Highly Conductive Ink Based on Self-Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes through Inter-Fiber Sliding in Cellulose Fibril Networks.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), owing to their superior electrical and mechanical properties, are a promising alternative to nonmetallic electrically conducting materials. In practice, cellulose as a low-cost sustainable matrix has been used to prepare the aqueous dispersion of cellulose-CNT (C-CNT) nanocomposites. However, the compatibility with conventional solution-processing and structural rearrangement for improving conductivity has yet to be determined. Herein, a straightforward route to prepare a conductive composite material from single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) and natural pulp is reported. High-power shaking realizes the self-alignment of individual SWCNTs in a cellulose matrix, resulting from the structural change in molecular orientations owing to countless collisions of zirconia beads in the aqueous mixture. The structural analysis of the dried C-CNT films confirms that the entanglement and dispersion of C-CNT nanowires determine the mechanical and electrical properties. Moreover, the rheological behavior of C-CNT inks explains their coating and printing characteristics. By controlling shaking time, the electrical conductivity of the C-CNT films with only 9 wt.% of SWCNTs from 0.9 to 102.4 S cm-1 are adjusted. the optimized C-CNT ink is highly compatible with the conventional coating and printing processes on diverse substrates, thus finding potential applications in eco-friendly, highly flexible, and stretchable electrodes is also demonstrated.

Highly Sensitive Biosensors Based on All-PEDOT:PSS Organic Electrochemical Transistors with Laser-Induced Micropatterning.

Recent advances in numerous biological applications have increased the accuracy of monitoring the level of biologically significant analytes in the human body to manage personal nutrition and physiological conditions. However, despite promising reports about costly wearable devices with high sensing performance, there has been a growing demand for inexpensive sensors that can quickly detect biological molecules. Herein, we present highly sensitive biosensors based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), which are types of organic semiconductor-based sensors that operate consistently at low operating voltages in aqueous solutions. Instead of the gold or platinum electrode used in current electrochemical devices, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used as both the channel and gate electrodes in the OECT. Additionally, to overcome the patterning resolution limitations of conventional solution processing, we confirmed that the irradiation of a high-power IR laser (λ = 1064 nm) onto the coated PEDOT:PSS film was able to produce spatially resolvable micropatterns in a digital-printing manner. The proposed patterning technique exhibits high suitability for the fabrication of all-PEDOT:PSS OECT devices. The device geometry was optimized by fine-tuning the gate area and the channel-to-gate distance. Consequently, the sensor for detecting ascorbic acid (vitamin C) concentrations in an electrolyte exhibited the best sensitivity of 125 µA dec-1 with a limit of detection of 1.3 µM, which is nearly 2 orders of magnitude higher than previous findings. Subsequently, an all-plastic flexible epidermal biosensor was established by transferring the patterned all-PEDOT:PSS OECT from a glass substrate to a PET substrate, taking full advantage of the flexibility of PEDOT:PSS. The prepared all-plastic sensor device is highly cost-effective and suitable for single-use applications because of its acceptable sensing performance and reliable signal for detecting vitamin C. Additionally, the epidermal sensor successfully obtained the temporal profile of vitamin C in the sweat of a human volunteer after the consumption of vitamin C drinks. We believe that the highly sensitive all-PEDOT:PSS OECT device fabricated using the accurate patterning process exhibits versatile potential as a low-cost and single-use biosensor for emerging bioelectronic applications.

