Frailty assessment to individualize treatment in older patients with lymphoma.

PURPOSE: A study analyzing the application of a protocol of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in older patients with lymphoma was carried out to allow frailty-based patient classification and individualized treatment. METHODS: Lymphoma patients older than 70 years referred to the Geriatric Clinic at a tertiary hospital between May 2016 and March 2021 were included. The assessment protocol included comorbidity, polypharmacy, nutritional, functional, and mental status, geriatric syndromes, and life expectancy. CGA enabled patient classification into four groups (Type I to Type IV) based on frailty assessment instrument scoring and clinical, functional, and mental status. Variables were compared using parametric and non-parametric statistical tests and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients (55.9% women) were included. Median age was 81.1 years (± 5.7). 23 patients (24.7%) were classified as robust (type I), 30 (32.3%) as pre-frail (type II) with potentially reversable deficits, 38 (40.9%) as frail (type III), and 2 (2.2%) as requiring palliative care (type IV). Patients received oncospecific treatment with modifications carried out in 64.5% of cases based on CGA results. Differences in overall survival (p = 0.002), response to treatment (p < 0.001) and likelihood of increased frailty (p = 0.024) were observed, with type III-IV patients showing significantly worse outcomes. CONCLUSION: Performance of standardized, systematic CGA by geriatricians permits older lymphoma patients to be classified according to frailty, with significant differences in terms of clinical outcomes across groups. We propose incorporating CGA performed by geriatricians as part of the multidisciplinary care team to optimize therapeutic strategy for these patients.

Phase 1 study of JNJ-64619178, a protein arginine methyltransferase 5 inhibitor, in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Splicing factor (SF) gene mutations are frequent in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and agents that modulate RNA splicing are hypothesized to provide clinical benefit. JNJ-64619178, a protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitor, was evaluated in patients with lower-risk (LR) MDS in a multi-part, Phase 1, multicenter study. The objectives were to determine a tolerable dose and to characterize safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary clinical activity. JNJ-64619178 was administered on a 14 days on/7 days off schedule or every day on a 21-day cycle to patients with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) Low or Intermediate-1 risk MDS who were red blood cell transfusion-dependent. Twenty-four patients were enrolled; 15 (62.5 %) patients had low IPSS risk score, while 18 (75.0 %) had an SF3B1 mutation. Median duration of treatment was 3.45 months (range: 0.03-6.93). No dose limiting toxicities were observed. The 0.5 mg once daily dose was considered better tolerated and chosen for dose expansion. Twenty-three (95.8 %) patients experienced treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE). The most common TEAEs were neutropenia (15 [62.5 %]) and thrombocytopenia (14 [58.3 %]). JNJ-64619178 pharmacokinetics was dose-dependent. Target engagement as measured by plasma symmetric di-methylarginine was observed across all dose levels; however, variant allele frequency of clonal mutations in bone marrow or blood did not show sustained reductions from baseline. No patient achieved objective response or hematologic improvement per International Working Group 2006 criteria, or transfusion independence. A tolerable dose of JNJ-64619178 was identified in patients with LR MDS. However, no evidence of clinical benefit was observed.

CDK9 INHIBITORS: a promising combination partner in the treatment of hematological malignancies.

Most hematological malignancies are characterized by overexpression of certain cancer promoting genes, such as MYC, MCL1 and cyclin D1. Preclinical studies in animal models have shown that CDK9 inhibitors supress the transcription of these anti-apoptotic and pro-survival proteins, and suggest their potential synergism with other drugs. In its first in-human trial, enitociclib demonstrated clinical activity in a small cohort of patients with high grade B lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements, inducing complete responses in 2 of 7 subjects (29%) in monotherapy. These data suggest CDK9 inhibitors could play a role in the treatment of hematological diseases and could be a great ally when combined with other therapeutic approaches.

