Oncolytic DNX-2401 Virus for Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) have a poor prognosis, with a median survival of less than 1 year. Oncolytic viral therapy has been evaluated in patients with pediatric gliomas elsewhere in the brain, but data regarding oncolytic viral therapy in patients with DIPG are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a single-center, dose-escalation study of DNX-2401, an oncolytic adenovirus that selectively replicates in tumor cells, in patients with newly diagnosed DIPG. The patients received a single virus infusion through a catheter placed in the cerebellar peduncle, followed by radiotherapy. The primary objective was to assess the safety and adverse-event profile of DNX-2401. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effect of DNX-2401 on overall survival and quality of life, to determine the percentage of patients who have an objective response, and to collect tumor-biopsy and peripheral-blood samples for correlative studies of the molecular features of DIPG and antitumor immune responses. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients, 3 to 18 years of age, with newly diagnosed DIPG received 1×1010 (the first 4 patients) or 5×1010 (the subsequent 8 patients) viral particles of DNX-2401, and 11 received subsequent radiotherapy. Adverse events among the patients included headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Hemiparesis and tetraparesis developed in 1 patient each. Over a median follow-up of 17.8 months (range, 5.9 to 33.5), a reduction in tumor size, as assessed on magnetic resonance imaging, was reported in 9 patients, a partial response in 3 patients, and stable disease in 8 patients. The median survival was 17.8 months. Two patients were alive at the time of preparation of the current report, 1 of whom was free of tumor progression at 38 months. Examination of a tumor sample obtained during autopsy from 1 patient and peripheral-blood studies revealed alteration of the tumor microenvironment and T-cell repertoire. CONCLUSIONS: Intratumoral infusion of oncolytic virus DNX-2401 followed by radiotherapy in pediatric patients with DIPG resulted in changes in T-cell activity and a reduction in or stabilization of tumor size in some patients but was associated with adverse events. (Funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and others; EudraCT number, 2016-001577-33; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03178032.).

International Myeloma Working Group immunotherapy committee consensus guidelines and recommendations for optimal use of T-cell-engaging bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease, despite the development of numerous drug classes and combinations that have contributed to improved overall survival. Immunotherapies directed against cancer cell-surface antigens, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and T-cell-redirecting bispecific antibodies, have recently received regulatory approvals and shown unprecedented efficacy. However, these immunotherapies have unique mechanisms of action and toxicities that are different to previous treatments for myeloma, so experiences from clinical trials and early access programmes are essential for providing specific recommendations for management of patients, especially as these agents become available across many parts of the world. Here, we provide expert consensus clinical practice guidelines for the use of bispecific antibodies for the treatment of myeloma. The International Myeloma Working Group is also involved in the collection of prospective real-time data of patients treated with such immunotherapies, with the aim of learning continuously and adapting clinical practices to optimise the management of patients receiving immunotherapies.

Promises of oncolytic viral therapy for adult and children with brain glioma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to give an overview of early clinical studies addressing the safety and efficacy of oncolytic immunovirotherapy in adults and children with brain gliomas, and to highlight the extensive potential for the development of this therapeutic alternative. RECENT FINDINGS: The lack of curative treatments and poor prognosis of high-grade glioma patients warrants research on innovative therapeutic alternatives such as oncolytic immunovirotherapy. Engineered modified oncolytic viruses exert both a direct lytic effect on tumor cells and a specific antitumor immune response. Early clinical trials of different DNA and RNA oncolytic viruses, mainly Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 and adenovirus based platforms, have consistently demonstrated an acceptable safety profile, hints of efficacy and the potential of this therapy to reshape the tumor microenvironment in both adult and pediatric patients with glioma, thus constituting the basis for the development of more advanced clinical trials. SUMMARY: The future landscape of oncolytic immunovirotherapy is still plenty of challenges and opportunities to enable its full therapeutic potential in both adult and children with brain gliomas.

