Blinatumomab for MRD-Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Many older adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) have a relapse despite having a measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission with combination chemotherapy. The addition of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager molecule that is approved for the treatment of relapsed, refractory, and MRD-positive BCP-ALL, may have efficacy in patients with MRD-negative remission. METHODS: In a phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients 30 to 70 years of age with BCR::ABL1-negative BCP-ALL (with :: indicating fusion) who had MRD-negative remission (defined as <0.01% leukemic cells in bone marrow as assessed on flow cytometry) after induction and intensification chemotherapy to receive four cycles of blinatumomab in addition to four cycles of consolidation chemotherapy or to receive four cycles of consolidation chemotherapy alone. The primary end point was overall survival, and relapse-free survival was a secondary end point. RESULTS: The data and safety monitoring committee reviewed the results from the third efficacy interim analysis and recommended that they be reported. Complete remission with or without full count recovery was observed in 395 of 488 enrolled patients (81%). Of the 224 patients with MRD-negative status, 112 were assigned to each group. The characteristics of the patients were balanced between the groups. At a median follow-up of 43 months, an advantage was observed in the blinatumomab group as compared with the chemotherapy-only group with regard to overall survival (at 3 years: 85% vs. 68%; hazard ratio for death, 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.73; P = 0.002), and the 3-year relapse-free survival was 80% with blinatumomab and 64% with chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio for relapse or death, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.87). A higher incidence of neuropsychiatric events was reported in the blinatumomab group than in the chemotherapy-only group. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of blinatumomab to consolidation chemotherapy in adult patients in MRD-negative remission from BCP-ALL significantly improved overall survival. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others; E1910 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02003222.).

Rad51 determines pathway usage in post-replication repair.

Stalled replication forks can be processed by several distinct mechanisms collectively called post-replication repair which includes homologous recombination, fork regression, and translesion DNA synthesis. However, the regulation of the usage between these pathways is not fully understood. The Rad51 protein plays a pivotal role in maintaining genomic stability through its roles in HR and in protecting stalled replication forks from degradation. We report the isolation of separation-of-function mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 that retain their recombination function but display a defect in fork protection leading to a shift in post-replication repair pathway usage from HR to alternate pathways including mutagenic translesion synthesis. Rad51-E135D and Rad51-K305N show normal in vivo and in vitro recombination despite changes in their DNA binding profiles, in particular to dsDNA, with a resulting effect on their ATPase activities. The mutants lead to a defect in Rad51 recruitment to stalled forks in vivo as well as a defect in the protection of dsDNA from degradation by Dna2-Sgs1 and Exo1 in vitro . A high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Rad51-ssDNA filament at 2.4 Å resolution provides a structural basis for a mechanistic understanding of the mutant phenotypes. Together, the evidence suggests a model in which Rad51 binding to duplex DNA is critical to control pathway usage at stalled replication forks.

Local structural dynamics of Rad51 protomers revealed by cryo-electron microscopy of Rad51-ssDNA filaments.

Homologous recombination (HR) is a high-fidelity repair mechanism for double-strand breaks. Rad51 is the key enzyme that forms filaments on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to catalyze homology search and DNA strand exchange in recombinational DNA repair. In this study, we employed single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to ascertain the density map of the budding yeast Rad51-ssDNA filament bound to ADP-AlF 3 , achieving a resolution of 2.35 Å without imposing helical symmetry. The model assigned 6 Rad51 protomers, 24 nt of DNA, and 6 bound ADP-AlF 3 . It shows 6-fold symmetry implying monomeric building blocks, unlike the structure of the Rad51-I345T mutant filament with three-fold symmetry implying dimeric building blocks, for which the structural comparisons provide a satisfying mechanistic explanation. This image analysis enables comprehensive comparisons of individual Rad51 protomers within the filament and reveals local conformational movements of amino acid side chains. Notably, Arg293 in Loop1 adopts multiple conformations to facilitate Leu296 and Val331 in separating and twisting the DNA triplets. We also analyzed the predicted structures of yeast Rad51-K342E and two tumor-derived human RAD51 variants, RAD51-Q268P and RAD51-Q272L, using the Rad51-ssDNA structure from this study as a reference.

