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Advani, Pooja

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5470-3149

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic in Florida

Citations 102

Abstract PD9-07: The Genomic, Transcriptomic, and Immune Hallmarks of Metastatic Lobular Breast Cancer
Nader-Marta, G., Deshmukh, S. Kumar, Fanucci, K., Schnitt, S., Lee, A. V., Oesterreich, S., Wu, S. K., Xiu, Joanne , Advani, Pooja , Lin, N. U., Tolaney, S. M., Mayer, E. L., Metzger, Otto, Sledge, G. W., Jeselsohn, R. M., Marta, Guilherme Nader , Tarantino, Paolo , Oesterreich, S., Wu, S., Lustberg, Maryam B. , Tolaney, Sara M. , Jeselsohn, Rinath

Clinical Cancer Research | February 17, 2026 | Volume: 32 | Issue: 4_Supplement | Pages: PD9-07-PD9-07

10.1158/1557-3265.sabcs25-pd9-07 Get It

Abstract Background: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common breast cancer (BC) subtype, accounting for up to 15% of cases. Although several biologic differences between ILC and invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) have been described, most data are derived from primary tumors. In contrast, the biology of metastatic ILC remains poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate the unique genomic, transcriptomic, and immune landscapes of metastatic ILC using a multi-omic approach. Methods: This real-world study included patients with confirmed NST or pure ILC who had a biopsy of a metastatic lesion or a breast lesion in the setting of known metastatic disease. Tumors underwent whole exome sequencing (NGS 592, NextSeq; WES, NovaSeq), whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS, NovaSeq) (Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). Demographic and baseline molecular features were compared across histologic subtypes. Tumor mutational burden (TMB; high ≥10 mut/MB) was assessed by NGS. Immune cell populations were estimated by RNAseq deconvolution (quanTIseq). Pathway enrichment analysis was determined by GSEA. Overall survival (OS) was defined from the date of biopsy to death from any cause using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical tests included chi-square and Mann-Whitney U with multiple testing correction (q<0.05). Results: Among 2,651 metastatic BC samples (ILC n = 608; NST n = 2,043), patients with ILC were older (median 67 vs 63 yrs) and more likely white (81.5% ILC vs 73.1% NST), all p<0.05. By IHC, ILC were more frequently HR+/HER2- (83.6% vs 55.9%), less commonly triple-negative (11.9% vs 29.8%) or HER2+ (4.6% vs 14.3%), all p<0.05. PAM50 subtypes differed between ILC and NST: luminal A (Lum A) (31.1% vs 13.7%) and luminal B (Lum B) (44.9% vs 43.8%) intrinsic subtypes were enriched in ILC, while NST was more frequently basal (1.2% vs 22.4%) and HER2-enriched (19.8% vs 22.2%), all p<0.05. Within luminal BC, Lum B was more common than Lum A in both histologies, but Lum A was proportionally more frequent in ILC (ILC: 40.3% Lum A vs 59.7% Lum B; NST: 23.4% Lum A vs 76.6% Lum B), p<0.0001. Comparative multi-omic analysis focused on the 922 HR+/HER2- tumors (ILC n = 275; NST n = 647). Compared to NST, ILC had higher frequency of CDH1 (87.3% vs 6.1%), PIK3CA (52.7% vs 38.5%), FOXA1 (9.0% vs 3.4%), ERBB2 (7.1% vs 2.0%), ARID1A, and NF1 (both q < 0.05) mutations and TMB high (17.7% vs 9.9%), but lower frequency of TP53 (15.7% vs 33.3%), ESR1 (10.9% vs 18.1%) and GATA3 (2.3% vs 14.9%) mutations along with FGFR1 amplifications (15.3% vs 6.7%), all q<0.05. ILC had higher expression of androgen receptor (91.2% vs 83.5%, q<0.05) and higher MAPK activation score (-0.81 vs -1.19, q<0.05), consistent with a luminal, hormone-driven phenotype. NST tumors demonstrated enrichment of pathways involved in the cell cycle and metabolic activity, including E2F targets, G2M checkpoint, MYC targets, mTORC1 signaling, glycolysis, and unfolded protein response (NES: 1.5-2.7, FDR<0.25). ILC tumors had higher infiltration of B cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, NK cells and M2 macrophages, but lower M1 macrophages, all q<0.05. ILC had differential expression of immune checkpoint genes (upregulation: CD274 (PD-L1), PDCD1 (PD-1), TNFSF14, CEACAM1, CD160, fold change (FC): 1.2-1.5; down: HAVCR2 (TIM-3): FC: 1.2), all q<0.05. Median OS (mOS) was similar between luminal ILC and NST (33.8 vs 35.4 months (mo); HR 1.0, 95% CI 0.91-1.3). No mOS difference was seen between Lum A ILC and NST (47.4 vs 50.5 mo; HR 1.0, 0.84-1.43), while Lum B ILC had worse mOS than NST (27.4 vs 35.3 mo; HR 1.3, 1.1-1.6). Conclusions: This study represents the largest cohort to date with multi-omic characterization of metastatic ILC, revealing distinct genomic, transcriptomic, and immune features compared to NST. These findings highlight the unique biology of ILC and may inform future subtype-specific therapeutic strategies. Citation Format: G. Nader-Marta, S. Kumar Deshmukh, K. Fanucci, P. Tarantino, S. Schnitt, A. Lee, S. Oesterreich, S. Wu, J. Xiu, P. Advani, M. Lustberg, N. Lin, S. Tolaney, E. Mayer, O. Metzger, G. Sledge Jr., R. Jeselsohn. The Genomic, Transcriptomic, and Immune Hallmarks of Metastatic Lobular Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD9-07.
Long-term cellular and humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in patients with solid malignancies undergoing chemotherapy
liu, Andrew, Necela, Brian, Li, Zhuo, Cogen, Davitte , Wieczorek, Mikolaj A. , Mummareddy, Ashita , Acampora, Marites, Reynolds, Gina, Advani, Pooja , Moreno-Aspitia, Alvaro, Virk, Abinash, Bharucha, A E, Marquez, Christopher P. , Patel, Tushar C., Knutson, KL, Chumsri, Saranya , Li, Zhuo , Reynolds, Gina A, Advani, Pooja P, Necela, Brian M. , Mummareddy, Ashita , Swift, Melanie D. , Virk, Abinash , Bharucha, Adil E. , Knutson, Keith L.

