Neoadjuvant Talazoparib in Patients With Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation-Positive, Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Results of a Phase II Study.

BACKGROUND: The undetermined efficacy of the current standard-of-care neoadjuvant treatment, anthracycline/platinum-based chemotherapy, in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and germline BRCA mutations emphasizes the need for biomarker-targeted treatment, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, in this setting. This phase II, single-arm, open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant talazoparib in patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutated early-stage TNBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutated early-stage TNBC received talazoparib 1 mg once daily for 24 weeks (0.75 mg for moderate renal impairment) followed by surgery. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) by independent central review (ICR). Secondary endpoints included residual cancer burden (RCB) by ICR. Safety and tolerability of talazoparib and patient-reported outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Of 61 patients, 48 received ≥80% talazoparib doses, underwent surgery, and were assessed for pCR or progressed before pCR assessment and considered nonresponders. pCR rate was 45.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.0%-60.6%) and 49.2% (95% CI, 36.7%-61.6%) in the evaluable and intent-to-treat (ITT) population, respectively. RCB 0/I rate was 45.8% (95% CI, 29.4%-63.2%) and 50.8% (95% CI, 35.5%-66.0%) in the evaluable and ITT population, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were reported in 58 (95.1%) patients. Most common grade 3 and 4 TRAEs were anemia (39.3%) and neutropenia (9.8%). There was no clinically meaningful detriment in quality of life. No deaths occurred during the reporting period; 2 deaths due to progressive disease occurred during long-term follow-up (>400 days after first dose). CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant talazoparib monotherapy was active despite pCR rates not meeting the prespecified threshold; these rates were comparable to those observed with combination anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy regimens. Talazoparib was generally well tolerated. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03499353.

Talazoparib plus enzalutamide in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: TALAPRO-2 phase III study design.

PARP inhibitors in combination with androgen receptor-targeted therapy have demonstrated potential in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, we describe the design and rationale of the multinational, phase III, two-part TALAPRO-2 study comparing talazoparib plus enzalutamide versus placebo plus enzalutamide as a first-line treatment for patients with mCRPC with or without DNA damage response (DDR) alterations. This study has two co-primary end points: radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) by blinded independent clinical review in all-comers (cohort 1) and in patients with DDR alterations (cohort 2). TALAPRO-2 will demonstrate whether talazoparib plus enzalutamide can significantly improve the efficacy of enzalutamide in terms of rPFS in both molecularly unselected and DDR-deficient patients with mCRPC (NCT03395197). Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03395197 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Plain language summary of the design of the TALAPRO-2 study comparing talazoparib and enzalutamide versus enzalutamide and placebo in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This summary describes the design of an ongoing research study (also known as a clinical trial) called TALAPRO-2. The TALAPRO-2 trial is testing the combination of two medicines called talazoparib and enzalutamide as a first treatment in adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The study began in December 2017 and has enrolled 1037 adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer from 26 countries. WHAT IS METASTATIC CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER?: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is a type of cancer that has advanced beyond the prostate and continues to grow even when testosterone levels in the blood are suppressed. WHICH MEDICINES ARE BEING TESTED?: The combination of talazoparib plus enzalutamide will be compared with enzalutamide plus placebo. Enzalutamide is approved to treat men with prostate cancer. Talazoparib is not approved to treat men with prostate cancer. A placebo does not contain any active ingredients and is also known as a sugar pill. WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE TALAPRO-2 TRIAL?: The TALAPRO-2 trial will find out if combining talazoparib with enzalutamide increases the length of time the men in the study live without their cancer getting worse compared with enzalutamide plus placebo. The study will also measure how long men in the study live and any side effects the men have while they are taking the study medicines. Researchers are also testing the DNA from the tumor cells of all men in the study to find out if they have faulty DNA repair genes. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT0339519 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Talazoparib monotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with DNA repair alterations (TALAPRO-1): an open-label, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have antitumour activity against metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers with DNA damage response (DDR) alterations in genes involved directly or indirectly in homologous recombination repair (HRR). In this study, we assessed the PARP inhibitor talazoparib in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers with DDR-HRR alterations. METHODS: In this open-label, phase 2 trial (TALAPRO-1), participants were recruited from 43 hospitals, cancer centres, and medical centres in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, South Korea, the UK, and the USA. Patients were eligible if they were men aged 18 years or older with progressive, metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancers of adenocarcinoma histology, measurable soft-tissue disease (per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 [RECIST 1.1]), an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, DDR-HRR gene alterations reported to sensitise to PARP inhibitors (ie, ATM, ATR, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, FANCA, MLH1, MRE11A, NBN, PALB2, RAD51C), had received one or two taxane-based chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease, and progressed on enzalutamide or abiraterone, or both, for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers. Eligible patients were given oral talazoparib (1 mg per day; or 0·75 mg per day in patients with moderate renal impairment) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, investigator decision, withdrawal of consent, or death. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate, defined as best overall soft-tissue response of complete or partial response per RECIST 1.1, by blinded independent central review. The primary endpoint was assessed in patients who received study drug, had measurable soft-tissue disease, and had a gene alteration in one of the predefined DDR-HRR genes. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of the study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03148795, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Oct 18, 2017, and March 20, 2020, 128 patients were enrolled, of whom 127 received at least one dose of talazoparib (safety population) and 104 had measurable soft-tissue disease (antitumour activity population). Data cutoff for this analysis was Sept 4, 2020. After a median follow-up of 16·4 months (IQR 11·1-22·1), the objective response rate was 29·8% (31 of 104 patients; 95% CI 21·2-39·6). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events were anaemia (39 [31%] of 127 patients), thrombocytopenia (11 [9%]), and neutropenia (ten [8%]). Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 43 (34%) patients. There were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION: Talazoparib showed durable antitumour activity in men with advanced metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers with DDR-HRR gene alterations who had been heavily pretreated. The favourable benefit-risk profile supports the study of talazoparib in larger, randomised clinical trials, including in patients with non-BRCA alterations. FUNDING: Pfizer/Medivation.

