in CD4 T cells from virally suppressed PLWH ex vivo, and we detected viral RNA in the supernatant from CD4 T cells of all three virally suppressed PLWH tested upon INTS12 knockout, suggesting that INTS12 prevents full-length HIV RNA production in primary T cells. Finally, we found that INTS12 more generally limits the efficacy of a variety of LRAs with different mechanisms of action.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Villalobos A, Lipman PD, Beebe-Dimmer J, et al (2025)

Synergies, partnership outcomes, and lessons learned: A qualitative evaluation of cancer center-coalition engagement.

JNCI cancer spectrum pii:8109646 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Nine National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers received supplemental funding to expand community outreach and engagement (COE) activities through a partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded comprehensive cancer control coalitions. This article reports on an evaluation of these awards focused on organizational relationship synergies and partnership outcomes.

METHODS: NCI, COE, and coalition representatives co-designed the evaluation, which involved document review and 18 semi-structured interviews with 16 COE and 19 coalition representatives. AI-generated interview transcripts were dual-coded in NVivo 20/R1.

RESULTS: The funding generated a diverse collection of projects and partnerships. COE-coalition synergies and lessons learned were evident in the following domains: infrastructure, community and partner engagement, data monitoring, and intervention implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Outcomes of this funding initiative were evident in the following domains: strengthened partnerships, expanded knowledge, improved health or healthcare programs and policies, and thriving communities.

CONCLUSIONS: Fostering COE-coalition partnerships created opportunities to leverage synergies and build capacity for engagement across multiple domains, contributing to enhanced trust and implementation of interventions across the cancer continuum. The findings provide examples and lessons about synergistic opportunities for cancer centers and coalitions to capitalize on. Successful collaborative relationships were based on identifying shared goals and complimentary expertise and roles, sharing of financial and other resources, and a commitment to authentic and open dialogue. While modest and short-term, supplemental funding can strengthen organizational relationships and promote effective collaboration on community-facing activities; it can also lead to improved research engagement and translation of evidence to practice.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Elbur AI, Donnell D, Hosek S, et al (2025)

The Association Between Use of Adherence Support Interventions and Adherence to HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Young South African and Zimbabwean Women in HPTN 082.

AIDS and behavior [Epub ahead of print].

We assessed the association between PrEP adherence support interventions and intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) levels, a biomarker for PrEP adherence, using data from 368 South African and Zimbabwean adolescent girls and young women enrolled in the HIV Prevention Trials Network 082 trial from 2016 to 2018. Group-based trajectory modeling identified trajectories of TFV-DP levels and adherence support interventions, including weekly two-way SMS and optional monthly adherence clubs. Two trajectories of TFV-DP levels were identified: a consistently low trajectory (N = 248, 67.4%, with consistent TFV-DP levels of 100 fmol/punch) and a high-decreasing trajectory (N = 120, 32.6%, with TFV-DP levels decreasing from approximately 900 to 500 fmol/punch). Two trajectories were also observed for adherence club attendance: consistently moderate (N = 249, 67.7%, attended approximately two out of three clubs in a three-month period) and low-increasing (N = 119, 32.3%). Similarly, SMS response patterns included a consistently high engagement group (N = 222, 66.1%), who responded to approximately 90% of messages, and a consistently low engagement group (N = 114, 33.9%). Women with consistently high SMS responses had higher odds of being in the high-decreasing TFV-DP levels trajectory group (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 6.6; 95% CI 2.8-15.5; p < 0.001), while those with a consistently moderate adherence club attendance trajectory had an AOR of 1.3 (95% CI 0.5-3.3, p = 0.620) for being in the same group. Use of PrEP was aligned with the higher response trajectories of SMS responses but not with attendance to adherence support clubs.

RevDate: 2025-04-10
CmpDate: 2025-04-09

Gilligan T, Lin DW, Adra N, et al (2025)

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Testicular Cancer, Version 2.2025.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 23(4):.

The NCCN Guidelines for Testicular Cancer provide recommendations for the multidisciplinary approach to the diagnostic workup, treatment, and follow-up for testicular germ cell tumors, including both seminoma and nonseminoma. These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss the current treatment recommendations and supporting clinical data for seminomas as presented in Version 2.2025 of the NCCN Guidelines for Testicular Cancer.

RevDate: 2025-04-10
CmpDate: 2025-04-09

Biermann JS, Hirbe A, Ahlawat S, et al (2025)

Bone Cancer, Version 2.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 23(4):.

Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma constitute 36% of all primary bone cancers. However, these 2 subtypes represent the most commonly diagnosed bone cancer types in the pediatric and adolescent population. Although still largely unknown, certain genetic mutations, rearrangements, and/or predisposition syndromes likely play a role in the pathogenesis of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma may also develop as a direct result of the long-term side effects of radiation therapy. With the implementation of a multimodality approach to treatment, including multiagent neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, targeted therapy options, surgery, and radiation, individuals with Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma are showing higher cure rates and improved overall survival. The NCCN Guidelines for Bone Cancer provide a consensus and evidence-based framework for the workup, management, and surveillance of local and recurrent/metastatic disease.

RevDate: 2025-04-10
CmpDate: 2025-04-09

Lerner BA, Gupta S, Burke CA, et al (2025)

Advancing the Evaluation and Management of CDH1-Associated Gastric Cancer.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 23(4):.

Gastric cancer is a significant global health concern, with CDH1-associated gastric cancer representing a small but important subset of cases. Historically, individuals with CDH1 pathogenic germline variants were advised to undergo prophylactic total gastrectomy due to the high reported risk of gastric cancer and the limited sensitivity of upper endoscopy in detecting signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). However, emerging data suggest that the cumulative lifetime risk of advanced gastric cancer among CDH1 germline pathogenic variant carriers is lower than previously thought, and early-stage SRCC detected on endoscopy does not necessarily indicate imminent-or even eventual-progression to advanced cancer. The near-universal presence of T1a SRCC in gastrectomy specimens from asymptomatic CDH1 pathogenic variant carriers calls into question the reflexive recommendation for gastrectomy, including upon detection of SRCC during surveillance. Furthermore, the morbidity and quality-of-life impact associated with total gastrectomy require careful consideration. Active endoscopic surveillance has shown promise as an alternative management strategy for gastrectomy in patients lacking indicators of >T1a SRCC, though current data are limited by short follow-up periods and selection bias. This review synthesizes recent findings on the natural history of CDH1-associated gastric cancer and evaluates the risks and benefits of gastrectomy versus active endoscopic surveillance, with the goal of helping clinicians provide personalized and evidence-based recommendations for patients with CDH1 pathogenic variants.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Shadman M, Brown JR, Mohseninejad L, et al (2025)

Comparative efficacy of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors in high-risk relapsed/refractory CLL: a network meta-analysis.

Blood advances pii:536664 [Epub ahead of print].

Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) have led to changes in the treatment algorithm for patients with high-risk relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL), defined based on the presence of genetic mutations. Given the lack of head-to-head trials comparing next-generation BTKis used to treat high-risk R/R disease, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to estimate their relative efficacy. High-risk populations were defined based on the pre-specified definitions within each trial, including patients with del(17p) and/or TP53 mutations in ALPINE (n=150), and ASCEND (n=86), and del(17p)/del(11q) in ELEVATE-RR (n=533). Bayesian NMAs found zanubrutinib to be the most efficacious treatment for high-risk patients, with significantly reduced risk of progression or death compared with ibrutinib (hazard ratio [95% credible interval (CrI)]: 0.49 [0.31, 0.78]), acalabrutinib (0.55 [0.32, 0.94]), and bendamustine + rituximab or idelalisib + rituximab (BR/IR) (0.12 [0.05, 0.26]). Differences in overall survival demonstrated a numerical trend favoring zanubrutinib (probability better ≥80%) compared to ibrutinib (hazard ratio [95% credible interval]: 0.59 [0.31, 1.11]), acalabrutinib (0.72 [0.35, 1.50]) and BR/IR (0.65 [0.23, 1.75]). Rates of response also demonstrated trends favoring zanubrutinib compared to acalabrutinib, with significant results compared to ibrutinib. The NMA suggests that the most efficacious BTKi for patients with high-risk R/R CLL is zanubrutinib.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Yegya-Raman N, Plastaras JP, Wright CM, et al (2025)

Bridging Radiotherapy Prior to Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cells for B-Cell Lymphomas: An ILROG Multicenter Study.

Blood advances pii:536662 [Epub ahead of print].

Despite the increasing utilization of bridging radiotherapy (Br-RT), its impact on chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) efficacy and toxicity remains poorly characterized. We retrospectively reviewed patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas (r/r BCL) who received Br-RT followed by CAR-T from 2018-2020 across 10 institutions. Br-RT toxicities were graded per CTCAE v5.0, and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) per ASTCT Consensus Guidelines. 172 patients (168 large BCL, 3 mantle cell, 1 Burkitt) received Br-RT prior to axicabtagene ciloleucel (73%), tisagenlecleucel (23%), or brexucabtagene autoleucel (2%). At leukapheresis, most patients (74%) had advanced-stage disease and 39% had bulky disease measuring ≥10cm. Comprehensive Br-RT was administered to 39% (n=67) and bridging systemic therapy to 35% (n=60). Among all patients, grade ≥3 Br-RT toxicity occurred in 2% [one grade 5 toxicity], grade ≥3 CRS in 9%, and grade ≥3 ICANS in 24%. Median follow-up was 31.3 months. Two-year PFS and OS were 38% and 53%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, comprehensive Br-RT was associated with superior PFS (HR 0.38, p<0.001) and OS (HR 0.48, p=0.011). Patients with LDH normalization following Br-RT (high pre-Br-RT LDH, normal post-Br-RT LDH) had superior PFS and OS compared to those with high post-Br-RT LDH, and similar PFS and OS compared to those with normal baseline LDH. In this particularly high-risk cohort, Br-RT prior to CAR-T demonstrates an acceptable toxicity profile with favorable clinical outcomes when compared to historical controls. Comprehensive Br-RT and LDH normalization post-Br-RT may be associated with superior PFS and OS.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Kampouri E, Flaherty PW, Xie H, et al (2025)

The Impact of CMV Reactivation on Mortality After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy.

Blood advances pii:536660 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2025-04-14
CmpDate: 2025-04-14

Pierson SK, Brandstadter JD, Torigian DA, et al (2025)

Characterizing the heterogeneity of Castleman disease and oligocentric subtype: findings from the ACCELERATE registry.

Blood advances, 9(8):1952-1965.

Castleman disease (CD) describes a group of rare lymphoproliferative disorders that exhibit a wide range of symptomatology and degree of lymphadenopathy, particularly across the 2 forms of CD with unknown etiology, unicentric CD (UCD), and human herpesvirus-8-negative/idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD). Whereas UCD cases typically present with localized lymphadenopathy and mild symptoms, iMCD involves multicentric lymphadenopathy and cytokine storm-driven symptoms with 3 recognized clinical phenotypes. Increasingly, there are anecdotal reports of cases that do not fit into this framework, but these cases have not been systematically described. Herein, we use the ACCELERATE natural history registry to characterize the spectrum of CD based on disease features, symptomatology, and severity. Our results characterize a cohort of 179 CD cases, which were reviewed and confirmed by an expert panel of clinicians and hematopathologists. We show that patients with CD present on a continuous spectrum of clinical phenotypes, and we describe oligocentric CD (OligoCD), an intermediate phenotype that does not fit the criteria for UCD or iMCD. These cases tend to have "oligocentric" lymphadenopathy (median [interquartile range] regions of lymphadenopathy, 3.0 [2.0-4.0]) in a regional pattern and exhibit a mild clinical phenotype that is more similar to UCD than iMCD. We also show that patients with OligoCD are inconsistently categorized as UCD vs iMCD, highlighting the need for this characterization. Future data collected through ACCELERATE may further elucidate the natural history and risk profile of these patients.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

McQuoid J, Blackwell M, Bradley D, et al (2025)

"It took me on a journey other than just to stop smoking": Pilot trial outcomes of an Empowerment Theory-based smoking cessation intervention for sexual and/or gender minoritized people in Oklahoma.

Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco pii:8109343 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Sexual and/or gender minoritized (SGM) people are more likely to smoke if they live where SGM stigma is high, and existing SGM-tailored cessation interventions do not address unique challenges of these environments. This paper reports outcomes from a single-arm pilot trial of an Empowerment Theory-based smoking cessation intervention for SGM people living in high-stigma environments.

METHODS: SGM adults willing to quit smoking (N=20; Oklahoma) participated in a 12-week intervention comprised of online SGM-serving volunteer activity sessions concurrent with remotely-delivered smoking cessation support (i.e., behavioral support plus combination nicotine replacement therapy [NRT]). Baseline and exit surveys and in-depth exit interviews addressed retention, acceptability, engagement, and adherence.

RESULTS: Study retention was 80.0% (16/20). Most exit survey respondents attended ≥4 volunteer activity sessions (62.5%; 10/16) and ≥4 cessation counseling sessions (87.5%; 14/16), had moderate/high NRT adherence (patch 84.6%; 11/13 and gum/lozenge 76.9%; 10/13), and would recommend the intervention (81.3%; 13/16). At exit, 7-day point prevalence abstinence was self-reported by 45.0% (9/20; missing=smoking) of all participants and 56.3% (9/16) of exit survey respondents. At least half of participants reported pre-post intervention increases in perceived assertiveness and/or decreases in sexual identity acceptance concerns, concealment concerns, and internalized transphobia. Interviews identified intervention endorsement reasons, including experiencing greater belonging and hope.

CONCLUSION: A novel approach to SGM-tailored smoking cessation treatment that leveraged Empowerment Theory was feasible and acceptable. Future work should refine and adapt this intervention for other high-stigma places, test its efficacy and treatment mechanisms, and measure organizational and individual-level outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS: This study adds to the literature on culturally tailored smoking cessation interventions as the first tobacco intervention tailored for SGM people in high-stigma environments. It used a novel application of Empowerment Theory to advance SGM smoking cessation and resilience in the face of minority stress. Findings from this pilot study in Oklahoma indicate promising feasibility and acceptability and will inform future interventions to address tobacco use disparities among SGM people in high-stigma environments.

RevDate: 2025-04-10

Dickson E, Kuhlemeier A, Adsul P, et al (2025)

Developing the engage for equity institutional multi-sector survey: Assessing academic institutional culture and climate for community-based participatory research (CBPR).

Journal of clinical and translational science, 9(1):e44.

INTRODUCTION: Community-engaged research/community-based participatory research/patient-engaged research (CEnR/CBPR/PEnR) are increasingly recognized as important approaches for addressing health equity. However, there is limited support for CEnR/CBPR/PEnR within Academic Health Centers (AHCs). It is important for AHCs to measure and monitor the context, process, and policies in support for CEnR/CBPR/PEnR. The Engage for Equity (E2) team developed the first Institutional Multi-Sector Survey (IMSS) instrument to assess and explore CEnR/CBPR/PEnR-related practices at three AHCs.

METHODS: Working with "champion teams" consisting of academic leaders, researchers, and patient/community partners at each AHC, we developed the IMSS to assess the following domains: institutional mission, vision, and values; CEnR/CBPR/PEnR policies/practices; community processes/structures; function of formal community advisory boards; climate/culture for CEnR/CBPR; perceptions of institutional leadership for CEnR/CBPR/PEnR. The survey was piloted to a convenience sample of CEnR/CBPR/PEnR participants at each AHC site.

RESULTS: A sample aggregated across all sites consisting of community (n = 49) and academic (n = 50) participants perceived high levels of advocacy for CEnR/CBPR/PEnR among their AHC research teams. Participants indicated that institutional leadership supported CEnR/CBPR/PEnR in principle, but resources to build CEnR/CBPR/PEnR capacity at their respective institutions were lacking. Differences in responses from community and academic partners are summarized.

