Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals evolution of immune landscape during glioblastoma progression.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an incurable primary malignant brain cancer hallmarked with a substantial protumorigenic immune component. Knowledge of the GBM immune microenvironment during tumor evolution and standard of care treatments is limited. Using single-cell transcriptomics and flow cytometry, we unveiled large-scale comprehensive longitudinal changes in immune cell composition throughout tumor progression in an epidermal growth factor receptor-driven genetic mouse GBM model. We identified subsets of proinflammatory microglia in developing GBMs and anti-inflammatory macrophages and protumorigenic myeloid-derived suppressors cells in end-stage tumors, an evolution that parallels breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and extensive growth of epidermal growth factor receptor+ GBM cells. A similar relationship was found between microglia and macrophages in patient biopsies of low-grade glioma and GBM. Temozolomide decreased the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, whereas concomitant temozolomide irradiation increased intratumoral GranzymeB+ CD8+T cells but also increased CD4+ regulatory T cells. These results provide a comprehensive and unbiased immune cellular landscape and its evolutionary changes during GBM progression.

Promoter and enhancer RNAs regulate chromatin reorganization and activation of miR-10b/HOXD locus, and neoplastic transformation in glioma.

miR-10b is silenced in normal neuroglial cells of the brain but commonly activated in glioma, where it assumes an essential tumor-promoting role. We demonstrate that the entire miR-10b-hosting HOXD locus is activated in glioma via the cis-acting mechanism involving 3D chromatin reorganization and CTCF-cohesin-mediated looping. This mechanism requires two interacting lncRNAs, HOXD-AS2 and LINC01116, one associated with HOXD3/HOXD4/miR-10b promoter and another with the remote enhancer. Knockdown of either lncRNA in glioma cells alters CTCF and cohesin binding, abolishes chromatin looping, inhibits the expression of all genes within HOXD locus, and leads to glioma cell death. Conversely, in cortical astrocytes, enhancer activation is sufficient for HOXD/miR-10b locus reorganization, gene derepression, and neoplastic cell transformation. LINC01116 RNA is essential for this process. Our results demonstrate the interplay of two lncRNAs in the chromatin folding and concordant regulation of miR-10b and multiple HOXD genes normally silenced in astrocytes and triggering the neoplastic glial transformation.

Inhibition of the epigenetically activated miR-483-5p/IGF-2 pathway results in rapid loss of meningioma tumor cell viability.

PURPOSE: Meningioma is the most common primary central nervous system tumor often causing serious complications, and presently no medical treatment is available. The goal of this study was to discover miRNAs dysregulated in meningioma, and explore miRNA-associated pathways amenable for therapeutic interventions. METHODS: Small RNA sequencing was performed on meningioma tumor samples to study grade-dependent changes in microRNA expression. Gene expression was analyzed by chromatin marks, qRT-PCR and western blot. miRNA modulation, anti-IGF-2 neutralizing antibodies, and inhibitors against IGF1R were evaluated in a tumor-derived primary cultures of meningioma cells. RESULTS: Meningioma tumor samples showed high, grade-dependent expression of miR-483-5p, associated with high mRNA and protein expression of its host gene IGF-2. Inhibition of miR-483-5p reduced the growth of cultured meningioma cells, whereas a miR-483 mimic increased cell proliferation. Similarly, inhibition of this pathway with anti-IGF-2 neutralizing antibodies reduced meningioma cell proliferation. Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor blockade of the IGF-2 receptor (IGF1R) resulted in rapid loss of viability of cultured meningioma tumor-derived cells, suggesting that autocrine IGF-2 feedback is obligatory for meningioma tumor cell survival and growth. The observed IGF1R-inhibitory IC50 for GSK1838705A and ceritinib in cell-based assays along with the available pharmacokinetics data predicted that effective drug concentration could be achieved in vivo as a new medical treatment of meningioma. CONCLUSION: Meningioma cell growth is critically dependent on autocrine miR-483/IGF-2 stimulation and the IGF-2 pathway provides a feasible meningioma treatment target.