Cardiovascular-related proteomic changes in ECFCs exposed to the serum of COVID-19 patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection significantly affects the cardiovascular system, causing vascular damage and thromboembolic events in critical patients. Endothelial dysfunction represents one of the first steps in response to COVID-19 that might lead to cardiovascular complications and long-term sequelae. However, despite the enormous efforts in the last two years, the molecular mechanisms involved in such processes remain poorly understood. Herein, we analyzed the protein changes taking place in endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) after the incubation with the serum from individuals infected with COVID-19, whether asymptomatic or critical patients, by application of a label free-quantitative proteomics approach. Specifically, ECFCs from healthy individuals were incubated ex-vivo with the serum of either COVID-19 negative donors (PCR-/IgG-, n:8), COVID-19 asymptomatic donors at different infective stages (PCR+/ IgG-, n:8and PCR-/IgG+, n:8), or hospitalized critical COVID-19 patients (n:8), followed by proteomics analysis. In total, 590 proteins were differentially expressed in ECFCs in response to all infected serums. Predictive analysis highlighted several proteins like CAPN5, SURF4, LAMP2 or MT-ND1, as highly discriminating features between the groups compared. Protein changes correlated with viral infection, RNA metabolism or autophagy, among others. Remarkably, the angiogenic potential of ECFCs in response to the infected serums was impaired, and many of the protein alterations in response to the serum of critical patients were associated with cardiovascular-related pathologies.

Feasibility of Telemedicine in the Management Strategy of Patients With Lymphoma Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: On March 14, 2020, a state of alarm was declared in Spain due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Beyond this date, COVID-19 in the country changed the practice of oncologic care. OBJECTIVE: Since recurrent hospital visits were a potential risk factor for contagion, the aim of this prospective observational study was to analyze the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the health care of patients with lymphoma. METHODS: All data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Variables such as age, sex, reason of the visit, use of the patient portal, changes in management, enrollment in clinical trials, and COVID-19 infection were recorded. RESULTS: In all, 290 patients visited the lymphoma clinic, totaling 437 appointments. The median age was 66 (range 18-94) years, and 157 (54.1%) patients were male. Of them, 214 (73.8%) patients had only 1 visit to the clinic. Only 23 (7.9%) patients did not have access to the patient portal. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 78 (26.9%) patients remained in active treatment, 35 (12.1%) experienced delays in their treatments, and 6 (2.1%) experienced treatment discontinuation. During the follow-up, only 7 (2.4%) patients had a COVID-19 infection (6 cases with confirmed polymerase chain reaction test and 1 case with clinical suspicion). Despite the implementation of telemedicine strategies to avoid visits to the hospital, 66 (22.8%) patients had in-person visits at the lymphoma clinic. Patients who attended in-person consultations were younger than those who preferred telemedicine consultations (62 vs 66 years; P=.10) and had less use of the patient portal (17/224, 7.6% vs 6/66, 9%; P=.10), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Patients who attended in-person visits were more likely to have had only 1 visit to the hospital (29/66, 43.9% vs 185/224, 82.6%; P<.001). Regarding the reason of in-person consultations, more patients were on active treatment in comparison to those using telemedicine resources (37/66, 56.1% vs 42/224, 18.3%; P<.001). Patients with a preference for telemedicine strategies had more surveillance visits (147/224, 65.6% vs 24/66, 36.4%; P<.001). Regarding treatment modifications, more treatment delays (29/224, 12.9% vs 6/66, 9.1%; P=.10) and more definite treatment discontinuations (6/224, 2.7% vs 0/66, 0%; P=.10) were seen in patients using telemedicine resources when compared to patients attending in-person visits, although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Regarding the type of therapy, patients attending in-person visits were more likely to receive an intravenous treatment rather than those using telemedicine (23/66, 62.2% vs 17/224, 40.5%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine such as patient portals are feasible strategies in the management of patients with lymphoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a reduction of in-person visits to the hospital and a very low contagion rate.

