FOXO1 enhances CAR T cell stemness, metabolic fitness and efficacy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has transformed the treatment of haematological malignancies such as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, B cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma1-4, but the efficacy of CAR T cell therapy in solid tumours has been limited5. This is owing to a number of factors, including the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment that gives rise to poorly persisting and metabolically dysfunctional T cells. Analysis of anti-CD19 CAR T cells used clinically has shown that positive treatment outcomes are associated with a more 'stem-like' phenotype and increased mitochondrial mass6-8. We therefore sought to identify transcription factors that could enhance CAR T cell fitness and efficacy against solid tumours. Here we show that overexpression of FOXO1 promotes a stem-like phenotype in CAR T cells derived from either healthy human donors or patients, which correlates with improved mitochondrial fitness, persistence and therapeutic efficacy in vivo. This work thus reveals an engineering approach to genetically enforce a favourable metabolic phenotype that has high translational potential to improve the efficacy of CAR T cells against solid tumours.

Targeting the ribosome to treat multiple myeloma.

The high rates of protein synthesis and processing render multiple myeloma (MM) cells vulnerable to perturbations in protein homeostasis. The induction of proteotoxic stress by targeting protein degradation with proteasome inhibitors (PIs) has revolutionized the treatment of MM. However, resistance to PIs is inevitable and represents an ongoing clinical challenge. Our first-in-human study of the selective inhibitor of RNA polymerase I transcription of ribosomal RNA genes, CX-5461, has demonstrated a potential signal for anti-tumor activity in three of six heavily pre-treated MM patients. Here, we show that CX-5461 has potent anti-myeloma activity in PI-resistant MM preclinical models in vitro and in vivo. In addition to inhibiting ribosome biogenesis, CX-5461 causes topoisomerase II trapping and replication-dependent DNA damage, leading to G2/M cell-cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death. Combining CX-5461 with PI does not further enhance the anti-myeloma activity of CX-5461 in vivo. In contrast, CX-5461 shows synergistic interaction with the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat in both the Vk∗MYC and the 5T33-KaLwRij mouse models of MM by targeting ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis through distinct mechanisms. Our findings thus provide strong evidence to facilitate the clinical development of targeting the ribosome to treat relapsed and refractory MM.

CD70-Targeted Allogeneic CAR T-Cell Therapy for Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Therapeutic approaches for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain limited; however, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies may offer novel treatment options. CTX130, an allogeneic CD70-targeting CAR T-cell product, was developed for the treatment of advanced or refractory ccRCC. We report that CTX130 showed favorable preclinical proliferation and cytotoxicity profiles and completely regressed RCC xenograft tumors. We also report results from 16 patients with relapsed/refractory ccRCC who received CTX130 in a phase I, multicenter, first-in-human clinical trial. No patients encountered dose-limiting toxicity, and disease control was achieved in 81.3% of patients. One patient remains in a durable complete response at 3 years. Finally, we report on a next-generation CAR T construct, CTX131, in which synergistic potency edits to CTX130 confer improved expansion and efficacy in preclinical studies. These data represent a proof of concept for the treatment of ccRCC and other CD70+ malignancies with CD70-targeted allogeneic CAR T cells. SIGNIFICANCE: Although the role of CAR T cells is well established in hematologic malignancies, the clinical experience in solid tumors has been disappointing. This clinical trial demonstrates the first complete response in a patient with RCC, reinforcing the potential benefit of CAR T cells in the treatment of solid tumors.

Cost-Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Photopheresis in Patients With Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease.

Background: The mainstay first-line therapy for chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) is corticosteroids; however, for steroid-refractory patients, there is a distinct lack of cost-effective or efficacious treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) compared with standard-of-care therapies for the treatment of cGVHD in Australia. The study formed part of an application to the Australian Government to reimburse ECP for these patients. Methods: A cost-utility analysis was conducted comparing ECP to standard of care, which modeled the response to treatment and disease progression of cGVHD patients in Australia. Mycophenolate, tacrolimus, and cyclosporin comprised second-line standard of care based on a survey of Australian clinicians. Health states in the model included treatment response, disease progression, and death. Transition probabilities were obtained from Australian-specific registry data and randomized controlled evidence. Quality-of-life values were applied based on treatment response. The analysis considered costs of second-line treatment and disease management including immunosuppressants, hospitalizations and subsequent therapy. Disease-specific mortality was calculated for treatment response and progression. Results: Over a 10-year time horizon, ECP resulted in an average cost reduction of $23 999 and an incremental improvement of 1.10 quality-adjusted life-years per patient compared with standard of care. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated robustness over a range of plausible scenarios. Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates that ECP improves quality of life, minimizes the harms associated with immunosuppressant therapy, and is a highly cost-effective option for steroid-refractory cGVHD patients in Australia. Based in part on this analysis, ECP was listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule for public reimbursement.