Real-world incidences and risk factors of immune-related adverse events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are rare but fatal, requiring systemic steroid use. Therefore, to examine the outcomes, incidence, timing, and risk factors of ICI-associated steroid-requiring severe irAEs, we conducted a nationwide, retrospective, cohort study utilizing the Korean Health Insurance and Review Assessment database. We identified 357,010 patients with lung cancer, bladder cancer, or skin melanoma, eligible for ICI reimbursement in Korea between January 2012 to June 2020. Steroid-requiring severe irAEs following ICI treatment or treatment-emergent AEs following cytotoxic chemotherapy were defined as moderate- or high-dose steroid administration for over 2 consecutive days, along with corresponding ICD-10 codes indicating affected organ systems. The ICI-exposed group (N = 10,118) was compared to a matched cohort of 55,436 ICI-unexposed patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Incidences of acute severe irAEs requiring moderate- and high-dose steroids were higher in the ICI-exposed group (1.95% and 6.42%, respectively). The ICI-exposed group also had a higher risk of developing delayed severe irAEs requiring moderate- and high-dose steroid use (3.89% and 7.39%). Male sex, high comorbidity index, or previously diagnosed autoimmune diseases were associated with an increased risk of severe irAEs. Notably, 27.4-38.8% of the patients experienced recurrent severe irAEs after re-challenge with ICIs following moderate- or high-dose steroid use, with the severity matching the initial episode. Steroid-requiring severe irAEs were significantly more prevalent among patients exposed to ICIs than among those treated with chemotherapy in acute and delayed periods.

Thermally Induced Phase Separation of the PEDOT:PSS Layer for Highly Efficient Laminated Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes.

Among various conductive polymers, the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film has been studied as a promising material for use as a transparent electrode and a hole-injecting layer in organic optoelectronic devices. Due to the increasing demand for the low-cost fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), PEDOT:PSS has been employed as the top electrode by using the coating or lamination method. Herein, a facile method is reported for the fabrication of highly efficient polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on a laminated transparent electrode (LTE) consisting of successive PEDOT:PSS and silver-nanowire (AgNW) layers. In particular, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) of the PEDOT:PSS film is found to depend on the annealing temperature (Tanneal) during preparation of the LTE. At Tanneal close to the glass transition temperature of the PSS chains, a PSS-rich phase with a large number of PSS- molecules enhances the work function of the PEDOT:PSS on the glass-side surface relative to the air side. By using the optimized LTEs, bidirectional laminated PLEDs are obtained with a total external quantum efficiency of 2.9% and a turn-on voltage of 2.6 V, giving a comparable performance to that of the reference bottom-emitting PLED based on a costly evaporated metal electrode. In addition, an analysis of the angular characteristics, including the variation in the electroluminescence spectra and the change in luminance according to the emission angle, indicates that the laminated PLED with the LTE provides a more uniform angular distribution regardless of the direction of emission. Detailed optical and electrical analyses are also performed to evaluate the suitability of LTEs for the low-cost fabrication of efficient PLEDs.

Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized, Biomarker-Integrated Umbrella Trial for Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer: K-Umbrella Gastric Cancer Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to screen targeted agents as second-line treatment with a standard-of-care (SOC) controlled umbrella trial design in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with HER2-negative AGC from eight Korean cancer centers were screened for druggable targets using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization, and randomly assigned to the biomarker versus control group at a 4:1 ratio. In the biomarker group, patients were treated with specific targeted agent plus paclitaxel: pan-ERBB inhibitor for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) 2+/3+ patients (afatinib; EGFR cohort), PIK3Cß inhibitor for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss/null patients (GSK2636771; PTEN cohort), and anti-PD-1 inhibitor for PD-L1+, deficient mismatch repair/microsatellite instability-high, or Epstein-Barr virus-related cases (nivolumab; NIVO cohort). NONE cohort in the biomarker group without predefined biomarkers and control group received SOC (paclitaxel with or without ramucirumab). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary end points were efficacy and safety. RESULTS: A total of 318 patients were randomly assigned into the control (n = 64) and biomarker (n = 254; EGFR, n = 67; PTEN, n = 37; NIVO, n = 48; NONE, n = 102) groups. Median follow-up was 35 months. Median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 3.7 (95% CI, 3.1 to 4.1) and 8.6 (95% CI, 7.6 to 9.8) months in the biomarker group and 4.0 (95% CI, 3.0 to 4.6) and 8.7 (95% CI, 7.1 to 9.9) months in the control group. Afatinib addition led to marginal survival benefits to patients with EGFR 3+ compared with SOC (PFS, 4.0 v 2.2 months; P = .09), but GSK2636771 did not prolong the survival of patients with PTEN loss. Addition of nivolumab showed a durable survival benefit (median OS, 12.0 v 7.6 months; P = .08). CONCLUSION: Although biomarker group did not show better survival than the control group, IHC-based screening and allocation of patients with AGC to the second-line treatment in an umbrella design were feasible for effective early screening of novel agents.