CONCLUSIONS: While limited by survey length and question adaptation, the findings contribute to identification of institutional barriers and facilitators to CEnR/CBPR/PEnR in AHCs. These findings are critically important to support and improve CEnR/CBPR/PEnR practice in academic institutions and to elevate community partner voices and needs for advancing community and patient partners' research.

RevDate: 2025-04-10

Aschbrenner KA, Walsh-Bailey C, Brown MC, et al (2025)

Practical considerations for engaging staff in resource-constrained healthcare settings in implementation research: A qualitative focus group and consensus building study.

Journal of clinical and translational science, 9(1):e65.

BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this study was to assess perceived burdens and benefits of participating in implementation research among staff employed in resource-constrained healthcare settings. Another objective was to use findings to generate considerations for engaging staff in research across different phases of implementation research.

METHODS: This qualitative focus group and consensus building study involved researchers affiliated with the National Cancer Institute Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control program and nine Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Massachusetts. Six focus groups (n = 3 with CHC staff; n = 3 with researchers) assessed barriers and facilitators to staff participation in implementation research. During consensus discussions, we used findings to develop considerations for engaging staff as participants and partners throughout phases of implementation research.

RESULTS: Sixteen researchers and 14 staff participated in separate focus groups; nine researchers and seven staff participated in separate consensus discussions. Themes emerged across participant groups in three domains: (1) influences on research participation; (2) research burdens and benefits; and (3) ways to facilitate staff participation in research. Practical considerations included: (a) aligning research with organizational and staff values and priorities; (b) applying user-centered design to research methods; (c) building organizational and individual research capacity; and (d) offering equitable incentives for staff participation.

CONCLUSIONS: Engaging staff as participants and partners across different phases of implementation research requires knowledge about what contributes to research burden and benefits and addressing context-specific burdens and benefits.

RevDate: 2025-04-10

Briant KJ, Adsul P, Carosso EA, et al (2025)

Adoption of E2PLUS tools and resources to promote the development of institutional capacity for patient-centered and community-engaged research at a cancer center.

Journal of clinical and translational science, 9(1):e72.

INTRODUCTION: The Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium's (Consortium) Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE) joined Stanford Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine in implementing Engage for Equity Plus (E2PLUS), a multi-institutional community of practice to learn and share patient-centered and community-engaged research (P/CEnR) practices. University of New Mexico (UNM) facilitated this collaboration.

METHODS: The Consortium formed a Champion Team of 12 people who participated in two virtual workshops facilitated by UNM. Consortium executive leadership (n = 4) participated in interviews, and investigators (n = 4) and community members/patient advocates (n = 8) participated in focus groups to provide institutional context regarding P/CEnR. This is a paper on the process and findings.

RESULTS: Through E2PLUS engagement, the Champion Team identified four strategies to address institutional health inequities: 1) increase participation of underrepresented groups at all levels of institutional leadership and advisory boards; 2) create an Office of Patient Engagement to train and support patients who participate in institutional initiatives and advise research teams; 3) expand community engagement training, resources, and institutional commitment to focus on community-identified social and health needs; and 4) establish an umbrella entity for health equity efforts across the Consortium.

CONCLUSION: While the Consortium had longstanding community advisory boards and faculty and staff with P/CEnR expertise, it did not have centralized and institutionally supported P/CEnR resources, policies, and infrastructure. By participating in E2PLUS, the Champion Team received technical assistance to leverage qualitative data to influence strategies to guide the development of Consortium health equity infrastructure and capacity for P/CEnR in Washington.

RevDate: 2025-04-09

Macris PC, K McMillen (2025)

Nutrition issues in adult hematopoietic cell transplantation: A narrative review of latest advances.

Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition [Epub ahead of print].

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are a highly heterogenous population with respect to their unique nutrient requirements and need for nutrition support. Dose-intensive conditioning regimens in addition to the debilitating effects of graft-vs-host disease impact and adversely affect the transplant recipient's nutrition status. Decreased oral intake, increased nutrient requirements, and impaired nutrient absorption and utilization often necessitate specialized nutrition support. The use of parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition support, as well as dietary intervention strategies for immunocompromised patients, have varied over the past five decades and are highly dependent on the type of transplant used. This review highlights adult nutrition assessment components, nutrition support practices, and management of complex nutrition consequences associated with HCT.

RevDate: 2025-04-11

Chunara F, Lugo C, Osinski K, et al (2025)

Real-world treatment patterns for teclistamab and talquetamab in multiple myeloma (MM): experience from 609 patients.

Blood cancer journal, 15(1):61.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Chen Y, Montaño MA, Naik P, et al (2025)

Incremental cost of pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis service provision via an online pharmacy in Kenya.

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) pii:00126334-990000000-00628 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Online pharmacy HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) provision is a novel strategy to expand HIV prevention coverage. In the ePrEP pilot study, we found online pharmacy PrEP/PEP was feasible and reached populations at HIV risk in Kenya. However, program costs data are lacking.

METHODS: We conducted a costing within the ePrEP pilot study in Nairobi from 11/01/2022-12/29/2023. We obtained costs from expense reports and conducted time-and-motion observations and staff interviews. We estimated total and unit costs in the first year of implementation, cost per client and per PrEP client-month (2023 US Dollars (USD)).

RESULTS: Overall, 229 clients initiated PrEP (507 months of PrEP coverage) and 1320 initiated PEP. Based on observed program volume, annual financial cost was $109,945 USD (PrEP: $19,456; PEP: $90,489). Cost per client was higher for PrEP than PEP ($85 vs $68.6), and cost per PrEP client-month was $38 (mean duration: 2.2 months). Main drivers of financial costs were courier-delivery of HIV testing kits and drugs (PrEP: 50.6%; PEP: 40.5%), demand generation (PrEP: 25.9%; PEP: 32.1%), and equipment, system development, and utilities (PrEP: 9.3%; PEP: 9.8%). Assuming a scaled-up client volume of 2500 (PrEP: 370; PEP: 2130) reduced per-client financial costs for PrEP ($65.5) and PEP ($56) and cost per PrEP client-month ($29.6).

CONCLUSIONS: Costs of online PrEP/PEP provision is likely higher than clinic-based PrEP. Implementing cost sharing models including charging clients for HIV testing and optimizing courier delivery routes can increase program efficiencies. Our cost estimates can inform economic evaluations of online PrEP/PEP delivery.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Tuazon SA, Portuguese AJ, Pont MJ, et al (2025)

A phase 1 trial of fully human BCMA CAR-T therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma with 5-year follow-up.

Blood pii:536609 [Epub ahead of print].

FCARH143, an autologous BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy which incorporates a fully human BCMA-specific scFv and 4-1BB costimulatory domain, was evaluated in a phase 1 trial (NCT03338972) for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Patients were stratified by bone marrow (BM) plasma cell involvement (10-30% or >30%) and received lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by escalating CAR-T cell doses (50×106 to 450×106). The primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Among 28 enrolled patients, all underwent leukapheresis and successful CAR-T manufacturing, though three (11%) did not proceed to infusion. The 25 treated patients (median age 64 years) had a median of eight prior therapies, 80% were triple-class refractory, and 44% had extramedullary disease (EMD). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 84% (8% grade 3-4, no grade 5), and neurotoxicity in 24% (12% grade 3, no grade 4-5). No treatment-related deaths occurred. At a median follow-up of 67.3 months, treated patients had an ORR of 100%, including a stringent complete response in 64%. Median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 15.5 and 32.1 months, respectively. In an intention-to-treat analysis (median follow-up 69.6 months), the ORR was 89.3%, and OS was 30.2 months. FCARH143 demonstrated potent anti-myeloma activity with a 100% response rate and manageable toxicity, independent of disease burden or cytogenetic risk. Further evaluation in high-risk RRMM is warranted.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Li YL, Langley C, Emerman M, et al (2025)

APOBEC3G Antagonism by Vif, or When Structure Meets Biological and Evolutionary Studies.

Annual review of virology [Epub ahead of print].

Restriction factors serve as innate host defenses against viruses and act as critical barriers to cross-species transmission. In response, viruses have evolved accessory proteins to counteract restriction factors, enabling evasion of innate immune responses. The interplay between primate APOBEC3G (A3G) and lentiviral virion infectivity factor (Vif) exemplifies a molecular arms race between a restriction factor and its viral antagonist. This review integrates evolutionary and functional analyses of this system, showing how genetic signatures of molecular arms races map onto high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures. However, A3G's interaction with Vif is not limited to the evolutionary dynamic interface, characterized by rapidly evolving residues under selective pressure, but also involves a conserved interface mediated by RNA binding that positions A3G for antagonism by Vif. These findings propose a model wherein Vif and potentially other viral antagonists target functional complexes using a dual strategy: leveraging both adaptive interfaces subject to evolutionary pressures and conserved interfaces that constrain host escape mechanisms.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Dima D, Afrough A, Goel U, et al (2025)

Teclistamab for Patients with Heavily Pretreated Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma and Renal Impairment.

Blood advances pii:536605 [Epub ahead of print].

Outcomes of bispecific antibodies in patients with renal impairment (RI) are not well-characterized given the exclusion of these patients from clinical trials. Herein, we evaluated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and RI treated with standard-of-care teclistamab. RI was defined as creatinine clearance (CrCl) <40mL/min. CrCl <30mL/min or dialysis dependence were defined as severe RI. Of the 384 included patients, 81 (21%) had RI, including 45 (18%) with severe RI, and 18 (5%) on dialysis. Patients with RI were more likely to be older (median age 71 vs. 67 years, p=0.002), and have a higher median number of prior lines of therapy (7 vs. 6, p=0.04). Rates and severity of cytokine release syndrome (51% vs. 59%, grade ≥3: 1.2% vs. 1%) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (16% vs. 13%; grade ≥3: 2.5% vs 2.6%) were similar in patients with and without RI, respectively. Patients with RI had higher baseline and day-30 post-teclistamab grade ≥3 anemia and grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia. Renal function did not worsen after teclistamab initiation in patients with RI outside of the context of disease progression. Overall response rate (52% vs. 56%, p=0.61) and survival outcomes (median progression-free survival: 4.6 vs. 6.5 months; p=0.62) were comparable in patients with and without RI, respectively, after a median follow-up of 9.9 months. No differences in overall survival or non-relapse mortality were noted. Our findings suggest that treatment with teclistamab is feasible in patients with RI including those on dialysis, with a similar safety and efficacy profile to patients without RI.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Ashokkumar M, Hafer TL, Felton A, et al (2025)

A targeted CRISPR screen identifies ETS1 as a regulator of HIV-1 latency.

PLoS pathogens, 21(4):e1012467 pii:PPATHOGENS-D-24-01652 [Epub ahead of print].

Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is regulated by a wide array of host cell factors that combine to influence viral transcription and latency. To understand the complex relationship between the host cell and HIV-1 latency, we performed a lentiviral CRISPR screen that targeted a set of host cell genes whose expression or activity correlates with HIV-1 expression. We further investigated one of the identified factors - the transcription factor ETS1, and found that it is required for maintenance of HIV-1 latency in both latently infected cell lines and in a primary CD4 T cell latency model. Interestingly, ETS1 played divergent roles in actively infected and latently infected CD4 T cells, with knockout of ETS1 leading to reduced HIV-1 expression in actively infected cells, but increased HIV-1 expression in latently infected cells, indicating that ETS1 can play both a positive and negative role in HIV-1 expression. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of ETS1 in CD4 T cells from ART-suppressed people with HIV-1 (PWH) confirmed that ETS1 maintains transcriptional repression of the clinical HIV-1 reservoir. Transcriptomic profiling of ETS1-depleted cells from PWH identified a set of host cell pathways involved in viral transcription that are controlled by ETS1 in resting CD4 T cells. In particular, we observed that ETS1 knockout increased expression of the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 that has been previously identified as a positive regulator of HIV-1 expression. Furthermore, the impact of ETS1 depletion on HIV-1 expression in latently infected cells was partially dependent on MALAT1. Additionally, we demonstrate that ETS1 knockout resulted in enhanced abundance of activating modifications (H3K9Ac, H3K27Ac, H3K4me3) on histones located at the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR), indicating that ETS1 regulates the activity of chromatin-targeting complexes at the HIV-1 LTR. Overall, these data demonstrate that ETS1 is an important regulator of HIV-1 latency that impacts HIV-1 expression through repressing MALAT1 expression and by regulating modification of proviral histones.

RevDate: 2025-04-08
CmpDate: 2025-04-08

Jones MK, Nicklawsky A, Shortt J, et al (2025)

Pharmacogenomics of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy using an electronic health record-derived definition: a genome-wide association study.

Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 33(5):362.

PURPOSE: Prior studies evaluating the genetic predisposition to chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) have been limited by small populations due to difficulty with real-world data extraction. This genome-wide association study (GWAS) evaluates the genetic differences between patients who developed CIPN against those unaffected, using an electronic health record (EHR) definition of CIPN.

METHODS: This study included all patients who received chemotherapy associated with CIPN and had germline genetic data within the biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine. CIPN was defined by a new neuropathic pain medication or an ICD-diagnosis of neuropathy after specified chemotherapy initiation. GWAS were stratified by (1) total population, (2) platinum chemotherapy, (3) taxane chemotherapy, and (4) vinca alkaloid chemotherapy. Genes previously associated with CIPN were analyzed within each GWAS.

RESULTS: Nine hundred fifteen patients received chemotherapy associated with CIPN, with 528 patients (57%) developing CIPN. Median age at chemotherapy initiation was 60.5 years; female sex (n = 517, 56.5%) and White or Caucasian race (n = 822, 89.8%) were most common. Among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that reached suggestive levels of genome-wide significance (p < 1 × 10[-5]), 60 SNPs occurred within 11 genes that may play a role in the development of or protection against CIPN, including RCOR1, CLDN14, TRIM5, and TMC2. No SNPs previously associated with CIPN achieved genome-wide significance in this population.

CONCLUSION: This pharmacogenomic study suggests several genomic loci that may modulate the development of CIPN. This EHR-definition may allow for increased sample sizes and improved statistical power in future genetic studies of CIPN.

RevDate: 2025-04-09
CmpDate: 2025-04-09

Kantarjian H, Zhai Y, Oehler VG, et al (2025)

Olverembatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia-Review of historical development, current status, and future research.

Cancer, 131(8):e35832.

Once considered an incurable disease with a poor prognosis (median survival, 3-6 years), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is now managed with a diverse clinical armamentarium that includes BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which have largely normalized life expectancy in most patients in the chronic phase of the disease (CML-CP). Clinical challenges remain, including ABL1 mutation-driven treatment resistance (under the selection pressures exerted by TKIs), as well as treatment intolerance, which can involve potentially serious arterial occlusive events. Olverembatinib is a third-generation TKI approved in China for TKI-resistant CML-CP and accelerated-phase CML with the T135I mutation, as well as for CML-CP resistant to or intolerant of first- and/or second-generation TKIs. Olverembatinib exhibits a broad coverage of ABL1 mutants, including the gatekeeper T315I variant and compound mutations. In preclinical models, olverembatinib inhibited multiple downstream protein kinases, which has potentially opened avenues for future management of other malignancies, including acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias, gastrointestinal tumors, and others. The pharmacokinetic profile of olverembatinib is compatible with alternate-day dosing. In clinical trials, olverembatinib exerted potent antileukemic effects in heavily pretreated patients with CML, including those with ponatinib or asciminib resistance or intolerance, and was well tolerated. Future studies include the phase 3 registrational POLARIS-1 (NCT06051409; in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia), POLARIS-2 (NCT06423911; in patients with CML with or without the T315I mutation), and POLARIS-3 (NCT06640361; in patients with succinate dehydrogenase-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors) clinical trials.

RevDate: 2025-04-08

Sandfort TGM, Szydlo D, Fogel JM, et al (2025)

Gaps in HIV Treatment and Care Cascade Among Men and Transfeminine Persons Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa: Findings from the HIV Prevention Trials Network 075 Study (2015-2017).

AIDS patient care and STDs [Epub ahead of print].