Talazoparib in Patients with a Germline BRCA-Mutated Advanced Breast Cancer: Detailed Safety Analyses from the Phase III EMBRACA Trial.

BACKGROUND: In the EMBRACA phase III study (NCT01945775), talazoparib was associated with a significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared with physician's choice of chemotherapy (PCT) in germline BRCA1/2-mutated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC). Herein, the safety profile of talazoparib is explored in detail. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 412 patients received ≥1 dose of talazoparib (n = 286) or PCT (n = 126). Adverse events (AEs) were evaluated, including timing, duration, and potential overlap of selected AEs. The relationship between talazoparib plasma exposure and grade ≥3 anemia was analyzed. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models assessed the impact of dose reductions on PFS. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with common AEs and health resource utilization (HRU) were assessed in both treatment arms. RESULTS: The most common AEs with talazoparib were hematologic (195 [68.2%] patients) and typically occurred within the first 3-4 months of receiving talazoparib. Grade 3-4 anemia lasted approximately 7 days for both arms. Overlapping grade 3-4 hematologic AEs were infrequent with talazoparib. Higher talazoparib exposure was associated with grade ≥3 anemia. Permanent discontinuation of talazoparib due to hematologic AEs was low (<2%). A total of 150 (52.4%) patients receiving talazoparib had AEs associated with dose reduction. Hematologic toxicities were managed by supportive care medication (including transfusion) and dose modifications. Among patients with anemia or nausea and/or vomiting AEs, PROs favored talazoparib. After accounting for the treatment-emergent period, talazoparib was generally associated with a lower rate of hospitalization and supportive care medication use compared with chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Talazoparib was associated with superior efficacy, favorable PROs, and lower HRU rate versus chemotherapy in gBRCA-mutated ABC. Toxicities were manageable with talazoparib dose modification and supportive care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Talazoparib was generally well tolerated in patients with germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer in the EMBRACA trial. Common toxicities with talazoparib were primarily hematologic and infrequently resulted in permanent drug discontinuation (<2% of patients discontinued talazoparib due to hematologic toxicity). Hematologic toxicities typically occurred during the first 3-4 months of treatment and were managed by dose modifications and supportive care measures. A significant efficacy benefit, improved patient-reported outcomes, lower rate of health resource utilization and a tolerable safety profile support incorporating talazoparib into routine management of germline BRCA-mutated locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer.