Clinical relevance of clonal hematopoiesis and its interference in cell-free DNA profiling of patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is a condition in which healthy individuals have somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem cells. It has been reported with increased risk of hematologic malignancy and cardiovascular disease in the general population, but studies of Korean populations with comorbid disease entities are scarce. METHODS: White blood cells (WBCs) from patients with gastric cancer (GC) (n=121) were analyzed using a DNA-based targeted (531 genes) panel with customized pipeline designed to detect single nucleotide variants and small indels with low-allele-frequency of ≥0.2 %. We defined significant CH variants as having variant allele frequency (VAF) ≥2 % among variants found in WBCs. Matched cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples were also analyzed with the same pipeline to investigate the false-positive results caused by WBC variants in cfDNA profiling. RESULTS: Significant CH variants were detected in 29.8 % of patients and were associated with age and male sex. The number of CH variants was associated with a history of anti-cancer therapy and age. DNMT3A and TET2 were recurrently mutated. Overall survival rate of treatment-naïve patients with stage IV GC was higher in those with CH, but Cox regression showed no significant association after adjustment for age, sex, anti-cancer therapy, and smoking history. In addition, we analyzed the potential interference of WBC variants in plasma cell-free DNA testing, which has attracted interest as a complementary method for tissue biopsy. Results showed that 37.0 % (47/127) of plasma specimens harbored at least one WBC variant. VAFs of interfering WBC variants in the plasma and WBC were correlated, and WBC variants with VAF ≥4 % in WBC were frequently detected in plasma with the same VAF. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the clinical impact of CH in Korean patients and suggests the potential for its interference in cfDNA tests.

Identification of dendritic cell precursor from the CD11c+ cells expressing high levels of MHC class II molecules in the culture of bone marrow with FLT3 ligand.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are readily generated from the culture of mouse bone marrow (BM) treated with either granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L). CD11c+MHCII+ or CD11c+MHCIIhi cells are routinely isolated from those BM cultures and generally used as in vitro-generated DCs for a variety of experiments and therapies. Here, we examined CD11c+ cells in the BM culture with GM-CSF or FLT3L by staining with a monoclonal antibody 2A1 that is known to recognize mature or activated DCs. Most of the cells within the CD11c+MHCIIhi DC gate were 2A1+ in the BM culture with GM-CSF (GM-BM culture). In the BM culture with FLT3L (FL-BM culture), almost of all the CD11c+MHCIIhi cells were within the classical DC2 (cDC2) gate. The analysis of FL-BM culture revealed that a majority of cDC2-gated CD11c+MHCIIhi cells exhibited a 2A1-CD83-CD115+CX3CR1+ phenotype, and the others consisted of 2A1+CD83+CD115-CX3CR1- and 2A1-CD83-CD115-CX3CR1- cells. According to the antigen uptake and presentation, morphologies, and gene expression profiles, 2A1-CD83-CD115-CX3CR1- cells were immature cDC2s and 2A1+CD83+CD115-CX3CR1- cells were mature cDC2s. Unexpectedly, however, 2A1-CD83-CD115+CX3CR1+ cells, the most abundant cDC2-gated MHCIIhi cell subset in FL-BM culture, were non-DCs. Adoptive cell transfer experiments in the FL-BM culture confirmed that the cDC2-gated MHCIIhi non-DCs were precursors to cDC2s, i.e., MHCIIhi pre-cDC2s. MHCIIhi pre-cDC2s also expressed the higher level of DC-specific transcription factor Zbtb46 as similarly as immature cDC2s. Besides, MHCIIhi pre-cDC2s were generated only from pre-cDCs and common DC progenitor (CDP) cells but not from monocytes and common monocyte progenitor (cMoP) cells, verifying that MHCIIhi pre-cDC2s are close lineage to cDCs. All in all, our study identified and characterized a new cDC precursor, exhibiting a CD11c+MHCIIhiCD115+CX3CR1+ phenotype, in FL-BM culture.