Harnessing the cytotoxic granule exocytosis to augment the efficacy of T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody therapy.

T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody (T-BsAb, also known as BiTE) therapy has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality against multiple myeloma. Given that T-BsAb therapy redirects endogenous T cells to eliminate tumor cells, reinvigorating dysfunctional T cells may be a potential approach to improve the efficacy of T-BsAb. While various immunostimulatory cytokines can potentiate effector T-cell functions, the optimal cytokine treatment for T-BsAb therapy is yet to be established, partly due to a concern of cytokine release syndrome driven by aberrant interferon (IFN)-γ production. Here, we functionally screen immunostimulatory cytokines to determine an ideal combination partner for T-BsAb therapy. This approach reveals IL-21 as a potential immunostimulatory cytokine with the ability to augment T-BsAb-mediated release of granzyme B and perforin, without increasing IFN-γ release. Transcriptome profiling and functional characterization strongly support that IL-21 selectively targets the cytotoxic granule exocytosis pathway, but not pro-inflammatory responses. Notably, IL-21 modulates multiple steps of cytotoxic effector functions including upregulation of co-activating CD226 receptor, increasing cytotoxic granules, and promoting cytotoxic granule delivery at the immunological synapse. Indeed, T-BsAb-mediated myeloma-killing is cytotoxic granule-dependent, and IL-21 priming significantly augments cytotoxic activities. Furthermore, in vivo IL-21 treatment induces cytotoxic effector reprogramming in bone marrow T cells, showing synergistic anti-myeloma effects in combination with T-BsAb therapy. Together, harnessing the cytotoxic granule exocytosis pathway by IL-21 may be a potential approach to achieve better responses by T-BsAb therapy.

Carfilzomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone is safe and effective in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma: final report of the single arm, multicenter phase II ALLG MM018/AMN002 study.

This multicentre, phase II study of the Australian Lymphoma and Leukaemia Group (ALLG) and the Asian Myeloma Network (AMN) investigated fixed-duration (18-month) treatment with carfilzomib (K), thalidomide (T), and dexamethasone (d; KTd) in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma and 1-3 prior lines of therapy. Patients received induction with up to twelve 28-day cycles of K [20mg/m2 IV cycle 1 day 1 and 2, 56mg/m2 (36mg/m2 for patients ≥75 years) from day 8 onwards), T 100mg PO nocte and weekly dexamethasone 40mg (20mg for patients ≥75 years). During maintenance T was omitted, while K continued on days 1,2,15,16 with fortnightly dexamethasone. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were overall response rate, overall survival (OS), duration of response, safety, and tolerability. Ninety-three patients (median age 66.3 years (41.9 - 84.5)) were enrolled with a median follow-up of 26.4 (1.6 - 54.6) months. The median PFS was 22.3 months (95% CI 15.7 - 25.6) with a 46.3% (95% CI 35.1 - 52.8) 2-year PFS. Median OS was not reached and was 73.8% (95% CI 62.9 - 81.9) at 2 years. The overall response rate was 88% (≥ VGPR 73%). There was no difference in the depth of response, PFS or OS comparing Asian and Non-Asian cohorts (p=0.61). The safety profile for KTd was consistent with each individual drug. KTd is well tolerated and effective in patients with RRMM irrespective of Asian or non-Asian ethnicity and provides an alternative option particularly where use of KRd is limited by access, cost, or renal impairment.

Regulatory T cells hamper the efficacy of T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody therapy.