Prognostic value of circulating Bcl-2/IgH levels in patients with follicular lymphoma receiving first-line immunochemotherapy.

Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements can be quantified in follicular lymphoma (FL) from peripheral blood (PB) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prognostic value of Bcl-2/IgH levels in FL remains controversial. We therefore prospectively studied PB Bcl-2/IgH levels from 173 first-line FL patients who were consecutively enrolled, randomized, and treated within the multicenter phase 3 clinical trial NHL1-2003 comparing bendamustine-rituximab (B-R) with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone. From April 2005 to August 2008, 783 pre- and posttreatment PB samples were quantified by quantitative PCR. At inclusion, 114 patients (66%) tested positive and 59 (34%) were negative for Bcl-2/IgH. High pretreatment Bcl-2/IgH levels had an adverse effect on progression-free survival (PFS) compared with intermediate or low levels (high vs intermediate: hazard [HR], 4.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-10.77; P = .002; high vs low: HR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.55-5.86; P = .001). No PFS difference between treatment arms was observed in Bcl-2/IgH-positive patients. A positive posttreatment Bcl-2/IgH status was associated with shorter PFS (8.7 months vs not reached; HR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.51-6.58; P = .002). By multivariate analysis, the pretreatment Bcl-2/IgH level was the strongest predictor for PFS. Our data suggest that pre- and posttreatment Bcl-2/IgH levels from PB have significant prognostic value for PFS in FL patients receiving first-line immunochemotherapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00991211 and at the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices as #BfArM-4021335.

A phase 1 study combining the HER3 antibody seribantumab (MM-121) and cetuximab with and without irinotecan.

Background HER3/EGFR heterodimers have been implicated as a mode of resistance to EGFR-directed therapies. Methods This Phase 1 trial assessed the tolerability, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of the HER-3 antibody seribantumab in combination with cetuximab (Part I) or cetuximab and irinotecan (Part II) in patients with EGFR-dependent cancers. In Part I, escalating doses of seribantumab and cetuximab were administered. In Part II of the trial, escalating doses of seribantumab/cetuximab were combined with irinotecan 180 mg/m2 administered every two weeks. Results 34 patients were enrolled in Part I (seribantumab/cetuximab) and 14 patients were enrolled in Part II (seribantumab/cetuximab/irinotecan). Common toxicities of seribantumab/cetuximab included acneiform rash, diarrhea, stomatitis, and paronychia. The MTD of Part I was seribantumab 40 mg/kg bolus, then 20 mg/kg weekly combined with cetuximab 400 mg/m2 bolus, then 250 mg/m2 IV weekly. Common toxicities reported in the seribantumab/cetuximab/irinotecan combination were similar to the Part I portion. However, toxicities were more frequent and severe with the triplet combination. There was one treatment-related death in Part II secondary to Grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 diarrhea. Other dose-limiting toxicities in Part II were Grade 3 mucositis and Grade 3 diarrhea. A cholangiocarcinoma patient, previously untreated with EGFR-directed therapy, had a confirmed partial response (PR). One colorectal cancer patient, previously treated with EGFR-directed therapy, had an unconfirmed PR. Conclusions Seribantumab/cetuximab was well tolerated and patients experienced toxicities typical to EGFR inhibition. Unlike the seribantumab/cetuximab doublet, seribantumab/cetuximab/irinotecan was difficult to tolerate in this heavily pretreated population. There was limited efficacy of the combination therapy.

Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation with azacitidine and donor lymphocyte infusions--a retrospective multicenter analysis from the German Cooperative Transplant Study Group.