DiseaseNet: a transfer learning approach to noncommunicable disease classification.

As noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global health burden, identifying effective diagnostic and predictive markers for these diseases is of paramount importance. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, have emerged as potential indicators for NCDs. These have previously been exploited in other contexts within the framework of neural network models that capture complex relationships within the data. Applications of neural networks have led to significant breakthroughs in various biological or biomedical fields but these have not yet been effectively applied to NCD modeling. This is, in part, due to limited datasets that are not amenable to building of robust neural network models. In this work, we leveraged a neural network trained on one class of NCDs, cancer, as the basis for a transfer learning approach to non-cancer NCD modeling. Our results demonstrate promising performance of the model in predicting three NCDs, namely, arthritis, asthma, and schizophrenia, for the respective blood samples, with an overall accuracy (f-measure) of 94.5%. Furthermore, a concept based explanation method called Testing with Concept Activation Vectors (TCAV) was used to investigate the importance of the sample sources and understand how future training datasets for multiple NCD models may be improved. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of transfer learning in developing accurate diagnostic and predictive models for NCDs.

A multicenter phase Ib trial of the histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms or acute myeloid leukemia refractory to hypomethylating agents.

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with hypomethylating agent failure have a poor prognosis. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) can contribute to MDS progression and mediate resistance to anti-PD1 therapy. As histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) decrease MDSCs in preclinical models, we conducted an investigator-initiated, NCI-Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program-sponsored, multicenter, dose escalation, and expansion phase Ib trial (NCT02936752) of the HDACi entinostat and the anti-PD1 antibody pembrolizumab. Twenty-eight patients (25 MDS and 3 AML) were enrolled. During dose escalation (n=13 patients), there was one dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) on dose level (DL) 1 (G5 pneumonia/bronchoalveolar hemorrhage) and two DLTs at DL 2 (G3 pharyngeal mucositis and G3 anorexia). Per the 3 + 3 dose escalation design, DL 1 (entinostat 8 mg PO days 1 and 15 + pembrolizumab 200 mg IV day 1 every 21 days) was expanded and another 15 patients were enrolled. Hematologic adverse events (AEs) were common. The most common non-hematologic ≥G3 AEs were infection (32%), hypoxia/respiratory failure (11%), and dyspnea (11%). There were no protocol-defined responses among the 28 patients enrolled. Two patients achieved a marrow complete remission (mCR). Using a systems immunology approach with mass cytometry and machine learning analysis, mCR patients had increased classical monocytes and macrophages but there was no significant change of MDSCs. In conclusion, combining entinostat with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced MDS and AML was associated with limited clinical efficacy and substantial toxicity. Absence of an effect on MDSCs could be a potential explanation for the limited efficacy of this combination. ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT02936752.

PD-1H/VISTA mediates immune evasion in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) presents a pressing medical need in that it is largely resistant to standard chemotherapy as well as modern therapeutics, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, including anti-programmed cell death protein (anti-PD) therapy. We demonstrate that programmed death-1 homolog (PD-1H), an immune coinhibitory molecule, is highly expressed in blasts from the bone marrow of AML patients, while normal myeloid cell subsets and T cells express PD-1H. In studies employing syngeneic and humanized AML mouse models, overexpression of PD-1H promoted the growth of AML cells, mainly by evading T cell-mediated immune responses. Importantly, ablation of AML cell-surface PD-1H by antibody blockade or genetic knockout significantly inhibited AML progression by promoting T cell activity. In addition, the genetic deletion of PD-1H from host normal myeloid cells inhibited AML progression, and the combination of PD-1H blockade with anti-PD therapy conferred a synergistic antileukemia effect. Our findings provide the basis for PD-1H as a potential therapeutic target for treating human AML.