Improving HIV outcomes for men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa requires addressing gaps in the HIV treatment cascade. This study examined these gaps among 71 treatment-naive MSM with HIV in the HIV Prevention Trials Network 075, a 1-year prospective biobehavioral cohort study (2015-2017) across four sub-Saharan African sites. Following a positive diagnosis, 86% of participants sought HIV care. Reasons for not having sought care or delays included a lack of perceived health issues and practical challenges. Most participants (80%) who engaged in care were prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although self-reported adherence was high, over one-third of those prescribed ART had no detectable antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at the study's conclusion. ARV detection was significantly associated with study site, higher income, and experienced homophobia. The highest adherence rates were observed at the site offering direct, integrated treatment, underscoring the potential of "one-stop shop" services to mitigate intra-, interpersonal, and structural barriers. Despite a supportive study environment, gaps remain in linking MSM and transfeminine individuals to sustained HIV care and ART adherence. Given the urgency of addressing HIV among these populations, targeted interventions that promote engagement in care and adherence to treatment are critical.

RevDate: 2025-04-07

Zhang X, Scadden AW, Marthi A, et al (2025)

Alterations in DNA Methylation, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Profiles in African Ancestry Populations with APOL1 Risk Alleles.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN pii:00001751-990000000-00616 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: The APOL1 high-risk haplotype has been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the deterioration of kidney function, particularly in populations with West African ancestry. However, the mechanisms by which APOL1 risk variants increase the risk for kidney disease and its progression have not been fully elucidated.

METHODS: We compared methylation (N = 3,191; 715 [22%] carriers), proteomic (N = 1,240; 169 [14%] carriers), and metabolomic (N = 6,309; 674 [11%] carriers) profiles in African and Hispanic/Latino carriers of two APOL1 high-risk alleles (G1/G1, G2/G2, G1/G2) and non-carriers (G0/G0), excluding heterozygotes (G0/G1, G0/G2), from the PAGE Consortium and UK BioBank. In each study, the associations between the APOL1 high-risk haplotype and up to 722,719 CpG sites, 2,923 proteins, or 836 metabolites were estimated using covariate-adjusted linear regression models, followed by fixed-effects sample size weighted meta-analyses.

RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between APOL1 high-risk haplotype and methylation at 52 CpG sites, with 48 located on chromosome 22 and 18 in the vicinity of APOL1 - 4 and MYH9. All significant CpG sites near APOL2 were hypomethylated, whereas those near APOL3 and APOL4 were hypermethylated. APOL1-associated CpG sites were also identified in genes involved in ion transport and mitochondrial stress pathways. Sensitivity analyses indicated consistent yet attenuated effects among heterozygotes, supporting an additive effect of APOL1 risk alleles. Further analyses of the 52 CpG sites identified two near APOL4 exhibiting G1-specific effects, eight associated with CKD but none with eGFR, and three showing heterogeneity by CKD status. Additionally, carrying two APOL1 risk alleles was associated with higher plasma APOL1 protein (β = 1.12, PFDR = 2.26e-70) and lower C18:1 cholesteryl ester metabolite (Z = -4.50, PFDR = 4.83e-3).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate differential methylation, proteomic, and metabolomic profiles associated with APOL1 high-risk haplotypes.

RevDate: 2025-04-08
CmpDate: 2025-04-07

Chintsanya M, Talham C, Zhang B, et al (2024)

Vital Sign alterations within 24 hours prior to death in children with retinopathy-positive Cerebral Malaria at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Malawi.

Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi, 36(2):128-133.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a significant obstacle to child health and survival. Plasmodium falciparum infections, especially in children under five, lead to high morbidity and mortality. Cerebral malaria (CM) is a life-threatening complication characterized by coma, and its diagnosis can be improved by observing malarial retinopathy in children. Monitoring vital signs is essential for managing patients with CM.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if changes in vital signs predict death in children with retinopathy positive cerebral malaria (RPCM).

METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study using data collected from children admitted to the Paediatric Research Ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre between 1997 and 2020. Patients who died 24 hours or more after admission were matched with control patients who survived. Linear regression analyses were used to assess the differential time trends of each vital sign in the survivor group and death group. Classification models were used to quantify various vital signs' predictive power of death.

RESULTS: Among the population that died, the estimated change in average respiratory rate per hour approaching death was 0.02 breaths per minute compared to -0.25 breaths per minute among those who survive (p < 0.001), and the estimated change in average BCS per hour approaching death was -0.01 compared to 0.06 among the survivors (p < 0.001). Changes in temperature and heart rate were not associated with clinical deterioration. Three models were developed, and the best receiver operating characteristic curve was 100% sensitive, the corresponding false positive rate was 75%.

CONCLUSION: Changes in respiratory rate and BCS have prognostic significance in the final 24 hours before death in children with cerebral malaria. Extra attention should be paid to these two vital signs as they may help to identify children who are at increased risk of deteriorating.

RevDate: 2025-04-07
CmpDate: 2025-04-07

Moodie Z, Li SS, Giorgi EE, et al (2025)

A polyvalent DNA prime with matched polyvalent protein/GLA-SE boost regimen elicited the most robust and broad IgG and IgG3 V1V2 binding antibody and CD4+ T cell responses among 13 HIV vaccine trials.

Emerging microbes & infections, 14(1):2485317.

Developing an effective HIV vaccine is a momentous challenge. An exceptionally wide range of candidate HIV vaccines have been tested, yet many were poorly immunogenic, and of the select few that advanced into efficacy trials, only one demonstrated any efficacy. Here we report the results of the largest-scale cross-protocol immunogenicity comparison to date: 13 HIV vaccine trials (including 36 vaccine regimens) conducted across nine countries worldwide, strengthened by standardized trial designs, validated assays in centralized laboratories, and harmonized immunogenicity endpoints - providing an objective approach to identify the HIV vaccine candidate(s) with the best immunogenicity. A polyvalent DNA prime + protein boost regimen (HVTN 124) including Env immunogens of four subtypes, matched between prime and boost, achieved the best anti-V1V2 antibody responses by a large margin and also induced high CD4+ T-cell responses - two key immune responses implicated in HIV vaccine protection. Our results provide strong support to test this promising HIV vaccine design in more advanced phase clinical trials and will also guide the future design of additional HIV vaccines.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01799954..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02109354..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02404311..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02207920..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02296541..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03284710..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02915016..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02997969..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03122223..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03409276..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02968849..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03060629..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00223080..

RevDate: 2025-04-07
CmpDate: 2025-04-07

Osei-Assibey BA, FM Lewis (2025)

Helping Her Heal-Ghana: A pilot feasibility study of a culturally adapted educational counseling intervention for spouse caregivers of women with breast cancer.

Palliative & supportive care, 23:e88 pii:S1478951524002153.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the leading cancer in Ghana, Africa, accounting for 31% of all cancers in women. The effects of breast cancer are not limited to the woman but also impact the spouse's anxiety, depressed mood, and coping behavior. Helping Her Heal (HHH)-Ghana is a culturally adapted evidenced-based intervention with potential to improve health outcomes of spouse caregivers.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to ascertain the feasibility, acceptability, and short-term impact of HHH-Ghana, a culturally adapted evidenced-based intervention for spouses of women with breast cancer in Ghana.

METHODS: The study used a single group pre-post design. Participants (n = 14) were recruited from medical care providers and were eligible if they were spouse caregivers of wives with Stage I, II, or III breast cancer, were 18 years or older, and had been living with their wives for at least 6 months. Data were obtained by spouse self-report on standardized measures of depressed mood, anxiety, self-care skills, self-efficacy to support their wife, self-efficacy to carry out their own self-care, and the quality of marital communication about breast cancer. Exit interviews were additionally obtained to describe the gains spouses attributed to their participation in the study.

RESULTS: The HHH-Ghana study was feasible and acceptable. Spouses actively engaged in each intervention session and completed the at-home assignments; retention was 87.5%. Spouses significantly improved on standardized measures of anxiety (p = 0.010), depressed mood (p = 0.002), self-care skills (p = 0.006), and their self-efficacy in supporting their wife (p = 0.001) and in carrying out their own self-care (p = 0.011). Although there was no statistically significant change in marital communication, spouses reported in their exit interviews that the intervention enabled them to communicate better and be more attentive listeners to their wives.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Results warrant a larger clinical trial in Ghana.

RevDate: 2025-04-06

Sarchi M, Clough CA, Gallì A, et al (2025)

Distinct routes of clonal progression in SF3B1-mutant myelodysplastic syndromes.

Blood advances pii:536583 [Epub ahead of print].

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal stem cell disorders driven by heterogeneous genetic alterations leading to variable clinical course. MDS with splicing factor SF3B1 mutations is a distinct subtype with a favorable outcome. However, selected co-mutations induce poor prognosis and how these genetic lesions cooperate in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) during disease progression is still unclear. Here, we integrated clinical and molecular profiling of patients with SF3B1 mutations with gene editing of primary and iPSC-derived human HSPCs to show that high-risk co-mutations impart distinct effects on lineage programs of SF3B1-mutant HSPCs. Secondary RUNX1 or STAG2 mutations were clinically associated with advanced disease and reduced survival. However, RUNX1 and STAG2 mutations induced opposing regulation of myeloid transcriptional programs and differentiation in SF3B1-mutant HSPCs. Moreover, high-risk RUNX1 and STAG2, but not low-risk TET2, mutations expanded distinct SF3B1-mutant HSPC subpopulations. These findings provide evidence that progression from low- to high-risk MDS involves distinct molecular and cellular routes depending on co-mutation patterns.

RevDate: 2025-04-05

Guo M, Keane EP, Baliousis M, et al (2025)

A Structured Peer Support Intervention for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Peer Support Interventionists' Perspectives.

Transplantation and cellular therapy pii:S2666-6367(25)01113-3 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Peer support is emerging as an important component of supportive care for patients with hematologic malignancies, but it has not been robustly implemented in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

OBJECTIVES: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of peer support interventionists (participants) delivering a structured, five-session, phone-delivered peer support intervention, the Supporting Transplant Experiences with Peer Program (STEPP) for patients undergoing HSCT.

METHODS: Adult patients who underwent allogeneic or autologous HSCT for the treatment of a hematologic malignancy within the past three years were eligible to volunteer in this study as trained STEPP participants. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' experiences, including their motivations for volunteering, reflections on intervention delivery and on the impact of peer support, and challenges faced while serving in this role. Interviews were deductively analyzed by two coders using framework-guided rapid analysis.

RESULTS: Twenty STEPP interventionists participated in this study. Participants were 65% men, with a median age of 63.5 years. 75% had undergone allogeneic HSCT. Emerging themes from the qualitative interviews highlighted that participants were motivated to serve as interventionists by a sense of gratitude for their transplant care and a desire to share their transplant experiences with others. The impact of the STEPP intervention on interventionists included opportunities to process their transplant journey while also providing support to their peers. Interventionists reported a preference for free-flowing conversations, which were still guided by the structured manual. Challenges included terminating the interventionist-patient relationship at the conclusion of STEPP.

CONCLUSION: Peer support interventions for patients undergoing HSCT have the potential to enhance well-being and provide meaning for both patients preparing to undergo HSCT and HSCT survivors who serve as interventionists. Large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed to test the efficacy of peer support interventions for improving health-related outcomes among patients undergoing HSCT and HSCT survivors serving as interventionists for these interventions.

RevDate: 2025-04-05

Rajan A, J Karpac (2025)

Inter-organ communication in Drosophila: Lipoproteins, adipokines, and immune-metabolic coordination.

Current opinion in cell biology, 94:102508 pii:S0955-0674(25)00046-8 [Epub ahead of print].

Inter-organ communication networks are essential for maintaining systemic homeostasis in multicellular organisms. In Drosophila melanogaster, studies of adipokines and lipoproteins reveal evolutionarily conserved mechanisms coordinating metabolism, immunity, and behavior. This mini-review focuses on two key pathways: the adipokine Unpaired 2 (Upd2) and lipoprotein-mediated signaling. Upd2, a leptin analog, mediates fat-brain communication to regulate insulin secretion, sleep, and feeding behavior. Recent work has uncovered an LC3/Atg8-dependent secretion mechanism for Upd2, linking nutrient sensing to systemic adaptation. Lipoproteins, particularly ApoLpp and LTP, function beyond lipid transport, orchestrating neural maintenance and immune responses. During infection, macrophage-derived signals trigger lipoprotein-mediated lipid redistribution to support host defense. Additionally, muscle tissue emerges as an unexpected mediator of immune-metabolic coordination through inter-organ signaling. These findings highlight the intricate cross-talk between organs required for organismal survival and suggest therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders.

RevDate: 2025-04-05

Hopkins T, Bell-Brown A, Martinez-Pinto P, et al (2025)

A Video Decision Aid Decreases Fear of Colonoscopy After an Abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test Result: A Pilot Study.

Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education [Epub ahead of print].

Colonoscopy completion after abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results is inadequate, and patient fear is a commonly reported barrier. We developed and piloted a video decision aid that addresses fear of colonoscopy among patients with abnormal FIT results. We developed a video decision aid and, in a pilot study, randomized patients in a safety-net healthcare system with abnormal FIT results and no follow-up colonoscopy to the intervention or usual care. Both groups completed a baseline survey that measured fear of colonoscopy, knowledge about colorectal cancer (CRC), self-efficacy, and intent to complete a colonoscopy, and the intervention group repeated the survey after watching the video. Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. Participants that watched the video reported a 17.7% decrease in fear of colonoscopy (p < 0.01) across six domains, including fear of the bowel prep (p < 0.01), the actual colonoscopy procedure (p < 0.01), and possible complications from the procedure (p = 0.04). Participant CRC knowledge also increased across several measures, including a 43.5% decrease in the belief that it is difficult to know which CRC prevention recommendations to follow. Overall, 78.3% of participants found the video to be helpful, and 90.6% would recommend the video to other patients with abnormal FIT results. In a safety-net population with abnormal FIT results, a video decision aid decreased fear of colonoscopy and increased knowledge about CRC. The video decision aid was acceptable to participants and can be considered an additional tool to improve follow-up of abnormal FIT results.

RevDate: 2025-04-05

Choe M, Einav T, Phillips R, et al (2025)

Glycolysis model shows that allostery maintains high ATP and limits accumulation of intermediates.

Biophysical journal pii:S0006-3495(25)00211-5 [Epub ahead of print].

Glycolysis is a conserved metabolic pathway that produces ATP and biosynthetic precursors. It is not well understood how the control of mammalian glycolytic enzymes through allosteric feedback and mass action accomplishes various tasks of ATP homeostasis, such as controlling the rate of ATP production, maintaining high and stable ATP levels, ensuring that ATP hydrolysis generates a net excess of energy, and maintaining glycolytic intermediate concentrations within physiological levels. To investigate these questions, we developed a biophysical model of glycolysis based on enzyme rate equations derived from in vitro kinetic data. This is the first biophysical model of human glycolysis that successfully recapitulates the above tasks of ATP homeostasis and predicts absolute concentrations of glycolytic intermediates and isotope tracing kinetics that align with experimental measurements in human cells. We use the model to show that mass action alone is sufficient to control the ATP production rate and maintain the high energy of ATP hydrolysis. Meanwhile, allosteric regulation of hexokinase (HK) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) by ATP, ADP, inorganic phosphate, and glucose-6-phosphate is required to maintain high ATP levels and to prevent uncontrolled accumulation of phosphorylated intermediates of glycolysis. Allosteric feedback achieves the latter by maintaining HK and PFK enzyme activity at one-half of ATP demand and, thus, inhibiting the reaction of Harden and Young, which otherwise converts glucose to supraphysiological levels of phosphorylated glycolytic intermediates at the expense of ATP. Our methodology provides a roadmap for a quantitative understanding of how metabolic homeostasis emerges from the activities of individual enzymes.

RevDate: 2025-04-04
CmpDate: 2025-04-04

Menon MP, Ddungu H, Mubiru KR, et al (2025)

Phase I Study of Subcutaneous Rituximab Hyaluronidase Combined With CHOP Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Uganda.