Oncolytic virotherapy for the treatment of pediatric brainstem gliomas.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is the most frequent brainstem glioma and the most lethal brain tumor in childhood. Despite transient benefit with radiotherapy, the prognosis of children with this disease remains dismal with severe neurological morbidity and median survival less than 12months. Oncolytic immunovirotherapy is emerging as a potential therapeutic approach in neuro-oncology. The oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD has shown efficacy in adult patients with recurrent GBM. Our group has demonstrated that Delta-24-RGD has oncolytic activity and triggers immune response in preclinical models of DIPG, and has a synergistic effect with radiotherapy in animal models of this disease. In this scenario, we conducted a first-in-human phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intratumoral injection of Delta-24-RGD in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed DIPG prior to standard radiotherapy. The study confirmed the feasibility of this treatment with an acceptable safety profile and encouraging efficacy results. Correlative analyses showed a biological activity from Delta-24-RGD in DIPG. Further advanced trials are needed to validate these results. Meanwhile, plenty of opportunities to increase the potential contribution of oncolytic viruses in the management of devastating tumors with no current effective treatment such as DIPG need to be explored and exploited.

HTLV-1 myelopathy after renal transplant and antiviral prophylaxis: the need for screening.

The human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a RNA retrovirus that infects a minimum of 5-10 million people worldwide. Transmission by cell-containing blood products and solid organ transplantation has been reported. Clinical disease occurs in about 5-10% of infected individuals and consists mainly in adult T cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). We present a 54-year-old woman who underwent kidney transplant from cadaveric donor in March 2015. Donor also underwent cornea extraction for another recipient (corneal transplant protocol includes HTLV-1/2 serology). Twenty-four hours after completion of kidney transplant donor, HTLV-1 serology was revealed positive. Following experts' recommendations, once donor seropositivity was demonstrated, antiviral prophylaxis including zidovudine and raltegravir was initially given to our patient, in spite of which the patient developed HAM. Once the diagnosis of HAM was established, antiretroviral therapy was restarted, and intravenous pulses of methylprednisolone were periodically administered with transient initial improvement. Later on, the patient experienced neurological deterioration becoming wheelchair dependent. Since the occurrence of this case, HTLV-1 screening has become mandatory for solid organ transplantation in the Spanish province of Navarra, and the same should happen worldwide.

A phase II trial of autologous dendritic cell vaccination and radiochemotherapy following fluorescence-guided surgery in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains dismal, with median overall survival (OS) of about 15 months. It is therefore crucial to search alternative strategies that improve these results obtained with conventional treatments. In this context, immunotherapy seems to be a promising therapeutic option. We hypothesized that the addition of tumor lysate-pulsed autologous dendritic cells (DCs) vaccination to maximal safe resection followed by radiotherapy and concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide could improve patients' survival. METHODS: We conducted a phase-II clinical trial of autologous DCs vaccination in patients with newly diagnosed patients GBM who were candidates to complete or near complete resection. Candidates were finally included if residual tumor volume was lower than 1 cc on postoperative radiological examination. Autologous DCs were generated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with autologous whole tumor lysate. The vaccination calendar started before radiotherapy and was continued during adjuvant chemotherapy. Progression free survival (PFS) and OS were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Immune response were assessed in blood samples obtained before each vaccines. RESULTS: Thirty-two consecutive patients were screened, one of which was a screening failure due to insufficient resection. Median age was 61 years (range 42-70). Karnofsky performance score (KPS) was 90-100 in 29%, 80 in 35.5% and 60-70 in 35.5% of cases. MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase) promoter was methylated in 45.2% of patients. No severe adverse effects related to immunotherapy were registered. Median PFS was 12.7 months (CI 95% 7-16) and median OS was 23.4 months (95% CI 16-33.1). Increase in post-vaccination tumor specific immune response after vaccines (proliferation or cytokine production) was detected in 11/27 evaluated patients. No correlation between immune response and survival was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the addition of tumor lysate-pulsed autologous DCs vaccination to tumor resection and combined radio-chemotherapy is feasible and safe. A multicenter randomized clinical trial is warranted to evaluate the potential survival benefit of this therapeutic approach. Trial registration This phase-II trial was registered as EudraCT: 2009-009879-35 and ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01006044 retrospectively registered.