T-cell-engaging bispecific antibodies (T-BsAb) have produced impressive clinical responses in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies, although treatment failure remains a major clinical challenge. Growing evidence suggests that a complex interplay between immune cells and tumor cells is implicated in the mechanism of action and therefore, understanding immune regulatory mechanisms might provide a clue for how to improve the efficacy of T-BsAb therapy. Here, we investigated the functional impact of regulatory T (Treg) cells on anti-tumor immunity elicited by T-BsAb therapy. In a preclinical model of myeloma, the activation and expansion of Treg cells in the bone marrow were observed in response to anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) T-BsAb therapy. T-BsAb triggered the generation of induced Treg cells from human conventional CD4 cells after co-culture with tumor cells. Moreover, T-BsAb directly activated freshly isolated circulating Treg cells, leading to the production of interleukin-10 and inhibition of T-BsAb-mediated CD8 T-cell responses. The activation of Treg cells was also seen in bone marrow samples from myeloma patients after ex vivo treatment with T-BsAb, further supporting that T-BsAb have an impact on Treg homeostasis. Importantly, transient ablation of Treg cells in combination with T-BsAb therapy dramatically improved effector lymphocyte activities and disease control in the preclinical myeloma model, leading to prolonged survival. Together, this information suggests that therapy-induced activation of Treg cells critically regulates anti-tumor immunity elicited by T-BsAb therapy, with important implications for improving the efficacy of such treatment.

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of [18F]FDG-PET/CT for investigation of persistent or recurrent neutropenic fever in high-risk haematology patients.

BACKGROUND: A recent randomised trial demonstrated [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography in combination with low-dose CT (FDG-PET/CT), compared to standard of care computed tomography (CT) imaging, positively impacted antimicrobial management and outcomes of acute leukaemia and haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients with persistent and recurrent neutropenic fever. We conducted an economic evaluation from a healthcare perspective alongside the clinical trial. METHODS: Unit costs in Australian dollars were applied to all resources used (antimicrobials, diagnostic tests, ICU and hospital bed days). Effectiveness was measured as number of patients with antimicrobial rationalisation, 6-month mortality and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) derived from patient-reported trial-based health-related quality-of-life. Generalised linear models were used to analyse costs and outcomes. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for all outcomes and net monetary benefit (NMB) for QALYs were calculated. We performed bootstrapping with 1000 replications using the recycled predictions method. RESULTS: The adjusted healthcare costs were lower for FDG-PET/CT (mean $49,563; 95%CI 36,867, 65,133) compared to CT (mean $57,574; 95% CI 44,837, 73,347). The difference in QALYs between the two groups was small (0.001; 95% CI -0.001, 0.004). When simulated 1000 times, FDG-PET/CT was the dominant strategy as it was cheaper with better outcomes than the standard CT group in 74% of simulations. The estimated NMBs at willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000 per QALY were positive, thus FDG-PET/CT remained cost-effective at these thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET/CT is cost effective when compared to CT for investigation of persistent/recurrent neutropenic fever in high-risk patients, providing further support for incorporation of FDG-PET/CT into clinical guidelines and funding. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03429387.

Real-world outcomes in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma patients exposed to three or more prior treatments: an analysis from the ANZ myeloma and related diseases registry.

BACKGROUND: There is no currently available standard of care for triple-class exposed, relapsed refractory myeloma (RRMM) patients in Australia. CARTITUDE-1 (CART-1) was a single-arm, phase 1b/2 study of 97 triple-class exposed RRMM patients, who received BCMA-CAR-T cell therapy with ciltacabtagene autocel. Overall response rate (ORR) was 98%. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) had not been reached at a median follow-up of 28 months. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on a cohort of CART-1 comparable RRMM patients participating in the Australian and New Zealand Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry (MRDR), to compare outcomes in triple-class exposed MM patients treated with currently available therapies, in a real-world context. The CE-MRDR cohort (n = 28) fulfilled CARTITUDE-1 eligibility (CE) criteria: ≥3 lines of therapy (LOT) including an immunomodulatory agent, proteasome inhibitor and CD38-directed monoclonal antibody (CD38mAb) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score of 0-2 at diagnosis. The modified-CE-MRDR (n = 132) received ≥3 LOT but may not have received a CD38mAb with an ECOG PS score of 3 (0-3). RESULTS: Responses to the first subsequent therapy after eligibility were poor - ORR was 23% and 0% with progressive disease (PD) reported in 61% and 36%, CE-MRDR and m-CE-MRDR respectively. Responses to the second subsequent therapy after eligibility were worse, ORR 0% and 31%, CE-MRDR and m-CE-MRDR respectively, with high rates of PD, particularly in CE-MRDR. Median OS was 5.4 versus 9.5 months, CE-MRDR versus m-CE-MRDR. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis confirms uniformly poor outcomes for Australian RRMM patients. There remains a critical need for greater accessibility to novel treatments, such as CAR-T, outside clinical trials.

Sunlight, vitamin D, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, and risk of multiple myeloma: A systematic review.

