Cell-Free DNA Hydroxymethylation in Cancer: Current and Emerging Detection Methods and Clinical Applications.

In the era of precision oncology, identifying abnormal genetic and epigenetic alterations has transformed the way cancer is diagnosed, managed, and treated. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is an emerging epigenetic modification formed through the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) by ten-eleven translocase (TET) enzymes. DNA hydroxymethylation exhibits tissue- and cancer-specific patterns and is essential in DNA demethylation and gene regulation. Recent advancements in 5hmC detection methods and the discovery of 5hmC in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have highlighted the potential for cell-free 5hmC as a cancer biomarker. This review explores the current and emerging techniques and applications of DNA hydroxymethylation in cancer, particularly in the context of cfDNA.

A Sense of Urgency on the Sense of Agency: Challenges in Evaluating Agency and Embodiment in Virtual Reality.

Control over an avatar in virtual reality can improve one's perceived sense of agency and embodiment towards their avatar. Yet, the relationship between control on agency and embodiment remains unclear. This work aims to investigate two main ideas: (1) the effectiveness of currently used metrics in measuring agency and embodiment and (2) the relationship between different levels of control on agency, embodiment, and cognitive performance. To do this, we conducted a between-participants user study with three conditions on agency (n = 57). Participants embodied an avatar with one of three types of control (i.e., Low - control over head only, Medium - control over head and torso, or High - control over head, torso, and arms) and completed a Stroop test. Our results indicate that the degree of control afforded to participants impacted their embodiment and cognitive performance but, as expected, could not be detected in the self-reported agency scores. Furthermore, our results elucidated further insights into the relationship between control and embodiment, suggesting potential uncanny valley-like effects. Future work should aim to refine agency measures to better capture the effect of differing levels of control and consider other methodologies to measure agency.

A randomized phase III trial of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for patients with up to 10 oligometastases and a synchronous primary tumor (SABR-SYNC): study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Emerging randomized data, mostly from phase II trials, have suggested that patients with oligometastatic cancers may benefit from ablative treatments such as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). However, phase III data testing this paradigm are lacking, and many studies have examined SABR in the setting of metachronous oligometastatic disease. The goal of the SABR-SYNC trial is to assess the effect of SABR in patients with oligometastatic cancers and a synchronous primary tumor. METHODS: One hundred and eighty patients will be randomized in a 1:2 ratio between standard of care (SOC) palliative-intent treatments vs. SOC + ablative therapy (SABR preferred) to all sites of known disease. Randomization will be stratified based on histology and number of metastases at enrollment. SABR may be delivered in 1-, 3- and 5-fraction regimens, with recommended doses of 20 Gy, 30 Gy, and 35 Gy, respectively. Non-SABR local modalities (e.g. surgery, thermal ablation, conventional radiation) may be used for treatment of the primary or metastases at the discretion of the treating physicians, if those modalities are clinically preferred. The primary endpoint is overall survival, and secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, time to development of new metastatic lesions, time to initiation of next systemic therapy, quality of life, and toxicity. Translational endpoints include assessment of circulating tumor DNA and immunological predictors of outcomes. DISCUSSION: SABR-SYNC will provide phase III data to assess the impact of SABR on overall survival in a population of patients with synchronous oligometastases. The translational component will attempt to identify novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers to aid in clinical decision making. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05717166 (registration date: Feb. 8, 2023).

In vivo CRISPR screens identify a dual function of MEN1 in regulating tumor-microenvironment interactions.

Functional genomic screens in two-dimensional cell culture models are limited in identifying therapeutic targets that influence the tumor microenvironment. By comparing targeted CRISPR-Cas9 screens in a two-dimensional culture with xenografts derived from the same cell line, we identified MEN1 as the top hit that confers differential dropout effects in vitro and in vivo. MEN1 knockout in multiple solid cancer types does not impact cell proliferation in vitro but significantly promotes or inhibits tumor growth in immunodeficient or immunocompetent mice, respectively. Mechanistically, MEN1 knockout redistributes MLL1 chromatin occupancy, increasing H3K4me3 at repetitive genomic regions, activating double-stranded RNA expression and increasing neutrophil and CD8+ T cell infiltration in immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice, respectively. Pharmacological inhibition of the menin-MLL interaction reduces tumor growth in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. These findings reveal tumor microenvironment-dependent oncogenic and tumor-suppressive functions of MEN1 and provide a rationale for targeting MEN1 in solid cancers.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligoprogressive Cancers: Results of the Randomized Phase 2 STOP Trial.