Activity of eftozanermin alfa plus venetoclax in preclinical models and patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Activation of apoptosis in malignant cells is an established strategy for controlling cancer and is potentially curative. To assess the impact of concurrently inducing the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we evaluated activity of the TRAIL receptor agonistic fusion protein eftozanermin alfa (eftoza; ABBV-621) in combination with the BCL-2 selective inhibitor venetoclax in preclinical models and human patients. Simultaneously stimulating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways with venetoclax and eftoza, respectively, enhanced their activity in AML cell lines and patient-derived ex vivo/in vivo models. Eftoza activity alone or plus venetoclax required death receptor (DR)4/DR5 expression on the plasma membrane but was independent of TP53 or FLT3-ITD status. The safety/tolerability of eftoza as monotherapy and in combination with venetoclax was demonstrated in patients with relapsed/refractory AML in a phase 1 clinical trial. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 50% (2/4) of patients treated with eftoza monotherapy and 78% (18/23) treated with eftoza plus venetoclax. An overall response rate of 30% (7/23; 4 complete responses [CR], 2 CR with incomplete hematologic recovery, 1 with morphologic leukemia-free state [MLFS]) was reported in patients who received treatment with eftoza plus venetoclax and 67% (4/6) in patients with myoblasts positive for DR4/DR5 expression; no tumor responses were observed with eftoza monotherapy. These data indicate that combination therapy with eftoza plus venetoclax to simultaneously activate the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathways may improve clinical benefit compared with venetoclax monotherapy in relapsed/refractory AML with an acceptable toxicity profile. Registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03082209.

[Relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviours and subjective wellbeing: an european observational study.] / Relación entre los estilos de vida saludables y el bienestar subjetivo: estudio observacional europeo.

OBJECTIVE: A healthy lifestyle is related to physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to assess whether different healthy lifestyle behaviours are associated with experiential and evaluative well-being. METHODS: A total of 10,800 participants from Finland, Poland and Spain were interviewed in 2011-2012. Physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking, alcohol use, and sleep quality were self-reported. Life satisfaction was measured with the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. Positive and negative affect were assessed using an abbreviated version of the Day Reconstruction Method. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Healthy lifestyle behaviours (consumption of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day, moderate or high physical activity, being a non-daily smoker, and having a good sleep quality) were positively associated with evaluative well-being (ß=0.23 p<0.001; ß=0.16, p<0.001; ß=0.26, p<0.001; ß=0.23, p<0.001, respectively), after controlling for confounding variables such as health and depression. Good sleep quality was related with higher positive affect (ß=0.29, p<0.001), lower negative affect (ß=-0.15, p<0.001) and higher life satisfaction (ß=0.23, p<0.001), after adjusting for those confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: A healthy lifestyle is an important correlate of well-being independently of its effects on health. Healthy lifestyles could be considered when developing strategies to improve not only the physical health, but also the well-being of the population.

OBJETIVO: Un estilo de vida saludable está relacionado con la salud física y mental. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar si diferentes comportamientos de estilo de vida saludable estaban asociados con el bienestar subjetivo. METODOS: Se entrevistó a un total de 10.800 participantes de Finlandia, Polonia y España en 2011-2012. La actividad física, el consumo de frutas y verduras, el tabaco, el alcohol y la calidad del sueño fueron autoinformados. La satisfacción con la vida se midió con la Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. El afecto positivo y negativo se evaluaron utilizando una versión abreviada del Método de Reconstrucción del Día. Se llevaron a cabo análisis de regresión múltiple. RESULTADOS: Las conductas de estilo de vida saludable (consumo de cinco o más frutas y verduras al día, actividad física moderada o alta, no fumar a diario y tener una buena calidad del sueño) se asociaron positivamente con el bienestar evaluativo (ß=0,23, p<0,001; ß=0,16, p<0,001; ß=0,26, p<0,001; ß=0,23, p<0,001, respectivamente), después de controlar por variables de confusión como la salud y la depresión. La buena calidad del sueño se relacionó con mayor afecto positivo (ß=0,29, p<0,001), menor afecto negativo (ß=-0,15, p<0,001) y mayor satisfacción con la vida (ß=0,23, p<0,001), después de ajustar por dichas variables de confusión. CONCLUSIONES: Un estilo de vida saludable se correlaciona de manera importante con el bienestar, independientemente de sus efectos en la salud. Los estilos de vida saludables podrían ser considerados a la hora de desarrollar estrategias que mejoren no solo la salud física, sino también el bienestar de la población.