Frontiers in Immunology | January 29, 2026 | Volume: 16 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.3389/fimmu.2025.1690495 Get It

Background While SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are highly effective in healthy individuals, the magnitude and durability of humoral and cellular responses in patients with solid malignancies receiving chemotherapy remain understudied. Previous reports suggest that patients with cancer may not mount adequate immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Additionally, most studies focused on humoral responses, while data regarding cellular immune responses are scarce. In this study, we evaluated humoral and cellular responses in patients with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy compared to healthy individuals up to one year after vaccinations. Methods Patients aged ≥18 who were willing to receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were enrolled. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays were used to detect antibodies against nucleocapsid and spike proteins. Human IFN-γ Fluorospot assay was used to determine antigen−specific T-cell responses. Data were compared between groups using Mann−Whitney test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Results A total of 67 subjects (47 patients with cancer and 20 healthy individuals) were included. 1–3 months following the second vaccine doses, 96% of patients with cancer and 100% of healthy individuals demonstrated a positive humoral response. While the positivity rate was not significantly different, patients with cancer had significantly lower spike IgG antibodies than healthy individuals. However, this difference diminished at 6 months when patients with cancer had increased antibodies compared to decreased antibodies in the healthy cohort and no difference was noticed at 12-month. Patients with cancer developed a similar antigen-specific T-cell response as healthy individuals at 1–3 months, 6 months and 12 months. There were no significant differences when comparing patients aged ≤ 55 years vs. >55 years, stages I-III vs. IV, single vs. multiple chemotherapy, and BNT162b2 vs. mRNA-1273 vaccines. There was a significant moderate correlation between neutralization and antibody levels at 12 months. However, despite patients with cancer having a significantly higher COVID risk score, there were no significant differences in COVID-19 infection and hospitalization between patients with cancer and healthy individuals. Conclusion Despite initial impaired antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, patients with solid malignancies receiving chemotherapy effectively generated long-term cellular and humoral responses by 6 and 12 months, leading to similar infection and hospitalization rates compared to healthy individuals.
Functional Evaluation of TRPC6 Missense Variants in Cancer Patients via Molecular Docking Analysis Compared with Patch Clamp Electrophysiology
Wu, Ying, SUN, XIAOJING , Reddy, Joseph S. , Advani, Pooja , Cerhan, J., Villarraga, Hector R, Asirvatham, Samuel J, Wang, R Y, Lee, H. C., Asirvatham, Samuel J. , Advani, Pooja P, Norton, Nadine , Asirvatham, Samuel J , Wu, Ying, Sun, Xiaojing, Boddicker, Nicholas , Cerhan, James R. , Villarraga, Hector R., Wang, Ru-Xing, Lee, Hon-Chi, Zanchi, Fernando Berton , Lu, Tong