PURPOSE: This trial examined if patients with ≤5 sites of oligoprogression benefit from the addition of SABR to standard of care (SOC) systemic therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We enrolled patients with 1 to 5 metastases progressing on systemic therapy, and after stratifying by type of systemic therapy (cytotoxic vs noncytotoxic), randomized 1:2 between continued SOC treatment versus SABR to all progressing lesions plus SOC. The trial was initially limited to non-small cell lung cancer but was expanded to include all nonhematologic malignancies to meet accrual goals. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), lesional control, quality of life, adverse events, and duration of systemic therapy postrandomization. RESULTS: Ninety patients with 127 oligoprogressive metastases were enrolled across 8 Canadian institutions, with 59 randomized to SABR and 31 to SOC. The median age was 67 years, and 39 (43%) were women. The most common primary sites were lung (44%), genitourinary (23%), and breast (13%). Protocol adherence in the SOC arm was suboptimal, with 11 patients (35%) either receiving high-dose/ablative therapies (conflicting with trial protocol) or withdrawing from the study. The median follow-up was 31 months. There was no difference in PFS between arms (median PFS 8.4 months in the SABR arm vs 4.3 months in the SOC arm, but curves cross and 2-year PFS was 9% vs 24%, respectively; P = .91). The median OS was 31.2 months versus 27.4 months, respectively (P = .22). Lesional control was superior with SABR (70% vs 38%, respectively; P = .0015). There were 2 (3.4%) grade 3 and no grade 4/5 adverse events attributable to SABR. CONCLUSIONS: SABR was well-tolerated with superior lesional control but did not improve PFS or OS. Accrual to this study was difficult, and the results may have been impacted by an unwillingness to forgo ablative treatments on the SOC arm. (NCT02756793).

PARP inhibitor resistance mechanisms and PARP inhibitor derived imaging probes.

INTRODUCTION: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibition has become a major target in anticancer therapy. While PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are approved for homologous recombination (HR) deficient cancers, therapeutic resistance is a challenge and PARPi are now being investigated in cancers lacking HR deficiencies. This creates a need to develop molecular and imaging biomarkers of PARPi response to improve patient selection and circumvent therapeutic resistance. AREAS COVERED: PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov were queried for studies on PARPi resistance and imaging. This review summarizes established and emerging resistance mechanisms to PARPi, and the current state of imaging and theragnostic probes for PARPi, including fluorescently labeled and radiolabeled probes. EXPERT OPINION: While progress has been made in understanding PARPi therapeutic resistance, clinical evidence remains lacking and relatively little is known regarding PARPi response outside of HR deficiencies. Continued research will clarify the importance of known biomarkers and resistance mechanisms in patient cohorts and the broader utility of PARPi. Progress has also been made in PARPi imaging, particularly with radiolabeled probes, and both imaging and theragnostic probes have now reached clinical validation. Reducing abdominal background signal from probe clearance will broaden their applicability, and improvements to molecular synthesis and radiation delivery will increase their utility.

Increased Synthetic Cytotoxicity of Combinatorial Chemoradiation Therapy in Homologous Recombination Deficient Tumors.