Relación entre los estilos de vida saludables y el bienestar subjetivo: estudio observacional europeo / Relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviours and subjective wellbeing: an european observational study

FUNDAMENTOS: Un estilo de vida saludable está relacionado con la salud física y mental. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar si diferentes comportamientos de estilo de vida saludable estaban asociados con el bienestar subjetivo. MÉTODOS: Se entrevistó a un total de 10.800 participantes de Finlandia, Polonia y España en 2011-2012. La actividad física, el consumo de frutas y verduras, el tabaco, el alcohol y la calidad del sueño fueron autoinformados. La satisfacción con la vida se midió con la Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. El afecto positivo y negativo se evaluaron utilizando una versión abreviada del Método de Reconstrucción del Día. Se llevaron a cabo análisis de regresión múltiple. RESULTADOS: Las conductas de estilo de vida saludable (consumo de cinco o más frutas y verduras al día, actividad física moderada o alta, no fumar a diario y tener una buena calidad del sueño) se asociaron positivamente con el bienestar evaluativo (ß=0,23,p<0,001; ß=0,16, p<0,001; ß=0,26, p<0,001; ß=0,23, p<0,001, respectivamente), después de controlar por variables de confusión comola salud y la depresión. La buena calidad del sueño se relacionó con mayor afecto positivo (ß=0,29, p<0,001), menor afecto negativo (ß=-0,15, p<0,001) y mayor satisfacción con la vida (ß=0,23, p<0,001), después de ajustar por dichas variables de confusión. CONCLUSIONES: Un estilo de vida saludable se correlaciona de manera importante con el bienestar, independientemente de sus efectos en la salud. Los estilos de vida saludables podrían ser considerados a la hora de desarrollar estrategias que mejoren no solo la salud física, sino también el bienestar de la población.(AU)

BACKGROUND:A h ealthy lifestyle is related to physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to assess whether different healthy lifestyle behaviours are associated with experiential and evaluative well-being. METHODS: A total of 10,800 participants from Finland, Poland and Spain were interviewed in 2011-2012. Physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking, alcohol use, and sleep quality were selfeported. Life satisfaction was measured with the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. Positive and negative affect were assessed using an abbreviated version of the Day Reconstruction Method. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Healthy lifestyle behaviours (consumption of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day, moderate or high physical activity, being a non-daily smoker, and having a good sleep quality) were positively associated with evaluative well-being (ß=0.23 p<0.001; ß=0.16, p<0.001; ß=0.26, p<0.001; ß=0.23, p<0.001, respectively), after controlling for confounding variables such as health and depression. Good sleep quality was related with higher positive affect (ß=0.29, p<0.001), lower negative affect (ß=-0.15, p<0.001) and higher life satisfaction (ß=0.23, p<0.001), after adjusting for those confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: A healthy lifestyle is an important correlate of well-being independently of its effects on health. Healthy lifestyles could be considered when developing strategies to improve not only the physical health, but also the well-being of the population.(AU)

Redefining the high-grade B cell lymphoma with double/triple rearrangements of MYC and BCL2/BCL6 genes. Learning from a case report.

We report a patient initially diagnosed with a triple hit high-grade B cell lymphoma (HGBL-TH), in which further morphologic, immunohistochemical, and next-generation sequencing studies of subsequent specimens disclosed it to be a germinal center diffuse large B cell lymphoma (GC-DLBCL) with BCL2/BCL6 gene translocations, PVT1-deletion, and gain of MYC genes evolving from a previous follicular lymphoma. However, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies with the break-apart probe for MYC gene showed a fusion and two separated signals (red and green, respectively) leading to the interpretation of MYC gene translocation and a false diagnosis of a TH-lymphoma, according to the recent WHO classification. Nevertheless, PVT1 deletion plus MYC gain/amplification has been described as a cause of the double-hi transcription profile. These data highlight the need for new criteria to identify these highly aggressive lymphomas.

Combining Molecular, Imaging, and Clinical Data Analysis for Predicting Cancer Prognosis.

Cancer is one of the most detrimental diseases globally. Accordingly, the prognosis prediction of cancer patients has become a field of interest. In this review, we have gathered 43 state-of-the-art scientific papers published in the last 6 years that built cancer prognosis predictive models using multimodal data. We have defined the multimodality of data as four main types: clinical, anatomopathological, molecular, and medical imaging; and we have expanded on the information that each modality provides. The 43 studies were divided into three categories based on the modelling approach taken, and their characteristics were further discussed together with current issues and future trends. Research in this area has evolved from survival analysis through statistical modelling using mainly clinical and anatomopathological data to the prediction of cancer prognosis through a multi-faceted data-driven approach by the integration of complex, multimodal, and high-dimensional data containing multi-omics and medical imaging information and by applying Machine Learning and, more recently, Deep Learning techniques. This review concludes that cancer prognosis predictive multimodal models are capable of better stratifying patients, which can improve clinical management and contribute to the implementation of personalised medicine as well as provide new and valuable knowledge on cancer biology and its progression.