Emerging clinical issues and multivariate analyses in PET investigations.

PET using 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG-PET) has been gradually introduced in the diagnostic clinical criteria of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, an increasing amount of literature has shown that the information provided by FDG-PET enhances the sensitivity of standard imaging biomarkers in less frequent disorders in which an early differential diagnosis can be of paramount relevance for patient management and outcome. Therefore emerging uses of FDG-PET may be important in prion diseases, autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Interestingly, FDG-PET findings can also be observed in the early phases of these conditions, even in the presence of normal magnetic resonance imaging scans. Thalamic hypometabolism is a common finding in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease and fatal familiar insomnia patients, with further cortical synaptic dysfunction in the former. Limbic and extra-limbic metabolic abnormalities (more often hypermetabolism) can be observed in AE, although specific patterns may be seen within different syndromes associated with antibodies that target neuronal surface or synaptic antigens. FDG-PET shows its usefulness by discriminating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated to upper motor neuron onset that evolve to frontotemporal dementia. Besides visual and voxel based image analysis, multivariate analysis as interregional correlation analysis and independent/principal component analysis have been successfully implemented to PET images increasing the accuracy of the discrimination of neurodegenerative diseases. The clinical presentation and current diagnostic criteria of these neurologic disorders as well as the emerging usefulness of FDG-PET in the diagnostic workup are presented and discussed in this review.

Angiopoietin-2 May Be Involved in the Resistance to Bevacizumab in Recurrent Glioblastoma.

Despite encouraging response rate of bevacizumab (BVZ) in recurrent glioblastoma, many patients do not respond to this schedule and most of the responders develop an early relapse. Plasma concentrations of VEGF, PlGF, Ang2, and sTie2 were assessed by ELISA before and during BVZ treatment in seventy patients. Baseline levels of VEGF-A, and PlGF were higher in patients than in healthy volunteers, whereas no difference was found for Ang2, and sTie2. No biomarker at baseline was associated with response, PFS or OS. At recurrence, the authors observed an increase of Ang2 suggesting that Ang2/sTie2 could be involved in the resistance to BVZ.

VEGFA SNP rs2010963 is associated with vascular toxicity in recurrent glioblastomas and longer response to bevacizumab.