PURPOSE: Homologous recombination deficient (HRD) tumors are exquisitely sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy and when combined with radiation therapy (RT), leads to improved overall survival in multiple cancer types. Whether a subset of tumors with distinct molecular characteristics demonstrate increased benefit from cisplatin and RT (c-RT) is unclear. We hypothesized that HRD tumors, whether associated with BRCA mutations or genomic scars of HRD, exhibit exquisite sensitivity to c-RT, and that HRD may be a significant driver of c-RT benefit. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sensitivity to c-RT was examined using isogenic and sporadic breast cancer cell lines. HRD was assessed using 4 assays: RT-induced Rad51 foci, a DR-GFP reporter assay, a genomic scar score (large-scale state transitions [LST]), and clonogenic survival assays. Whole-genome sequencing of 4 breast tumors from a phase 2 clinical trial of neoadjuvant c-RT in triple-negative breast cancer was performed and HRD was defined using HRDetect. RESULTS: BRCA1/2 deficient cell lines displayed functional HRD based on the Rad51 functional assay, with c-RT to RT or cisplatin interaction ratios (IR) of 1.11 and 26.84 for the BRCA1 isogenic pair at 2 µM cisplatin and 6 Gy, respectively. The highest LST lines demonstrated HRD and synthetic cytotoxicity to c-RT with IR at 2 Gy and cisplatin 20 µM of 7.50, and the lowest LST line with IR of 0.65. Of 4 evaluable patients in the phase 2 trial, one achieved a pathologic complete response with corresponding HRD based on multiple genomic scar scores including HRDetect and LST scores, compared with patients without a pathologic complete response. CONCLUSIONS: HRD breast cancers, whether identified by BRCA1/2 mutation status, functional tests, or mutational signatures, appear to be significantly more sensitive to c-RT compared with isogenic controls or tumors without HRD mutational signatures. HRD tumors may be exquisitely sensitive to c-RT which warrants further clinical investigation to guide a precision oncology approach.

Stereotactic Radiation for Ultra-Central Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Safety and Efficacy Trial (SUNSET).

PURPOSE: The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy for tumors in close proximity to the central mediastinal structures has been associated with a high risk of toxicity. This study (NCT03306680) aimed to determine the maximally tolerated dose of stereotactic body radiation therapy for ultracentral non-small cell lung carcinoma, using a time-to-event continual reassessment methodology. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with T1-3N0M0 (≤6 cm) non-small cell lung carcinoma were eligible. The maximally tolerated dose was defined as the dose of radiation therapy associated with a ≤30% rate of grade (G) 3 to 5 prespecified treatment-related toxicity occurring within 2 years of treatment. The starting dose level was 60 Gy in 8 daily fractions. The dose-maximum hotspot was limited to 120% and within the planning tumor volume; tumors with endobronchial invasion were excluded. This primary analysis occurred 2 years after completion of accrual. RESULTS: Between March 2018 and April 2021, 30 patients were enrolled at 5 institutions. The median age was 73 years (range, 65-87) and 17 (57%) were female. Planning tumor volume was abutting proximal bronchial tree in 19 (63%), esophagus 5 (17%), pulmonary vein 1 (3.3%), and pulmonary artery 14 (47%). All patients received 60 Gy in 8 fractions. The median follow-up was 37 months (range, 8.9-51). Two patients (6.7%) experienced G3-5 adverse events related to treatment: 1 patient with G3 dyspnea and 1 G5 pneumonia. The latter had computed tomography findings consistent with a background of interstitial lung disease. Three-year overall survival was 72.5% (95% CI, 52.3%-85.3%), progression-free survival 66.1% (95% CI, 46.1%-80.2%), local control 89.6% (95% CI, 71.2%-96.5%), regional control 96.4% (95% CI, 77.2%-99.5%), and distant control 85.9% (95% CI, 66.7%-94.5%). Quality-of-life scores declined numerically over time, but the decreases were not clinically or statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty Gy in 8 fractions, planned and delivered with only a moderate hotspot, has a favorable adverse event rate within the prespecified acceptability criteria and results in excellent control for ultracentral tumors.