Serum microRNAs targeting ACE2 and RAB14 genes distinguish asymptomatic from critical COVID-19 patients.

Despite the extraordinary advances achieved to beat COVID-19 disease, many questions remain unsolved, including the mechanisms of action of SARS-CoV-2 and which factors determine why individuals respond so differently to the viral infection. Herein, we performed an in silico analysis to identify host microRNA targeting ACE2, TMPRSS2, and/or RAB14, all genes known to participate in viral entry and replication. Next, the levels of six microRNA candidates previously linked to viral and respiratory-related pathologies were measured in the serum of COVID-19-negative controls (n = 16), IgG-positive COVID-19 asymptomatic individuals (n = 16), and critical COVID-19 patients (n = 17). Four of the peripheral microRNAs analyzed (hsa-miR-32-5p, hsa-miR-98-3p, hsa-miR-423-3p, and hsa-miR-1246) were upregulated in COVID-19 critical patients compared with COVID-19-negative controls. Moreover, hsa-miR-32-5p and hsa-miR-1246 levels were also altered in critical versus asymptomatic individuals. Furthermore, these microRNA target genes were related to viral infection, inflammatory response, and coagulation-related processes. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 promotes the alteration of microRNAs targeting the expression of key proteins for viral entry and replication, and these changes are associated with disease severity. The microRNAs identified could be taken as potential biomarkers of COVID-19 progression as well as candidates for future therapeutic approaches against this disease.

The serum of COVID-19 asymptomatic patients up-regulates proteins related to endothelial dysfunction and viral response in circulating angiogenic cells ex-vivo.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has already caused 6 million deaths worldwide. While asymptomatic individuals are responsible of many potential transmissions, the difficulty to identify and isolate them at the high peak of infection constitutes still a real challenge. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 provokes severe vascular damage and thromboembolic events in critical COVID-19 patients, deriving in many related deaths and long-hauler symptoms. Understanding how these processes are triggered as well as the potential long-term sequelae, even in asymptomatic individuals, becomes essential. METHODS: We have evaluated, by application of a proteomics-based quantitative approach, the effect of serum from COVID-19 asymptomatic individuals over circulating angiogenic cells (CACs). Healthy CACs were incubated ex-vivo with the serum of either COVID-19 negative (PCR -/IgG -, n:8) or COVID-19 positive asymptomatic donors, at different infective stages: PCR +/IgG - (n:8) and PCR -/IgG + (n:8). Also, a label free quantitative approach was applied to identify and quantify protein differences between these serums. Finally, machine learning algorithms were applied to validate the differential protein patterns in CACs. RESULTS: Our results confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 promotes changes at the protein level in the serum of infected asymptomatic individuals, mainly correlated with altered coagulation and inflammatory processes (Fibrinogen, Von Willebrand Factor, Thrombospondin-1). At the cellular level, proteins like ICAM-1, TLR2 or Ezrin/Radixin were only up-regulated in CACs treated with the serum of asymptomatic patients at the highest peak of infection (PCR + /IgG -), but not with the serum of PCR -/IgG + individuals. Several proteins stood out as significantly discriminating markers in CACs in response to PCR or IgG + serums. Many of these proteins particiArticle title: Kindly check and confirm the edit made in the article title.pate in the initial endothelial response against the virus. CONCLUSIONS: The ex vivo incubation of CACs with the serum of asymptomatic COVID-19 donors at different stages of infection promoted protein changes representative of the endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response after viral infection, together with activation of the coagulation process. The current approach constitutes an optimal model to study the response of vascular cells to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and an alternative platform to test potential inhibitors targeting either the virus entry pathway or the immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

First-in-Human Dose-Escalation Study of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 Inhibitor VIP152 in Patients with Advanced Malignancies Shows Early Signs of Clinical Efficacy.