Although anti-VEGF therapy is widely used in high-grade gliomas, no predictor of response or toxicity has been reported yet. We investigated here the association of the functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2010963, located in the 5' untranslated terminal region of the VEGFA gene, with survival, response to bevacizumab (BVZ) and vascular toxicity. The rs2010963 was genotyped by Taqman assay in blood DNA from 954 glioma patients with available survival data, including 225 glioblastoma (GBM) patients treated with BVZ. VEGFA plasma levels were assessed by ELISA in 87 patients before treatment. Thrombo-hemorragic adverse events were recorded during BVZ treatment or not, and in an independent population of 92 GBM patients treated with temozolomide. The CC genotype was associated with the occurrence of thrombo-hemorragic events (CC 25 versus CG 13.5 and GG 5.2 %; P = 0.0044) during BVZ. A similar but weaker and non significant trend was observed in patients not receiving BVZ. A CC genotype was associated with higher levels of plasma VEGFA at baseline (107.6 versus 57.50 pg/mL in heterozygotes (CG) and 52.75 pg/mL in GG patients, P = 0.035 and P = 0.028 respectively). The CC genotype tended to be associated to longer PFS when treated with BVZ (P = 0.05), but not when treated with the temozolomide treatment. Our data suggest that the rs2010963 genotype is associated with longer PFS, higher risk of vascular events in recurrent GBM especially treated with BVZ, and higher plasma VEGFA concentration. It may help to identify patients at risk of vascular adverse events during BVZ treatment.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of preoperative combined GFAP, IGFBP-2, and YKL-40 plasma levels in patients with glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Circulating proteins released by tumor cells have recently been investigated as potential single surrogate biomarkers for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The aim of the current hypothesis-generating study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of preoperative insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) plasma levels in patients with GBM, both as single markers and as a combined profile. METHODS: Plasma samples from 111 patients with GBM and a subset of 40 patients with nonglial brain tumors were obtained preoperatively. Plasma from 99 healthy controls was also analyzed. IGFBP-2, YKL-40, and GFAP levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay tests. Their association with histological and radiological variables was assessed. RESULTS: Circulating levels of all 3 proteins were found to be significantly higher in patients with GBM compared with healthy controls (P < .01). Only YKL-40 and GFAP were found to demonstrate significant differences between patients with GBM and nonglial brain tumors (P = .04). GFAP was undetectable (<0.02 ng/mL) in all patients without GBM. A receiver operating characteristic analysis accounting for a 2-step diagnostic procedure including the 3 biomarkers afforded an area under the curve of 0.77 for differentiating patients with GBM from those with nonglial brain tumors. There was a significant correlation between tumor volume and plasma IGFBP-2 level (Spearman Rho correlation coefficient, 0.22; P = .025) and GFAP (Spearman Rho correlation coefficient, 0.36; P < .001) among patients with GBM. Preoperative plasma IGFBP-2 levels were found to be independently associated with worse overall survival among patients with GBM (hazard ratio, 1.3; P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: A combined profile of preoperative IGFBP-2, GFAP, and YKL-40 plasma levels could serve as an additional diagnostic tool for patients with inoperable brain lesions suggestive of GBM. In addition, IGFBP-2 levels appear to constitute an independent prognostic factor in patients with GBM.

Management of elderly patients with gliomas.

The current progressive aging of the population is resulting in a continuous increase in the incidence of gliomas in elderly people, especially the most frequent subtype, glioblastoma (GBM). This sociohealth shift, known as the "silver tsunami," has prompted the neuro-oncology community to investigate the role of specific antitumor treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other targeted therapies, for these traditionally undertreated patients. Advanced age, a widely recognized poor prognostic factor in both low-grade glioma (LGG) and high-grade glioma patients, should no longer be the sole reason for excluding such older patients from receiving etiologic treatments. Far from it, results from recent prospective trials conducted on elderly patients with GBM demonstrate that active management of these patients can have a positive impact on survival without impairing either cognition or quality of life. Although prospective studies specifically addressing the management of grade 2 and 3 gliomas are lacking and thus needed, the aforementioned tendency toward acknowledging a therapeutic benefit for GBM patients might also apply to the treatment of patients with LGG and anaplastic gliomas. In order to optimize such etiologic treatment in conjunction with symptomatic management, neuro-oncology multidisciplinary boards must individually consider important features such as resectability of the tumor, functional and cognitive status, associated comorbidities, and social support.

Factors associated with a higher rate of distant failure after primary treatment for glioblastoma.

Our purpose was to analyze the pattern of failure in glioblastoma (GBM) patients at first recurrence after radiotherapy and temozolomide and its relationship with different factors. From 77 consecutive GBM patients treated at our institution with fluorescence guided surgery and standard radiochemotherapy, 58 first recurrences were identified and included in a retrospective review. Clinical data including age, Karnofsky performance score, preoperative tumor volume and location, extend of resection, MGMT promoter methylation status, time to progression (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adjuvant therapies were reviewed for every patient. Recurrent tumor location respect the original lesion was the end point of the study. The recurrence pattern was local only in 65.5% of patients and non-local in 34.5%. The univariate and multivariate analysis showed that greater preoperative tumor volume in T1 gadolinium enhanced sequences, was the only variable with statistical signification (p < 0.001) for increased rate of non-local recurrences, although patients with MGMT methylation and complete resection of enhancing tumor presented non-local recurrences more frequently. PFS was longer in patients with non-local recurrences (13.8 vs. 6.4 months; p = 0.019, log-rank). However, OS was not significantly different in both groups (24.0 non-local vs. 19.3 local; p = 0.9). Rate of non-local recurrences in our series of patients treated with fluorescence guided surgery and standard radiochemotherapy was higher than previously published in GBM, especially in patients with longer PFS. Greater preoperative enhancing tumor volume was associated with increased rate of non-local recurrences.