Lewy body disease as a potential negative outcome modifier of glioblastoma treatment: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with glioblastoma are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of ionizing radiation to the brain. This population also has an increasing prevalence of dementia in the successive seventh, eighth and nineth decade of life, and dementia with Lewy bodies is characterized by pathologic α-synucleins, proteins that take part in neuronal DNA damage repair. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 77-year-old man, with a history of coronary artery disease and mild cognitive impairment, who experienced subacute behavioral changes over 3 months with wording-finding difficulty, memory loss, confusion, perseveration, and irritable mood. Neuroimaging studies disclosed a 2.5 × 2.4 × 2.7 cm cystic enhancing mass with central necrosis in the left temporal lobe of the brain. Gross total resection of the tumor revealed IDH-1 wild-type glioblastoma. After treatment with radiation and temozolomide chemotherapy, his cognitive status deteriorated rapidly, and he died from unexpected sudden death 2 months after radiation. Autopsy of his brain revealed (i) tumor cells with atypical nuclei and small lymphocytes, (ii) neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions and Lewy bodies that were positive for α-synuclein in the midbrain, pons, amygdala, putamen and globus pallidus, and (iii) no amyloid plaques and only rare neurofibrillary tangles near the hippocampi. CONCLUSIONS: This patient most likely had pre-clinical limbic subtype of dementia with Lewy bodies prior to his diagnosis of glioblastoma. The radiation and temozolomide that was used to treat his tumor may have accelerated neuronal damage due to induction of DNA breakage when his brain was already compromised by pathologic α-synucleins. α-Synucleinopathy could be a negative outcome modifier in glioblastoma patients.

A nuclear function for an oncogenic microRNA as a modulator of snRNA and splicing.

BACKGROUND: miRNAs are regulatory transcripts established as repressors of mRNA stability and translation that have been functionally implicated in carcinogenesis. miR-10b is one of the key onco-miRs associated with multiple forms of cancer. Malignant gliomas exhibit particularly striking dependence on miR-10b. However, despite the therapeutic potential of miR-10b targeting, this miRNA's poorly investigated and largely unconventional properties hamper the clinical translation. METHODS: We utilized Covalent Ligation of Endogenous Argonaute-bound RNAs and their high-throughput RNA sequencing to identify miR-10b interactome and a combination of biochemical and imaging approaches for target validation. They included Crosslinking and RNA immunoprecipitation with spliceosomal proteins, a combination of miRNA FISH with protein immunofluorescence in glioma cells and patient-derived tumors, native Northern blotting, and the transcriptome-wide analysis of alternative splicing. RESULTS: We demonstrate that miR-10b binds to U6 snRNA, a core component of the spliceosomal machinery. We provide evidence of the direct binding between miR-10b and U6, in situ imaging of miR-10b and U6 co-localization in glioma cells and tumors, and biochemical co-isolation of miR-10b with the components of the spliceosome. We further demonstrate that miR-10b modulates U6 N-6-adenosine methylation and pseudouridylation, U6 binding to splicing factors SART3 and PRPF8, and regulates U6 stability, conformation, and levels. These effects on U6 result in global splicing alterations, exemplified by the altered ratio of the isoforms of a small GTPase CDC42, reduced overall CDC42 levels, and downstream CDC42 -mediated effects on cell viability. CONCLUSIONS: We identified U6 snRNA, the key RNA component of the spliceosome, as the top miR-10b target in glioblastoma. We, therefore, present an unexpected intersection of the miRNA and splicing machineries and a new nuclear function for a major cancer-associated miRNA.

In Vivo Absolute Metabolite Quantification Using a Multiplexed ERETIC-RX Array Coil for Whole-Brain MR Spectroscopic Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Absolute quantification of metabolites in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) requires a stable reference signal of known concentration. The Electronic REference To access In vivo Concentrations (ERETIC) has shown great promise but has not been applied in patients and 3D MRSI. ERETIC hardware has not been integrated with receive arrays due to technical challenges, such as coil combination and unwanted coupling between multiple ERETIC and receive channels, for which we developed mitigation strategies. PURPOSE: To develop absolute quantification for whole-brain MRSI in glioma patients. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: Five healthy volunteers and three patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant glioma (27% female). Calibration and coil loading phantoms. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3 T; Adiabatic spin-echo spiral 3D MRSI with real-time motion correction, Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR), Gradient Recalled Echo (GRE), Multi-echo Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition of Gradient Echo (MEMPRAGE). ASSESSMENT: Absolute quantification was performed for five brain metabolites (total N-acetyl-aspartate [NAA]/creatine/choline, glutamine + glutamate, myo-inositol) and the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate using a custom-built 4x-ERETIC/8x-receive array coil. Metabolite quantification was performed with both EREIC and internal water reference methods. ERETIC signal was transmitted via optical link and used to correct coil loading. Inductive and radiative coupling between ERETIC and receive channels were measured. STATISTICAL TESTS: ERETIC and internal water methods for metabolite quantification were compared using Bland-Altman (BA) analysis and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: ERETIC could be integrated in receive arrays and inductive coupling dominated (5-886 times) radiative coupling. Phantoms show proportional scaling of the ERETIC signal with coil loading. The BA analysis demonstrated very good agreement (3.3% ± 1.6%) in healthy volunteers, while there was a large difference (36.1% ± 3.8%) in glioma tumors between metabolite concentrations by ERETIC and internal water quantification. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that ERETIC integrated with receive arrays and whole-brain MRSI is feasible for brain metabolites quantification. Further validation is required to probe that ERETIC provides more accurate metabolite concentration in glioma patients. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Predicting the higher rate of intracranial hemorrhage in glioma patients receiving therapeutic enoxaparin.

