Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma in the Era of Novel Drug Induction: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis.

Within this retrospective single-center study, we analyzed the survival of 320 multiple myeloma (MM) patients receiving melphalan high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and either single (n = 286) or tandem (n = 34) autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) from 1996 to 2012. Additionally, the impact of novel induction regimens was assessed. Median follow-up was 67 months, median overall survival (OS) 62 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) 33 months (95% CI 27-39), and treatment-related death (TRD) 3%. Multivariate analysis revealed age ≥60 years (p = 0.03) and stage 3 according to the International Staging System (p = 0.006) as adverse risk factors regarding PFS. Median OS was significantly better in newly diagnosed MM patients receiving induction therapy with novel agents, e.g., bortezomib, thalidomide, or lenalidomide, compared with a traditional regimen (69 vs. 58 months; p = 0.01). More patients achieved at least a very good partial remission in the period from 2005 to 2012 than from 1996 to 2004 (65 vs. 30%; p < 0.001), with a longer median OS in the later period (71 vs. 52 months, p = 0.027). In conclusion, our analysis confirms HDCT-ASCT as an effective therapeutic strategy in an unselected large myeloma patient cohort with a low TRD rate and improved prognosis due to novel induction strategies.

The triterpenoid cucurbitacin B augments the antiproliferative activity of chemotherapy in human breast cancer.

Despite recent advances in therapy, breast cancer remains the second most common cause of death from malignancy in women. Chemotherapy plays a major role in breast cancer management, and combining chemotherapeutic agents with nonchemotherapeutic agents is of considerable clinical interest. Cucurbitacins are triterpenes compounds found in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, reported to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Previously, we have shown antiproliferative activity of cucurbitacin B (CuB) in breast cancer, and we hypothesized that combining CuB with chemotherapeutic agents can augment their antitumor effect. Here, we show that a combination of CuB with either docetaxel (DOC) or gemcitabine (GEM) synergistically inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro. This antiproliferative effect was accompanied by an increase in apoptosis rates. Furthermore, in vivo treatment of human breast cancer orthotopic xenografts in immunodeficient mice with CuB at either low (0.5 mg/kg) or high (1 mg/kg) doses in combination with either DOC (20 mg/kg) or GEM (12.5mg/kg) significantly reduced tumor volume as compared with monotherapy of each drug. Importantly, no significant toxicity was noted with low-dose CuB in combination with either DOC or GEM. In conclusion, combination of CuB at a relatively low concentration with either of the chemotherapeutic agents, DOC or GEM, shows prominent antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cells without increased toxicity. This promising combination should be examined in therapeutic trials of breast cancer.

DexaBEAM versus ICE salvage regimen prior to autologous transplantation for relapsed or refractory aggressive peripheral T cell lymphoma: a retrospective evaluation of parallel patient cohorts of one center.

High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is considered standard in the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL). However, the optimal salvage regimen before ASCT has not yet been established. We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive PTCL after anthracycline-based first-line chemotherapy who received either DexaBEAM (dexamethasone, carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan; n = 16) or ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide; n = 15) regimen as first salvage chemotherapy followed by HDT/ASCT. The overall response rate (OR) was significantly higher for patients treated with DexaBEAM (69 %; 95 % confidence interval 46.0-91.5 %) as compared to the ICE group (20 %; 95 % confidence interval -0.2-40.2 %; P = 0.01), with higher complete response (CR; 38 %; 95 % confidence interval 13.8-61.2 %; vs. 7 %; 95 % confidence interval -6.0-19.6 %) as well as partial response (PR; 31 vs. 13 %) rate. Changing regimen due to failure of first salvage therapy, 12 patients initially receiving ICE still achieved an OR of 58 % (33 % CR, 25 % PR) with DexaBEAM as second salvage therapy, whereas in three patients receiving ICE after DexaBEAM failure, only one achieved an OR (1 PR). Median progression-free survival was significantly higher in the DexaBEAM group (6.4 vs. 2 months; P = 0.01). Major adverse event in both groups was myelosuppression with higher but tolerable treatment-related toxicity for patients in the DexaBEAM group. For all patients proceeding to HDT/ASCT, a 3-year overall survival was 50 %. Together, considering the limitations of the retrospective design of the evaluation and the small sample size, our data suggest that DexaBEAM salvage chemotherapy is superior to ICE for patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive PTCL for remission induction prior to autologous transplantation, with higher but manageable treatment-related toxicity.