JCO global oncology, 11:e2400489.

PURPOSE: Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are treated in low-resource settings have inferior outcomes compared with those in high-resource settings. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, when combined with chemotherapy, improves overall survival (OS) for DLBCL. However, in part due to the limited availability of infusion centers in low-resource countries, rituximab is rarely used. Subcutaneous rituximab (sqR) is a potential solution; however, its safety and efficacy have not been tested in low-income countries.

METHODS: This open-label phase I study enrolled patients 18 years or older with newly diagnosed DLBCL. The first cohort (n = 6) received intravenous rituximab plus CHOP. This cohort received sqR for subsequent cycles. The second cohort (n = 12) received sqR plus CHOP for all cycles. Safety and tolerability were evaluated; secondary outcomes included response rates and treatment completion.

RESULTS: Between October 25, 2019, and October 7, 2022, 18 patients, with a median age of 36.5 years, were enrolled; 10 were male, and 10 presented with advanced-stage disease. The most common hematologic toxicity was neutropenia (n = 9, 50%). Fifteen of the 18 participants completed treatment; 14 (93.3%) patients achieved a complete response, and one patient (6.7%) had a partial response. The OS and progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 months were 83% (95% CI, 68 to 100) and 67% (95% CI, 48 to 92), respectively. The OS and PFS at 24 months were 66% (95% CI, 47 to 92) and 67% (95% CI, 48 to 92), respectively.

CONCLUSION: As demonstrated in other parts of the world, sqR together with CHOP was safe, well-tolerated, and efficacious among Ugandan patients with DLBCL. The very high OS rates are nearly double those of historical controls and comparable with outcomes expected in resource-rich settings. This study demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of sqR-CHOP, increased the research infrastructure in Uganda, and will improve care in other resource-limited settings.

RevDate: 2025-04-04

Reeves DB, Litchford M, Fish CS, et al (2025)

Intact HIV DNA decays in children with and without complete viral load suppression.

PLoS pathogens, 21(4):e1013003 pii:PPATHOGENS-D-24-02557 [Epub ahead of print].

To inform cure in children living with HIV (CWH), we elucidated the dynamics and mechanisms underlying HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 120 Kenyan CWH who initiated ART between 1-12 months of age, 55 had durable viral load suppression, and 65 experienced ART interruptions. We measured plasma HIV RNA levels, CD4+ T cell count, and levels of intact and defective HIV DNA proviruses via the cross-subtype intact proviral DNA assay (CS-IPDA). By modeling data from the durably suppressed subset, we found that during early ART (year 0-1 on ART), plasma RNA levels decayed rapidly and biphasically and intact and defective HIV DNA decayed with mean 3 and 9 month half-lives, respectively. After viral suppression was achieved (years 1-8 on ART), intact HIV DNA decay slowed to a mean 22 month half-life, whilst defective HIV DNA no longer decayed. In five CWH, we found individual CD4+ TCRβ clones wax and wane, but average kinetics resembled those of defective DNA and CD4 count, suggesting that differential decay of intact HIV DNA arises from selective pressures overlaying normal CD4+ T cell kinetics. Finally, by modeling HIV RNA and DNA in CWH with treatment interruptions, we linked temporary viremia to transient rises in HIV DNA, but long-term intact reservoirs were not strongly influenced, suggesting brief treatment interruptions may not significantly increase HIV reservoirs in children.

RevDate: 2025-04-04

Nelson CR, Mallett DR, S Biggins (2025)

Spindle integrity is regulated by a phospho-dependent interaction between the Ndc80 and Dam1 kinetochore complexes.

PLoS genetics, 21(4):e1011645 pii:PGENETICS-D-24-01251 [Epub ahead of print].

Faithful chromosome segregation depends upon kinetochores, large protein complexes that anchor chromosomes to dynamic microtubules, allowing for their movement at anaphase. Critical microtubule-coupling components of the budding yeast kinetochore, the Dam1 (Dam1c) and Ndc80 (Ndc80c) complexes, work cooperatively to ensure that kinetochores track with the plus-ends of microtubules. Additionally, the Dam1 complex plays a distinct role in ensuring the integrity of the mitotic spindle. However, the events required to orchestrate these diverse functions of Dam1c remain unclear. To identify regulatory events on kinetochores, we performed phosphoproteomics on purified kinetochore proteins and identified many previously unknown phosphorylation events. We demonstrate that Ndc80 is phosphorylated at Thr-248 and Thr-252 to promote the interaction between Ndc80 and the Dam1c. The phosphorylation of T248 is cell cycle regulated and depends on Mps1. Ndc80 phosphorylation at T248 and T252 does not appear to regulate kinetochore function and instead contributes to Dam1c localization to the anaphase spindle. A ndc80 phospho-deficient mutant exhibited a genetic interaction and altered spindle morphology when combined with dam1 mutant alleles. Taken together, we propose that Mps1-dependent phosphorylation of Ndc80 at T248 and T252 is removed at anaphase to allow Dam1c to help organize and stabilize the spindle.

RevDate: 2025-04-03
CmpDate: 2025-04-03

Porter J, Ward LC, Nguo K, et al (2025)

Investigating the impact of body composition on the estimation of resting metabolic rate: new equations for adults aged ≥65 years developed using cross-sectional data.

The American journal of clinical nutrition, 121(4):795-803.

BACKGROUND: Due to changes in body composition during aging, the inclusion of body composition measures as a variable within equations to predict resting metabolic rate (RMR) may improve their predictive accuracy.

OBJECTIVES: This analysis of cross-sectional data aimed to develop and validate new RMR equations for older adults (≥65 y) incorporating variables for body composition, to predict performance and accuracy, and to explore the relative contribution of body composition variables acting directly or potentially via fat-free mass (FFM) to RMR.

METHODS: Analyses were conducted utilizing a unique international dataset of gold standard measures developed for this purpose. RMR was predicted from potential predictive variables using stepwise multiple regression. Predictive performance of the final model was assessed using double cross-validation. The new prediction equation was compared with published prediction equations for similar populations and with previously published RMR prediction equations that did not include FFM. Direct associations between the determined predictor variables and RMR with indirect effects mediated via FFM were examined using mediation final (or pathway) analysis.

RESULTS: The dataset contained 1238 participants. The predictive equations {utilizing either FFM (Equation 1) or lean body weight [LBW](Equation 2)} follow. Equation 1: RMR = 8.645 × height + 23.684 × weight - 29.717 × age + 38.213 × FFM + 209.637 × sex + 2693.223; Equation 2: RMR = -30.570 × age + 80.736 × LBW - 186.825 × sex + 3956.822 where RMR (kJ/d); height (cm); weight (kg); age (y); FFM (kg); LBW (kg); sex (M = 1, F = 0). The equation performed similarly to some anthropometric-based prediction equations. Predictors using FFM performed marginally better than those using LBW. All variables had significant (P < 0.001) direct effects upon RMR and significant (P < 0.001) indirect effects for sex, weight, and height.

CONCLUSIONS: New prediction equations predict RMR at the population level with minimal bias; however, the difference in performance with anthropometry-based equations is minimal. This may be explained by the contribution of FFM to weight, whereby equations that include weight are already accounting for FFM.

RevDate: 2025-04-08
CmpDate: 2025-04-03

Arias-Badia M, Pai CS, Lwin YM, et al (2025)

Impact of tumor localization on antitumor immunity with conditionally activated CTLA-4 blockade.

Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 13(4):.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) can induce antitumor efficacy but also induces immune-related adverse events. Systemically administered ICB can activate immune cells throughout the host. Conditionally active ICB with proteolytically cleaved masking domains can potentially reduce the adverse events seen with anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody.

METHODS: We examined how different formats of a conditionally activated dual variable domain IgG (DVD) that binds CTLA-4 and the tumor-associated antigen prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) can lead to efficacy in syngeneic subcutaneous and metastatic murine tumor models. We also defined the capacity of these DVDs to modulate immune responses by multiparameter flow cytometry.

RESULTS: Conditionally active DVDs can uncouple antitumor efficacy from toxicity. A fully cleavable construct (symmetric DVD, sDVD), which can be released from the target tumor cells, showed superior antitumor efficacy compared with asymmetric DVD, which retains its tumor antigen binding. The sDVD elicited the highest tumor-antigen-specific T-cell responses detected in tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes, as well as presenting the highest rate of intratumoral and splenic "non-exhausted" antigen-specific CD8 T cells. SDVD also induced the highest degrees of T-cell memory and self-renewal potential. These effects were dependent on PSCA expression by the tumors.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the notion that ICB modulation of antitumor immunity away from the tumor cells is critically important for optimal antitumor immunity. The bispecific sDVD antibody design may enable improved systemic antitumor responses than traditional ICB in both primary tumors and metastases.

RevDate: 2025-04-03

Diacova T, Cifelli CJ, Davis CD, et al (2025)

Best Practices and Considerations for Conducting Research on Diet-Gut Microbiome Interactions and their Impact on Health in Adult Populations: An Umbrella Review.

Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) pii:S2161-8313(25)00055-9 [Epub ahead of print].

Diet modulates gut microbiome composition and function. However, determining causal links between diet-gut microbiome interactions and human health is complicated by inconsistencies in the evidence, arising partially from variability in research methods and reporting. Widespread adoption of standardized best practices would advance the field but requires those practices be identified, consolidated and discussed. This umbrella review aimed to identify recommended best practices, define existing gaps, and collate considerations for conducting research on diet-gut microbiome interactions and their impact on human health outcomes. Reviews meeting inclusion criteria and published after 2013 were identified using a systematic search. Recommendations, considerations and gaps relating to best practices associated with study design, participant selection, dietary intervention/assessment, biological sample collection, and data analysis and reporting were extracted and consolidated. Eight narrative reviews were included. Several general points of agreement were identified, and a recurring theme was that best practices are dependent upon the research aims, outcomes and feasibility. Multiple gaps were also identified. Some, such as suboptimal diet assessment methods and lack of validated dietary intake biomarkers, are particularly relevant to nutrition science. Others, including defining a "healthy" gut microbiome and the absence of standardized sample and data collection/analysis protocols were relevant specifically to gut microbiome research. Gaps specific to diet-gut microbiome research include the underrepresentation of microbiome-modulating dietary components in food databases, lack of knowledge regarding interventions eliciting changes in the gut microbiome to confer health benefits, lack of in situ measurement methods and the need to further develop and refine statistical approaches for integrating diet and gut microbiome data. Future research and cross-disciplinary exchange will address these gaps and evolve best practices. In the interim, the best practices and considerations discussed herein, and the publications from which that information was extracted, provide a roadmap for conducting diet-gut microbiome research. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023437645.

RevDate: 2025-04-03

Wu M, Russell K, Shaw CM, et al (2025)

Predictors of Cardiac Recovery in Adults With AML Who Develop Heart Failure During Treatment.

JCO oncology practice [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Heart failure is a leading cause of death in patients with AML, who face higher risks of cardiac complications than nonleukemic cancer patients treated with anthracyclines. This study examines factors associated with myocardial dysfunction and recovery occurring during treatment of AML.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with AML who sustained reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during induction therapy at the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (2008-2022). Multivariable analysis compared characteristics between patients who eventually recovered LVEF and those who did not, with survival analysis performed by landmark censoring.

RESULTS: Of 86 patients with AML diagnosed with systolic dysfunction, 41 (48%) failed to recover LVEF. These patients were more frequently male, older than 60 years, had preexisting cardiovascular risk factors, and leukemias of higher risk. Ischemia-related systolic failure was associated with nonrecovery (B = -2.89, P = .005), whereas chemotherapy-related dysfunction was associated with eventual recovery (B = 1.15, P = .014). Frequent use and higher doses of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were found among patients who recovered LVEF. Failure to recover cardiac function was associated with a greater incidence of cardiac-specific mortality (51% v 23%, P = .042), although impact on overall survival was unclear.

CONCLUSION: Our retrospective single-center analysis suggests that approximately half of the patients with AML who experience LVEF decline during induction will not recover. Ischemic events during treatment were predictive of nonrecovery. The use of GDMT may improve prognosis for some patients. Given the impact of recovery, we propose the prospective verification and establishment of cardiac management algorithms in patients with AML.

RevDate: 2025-04-03

Violari A, Otwombe K, Hahn W, et al (2025)

Safety and implementation of phase 1 randomized GLA-SE-adjuvanted CH505TF gp120 HIV vaccine trial in newborns.

The Journal of clinical investigation pii:186927 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: The neonatal immune system is uniquely poised to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and thus infants are ideal for evaluating HIV vaccine candidates. We present the design and safety of a new-in-infants glucopyranosyl lipid A (GLA)-stable emulsion (SE) adjuvant admixed with a first-in-infant CH505 transmitter-founder (CH505TF) gp120 immunogen designed to induce precursors for bnAbs against HIV.

METHODS: HVTN 135 is a phase I randomized, placebo-controlled trial of CH505TF+GLA-SE or placebo. Healthy infants aged ≤ 5 days, born to mothers living with HIV but HIV nucleic acid negative at birth were randomized to five doses of CH505TF + GLA-SE or placebo at birth and 8, 16, 32, and 54 weeks.

RESULTS: 38 infants (median age = 4 days; interquartile range 4, 4.75 days) were enrolled November 2020 to January 2022. Among 28 (10) infants assigned to receive CH505TF + GLA-SE (placebo), most (32/38) completed the 5-dose immunization series and follow-up (35/38). Solicited local and systemic reactions were more frequent in vaccine (8, 28.6% local; 16, 57.1% systemic) vs. placebo recipients (1, 10% local, P = 0.25; 4, 40.0% systemic, P = 0.38). All events were Grade 1 except two Grade 2 events (pain, lethargy). Serious vaccine-related adverse events were not recorded.

CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the feasibility of conducting trials of new-in-infants adjuvanted HIV vaccines in HIV-exposed infants receiving standard infant vaccinations. The safety profile of the CH505TF + GLA-SE vaccine was reassuring.

CLINICALTRIALS: gov NCT04607408.

FUNDING: The trial was funded through National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease of the National Institutes of Health under grants UM1 AI068614 (HVTN Leadership and Operations Center), UM1 AI068635 (HVTN Statistical and Data Management Center), and UM1 AI068618 (HVTN Laboratory Center).

RevDate: 2025-04-05
CmpDate: 2025-04-03

Hu Y, Haessler J, Lundin JI, et al (2025)

Methylome-wide association analyses of lipids and modifying effects of behavioral factors in diverse race and ethnicity participants.

Clinical epigenetics, 17(1):54.

Circulating lipid concentrations are clinically associated with cardiometabolic diseases. The phenotypic variance explained by identified genetic variants remains limited, highlighting the importance of searching for additional factors beyond genetic sequence variants. DNA methylation has been linked to lipid concentrations in previous studies, although most of the studies harbored moderate sample sizes and exhibited underrepresentation of non-European ancestry populations. In addition, knowledge of nongenetic factors on lipid profiles is extremely limited. In the Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study, we performed methylome-wide association analysis on 9,561 participants from diverse race and ethnicity backgrounds for HDL-c, LDL-c, TC, and TG levels, and also tested interactions between smoking or alcohol intake and methylation in their association with lipid levels. We identified novel CpG sites at 16 loci (P < 1.18E-7) with successful replication on 3,215 participants. One additional novel locus was identified in the self-reported White participants (P = 4.66E-8). Although no additional CpG sites were identified in the genome-wide interaction analysis, 13 reported CpG sites showed significant heterogeneous association across smoking or alcohol intake strata. By mapping novel and reported CpG sites to genes, we identified enriched pathways directly linked to lipid metabolism as well as ones spanning various biological functions. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of lipid concentrations.

RevDate: 2025-04-08
CmpDate: 2025-04-08

Arias-Badia M, Chen P, Lwin YM, et al (2025)

Sequential JAK inhibition enhances antitumor immunity after combined anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA4.

JCI insight, 10(7): pii:187921.