This systematic review examines the relationship with multiple myeloma (MM) risk for sunlight and vitamin D related exposures, including vitamin D supplementation, circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration, personal ultraviolet B radiation exposure, ambient solar irradiance and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms We conducted a search for terms related to multiple myeloma, vitamin D, vitamin D receptor, ultraviolet radiation, sunlight, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) using Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane CENTRAL. Studies were assessed for risk of bias and quality using the RoB 2.0, ROBINS-E or Q-Genie tools. We identified 13 eligible studies: one randomised controlled trial, two cohort studies, and ten case-control studies, including one nested case-control study and one meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies. We conducted a qualitative synthesis; quantitative synthesis was not appropriate due to study heterogeneity and the small number of studies identified. There was insufficient evidence to support an effect of any sunlight or vitamin D related exposure on MM risk. No polymorphisms in VDR were found to be strongly related to risk for people of European ancestry. Of the identified studies, many had high risk of bias or were of lower quality. Few studies have investigated the association between sunlight and vitamin D related exposures and multiple myeloma risk. The scarcity of high-quality studies makes it difficult to evaluate potential effects of these exposures on MM risk. Further research is necessary to investigate the influence of vitamin D related exposures on risk of multiple myeloma..

Multiplex immunohistochemistry elucidates increased distance between cytotoxic T cells and plasma cells in relapsed myeloma, and identifies Lag-3 as the most common checkpoint receptor on cytotoxic T cells of myeloma patients.

A dysfunctional immune tumour microenvironment facilitates disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM). Using multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC), we described the quantitative and qualitative changes in CD3+ CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and assess their proximity to malignant plasma cells (PCs) in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), newly diagnosed (ND) and relapsed/refractory (RR) MM. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded trephine sections from patients with MGUS (n=32), NDMM (n=65) and RRMM (n=59) were sequentially stained for CD138, CD3, CD8, and checkpoint receptors (CPR) Tim-3, Lag-3, and PD-1. Halo® image analysis platform was used for cell segmentation and phenotyping, facilitating enumeration of cytotoxic T-cells and analysis of proximity to PCs. The percentage of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells in proximity to PCs is greater in patients with NDMM than patients with RRMM (at 50gm distance 90.8% vs. 81.5%, p=0.038). There is a trend for more CD3+ T-cells in MGUS (p=0.08) but no difference was observed in the prevalence of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells (p=0.48). Lag-3 is the most common CPR expressed on cytotoxic T-cells in myeloma (p.

Modifiable lifestyle risk factors and survival after diagnosis with multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: While remaining incurable, median overall survival for MM now exceeds 5 years. Yet few studies have investigated how modifiable lifestyle factors influence survival. We investigate whether adiposity, diet, alcohol, or smoking are associated with MM-related fatality. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We recruited 760 incident cases of MM via cancer registries in two Australian states during 2010-2016. Participants returned questionnaires on health and lifestyle. Follow-up ended in 2020. Flexible parametric survival models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lifestyle exposures and risk of all-cause and MM-specific fatality. RESULTS: Higher pre-diagnosis Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) scores were associated with reduced MM-specific fatality (per 10-unit score, HR = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.70-0.99). Pre-diagnosis alcohol consumption was inversely associated with MM-specific fatality, compared with nondrinkers (0.1-20 g per day, HR = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.39-0.90; >20 g per day, HR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.40-1.13). Tobacco smoking was associated with increased all-cause fatality compared with never smoking (former smokers: HR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.10-1.88; current smokers: HR = 1.30, 95%CI = 0.80-2.10). There was no association between pre-enrollment body mass index (BMI) and MM-specific or all-cause fatality. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support established recommendations for healthy diets and against smoking. Higher quality diet, as measured by the AHEI, may improve survival post diagnosis with MM.

Management of multiple myeloma-related renal impairment: recommendations from the International Myeloma Working Group.

Here, the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) updates its clinical practice recommendations for the management of multiple myeloma-related renal impairment on the basis of data published until Dec 31, 2022. All patients with multiple myeloma and renal impairment should have serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and free light chains (FLCs) measurements together with 24-h urine total protein, electrophoresis, and immunofixation. If non-selective proteinuria (mainly albuminuria) or involved serum FLCs value less than 500 mg/L is detected, then a renal biopsy is needed. The IMWG criteria for the definition of renal response should be used. Supportive care and high-dose dexamethasone are required for all patients with myeloma-induced renal impairment. Mechanical approaches do not increase overall survival. Bortezomib-based regimens are the cornerstone of the management of patients with multiple myeloma and renal impairment at diagnosis. New quadruplet and triplet combinations, including proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies, improve renal and survival outcomes in both newly diagnosed patients and those with relapsed or refractory disease. Conjugated antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, and T-cell engagers are well tolerated and effective in patients with moderate renal impairment.