To expand the current knowledge about azacitidine (Aza) and donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) as salvage therapy for relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and to identify predictors for response and survival, we retrospectively analyzed data of 154 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n = 124), myelodysplastic (MDS, n = 28), or myeloproliferative syndrome (n = 2). All patients received a median number of 4 courses of Aza (range, 4 to 14) and DLI were administered to 105 patients (68%; median number of DLI, 2; range, 1 to 7). Complete and partial remission rates were 27% and 6%, respectively, resulting in an overall response rate of 33%. Multivariate analysis identified molecular-only relapse (hazard ratio [HR], 9.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 43.5; P = .004) and diagnosis of MDS (HR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.4 to 12.2; P = .011) as predictors for complete remission. Overall survival (OS) at 2 years was 29% ± 4%. Molecular-only relapse (HR, .14; 95% CI, .03 to .59; P = .007), diagnosis of MDS (HR, .33; 95% CI, .16 to .67; P = .002), and bone marrow blasts <13% (HR, .54; 95% CI, .32 to .91; P = .021) were associated with better OS. Accordingly, 2-year OS rate was higher in MDS patients (66% ± 10%, P = .001) and correlated with disease burden in patients with AML. In summary, Aza and DLI is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for patients with relapse after allo-HSCT, in particular those with MDS or AML and low disease burden. The latter finding emphasizes the importance of stringent disease monitoring and early intervention.

C/EBPα is required for development of dendritic cell progenitors.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are master regulators of the immune system, but molecular regulation of early DC differentiation has been poorly understood. Here, we report that the transcription factor C/EBPα coordinates the development of progenitor cells required for production of multiple categories of DCs. C/EBPα was needed for differentiation from stem/progenitor cells to common DC progenitors (CDPs), but not for transition of CDP to mature DCs. C/EBPα deletion in mature DCs did not affect their numbers or function, suggesting that this transcription factor is not needed for maintenance of DCs in lymphoid tissues. ChIP-seq and microarrays were used to identify candidate genes regulated by C/EBPα and required for DC formation. Genes previously shown to be critical for DC formation were bound by C/EBPα, and their expression was decreased in the earliest hematopoietic compartments in the absence of C/EBPα. These data indicate that C/EBPα is important for the earliest stages of steady-state DC differentiation.

Platelet proteome analysis reveals integrin-dependent aggregation defects in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Bleeding complications are a significant clinical problem in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes even at sufficient platelet counts (>50,000/µl). However, the underlying pathology of this hemorrhagic diathesis is still unknown. Here, we analyzed the platelet proteome of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes by quantitative two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometric protein identification. Proteins identified with lower concentrations, such as Talin-1, Vinculin, Myosin-9, Filmain-A, and Actin play critical roles in integrin αIIbß3 signaling and thus platelet aggregation. Despite normal agonist receptor expression, calcium flux, and granule release upon activation, the activation capacity of integrin αIIbß3 was diminished in myelodysplastic syndrome platelets. Förster resonance energy transfer analysis showed a reduced co-localization of Talin-1 to the integrin's ß3-subunit, which is required for receptor activation and fibrinogen binding. In addition, platelet spreading on immobilized fibrinogen was incomplete, and platelet aggregation assays confirmed a general defect in integrin-dependent platelet aggregation in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Our data provide novel aspects on the molecular pathology of impaired platelet function in myelodysplastic syndromes and suggest a mechanism of defective integrin αIIbß3 signaling that may contribute to the hemorrhagic diathesis observed in these patients.

Multiple myeloma-related deregulation of bone marrow-derived CD34(+) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell disorder frequently accompanied by hematopoietic impairment. We show that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), in particular megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors, are diminished in the BM of MM patients. Genomic profiling of HSPC subsets revealed deregulations of signaling cascades, most notably TGFß signaling, and pathways involved in cytoskeletal organization, migration, adhesion, and cell-cycle regulation in the patients. Functionally, proliferation, colony formation, and long-term self-renewal were impaired as a consequence of activated TGFß signaling. In accordance, TGFß levels in the BM extracellular fluid were elevated and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) had a reduced capacity to support long-term hematopoiesis of HSPCs that completely recovered on blockade of TGFß signaling. Furthermore, we found defective actin assembly and down-regulation of the adhesion receptor CD44 in MM HSPCs functionally reflected by impaired migration and adhesion. Still, transplantation into myeloma-free NOG mice revealed even enhanced engraftment and normal differentiation capacities of MM HSPCs, which underlines that functional impairment of HSPCs depends on MM-related microenvironmental cues and is reversible. Taken together, these data implicate that hematopoietic suppression in MM emerges from the HSPCs as a result of MM-related microenvironmental alterations.