While immune checkpoint inhibition (CPI) has reshaped cancer treatment, the majority of patients with cancer do not benefit from this approach, which can also cause immune-related adverse events. Induction of IFN-γ responses is thought be necessary for antitumor immunity, but growing evidence also implicates IFN-γ as a tumor-intrinsic mediator of CPI resistance. CPI-induced IFN-γ mediates activation-induced cell death in T cells as an immune-intrinsic mechanism of resistance. In this study, we found that transient block of IFN-γ signaling through administration of the JAK1 inhibitor ABT-317 enhanced antitumor T cell responses with CPI in preclinical models. Importantly, sequential but not concomitant ABT-317 treatment led to significantly reduced toxicity and improved tumor efficacy. Sequential treatment reduced activation-induced T cell death and enhanced expansion of tumor-reactive T cell subsets with increased effector function in vivo and ex vivo. Only CPI in combination with ABT-317 also enhanced memory responses by protecting mice from tumor rechallenge. These results demonstrate that JAK inhibition within a discrete time window following CPI addresses an immune-intrinsic mechanism of therapeutic resistance.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Chari A, Bal S, Ailawadhi S, et al (2025)

Expert Perspectives on Current Challenges and Emerging Approaches for Multiple Myeloma: Narrative Review of an Inaugural Bridging the Gaps in Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma.

Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia pii:S2152-2650(25)00098-9 [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: The management of multiple myeloma (MM) is becoming increasingly more complex. The approval of novel treatment approaches provides much-needed opportunities but also raises questions and controversies about how to optimally sequence therapies and select treatments for individual patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A panel of experts assembled to discuss current controversies in the care of patients with MM across the disease continuum. Workshop topics included: management of smoldering MM; treatment selection for transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients; risk assessment and the possibility of risk-adapted treatment; use of measurable residual disease (MRD) as a clinical trial end point and to guide treatment decisions; management of early relapse; management of triple class-refractory MM; treatment sequencing; and novel therapies.

CONCLUSION: Many controversies remain regarding the management of patients with MM related to risk assessment, treatment selection and sequencing, and the optimal use of current therapies while balancing efficacy, toxicity, patient considerations, and treatment logistics. Ongoing research efforts are needed to further define the optimal use of current therapies and to develop more efficacious therapies for all patients and for particular subset populations with unmet need.

RevDate: 2025-04-04
CmpDate: 2025-04-02

Russell ML, Trofimov A, Bradley P, et al (2025)

Statistical analysis of repertoire data demonstrates the influence of microhomology in V(D)J recombination.

Nucleic acids research, 53(6):.

V(D)J recombination generates the diverse B and T cell receptors essential for recognizing a wide array of antigens. This diversity arises from the combinatorial assembly of V(D)J genes and the junctional deletion and insertion of nucleotides. While previous in vitro studies have shown that microhomology-short stretches of sequence homology between gene ends-can bias the recombination process, the extent of microhomology's impact in vivo, particularly in humans, remains unknown. In this paper, we assess how germline-encoded microhomology influences trimming and ligation during V(D)J recombination using statistical inference on previously published high-throughput TCRα repertoire sequencing data. We find that microhomology increases both trimming and ligation probabilities, making it an important predictor of recombination outcomes. These effects are consistent across other receptor loci and sequence types. Further, we demonstrate that accounting for germline microhomology effects significantly alters sequence annotation probabilities and rankings, highlighting its practical importance for accurately inferring the V(D)J recombination events that generated an observed sequence. Together, these results enhance our understanding of how germline-encoded microhomologous nucleotides shape the human V(D)J recombination process.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Milch HS, CI Lee (2025)

Establishing the Evidence Needed for AI-driven Mammography Screening.

Radiology. Artificial intelligence, 7(3):e250152.

RevDate: 2025-04-05
CmpDate: 2025-04-02

Nakamura M, SM Parkhurst (2025)

Septin complexes: Ahead of the curve.

Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.), 82(4):229-233.

Individual cells have robust repair systems to survive cell cortex damage caused by mechanical and chemical stresses, allowing them to maintain the integrity of tissues and organs. The contraction of an actomyosin ring at the wound edge is a major mechanism for physically closing the cell wound. In contrast to polymerization and bundling of actin filaments, little is known about how linear actin filaments are bent to be integrated into the actin ring structure encircling the wound edge. We recently found that the five Drosophila Septins function simultaneously in the regulation of actomyosin ring assembly, contraction, and disassembly during cell wound repair. These Septins form two distinct complexes-Sep1-Sep2-Pnut and Sep4-Sep5-Pnut-composed of different subunits from the same groups. Strikingly, these two distinct Septin complexes have different degrees of F-actin bending activities that are consistent with their spatial recruitment: different degrees of curved actin filaments are required for the robust formation of different regions of the actomyosin ring. In addition, we found that the two Septin complexes are regulated by different molecular pathways as a loss of Anillin only affects Sep1-Sep2-Pnut complex recruitment. These findings open new directions for how individual Septin subunits form complexes and function differentially in cellular and developmental processes.

RevDate: 2025-04-04
CmpDate: 2025-04-02

Hoffman RM, Wolf AMD, Raoof S, et al (2025)

Multicancer early detection testing: Guidance for primary care discussions with patients.

Cancer, 131(7):e35823.

Multicancer early detection (MCED) tests are an emerging technology for cancer screening. MCED tests can detect cancer signals from multiple cancers concurrently in biological samples such as blood, urine, saliva, or other bodily fluids. Some tests can suggest the most likely cancer origin, whereas others report cancer detected somewhere in the body. Although some MCED tests are currently commercially available, none are approved by the Food and Drug Administration or endorsed by any clinical practice guideline or recommendation. Most insurance companies do not currently cover MCED testing. MCED tests have not yet been evaluated for safety and effectiveness in randomized controlled trials. Because patients already are asking for MCED test prescriptions or for interpretation of results from tests acquired elsewhere, clinicians should be prepared to discuss what is known about the benefits, risks, and uncertainties of MCED testing, including performance characteristics in screening populations and preferred follow-up strategies for positive test results. At this time, clinicians should not feel obligated to initiate discussions about MCED testing with their patients. However, clinicians should engage patients who inquire about getting tested or previous MCED test results in shared decision-making, and take the opportunity to offer and help patients complete age- and sex-appropriate guideline-recommended cancer screenings. In this article, the current evidence and issues around MCED testing are summarized, and a framework for shared decision-making discussions is provided.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Griffin SP, Signorelli J, Raheem F, et al (2025)

Time to complete oncology pharmacist tasks: A joint opinion of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association and American College of Clinical Pharmacy's Hematology/Oncology Practice and Research Network.

Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners [Epub ahead of print].

PurposeThe time to complete oncology pharmacist tasks is needed to determine workload and productivity. The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) and the Hematology/Oncology Practice and Research Network (PRN) of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) partnered with the aim of establishing consensus on the time required to complete oncology pharmacy tasks.MethodsFifteen patient care tasks and 9 non-patient care tasks, commonly completed by oncology pharmacists were each assigned an average amount of time to be completed. This list was then converted into 24 statements and the Delphi survey method was utilized with an expert panel to arrive at consensus between December 2023 and February 2024. Consensus was defined as at least 75% agreement. The complete manuscript was endorsed by HOPA and ACCP Hematology/Oncology PRN.ResultsThirty-three pharmacist-experts agreed to participate in this survey with all participating in round 1, and 29 (87.9%) participating in round 2. In round 1, 9 tasks achieved consensus, with 7 of these being classified as patient care associated. Seven statements reaching 65% but less than 75% agreement were deemed to reach borderline consensus. Eight statements failed to achieve at least 65% agreement and were modified based on respondent feedback. In round 2, 15 statements were included with all achieving consensus. At the completion of round 2, all 24 statements reached consensus, and the survey was deemed complete.ConclusionThis project produced the first comprehensive consensus statements for the average time for a US-based oncology pharmacist to complete common patient and non-patient care-related tasks.

RevDate: 2025-04-01

Zhang X, Perrigue M, Schenk JM, et al (2025)

Objective and subjective appetite measures: high versus low eating frequency in a randomized crossover clinical trial.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine objective (ghrelin and peptide YY [PYY]) and subjective appetite measures following 21-day high and low eating frequency (EF) interventions among healthy adults.

METHODS: In the randomized crossover trial (Frequency of Eating and Satiety Hormones [FRESH] study), participants completed two eucaloric 21-day study periods of low (3 meals/day) and high (6 meals/day) EF with a 14-day washout period. Self-selected foods and total energy consumed were identical in both arms. On day 21 of each period, participants completed a 7-h clinic visit with meals provided according to assigned EF. Postprandial plasma ghrelin and PYY concentrations were assessed through serial blood draws (hourly), and self-reported appetite ratings were collected every 30 min.

RESULTS: Fifty participants were recruited and completed the trial (mean age, 32 years, 78% women, and 60% non-Hispanic White). High EF resulted in smaller changes in postprandial ghrelin and PYY concentrations compared to low EF, with significant area under the curve differences between groups (p value for ghrelin = 0.03; p value for PYY < 0.001). Similar patterns were found in self-reported hunger, desire to eat, and fullness. Differences in postprandial PYY were greater among participants with overweight/obesity or high body fat percentage.

CONCLUSIONS: High EF led to smaller changes in objective and subjective appetite measures, suggesting that small frequent meals may lead to blunted satiety and less optimal appetite regulation.

RevDate: 2025-04-03
CmpDate: 2025-04-01

Tanaka M, Lum L, Hu KH, et al (2025)

Tumor cell heterogeneity drives spatial organization of the intratumoral immune response.

The Journal of experimental medicine, 222(6):.

Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH)-defined as genetic and cellular diversity within a tumor-is linked to failure of immunotherapy and an inferior anti-tumor immune response. We modeled heterogeneous tumors comprised of "hot" and "cold" tumor populations (giving rise to T cell-rich and T cell-poor tumors, respectively) and introduced fluorescent labels to enable precise spatial tracking. We found the cold tumor cell population exerted a "dominant cold" effect in mixed tumors. Strikingly, spatial analysis revealed that the tumor cells themselves created distinct local microenvironments within heterogeneous tumors: regions occupied by cold tumor cells showed pronounced immunosuppression, harboring increased CD206Hi macrophages and diminished local T cell function. This inferior T cell activity in cold regions persisted even after immunotherapy and mechanistically was mediated by CX3CL1 produced by the cold tumor cells. An immune cold tumor population within a heterogeneous tumor thus impairs tumor immunity on both a tumor-wide and a highly localized spatial scale.

RevDate: 2025-04-01

Sharifi MN, Sperger JM, Taylor AK, et al (2025)

High-Purity CTC RNA Sequencing Identifies Prostate Cancer Lineage Phenotypes Prognostic for Clinical Outcomes.

Cancer discovery pii:754507 [Epub ahead of print].

Treatment resistance remains a universal driver of lethal metastatic prostate cancer, associated with acquired genomic alterations and lineage transitions. Using a novel high-purity CTC isolation approach for CTC transcriptional profiling, we identified four lineage phenotypes differentially associated with prognosis in metastatic prostate cancer.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Feng EM, Vo-Phamhi J, Subramanian AN, et al (2025)

Racial variation in the advanced prostate cancer genome.

Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Racial differences in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) genomes have not yet been fully studied. We aimed to investigate transcriptomic, mutational, and clinical differences by race in a large multi-institutional cohort of men with mCRPC.

METHODS: Genomic and clinicopathologic data from four mCRPC tumor biopsy cohorts were obtained and aggregated. Gene set enrichment analyses were performed to assess pathway-level differences in gene expression by patient race. DNA alteration frequencies of known prostate cancer driver genes and clinical outcomes were compared across racial groups.

RESULTS: In our cohort of 445 men with mCRPC, tumors from African American patients (N = 26) demonstrated higher expression of MYC pathway genes (FDR q = 0.03) and lower expression of IFN-γ, IL-6/JAK/STAT3, and inflammatory pathway genes (FDR q < 0.001) compared to tumors from European American patients. TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusions were observed more frequently in tumors from European American compared to African American patients (41% vs. 11%, P = 0.015). Asian patients (N = 9) and other racial groups comprised a small minority of our cohort. No differences in overall survival were noted across racial groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite demonstrating similar clinical outcomes, cancers from African Americans display distinct tumor biology. Specifically, we observed racial differences in expression of prostate cancer driver gene pathways (including potential clinically actionable pathways of IFN-γ and JAK/STAT) and DNA alterations, including TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion. Our findings highlight the importance of racial diversity in future genomic profiling and clinical trials efforts.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Shasha C, Glass DR, Moelhman E, et al (2025)

Hallmarks of terminal T-cell exhaustion are absent in multiple myeloma from diagnosis through maintenance therapy.

Blood pii:536435 [Epub ahead of print].

Dysregulation of the bone marrow (BM) niche in multiple myeloma (MM) alters the composition and state of resident immune cells, potentially impeding anti-tumor immunity. One common mechanism of immune inhibition in solid tumors is the induction of exhaustion in tumor-specific T cells. However, the extent of T cell exhaustion is not well-characterized in MM. As the specific mechanisms of immune evasion are critical for devising effective therapeutic strategies, we deeply profiled the CD8+ T cell compartment of newly-diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients for evidence of T cell activation and exhaustion. We applied single-cell multi-omic sequencing and mass cytometry to longitudinal BM and peripheral blood (PB) samples taken from timepoints spanning from diagnosis through induction therapy, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), and maintenance therapy. We identified an exhausted-like population that lacked several canonical exhaustion markers, was not significantly enriched in NDMM patients, and consisted of small, nonpersistent clonotypes. We also observed an activated population with increased frequency in the PB of NDMM patients exhibiting phenotypic and clonal features consistent with homeostatic, cytokine-driven activation. As an orthogonal measurement of T cell exhaustion, we performed intracellular cytokine staining and found NDMM patients lacked functionally exhausted T cells. In summary, there was no evidence of "tumor-experienced" T cells displaying hallmarks of terminal exhaustion and/or antigen-driven activation/expansion in NDMM patients at any timepoint.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Zähringer A, Morgado I, Erny D, et al (2025)

AhR activation mitigates graft-versus-host disease of the central nervous system by reducing microglial NF-κB signaling.

Blood advances pii:536426 [Epub ahead of print].

Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) can affect the central nervous system (CNS). The majority of allo-HCT patients receive antibiotic treatment, which alters the microbiome and essential microbiome-derived metabolites. We investigated the impact of microbiome modifications on CNS-GVHD and therapeutic strategies to overcome the microbiome-derived metabolite depletion. Antibiotic treatment of mice undergoing allo-HCT increased microglia numbers in the brain, indicating increased inflammation. In addition, microglia morphology shifted towards a highly branched phenotype. Consistent with a pro-inflammatory phenotype microglia exhibited increased NF-κB and Src activity. Antibiotic treatment caused the depletion of the bacteria-derived arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand indole-3-acetate in the brain. Conversely, treatment of primary microglia with the AhR-ligand- 6-formylindolo (3, 2-b) carbazole (FICZ) reduced NF-κB activity and phagocytic potential. Microglia expansion and morphological changes were reversed by AhR-ligand-FICZ-treatment. Moreover, the AhR-ligand indole-3-acetate was also reduced in the CNS of patients that developed acute GVHD concomitant with increased microglial NF-κB expression. In summary, we demonstrated that antibiotic treatment and a subsequent decrease of AhR-ligands resulted in increased microglia activation during CNS-GVHD. FICZ-treatment hampered CNS inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB activity, thereby providing a metabolic modifier to interfere with pathogenic microglia signaling and CNS-GVHD in vivo.

RevDate: 2025-04-03
CmpDate: 2025-03-31

Punie K, Kurian AW, Ntalla I, et al (2025)

Unmet need for previously untreated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: a real-world study of patients diagnosed from 2011 to 2022 in the United States.

The oncologist, 30(3):.