No container title available | January 3, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.64898/2026.01.01.697223 Get It

ABSTRACT Gain-of-function mutations in the transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) channel have recently been recognized as risk factors for both doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiomyopathy. Functional evaluation of TRPC6 missense variants is therefore important for cancer patients undergoing anthracycline treatment. However, traditional electrophysiological methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we compared the functional responses of TRPC6 missense variants to 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), a TRPC6 agonist, using molecular docking and patch clamp recording techniques. For the wild-type (WT) TRPC6 structure (PDB ID: 6UZ8), OAG exhibited a binding energy of -4.49 kcal/mol and a dissociation constant (Kd) of 0.511 mM. Twenty TRPC6 missense variants were identified from cancer patients in the Mayo Clinic database. Of these, fifteen variants had resolvable structures, nine of which displayed increased Kd values and six decreased Kd values compared to WT in molecular docking analysis. Patch clamp recordings revealed that TRPC6 WT and mutant channels were inactive at baseline but were activated upon 50 μM OAG stimulation, except two loss-of-function variants. Moreover, a 24-h treatment with 0.5 μM DOX significantly enhanced OAG-induced channel activation. All three variants identified in patients with heart failure demonstrated gain-of-function properties in both electrophysiological measurements and in-silico predictions. Importantly, the results obtained from molecular docking and patch clamp recordings were strongly correlated, showing an 82% concordance, higher than the predictions from AlphaMissense. These findings indicate that our computational analysis provides a rapid and reliable method for predicting the functional impact of TRPC6 missense variants, which may aid clinical decision-making in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
ASCO 2025: Highlights in Breast Cancer Research
Advani, Pooja , Leon‐Ferre, Roberto A.

American Medical Journal Oncology | July 18, 2025 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 27-34

10.33590/oncolamj/dahp8382 Get It

THE theme of this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting was ‘Driving Knowledge to Action: Building a Better Future’. This year’s annual meeting delivered on this theme with instant practice changing and practice informing presentations. Several highly anticipated breast cancer randomized clinical trials that could result in new indications were reported.
Cancer Care Beyond Walls (CCBW): A randomized pragmatic trial of home-based versus in-clinic cancer therapy administration.
Dronca, Roxana , Advani, Pooja , Mazza, Gina L. , Confiado, Sunnie, Baskin, Amber, Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Haddad, Tufia C. , Tan, Winston, Kase, Adam M. , Mazza, Gina L , Jones, Jeremy C , Murthy, Hemant S. , Parrondo, Ricardo D , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Willman, Cheryl L.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 17_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2025.43.17_suppl.lba1551 Get It

LBA1551 Background: Traditional cancer therapy is primarily delivered in clinical settings, imposing logistical, emotional, and financial burdens, particularly on rural and underserved patients. While international studies have demonstrated the safety of home-based chemotherapy, no randomized U.S. trials have evaluated this approach. Mayo Clinic’s CCBW program aims to expand access to high-quality cancer care by providing in-home cancer treatment, lab testing, telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, command center and paramedic support. This pragmatic randomized controlled trial evaluates feasibility and impact of home-based versus in-clinic cancer directed therapy on patient preference, acceptability, safety, and patient-reported outcomes. Methods: Adult patients (ECOG 0-2) receiving chemotherapy or hormonal therapy at Mayo Clinic Florida were randomized 1:1 after confirmation of treatment tolerance in clinic to receive (1) home-based care for 24 weeks or (2) in-clinic care for 8 weeks followed by home-based care for 16 weeks. Target accrual is 200 patients. A planned interim analysis after 50 enrollments assessed accrual, data completeness, technical challenges, safety, and study outcomes. The primary endpoint is patient ratings of their overall cancer care experience (0–10 scale, CAHPS Cancer Care Survey) at 8 weeks. 200 patients provide 80% power to detect a 0.45 standard deviation difference in mean ratings between arms with a 2-sided 2-sample t-test (α=0.05) and 20% missing data rate. Secondary endpoints are patient preference, comfort with home infusions, treatment worthwhileness, functional/symptom assessments (EORTC QLQ-F17, PRO-CTCAE, GP5), grade ≥3 AEs, hospitalizations, and overall survival. Cost is a tertiary endpoint. The trial is IRB-approved (#23001719) and registered (NCT05969860). Results: Enrollment began 8/23/23. As of 2/21/25, 52 patients (26 per arm) were enrolled and 36 started protocol treatment. Common cancers were breast (38%), colorectal (21%), prostate (19%), and multiple myeloma (14%). 64% (28/44) of patients were female; 84% identified as White, 14% as Black, and 2% as multiple races. Median distance to clinic was 20 miles (range 2-66). After 8 weeks, patients in both arms rated their overall cancer care experience highly (mean [SD]=9.69 [0.85] versus 9.54 [0.66] for home-based vs. in-clinic care, n=26). After 24 weeks, 73% preferred home-based care, 18% had no preference, and 9% preferred in-clinic care; 100% felt comfortable with home infusions. No grade ≥3 AEs related to location of care have occurred. Conclusions: Early findings support the feasibility, safety, and high patient acceptability of home-based cancer therapy. No safety concerns related to care location were observed and most patients preferred home-based treatment. Ongoing accrual and analysis will assess clinical outcomes and cost implications. Clinical trial information: NCT05969860 .
Comprehensive characterization of interleukin-enhanced factor 2 (ILF2) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Deshmukh, Sachin Kumar , Wu, Sharon , Xiu, Joanne , Advani, Pooja , Mahtani, Reshma , Grumley, Janie G. , Bustos, Matías A. , Samec, Timothy , Jayachandran, Priya , Graff, Stephanie L. , Lustberg, Maryam B. , Sledge, George W. , Hoon, Dave S.�B.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 1114-1114

