ELISA assay for the quantification of ipilimumab in human serum, plasma, milk, and cerebrospinal fluid.

Ipilimumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Ipilimumab has become part of the standard of care for different types of cancer. The efficacy of these treatments is limited due to immune-related toxicity and high economic costs. Dose rationalization studies based on pharmacokinetic data may help to address these limitations. For this purpose, more sensitive analytical methods are needed. We report the development and validation of the first enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for sensitive determination of ipilimumab concentrations in human serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and milk. Our assay is based on the specific capture of ipilimumab by immobilized CTLA-4. The lower limit of quantifications of ipilimumab in serum, plasma, and milk are 50 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL in CSF. The ELISA method showed long-term storage stability for at least one year at -80°C and was successfully cross-validated with ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The ELISA method is reliable, relatively inexpensive, and can be used in serum, plasma, CSF, and milk from patients treated with ipilimumab, as evidenced by the analysis of real clinical samples.

Is Higher Docetaxel Clearance in Prostate Cancer Patients Explained by Higher CYP3A? An In Vivo Phenotyping Study with Midazolam.

Patients with prostate cancer (PCa) have a lower docetaxel exposure for both intravenous (1.8-fold) and oral administration (2.4-fold) than patients with other solid cancers, which could influence efficacy and toxicity. An altered metabolism by cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) due to castration status might explain the observed difference in docetaxel pharmacokinetics. In this in vivo phenotyping, pharmacokinetic study, CYP3A activity defined by midazolam clearance (CL) was compared between patients with PCa and male patients with other solid tumors. All patients with solid tumors who did not use CYP3A-modulating drugs were eligible for participation. Patients received 2 mg midazolam orally and 1 mg midazolam intravenously on 2 consecutive days. Plasma concentrations were measured with a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Genotyping was performed for CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. Nine patients were included in each group. Oral midazolam CL was 1.26-fold higher in patients with PCa compared to patients with other solid tumors (geometric mean [coefficient of variation], 94.1 [33.5%] L/h vs 74.4 [39.1%] L/h, respectively; P = .08). Intravenous midazolam CL did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (P = .93). Moreover, the metabolic ratio of midazolam to 1'-hydroxy midazolam did not differ between the 2 groups for both oral administration (P = .67) and intravenous administration (P = .26). CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genotypes did not influence midazolam pharmacokinetics. The observed difference in docetaxel pharmacokinetics between both patient groups therefore appears to be explained neither by a difference in midazolam CL nor by a difference in metabolic conversion rate of midazolam.

Severe Immune-Related Enteritis after In Utero Exposure to Pembrolizumab.

Immune checkpoint blockade has become standard treatment for many types of cancer. Such therapy is indicated most often in patients with advanced or metastatic disease but has been increasingly used as adjuvant therapy in those with early-stage disease. Adverse events include immune-related organ inflammation resembling autoimmune diseases. We describe a case of severe immune-related gastroenterocolitis in a 4-month-old infant who presented with intractable diarrhea and failure to thrive after in utero exposure to pembrolizumab. Known causes of the symptoms were ruled out, and the diagnosis of pembrolizumab-induced immune-related gastroenterocolitis was supported by the results of histopathological assays, immunophenotyping, and analysis of the level of antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). The infant's condition was successfully treated with prednisolone and infliximab.

High accumulation of nivolumab in human breast milk: A case report.

Nivolumab is an immunotherapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is used for the treatment of several types of cancer. The evidence on its use during lactation is lacking. Here, we report on a 39-year-old woman with metastasized melanoma who was treated with 480 mg nivolumab every four weeks during lactation. Breast milk samples were collected over the course of 34 days, including two cycles of nivolumab. The highest measured concentration of nivolumab during the first cycle was 503 ng/mL at day 13. The cumulative relative infant dose (RID) over the first cycle (28 days) was 9.8 %. The highest overall measured nivolumab concentration was 519 ng/mL at day 33, five days after administration of the second nivolumab cycle. Nivolumab seems to accumulate in breast milk over two consecutive cycles, hence the RIDs of consecutive cycles are expected to be higher. To draw further conclusions regarding safety of breastfeeding during nivolumab therapy, more information about the oral bioavailability of nivolumab in newborns, the nivolumab steady-state concentrations in breast milk and its pharmacodynamic effects are needed.

WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib in combination with carboplatin in advanced TP53 mutated ovarian cancer: A biomarker-enriched phase II study.

OBJECTIVE: In the first part of this phase II study (NCT01164995), the combination of carboplatin and adavosertib (AZD1775) was shown to be safe and effective in patients with TP53 mutated platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). Here, we present the results of an additional safety and efficacy cohort and explore predictive biomarkers for resistance and response to this combination treatment. METHODS: This is a phase II, open-label, non-randomized study. Patients with TP53 mutated PROC received carboplatin AUC 5 mg/ ml·min intravenously and adavosertib 225 mg BID orally for 2.5 days in a 21-day cycle. The primary objective is to determine the efficacy and safety of carboplatin and adavosertib. Secondary objectives include progression-free survival (PFS), changes in circulating tumor cells (CTC) and exploration of genomic alterations. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients with a median age of 63 years (39-77 years) were enrolled and received treatment. Twenty-nine patients were evaluable for efficacy. Bone marrow toxicity, nausea and vomiting were the most common adverse events. Twelve patients showed partial response (PR) as best response, resulting in an objective ORR of 41% in the evaluable patients (95% CI: 23%-61%). The median PFS was 5.6 months (95% CI: 3.8-10.3). In patients with tumors harboring CCNE1 amplification, treatment efficacy was slightly but not significantly better. CONCLUSIONS: Adavosertib 225 mg BID for 2.5 days and carboplatin AUC 5 could be safely combined and showed anti-tumor efficacy in patients with PROC. However, bone marrow toxicity remains a point of concern, since this is the most common reason for dose reductions and dose delays.

Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Phenotyping Using Pretreatment Uracil: A Note of Caution Based on a Large Prospective Clinical Study.

In clinical practice, 25-30% of the patients treated with fluoropyrimidines experience severe fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity. Extensively clinically validated DPYD genotyping tests are available to identify patients at risk of severe toxicity due to decreased activity of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the rate limiting enzyme in fluoropyrimidine metabolism. In April 2020, the European Medicines Agency recommended that, as an alternative for DPYD genotype-based testing for DPD deficiency, also phenotype testing based on pretreatment plasma uracil levels is a suitable method to identify patients with DPD deficiency. Although the evidence for genotype-directed dosing of fluoropyrimidines is substantial, the level of evidence supporting plasma uracil levels to predict DPD activity in clinical practice is limited. Notwithstanding this, uracil-based phenotyping is now used in clinical practice in various countries in Europe. We aimed to determine the value of pretreatment uracil levels in predicting DPD deficiency and severe treatment-related toxicity. To this end, we determined pretreatment uracil levels in 955 patients with cancer, and assessed the correlation with DPD activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and fluoropyrimidine-related severe toxicity. We identified substantial issues concerning the use of pretreatment uracil in clinical practice, including large between-center study differences in measured pretreatment uracil levels, most likely as a result of pre-analytical factors. Importantly, we were not able to correlate pretreatment uracil levels with DPD activity nor were uracil levels predictive of severe treatment-related toxicity. We urge that robust clinical validation should first be performed before pretreatment plasma uracil levels are used in clinical practice as part of a dosing strategy for fluoropyrimidines.

Transtympanic Sodium Thiosulfate for Prevention of Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine safety, feasibility, and preliminary activity of transtympanic injection of sodium thiosulfate (STS) against cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL).DESIGN Randomized controlled trial.SETTING Tertiary cancer hospital.PATIENTS Adults to be treated with high-dose cisplatin (≥ 75 mg/m2).INTERVENTION Selected by randomization, 0.1 M STS gel on one side and placebo gel on the other side was transtympanically applied to the middle ear 3 hours before cisplatin administration. After amendment, the placebo ear was left untreated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Primary outcome was safety and feasibility. Secondary outcomes included pharmacokinetic analysis of systemic cisplatin and preliminary activity of STS. Clinically relevant CIHL was defined as a ≥ 10 dB threshold shift at pure-tone average 8-10-12.5 kHz (PTA8-12.5). Response to STS was defined as a threshold shift at PTA8-12.5 in the STS-treated ear of ≥ 10 dB smaller than the untreated ear. RESULTS: Twelve patients were treated. Average CIHL at PTA8-12.5 was 12.7 dB in untreated ears and 8.8 dB SPL in STS-treated ears (p = 0.403). Four patients did not develop CIHL. Four out of eight patients with CIHL responded to STS: CIHL at PTA8-12.5 in STS-treated ears was 18.4 dB less compared to untreated ears (p = 0.068). Grade 1 adverse events were reported. Pharmacokinetic results were available for 11 patients. CONCLUSION: Transtympanic application of STS was safe and feasible. Based on our pharmacokinetic analysis, we postulate that transtympanic STS does not interfere with the systemically available cisplatin. Our results provide a preliminary proof of concept for transtympanic application of STS in preventing CIHL and warrants further evaluation on a larger scale.