BACKGROUND: This real-world study describes the treatment landscape evolution after targeted therapy approval and associated survival outcomes for previously untreated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) in the United States.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis used de-identified electronic health record-derived data of patients diagnosed with mTNBC (January 2011-July 2022; index date was first-line [1L] treatment start date). Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, real-world overall survival (rwOS), and time to next treatment or death (TTNTD) were determined. Outcomes before (2011-2017, early cohort) and after (2018-2022, late cohort) targeted therapy approval were evaluated.

RESULTS: Among 2004 eligible patients, 21% were classified as Black, 13% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥2, and 63% were diagnosed with recurrent disease; median age was 60 years. First-line chemotherapy-only (single- and multiple-agent chemotherapy) use decreased with the introduction of targeted therapies from 96% before 2018 to 65% between 2019 and 2022. From 2019, 33% of patients received programmed death-(ligand) 1 inhibitor-based regimen; ~2% received poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. Median 1L treatment duration was 2.6 months and this did not change over time. Of all 1L patients, 34% died before second-line (2L) and 51% subsequently received 2L treatment. Median (95% CI) 1L rwOS and TTNTD were 11.3 (10.7-12.0) months and 4.3 (4.1-4.6) months, respectively. Median 1L 5-year survival [95% CI] showed statistically significant but small improvement from the early (10.9 [10.3-11.6] months) to late cohort (11.9 [10.7-13.1] months; HR [95% CI], 0.87 [0.78-0.96]).

CONCLUSION: This analysis demonstrated that, despite changes in care over time, survival improvements were not clinically meaningful; thus, a substantial unmet need for more efficacious treatments in previously untreated patients with mTNBC remains.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Shinde P, Willemsen L, Anderson M, et al (2025)

Putting computational models of immunity to the test-An invited challenge to predict B.pertussis vaccination responses.

PLoS computational biology, 21(3):e1012927 pii:PCOMPBIOL-D-24-01620 [Epub ahead of print].

Systems vaccinology studies have been used to build computational models that predict individual vaccine responses and identify the factors contributing to differences in outcome. Comparing such models is challenging due to variability in study designs. To address this, we established a community resource to compare models predicting B. pertussis booster responses and generate experimental data for the explicit purpose of model evaluation. We here describe our second computational prediction challenge using this resource, where we benchmarked 49 algorithms from 53 scientists. We found that the most successful models stood out in their handling of nonlinearities, reducing large feature sets to representative subsets, and advanced data preprocessing. In contrast, we found that models adopted from literature that were developed to predict vaccine antibody responses in other settings performed poorly, reinforcing the need for purpose-built models. Overall, this demonstrates the value of purpose-generated datasets for rigorous and open model evaluations to identify features that improve the reliability and applicability of computational models in vaccine response prediction.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Lin LY, Ferte T, Chachage M, et al (2025)

Deciphering HIV vaccine-induced Antibody response according to ethnicity.

AIDS (London, England) pii:00002030-990000000-00677 [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVE: One recurrent question is whether an HIV-1 preventive vaccine requires adaptation to geographic and/or ethnicity background. A recent attempt to improve the Thai RV144 vaccine efficacy in South Africa resulted in non-efficacy. The potential reasons for this disappointing outcome are probably multifactorial; the role of ethnicity could not be investigated given the trials' demographics.

DESIGN: To assess the role of ethnicity in the immune responses induced in HIV vaccine trials, we considered the HVTN 204 vaccine trial, which was conducted in the USA and South Africa.

METHODS: Univariate and multivariate analysis of antibody responses were conducted to assess ethnicity, geographic location, Fc-receptor polymorphism, sex at birth, age and geographic location.

RESULTS: We found that Black South Africans displayed higher total Immunoglobulins compared to White Americans. Noteworthy, Black South Africans showed lower HIV-specific binding IgG following vaccination. As they also showed lower background at baseline, differences between ethnic groups were narrowed after baseline background subtraction, referred to as delta values for the vaccine response outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: The observed modifications of HIV-specific Ab immune responses to the HVTN 204 vaccine according to genetic, geographic location and ethnic background warrants further investigation. Additional studies of immunological differences, especially with vaccine platforms inducing high HIV-specific antibodies that correlate with vaccine efficacy may help decipher the impact of ethnicity on HIV-vaccine efficacy.

RevDate: 2025-03-31

Wang HH, Ono Y, Paulson TG, et al (2025)

Gastric (Foveolar) Dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus: A Clinical, Molecular and Long-Term Outcome Study.

The American journal of gastroenterology pii:00000434-990000000-01668 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this long-term progression study was to evaluate the clinical and pathologic features of gastric type dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE).

METHODS: Baseline biopsies from 208 BE patients from the Seattle prospective cohort were evaluated for the type and grade of dysplasia (gastric or intestinal). Twenty-seven patients progressed to cancer and 181 did not over the long term follow up period. Patients with gastric or intestinal dysplasia were compared to each other with regard to their flow cytometric DNA content abnormalities and progression rates to cancer.

RESULTS: Of the 59 patients with dysplasia at baseline, 12 (20%) had gastric dysplasia only, 24 (41%) had mixed gastric and intestinal dysplasia, and 23 (39%) had intestinal dysplasia only. Patients with any gastric dysplasia component (alone or mixed with intestinal dysplasia) showed a significantly higher rate of high-grade dysplasia (72% vs 23%, P < 0.001) at baseline and cancer development (47% versus 22%, P = 0.05), and a significantly shorter time frame to cancer development (32 versus 64 months, P = 0.008), as well as a longer BE segment length (P = 0.05), and higher rate of aneuploidy (P = 0.04), compared to patients with pure intestinal dysplasia. By multivariable analysis, gastric dysplasia showed a higher hazard ratio of progression to cancer compared to intestinal dysplasia patients.

CONCLUSION: Gastric type dysplasia is common in BE. Our study suggests that this type of dysplasia may represent a more aggressive form of neoplastic precursor than conventional intestinal type dysplasia.

RevDate: 2025-04-03

Paredes MI, Liang C, Suen SC, et al (2025)

Viral introductions and return to baseline sexual behaviors maintain low-level mpox incidence in Los Angeles County, USA, 2023-2024.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences.

In 2022, mpox clade llb disseminated around the world, causing outbreaks in more than 117 countries. Despite the decay of the 2022 epidemic and the expected accumulation of immunity within queer sexual networks, mpox continues to persist at low incidence in North America without extinction, raising concerns of future outbreaks. We combined phylodynamic inference and microsimulation modeling to understand the heterogeneous dynamics governing local mpox persistence in Los Angeles County (LAC) from 2023-2024. Our Bayesian phylodynamic analysis revealed a time-varying pattern of viral importations into the county that seeded a heavy-tailed distribution of mpox outbreak clusters that display a "stuttering chains" dynamic. Our phylodynamics-informed microsimulation model demonstrated that the persistent number of mpox cases in LAC can be explained by a combination of waves of viral introductions and a return to near-baseline sexual behaviors that were altered during the 2022 epidemic. Finally, our counterfactual scenario modeling showed that public health interventions that either promote increased isolation of symptomatic, infectious individuals or enact behavior-modifying campaigns during the periods with the highest viral importation intensity are both actionable and effective at curbing mpox cases. Our work highlights the heterogeneous factors that maintain present-day mpox dynamics in a large, urban US county and describes how to leverage these results to design timely and community-centered public health interventions.

RevDate: 2025-04-03

Vinueza JL, Salisbury NJH, Dye KN, et al (2025)

Delta-catenin is required for cell proliferation in virus positive Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines but not in human fibroblasts.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer often driven by the integration of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) into the host genome and the persistent expression of its viral oncoproteins, small tumor (ST) antigen and truncated large tumor (t-LT) antigen. While human fibroblasts support MCPyV replication, the cell of origin for MCC remains unknown. We hypothesized that MCPyV initially replicates in fibroblasts but, in rare cases, infects Merkel cell progenitors, contributing to MCC development. Using TurboID mass spectrometry, we identified δ-catenin as a novel ST interactor in fibroblasts. However, while ST binds δ-catenin in fibroblasts, this interaction is absent in virus-positive (VP)-MCC cell lines. Despite this, δ-catenin is essential for VP-MCC, but not for fibroblast, cell proliferation. We found that fibroblasts predominantly express δ-catenin isoform 1, whereas VP-MCC cells mainly express isoform 3. Overexpression of isoform 1 in VP-MCC failed to restore ST binding. δ-catenin promotes VP-MCC proliferation by regulating cell cycle gene expression through its interaction with Kaiso, a transcriptional repressor. Additionally, we found that LSD1 (KDM1A) regulates δ-catenin isoform 3 expression by modulating ESRP1, a δ-catenin splicing factor. Our findings reveal novel host factors involved in MCPyV infection and MCC tumorigenesis, suggesting that the host cell supporting viral replication and the MCC cell of origin may be distinct cell types.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Safyan RA, Zhang K, Apisarnthanarax S, et al (2025)

Long-Term Survival Following Chemoradiation in Locoregional Recurrent Germline ATM Mutated Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Advances in radiation oncology, 10(4):101742.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Andrade Latino A, S Biggins (2025)

Analysis of a cancer-associated mutation in the budding yeast Nuf2 kinetochore protein.

microPublication biology, 2025:.

The kinetochore is a highly conserved megadalton protein complex that ensures proper chromosome segregation via microtubule attachments. The NDC80 complex is one of the major conserved microtubule binding complexes in the kinetochore. NUF2, a protein within the NDC80 complex, has been identified as a cancer gene candidate because missense mutations, found across different tumor samples, cluster within NUF2's calponin homology domain. In this study, we examined a NUF2 cancer-associated mutation in a simple and well-studied organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , to elucidate its effects on cell division. We studied the budding yeast nuf2 [Q21A] mutation with the intention of extrapolating our results to the homologous cancer associated mutation in Homo sapiens NUF2 [R19H] (HsNUF2 [R19H]). Our studies demonstrate that the nuf2 [Q21A] mutant does not exhibit any growth defects or disrupt kinetochore composition. Additionally, it does not affect the Ndc80 complex's interactions with the Dam1 complex or with the Mps1 kinase. These results indicate that the yeast nuf2 [Q21A] mutant does not cause a significant defect in kinetochore function, and that the role of HsNUF2 [R19H] in cancer will need to be further investigated by directly studying the cancer-associated mutation in human cells.

RevDate: 2025-04-03
CmpDate: 2025-04-03

Parada H, Agalliu I, Sotres-Alvarez D, et al (2025)

Cancer Incidence in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)-The Onco-SOL Ancillary Study.

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 34(4):491-499.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined how cancer incidence varies by the country of origin among US Hispanic/Latino adults. In this study, we describe the incidence rates (IR) of cancer overall and for screen-detectable, tobacco-related, and obesity-related cancers among 16,415 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, an ongoing population-based cohort study of Hispanic/Latino adults from diverse backgrounds.

METHODS: Cohort participant records were linked to the state cancer registries in New York, Florida, California, and Illinois to ascertain cancer incidence from baseline (2008-2011) through 2021. We estimated weighted age-adjusted IRs and age- and sex-adjusted HRs.

RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 10.7 (SD = 2.0) years, 715 incident invasive cancers were diagnosed including 118 female breast, 102 prostate, and 79 bronchus and lung cancers. The IR of all cancers combined was 26.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 22.6-30.2] per 10,000 (10K) person-years (py). The IRs were lowest among persons of Mexican descent [IR, 19.0 (95% CI, 15.0-24.1) per 10K py] and highest for those of Puerto Rican [IR, 36.6 (95% CI, 28.4-47.0) per 10K py] descent. Compared with those of Mexican descent, those of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican descent had higher hazards of cancer incidence; the incidence of obesity-related (HR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.43-3.95) and tobacco-related (HR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.58-5.71) cancers was also the highest among Puerto Ricans.

CONCLUSIONS: Cancer IRs varied by Hispanic/Latino heritage and were masked when Hispanics/Latinos were aggregated into a single group.

IMPACT: Understanding disparities in cancer risk by Hispanic/Latino heritage may help tailor cancer prevention and control strategies.

RevDate: 2025-04-02

Haas AL, Ma A, Pham J, et al (2025)

Limitations of the MTB/RIF Assay: An Xpert Review of 4 Clinical Cases.

Open forum infectious diseases, 12(4):ofaf132.

Current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tuberculosis (TB) guidelines recommend molecular testing for initial diagnosis of TB and detection of rifampin resistance to expedite initiation of proper treatment. The Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF assay can detect members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rifampin resistance by evaluating for mutations in the rpoB gene. However, false-positive and false-negative detection of M tuberculosis and rifampin resistance results can lead to incorrect treatment of patients, including overuse of second-line anti-TB drugs, and may result in patient harm and increased healthcare cost. We present a series of 4 cases to demonstrate the limitations of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay in the diagnosis of TB, emphasizing the importance of follow-up confirmatory testing and laboratory oversight in reporting accurate results.

RevDate: 2025-03-30

Fest SN, Farland LV, Doody DR, et al (2025)

Hormone-associated dietary patterns and premenopausal breast cancer risk.

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

PURPOSE: Circulating levels of sex steroid hormones have previously been associated with premenopausal breast cancer risk. Few studies have considered the association between dietary patterns and premenopausal hormone levels. Our objective was to derive dietary patterns associated with premenopausal hormone levels and investigate the association between pattern scores and premenopausal breast cancer risk.

METHODS: Using reduced rank regression among a subset of participants from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) (n = 8,962), we identified dietary patterns correlated with premenopausal levels of five sex steroid hormones measured in the follicular and luteal phases. Then, in the full NHSII cohort (n = 90,341), we used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for breast cancer risk associated with each dietary pattern score.

RESULTS: Dietary patterns were identified for luteal estradiol, luteal free estradiol, follicular estrone, luteal estrone, and free testosterone. However, these patterns explained a low percent variation in individual hormone levels, ranging from 2.5-4.1%. During 24 years of follow-up, 1,956 premenopausal breast cancer cases were ascertained. Dietary patterns associated with luteal free estradiol (HR for fifth versus first quintile = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.11-1.49; Ptrend < 0.01) and follicular estrone (HR for fifth versus first quintile = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.10-1.49; Ptrend < 0.01) were positively associated with premenopausal breast cancer risk.

CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that while some dietary factors may marginally influence premenopausal hormone levels, the relation between sex steroid hormones and premenopausal breast cancer risk is likely not driven by diet. Future studies should consider other mechanisms through which diet may impact breast cancer risk, including inflammatory processes.

RevDate: 2025-03-31
CmpDate: 2025-03-29

Dong S, Banerjee R, Khan AM, et al (2025)

Carfilzomib prescribing patterns and outcomes for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: a real-world analysis.

Blood cancer journal, 15(1):48.

Despite the widespread use of carfilzomib (K) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), there is no consensus on optimal K dose in milligrams per square meter (mg/m2) or dosing schedule. We assessed three modern K prescribing patterns in RRMM using a large United States electronic health record-derived database. Our final cohort (n = 486) included 136 patients (28.0%) who received K 56 mg/m2 once weekly (K56-1x), 86 (17.7%) who received 56 mg/m2 twice weekly (K56-2x), and 264 (54.3%) who received 70 mg/m2 once weekly (K70-1x). Between 2016 and 2023, once-weekly dosing became more common: K70-1x proportions changed from 21.1% in 2016 to 50.6% in 2023, K56-1x from 15.8% to 37.0%, and K56-2x from 63.2% to 12.3%. Median progression-free survival was 13.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.2-20.7] for K56-1x, 13.2 months (95% CI 9.0-28.1 months) for K56-2x, and 10.9 months (95% CI 9.9-15.3 months) for K70-1x; these differences were not statistically significant (log-rank p = 0.46). Rates of heart failure was comparable (<5% in all cohorts). In summary, our findings do not support improved outcomes with twice-weekly carfilzomib in RRMM. K56-1x may provide the best balance of efficacy, safety, and avoidance of time toxicity from frequent infusions.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Saeed A, Colby S, Oberstein PE, et al (2025)

S2303: phase II/III trial of paclitaxel + ramucirumab ± nivolumab in gastric and esophageal adenocarcinoma (PARAMUNE).