Impact of Treatment Modality and Route of Administration on Cytokine Release Syndrome in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis.

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting immunotherapies (e.g., chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) and bispecific antibodies (BsAbs)) have achieved remarkable clinical responses in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Their use is accompanied by exaggerated immune responses related to T-cell activation and cytokine elevations leading to cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in some patients, which can be potentially life-threatening. However, systematic evaluation of the risk of CRS with BCMA-targeting BsAb and CAR-T therapies, and comparisons across different routes of BsAb administration (intravenous (i.v.) vs. subcutaneous (s.c.)) have not previously been conducted. This study utilized a meta-analysis approach to compare the CRS profile in BCMA-targeting CAR-T vs. BsAb immunotherapies administered either i.v. or s.c. in patients with RRMM. A total of 36 studies including 1,560 patients with RRMM treated with BCMA-targeting CAR-T and BsAb therapies were included in the analysis. The current analysis suggests that compared with BsAbs, CAR-T therapies were associated with higher CRS incidences (88% vs. 59%), higher rates of grade ≥ 3 CRS (7% vs. 2%), longer CRS duration (5 vs. 2 days), and more prevalent tocilizumab use (44% vs. 25%). The proportion of CRS grade ≥ 3 may also be lower (0% vs. 4%) for BsAb therapies administered via the s.c. (3 studies, n = 311) vs. i.v. (5 studies, n = 338) route. This meta-analysis suggests that different types of BCMA-targeting immunotherapies and administration routes could result in a range of CRS incidence and severity that should be considered while evaluating the benefit-risk profiles of these therapies.

Elranatamab in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: phase 2 MagnetisMM-3 trial results.

Elranatamab is a humanized B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-CD3 bispecific antibody. In the ongoing phase 2 MagnetisMM-3 trial, patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma received subcutaneous elranatamab once weekly after two step-up priming doses. After six cycles, persistent responders switched to biweekly dosing. Results from cohort A, which enrolled patients without prior BCMA-directed therapy (n = 123) are reported. The primary endpoint of confirmed objective response rate (ORR) by blinded independent central review was met with an ORR of 61.0% (75/123); 35.0% ≥complete response. Fifty responders switched to biweekly dosing, and 40 (80.0%) improved or maintained their response for ≥6 months. With a median follow-up of 14.7 months, median duration of response, progression-free survival and overall survival (secondary endpoints) have not been reached. Fifteen-month rates were 71.5%, 50.9% and 56.7%, respectively. Common adverse events (any grade; grade 3-4) included infections (69.9%, 39.8%), cytokine release syndrome (57.7%, 0%), anemia (48.8%, 37.4%), and neutropenia (48.8%, 48.8%). With biweekly dosing, grade 3-4 adverse events decreased from 58.6% to 46.6%. Elranatamab induced deep and durable responses with a manageable safety profile. Switching to biweekly dosing may improve long-term safety without compromising efficacy. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04649359 .

Upfront allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation for patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome or secondary acute myeloid leukemia using a FLAMSA-based high-dose sequential conditioning regimen.

Patients suffering from high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) secondary to MDS (sAML) are characterized by poor response to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. The purpose of our prospective single-center study was to examine the safety and efficacy of an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) following a sequential conditioning regimen as first-line therapy for previously untreated patients with high-risk MDS or sAML. Between November 2003 and June 2010, 30 patients (20 high-risk MDS, 10 sAML) received fludarabine (4 × 30 mg/m(2)), amsacrine (4 × 100 mg/m(2)), and Ara-C (4 × 2 g/m(2), FLAMSA). After 2 to 3 days of rest, patients received high-dose melphalan alone (200 mg/m(2) for patients with an age <50 years, 150 mg/m(2) for patients with an age between 50 and 60 years, and 100 mg/m(2) for patients with an age >60 years; n = 24) or melphalan and thiotepa (10 mg/kg, Mel/Thio, n = 6). Following these high-dose conditioning regimens, a median number of 7.7 × 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg body weight (range: 2.9 × 10(6)-17.2 × 10(6)) were transplanted from 13 related or 17 unrelated donors. Antithymocyte globulin (Fresenius 30-60 mg/kg) as well as tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil were used for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. All patients except 1 with primary graft failure achieved complete remission after HSCT. After a median follow-up time of 28 months (range: 7-81), 21 patients (70%) were alive and free of disease. Overall, 4 patients relapsed. At 2 years, overall survival, event-free survival, and treatment-related mortality were 70%, 63%, and 30%, respectively. Because of undue toxicity, thiotepa is no longer part of the conditioning regimen. Our results add to the body of evidence that a FLAMSA-based sequential conditioning therapy is effective for previously untreated patients with high-risk MDS or sAML.