Investigating the influence of relevant pharmacogenetic variants on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of orally administered docetaxel combined with ritonavir.

The anticancer drug docetaxel exhibits large interpatient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability. In this study, we aimed to assess the functional significance of 14 polymorphisms in the CYP3A, CYP1B1, ABCB1, ABCC2, and SLCO1B3 genes for the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral docetaxel, co-administered with ritonavir. None of the tested CYP3A, ABCB1, ABCC2, and SLCO1B3 genotypes and diplotypes showed a significant relation with an altered bioavailability or clearance of either docetaxel or ritonavir. Similarly, no clear effect of CYP1B1 genotype on clinical outcomes was observed in a subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Our post hoc power analysis indicated that our pharmacogenetic-pharmacokinetic analysis was only powered for relatively high effect sizes, which were to be expected given the high interpatient variability. This makes it unlikely that future studies will explain the high observed interpatient variability in oral docetaxel pharmacokinetics as a result of any of these separate polymorphisms and diplotypes.

A Phase I dose-escalation study of two cycles carboplatin-olaparib followed by olaparib monotherapy in patients with advanced cancer.

Preclinical studies have shown synergistic effects when combining PARP1/2 inhibitors and platinum drugs in BRCA1/2 mutated cancer cell models. After a formulation change of olaparib from capsules to tablets, we initiated a dose finding study of olaparib tablets bidaily (BID) continuously with carboplatin to prepare comparative studies in this patient group. Patients were included in a 3 + 3 dose-escalation schedule: olaparib 25 mg BID and carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 3 mg*min/mL d1/d22, olaparib 25 mg BID and carboplatin AUC 4 mg*min/mL d1/d22, followed by increasing dose-levels of olaparib from 50 mg BID, 75 mg BID, to 100 mg BID with carboplatin at AUC 4 mg*min/mL d1/d22. After two cycles, patients continued olaparib 300 mg BID as monotherapy. Primary objective was to assess the maximum tolerable dose (MTD). Twenty-four patients with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced cancer were included. Most common adverse events were nausea (46%), fatigue (33%) and platelet count decrease (33%). Dose-level 3 (olaparib 75 mg BID and carboplatin AUC 4 mg*min/mL; n = 6) was defined as MTD. Fourteen out of 24 patients (56%) had a partial response as best response (RECIST 1.1). Systemic exposure of the olaparib tablet formulation appeared comparable to the previous capsule formulation with olaparib tablet AUC0-12 of 16.3 µg/mL*h at MTD. Polymers of ADP-ribose levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were reduced by 98.7% ± 0.14% at Day 8 compared to Day 1 for dose-level 3. Olaparib tablets 75 mg BID and carboplatin AUC 4 mg*min/mL for two cycles preceding olaparib monotherapy 300 mg is a feasible and tolerable treatment schedule for patients with advanced cancer.

Phase I and Pharmacologic Study of Olaparib in Combination with High-dose Radiotherapy with and without Concurrent Cisplatin for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: To identify an MTD of olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, in combination with loco-regional radiotherapy with/without cisplatin for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Olaparib dose was escalated in two groups: radiotherapy (66 Gy/24 fractions in 2.75 Gy/fraction) with and without daily cisplatin (6 mg/m2), using time-to-event continual reassessment method with a 1-year dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) period. The highest dose level with a DLT probability <15% was defined as MTD. Poly ADP-ribose (PAR) inhibition and radiation-induced PAR-ribosylation (PARylation) were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients with loco-regional or oligometastatic disease (39%) were treated: 11 at olaparib 25 mg twice daily and 17 at 25 mg once daily. The lowest dose level with cisplatin was above the MTD due to hematologic and late esophageal DLT. The MTD without cisplatin was olaparib 25 mg once daily. At a latency of 1-2.8 years, severe pulmonary adverse events (AE) were observed in 5 patients across all dose levels, resulting in 18% grade 5 pulmonary AEs. Exploratory analyses indicate an association with the radiation dose to the lungs. At the MTD, olaparib reduced PAR levels by more than 95% and abolished radiation-induced PARylation. Median follow-up of survivors was 4.1 years. Two-year loco-regional control was 84%, median overall survival in patients with locally advanced NSCLC was 28 months. CONCLUSIONS: Combined mildly hypofractionated radiotherapy and low-dose daily cisplatin and olaparib was not tolerable due to esophageal and hematologic toxicity. Severe pulmonary toxicity was observed as well, even without cisplatin. More conformal radiotherapy schedules with improved pulmonary and esophageal sparing should be explored.