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

NCT06203600.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Pierce AL, Okcu I, Nowakowski G, et al (2025)

HSR25-185: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of Treatment and Survival Outcomes of Patients With Secondary CNS Relapsed DLBCL in the Modern Era.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, 23(3.5): pii:HSR25-185.

RevDate: 2025-03-30
CmpDate: 2025-03-28

Page CK, Shepard JD, Ray SD, et al (2025)

Neuraminidase-specific antibodies drive differential cross-protection between contemporary FLUBV lineages.

Science advances, 11(13):eadu3344.

The two influenza B virus (FLUBV) lineages have continuously diverged from each other since the 1980s, with recent (post-2015) viruses exhibiting accelerated evolutionary rates. Emerging data from human studies and epidemiological models suggest that increased divergence in contemporary viruses may drive differential cross-protection, where infection with Yamagata lineage viruses provides limited immunity against Victoria lineage viruses. Here, we developed animal models to investigate the mechanisms behind asymmetric cross-protection between contemporary FLUBV lineages. Our results show that contemporary Victoria immunity provides robust cross-protection against the Yamagata lineage, whereas Yamagata immunity offers limited protection against the Victoria lineage. This differential cross-protection is driven by Victoria-elicited neuraminidase (NA)-specific antibodies, which show cross-lineage reactivity, unlike those from Yamagata infections. These findings identify a phenomenon in contemporary FLUBV that may help explain the recent disappearance of the Yamagata lineage from circulation, highlighting the crucial role of targeting NA in vaccination strategies to enhance cross-lineage FLUBV protection.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Smibert OC, Vogrin S, Sinclair M, et al (2025)

Antibiotic Exposure and Risk of Allograft Rejection and Survival After Liver Transplant: An Observational Cohort Study From a Tertiary Referral Centre.

Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Our goal is to understand whether there is an association between Abx exposure-and the inferred downstream damage to the intestinal microbiome-and the key patient outcomes of overall survival and rejection following liver transplant.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 462 liver transplant recipients treated at a multistate liver transplant (LTx) service during a 7-year period. The association between antibiotic exposure and outcome was tested across models that addressed antibiotic spectrum, duration, and timing relative to transplant. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to evaluate the relationship between antibiotics with survival and rejection.

RESULTS: The observed 1-year survival in this cohort was 95% (95% CI: 93%, 97%), and 20.8% of patients (96/462) experienced rejection at 1 year. In multivariable analyses, exposure to anaerobe-targeting antibiotics for longer than 14 days pretransplant (p = 0.055) or posttransplant (p = 0.040) was significantly associated with reduced 1-year survival. In multivariable analyses, exposure to any anaerobe-targeting Abx posttransplant was significantly associated with an increased risk of rejection (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to anaerobic spectrum antibiotics either before or after LTx was associated with poor outcomes during the first year posttransplant and provides an impetus to further characterize the relationship between antibiotic use, microbiota disruption, and cellular immunity in liver transplantation.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Suger AH, Chen H, Haas CB, et al (2025)

Interactions Between Genetic and Epidemiological Factors Influencing Mammographic Density.

American journal of epidemiology pii:8098239 [Epub ahead of print].

Studies have identified genetic and epidemiological factors associated with mammographic density (MD) phenotypes. However, MD-associated genetic variants only account for a small proportion of the total estimated heritability. Interrogating interactions between genetic and epidemiological factors could potentially identify additional MD-associated loci, expand our understanding of the genetic basis of MD phenotypes, and clarify how epidemiological factors modulate relationships between genetic variants and MD. We conducted six separate genome-wide, gene-environment (GxE) interaction analyses, applying 2 degrees of freedom (df) and 1df interaction tests, for each of three MD phenotypes (percent density (PD), dense area (DA), and non-dense area (NDA)). The six epidemiological factors considered were height, ever parous, parity, ever menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), ever breastfeeding, and months of breastfeeding. We included European ancestry participants from multiple studies within the Markers of Density (MODE) consortium and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) (n = 4,895 - 16,218 depending on specific analyses). We identified 11 loci with genome-wide significant (P < 5 × 10-8) interaction tests including two novel common genetic signals interacting with parity (8p21.2) and ever breastfeeding (19p13.2) for NDA. Our results suggest that epidemiological risk factors might influence relationships between common genetic variants and MD phenotypes at particular genomic loci.

RevDate: 2025-04-01
CmpDate: 2025-04-01

Han YY, Chen W, Forno E, et al (2025)

Sociocultural Stressors and Asthma among Adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 22(4):549-559.

Rationale: Hispanic/Latino adults commonly experience high psychosocial stress; yet, little is known about the pathways linking sociocultural stressors and asthma in this population. Objectives: To study whether and how sociocultural stressors are associated with asthma in Hispanic/Latino adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 4,759 adults aged 18 to 74 years who participated in the Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. All participants completed a sociocultural assessment, including acculturative stress, perceived ethnic discrimination, neighborhood problems, neighborhood social cohesion, and a cumulative measure of all sociocultural stressors. Weighted multivariable logistic regression accounting for sampling design was used for the analysis of sociocultural stressors and current asthma or current asthma symptoms. A mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the contributions of depressive symptoms and anxiety to the cumulative sociocultural stressors-asthma association. Results: Acculturative stress and neighborhood problems were associated with 1.4 to 2.1 times higher odds of current asthma or current asthma symptoms, and perceived ethnic discrimination was associated with 1.4 times higher odds of current asthma symptoms. Neighborhood social cohesion was associated with 0.6 times lower odds of asthma. Cumulative sociocultural stressors were associated with 1.6 times higher odds of current asthma symptoms (odds ratio for below the median versus greater than or equal to the median value, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.29, 1.99). Depressive symptoms and anxiety explained 26% and 22%, respectively, of the association between cumulative sociocultural stressors and asthma symptoms. Conclusions: Among Hispanic/Latino adults, sociocultural stressors were associated with current asthma or asthma symptoms. Depressive symptoms and anxiety partly mediated this association. Clinicians caring for Hispanic/Latino adults with asthma should be aware of potential stressors and comorbidities such as depression and anxiety.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Orenduff MC, Pieper CF, Allott EH, et al (2025)

Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-7 is Positively Associated with Age, Obesity, Mortality, and Cancer in Postmenopausal Women.

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology pii:754495 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Predictors of premature death and cancer development are needed to more precisely identify individuals who may warrant preventive intervention. Circulating IGF binding protein-7 (IGFBP7) and, to lesser extent, the IGFBP7/IGF-1 ratio are emerging biomarkers of renal and cardiovascular morbidity. However, their relationships with aging, obesity, mortality and cancer risk remain unclear.

METHODS: This hypothesis-generating study investigated plasma IGFBP7, IGF-1, and their ratio as predictors of all-cause mortality, any cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer), obesity-related cancer (composite of 13 cancer types), and breast cancer incidence in a large longitudinal cohort of postmenopausal women. We assessed relationships of each biomarker with age, body mass index (BMI), and each outcome (bivariately and controlling for age, BMI, race, physical activity, education, income, marital status, alcohol intake, smoking, diabetes, and hormone therapy) in 793 Women's Health Initiative-Observational Study participants (mean 19.4 year follow-up).

RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, IGFBP7 increased with age and obesity, and was positively associated with risks of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR)=2.42 (95% CI: 1.37-4.26), p=0.002], any cancer [HR=2.04 (1.05-3.94), p=0.035], and obesity-related cancer [HR=1.58 (0.99-2.51), p=0.053]. Also in adjusted analyses, the IGFBP7/IGF-1 ratio increased with age and was positively associated with all-cause mortality [HR=1.51 (1.14-1.99), p=0.004] and any cancer incidence [HR=5.44 (1.13-26.1), p=0.034].

CONCLUSIONS: Plasma IGFBP7 and the IGFBP7/IGF1 ratio are positively associated with age, obesity (IGFBP7 only), mortality, and cancer in postmenopausal women.

IMPACT: Plasma IGFBP7 may represent an age- and obesity-sensitive biomarker of increased risk of developing cancer and/or dying prematurely.

RevDate: 2025-03-28

Wang X, Singh P, Cejas RB, et al (2025)

DNA Damage Response and Repair Genes and Anthracycline-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

Circulation. Genomic and precision medicine [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Anthracyclines induce cardiotoxicity via DNA double-strand breaks and reactive oxygen species formation, resulting in cardiomyocyte dysfunction. The role of DNA damage response/repair (DDR) genes in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy remains unstudied.

METHODS: We conducted a gene-based and pathway-based analysis to examine the main effect and gene-anthracycline interaction effect between DDR genes and anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy. A discovery analysis performed with a matched case-control set of anthracycline-exposed non-Hispanic White childhood cancer survivors from Children's Oncology Group-ALTE03N1 (113 cases; 226 controls) was replicated using a cohort of anthracycline-exposed non-Hispanic White childhood cancer survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort (n=1658; 97 cases). Functional analyses were performed by examining the response to doxorubicin of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of prioritized genes.

RESULTS: Successfully replicated DDR genes demonstrating main-effect association included FANCC (P=0.037) and XRCC5 (P=0.001) and demonstrated gene-anthracycline interaction included MGMT (P=0.041). Knockouts of FANCC and MGMT in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes demonstrated significant resistance to doxorubicin, suggesting that these genes play a role in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Successfully replicated DDR pathways demonstrating main-effect association included base excision repair (P=2.7×10[-4]); role of BRCA1 in DDR (P=9.2×10[-5]); p53 signaling (P<1×10[-16]); role of checkpoint kinases proteins in cell cycle checkpoint control (P<1×10[-16]); mismatch repair (P<10[-16]); and double-strand break repair by homologous recombination (P<1×10[-16]). Successfully replicated DDR pathways demonstrating significant interaction effects included role of BRCA1 in DDR (P=1.4×10[-4]); p53 signaling (P<1×10[-16]); the role of checkpoint kinases proteins in cell cycle checkpoint control (P<1×10[-16]); mismatch repair (P<1×10[-16]); cell cycle: G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation (P=0.002); double-strand break repair by homologous recombination (P=0.009); GADD45 signaling (P=4.8×10[-4]); and cell cycle control of chromosomal replication (P=4.5×10[-4]).

CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence for the role of DDR genes and pathways in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy and provide a framework for targeted therapeutic interventions.

RevDate: 2025-03-27

Luetkemeyer AF, Donnell D, Cohen SE, et al (2025)

Doxycycline to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the USA: final results from the DoxyPEP multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial and open-label extension.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases pii:S1473-3099(25)00085-4 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) is a promising intervention to reduce bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We evaluated the effect of doxy-PEP on STI incidence and antimicrobial resistance in men who have sex with men and transgender women for up to 12 months of follow-up, inlcuding an open-label extension.

METHODS: DoxyPEP, an open-label trial in Seattle (WA, USA) and San Francisco (CA, USA) among men who have sex with men and transgender women with at least one bacterial STI in the past year, randomly assigned participants by clinic (with computer-generated variable block sizes) 2:1 to doxy-PEP (200 mg doxycycline delayed-release tablets 24-72 h after condomless sex) or standard care. The independent endpoint adjudication committee was masked to group assignment. The primary outcome was presence of one or more bacterial STIs (Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, or early syphilis) each quarter. This outcome was assessed in the modified intention-to-treat cohort, which included participants with at least one follow-up quarter (ie, ∼3 months) in their as-randomised assignment. After early termination of the randomised phase for efficacy, all participants still enrolled were offered doxy-PEP in an open-label extension (OLE). We report quarterly incidence of bacterial STIs for the as-randomised and OLE periods. Safety was assessed in all participants with any follow-up data. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03980223) and is completed.

FINDINGS: From Aug 19, 2020, to May 13, 2022, we enrolled 637 participants; 592 participants completed at least one follow-up quarter in the randomised phase (411 in the doxy-PEP group and 181 in the standard-care group) and 282 in the OLE phase (207 in the doxy-PEP group and 82 in the standard-care group). STIs were present in 129 (12·0%) of 1077 quarters in the doxy-PEP group versus 139 (30·5%) of 455 quarters in the standard-care group during the as-randomised period, showing an absolute difference of 19 percentage points and a relative risk of 0·39 (95% CI 0·31-0·49, p<0·0001). During the OLE, STIs were diagnosed in 51 (13%) of 388 quarters among those continuing doxy-PEP and 25 (17%) of 145 quarters among standard-care participants who initiated doxy-PEP. Throughout all quarters for participants on doxy-PEP, there was one grade 2 laboratory abnormality and five grade 3 adverse events that were possibly or probably related to doxy-PEP. No serious adverse events were attributed by site investigators to doxycycline. Of participants with positive gonorrhoea cultures during the study, eight (27%) of 29 taking doxy-PEP versus five (24%) of 21 not taking doxy-PEP had tetracycline resistance (minimum inhibitory concentration ≥2 μg/mL).

INTERPRETATION: Doxy-PEP was effective in reducing bacterial STIs in this population of men who have sex with men and transgender women, including during an open-label extension when doxy-PEP efficacy was known. Doxy-PEP was well tolerated, highly acceptable, and with no new safety signals.

FUNDING: US National Institutes of Health.

RevDate: 2025-03-27

Dubocanin D, Hartley GA, Sedeño Cortés AE, et al (2025)

Conservation of dichromatin organization along regional centromeres.

Cell genomics pii:S2666-979X(25)00075-8 [Epub ahead of print].

The attachment of the kinetochore to the centromere is essential for genome maintenance, yet the highly repetitive nature of satellite regional centromeres limits our understanding of their chromatin organization. We demonstrate that single-molecule chromatin fiber sequencing (Fiber-seq) can uniquely co-resolve kinetochore and surrounding chromatin architectures along point centromeres, revealing largely homogeneous single-molecule kinetochore occupancy. In contrast, the application of Fiber-seq to regional centromeres exposed marked per-molecule heterogeneity in their chromatin organization. Regional centromere cores uniquely contain a dichotomous chromatin organization (dichromatin) composed of compacted nucleosome arrays punctuated with highly accessible chromatin patches. CENP-B occupancy phases dichromatin to the underlying alpha-satellite repeat within centromere cores but is not necessary for dichromatin formation. Centromere core dichromatin is conserved between humans and primates, including along regional centromeres lacking satellite repeats. Overall, the chromatin organization of regional centromeres is defined by marked per-molecule heterogeneity, buffering kinetochore attachment against sequence and structural variability within regional centromeres.

RevDate: 2025-03-27

Lee CI, KP Lowry (2025)

Identifying Who Is at Risk of Interval Breast Cancers.

JAMA oncology pii:2832066 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2025-03-27

Unger JM, McAneny BL, RU Osarogiagbon (2025)

Cancer in rural America: Improving access to clinical trials and quality of oncologic care.

CA: a cancer journal for clinicians [Epub ahead of print].

Individuals from rural areas in the United States suffer higher rates of morbidity and mortality from cancer than their urban counterparts. This review is based on the idea that equity-the elimination of unnecessary and preventable differences between groups of individuals-should underlie access to cancer care resources for patients from rural areas. Access to cancer clinical trials serves as the framework for identifying and understanding barriers in access to quality oncologic care. The authors discuss the interplay between rural living, socioeconomic status, culture, and health; and they highlight how economic considerations in rural areas often limit access to clinical trials and oncologic care because economies of scale do not apply in these regions given the requirement for high-quality oncology care even with lower patient volumes. The authors propose solutions to enhance access to clinical trials and improve the quality of oncologic care in rural areas, viewing these aims as ethical and moral imperatives.

RevDate: 2025-03-29
CmpDate: 2025-03-27

Germain A, Jaycox JR, Emig CJ, et al (2025)

An In-Depth Exploration of the Autoantibody Immune Profile in ME/CFS Using Novel Antigen Profiling Techniques.

