Multicenter Phase I Trial of Ivosidenib as Maintenance Treatment Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for IDH1-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

PURPOSE: Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations occur in 5% to 10% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ivosidenib is an IDH1 inhibitor, approved for use in patients with IDH1-mutated AML. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, phase I trial of maintenance ivosidenib following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with IDH1-mutated AML. Ivosidenib was initiated between days 30 and 90 following HCT and continued for up to 12 28-day cycles. The first dose level was 500 mg daily, with level reduction to 250 mg daily, if needed, in a 3 × 3 de-escalation design. Ten additional patients would then receive the MTD or recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The primary endpoint was establishing the MTD or RP2D of ivosidenib. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were enrolled, of whom 16 initiated post-HCT ivosidenib. One dose-limiting toxicity, grade(g) 3 QTc prolongation, was observed. The RP2D was established at 500 mg daily. Attributable g≥3 adverse events were uncommon, with the most common being QTc prolongation in 2 patients. Eight patients discontinued maintenance, with only one due to adverse event. Six-month cumulative incidence (CI) of gII-IV aGVHD was 6.3%, and 2-year CI of all cGVHD was 63%. Two-year CI of relapse and nonrelapse mortality (NRM) were 19% and 0%, respectively. Two-year progression-free (PFS) was 81%, and 2-year overall survival (OS) was 88%. CONCLUSIONS: Ivosidenib is safe and well-tolerated as maintenance therapy following HCT. Cumulative incidence of relapse and NRM, as well as estimations of PFS and OS, were promising in this phase I study.

The reciprocal relationship between adiponectin and LOX-1 in the regulation of endothelial dysfunction in ApoE knockout mice.

We hypothesized that the reciprocal association between adiponectin and lectin-like oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) receptor (LOX)-1 contributes to the regulation of aortic endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis. To test this hypothesis, endothelium-dependent (ACh) and endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside) vasorelaxation of isolated aortic rings from control mice, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout (KO) mice, and ApoE KO mice treated with either adiponectin (15 microg x day(-1) x mouse(-1) sc for 8 days) or neutralizing antibody to LOX-1 (anti-LOX-1, 16 microg/ml, 0.1 ml/mouse ip for 7 days) were examined. Although vasorelaxation to sodium nitroprusside was not different between control and ApoE KO mice, relaxation to ACh was impaired in ApoE KO mice. Adiponectin and anti-LOX-1 restored nitric oxide-mediated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in ApoE KO mice. Aortic ROS formation and ox-LDL uptake were increased in ApoE KO mice. Both adiponectin and anti-LOX-1 treatment reduced ROS production and aortic ox-LDL uptake. In mouse coronary artery endothelial cells, TNF-alpha incubation increased endothelial LOX-1 expression. Adiponectin reduced TNF-alpha-induced LOX-1 expression. Consistently, in ApoE KO mice, adiponectin treatment reversed elevated LOX-1 expression in aortas. Immunofluorescence staining showed that adiponectin was mainly colocalized with endothelial cells. Although adiponectin expression was lower in ApoE KO versus control mice, anti-LOX-1 increased aortic adiponectin expression, suggesting a reciprocal regulation between adiponectin and LOX-1. Moreover, both adiponectin and anti-LOX-1 reduced NF-kappaB expression in ApoE KO mice. Thus, adiponectin and LOX-1 may converge on NF-kappaB signaling to regulate their function. In conclusion, our results indicate that the reciprocal regulation between adiponectin and LOX-1 amplifies oxidative stress and ox-LDL uptake, leading to endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis.

Clearance of CMV viremia and survival after double umbilical cord blood transplantation in adults depends on reconstitution of thymopoiesis.

Umbilical cord blood grafts are increasingly used as sources of hematopoietic stem cells in adults. Data regarding the outcome of this approach in adults are consistent with delayed and insufficient immune reconstitution resulting in high infection-related morbidity and mortality. Using cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunity as a paradigm, we evaluated the status, mechanism, and clinical implications of immune reconstitution in adults with hematologic malignancies undergoing unrelated double unit cord blood transplantation. Our data indicate that CD8(+) T cells capable of secreting interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in a CMV-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assay are detectable at 8 weeks after transplantation, before reconstitution of thymopoiesis, but fail to clear CMV viremia. Clearance of CMV viremia occurs later and depends on the recovery of CD4(+)CD45RA(+) T cells, reconstitution of thymopoiesis, and attainment of T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circle (TREC) levels of 2000 or more copies/mug DNA. In addition, overall survival was significantly higher in patients who displayed thymic regeneration and attainment of TREC levels of 2000 or more copies/mug DNA (P = .005). These results indicate that reconstitution of thymopoiesis is critical for long-term clinical outcome in adult recipients of umbilical cord blood transplant. The trial was prospectively registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00133367).

Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of bortezomib in combination with idarubicin and cytarabine in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

PURPOSE: Proteasome inhibition results in cytotoxicity to the leukemia stem cell in vitro. We conducted this phase I study to determine if the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib could be safely added to induction chemotherapy in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Bortezomib was given on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 at doses of 0.7, 1.0, 1.3, or 1.5 mg/m(2) with idarubicin 12 mg/m(2) on days 1 to 3 and cytarabine 100 mg/m(2)/day on days 1 to 7. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients were enrolled. The median age was 62 years, and 16 patients were male. Nine patients had relapsed AML (ages, 18-59 years, n = 4 and > or = 60 years, n = 5). There were 22 patients of > or = 60 years with previously untreated AML (eight with prior myelodysplasia/myeloproliferative disorder or cytotoxic therapy). All doses of bortezomib, up to and including 1.5 mg/m(2), were tolerable. Nonhematologic grade 3 or greater toxicities included 12 hypoxia (38%; 11 were grade 3), 4 hyperbilirubinemia (13%), and 6 elevated aspartate aminotransferase (19%). Overall, 19 patients (61%) achieved complete remission (CR) and three had CR with incomplete platelet recovery. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the total body clearance of bortezomib decreased significantly (P < 0.01, N = 26) between the first (mean +/- SD, 41.9 +/- 17.1 L/h/m(2)) and third (18.4 +/- 7.0 L/h/m(2)) doses. Increased bone marrow expression of CD74 was associated with CR. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of bortezomib, idarubicin, and cytarabine showed a good safety profile. The recommended dose of bortezomib for phase II studies with idarubicin and cytarabine is 1.5 mg/m(2).

Between parent and child: negotiating cancer treatment in adolescents.

Shortly before his death in 1995, Kenneth B. Schwartz, a cancer patient at Massachusetts General Hospital, founded the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center. The Schwartz Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing compassionate health care delivery, which provides hope to the patient, support to caregivers, and sustenance to the healing process. The center sponsors the Schwartz Center Rounds, a monthly multidisciplinary forum where caregivers reflect on important psychosocial issues faced by patients, their families, and their caregivers, and gain insight and support from fellow staff members. Cancer in adolescents presents an extra dynamic of psychosocial complexity. The case of a 19-year-old woman with acute myelocytic leukemia is discussed. Her disease was refractory to allogeneic transplantation, and she died with severe graft-versus-host disease. Ms. P and her mother established very different relationships with the team which supported them through the transitions in her care, and Ms. P was able to die at home, with hospice care. The personal connection with the team enabled a degree of positive adjustment through the nightmare of loss. The epidemiology of cancer in adolescents and paradigms of care are reviewed. Psychosocial aspects of adolescence, opportunities for personal growth and support, and the challenge of end-of-life care are discussed.

Fluctuating lymphocyte chimerism, tolerance and anti-tumor response in a patient with refractory lymphoma receiving nonmyeloablative conditioning and a haploidentical related allogeneic bone marrow transplant.

A 51-year-old patient with refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) received non-myeloablative conditioning and a two of six (A, B, DR) human leucocyte antigen (HLA) mismatched donor BMT. Post-BMT lymphocytes showed fluctuating T- and natural killer (NK)-cell chimerism, which culminated in mainly donor lymphocytes by Day + 100. Changes in lymphocyte chimerism correlated with anti-donor and anti-host responses in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). On Day + 100, a strong anti-host response was observed in MLR in the absence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), together with near complete regression of the patient's lymphoma. A mild chronic GVHD later developed and, eventually, by 680 days post-BMT, the lymphoma had relapsed and MLR reflected a state of global immune unresponsiveness. These observations demonstrate evolving host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host tolerance that correlates with fluctuating lymphoid chimerism and graft-versus-lymphoma (GVL) effects, in the absence of severe GVHD. Eventual lymphoma relapse temporally correlated with a generalised immunosuppressed state.