Berzosertib Plus Topotecan vs Topotecan Alone in Patients With Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a high replication stress tumor, have poor prognoses and few therapeutic options. A phase 2 study showed antitumor activity with the addition of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase inhibitor berzosertib to topotecan. Objective: To investigate whether the addition of berzosertib to topotecan improves clinical outcomes for patients with relapsed SCLC. Design, Setting, and Participants: Between December 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022, this open-label phase 2 randomized clinical trial recruited 60 patients with SCLC and relapse after 1 or more prior therapies from 16 US cancer centers. Patients previously treated with topotecan were not eligible. Interventions: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive topotecan alone (group 1), 1.25 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 through 5, or with berzosertib (group 2), 210 mg/m2 intravenously on days 2 and 5, in 21-day cycles. Randomization was stratified by tumor sensitivity to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary end points included overall survival (OS) in the overall population and among patients with platinum-sensitive or platinum-resistant tumors. The PFS and OS for each treatment group were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare PFS and OS between the 2 groups, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the treatment hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 2-sided 95% CI. Results: Of 60 patients (median [range] age, 59 [34-79] years; 33 [55%] male) included in this study, 20 were randomly assigned to receive topotecan alone and 40 to receive a combination of topotecan with berzosertib. After a median (IQR) follow-up of 21.3 (18.1-28.3) months, there was no difference in PFS between the 2 groups (median, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.2-5.1] months for group 1 vs 3.9 [95% CI, 2.8-4.6] months for group 2; HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.46-1.41]; P = .44). Overall survival was significantly longer with the combination therapy (5.4 [95% CI, 3.2-6.8] months vs 8.9 [95% CI, 4.8-11.4] months; HR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.29-0.96], P = .03). Adverse event profiles were similar between the 2 groups (eg, grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia, 11 of 20 [55%] vs 20 of 40 [50%], and any grade nausea, 9 of 20 [45%] vs 14 of 40 [35%]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, treatment with berzosertib plus topotecan did not improve PFS compared with topotecan therapy alone among patients with relapsed SCLC. However, the combination treatment significantly improved OS. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03896503.

Statin use, survival and incidence of thrombosis among older patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

BACKGROUND: Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition to the reduction in of arterial thrombotic events, statins may prevent venous thrombosis including among patients with cancer. As previous registry- and claims-based studies revealed that the use of statins may improve the survival of patients with various malignancies we evaluated their impact on outcomes of older adults with PV and ET. METHODS: We identified 4010 older adults (aged 66-99 years at diagnosis) with PV (n = 1809) and ET (n = 2201) in a population-based cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database with median follow-up of 3.92 (interquartile range: 2.58-5.75) years. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approaches were utilized to assess potential association between statins and overall survival. Multivariable competing risk models with death as a competing risk were used to evaluate possible relationship between statins and the incidence of thrombosis. RESULTS: 55.8% of the patients used statins within the first year after PV/ET diagnosis, and statin use was associated with a 22% reduction in all-cause mortality (PSM: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-0.98, p = 0.03; IPTW: HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.97, p = 0.03). Statins also reduced the risk of thrombosis in this patient population (PSM: HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.51-0.78, p < 0.01; IPTW: HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.49-0.66, p < 0.01) as well as in PV and ET subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that it may be important to incorporate statins into the therapeutic strategy for older adults with PV and ET.

Classification, risk stratification and response assessment in myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS): A state-of-the-art report on behalf of the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS).

The guidelines for classification, prognostication, and response assessment of myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS) have all recently been updated. In this report on behalf of the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS) we summarize these developments. We first critically examine the updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification and the International Consensus Classification (ICC) of MDS. We then compare traditional and molecularly based risk MDS risk assessment tools. Lastly, we discuss limitations of criteria in measuring therapeutic benefit and highlight how the International Working Group (IWG) 2018 and 2023 response criteria addressed these deficiencies and are endorsed by the icMDS. We also address the importance of patient centered care by discussing the value of quality-of-life assessment. We hope that the reader of this review will have a better understanding of how to classify MDS, predict clinical outcomes and evaluate therapeutic outcomes.

Discordant pathologic diagnoses of myelodysplastic neoplasms and their implications for registries and therapies.

Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are a collection of hematopoietic disorders with widely variable prognoses and treatment options. Accurate pathologic diagnoses present challenges because of interobserver variability in interpreting morphology and quantifying dysplasia. We compared local clinical site diagnoses with central, adjudicated review from 918 participants enrolled in the ongoing National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National MDS Natural History Study, a prospective observational cohort study of participants with suspected MDS or MDS/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Locally, 264 (29%) were diagnosed as having MDS, 15 (2%) MDS/MPN overlap, 62 (7%) idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS), 0 (0%) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with <30% blasts, and 577 (63%) as other. Approximately one-third of cases were reclassified after central review, with 266 (29%) diagnosed as MDS, 45 (5%) MDS/MPN overlap, 49 (5%) ICUS, 15 (2%) AML with <30%, and 543 (59%) as other. Site miscoding errors accounted for more than half (53%) of the local misdiagnoses, leaving a true misdiagnosis rate of 15% overall, 21% for MDS. Therapies were reported in 37% of patients, including 43% of patients with MDS, 49% of patients with MDS/MPN, and 86% of patients with AML with <30% blasts. Treatment rates were lower (25%) in cases with true discordance in diagnosis compared with those for whom local and central diagnoses agreed (40%), and receipt of inappropriate therapy occurred in 7% of misdiagnosed cases. Discordant diagnoses were frequent, which has implications for the accuracy of study-related and national registries and can lead to inappropriate therapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT05074550.

Equitable Access to Clinical Trials: How Do We Achieve It?

The mismatch between the study populations participating in oncology clinical trials and the composition of the targeted cancer population requires urgent amelioration. Regulatory requirements can mandate that trial sponsors enroll diverse study populations and ensure that regulatory revue prioritizes equity and inclusivity. A variety of projects directed at increasing accrual of underserved populations to oncology clinical trials emphasize best practices: broadened eligibility requirements for trials, simplification of trial procedures, community outreach through patient navigators, decentralization of clinical trial procedures and institution of telehealth, and funding to offset costs of travel and lodging. Substantial improvement will require major changes in culture in the educational and professional practice, research, and regulatory communities and will require major increases in public, corporate, and philanthropic funding.

Health-related quality of life and vulnerability among people with myelodysplastic syndromes: a US national study.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and vulnerability are variably affected in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and other cytopenic states; however, the heterogeneity of these diseases has limited our understanding of these domains. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored MDS Natural History Study is a prospective cohort enrolling patients undergoing workup for suspected MDS in the setting of cytopenias. Untreated patients undergo bone marrow assessment with central histopathology review for assignment as MDS, MDS/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with <30% blasts, or "At-Risk." HRQoL data are collected at enrollment, including the MDS-specific Quality of Life in Myelodysplasia Scale (QUALMS). Vulnerability is assessed with the Vulnerable Elders Survey. Baseline HRQoL scores from 449 patients with MDS, MDS/MPN, AML <30%, ICUS or At-Risk were similar among diagnoses. In MDS, HRQoL was worse for vulnerable participants (eg, mean Patent-Reported Outcomes Management Information Systems [PROMIS] Fatigue of 56.0 vs 49.5; P < .001) and those with worse prognosis (eg, mean Euroqol-5 Dimension-5 Level [EQ-5D-5L] of 73.4, 72.7, and 64.1 for low, intermediate, and high-risk disease; P = .005). Among vulnerable MDS participants, most had difficulty with prolonged physical activity (88%), such as walking a quarter mile (74%). These data suggest that cytopenias leading to MDS evaluation are associated with similar HRQoL, regardless of eventual diagnosis, but with worse HRQoL among the vulnerable. Among those with MDS, lower-risk disease was associated with better HRQoL, but the relationship was lost among the vulnerable, showing for the first time that vulnerability trumps disease risk in affecting HRQoL. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02775383.

Utility of targeted gene sequencing to differentiate myeloid malignancies from other cytopenic conditions.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded National MDS Natural History Study (NCT02775383) is a prospective cohort study enrolling patients with cytopenia with suspected myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to evaluate factors associated with disease. Here, we sequenced 53 genes in bone marrow samples harvested from 1298 patients diagnosed with myeloid malignancy, including MDS and non-MDS myeloid malignancy or alternative marrow conditions with cytopenia based on concordance between independent histopathologic reviews (local, centralized, and tertiary to adjudicate disagreements when needed). We developed a novel 2-stage diagnostic classifier based on mutational profiles in 18 of 53 sequenced genes that were sufficient to best predict a diagnosis of myeloid malignancy and among those with a predicted myeloid malignancy, predict whether they had MDS. The classifier achieved a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.84 and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.8 with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.85 when classifying patients as having myeloid vs no myeloid malignancy based on variant allele frequencies (VAFs) in 17 genes and a PPV of 0.71 and NPV of 0.64 with an AUROC of 0.73 when classifying patients as having MDS vs non-MDS malignancy based on VAFs in 10 genes. We next assessed how this approach could complement histopathology to improve diagnostic accuracy. For 99 of 139 (71%) patients (PPV of 0.83 and NPV of 0.65) with local and centralized histopathologic disagreement in myeloid vs no myeloid malignancy, the classifier-predicted diagnosis agreed with the tertiary pathology review (considered the internal gold standard).