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.1114 Get It

1114 Background: While treatment and management of TNBC has improved, there is a need for novel prognostic biomarkers to better inform outcomes and guide therapeutic options. ILF2 is a poorly characterized protein with pleiotropic functions that is highly expressed in TNBC. Here we evaluated the associations of ILF2 with 1) genomic and transcriptomic data, 2) tumor microenvironment (TME), and 3) clinical outcomes in TNBC. Methods: 15,544 breast cancer (BC) samples, including 3,038 TNBC, were tested by NGS (592, NextSeq; WES, NovaSeq) and WTS (NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). ILF2 -high (H) and ILF2 -low(L) TNBC were defined by respective quartiles. Immune cell fractions were estimated by WTS deconvolution (Quantiseq). Real world overall survival (OS) was obtained from insurance claims and calculated from tissue collection to last contact using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical significance was determined by chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Mann-Whitney U test with p-values adjustments (q < .05). Results: ILF2 expression (median Log2(TPM+1) was higher (all q < .05) in key subgroups: ductal compared to lobular carcinoma (6.4 vs 6.0); primary compared to metastatic BC (6.4 vs 6.3); African American compared to White (6.4 vs 6.3); basal compared to luminal A, luminal B, HER2 PAM50 subtypes (6.9 vs 5.8, 6.3, 6.3); and TNBC compared to HR+HER2+, HR-HER2+, HR+HER2- subtypes (6.7 vs 6.3, 6.4, 6.2). Biopsied tissues from primary TNBC (pTNBC) and metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) patients were stratified into ILF2- H and ILF2- L groups. In both mTNBC and pTNBC, ILF2- H groups had 1) higher percentage of young patients (age < 50) (pTNBC: 35.5% vs 19.8%; mTNBC: 28.1% vs 17.3%; all q < .05); 2) higher mutation frequency of TP53 (pTNBC: 94.5% vs 79.6%; mTNBC: 92.4% vs 74.4%), but lower frequencies for PIK3CA ( pTNBC: 5.1% vs 23.4% , mTNBC: 8.8% vs 27.4%), CDH1 ( pTNBC: 0.8% vs 6.1%; mTNBC: 2.8% vs 12.2%; all q < .05); 3) higher infiltration of NK cells (pTNBC: 3% vs 2.6%; mTNBC: 2.8% vs 2.6%), but lower infiltration of M2 Mφ (pTNBC: 2.5% vs 3.3%; mTNBC: 2.6% vs 3.2%) and Tregs (pTNBC: 1.5% vs 1.9%; mTNBC: 1.4% vs 1.7%; all q < .05); 4) higher expression levels of immune checkpoint ( CD274, PDCD1LG2, CTLA4, LAG3, HAVCR2, FOXP3, IDO1, CD276 , FC: 1.2-3.1; all q < .05), stem cell genes (C D44, NANOG, POU5F1, KLF4, ALDH1A1 , FC: 1.4-2.4; all q < .05), and drug efflux genes ( ABCC3, ABCC11, ABCC2, ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC1 , FC: 1.1-4.5; all q < .05) compared to ILF2- L group. In pTNBC, ILF2- H had significantly shorter OS vs ILF2- L group (22.3 vs 28.9 months, HR 1.2 [95% CI 1-1.5], p = .03), but no significant differences were observed between mTNBC ILF2 groups (HR 1.1 [95% CI 0.93-1.3], p = .2). Conclusions: ILF2 -H TNBC patients showed differential genomic and transcriptomic alterations that relate to therapy resistance, immune suppressive TME, and shorter OS. Further studies are warranted to validate the effects of ILF2 upregulation on therapeutic efficacy.
Multiomic profiling of LRRC15 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Deshmukh, Sachin Kumar , Wu, Sharon , Xiu, Joanne , Lopes, Gilberto , Valdes, Frances, King, Traci, Hurley, Judith , Salazar, Ana Silvia, Sucre, Santiago , Advani, Pooja , Coelho, Priscila Barreto, Morgenstern‐Kaplan, Dan , George, Sophia , Trapani, Dario , Jayachandran, Priya , Lustberg, Maryam B. , Sledge, George W.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 1098-1098