The impact of scaffolded and non-scaffolded suicidal virtual human interaction training on clinician emotional self-awareness, empathic communication, and clinical efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians working with patients at risk of suicide often experience high stress, which can result in negative emotional responses (NERs). Such negative emotional responses may lead to less empathic communication (EC) and unintentional rejection of the patient, potentially damaging the therapeutic alliance and adversely impacting suicidal outcomes. Therefore, clinicians need training to effectively manage negative emotions toward suicidal patients to improve suicidal outcomes. METHODS: This study investigated the impact of virtual human interaction (VHI) training on clinicians' self-awareness of their negative emotional responses, assessed by the Therapist Response Questionnaire Suicide Form, clinicians' verbal empathic communication assessed by the Empathic Communication and Coding System, and clinical efficacy (CE). Clinical efficacy was assessed by the likelihood of subsequent appointments, perceived helpfulness, and overall interaction satisfaction as rated by individuals with lived experience of suicide attempts. Two conditions of virtual human interactions were used: one with instructions on verbal empathic communication and reminders to report negative emotional responses during the interaction (scaffolded); and the other with no such instructions or reminders (non-scaffolded). Both conditions provided pre-interaction instructions and post-interaction feedback aimed at improving clinicians' empathic communication and management of negative emotions. Sixty-two clinicians participated in three virtual human interaction sessions under one of the two conditions. Linear mixed models were utilized to evaluate the impact on clinicians' negative emotional responses, verbal empathic communication, and clinical efficacy; and to determine changes in these outcomes over time, as moderated by the training conditions. RESULTS: Clinician participants' negative emotional responses decreased after two training sessions with virtual human interactions in both conditions. Participants in the scaffolded condition exhibited enhanced empathic communication after one training session, while two sessions were required for participants in the non-scaffolded condition. Surprisingly, after two training sessions, clinical efficacy was improved in the non-scaffolded group, while no similar improvements were observed in the scaffolded group. CONCLUSION: Lower clinical efficacy after virtual human interaction training in clinicians with higher verbal empathic communication suggests that nonverbal expressions of empathy are critical when interacting with suicidal patients. Future work should explore virtual human interaction training in both nonverbal and verbal empathic communication.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy in Early Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Disease: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been reported to be at high risk of toxic effects after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), but for many patients, there are limited alternative treatment options. Objective: To prospectively assess the benefits and toxic effects of SABR in this patient population. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted at 6 academic radiation oncology institutions, 5 in Canada and 1 in Scotland, with accrual between March 7, 2019, and January 12, 2022. Patients aged 18 years or older with fibrotic ILD and a diagnosis of T1-2N0 NSCLC who were not candidates for surgical resection were enrolled. Intervention: Patients were treated with SABR to a dose of 50 Gy in 5 fractions every other day. Main Outcomes and Measures: The study prespecified that SABR would be considered worthwhile if median overall survival-the primary end point-was longer than 1 year, with a grade 3 to 4 risk of toxic effects less than 35% and a grade 5 risk of toxic effects less than 15%. Secondary end points included toxic effects, progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC), quality-of-life outcomes, and changes in pulmonary function. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. Results: Thirty-nine patients enrolled and received SABR. Median age was 78 (IQR, 67-83) years and 59% (n = 23) were male. At baseline, 70% (26 of 37) of patients reported dyspnea, median forced expiratory volume in first second of expiration was 80% (IQR, 66%-90%) predicted, median forced vital capacity was 84% (IQR, 69%-94%) predicted, and median diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was 49% (IQR, 38%-61%) predicted. Median follow-up was 19 (IQR, 14-25) months. Overall survival at 1 year was 79% (95%, CI 62%-89%; P < .001 vs the unacceptable rate), and median overall survival was 25 months (95% CI, 14 months to not reached). Median PFS was 19 months (95% CI, 13-28 months), and 2-year LC was 92% (95% CI, 69%-98%). Adverse event rates (highest grade per patient) were grade 1 to 2: n = 12 (31%), grade 3: n = 4 (10%), grade 4: n = 0, and grade 5: n = 3 (7.7%, all due to respiratory deterioration). Conclusions and Relevance: In this trial, use of SABR in patients with fibrotic ILD met the prespecified acceptability thresholds for both toxicity and efficacy, supporting the use of SABR for curative-intent treatment after a careful discussion of risks and benefits. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03485378.