Venous thromboembolism occurs in up to one-third of patients with primary brain tumors. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is also a frequent occurrence in these patients, but there is limited data on the safety of therapeutic anticoagulation. To determine the rate of ICH in patients treated with enoxaparin, we performed a matched, retrospective cohort study with blinded radiology review for 133 patients with high-grade glioma. After diagnosis of glioma, the cohort that received enoxaparin was 3 times more likely to develop a major ICH than those not treated with anticoagulation (14.7% vs 2.5%; P = .036; hazard ratio [HR], 3.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-11.14). When enoxaparin was analyzed as a time-varying covariate, anticoagulation was associated with a >13-fold increased risk of hemorrhage (HR, 13.26; 95% CI, 3.33-52.85; P < .0001). Overall survival was significantly shorter for patients who suffered a major ICH on enoxaparin compared with patients not receiving anticoagulation (3.3 vs 10.2 months; log-rank P = .012). We applied a validated ICH prediction risk score PANWARDS (platelets, albumin, no congestive heart failure, warfarin, age, race, diastolic blood pressure, stroke), and observed that all major ICHs on enoxaparin occurred in the setting of a PANWARDS score ≥25, corresponding with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 63% to 100%) and a specificity of 40% (95% CI, 25% to 56%). We conclude that caution is warranted when considering therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with high-grade gliomas given the increased risk of ICH and poor prognosis after a major hemorrhage on anticoagulation. The PANWARDS score may assist clinicians in identifying the patients at greatest risk of suffering a major intracranial hemorrhage with anticoagulation.

Genome Editing Reveals Glioblastoma Addiction to MicroRNA-10b.

Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumor remains among the most lethal and incurable human diseases. Oncogenic microRNA-10b (miR-10b) is strongly and universally upregulated in GBM, and its inhibition by antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) reduces the growth of heterogeneous glioma cells; therefore, miR-10b represents a unique therapeutic target for GBM. Here we explored the effects of miR-10b gene editing on GBM. Using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system, we investigated effects of miR-10b gene editing on the growth of cultured human glioma cells, tumor-initiating stem-like cells, and mouse GBM xenografts, as well as the oncogene-induced transformation of normal astrocytes. We show that GBM is strictly "addicted" to miR-10b and that miR-10b gene ablation is lethal for glioma cell cultures and established intracranial tumors. miR-10b loss-of-function mutations lead to the death of glioma, but not other cancer cell lines. We have not detected escaped proliferative clones of GBM cells edited in the miR-10b locus. Finally, neoplastic transformation of normal astrocytes was abolished by the miR-10b-editing vectors. This study demonstrates the feasibility of gene editing for brain tumors in vivo and suggests virus-mediated miR-10b gene ablation as a promising therapeutic approach that permanently eliminates the key regulator essential for tumor growth and survival.

Intracranial hemorrhage in patients with brain metastases treated with therapeutic enoxaparin: a matched cohort study.