Prior antibiotic administration disrupts anti-PD-1 responses in advanced gastric cancer by altering the gut microbiome and systemic immune response.

Evidence on whether prior antibiotic (pATB) administration modulates outcomes of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is scarce. In this study, we find that pATB administration is consistently associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in multiple cohorts consisting of patients with AGC treated with PD-1 inhibitors. In contrast, pATB does not affect outcomes among patients treated with irinotecan. Multivariable analysis of the overall patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors confirms that pATB administration independently predicts worse PFS and OS. Administration of pATBs is associated with diminished gut microbiome diversity, reduced abundance of Lactobacillus gasseri, and disproportional enrichment of circulating exhaustive CD8+ T cells, all of which are associated with worse outcomes. Considering the inferior treatment response and poor survival outcomes by pATB administration followed by PD-1 blockade, ATBs should be prescribed with caution in patients with AGC who are planning to receive PD-1 inhibitors.

L-Pampo™, a Novel TLR2/3 Agonist, Acts as a Potent Cancer Vaccine Adjuvant by Activating Draining Lymph Node Dendritic Cells.

TLR agonists have emerged as an efficient cancer vaccine adjuvant system that induces robust immune responses. L-pampo™, a proprietary vaccine adjuvant of TLR2 and TLR3 agonists, promotes strong humoral and cellular immune responses against infectious diseases. In this study, we demonstrate that vaccines formulated with L-pampo™ affect the recruitment and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) in draining lymph nodes (dLNs) and leading to antigen-specific T-cell responses and anti-tumor efficacy. We analyzed DC maturation and T-cell proliferation using flow cytometry and ELISA. We determined the effect of L-pampo™ on DCs in dLNs and antigen-specific T-cell responses using flow cytometric analysis and the ELISPOT assay. We employed murine tumor models and analyzed the anti-tumor effect of L-pampo™. We found that L-pampo™ directly enhanced the maturation and cytokine production of DCs and, consequently, T-cell proliferation. OVA or OVA peptide formulated with L-pampo™ promoted DC migration into dLNs and increased activation markers and specific DC subsets within dLNs. In addition, vaccines admixed with L-pampo™ promoted antigen-specific T-cell responses and anti-tumor efficacy. Moreover, the combination of L-pampo™ with an immune checkpoint inhibitor synergistically improved the anti-tumor effect. This study suggests that L-pampo™ can be a potent cancer vaccine adjuvant and a suitable candidate for combination immunotherapy.

Trastuzumab Combined With Ramucirumab and Paclitaxel in Patients With Previously Treated Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer.

PURPOSE: Trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy is the recommended first-line regimen for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of trastuzumab combined with ramucirumab and paclitaxel as second-line treatment for HER2-positive G/GEJ cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with HER2-positive advanced G/GEJ cancer who progressed after first-line treatment with trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy were enrolled from five centers in the Republic of Korea. Patients were administered a 28-day cycle of trastuzumab (once on days 1, 8, 15, and 22: 2 mg/kg followed by 4 mg/kg loading dose), ramucirumab (once on days 1 and 15: 8 mg/kg), and paclitaxel (once on days 1, 8, and 15: dose level 1, 80 mg/m2; or dose level -1, 70 mg/m2). Phase II was conducted with the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Primary end points were determination of RP2D during phase Ib and investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) in patients treated with RP2D. RESULTS: Dose-limiting toxicity at dose level 1 was not documented during phase Ib, and a full dose combination was selected as the RP2D. Among 50 patients with a median follow-up duration of 27.5 months (95% CI, 17.4 to 37.6), median PFS and overall survival were 7.1 months (95% CI, 4.8 to 9.4) and 13.6 months (95% CI, 9.4 to 17.7), respectively. Objective response rate was 54% (27 of 50, including one complete response), and disease control rate was 96% (48 of 50). Loss of HER2 expression was observed in 34.8% (8 of 23) patients after first-line treatment, and no definite association between HER2 expression and the outcome was revealed. Safety profiles were consistent with previous reports. CONCLUSION: Trastuzumab combined with ramucirumab and paclitaxel showed appreciable efficacy with manageable safety profiles in patients with previously treated HER2-positive G/GEJ cancer.