Custom-Made Implant Fabrication for Chin Augmentation Using Piled-Up Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Sheets: An Innovative Surgical Technique and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Alloplastic chin augmentation is the most common esthetic surgical treatment to reshape the chin. However, factory-made chin implants are typically standardized rather than custom-made and have potential to cause complications. Although the fabrication of custom-made implants by using computer-assisted planning and 3D-printing technology has become widespread, the process has several disadvantages, including long preoperative prosthesis preparation times, high costs, and unsuitability for patients with asymmetric chins or those who undergo combined mandibuloplasty before implant placement. The present study developed an innovative chin augmentation technique involving stacked expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) sheets that is suitable for most patients and has minimal side effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of a single surgeon's experience was performed over a 2 year period for patients who underwent a procedure involving piled-up e-PTFE sheets for alloplastic chin augmentation. This study analyzed the outcomes, complications (temporary nerve numbness, wound infection, hematoma formation, and implant displacement), and patient satisfaction during follow-up. RESULTS: Between January 2018 and December 2020, 38 patients underwent the procedure involving piled-up e-PTFE sheets for alloplastic chin augmentation. Six patients (15.8%) experienced nerve-related temporary numbness, and one (2.6%) experienced wound infection. None had developed major complications such as implant displacement or wound infection at follow-up. Moreover, the patients demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with the surgical results. CONCLUSION: Piled-up e-PTFE sheets can be used to produce custom-fit porous polyethylene chin implants that result in minimal complications and a very high satisfaction rate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Plasma Cell-Free Tumor Methylome as a Biomarker in Solid Tumors: Biology and Applications.

DNA methylation is a fundamental mechanism of epigenetic control in cells and its dysregulation is strongly implicated in cancer development. Cancers possess an extensively hypomethylated genome with focal regions of hypermethylation at CPG islands. Due to the highly conserved nature of cancer-specific methylation, its detection in cell-free DNA in plasma using liquid biopsies constitutes an area of interest in biomarker research. The advent of next-generation sequencing and newer computational technologies have allowed for the development of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that utilize methylation profiling to diagnose disease and stratify risk. Methylome-based predictive biomarkers can determine the response to anti-cancer therapy. An additional emerging application of these biomarkers is in minimal residual disease monitoring. Several key challenges need to be addressed before cfDNA-based methylation biomarkers become fully integrated into practice. The first relates to the biology and stability of cfDNA. The second concerns the clinical validity and generalizability of methylation-based assays, many of which are cancer type-specific. The third involves their practicability, which is a stumbling block for translating technologies from bench to clinic. Future work on developing pan-cancer assays with their respective validities confirmed using well-designed, prospective clinical trials is crucial in pushing for the greater use of these tools in oncology.

Re-examining prophylactic cranial irradiation in small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are at high risk for brain metastases. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is recommended in this population to reduce the incidence of brain metastases and prolong survival. We aimed to assesses the efficacy of PCI in this population in the era of routine brain imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the use among patients who were radiographically confirmed not to have brain metastases after completion of first-line therapy. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, cohort studies and controlled trials reporting on the use of PCI for patients SCLC were identified in EMBASE, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and grey literature sources. The literature search was conducted on November 12, 2023. Summary data were extracted. Random-effects meta-analyses pooled hazard ratios (HR) for the primary outcome of overall survival between PCI and no intervention groups. This study is registered with the Open Science Framework, DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/BC359, and PROSPERO, CRD42021249466. Findings: Of 4318 identified records, 223 were eligible for inclusion. 109 reported on overall survival in formats amenable to meta-analysis; PCI was associated with longer survival in all patients with SCLC (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.55-0.63; p < 0.001; n = 56,770 patients), patients with limited stage disease (HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.55-0.65; p < 0.001; n = 78 studies; n = 27,137 patients), and patients with extensive stage disease (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.51-0.70; p < 0.001; n = 28 studies; n = 26,467 patients). Between-study heterogeneity was significant when pooled amongst all studies (I2 = 73.6%; 95% CI 68.4%-77.9%). Subgroup analysis did not reveal sources of heterogeneity. In a subgroup analysis on studies that used magnetic resonance imaging to exclude presence of brain metastases at restaging among all patients, overall survival did not differ significantly between patients who did or did not receive PCI (HR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.52-1.05; p = 0.08; n = 9 studies; n = 1384 patients). Interpretation: Our findings suggested that administration of PCI is associated with a survival benefit, but not when considering studies that radiographically confirmed absence of brain metastases, suggesting that the survival benefit conferred by PCI might be therapeutic rather than prophylactic. Funding: No funding.

The current state of empathy, compassion and person-centred communication training in healthcare: An umbrella review.