Infections following bispecific antibodies in myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bispecific antibodies, a novel immunotherapy with promising efficacy against multiple myeloma, form immune synapses between T-cell surface marker CD3 and malignant cell markers, including B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), FcRH5, and G protein-coupled receptor GPRC5D. These bispecific antibodies so effectively deplete plasma cells (and to some extent T-cells) that patients are at increased risk of developing infections. A systematic review and meta-analysis of infections in published studies of patients with myeloma treated with bispecific antibodies was conducted to better characterize the infection risks. A literature search used MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane to identify relevant studies between inception and February 10, 2023, including major conference presentations. Phase 1b-3 clinical trials and observational studies were included. Sixteen clinical trials comprising 1666 patients were included. Median follow-up was 7.6 months and 38% of the cohort had penta-drug refractory disease. Pooled prevalence of all-grade infections was 56%, whereas the prevalence of grade ≥3 infections was 24%. Patients who were treated with BCMA-targeted bispecifics had significantly higher rates of grade ≥3 infections than non-BCMA bispecifics (25% vs 20%). Similarly, patients treated with bispecifics in combination with other agents had significantly higher rate of all-grade infection than those receiving monotherapy (71% vs 52%). In observational studies (n = 293), excluded from the primary analysis to ensure no overlap with patients in clinical trials, several infections classically associated with T-cell depletion were identified. This systematic review identifies BCMA-targeted bispecifics and bispecific combination therapy as having higher infection risk, requiring vigilant infection screening and prophylaxis strategies.

Cilta-cel or Standard Care in Lenalidomide-Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR T-cell therapy, is effective in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. We investigated cilta-cel in earlier treatment lines in patients with lenalidomide-refractory disease. METHODS: In this phase 3, randomized, open-label trial, we assigned patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma to receive cilta-cel or the physician's choice of effective standard care. All the patients had received one to three previous lines of treatment. The primary outcome was progression-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 419 patients underwent randomization (208 to receive cilta-cel and 211 to receive standard care). At a median follow-up of 15.9 months (range, 0.1 to 27.3), the median progression-free survival was not reached in the cilta-cel group and was 11.8 months in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18 to 0.38; P<0.001). Progression-free survival at 12 months was 75.9% (95% CI, 69.4 to 81.1) in the cilta-cel group and 48.6% (95% CI, 41.5 to 55.3) in the standard-care group. More patients in the cilta-cel group than in the standard-care group had an overall response (84.6% vs. 67.3%), a complete response or better (73.1% vs. 21.8%), and an absence of minimal residual disease (60.6% vs. 15.6%). Death from any cause was reported in 39 patients and 46 patients, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.5 to 1.2). Most patients reported grade 3 or 4 adverse events during treatment. Among the 176 patients who received cilta-cel in the as-treated population, 134 (76.1%) had cytokine release syndrome (grade 3 or 4, 1.1%; no grade 5), 8 (4.5%) had immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (all grade 1 or 2), 1 had movement and neurocognitive symptoms (grade 1), 16 (9.1%) had cranial nerve palsy (grade 2, 8.0%; grade 3, 1.1%), and 5 (2.8%) had CAR-T-related peripheral neuropathy (grade 1 or 2, 2.3%; grade 3, 0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: A single cilta-cel infusion resulted in a lower risk of disease progression or death than standard care in lenalidomide-refractory patients with multiple myeloma who had received one to three previous therapies. (Funded by Janssen and Legend Biotech; CARTITUDE-4 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04181827.).

A sequential cohort study evaluating single-agent KappaMab and KappaMab combined with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed and/or refractory kappa light chain-restricted multiple myeloma (AMaRC 01-16).