Phase I pharmacological study of continuous chronomodulated capecitabine treatment.

PURPOSE: Capecitabine is an oral pre-pro-drug of the anti-cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The biological activity of the 5-FU degrading enzyme, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and the target enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS), are subject to circadian rhythmicity in healthy volunteers. The aim of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of capecitabine therapy adapted to this circadian rhythm (chronomodulated therapy). METHODS: Patients aged ≥18 years with advanced solid tumours potentially benefitting from capecitabine therapy were enrolled. A classical dose escalation 3 + 3 design was applied. Capecitabine was administered daily without interruptions. The daily dose was divided in morning and evening doses that were administered at 9:00 h and 24:00 h, respectively. The ratio of the morning to the evening dose was 3:5 (morning: evening). PK and PD were examined on treatment days 7 and 8. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were enrolled. The MTD of continuous chronomodulated capecitabine therapy was established at 750/1250 mg/m2/day, and was generally well tolerated. Circadian rhythmicity in the plasma PK of capecitabine, dFCR, dFUR and 5-FU was not demonstrated. TS activity was induced and DPD activity demonstrated circadian rhythmicity during capecitabine treatment. CONCLUSION: The MTD of continuous chronomodulated capecitabine treatment allows for a 20% higher dose intensity compared to the approved regimen (1250 mg/m2 bi-daily on day 1-14 of every 21-day cycle). Chronomodulated treatment with capecitabine is promising and could lead to improved tolerability and efficacy of capecitabine.

Circulating epithelial tumor cell analysis in CSF in patients with leptomeningeal metastases.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) immunoflow cytometry circulating tumor cells (CTC) analysis in CSF in patients with suspected leptomeningeal metastases (LM). The secondary objective was to explore the distribution of driver mutations in the primary tumor, plasma, cell free CSF (cfCSF), and isolated CTC from CSF in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We tested the performance of the CTC assay vs CSF cytology in a prospective study in 81 patients with a clinical suspicion of LM but a nonconfirmatory MRI. In an NSCLC subcohort, we analyzed circulating tumor (ct)DNA of the selected driver mutations by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). RESULTS: The sensitivity of the CTC assay was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] 80-99) and the specificity was 100% (95% CI 91-100) at the optimal cutoff of 0.9 CTC/mL. The sensitivity of cytology was 76% (95% CI 58-89). Twelve of the 23 patients with NSCLC had mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). All 5 tested patients with LM demonstrated the primary EGFR driver mutation in cfCSF. The driver mutation could also be detected in CTC isolated from CSF. CONCLUSION: CTC in CSF are detected with a high sensitivity for the diagnosis of LM. ddPCR can determine EGFR mutations in both cfCSF and isolated CTC from CSF of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and LM. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that EpCAM-based immunoflow cytometry analysis of CSF accurately identifies patients with LM.

Multiparameter Flow Cytometry Assay for Quantification of Immune Cell Subsets, PD-1 Expression Levels and PD-1 Receptor Occupancy by Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab.

We report the development and validation of a 12 parameter immunofluorescence flow cytometry method for the sensitive determination of cell concentrations, their expression of PD-1, and PD-1 receptor occupancy. Cell subsets include CD4+ and CD8+ -T-cells, B-cells, natural killer cells, classical-, intermediate- and non-classical monocytes, and myeloid- and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Cells were isolated from peripheral blood by density gradient centrifugation. The validation parameters included specificity, linearity, limit of quantification, precision, biological within- and between subject variations. The lower limit of quantification was 5.0% of PD-1+ cells. Samples were stable for at least 153 days of storage at -80°C. The clinical applicability of the method was demonstrated in 11 advanced cancer patients by the successful determination of immune cell concentrations, relative number of PD-1+ immune cells, and number of PD-1 molecules per immune cell. Shortly after infusion of nivolumab, receptor occupancy on CD8+ -T-cells was 98%. Similar values were found predose cycle 2, suggesting receptor occupancy remained high throughout the entire cycle. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Thymidylate synthase maintains the de-differentiated state of triple negative breast cancers.