OBJECTIVES: This umbrella review consolidates evidence available on empathy training, its effectiveness and design mechanisms that contribute to effectiveness. METHODS: We conducted an umbrella review (review of reviews) of empathy, compassion and person-centred communication training in healthcare published between 2018 and 2022. One reviewer screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles, with a second reviewer at full-text stage. Quality appraisal was done in duplicate. Data extraction was piloted by two reviewers and conducted by one reviewer with a quality check of all extracted data. All reviewers provided input into synthesis of results and analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five reviews were included. We provide an overview of the definitions of empathy, compassion and person-centred communication, outcome measures used, a synthesis of findings on the mechanisms and effectiveness of training and a summary of review recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: For policy and practice, we advise the inclusion of empathic communication into the curriculum; longitudinal and sequenced learning; debriefing, targeted feedback, enabling self-reflection, deliberate practice, experiential learning; improving motivation by teaching the benefits of empathy and teaching sustainable empathy. Future research should involve patients in training and research and study the effect of targeting interventions at healthcare practitioners and patients.

Using Virtual Patients to Assess and Improve Clinicians' Emotional Self-awareness: a Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: Working with suicidal patients can elicit negative emotional responses that can impede clinicians' empathy and affect clinical outcomes. Virtual human interactions represent a promising tool to train clinicians. The present study investigated the impact of virtual human interaction training to enhance clinicians' emotional self-awareness and empathy when working with suicidal patients. METHODS: Clinicians were randomly assigned into two groups. Both groups interviewed a virtual patient presenting with a suicidal crisis; clinicians in the intervention condition (n = 31) received immediate feedback about negative emotional responses and empathic communication, whereas those in the control condition (n = 33) did not receive any feedback. All clinicians interviewed a second virtual patient 1 week later. Clinicians' emotional response to the two virtual patients and their empathic communication with each of them were assessed immediately after each interaction. Linear mixed models were used to assess change in clinicians' emotional response and verbal empathy between the two interactions across conditions. RESULTS: Clinicians' emotional responses toward the suicidal virtual patients were unchanged in both conditions. Clinicians in the intervention condition presenting low empathy level with the first virtual patient showed higher empathy level with the second virtual patient than with the first (B = 1.15, SE = 0.25, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.42, 1.89]). CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates the feasibility of using virtual human interactions to improve empathic communication skills in clinicians with poor empathy skills. Further refinement of this methodology is needed to create effective training modules for a broader array of clinicians.

CRISPR Screen of Druggable Targets in Small Cell Lung Cancer Identified ATM Inhibitor (AZD1390) as a Radiosensitizer.

PURPOSE: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive and lethal form of lung cancer and the overall 5-year survival (OS) for patients is a dismal 7%. Radiation therapy (RT) provides some benefit for selected patients with SCLC but could be improved with radiosensitizing agents. In this study, we identified novel radiosensitizers for SCLC by a CRISPR-Cas9 screen and evaluated the efficacy of ATM inhibitor AZD1390 as a radiosensitizer of SCLC. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We transduced the SCLC cell line SBC5 with a custom CRISPR sgRNA library focused on druggable gene targets and treated cells with RT. Cells collected at multiple timepoints were subjected to next-generation sequencing. We determined radiosensitization both in vitro with cell lines assessed by short-term viability and clonogenic assays, and in vivo mouse models by tumor growth delay. Pharmacodynamic effects of AZD1390 were quantified by ATM-Ser1981 phosphorylation, and RT-induced DNA damage by comet assay. RESULTS: Using a CRISPR dropout screen, we identified multiple radiosensitizing genes for SCLC at various timepoints with ATM as a top determinant gene for radiosensitivity. Validation by ATM knockout (KO) demonstrated increased radiosensitivity by short-term viability assay (dose modification factor [DMF]50 = 3.25-3.73 in SBC5 ATM-KO) and clonogenic assays (DMF37 1.25-1.65 in SBC5 ATM-KO). ATM inhibition by AZD1390 effectively abrogated ATM Ser1981 phosphorylation in SCLC cell lines and increased RT-induced DNA damage. AZD1390 synergistically increased the radiosensitivity of SCLC cell lines (cell viability assay: SBC5 DMF37 = 2.19, SHP77 DMF37 = 1.56, H446 DMF37 = 3.27, KP1 DMF37 = 1.65 at 100nM; clonogenic assay: SBC5 DMF37 = 4.23, H1048 DMF37 = 1.91), and in vivo murine syngeneic, KP1, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, JHU-LX108 and JHU-LX33. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrated that genetically and pharmacologically (AZD1390) inhibiting ATM markedly enhanced RT against SCLC, providing a novel pharmacologically tractable radiosensitizing strategy for patients with SCLC.