POEMS syndrome treated with melphalan high-dose therapy and autologous blood stem cell transplantation: a single-institution experience.

The acronym POEMS syndrome stands for a rare multi-system disorder, comprised of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes. Here, we present a single-center report of a series of five POEMS patients treated with melphalan high-dose therapy (HDT) with subsequent autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT). After a median follow-up of 52 months from time of diagnosis (range, 15-192) and a median follow-up of 18 months after ABSCT (range, 11-120), all patients were alive. Overall, no severe transplantation-associated complications such as engraftment syndrome or peri- or post-transplant death were noted. In two cases, HDT followed by ABSCT resulted in a complete hematologic response; in the additional three cases, partial responses (PR) were achieved including one very good hematologic PR. Only one patient with initial PR developed progressive disease nearly 2.5 years after transplantation. Consequently, a second HDT with ABSCT was successfully applied resulting in clinical improvement and hematologic PR. In line with previous single-center reports, melphalan HDT followed by ABSCT proved to be a first-line treatment option with tolerable side effects in severely affected POEMS patients with progressing symptoms.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma confined to the bone marrow with no identifiable primary tumour using FDG-PET/CT.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a malignant tumour of mesenchymal origin which can occur at various sites in the body, is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas in both children and adolescents, but is rare in adults with a prevalence of less than 1 %. The alveolar subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is typically characterized by a specific reciprocal chromosomal translocation involving the PAX3 and FKHR or PAX7 and FKHR genes, respectively. ARMS is most frequently seen in childhood, and typically affects the sinuses and soft tissue of the extremities, with approximately 23 % exhibiting metastasis to the marrow. Non-invasive F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans have a high ability to detect lymph nodes, bone, and bone marrow involvement in patients with metastatic RMS, often with higher sensitivity and specificity compared with conventional modalities. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report an unusual case of ARMS confined to the bone marrow in an older adult that lacked an identifiable primary tumour using FDG-PET/CT and mimicked a haematological disease with pancytopenia but without abnormal findings by FDG-PET/CT. The patient was initially treated with topotecan/cyclophosphamide and subsequently switched to vinorelbine. Due to severe toxicity the treatment was discontinued, however after 7-months follow-up, the patient is still alive with an improved general state of health and only a mild pancytopenia with no need for blood transfusions. CONCLUSION: Rhabdomyosarcoma can be limited to the bone marrow with no identifiable primary tumour. This case shows that the use of a bone marrow biopsy in suspected malignancies affecting the bone marrow is irreplaceable.

Nicotinamide treatment ameliorates the course of experimental colitis mediated by enhanced neutrophil-specific antibacterial clearance.

SCOPE: In previous studies, we could show that the B vitamin nicotinamide (NAM) enhanced antimicrobial activity of neutrophils. Here, we assessed the effects of NAM in two models of experimental colitis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice either by oral infection with Citrobacter rodentium or by DSS (dextran sodium sulphate) administration, and animals were systemically treated with NAM. Ex vivo bacterial clearance was assessed in murine and human whole blood, as well as isolated human neutrophils. In C. rodentium-induced colitis, NAM treatment resulted in markedly decreased systemic bacterial invasion, histological damage and increased fecal clearance of C. rodentium by up to 600-fold. In contrast, NAM had no effect when administered to neutrophil-depleted mice. Ex vivo stimulation of isolated human neutrophils, as well as murine and human whole blood with NAM led to increased clearance of C. rodentium and enhanced expression of antimicrobial peptides in neutrophils. Moreover, NAM treatment significantly ameliorated the course of DSS colitis, as assessed by body weight, histological damage and myeloperoxidase activity. CONCLUSION: Pharmacological application of NAM mediates beneficial effects in bacterial and chemically induced colitis. Future studies are needed to explore the clinical potential of NAM in the context of intestinal bacterial infections and human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Allogeneic transplantation versus chemotherapy as postremission therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: a prospective matched pairs analysis.