Cancer cells frequently boost nucleotide metabolism (NM) to support their increased proliferation, but the consequences of elevated NM on tumor de-differentiation are mostly unexplored. Here, we identified a role for thymidylate synthase (TS), a NM enzyme and established drug target, in cancer cell de-differentiation and investigated its clinical significance in breast cancer (BC). In vitro, TS knockdown increased the population of CD24+ differentiated cells, and attenuated migration and sphere-formation. RNA-seq profiling indicated repression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature genes upon TS knockdown, and TS-deficient cells showed an increased ability to invade and metastasize in vivo, consistent with the occurrence of a partial EMT phenotype. Mechanistically, TS enzymatic activity was found essential for maintenance of the EMT/stem-like state by fueling a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase-dependent pyrimidine catabolism. In patient tissues, TS levels were found significantly higher in poorly differentiated and in triple negative BC, and strongly correlated with worse prognosis. The present study provides the rationale to study in-depth the role of NM at the crossroads of proliferation and differentiation, and depicts new avenues for the design of novel drug combinations for the treatment of BC.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for the quantification of nivolumab and pembrolizumab in human serum and cerebrospinal fluid.

Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies targeting the programmed-death-1 (PD-1) receptor has become standard of care for an increasing number of tumor types. Pharmacokinetic studies may help to optimize anti-PD-1 therapy. Therefore, accurate and sensitive determination of antibody concentrations is essential. Here we report an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) capable of measuring nivolumab and pembrolizumab concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with high sensitivity and specificity. The assay was developed and validated based on the specific capture of nivolumab and pembrolizumab by immobilized PD-1, with subsequent enzymatic chemiluminescent detection by anti-IgG4 coupled with horse radish peroxidase (HRP). The lower limit of quantification for serum and CSF was 2 ng/mL for both anti-PD-1 agents. The ELISA method was validated and showed long term sample stability of >1 year. This method is reliable, relatively inexpensive and can be used in serum and CSF from pembrolizumab and nivolumab treated patients.

Development and validation of a quantitative method for thymidine phosphorylase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The enzyme thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is important for activation of capecitabine and 5-fluorouracil. Assessment of TP phenotype might be suitable for identification of patients at risk of fluoropyrimidine-induced toxicity. In this paper, we describe the development and validation an assay for TP activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The assay was based on ex vivo conversion of the TP substrate thymidine to thymine. The amount of thymine formed was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography - ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) with 5-bromouracil as internal standard. Lymphocytes and monocytes were purified from isolated PBMCs to examine cell-specific TP activity. TP activity in PBMCs demonstrated Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The lower limit of quantification was 2.3 µg PBMC protein and assay linearity was demonstrated up to 22.7 µg PBMC protein. Within-day and between-day precisions were ≤9.2% and ≤6.0%, respectively. Adequate stability TP activity was demonstrated after long-term storage of PBMC dry pellets and lysates at -80 °C. In monocytes, TP activity was approximately 3 times higher than in lymphocytes. Clinical applicability was demonstrated in samples that were collected from five cancer patients. A simple, precise and sensitive HPLC-UV assay for quantification of TP activity in PBMCs was developed that can be applied for clinical research.

Food-effect study on uracil and dihydrouracil plasma levels as marker for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity in human volunteers.