Efficacy of Limited Dose Modifications for Palbociclib-Related Grade 3 Neutropenia in Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Frequent neutropenia hinders uninterrupted palbociclib treatment in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. We compared the efficacy outcomes in multicenter cohorts of patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) receiving palbociclib following conventional dose modification or limited modified schemes for afebrile grade 3 neutropenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with HR-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative mBC (n=434) receiving palbociclib with letrozole as first-line therapy were analyzed and classified based on neutropenia grade and afebrile grade 3 neutropenia management as follows: group 1 (maintained palbociclib dose, limited scheme), group 2 (dose delay or reduction, conventional scheme), group 3 (no afebrile grade 3 neutropenia event), and group 4 (grade 4 neutropenia event). The primary and secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) between groups 1 and 2 and PFS, overall survival, and safety profiles among all groups. RESULTS: During follow-up (median 23.7 months), group 1 (2-year PFS, 67.9%) showed significantly longer PFS than did group 2 (2-year PFS, 55.3%; p=0.036), maintained across all subgroups, and upon adjustment of the factors. Febrile neutropenia occurred in one and two patients of group 1 and group 2, respectively, without mortality. CONCLUSION: Limited dose modification for palbociclib-related grade 3 neutropenia may lead to longer PFS, without increasing toxicity, than the conventional dose scheme.

Gradual Morphological Change in PEDOT:PSS Thin Films Immersed in an Aqueous Solution.

The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film is a promising material for electrodes, biomolecular sensor channels, and probes for physiological signals because the electrical conduction of PEDOT:PSS is tuned simply through the electrochemical reaction with the target analyte. However, forming a specific morphology or nanostructure on PEDOT:PSS thin films immersed in an aqueous solution is still a challenge. Herein, we report the mechanism for the stepwise morphological change in the highly conductive PEDOT:PSS layer that successfully explains the electrical and structural modulations that occur after a soaking test in various pH conditions. The change in PEDOT:PSS begins with the rapid swelling and dissolution of PSS-rich domains and the simultaneous structural rearrangement of the remaining PEDOT chains within 1 s of dipping. Analysis confirms that the pH conditions of an aqueous solution govern the oxidation state and the form of the PEDOT chains. After removing the water molecules, additional PEDOT-rich grains were generated and accumulated on the surface of the film, which exhibited hydrophobic barrier characteristics. With the help of this intrinsic barrier on the PEDOT:PSS surface, the sheet resistance slightly increased from 72 to 144 Ω/sq even after dipping in a water bath for 350 h. We also demonstrate the usability of the proposed approach on a sensor to detect vitamin C in an aqueous medium. Utilizing the electrochemical reaction of PEDOT:PSS films, the simple resistor sensor showed a response time of less than 150 s, which is 10 times faster than that observed in a previous report. The soaked samples also showed a more reliable linear correlation between the current change and the amount of ascorbic acid compared with pristine PEDOT:PSS. Both the proposed mechanism and the role of accumulated PEDOT-rich regions illustrate the versatile potential of highly conductive PEDOT:PSS films in the field of bioelectronic applications, owing to the increased design architecture.

Trastuzumab plus FOLFOX for HER2-positive biliary tract cancer refractory to gemcitabine and cisplatin: a multi-institutional phase 2 trial of the Korean Cancer Study Group (KCSG-HB19-14).

