Eckel Passow, Jeanette E

Abstract Background Most oncology therapeutics have limited distribution into the brain, and developing strategies to overcome this limitation would be clinically impactful. While therapeutic radiation is often cited as a strategy to accomplish this, there are no published studies demonstrating the effect of radiation on drug distribution into the brain or brain tumors. Methods Mice were treated with brain radiation (6 Gy × 5, 4 Gy × 10; 40 Gy × 1) and dosed with drugs (levetiracetam, cefazolin, nedisertib, brigimadlin, apitolisib, or GNE-317) at times ranging from just prior to months after radiation. Plasma and tissue drug concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS. Results Radiation did not significantly enhance drug delivery into brain tissue for levetiracetam, cefazolin, GNE-317, apitolisib, or nedisertib at any time post-radiation. Even a single, supra-therapeutic dose of radiation (40 Gy) did not significantly affect brain distribution of GNE-317 or apitolisib (P ≥ .07) from 16 to 160 hours post-radiation. For brigimadlin, radiation (6 Gy × 5) was associated with a modest but significant increase in drug accumulation only at 72 hours post-radiation (brain-to-plasma ratio 0.014 ± 0.006 vs. 0.025 ± 0.010, respectively; P = .04), but not at any other timepoint (24 hours, 15, 28, 94, 133, 183 days; P > .05). Similarly, radiation (6 Gy × 5) of orthotopic tumors did not increase levels of brigimadlin in GBM10 or GBM108 or nedisertib in GBM108 (P > .05). Conclusions Radiation had no meaningful impact on drug delivery into brain or brain tumors for the drugs tested.

Introduction As the pandemic continues with new variants emerging, faculty and students require support with education's rapid shift to the virtual space. The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science curriculum team works closely with faculty to support a smooth transition to offering graduate courses in a virtual learning environment. The aim of the present project was to explore faculty and student perceptions of these remote learning strategies to gain an understanding of the innovations required to improve future educational offerings. Methods All faculty and learners involved in nine Clinical and Translational Science courses in spring 2020 were invited to participate in a web-based questionnaire. Quantitative analysis was performed on closed-ended items, including 5-point Likert-scale questions used to assess the range of views. Qualitative free-text responses were independently analyzed for repetitive themes and summarized. Additionally, comparisons of faculty and course evaluations and student grade point averages (GPAs) from the in-person courses and their subsequent virtual course offerings were considered. Results Survey results indicated several positive impacts with moving courses into the virtual environment, including increased accessibility as well as more student-centered education. Learners joining from sites outside of the originating campus were especially grateful for the virtual classroom because they felt newly integrated within classes. Faculty and course evaluations, as well as student GPAs, remained consistent. Conclusion New COVID-19 variants continue to shift education online, and innovative ideas are required to further improve future virtual course offerings. Increased engagement is warranted, both from faculty to incorporate activities designed specifically for a virtual classroom, and from students to increase participation by activating their microphones and webcams. Greater opportunities for global involvement and connectedness arise. Finally, this project advocates for adequate eLearning staffing to support quality online education as the need for pedagogical and technical provision continues.

AbstractBackground and purposeTumefactive demyelination (TD) presents with large inflammatory lesions mimicking tumors or other space‐occupying lesions. Limited epidemiological, clinical and radiological data exist for TD. We aimed to report the incidence rate, and clinical and radiological features of TD in Olmsted County, Minnesota.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients with central nervous system inflammatory demyelination‐related diagnostic codes (January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2018) in the Rochester Epidemiology Project database, and adjusted incidence rates by age and sex to the 2010 US total population. We used the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to assess outcomes (index attack and last follow‐up).ResultsOf 792 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 15 (eight males, seven females) had tumefactive MS, representing 1.9% of the MS population. The median (range) age at attack onset was 34.2 (2–61) years. Tumefactive lesion was the first clinical MS attack in 8/16 patients. Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were present in 8/12 patients and 11/16 patients met the Barkhof criteria for dissemination in space. Most patients remained fully ambulatory (EDSS score ≤4 in 13/16 patients [81%]) after a median (range) follow‐up duration of 10.5 (1–20.5) years. Age‐adjusted annual incidence rates were 0.46/100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12–0.81) for female patients, 0.66/100,000 (95% CI 0.23–1.02) for male patients, and 0.56/100,000 [95% CI 0.28–0.83] overall. When age‐ and sex‐adjusted to the 2010 US total population, the overall annual incidence rate was 0.57 (95% CI 0.28–0.84). Despite aggressive clinical presentation at disease onset, most patients remained fully ambulatory (EDSS score ≤4 in 13/16 patients) with a relapsing‐remitting course.ConclusionsAlthough incidence is rare, TD should be suspected in patients presenting with subacutely progressive neurological deficits associated with magnetic resonance imaging findings of ring enhancement, apparent diffusion coefficient restriction, and OCB on spinal fluid analysis.

AbstractPleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare localized glioma characterized by frequent BRAF V600E mutation and CDKN2A/B deletion. We explored the association of copy‐number variants (CNVs) with BRAF mutations, tumor grade, and patient survival in a cohort of 41 PXA patients using OncoScan chromosomal microarray. Primary resection specimens were available in 38 cases, including 24 PXA and 14 anaplastic PXA (A‐PXA), 23 BRAF V600E mutant tumors (61%). CNVs were identified in all cases and most frequently involved chromosome 9 with homozygous CDKN2A/B deletion (n = 33, 87%), a higher proportion than previously detected by comparative genomic hybridization (50%–60%) (37). CDKN2A/B deletion was present in similar proportion of PXA (83%), A‐PXA (93%), BRAF V600E (87%), and wild‐type (87%) tumors. Whole chromosome gains/losses were frequent, including gains +7 (n = 15), +2 (n = 11), +5 (n = 10), +21 (n = 10), +20 (n = 9), +12 (n = 8), +15 (n = 8), and losses −22 (n = 11), −14 (n = 7), −13 (n = 5). Losses and copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity were significantly more common in A‐PXA, involving chromosomes 22 (P = 0.009) and 14 (P = 0.03). Amplification of 8p and 12q was identified in a single tumor. Histologic grade was a robust predictor of overall survival (P = 0.003), while other copy‐number changes, including CDKN2A/B deletion, did not show significant association with survival. Distinct histologic patterns of anaplasia included increased mitotic activity in an otherwise classic PXA or associated with small cell, fibrillary, or epithelioid morphology, with loss of SMARCB1 expression in one case. In 10 cases, matched specimens were compared, including A‐PXA with areas of distinct low‐ and high‐grade morphology (n = 2), matched primary/tumor recurrence (n = 7), or both (n = 1). Copy‐number changes on recurrence/anaplastic transformation were complex and highly variable, from nearly identical profiles to numerous copy‐number changes. Overall, we confirm CDKN2A/B deletion as key a feature of PXA not associated with tumor grade or BRAF mutation, but central to the underlying genetics of PXA.