NSAIDs induce apoptosis in nonproliferating ovarian cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth in vivo.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most lethal gynaecological cancers, which usually has a poor prognosis due to late diagnosis. A large percentage of the OC cell population is in a nonproliferating and quiescent stage, which poses a barrier to success when using most chemotherapeutic agents. Recent studies have shown that several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in the treatment of OC. Furthermore, we have previously described the molecular mechanisms of NSAIDs' induction of cancer apoptosis. In this report, we evaluated various structurally distinct NSAIDs for their efficacies in inducing apoptosis in nonproliferating OC cells. Although several NSAIDs-induced apoptosis, Flufenamic Acid, Flurbiprofen, Finasteride, Celocoxib, and Ibuprofen were the most potent NSAIDs inducing apoptosis. A combination of these agents resulted in an enhanced effect. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the combination of Flurbiprofen, which targets nonproliferative cells, and Sulindac Sulfide, that affects proliferative cells, strongly reduced tumor growth when compared with a single agent treatment. Our data strongly support the hypothesis that drug treatment regimens that target nonproliferating and proliferating cells may have significant efficacy against OC. These results also provide a rationale for employing compounds or even chemically modified NSAIDs, which selectively and efficiently induce apoptosis in cells during different stages of the cell cycle, to design more potent anticancer drugs.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms following treatment with radioiodine.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia developing after radioiodine treatment. DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 39 patients with myeloid neoplasms following radioiodine treatment, whose data were reported to the Duesseldorf Myelodysplastic Syndromes Register (8 of 3814 patients) and five other German Myelodysplastic Syndromes centers (n=31) between 1982 and 2011. These data were compared with those from 165 patients from our Myelodysplastic Syndromes Register with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms following chemotherapy (n=90), radiation (n=30), or radiochemotherapy (n=45). RESULTS: With a median latency of 79 months, 18 patients developed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia and 21 presented with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes (8 refractory anemia with excess blasts I/II, 6 refractory anemia with multilineage dysplasia, 3 myelodysplastic syndromes with del(5q), 1 refractory anemia, 1 refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts, 1 chronic myelomonocytic leukemia II, 1 myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm unclassifiable). Risk assessment according to the International Prognostic Scoring System was low-risk in 23%, intermediate-1 in 29%, intermediate-2 in 35%, and high-risk in 13%. Karyotype was abnormal in 68%, with chromosomes 7 (30%), 5 (26%), 8 (26%) and 3 (17%) being most frequently affected. No differences in the distribution of gender, World Health Organization subtype, acute myeloid leukemia progression, International Prognostic Scoring System score, and cytogenetic risk were observed between patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms following radioiodine or other treatment modalities. Of 17 patients who received induction chemotherapy, 71% were refractory to this treatment or died from treatment-related toxicity. The median overall survival in the entire group was 21.7 months (95%-CI 10.5-33 months) and did not differ significantly in comparison to the survival of patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms following other cytotoxic treatments. Patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia had significantly inferior overall survival (12.4 versus 28.7 months, P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Patients developing a therapy-related myeloid neoplasm after radioiodine treatment usually present with biological characteristics similar to those seen in patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms following other cytotoxic treatment modalities, associated with a low response rate to induction chemotherapy and poor prognosis.