KappaMab (KM; formerly MDX-1097) is a monoclonal antibody specific for the kappa myeloma antigen (KMA), a cell-surface antigen expressed on malignant plasma cells in kappa-restricted multiple myeloma (κMM), some lymphomas, occasional tonsillar B cells and in vitro activated B cells, but not on normal B cells in bone marrow. Phase I/IIa studies of single-agent KM confirmed a favourable toxicity profile and evidence of anti-myeloma activity. Ex-vivo studies demonstrating upregulation of KMA by lenalidomide, and enhanced effector-cell cytotoxicity provided the rationale for this phase IIb study where KM or KM in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (KM-Rd) was administered in relapsed, refractory κMM patients. In addition, outcomes for a real-world matched case-control cohort from the Australian and New Zealand Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry (MRDR) who received Rd were compared to the KM-Rd cohort. KM-Rd demonstrated an overall response rate of 82.5% which compared favourably to the Rd-MRDR cohort of 45.1%. Both single-agent KM and KM-Rd regimens were well tolerated, with the KM-Rd safety profile similar to patients given only Rd in other clinical settings. Based on the excellent safety profile and significant efficacy, further clinical trials escalating the KM dose and pairing KM with other standard-of-care treatments are planned.

Listening to What Matters Most: Consumer Endorsed Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for Use in Multiple Myeloma Clinical Trials: A Descriptive Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) experience some of the highest levels of symptom burden of all hematological malignancies. Therefore, assessment of quality of life (QoL) is critical for the delivery of patient-centered cancer care. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are commonly used to measure QoL in people with MM. However, it is unknown whether measures used, are appropriate and informative to address issues that matter most to patients. AIM: This exploratory study was designed to establish consumer endorsed PROMs to measure QoL in people with MM. METHOD: This was a descriptive, exploratory study. Participants were invited to provide feedback on the acceptability, appropriateness, and practicability of ten commonly used PROMs via telephone-based, semi-structured interviews and surveys. Data were analyzed using a manifest content analysis approach and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: 26 individuals participated in the study. Participants emphasized the importance of selecting a suite of PROMs that captures the diversity of quality-of-life experiences and priorities reported over the course of treatment, while minimizing the burden of completing PROMs. Based on these criteria, a suite of three PROMs - the MyPOS, the Brief Fatigue Inventory, and COST-FACIT were endorsed by study participants. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to establish a suite of consumer-endorsed PROMs for use in clinical trials in patients with MM. Ensuring that the patient voice is at the center of advances in cancer treatment is a hallmark of quality cancer care.

TSTEM-like CAR-T cells exhibit improved persistence and tumor control compared with conventional CAR-T cells in preclinical models.

Patients who receive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells that are enriched in memory T cells exhibit better disease control as a result of increased expansion and persistence of the CAR-T cells. Human memory T cells include stem-like CD8+ memory T cell progenitors that can become either functional stem-like T (TSTEM) cells or dysfunctional T progenitor exhausted (TPEX) cells. To that end, we demonstrated that TSTEM cells were less abundant in infused CAR-T cell products in a phase 1 clinical trial testing Lewis Y-CAR-T cells (NCT03851146), and the infused CAR-T cells displayed poor persistence in patients. To address this issue, we developed a production protocol to generate TSTEM-like CAR-T cells enriched for expression of genes in cell replication pathways. Compared with conventional CAR-T cells, TSTEM-like CAR-T cells had enhanced proliferative capacity and increased cytokine secretion after CAR stimulation, including after chronic CAR stimulation in vitro. These responses were dependent on the presence of CD4+ T cells during TSTEM-like CAR-T cell production. Adoptive transfer of TSTEM-like CAR-T cells induced better control of established tumors and resistance to tumor rechallenge in preclinical models. These more favorable outcomes were associated with increased persistence of TSTEM-like CAR-T cells and an increased memory T cell pool. Last, TSTEM-like CAR-T cells and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) treatment eradicated established tumors, and this was associated with increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+CAR+ T cells producing interferon-γ. In conclusion, our CAR-T cell protocol generated TSTEM-like CAR-T cells with enhanced therapeutic efficacy, resulting in increased proliferative capacity and persistence in vivo.

Executive summary of consensus clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of infection in patients with multiple myeloma.

Infection remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with myeloma. This guideline was developed by a multidisciplinary group of clinicians who specialise in the management of patients with myeloma and infection from the medical and scientific advisory group from Myeloma Australia and the National Centre for Infections in Cancer. In addition to summarising the current epidemiology and risk factors for infection in patients with myeloma, this guideline provides recommendations that address three key areas in the prevention of infection: screening for latent infection, use of antimicrobial prophylaxis and immunoglobulin replacement and vaccination against leading respiratory infections (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and other preventable infections. This guideline provides a practical approach to the prevention of infection in patients with myeloma and harmonises the clinical approach to screening for infection, use of prophylaxis and vaccination to prevent infectious complications.