Current landscape of translational and clinical research in myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS): Proceedings from the 1st International Workshop on MDS (iwMDS) Of the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS).

Biological events that contribute to the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS) are becoming increasingly characterized and are being translated into rationally designed therapeutic strategies. Herein, we provide updates from the first International Workshop on MDS (iwMDS) of the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS) detailing recent advances in understanding the genetic landscape of MDS, including germline predisposition, epigenetic and immune dysregulation, the complexities of clonal hematopoiesis progression to MDS, as well as novel animal models of the disease. Connected to this progress is the development of novel therapies targeting specific molecular alterations, the innate immune system, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. While some of these agents have entered clinical trials (e.g., splicing modulators, IRAK1/4 inhibitors, anti-CD47 and anti-TIM3 antibodies, and cellular therapies), none have been approved for MDS. Additional preclinical and clinical work is needed to develop a truly individualized approach to the care of MDS patients.

Expanding access to early phase trials: the CATCH-UP.2020 experience.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in cancer outcomes persist for underserved populations; one important aspect of this is limited access to promising early phase clinical trials. To address this, the National Cancer Institute-funded Create Access to Targeted Cancer Therapy for Underserved Populations (CATCH-UP.2020) was created. We report the tools developed and accrual metrics of the initial year of CATCH-UP.2020 with a focus on racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomically underserved populations. METHODS: CATCH-UP.2020 is a P30 supplement awarded to 8 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers with existing resources to rapidly open and accrue to Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) trials with emphasis on engaging patients from underserved populations. Sites used patient-based, community-based, investigator-based, and program-based tools to meet specific program goals. RESULTS: From September 2020 to August 2021, CATCH-UP.2020 sites opened 45 ETCTN trials. Weighted average trial activation time for the 7 sites reporting this was 107 days. In the initial year, sites enrolled 145 patients in CATCH-UP.2020 with 68 (46.9%) representing racial, ethnic, rural, and socioeconomically underserved populations using the broader definition of underserved encompassed in the grant charge. During the initial year of CATCH-UP.2020, a time impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 15.8% (66 of 417) and 21.4% (31 of 145) of patients enrolled to ETCTN trials at network and at CATCH-UP sites, respectively, were from racial and ethnic minority groups, a more limited definition of underserved for which comparable data are available. CONCLUSION: Targeted funding accelerated activation and accrual of early phase trials and expanded access to this therapeutic option for underserved populations.

Second malignancies among older patients with classical myeloproliferative neoplasms treated with hydroxyurea.

Patients with classical Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary and secondary myelofibrosis (MF), are known to have an increased risk of second malignancies (SMs). Hydroxyurea (HU) is a guideline-recommended cytoreductive therapy for patients at high risk for MPNs. Controversy exists as to whether HU use is associated with a higher risk of SMs, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of older patients diagnosed with MPN (age ≥66 years) between 2010 and 2017 and included the data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare-linked database. Multivariable competing risk analyses adjusting for patient characteristics were used to assess the impact of HU on the development of SM. We identified 4023 patients (1688 with PV, 1976 with ET, and 359 with MF) with a median age of 77 (interquartile range [IQR], 71-83) years at the time of MPN diagnosis. After a median follow-up of 3.25 (IQR, 2.10-5.00) years, 489 patients developed an SM (346 solid, 73 lymphoid, and 70 myeloid malignancies). The cumulative incidence probability of SM was 19.88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.16%-22.75%) among 2683 HU users and 22.31% (95% CI, 17.51%-27.47%) among 1340 nonusers, respectively (Gray's test, P < .01). We did not identify significant differences in the incidence of solid or hematologic SMs, including AML/MDS (hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.77-2.29; P = .30), between HU users and nonusers. Our results suggest that the use of HU does not increase the risk of SM in older patients with MPN.