AIMS: This study aimed to determine the effect of food intake on uracil and dihydrouracil plasma levels. These levels are a promising marker for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity and for individualizing fluoropyrimidine anticancer therapy. METHODS: A randomized, cross-over study in 16 healthy volunteers was performed, in which subjects were examined in fasted and fed state on two separate days. In fed condition, a high-fat, high-caloric breakfast was consumed between 8:00 h and 8:30 h. Whole blood for determination of uracil, dihydrouracil and uridine plasma levels was drawn on both test days at predefined time points between 8:00 h and 13:00 h. RESULTS: Uracil levels were statistically significantly different between fasting and fed state. At 13:00 h, the mean uracil level in fasting state was 12.6 ± 3.7 ng ml-1 and after a test meal 9.4 ± 2.6 ng ml-1 (P < 0.001). Dihydrouracil levels were influenced by food intake as well (mean dihydrouracil level at 13:00 h in fasting state 147.0 ± 36.4 ng ml-1 and in fed state 85.7 ± 22.1 ng ml-1 , P < 0.001). Uridine plasma levels showed curves with similar patterns as for uracil. CONCLUSIONS: It was shown that both uracil and dihydrouracil levels were higher in fasting state than in fed state. This is hypothesized to be an direct effect of uridine plasma levels, which were previously shown to be elevated in fasting state and reduced after intake of food. These findings show that, when assessing plasma uracil and dihydrouracil levels for adaptive fluoropyrimidine dosing in clinical practice, sampling should be done between 8:00 h and 9:00 h after overnight fasting to avoid bias caused by circadian rhythm and food effects.

EpCAM-based assays for epithelial tumor cell detection in cerebrospinal fluid.

The diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastases (LM) of solid tumors is complicated due to low sensitivities of both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cytology. MRI has a sensitivity of 76% for the diagnosis of LM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology has a sensitivity of 44-67% at first lumbar puncture which increases to 84-91% upon second CSF sampling. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is expressed by solid tumors of epithelial origin like non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer or ovarium cancer. Recently, a CELLSEARCH® assay and flow cytometry laboratory techniques have been developed to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of epithelial origin in CSF. These laboratory techniques are based on capture antibodies labelled with different fluorescent tags against EpCAM. In this review, we provide an overview of the available laboratory techniques and diagnostic accuracy for tumor cell detection in CSF. The reported sensitivities of the EpCAM-based CTC assays for the diagnosis of LM across the different studies are highly promising and vary between 76 and 100%. An overview of the different EpCAM-based techniques for the enumeration of CTCs in the CSF is given and a comparison is made with CSF cytology for the diagnoses of LM from epithelial tumors.

Improved pharmacodynamic (PD) assessment of low dose PARP inhibitor PD activity for radiotherapy and chemotherapy combination trials.

BACKGROUND: PARP inhibitors are currently evaluated in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. As sensitizers, PARP inhibitors are active at very low concentrations therefore requiring highly sensitive pharmacodynamic (PD) assays. Current clinical PD-assays partly fail to provide such sensitivities. The aim of our study was to enable sensitive PD evaluation of PARP inhibitors for clinical sensitizer development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PBMCs of healthy individuals and of olaparib and radiotherapy treated lung cancer patients were collected for ELISA-based PD-assays. RESULTS: PAR-signal amplification by ex vivo irradiation enabled an extended quantification range for PARP inhibitory activities after ex vivo treatment with inhibitors. This "radiation-enhanced-PAR" (REP) assay provided accurate IC50 values thereby also revealing differences among healthy individuals. Implemented in clinical radiotherapy combination Phase I trials, the REP-assay showed sensitive detection of PARP inhibition in patients treated with olaparib and establishes strong PARP inhibitory activities at low daily doses. CONCLUSIONS: Combination trials of radiotherapy and novel targeted agent(s) often require different and more sensitive PD assessments than in the monotherapy setting. This study shows the benefit and relevance of sensitive and adapted PD-assays for such combination purposes and provides proof of clinically relevant cellular PARP inhibitory activities at low daily olaparib doses.

Dihydrofolate Reductase/Thymidylate Synthase Fine-Tunes the Folate Status and Controls Redox Homeostasis in Plants.

Folates (B9 vitamins) are essential cofactors in one-carbon metabolism. Since C1 transfer reactions are involved in synthesis of nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and other biomolecules, as well as in epigenetic control, folates are vital for all living organisms. This work presents a complete study of a plant DHFR-TS (dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase) gene family that implements the penultimate step in folate biosynthesis. We demonstrate that one of the DHFR-TS isoforms (DHFR-TS3) operates as an inhibitor of its two homologs, thus regulating DHFR and TS activities and, as a consequence, folate abundance. In addition, a novel function of folate metabolism in plants is proposed, i.e., maintenance of the redox balance by contributing to NADPH production through the reaction catalyzed by methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, thus allowing plants to cope with oxidative stress.