Dendritic Cells in Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy modulates the immune system, overcomes immune escape and stimulates immune defenses against tumors. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional promoters of immune responses against tumor antigens with the outstanding ability to coordinate the innate and adaptive immune systems. Evidence suggests that there is a decrease in both the number and function of DCs in cancer patients. Therefore, they represent a strong scaffold for therapeutic interventions. DC vaccination (DCV) is safe, and the antitumoral responses induced are well established in solid tumors. Although the addition of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) to chemotherapy has provided new options in the treatment of cancer, they have shown no clinical benefit in immune desert tumors or in those tumors with dysfunctional or exhausted T-cells. In this way, DC-based therapy has demonstrated the ability to modify the tumor microenvironment for immune enriched tumors and to potentiate systemic host immune responses as an active approach to treating cancer patients. Application of DCV in cancer seeks to obtain long-term antitumor responses through an improved T-cell priming by enhancing previous or generating de novo immune responses. To date, DCV has induced immune responses in the peripheral blood of patients without a significant clinical impact on outcome. Thus, improvements in vaccines formulations, selection of patients based on biomarkers and combinations with other antitumoral therapies are needed to enhance patient survival. In this work, we review the role of DCV in different solid tumors with their strengths and weaknesses, and we finally mention new trends to improve the efficacy of this immune strategy.

The oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD in combination with ONC201 induces a potent antitumor response in pediatric high-grade and diffuse midline glioma models.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), including diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), are aggressive pediatric tumors with one of the poorest prognoses. Delta-24-RGD and ONC201 have shown promising efficacy as single agents for these tumors. However, the combination of both agents has not been evaluated. METHODS: The production of functional viruses was assessed by immunoblotting and replication assays. The antitumor effect was evaluated in a panel of human and murine pHGG and DMG cell lines. RNAseq, the seahorse stress test, mitochondrial DNA content, and γH2A.X immunofluorescence were used to perform mechanistic studies. Mouse models of both diseases were used to assess the efficacy of the combination in vivo. The tumor immune microenvironment was evaluated using flow cytometry, RNAseq, and multiplexed immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: The Delta-24-RGD/ONC201 combination did not affect the virus replication capability in human pHGG and DMG models in vitro. Cytotoxicity analysis showed that the combination treatment was either synergistic or additive. Mechanistically, the combination treatment increased nuclear DNA damage and maintained the metabolic perturbation and mitochondrial damage caused by each agent alone. Delta-24-RGD/ONC201 cotreatment extended the overall survival of mice implanted with human and murine pHGG and DMG cells, independent of H3 mutation status and location. Finally, combination treatment in murine DMG models revealed a reshaping of the tumor microenvironment to a proinflammatory phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: The Delta-24-RGD/ONC201 combination improved the efficacy compared to each agent alone in in vitro and in vivo models by potentiating nuclear DNA damage and in turn improving the antitumor (immune) response to each agent alone.