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.1098 Get It

1098 Background: Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 ( LRRC15) has emerged as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for various cancers due to its high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and role in tumor progression. High LRRC15 expression is associated with poor prognosis in TNBC. This study aims to define the multiomic profile of LRRC15 in TNBC. Methods: 3,038 TNBC samples were analyzed via Next-Generation Sequencing (592, NextSeq; Whole Exome Sequencing, NovaSeq) and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing (NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, AZ). Immune cell fractions were estimated using WTS deconvolution (Quantiseq). Stromal cell abundance in the tumor microenvironment (TME) was estimated from RNA expression profiles using MCP Counter. LRRC15 -high (H) and -low (L) tumors were classified by RNA expression above or below the 25th percentile. Real-world overall survival (OS) and treatment-related survival were derived from insurance claims and calculated from tissue collection or treatment initiation to last contact using Kaplan-Meier. Statistical significance was assessed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests with multiple comparison adjustments (q < .05). Results: LRRC15 -H TNBC tumors had higher frequency of PIK3CA (25.9% vs 16.8), PIK3R1 (6.2% vs 1.6%), PTEN (11.3% vs 5.8%), but lower frequency of RB1 (7.8% vs 12.1%) and KMT2D (2% vs 4.4%) compared to LRRC15 -L, all q < 0.05. LRRC15 -H had higher PD-L1 positivity (32.3% vs 24.5%, q < 0.05). Analysis of immune cells showed LRRC15 -H TNBC had higher infiltration of B cells (4.2% vs 3.5%), M1 macrophages (4.3% vs 2%), M2 macrophages (4% vs 2.5%), Tregs (1.9% vs 1.1%), neutrophils (4.9% vs 3.9%), CD8 + T cells (0.4% vs 0.1%), but lower dendritic cells (2.5% vs 3%), all q < 0.05. LRRC15 -H tumors had greater abundance of CAFs (575.6 vs 93.78, 6.14 fold change (FC)) and endothelial cells (7.3 vs 3.7, 1.97 FC), all q < 0.05. LRRC15 -H had higher T-cell inflamed score (71.5 vs -77) and IFNg score (-0.14 vs -1.72), all q < 0.05. LRRC15 -H tumors had higher expression of immune checkpoint genes ( CD274, PDCD1, PDCD1LG2, CTLA4, LAG3, HAVCR2, FOXP3, IDO1, TNFSF14, TIGIT, BTLA, CEACAM1, CD47, CD80, CD86, CD160, CD274 ; FC 1.2-2.5, q < 0.05). LRRC15 -H was associated with better OS (mOS: 24.7 vs 13.6 months; HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53-0.7, p < 0.001). Post-pembrolizumab survival was longer for LRRC15 -H patients (mOS: 27.2 vs 19.4 months; HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.89, p = 0.01). Conclusions: LRRC15 -H TNBC exhibited better outcomes with pembrolizumab, likely due to higher immune cell fractions and increased CAFs. These findings highlight TNBC heterogeneity and position LRRC15 as a potential biomarker for tumor stratification, a possible adverse prognostic biomarker and a positive predictive biomarker. Ongoing phase I trials targeting LRRC15 show promise. Combining LRRC15 -targeted therapies with immunotherapy may improve TNBC outcomes, warranting further validation in breast cancer models.
ALISertib in combination with endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2–) recurrent or metastatic breast cancer: The phase 2 ALISCA-Breast1 study.
Advani, Pooja , Braga, Sofía , McCann, Kelly , O'Regan, Ruth M., Manich, C. Saura, Lowenthal, Beth Hillary, Bebchuk, Judith D. , O’Shaughnessy, Joyce , Haddad, Tufia C. , Brufsky, Adam , Giridhar, Karthik V. , Mayer, Erica L. , Saura, Cristina , Wander, Seth Andrew , Bischof, Georg Friedrich, Eli, Lisa D. , Barnett, Brian