The novel compound OSI-461 induces apoptosis and growth arrest in human acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy. Treatment of patients suffering from high-risk AML as defined by clinical parameters, cytogenetics, and/or molecular analyses is often unsuccessful. OSI-461 is a pro-apoptotic compound that has been proposed as a novel therapeutic option for patients suffering from solid tumors like prostate or colorectal carcinoma. But little is known about its anti-proliferative potential in AML. Hence, we treated bone marrow derived CD34(+) selected blast cells from 20 AML patients and the five AML cell lines KG-1a, THP-1, HL-60, U-937, and MV4-11 with the physiologically achievable concentration of 1 µM OSI-461 or equal amounts of DMSO as a control. Following incubation with OSI-461, we found a consistent induction of apoptosis and an accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. In addition, we demonstrate that the OSI-461 mediated anti-proliferative effects observed in AML are associated with the induction of the pro-apoptotic cytokine mda-7/IL-24 and activation of the growth arrest and DNA-damage inducible genes (GADD) 45α and 45γ. Furthermore, OSI-461 treated leukemia cells did not regain their proliferative potential for up to 8 days after cessation of treatment following the initial 48 h treatment period with 1 µM OSI-461. This indicates sufficient targeting of the leukemia-initiating cells in our in vitro experiments through OSI-461. The AML samples tested in this study included samples from patients who were resistant to conventional chemotherapy and/or had FLT3-ITD mutations demonstrating the high potential of OSI-461 in human AML.

Determinants of Response to Talazoparib in Patients with HER2-Negative, Germline BRCA1/2-Mutated Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have demonstrated efficacy in tumors with germline breast cancer susceptibility genes (gBRCA) 1 and 2 mutations, but further factors influencing response to PARPi are poorly understood. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Breast cancer tumor tissue from patients with gBRCA1/2 mutations from the phase III EMBRACA trial of the PARPi talazoparib versus chemotherapy was sequenced using FoundationOne CDx. RESULTS: In the evaluable intent-to-treat population, 96.1% (296/308) had ≥1 tumor BRCA (tBRCA) mutation and there was strong concordance (95.3%) between tBRCA and gBRCA mutational status. Genetic/genomic characteristics including BRCA loss of heterozygosity (LOH; identified in 82.6% of evaluable patients), DNA damage response (DDR) gene mutational burden, and tumor homologous recombination deficiency [assessed by genomic LOH (gLOH)] demonstrated no association with talazoparib efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, BRCA LOH status, DDR gene mutational burden, and gLOH were not associated with talazoparib efficacy; however, these conclusions are qualified by population heterogeneity and low patient numbers in some subgroups. Further investigation in larger patient populations is warranted.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Sulindac sulfide and Diclofenac induce apoptosis and differentiation in human acute myeloid leukemia cells through an AP-1 dependent pathway.

Acute myeloid leukemia is a heterogeneous disease with varying genetic and molecular pathologies. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been proven to possess significant anti-proliferative potential in various cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Hence, treatment with these agents can be utilized to study disease specific anti-proliferative pathways. In this study, a total number of 42 bone marrow derived CD34(+) selected de novo AML patient samples and the AML cell lines THP-1 and HL-60 were treated with the NSAIDs Sulindac sulfide and Diclofenac. We analyzed viability, apoptosis, differentiation and addressed the molecular mechanisms involved. We found a consistent induction of apoptosis and to some extent an increased myeloid differentiation capacity in NSAID treated AML cells. Comprehensive protein and gene expression profiling of Diclofenac treated AML cells revealed transcriptional activation of GADD45α and its downstream MAPK/JNK pathway as well as increased protein levels of the caspase-3 precursor. This pointed towards a role of the c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) in NSAID mediated apoptosis that we found indeed to be dependent on JNK activity as addition of a specific JNK-inhibitor abrogated apoptosis. Furthermore, the AP-1 transcription factor family members' c-Jun, JunB and Fra-2 were transcriptionally activated in NSAID treated AML cells and re-expression of these transcription factors led to activation of GADD45α with induction of apoptosis. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that NSAIDs induce apoptosis in AML through a novel pathway involving increased expression of AP-1 heterodimers, which by itself is sufficient to induce GADD45α expression with consecutive activation of JNK and induction of apoptosis.