Analysis of prognostic germline polymorphisms in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is influenced by both tumor and patient specific factors. Current therapies of advanced HCC target angiogenesis and immune evasion, however there are no clinically useful biomarkers to guide clinicians. Methods: Our aim in this retrospective cohort study was to validate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) prognostic of outcome in advanced HCC from the literature, and to analyze exploratory SNPs chosen from evaluation of the HCC tumor immune microenvironment. Using a database of patients with HCC treated with sorafenib, blood samples were genotyped, clinical variables were retrospectively collected, and SNPs were analyzed for association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). A subsequent analysis was conducted to determine if identified SNPs were prognostic in trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treated patients. Results: Literature review identified 7 SNPs in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), eNOS, angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), however none were externally validated in our dataset. Of the 35 exploratory immunomodulatory SNPs, the following were associated with PFS or OS: CCL2 C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) (rs1024611), interleukin-10 (IL-10) (rs1800896), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) (rs231775) and NFKB1 (rs28362491). Conclusions: SNPs identified by literature review to be prognostic in sorafenib treated patients with advanced HCC were not validated in our dataset. Our findings suggest potentially important prognostic implications of SNPs in VEGFR2, CCL2, IL-10, CTLA-4 and NFKB1 that deserve further study.

Using Virtual Patients to Support Empathy Training in Health Care Education: An Exploratory Study.

INTRODUCTION: Empathy is essential for effective patient care. Yet, research shows suboptimal empathy in patient-practitioner interactions. Intelligent virtual patient simulations may offer an effective educational tool for empathy training. This observational study explored the quality of speech pathology of students' empathy responses in virtual patient simulations. METHODS: Using the 7-point Empathic Communication Coding System (ECCS), we examined 72 students' empathic communication during a 12-week virtual patient interview series as part of their standard curriculum across 4 cohorts (a total of 388 empathic responses). The ECCS data were tallied and graphically displayed. We compared year groups (cohorts from 2015 to 2018), changes over semester, and differences between virtual patients. RESULTS: Median ECCS scores were 4 of a maximum of 6 (interquartile range, 3) across all interviews. Most students (89%) scored between a level 2 (implicit recognition) and level 5 (confirmation) with only a few responses scoring at the lowest 2 levels of empathy (0: denial, 0.5%; 1: automatic recognition, 2%) or the highest level of empathy (6: shared feeling or experience, 9%). Students consistently acknowledged patients' feelings and often offered an action, solution, or reassurance. However, shared feelings or experiences were infrequent. CONCLUSIONS: Although virtual patient simulations do not replace experiential learning such as simulation, standardized patients, and clinical practicum, they offer a safe environment to practice skills. This article provides support for designing larger controlled clinical trials and provides insights for educators on how to design virtual patient empathic opportunities of varying complexity for students.

Rural adults' perceptions of nutrition recommendations for cancer prevention: Contradictory and conflicting messages.

Despite robust evidence linking alcohol, processed meat, and red meat to colorectal cancer (CRC), public awareness of nutrition recommendations for CRC prevention is low. Marginalized populations, including those in rural areas, experience high CRC burden and may benefit from culturally tailored health information technologies. This study explored perceptions of web-based health messages iteratively in focus groups and interviews with 48 adults as part of a CRC prevention intervention. We analyzed transcripts for message perceptions and identified three main themes with subthemes: (1) Contradictory recommendations, between the intervention's nutrition risk messages and recommendations for other health conditions, from other sources, or based on cultural or personal diets; (2) reactions to nutrition risk messages, ranging from aversion (e.g., "avoid alcohol" considered "preachy") to appreciation, with suggestions for improving messages; and (3) information gaps. We discuss these themes, translational impact, and considerations for future research and communication strategies for delivering web-based cancer prevention messages.