BACKGROUND: HER2 overexpression or amplification, which is present in 15% of all cases of biliary tract cancer, has been identified as a druggable molecular target by genomic profiling. In the phase 3 ABC-06 trial, the folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) regimen showed a survival benefit compared with active symptom control as second-line therapy for biliary tract cancer. We aimed to evaluate the clinical activity of FOLFOX plus anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab as a second-line or third-line treatment for HER2-positive biliary tract cancer. METHODS: This study was an investigator-initiated, open-label, non-randomised, single-arm, multi institutional, phase 2 trial in participants aged 19 years or older with HER2-positive (defined as immunohistochemistry 3+ or immunohistochemistry 2+ and in-situ hybridisation positive or ERBB2 gene copy number ≥6·0 by next-generation sequencing) biliary tract cancer (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer) who progressed on chemotherapy containing gemcitabine and cisplatin (with one or two previous chemotherapy lines permitted). In cycle one, patients received intravenous trastuzumab-pkrb at 6 mg/kg on day 1, and FOLFOX (consisting of intravenous oxaliplatin [85 mg/m2], intravenous leucovorin [200 mg/m2], and fluorouracil [400 mg/m2 bolus] all on day 1, and fluorouracil [2400 mg/m2 infusion] on days 1-2. In cycle two onwards, participants were administered intravenous trastuzumab-pkrb at 4 mg/kg and FOLFOX, every 2 weeks, until unacceptable toxic effects or disease progression. The primary endpoint of the study was objective response rate based on RECIST version 1.1, assessed in the participants who completed at least one study cycle. The response rate threshold for a positive objective response rate was 25%. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04722133) and is ongoing. FINDINGS: 34 participants were enrolled between June 26, 2020, and Sept 1, 2021. At the time of data cutoff on May 1, 2022, median follow-up was 13·0 months (IQR 11·0-16·9), with three participants remaining on treatment. Ten patients had a partial response and 17 had stable disease; the overall response rate was 29·4% (95% CI 16·7-46·3) and the disease control rate was 79·4% (95% CI 62·9-89·9). Median progression-free survival was 5·1 months (95% CI 3·6-6·7); median overall survival was 10·7 (95%CI 7·9-not reached). The most common treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (ten [29%] participants with grade 3 and nine [26%] with grade 4), grade 3 anaemia (five [15%] participants), and grade 3 peripheral sensory neuropathy (four [12%] participants). There were no treatment-related cardiac toxic effects or deaths. The overall health assessment (EuroQoL-VAS) score did not change significantly throughout the treatment. Sensory and motor neuropathy symptoms as assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy twenty-item scale questionnaire did not change significantly over time. INTERPRETATION: For HER2-positive biliary tract cancer, second-line or third-line trastuzumab biosimilar plus FOLFOX exhibited promising activity with acceptable toxicity, warranting further investigation. FUNDING: Boryung Pharmaceutical, Celltrion, National Research Foundation of Korea, National R&D Program for Cancer Control through the National Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine.

A single arm phase Ib/II trial of first-line pembrolizumab, trastuzumab and chemotherapy for advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer.

In this multi-center phase II trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of a quadruplet regimen (pembrolizumab, trastuzumab, and doublet chemotherapy) as first-line therapy for unresectable or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC) (NCT02901301). The primary endpoints were recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for phase Ib and objective response rate (ORR) for phase II. The secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), duration of response, time to response and safety. Without dose-limiting or unexpected toxicities, the starting dose in the phase Ib trial was selected as RP2D. In 43 patients, the primary endpoint was achieved: the objective response rate was 76.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.4-88.2), with complete and partial responses in 14% and 62.8% of patients, respectively. The median progression-free survival, overall survival, and duration of response were 8.6 months, 19.3 months, and 10.8 months, respectively. No patients discontinued pembrolizumab because of immune-related adverse events. Programmed death ligand-1 status was not related to survival. Post hoc analyses of pretreatment tumor specimens via targeted sequencing indicated that ERBB2 amplification, RTK/RAS pathway alterations, and high neoantigen load corrected by HLA-B were positively related to survival. The current quadruplet regimen shows durable efficacy and safety for patients with HER2-positive AGC.