PURPOSE: The majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who achieve complete remission (CR) relapse with conventional postremission chemotherapy. Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT) might improve survival at the expense of increased toxicity. It remains unknown for which patients alloSCT is preferable. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the outcome of 185 matched pairs of a large multicenter clinical trial (AMLCG99). Patients younger than 60 years who underwent alloSCT in first remission (CR1) were matched to patients who received conventional postremission therapy. The main matching criteria were AML type, cytogenetic risk group, patient age, and time in first CR. RESULTS: In the overall pairwise compared AML population, the projected 7-year overall survival (OS) rate was 58% for the alloSCT and 46% for the conventional postremission treatment group (P = .037; log-rank test). Relapse-free survival (RFS) was 52% in the alloSCT group compared with 33% in the control group (P < .001). OS was significantly better for alloSCT in patient subgroups with nonfavorable chromosomal aberrations, patients older than 45 years, and patients with secondary AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. For the entire patient cohort, postremission therapy was an independent factor for OS (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.89 for alloSCT v conventional chemotherapy), among age, cytogenetics, and bone marrow blasts after the first induction cycle. CONCLUSION: AlloSCT is the most potent postremission therapy for AML and is particularly active for patients 45 to 59 years of age and/or those with high-risk cytogenetics.

BACH2 mediates negative selection and p53-dependent tumor suppression at the pre-B cell receptor checkpoint.

The B cell-specific transcription factor BACH2 is required for affinity maturation of B cells. Here we show that Bach2-mediated activation of p53 is required for stringent elimination of pre-B cells that failed to productively rearrange immunoglobulin VH-DJH gene segments. After productive VH-DJH gene rearrangement, pre-B cell receptor signaling ends BACH2-mediated negative selection through B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6)-mediated repression of p53. In patients with pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the BACH2-mediated checkpoint control is compromised by deletions, rare somatic mutations and loss of its upstream activator, PAX5. Low levels of BACH2 expression in these patients represent a strong independent predictor of poor clinical outcome. In this study, we demonstrate that Bach2(+/+) pre-B cells resist leukemic transformation by Myc through Bach2-dependent upregulation of p53 and do not initiate fatal leukemia in transplant-recipient mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and gene expression analyses carried out by us revealed that BACH2 competes with BCL6 for promoter binding and reverses BCL6-mediated repression of p53 and other cell cycle checkpoint-control genes. These findings identify BACH2 as a crucial mediator of negative selection at the pre-B cell receptor checkpoint and a safeguard against leukemogenesis.

Transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha and critical circadian clock downstream target gene PER2 are highly deregulated in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Disturbances of circadian rhythms and mammalian clock genes have been implicated in the etiologies of many chronic illnesses, including cancer. We show that transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha)-regulated PER2 activation is a potential tumor suppressor pathway in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), one of the commonest types of mature B-cell lymphoma. Expression analysis of human B-cell lymphoma samples including DLBCL (n = 50), mantle cell (n = 21), follicular (n = 25) and Burkitt (n = 18) lymphoma revealed markedly down-regulated CEBPA and PER2 mRNA levels exclusively in DLBCL samples compared to control lymphatic tissue. We demonstrated direct regulation of the circadian core clock gene PER2 by C/EBPalpha in the pro-B cell line Ba/F3, and forced expression of PER2 resulted in decreased proliferation, G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and increased rates of apoptosis. Interestingly, treatment of human DLBCL cell lines with the histone deacetylase-inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) significantly increased the expression of C/EBPalpha and Per2, accompanied by cell growth inhibition; in contrast, siRNA knockdown of CEBPA reduced the anti-proliferative effect of SAHA treatment. Our results show for the first time that C/EBPalpha with its associated direct core clock gene target, PER2, are highly deregulated in DLBCL, suggesting an important tumor suppressive pathway in the pathogenesis of this lymphoma entity.

C/EBPε mediates nicotinamide-enhanced clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in mice.

The myeloid-specific transcription factor, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ε (C/EBPε) is a critical mediator of myelopoiesis. Mutation of this gene is responsible for neutrophil-specific granule deficiency in humans, a condition that confers susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus infection. We found that C/EBPε-deficient mice are severely affected by infection with S. aureus, and C/EBPε deficiency in neutrophils contributes to the infectious phenotype. Conversely, exposure to the epigenetic modulator nicotinamide (vitamin B3) increased expression of C/EBPε in WT myeloid cells. Further, nicotinamide increased the activity of C/EBPε and select downstream antimicrobial targets, particularly in neutrophils. In a systemic murine infection model as well as in murine and human peripheral blood, nicotinamide enhanced killing of S. aureus by up to 1,000 fold but had no effect when administered to either C/EBPε-deficient mice or mice depleted of neutrophils. Nicotinamide was efficacious in both prophylactic and therapeutic settings. Our findings suggest that C/EBPε is an important target to boost killing of bacteria by the innate immune system.