Vemurafenib and Obinutuzumab as Frontline Therapy for Hairy Cell Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is characterized by the underlying genetic lesion of BRAFV600E and responsiveness to BRAF inhibitors. We assessed the safety and activity of the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib combined with obinutuzumab in patients with previously untreated HCL. METHODS: We conducted a single-arm, multicenter clinical study of vemurafenib plus obinutuzumab. Vemurafenib 960 mg twice daily was administered for four cycles, and obinutuzumab was administered in cycles 2 to 4. The primary end point was complete remission (CR). Secondary end points included assessment of safety, minimal residual disease (MRD), and BRAF allele burden according to digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled in the study, and 27 patients completed all four cycles of treatments and achieved CR (90%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 73 to 98). Three patients discontinued the study early because of adverse events and were not evaluable for response. Of the 27 patients who achieved CR, 26 patients (96%; 95% CI, 81 to 99) achieved MRD negativity. BRAFV600E allele was undetectable by ddPCR in all 21 evaluable patients. At a median follow-up of 34.9 months (95% CI, 29.6 to 36.9), no patient experienced disease relapse. The most common vemurafenib-related adverse events were rash and arthralgia. Febrile neutropenia occurred in two patients, and blood or platelet transfusions were required in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Combined time-limited vemurafenib and obinutuzumab achieved CR in more than 90% of patients with previously untreated HCL. In this small study, acquired vemurafenib resistance or dose-limiting toxicity was not observed. Patients were not observed long enough to reveal secondary malignancies. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03410875.)

Quantitation of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related inhibitor elimusertib (BAY-1895344) in human plasma using LC-MS/MS.

Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) is master regulator of the DNA-damage response that, through multiple mechanisms, can promote cancer cell survival in response to replication stress from sources, including chemotherapy and radiation. Elimusertib (BAY-1895344) is an orally available small-molecule ATR inhibitor currently in preclinical and clinical development for cancer treatment. To support these studies and define elimusertib pharmacokinetics, we developed a HPLC-MS method for its quantitation. A 50-µL volume of plasma was subjected to acetonitrile protein precipitation and then chromatographic separation using a Phenomenex Polar-RP column (2 × 50 mm, 4 µm) and a gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and water during a 7-min run time. Mass spectrometric detection was achieved using a SCIEX 4000 triple-stage mass spectrometer with electrospray positive-mode ionization. With a stable isotopic internal standard, the assay was linear from 30 to 5000 ng/mL and proved to be both accurate (93.5-108.2%) and precise (<6.3% coefficient of variation) fulfilling criteria from the Food and Drug Administration guidance on bioanalytical method validation. This LC-MS/MS assay will support several ongoing clinical studies by defining elimusertib pharmacokinetics.

CancerNet: a unified deep learning network for pan-cancer diagnostics.

BACKGROUND: Despite remarkable advances in cancer research, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Early detection of cancer and localization of the tissue of its origin are key to effective treatment. Here, we leverage technological advances in machine learning or artificial intelligence to design a novel framework for cancer diagnostics. Our proposed framework detects cancers and their tissues of origin using a unified model of cancers encompassing 33 cancers represented in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Our model exploits the learned features of different cancers reflected in the respective dysregulated epigenomes, which arise early in carcinogenesis and differ remarkably between different cancer types or subtypes, thus holding a great promise in early cancer detection. RESULTS: Our comprehensive assessment of the proposed model on the 33 different tissues of origin demonstrates its ability to detect and classify cancers to a high accuracy (> 99% overall F-measure). Furthermore, our model distinguishes cancers from pre-cancerous lesions to metastatic tumors and discriminates between hypomethylation changes due to age related epigenetic drift and true cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond detection of primary cancers, our proposed computational model also robustly detects tissues of origin of secondary cancers, including metastatic cancers, second primary cancers, and cancers of unknown primaries. Our assessment revealed the ability of this model to characterize pre-cancer samples, a significant step forward in early cancer detection. Deployed broadly this model can deliver accurate diagnosis for a greatly expanded target patient population.