Assessing the Capability of Government Information Intervention and Socioeconomic Factors of Information Sharing during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Country Study Using Big Data Analytics.

(1) Background: This study introduces a novel computational approach to examine government capabilities in information intervention for risk management, influential agents in a global information network, and the socioeconomic factors of information-sharing behaviors of the public across regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: Citation network analysis was employed to gauge the online visibility of governmental health institutions across regions. A bipartite exponential random graph modeling (ERGM) procedure was conducted to measure network dynamics. (3) Results: COVID-19 response agencies in Europe had the highest web impact, whereas health agencies in North America had the lowest. Various stakeholders, such as businesses, non-profit organizations, governments, and educational institutions played a key role in sharing the COVID-19 response by agencies' information given on their websites. Income inequality and GDP per capita were associated with the high online visibility of governmental health agencies. Other factors, such as population size, an aging population, death rate, and case percentage, did not contribute to the agencies' online visibility, suggesting that demographic characteristics and health status are not predictors of sharing government resources. (4) Conclusions: A combination of citation network analysis and ERGM helps reveal information flow dynamics and understand the socioeconomic consequences of sharing the government's COVID-19 information during the pandemic.

Distinct effects of different adjuvants in the mouse model of allergic airway inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Allergic asthma was typically considered as an inflammatory disease mediated by type 2 immunity. However, recent studies revealed that asthma is a complex disease displaying a variety of phenotypes and endotypes. OBJECTIVE: We examined cellular phenotypes in the mouse model of allergic asthma sensitized with different adjuvants. The aim of our study was to determine immunologic cellular characteristics in mouse asthma models induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and a variety of adjuvants. METHODS: Mice were sensitized intraperitoneally with the admixture of OVA and various adjuvants such as Alhydrogel (alum), papain, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or CpG, and subsequently challenged with OVA intranasally. The cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, lung, and mediastinal lymph node (mLN) were examined by flow cytometric analyses. RESULTS: In the lung and BAL fluid, the highest eosinophil levels were observed in the alum group while the highest neutrophil levels were detected in the LPS group. Meanwhile, the LPS group exhibited the most elevated levels of both RORγt+ innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and IL-17A+ Th cells in the lung and mediastinal lymph node. In the lung, the number of T-bet+ ILCs was highest in the papain group whereas the number of IFN-γ+ Th cells was highest in the CpG group. CONCLUSIONS: Notable variances are found in the composition of immune cells and expression of cytokines at the site of pathogenesis among the different mouse models of allergic asthma created by the sensitization with different adjuvants.

Inhibition of the bromodomain and extra-terminal family of epigenetic regulators as a promising therapeutic approach for gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Epigenetic dysregulation is a common characteristic of cancers, including gastric cancer (GC), and contributes to cancer development and progression. Although the efficacy of BET (an epigenetic regulator) inhibition has been demonstrated in various cancer types, predictive genetic markers of its efficacy in GC are currently lacking. Therefore, we aimed to identify markers that predict the response of BET inhibition in GC and, suggest an effective treatment regimen through combined therapy. METHODS: The effect of BET inhibition was evaluated using iBET-151, a small-molecule inhibitor of BET proteins, in a large panel (n = 49) of GC cell lines and xenograft mouse models. Comprehensive genetic information was used to identify cell lines sensitive to iBET-151. Flow cytometry, Western blotting, and colony-formation and migration assays were used to evaluate the effects of iBET-151 and/or paclitaxel. The synergistic effect of iBET-151 and paclitaxel was evaluated using an organoid model. RESULTS: We found that iBET-151 showed a modest growth-inhibitory effect in GC cells (73%, 36/49). iBET-151 inhibited tumorigenicity in vitro and significantly promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Based on comprehensive genetic information analysis in relation to BET family expression, we found that BRD4 was highly expressed in the iBET-151-sensitive cell lines. We also identified WNT5B and IRS2 as potential biomarkers that are predictive for sensitivity to iBET-151. In GC xenograft model mice, iBET-151 significantly decreased tumor volumes and Ki-67 and BRD4 expression. Combination treatment showed that iBET-151 increased the sensitivity of GC cells to paclitaxel in approximately 70% of the cell lines (34/49) tested. iBET-151 plus paclitaxel significantly promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and suppressed c-Myc, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In GC organoids, iBET-151 and paclitaxel showed a synergistic effect. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data suggest that iBET-151 is a potential therapeutic agent for GC, especially in combination with paclitaxel, and that WNT5B and IRS2 may predict iBET-151 sensitivity.