Venous thromboembolism occurs frequently in patients with cancer who have brain metastases, but there is limited evidence supporting the safety of therapeutic anticoagulation. To assess the risk for intracranial hemorrhage associated with the administration of therapeutic doses of low-molecular-weight heparin, we performed a matched, retrospective cohort study of 293 patients with cancer with brain metastases (104 with therapeutic enoxaparin and 189 controls). A blinded review of radiographic imaging was performed, and intracranial hemorrhages were categorized as trace, measurable, and significant. There were no differences observed in the cumulative incidence of intracranial hemorrhage at 1 year in the enoxaparin and control cohorts for measurable (19% vs 21%; Gray test, P = .97; hazard ratio, 1.02; 90% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-1.59), significant (21% vs 22%; P = .87), and total (44% vs 37%; P = .13) intracranial hemorrhages. The risk for intracranial hemorrhage was fourfold higher (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.98; 90% CI, 2.41-6.57; P < .001) in patients with melanoma or renal cell carcinoma (N = 60) than lung cancer (N = 153), but the risk was not influenced by the administration of enoxaparin. Overall survival was similar for the enoxaparin and control cohorts (8.4 vs 9.7 months; Log-rank, P = .65). We conclude that intracranial hemorrhage is frequently observed in patients with brain metastases, but that therapeutic anticoagulation does not increase the risk for intracranial hemorrhage.

The Cancer Genome Atlas Analysis Predicts MicroRNA for Targeting Cancer Growth and Vascularization in Glioblastoma.

Using in silico analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we identified microRNAs associated with glioblastoma (GBM) survival, and predicted their functions in glioma growth and progression. Inhibition of two "risky" miRNAs, miR-148a and miR-31, in orthotopic xenograft GBM mouse models suppressed tumor growth and thereby prolonged animal survival. Intracranial tumors treated with uncomplexed miR-148a and miR-31 antagomirs exhibited reduced proliferation, stem cell depletion, and normalized tumor vasculature. Growth-promoting functions of these two miRNAs were, in part, mediated by the common target, the factor inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (FIH1), and the downstream pathways involving hypoxia-inducible factor HIF1α and Notch signaling. Therefore, miR-31 and miR-148a regulate glioma growth by maintaining tumor stem cells and their niche, and providing the tumor a way to activate angiogenesis even in a normoxic environment. This is the first study that demonstrates intratumoral uptake and growth-inhibiting effects of uncomplexed antagomirs in orthotopic glioma.

Successful treatment of recurrent hyperhemolysis syndrome with immunosuppression and plasma-to-red blood cell exchange transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Hyperhemolysis syndrome is a serious transfusion reaction mostly reported in association with sickle cell disease, characterized by destruction of both donor and host red blood cells (RBCs) by an unknown mechanism. CASE REPORT: A 21-year-old man with sickle cell disease and multiple prior transfusions received two phenotype-matched, compatible RBC units during a brief admission for pain crisis. He developed rapid-onset progressive anemia and hemoglobinuria. Methylprednisolone, erythropoietin, and rituximab were administered. Fifteen days posttransfusion the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration decreased to 3.1 g/dL, with evidence of severe congestive heart failure. No new antibodies were identified. It was felt that his heart failure would not improve without increasing oxygen-carrying capacity. A combination of volume overload, anemia, and hemolysis prompted a novel isovolemic procedure to increase Hb level without removing his own RBCs or causing fluid overload. A cell separator was used operating on the plasma-exchange program, with three cross-match-compatible, washed RBC units as the replacement fluid. After the procedure, there was no evidence of hemolysis. Over the following 6 days, the congestive heart failure resolved, the Hb concentration increased to 7.5 g/dL, and the patient fully recovered. He had a similar event 3 years previously. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma-to-RBC replacement may be beneficial for selected patients with life-threatening anemia. This intervention provides immediate improvement in oxygen-carrying capacity, conserving the patient's own RBCs, while avoiding fluid overload. Although blood transfusion may precipitate further hemolysis, this case report describes successful plasma-to-RBC exchange transfusion with concurrent supportive care to offset hemolysis, including corticosteroid, intravenous immunoglobulin, and rituximab.

Successful treatment of refractory Guillain-Barré syndrome with alemtuzumab in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

This is the case of a 79-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome with features overlapping with the Miller Fisher syndrome and Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis and positive antiganglioside GQ1b antibody about 6 months after treatment with bendamustine and rituximab. His clinical and neurologic condition continued to deteriorate despite sequential treatment with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis, but in the end, he had a complete and durable response to treatment with alemtuzumab.