Neurological adverse events related to immune-checkpoint inhibitors in Spain: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Neurological immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors can have several clinical manifestations, but the syndromes and prognostic factors are still not well known. We aimed to characterise and group the clinical features, with a special focus in patients presenting with encephalopathy, and to identify predictors of response to therapy and survival. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients with neurological immune-related adverse events from 20 hospitals in Spain whose clinical information, serum samples, and CSF samples were studied at Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Patients with pre-existing paraneoplastic syndromes or evidence of alternative causes for their neurological symptoms were excluded. We reviewed the clinical information, classified their clinical features, and determined the presence of neural antibodies. Neurological status was assessed by the treating physician one month after adverse event onset (as improvement vs no improvement) and at the last evaluation (complete recovery or modified Rankin Scale score decrease of at least 2 points, indicating good outcome, vs all other modified Rankin Scale scores, indicating poor outcome); if the participant had died, the date and cause of death were recorded. We used Fisher's exact tests and Mann-Whitney U tests to analyse clinical features, and multivariable logistic regression to analyse prognostic factors. FINDINGS: From Jan 1, 2018, until Feb 1, 2023, 83 patients with suspected neurological immune-related adverse events after use of immune checkpoint inhibitors were identified, of whom 64 patients were included. These patients had a median age of 67 years (IQR 59-74); 42 (66%) were male and 22 (34%) were female. The predominant tumours were lung cancer (30 [47%] patients), melanoma (13 [21%] patients), and renal cell carcinoma (seven [11%] patients). Neural antibodies were detected in 14 (22%) patients; 52 (81%) patients had CNS involvement and 12 (19%) had peripheral nervous system involvement. Encephalopathy occurred in 45 (70%) patients, 12 (27%) of whom had antibodies or well defined syndromes consistent with definite paraneoplastic or autoimmune encephalitis, 24 (53%) of whom had encephalitis without antibodies or clinical features characteristic of a defined syndrome, and nine (20%) of whom had encephalopathy without antibodies or inflammatory changes in CSF or brain MRI. Nine (14%) of 64 patients had combined myasthenia and myositis, five of them with myocarditis. Even though 58 (91%) of 64 patients received steroids and 31 (48%) of 64 received additional therapies, 18 (28%) did not improve during the first month after adverse event onset, and 11 of these 18 people died. At the last follow-up for the 53 remaining patients (median 6 months, IQR 3-13), 20 (38%) had a poor outcome (16 deaths, one related to a neurological immune-related adverse event). Mortality risk was increased in patients with lung cancer (vs those with other cancers: HR 2·5, 95% CI 1·1-6·0) and in patients with encephalopathy without evidence of CNS inflammation or combined myocarditis, myasthenia, and myositis (vs those with the remaining syndromes: HR 5·0, 1·4-17·8 and HR 6·6, 1·4-31·0, respectively). INTERPRETATION: Most neurological immune-related adverse events involved the CNS and were antibody negative. The presence of myocarditis, myasthenia, and myositis, of encephalopathy without inflammatory changes, or of lung cancer were independent predictors of death. Most deaths occurred during the first month of symptom onset. If our findings are replicated in additional cohorts, they could confirm that these patients need early and intensive treatment. FUNDING: The Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the European Union.

European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) guidelines for treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

The management of primary central nervous system (PCNSL) is one of the most controversial topics in neuro-oncology because of the complexity of the disease and the limited number of controlled studies available. In 2021, given recent advances and the publication of practice-changing randomized trials, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) created a multidisciplinary task force to update the previously published evidence-based guidelines for immunocompetent adult patients with PCNSL and added a section on immunosuppressed patients. The guideline provides consensus considerations and recommendations for the treatment of PCNSL, including intraocular manifestations and specific management of the elderly. The main changes from the previous guideline include strengthened evidence for the consolidation with ASCT in first-line treatment, prospectively assessed chemotherapy combinations for both young and elderly patients, clarification of the role of rituximab even though the data remain inconclusive, of the role of new agents, and the incorporation of immunosuppressed patients and primary ocular lymphoma. The guideline should aid the clinicians in everyday practice and decision making and serve as a basis for future research in the field.