Global Gene Expression of T Cells Is Differentially Regulated by Peritoneal Dendritic Cell Subsets in an IL-2 Dependent Manner.

Dendritic cells (DCs) in peripheral tissues may have a unique role to regulate innate and adaptive immune responses to antigens that enter the tissues. Peritoneal cavity is the body compartment surrounding various tissues and organs and housing diverse immune cells. Here, we investigated the specialized features of classical DC (cDC) subsets following the intraperitoneal injection of a model antigen ovalbumin (OVA). Peritoneal cDC1s were superior to cDC2s in activating OVA-specific CD8 T cells, while both cDCs were similar in stimulating OVA-specific CD4 T cells. Each peritoneal cDC subset differentially regulated the homing properties of CD8 T cells. CD8 T cells stimulated by cDC1s displayed a higher level of lung-homing receptor CCR4, whereas those stimulated by cDC2s prominently expressed various homing receptors including gut-homing molecules CCR9 and α4ß7. Also, we found that cDC1s played a dominating role over cDC2s in controlling the overall gene expression of CD8 T cells. Soluble factor(s) emanating from CD8 T cells stimulated by peritoneal cDC1s were responsible for mediating this dominance of cDC1s, and we identified IL-2 as a soluble factor regulating the global gene expression of T cells. Collectively, our study indicates that different peritoneal cDC subsets effectively diversify T cell responses by altering the level of cytokines, such as IL-2, in the milieu.

Detection of asymptomatic recurrence improves survival of gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The effect of long-term surveillance for asymptomatic patients after curative resection of gastric cancer is being debated. We compared the prognosis of Korean patients with recurrent gastric cancer according to the presence or absence of cancer-related symptoms at the time of recurrence detection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 305 Korean patients who experienced recurrence after curative resection of primary gastric cancer between March 2002 and February 2017 at Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 169.8 months (1-267.2), and the median age at first recurrence was 58.1 years (23.4-81.9). Among 305 patients with recurrence, 97 of 231 (42.0%) patients with early recurrence (≤5 years after curative surgical resection) and 47 of 74 (63.5%) patients with late recurrence (>5 years after curative surgical resection) had cancer-related symptoms at recurrence (p = 0.001). For survival after recurrence, detection of asymptomatic recurrence was an independent favorable factor (hazard ratio, 0.527; 95% confidence interval, 0.409-0.681; p < 0.001) accompanied with the possibility of subsequent treatment, targeted-, or immunotherapy for recurrent disease, and locoregional recurrence only. In the late-recurrence group, the patients with asymptomatic detection of recurrence showed favorable post-recurrence survival (median, 33.3 months vs. 14.7 months; p = 0.002), overall survival (median, 136.3 months vs. 106.1 months; p = 0.010), and cancer-specific survival (median, 177.5 months vs. 106.1 months; p = 0.005) than the patients with symptomatic detection. CONCLUSION: The detection of gastric cancer recurrence in patients without cancer-related symptoms may be related to improved survival, suggesting the potential benefit of long-term surveillance.