Intracranial Metastasis of Extracranial Chondrosarcoma: Systematic Review With Illustrative Case.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral chondrosarcoma metastases are rare and aggressive neoplasms. The rarity of presentation has precluded rigorous analysis of diagnosis, risk factors, treatment, and survival. We analyzed every reported case through exhaustive literature review. We further present the first case with Maffucci syndrome. METHODS: Three databases, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, and crossed references were queried for cerebral chondrosarcoma metastases. Extracted variables included demographics, risk factors, tumor characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were included from 1,489 literature results. The average age at brain metastasis was 46.6±17.6 years and occurred at a median of 24±2.8 months from primary diagnosis. Primary tumor histology (dedifferentiated 5.0±1.5 months, mesenchymal 24±3.0 months, conventional 41±7.4 months, p<0.05) and grade (low grade 54±16.7 months vs. high-grade 10±6.4 months, p<0.001) correlated with time interval until brain metastasis. A multiple enchondromatosis syndrome occurred in 13.2% of cases. At time of brain metastases diagnosis, extracranial metastases were identified in 76.2% of cases. Median survival after the development of brain metastasis was 2.0±0.78 months with a 1-year survival of 10.0%. On regression analysis, surgery reduced brain metastasis mortality risk and radiation trended towards reduced mortality risk (surgery: hazard ratio [HR] 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.064-0.763, p=0.017; radiation: HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.091-1.072, p=0.064). CONCLUSION: We present a systematic review of cerebral chondrosarcoma metastases. Primary tumor histology and grade correlate with time until cerebral metastasis. Following cerebral metastasis, these tumors have poor prognosis and modestly benefit from surgery.

Secreted PGK1 and IGFBP2 contribute to the bystander effect of miR-10b gene editing in glioma.

MicroRNA-10b (miR-10b) is an essential glioma driver and one of the top candidates for targeted therapies for glioblastoma and other cancers. This unique miRNA controls glioma cell cycle and viability via an array of established conventional and unconventional mechanisms. Previously reported CRISPR-Cas9-mediated miR-10b gene editing of glioma cells in vitro and established orthotopic glioblastoma in mouse models demonstrated the efficacy of this approach and its promise for therapy development. However, therapeutic gene editing in patients' brain tumors may be hampered, among other factors, by the imperfect delivery and distribution of targeting vectors. Here, we demonstrate that miR-10b gene editing in glioma cells triggers a potent bystander effect that leads to the selective cell death of the unedited glioma cells without affecting the normal neuroglial cells. The effect is mediated by the secreted miR-10b targets phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) that block cell-cycle progression and induce glioma cell death. These findings further support the feasibility of therapeutic miR-10b editing without the need to target every cell of the tumor.

Antiplatelet medications and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with primary brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a frequent and severe consequence of primary brain tumors. The safety of antiplatelet medications in this patient population is undefined. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to determine whether antiplatelet medications are associated with an increased risk of ICH in patients with primary brain tumors. PATIENTS/METHODS: We performed a matched, retrospective cohort study of patients with the diagnosis of primary brain tumor treated at our institution between 2010 and 2021. Radiographic images of all potential ICH events underwent blinded review. The primary end point of the study was the cumulative incidence of ICH at 1 year after tumor diagnosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 387 patients with primary brain tumors were included in the study population (130 exposed to antiplatelet agents, 257 not exposed). The most common malignancy was glioblastoma (n = 256, 66.1%). Among the intervention cohort, 119 patients received aspirin monotherapy. The cumulative incidence of any ICH at 1 year was 11.0% (95% CI, 5.3-16.6) in those receiving antiplatelet medications and 13.0% (95% CI, 8.5-17.6) in those not receiving antiplatelet medications (Gray test, p = 0.6). The cumulative incidence of major ICH was similar between the cohorts (3.3% in antiplatelet cohort vs 2.9% in control cohort, p = 1.0). This study did not identify an increased incidence of ICH in patients with primary brain tumors exposed to antiplatelet medications.

Neurofibromatoses.

The studies of familial tumor predisposition syndromes have contributed immensely to our understanding of oncogenesis. Neurofibromatosis 1, neurofibromatosis 2 and schwannomatosis are inherited autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorders with complete penetrance. They are clinically and genetically distinct and considerable knowledge has been gathered about their pathogenesis. In this chapter, the genetics, molecular mechanism of disease, as well as clinical features, diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

Antiplatelet medications and risk of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with metastatic brain tumors.