PURPOSE: To report on the first-in-human phase I study of VIP152 (NCT02635672), a potent and highly selective cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adults with solid tumors or aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma who were refractory to or had exhausted all available therapies received VIP152 monotherapy as a 30-minute intravenous, once-weekly infusion, as escalating doses (5, 10, 15, 22.5, or 30 mg in 21-day cycles) until the MTD was determined. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients received ≥ 1 VIP152 dose, with 30 mg identified as the MTD based on dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3/4 neutropenia. The most common adverse events were nausea and vomiting (75.7% and 56.8%, respectively), all of grade 1/2 severity. Of the most common events, grade 3/4 events occurring in > 1 patient were neutropenia (22%), anemia (11%), abdominal pain (8%), increased alkaline phosphatase (8%), and hyponatremia (8%). Day 1 exposure for the MTD exceeded the predicted minimum therapeutic exposure and reproducibly achieved maximal pathway modulation; no accumulation occurred after multiple doses. Seven of 30 patients with solid tumors had stable disease (including 9.5 and 16.8 months in individual patients with pancreatic cancer and salivary gland cancer, respectively), and 2 of 7 patients with high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2/BCL6 translocations (HGL) achieved durable complete metabolic remission (ongoing at study discontinuation, after 3.7 and 2.3 years of treatment). CONCLUSIONS: VIP152 monotherapy, administered intravenously once weekly, demonstrated a favorable safety profile and evidence of clinical benefit in patients with advanced HGL and solid tumors.

Automated Mouse Pupil Size Measurement System to Assess Locus Coeruleus Activity with a Deep Learning-Based Approach.

Strong evidence from studies on primates and rodents shows that changes in pupil diameter may reflect neural activity in the locus coeruleus (LC). Pupillometry is the only available non-invasive technique that could be used as a reliable and easily accessible real-time biomarker of changes in the in vivo activity of the LC. However, the application of pupillometry to preclinical research in rodents is not yet fully standardized. A lack of consensus on the technical specifications of some of the components used for image recording or positioning of the animal and cameras have been recorded in recent scientific literature. In this study, a novel pupillometry system to indirectly assess, in real-time, the function of the LC in anesthetized rodents is presented. The system comprises a deep learning SOLOv2 instance-based fast segmentation framework and a platform designed to place the experimental subject, the video cameras for data acquisition, and the light source. The performance of the proposed setup was assessed and compared to other baseline methods using a validation and an external test set. In the latter, the calculated intersection over the union was 0.93 and the mean absolute percentage error was 1.89% for the selected method. The Bland-Altman analysis depicted an excellent agreement. The results confirmed a high accuracy that makes the system suitable for real-time pupil size tracking, regardless of the pupil's size, light intensity, or any features typical of the recording process in sedated mice. The framework could be used in any neurophysiological study with sedated or fixed-head animals.

Severe infections in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases treated with new targeted drugs: A multicentric real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoid neoplasms treatment has recently been renewed to increase antitumor efficacy and conventional chemotherapies toxicities. Limited data have been published about the infection risk associated with these new drugs, therefore this study analyzes the infectious complications in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) treated with monoclonal antibodies (obinutuzumab, ofatumumab, brentuximab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab), BTK inhibitors (ibrutinib and acalabrutinib), PI3K inhibitors (idelalisib) and BCL2 inhibitors (venetoclax). METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study of 458 LPD patients treated with targeted therapies in real-life setting, in 18 Spanish institutions, from the time of their commercial availability to August 2020. RESULTS: Severe infections incidence was 23% during 17-month median follow-up; cumulative incidence was higher in the first 3-6 months of targeted drug treatment and then decreased. The most frequent etiology was bacterial (54%). Nine (6%) Invasive fungal infections (IFI) were observed, in its majority in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated predominantly with ibrutinib. Significant risk factors for severe infection were: severe lymphopenia (p = 0.009, OR 4.7, range 1.3-1.7), combined targeted treatment vs single agent treatment (p = 0.014 OR 2.2 range 1.1-4.2) and previous rituximab (p = 0.03 OR 1.8, range 1.05-3.3). Infection-related mortality was 6%. In 22% of patients with severe infections, definitive discontinuation of the targeted drug was observed. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of patients presented severe infections during follow-up, with non-negligible attributable mortality, but infection incidence is not superior to the one observed during the chemotherapy era. In selected cases with specific risk factors for infection, antimicrobial prophylaxis should be considered.