International journal of molecular sciences, 26(6):.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disorder characterized by serious physical and cognitive impairments. Recent research underscores the role of immune dysfunction, including the role of autoantibodies, in ME/CFS pathophysiology. Expanding on previous studies, we analyzed 7542 antibody-antigen interactions in ME/CFS patients using two advanced platforms: a 1134 autoantibody Luminex panel from Oncimmune and Augmenta Bioworks, along with Rapid Extracellular Antigen Profiling (REAP), a validated high-throughput method that measures autoantibody reactivity against 6183 extracellular human proteins and 225 human viral pathogen proteins. Unlike earlier reports, our analysis of 172 participants revealed no significant differences in autoantibody reactivities between ME/CFS patients and controls, including against GPCRs such as β-adrenergic receptors. However, subtle trends in autoantibody ratios between male and female ME/CFS subgroups, along with patterns of herpesvirus reactivation, suggest the need for broader and more detailed exploration.

RevDate: 2025-03-30
CmpDate: 2025-03-27

Beddows I, Djirackor S, Omran DK, et al (2025)

Impact of BRCA mutations, age, surgical indication, and hormone status on the molecular phenotype of the human Fallopian tube.

Nature communications, 16(1):2981.

The human Fallopian tube (FT) is an important organ in the female reproductive system and has been implicated as a site of origin for pelvic serous cancers, including high-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma (HGSC). We have generated comprehensive whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, RNA-seq, and proteomic data of over 100 human FTs, with detailed clinical covariate annotations. Our results challenge existing paradigms that extensive epigenetic, transcriptomic and proteomic alterations exist in the FTs from women carrying heterozygous germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. We find minimal differences between BRCA1/2 carriers and non-carriers prior to loss of heterozygosity. Covariates such as age and surgical indication can confound BRCA1/2-related differences reported in the literature, mainly through their impact on cell composition. We systematically document and highlight the degree of variations across normal human FT, defining five groups capturing major cellular and molecular changes across various reproductive stages, pregnancy, and aging. We are able to associate gene, protein, and epigenetic changes with these and other clinical covariates, but not heterozygous BRCA1/2 mutation status. This sheds new light into prevention and early detection of tumorigenesis in populations at high-risk for ovarian cancer.

RevDate: 2025-03-26

Tenthorey JL, Del Banco S, Ramzan I, et al (2025)

Indels allow antiviral proteins to evolve functional novelty inaccessible by missense mutations.

Cell genomics pii:S2666-979X(25)00074-6 [Epub ahead of print].

Antiviral proteins often evolve rapidly at virus-binding interfaces to defend against new viruses. We investigated whether antiviral adaptation via missense mutations might face limits, which insertion or deletion mutations (indels) could overcome. Using high-throughput saturation missense mutagenesis, we identify one such case of a nearly insurmountable evolutionary challenge: the human anti-retroviral protein TRIM5α requires more than five missense mutations in its specificity-determining v1 loop to restrict a divergent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). However, through a novel saturating indel scanning methodology, we find that duplicating just one amino acid in v1 enables human TRIM5α to potently restrict SIV in a single evolutionary step. Moreover, natural primate TRIM5α v1 loops have evolved indels that confer novel antiviral specificities. Thus, indels enable antiviral proteins to overcome viral challenges otherwise inaccessible by missense mutations. Our findings reveal the potential of often-overlooked indel mutations in driving protein innovation.

RevDate: 2025-03-26

Aggarwal RR, Vuky J, VanderWeele D, et al (2025)

Phase I, First-in-Human Study of FOR46 (FG-3246), an Immune-Modulating Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting CD46, in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

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

PURPOSE: FOR46, a fully human antibody conjugated to monomethyl auristatin E, targets a tumor-selective epitope of CD46, which is overexpressed in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). FOR46 demonstrates potent nonclinical activity in enzalutamide-resistant CRPC models.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a phase I, first-in-human, dose escalation/expansion study in patients with progressive mCRPC after treatment with ≥one androgen signaling inhibitors (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03575819). The starting dose of FOR46 was 0.1 mg/kg given intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary objective was to determine the maximally tolerated dose (MTD). Whole-blood mass cytometry (cytometry by time of flight) was used to characterize peripheral immune response and CD46 expression in CRPC tissue that underwent central pathology review.

RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were enrolled. Dose-limiting toxicities included neutropenia (n = 4), febrile neutropenia (n = 1), and fatigue (n = 1). The MTD was 2.7 mg/kg using adjusted body weight. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events across all dose levels were neutropenia (59%), leukopenia (27%), lymphopenia (7%), anemia (7%), and fatigue (5%). One grade 3 febrile neutropenia event was observed. There were no treatment-related deaths. In the efficacy evaluable subset (patients with adenocarcinoma treated with a starting dose ≥1.2 mg/kg, n = 40), the median radiographic progression-free survival was 8.7 months (range, 0.1-33.9). Fourteen of 39 evaluable patients (36%) achieved a PSA50 response. The confirmed objective response rate was 20% (5 of 25 RECIST-evaluable patients). The median duration of response was 7.5 months. Responders had a significantly higher on-treatment frequency of circulating effector CD8[+] T cells.

CONCLUSION: FOR46 demonstrated encouraging preliminary clinical activity with a manageable safety profile. Targeting CD46 elicited an immune priming effect that was associated with clinical outcomes.

RevDate: 2025-03-26

Jana S, Glabman RA, AL Koehne (2025)

Bridging the gap between histopathology and genomics: Spotlighting spatial omics.

Veterinary pathology [Epub ahead of print].

Spatial biology has emerged as a transformative field, offering insights into cellular interactions and organization within tissues. The field has evolved rapidly since the coining of the term "spatial omics." Now, the ability to spatially resolve proteins, RNA, chromatin, and lipids is becoming widespread, and the technologies are continually refined. Reagents to support the analysis of veterinary species are available and more are emerging. These new tools will allow pathologists and scientists to unravel the intricate interplay between tissue architecture and diverse cellular phenotypes. By integrating histological observations with spatially resolved genomic data, spatial biology holds immense potential for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in veterinary medicine. These tools will undoubtedly equip veterinary pathologists to better decipher complex disease processes and identify novel therapeutic targets.

RevDate: 2025-03-26
CmpDate: 2025-03-26

Hart TM, Cui Y, Telford SR, et al (2025)

Tick feeding or vaccination with tick antigens elicits immunity to the Ixodes scapularis exoproteome in guinea pigs and humans.

Science translational medicine, 17(791):eads9207.

Ixodes scapularis is a primary vector of tick-borne pathogens in North America. Repeated exposure to these ticks can induce a humoral response to tick antigens and acquired tick resistance. However, identifying antigens contributing to this resistance is challenging because of the vast number of I. scapularis proteins secreted during feeding. To address this, we developed I. scapularis rapid extracellular antigen monitoring (IscREAM), a technique to detect antibody responses to more than 3000 tick antigens. We validated IscREAM with immunoglobulin G (IgG) from guinea pigs vaccinated with tick antigens, including a cement antigen cocktail that induced tick resistance. Furthermore, we explored the natural response to tick bites by profiling antigens recognized by IgG isolated from a tick-resistant individual, as well as from others with Lyme disease and tick-bitten guinea pigs and mice, to identify 199 recognized antigens. We observed that several antigens contained histamine-binding domains. This work enhances our understanding of the host immune response to I. scapularis and defines immunogen candidates for future antitick vaccines.

RevDate: 2025-03-25

Astigarraga CC, Mpms K, Iovino L, et al (2025)

Haploidentical transplantation: An optimal platform for graft manipulation and cellular therapies.

Blood reviews pii:S0268-960X(25)00031-1 [Epub ahead of print].

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a curative therapeutic option for patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies. When a fully matched donor is unavailable, haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) provides a viable alternative. Over time, haplo-HCT procedures have significantly evolved, improving outcomes in treatment related mortality (TRM), especially in graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). However, challenges such as delayed immune reconstitution and disease relapse persist. Advances in in vivo graft manipulation techniques, such as post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and ex vivo approaches, including TCRα/β and CD19 depletion, have shown promise in reducing the risk of severe GvHD without increasing the relapse rates. Innovative strategies, such as haploidentical donor lymphocyte infusions, "suicide-switch" mechanisms, ORCA-Q product infusions, and CAR based therapies offer potential to further optimize outcomes. This review examines the graft manipulation modalities in the haplo-HCT setting, highlighting their role in advancing cellular therapies and providing new hope in the fight against life-threatening diseases.

RevDate: 2025-03-25

Larsen BB, McMahon T, Brown JT, et al (2025)

Functional and antigenic landscape of the Nipah virus receptor-binding protein.

Cell pii:S0092-8674(25)00257-0 [Epub ahead of print].

Nipah virus recurrently spills over to humans, causing fatal infections. The viral receptor-binding protein (RBP or G) attaches to host receptors and is a major target of neutralizing antibodies. Here, we use deep mutational scanning to measure how all amino-acid mutations to the RBP affect cell entry, receptor binding, and escape from neutralizing antibodies. We identify functionally constrained regions of the RBP, including sites involved in oligomerization, along with mutations that differentially modulate RBP binding to its two ephrin receptors. We map escape mutations for six anti-RBP antibodies and find that few antigenic mutations are present in natural Nipah strains. Our findings offer insights into the potential for functional and antigenic evolution of the RBP that can inform the development of antibody therapies and vaccines.

RevDate: 2025-03-25

MacLean F, Tsegaye AT, Graham JB, et al (2025)

Bacterial vaginosis associates with dysfunctional T cells and altered soluble immune factors in the cervicovaginal tract.

The Journal of clinical investigation pii:184609 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome that is prevalent among reproductive-age females worldwide. Adverse health outcomes associated with BV include an increased risk of sexually-acquired HIV, yet the immunological mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood.

METHODS: To investigate BV-driven changes to cervicovaginal tract (CVT) and circulating T cell phenotypes, Kinga Study participants with or without BV provided vaginal tract (VT) and ectocervical (CX) tissue biopsies and PBMC samples.

RESULTS: High-parameter flow cytometry revealed an increased frequency of cervical conventional CD4+ T cells (Tconv) expressing CCR5. However, we found no difference in number of CD3+CD4+CCR5+ cells in the CX or VT of BV+ versus BV- individuals, suggesting that BV-driven increased HIV susceptibility may not be solely attributed to increased CVT HIV target cell abundance. Flow cytometry also revealed that individuals with BV have an increased frequency of dysfunctional CX and VT CD39+ Tconv and CX tissue-resident CD69+CD103+ Tconv, reported to be implicated in HIV acquisition risk and replication. Many soluble immune factor differences in the CVT further support that BV elicits diverse and complex CVT immune alterations.

CONCLUSION: Our comprehensive analysis expands on potential immunological mechanisms that may underlie the adverse health outcomes associated with BV including increased HIV susceptibility.

RevDate: 2025-03-25

Ito S, Geramita E, Ventura K, et al (2025)

IFN-γand donor leukocyte infusions for relapsed myeloblastic malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation .

JCI insight pii:190655 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: The graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effect contributes to the efficacy of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). However, relapse, indicative of GVL failure, is the greatest single cause of treatment failure. Based on preclinical data showing that IFN-γ is important to sensitize myeloblasts to alloreactive T cells, we performed a phase I trial of IFN-γ combined with donor leukocyte infusions (DLI) in myeloblastic malignancies that relapsed post-HLA-matched alloSCT.

METHODS: Patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome after alloSCT were eligible. Patients self-administered IFN-γ for 4 weeks (cohort 1) or 1 week (cohort 2), followed by DLI and concurrent IFN-γ for a total of 12 weeks. Bone marrow samples were analyzed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to assess in vivo responses to IFN-γ by malignant myeloblasts.

RESULTS: IFN-γ monotherapy was well tolerated by all subjects (n=7). Treatment-related toxicities after DLI included: grade I-II graft-versus-host disease (n=5), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (n=2), and idiopathic pulmonary syndrome (n=1), all of which resolved with corticosteroids. Four of 6 DLI recipients achieved minimal residual disease-negative complete remissions and full donor hematopoietic recovery. Median overall survival was 579 days (range, 97-906) in responders. ScRNAseq confirmed in vivo activation of IFN-γ response pathway in hematopoietic stem cell-like or myeloid progenitor cells after IFN-γ in analyzed samples.

CONCLUSIONS: IFN-γ was safe and well tolerated in this phase I study of IFN-γ for relapsed AML/MDS post-alloSCT, with a promising efficacy signal when combined with DLI. Larger studies are needed to formally test the efficacy of this approach.TRIAL RESGISTRATION.

CLINICALTRIALS: gov NCT04628338.

FUNDING: The research was supported by The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program (CIIP) Pilot Award and Cure Within Reach: Drug Repurposing Clinical Trials to Impact Blood Cancers. Recombinant IFN-gamma (Actimmune®) was donated by Horizon Therapeutics.

LOAD NEXT 100 CITATIONS

ESP Quick Facts

ESP Origins

In the early 1990's, Robert Robbins was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins, where he directed the informatics core of GDB — the human gene-mapping database of the international human genome project. To share papers with colleagues around the world, he set up a small paper-sharing section on his personal web page. This small project evolved into The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project.

ESP Support

In 1995, Robbins became the VP/IT of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. Soon after arriving in Seattle, Robbins secured funding, through the ELSI component of the US Human Genome Project, to create the original ESP.ORG web site, with the formal goal of providing free, world-wide access to the literature of classical genetics.

ESP Rationale

Although the methods of molecular biology can seem almost magical to the uninitiated, the original techniques of classical genetics are readily appreciated by one and all: cross individuals that differ in some inherited trait, collect all of the progeny, score their attributes, and propose mechanisms to explain the patterns of inheritance observed.

ESP Goal

In reading the early works of classical genetics, one is drawn, almost inexorably, into ever more complex models, until molecular explanations begin to seem both necessary and natural. At that point, the tools for understanding genome research are at hand. Assisting readers reach this point was the original goal of The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project.

ESP Usage

Usage of the site grew rapidly and has remained high. Faculty began to use the site for their assigned readings. Other on-line publishers, ranging from The New York Times to Nature referenced ESP materials in their own publications. Nobel laureates (e.g., Joshua Lederberg) regularly used the site and even wrote to suggest changes and improvements.

ESP Content

When the site began, no journals were making their early content available in digital format. As a result, ESP was obliged to digitize classic literature before it could be made available. For many important papers — such as Mendel's original paper or the first genetic map — ESP had to produce entirely new typeset versions of the works, if they were to be available in a high-quality format.

ESP Help

Early support from the DOE component of the Human Genome Project was critically important for getting the ESP project on a firm foundation. Since that funding ended (nearly 20 years ago), the project has been operated as a purely volunteer effort. Anyone wishing to assist in these efforts should send an email to Robbins.

ESP Plans

With the development of methods for adding typeset side notes to PDF files, the ESP project now plans to add annotated versions of some classical papers to its holdings. We also plan to add new reference and pedagogical material. We have already started providing regularly updated, comprehensive bibliographies to the ESP.ORG site.

cover-pic

SUPPORT ESP: Order from Amazon
The ESP project will earn a commission.

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

Electronic Scholarly Publishing
961 Red Tail Lane
Bellingham, WA 98226

E-mail: RJR8222 @ gmail.com

Papers in Classical Genetics

The ESP began as an effort to share a handful of key papers from the early days of classical genetics. Now the collection has grown to include hundreds of papers, in full-text format.

Digital Books

Along with papers on classical genetics, ESP offers a collection of full-text digital books, including many works by Darwin and even a collection of poetry — Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg.

Timelines

ESP now offers a large collection of user-selected side-by-side timelines (e.g., all science vs. all other categories, or arts and culture vs. world history), designed to provide a comparative context for appreciating world events.

Biographies

Biographical information about many key scientists (e.g., Walter Sutton).

Selected Bibliographies

Bibliographies on several topics of potential interest to the ESP community are automatically maintained and generated on the ESP site.

ESP Picks from Around the Web (updated 28 JUL 2024 )