Although intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is frequent in the setting of brain metastases, there are limited data on the influence of antiplatelet agents on the development of brain tumor-associated ICH. To evaluate whether the administration of antiplatelet agents increases the risk of ICH, we performed a matched cohort analysis of patients with metastatic brain tumors with blinded radiology review. The study population included 392 patients with metastatic brain tumors (134 received antiplatelet agents and 258 acted as controls). Non-small cell lung cancer was the most common malignancy in the cohort (74.0%), followed by small cell lung cancer (9.9%), melanoma (4.6%), and renal cell cancer (4.3%). Among those who received an antiplatelet agent, 86.6% received aspirin alone and 23.1% received therapeutic anticoagulation during the study period. The cumulative incidence of any ICH at 1 year was 19.3% (95% CI, 14.1-24.4) in patients not receiving antiplatelet agents compared with 22.5% (95% CI, 15.2-29.8; P = .22, Gray test) in those receiving antiplatelet agents. The cumulative incidence of major ICH was 5.4% (95% CI, 2.6-8.3) among controls compared with 5.5% (95% CI, 1.5-9.5; P = .80) in those exposed to antiplatelet agents. The combination of anticoagulation plus antiplatelet agents did not increase the risk of major ICH. The use of antiplatelet agents was not associated with an increase in the incidence, size, or severity of ICH in the setting of brain metastases.

Rapid Progressive Glioblastoma despite Radiation in a Patient with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

The rapidity of glioblastoma progression can be exacerbated by impaired systemic immune surveillance. We describe an elderly woman with advanced 5q- myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) associated with trilineage dysfunction in hematopoiesis. She also developed multiple solid tumor malignancies including ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer, probable lung cancer without histologic confirmation, and primary glioblastoma with a high proliferation index of 80%. Because of low platelet counts of 20,000-30,000/µL that required periodic transfusion and a reduced white cell count of 600-900/µL, she was deemed unsafe to take concomitant daily temozolomide during radiation and her glioblastoma was treated with a shortened course of radiotherapy alone. Her baseline absolute neutrophil count was 110-390/µL, and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts were 235/µL and 113/µL, respectively. During the last week of radiation, the patient developed a nonfluent aphasia, increased fatigue, and aspiration pneumonia. A gadolinium-enhanced head MRI, obtained 2 days after completion of radiation and 39 days after biopsy, demonstrated near tripling of the size of the left frontal tumor with a significant amount of adjacent cerebral edema. This case raises the possibility that advanced MDS is a negative immunomodulatory condition that can accelerate glioblastoma progression.

GCB-type is a favorable prognostic factor in primary CNS diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSLs) are aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) limited to the CNS that generally have a poor prognosis. Classification of DLBCL into germinal center B-cell (GCB) and activated B-cell (non-GCB) subtypes has prognostic value in systemic DLBCL, with GCB-type having a better prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether GCB versus non-GCB classification in PCNSLs has similar prognostic value. We analyzed clinical, radiological and histologic data from 24 patients with biopsy confirmed DLBCL of the CNS with classification into GCB versus non-GCB subtypes. We found that after a median follow-up of 15 months, only 39% of patients with non-GCB-type PCNS DLBCL were alive, whereas all patients with GCB-type were alive. Non-GCB-type had a median survival of 11 months, whereas all GCB-type patients were alive after a median follow-up of 22 months. As previously reported, we also found that patients younger than 70 years had longer survival (median 29 months) compared to older patients (median 8.8 months). There was no statistically significant difference between the ages, gender, focality, size or location of lesions, or treatment of non-GCB and GCB-type patients. Our findings suggest that classifying PCNSLs into GCB versus non-GCB subtype using the Hans algorithm may help stratify patients into two groups with different prognosis.

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Recurrent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting cluster of differentiation (CD)19 has had a transformative impact on patient outcomes in a subset of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We present a patient with refractory large B-cell lymphoma in complete remission for 2 years following treatment with CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, who presented with 2 weeks of progressive aphasia. Imaging revealed a left occipital brain lesion and biopsy demonstrated features diagnostic of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Further evaluation revealed severe hypogammaglobulinemia and a low CD4 count. She was treated with pembrolizumab and intravenous immunoglobulin resulting in decreased cerebrospinal fluid viral load without clinical improvement and died 8 weeks after presentation. This case highlights that there is potential for severe opportunistic infections after CAR T-cell therapy, including fatal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Strategies to enhance post-treatment immune reconstitution are essential to further harness the unique potency of CAR T-cell therapy.