Post-Chemotherapy Rebound Thymic Hyperplasia Mimicking Relapse in Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is an unusual form of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Surgical management is essential; however, adjuvant therapy is recommended for advanced stages of cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old woman with textured silicone implants placed 7 years earlier, presented with breast nodules. Physical examination and computed tomography (CT) revealed a left parasternal mass, 2 left-breast nodules, and axillary lymphadenopathies. A soft-tissue lesion in the anterior mediastinum consistent with thymic remnants was detected. BIA-ALCL was diagnosed based on ultrasound-guided core biopsies of an axillary lymph node and a breast nodule. She underwent total bilateral capsulectomy and received anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy. End-of-treatment positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan at 4 months showed no evidence of disease, except for the persistence of the mediastinal lesion (Deauville score 4). Three months later, a new PET-CT scan showed enlargement of the lesion and increased radiotracer uptake, suggesting metabolic progression. A mediastinal biopsy was performed and rebound thymic hyperplasia (RTH) was observed in the histopathologic study. Once complete remission (CR) was achieved, the patient was followed up continually and has shown no signs of relapse to date. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are required to determine the best adjuvant therapy for advanced BIA-ALCL. RTH may be suspected when thymic enlargement without the involvement of other areas is observed in patients with cancer. Mediastinal biopsy is mandatory to rule out relapse.

Portable Oxygen Therapy: Is the 6-Minute Walking Test Overestimating the Actual Oxygen Needs?

The appropriate titration for the personalized oxygen needs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe hypoxemia is a determining factor in the success of long-term oxygen therapy. There are no standardized procedures to assist in determining the patient's needs during the physical activities of daily life. Despite that effort tests are a wide broad approach, further research concerning the development of protocols to titrate O2 therapy is needed. The main objective of this study was to assess whether the level of oxygen titrated through the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) for patients with COPD and exertional hypoxemia is adequate to meet the patients' demand during their activities of daily living. Physiological and subjective variables were estimated for a study population during two walking tests: a 6MWT and a 20-minute walking circuit (20MWC), designed ad-hoc to reproduce daily physical activities more truthfully. The results indicate that in a significant proportion of patients, the 6MWT might not accurately predict their oxygen needs at a domiciliary environment. Therefore, the titration of the portable O2 therapy could not be optimal in these cases, with the detrimental impact on the patient's health (hyperoxia episodes), the autonomy of the oxygen device, and the decrease of time out of the home.

An analysis of genetic targets for guiding clinical management of follicular lymphoma.

Introduction: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is one of the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) types, where genomic studies have accumulated potentially useful information about frequently mutated genes and deregulated pathways, which has allowed to a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of this tumor and the complex interrelationship between the tumoral cells and the stroma. Areas covered: The results of the molecular studies performed on Follicular Lymphoma have been here reviewed, summarizing the results of the clinical trials so far developed on this basis and discussing the reasons for the successes and failures. Searches were performed on June 1st, 2020, in PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov. Expert opinion: Targeted therapy for follicular lymphoma has multiple opportunities including the use of epigenetic drugs, PI3K inhibitors, modifiers of the immune stroma and others. Data currently known on FL pathogenesis suggest that combining these treatments with immunotherapy should be explored in clinical trials, mainly for patients with clinical progression or adverse prognostic markers. Association of targeted trials with dynamic molecular studies of the tumor and serum samples is advised. Chemotherapy-free approaches should also be explored as first-line therapy for FL patients.

Increased vulnerability of clinical research units during the COVID-19 crisis and their protection.

LAY SUMMARY: Currently, the complexity of clinical trial development in oncology is being further complicated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is reducing the resources needed to comply with protocol-specific procedures while putting patients in units, who are already vulnerable, at increased general risk not only for COVID-19 infection but also with respect to their baseline disease. Individualizing the management of patients while ensuring their safety and adherence to the study protocol, establishing specific staff contingency plans, and maintaining sponsor and contract research organization (CRO) alignment are some of the key issues for maintaining the continuity of cancer patients' investigational treatment and minimizing their infection risk as well as the risk to staff members of the unit, sponsors, and CROs while maintaining the integrity of data quality and compliance with good clinical practice.