TIM-3 blockade in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma models promotes tumor regression and antitumor immune memory.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an aggressive brain stem tumor and the leading cause of pediatric cancer-related death. To date, these tumors remain incurable, underscoring the need for efficacious therapies. In this study, we demonstrate that the immune checkpoint TIM-3 (HAVCR2) is highly expressed in both tumor cells and microenvironmental cells, mainly microglia and macrophages, in DIPG. We show that inhibition of TIM-3 in syngeneic models of DIPG prolongs survival and produces long-term survivors free of disease that harbor immune memory. This antitumor effect is driven by the direct effect of TIM-3 inhibition in tumor cells, the coordinated action of several immune cell populations, and the secretion of chemokines/cytokines that create a proinflammatory tumor microenvironment favoring a potent antitumor immune response. This work uncovers TIM-3 as a bona fide target in DIPG and supports its clinical translation.

The influence of obesity on the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) may improve cardiovascular risk prediction. The optimal protocol for CIMT measurement is unclear. CIMT may be measured in the common carotid artery (CCA), carotid bifurcation (CB), and internal carotid artery (ICA), but measurements from CB and ICA are more difficult to obtain. We studied the influence of body mass index (BMI) and atheroma plaques on the capacity to obtain CIMT measurements at different carotid sites. METHODS: Using an automatic system, CIMT was measured in 700 subjects aged 45-75, in the near and far walls of CCA, CB, and ICA bilaterally. The presence of atheroma plaques, BMI and vascular risk factors were recorded. RESULTS: CIMT measurements in CCA were possible in all except one subject. It was not possible to obtain CIMT measurements at CB or ICA in 24.1% of normal weight and 58.8% of obese subjects. The likelihood of obtaining CIMT measurement at all carotid sites decreased as the BMI increased. Atheroma plaques in a carotid segment did not preclude CIMT measurement at this site. CONCLUSIONS: CIMT measurements in distal carotid segments are more challenging in obese subjects. Measuring CIMT at CCA remains feasible in obese subjects and should be the primary endpoint in these subjects. Nevertheless, CB and ICA measurements, when feasible, would improve risk classification.

Exploiting 4-1BB immune checkpoint to enhance the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy for diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors, and patient survival has not changed despite many therapeutic efforts, emphasizing the urgent need for effective treatments. Here, we evaluated the anti-DIPG effect of the oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-ACT, which was engineered to express the costimulatory ligand 4-1BBL to potentiate the antitumor immune response of the virus. Delta-24-ACT induced the expression of functional 4-1BBL on the membranes of infected DIPG cells, which enhanced the costimulation of CD8+ T lymphocytes. In vivo, Delta-24-ACT treatment of murine DIPG orthotopic tumors significantly improved the survival of treated mice, leading to long-term survivors that developed immunological memory against these tumors. In addition, Delta-24-ACT was safe and caused no local or systemic toxicity. Mechanistic studies showed that Delta-24-ACT modulated the tumor-immune content, not only increasing the number, but also improving the functionality of immune cells. All of these data highlight the safety and potential therapeutic benefit of Delta-24-ACT the treatment of patients with DIPG.

Incidence and management of CAR-T neurotoxicity in patients with multiple myeloma treated with ciltacabtagene autoleucel in CARTITUDE studies.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies are highly effective for multiple myeloma (MM) but their impressive efficacy is associated with treatment-related neurotoxicities in some patients. In CARTITUDE-1, 5% of patients with MM reported movement and neurocognitive treatment-emergent adverse events (MNTs) with ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a B-cell maturation antigen-targeted CAR T-cell therapy. We assessed the associated factors for MNTs in CARTITUDE-1. Based on common features, patients who experienced MNTs were characterized by the presence of a combination of at least two variables: high tumor burden, grade ≥2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or any grade immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) after cilta-cel infusion, and high CAR T-cell expansion/persistence. Strategies were implemented across the cilta-cel development program to monitor and manage patients with MNTs, including enhanced bridging therapy to reduce baseline tumor burden, early aggressive treatment of CRS and ICANS, handwriting assessments for early symptom detection, and extended monitoring/reporting time for neurotoxicity beyond 100 days post-infusion. After successful implementation of these strategies, the incidence of MNTs was reduced from 5% to <1% across the cilta-cel program, supporting its favorable benefit-risk profile for treatment of MM.