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.tps1125 Get It

TPS1125 Background: Despite the many available treatments for patients (pts) with HR+, HER2– recurrent/metastatic breast cancer (MBC), optimal treatment after progression on CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) is unclear. One possible CDK4/6i resistance mechanism is increased expression of Aurora kinase A (AURKA), a key mitosis regulator associated with poor prognosis. Further implicated in CDK 4/6i resistance, high c-Myc or RB1 loss of function (LOF) are associated with transcriptional co-regulation or synthetic lethality, respectively, with AURKA. Alisertib is a highly selective, reversible, ATP-competitive, orally administered, small-molecule AURKA inhibitor with antiproliferative activity in HR+ BC-derived cell lines and BC xenograft models. Models with elevated AURKA or c-Myc expression, or RB1 LOF show greater alisertib sensitivity. Alisertib had activity in phase 1 and 2 trials, including objective response rates (ORRs) of 19.6–20% and median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.4–5.6 months alone or with fulvestrant in pts with HR+/HER2–, endocrine-resistant MBC. The most common treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) were neutropenia, anemia, and leukopenia. Methods: ALISCA-Breast1 (NCT06369285) is a randomized phase 2 study. Primary objective: to determine the optimal alisertib dose administered with endocrine therapy (ET) based on AEs and serious AEs per CTCAE v5.0 and efficacy (ORR, duration of response, disease-control rate, PFS, overall survival). Secondary objectives: to identify biomarkers of efficacy and alisertib pharmacokinetics (PK). Key inclusion criteria: ≥18 years; ECOG performance status 0 or 1; confirmed HR+, HER2–, recurrent/metastatic breast adenocarcinoma not amenable to curative therapy; available tumor tissue for biomarker analyses; progression on or after ≥2 prior ET lines in recurrent/metastatic setting; prior CDK4/6i with ET in recurrent/metastatic setting. Key exclusion criteria: prior chemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic setting; prior AURKA-specific or pan-Aurora-targeted agents; unstable brain metastases. Eligible pts will be randomized 1:1:1 to alisertib 30 mg, 40 mg, or 50 mg orally twice daily on days 1−3, 8–10, and 15–17 every 28 days, plus physician’s choice of anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane, fulvestrant, or tamoxifen not previously used in recurrent/metastatic setting or progressed upon in adjuvant setting; ≤50 pts will be enrolled per arm in the USA and Europe. All pts will undergo sparse PK sampling. Tumor tissue will be centrally assessed for biomarkers, including RB1, MYC, TP53, ESR1, PI3K/AKT pathway, HER2 and AURKA genomic alterations/expression levels. The study will determine the optimal alisertib dose to combine with ET and may identify biomarker(s) defining pts with the greatest benefit from alisertib-based therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT06369285 .
ELEPHAS-01, ELEPHAS-02 and ELEPHAS-04: Multi-institutional observational prospective clinical trials to assess the accuracy of an ex vivo live tumor fragment platform for predicting immunotherapy response.
Hernan, Hilary, Wang, Valerie, Costa, Catarina , Derrick, Jackie, Tarlazzi, Rebecca, Léonard, A., Hrycyniak, Laura , Caenepeel, Sean , Toia, Giuseppe Vincenzo, Mukhopadhyay, Debabrata, Advani, Pooja , Gierman, Hinco J. , Derrick, Jackie, Leonard, Ann C., Korrer, Michael J. , Chandra, Tarun, Ziemlewicz, Timothy J. , Lubner, Sam Joseph , Kokabi, Nima , Toia, Giuseppe V.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.tps2689 Get It

TPS2689 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, existing FDA approved companion diagnostic biomarkers like PD-L1, dMMR/MSI-H and TMB have low accuracy in predicting response. Ex vivo cytokine profiling of live tumor samples has shown promise as an improved means of predicting response to PD-1 blockade (Voabil, et al. Nat Med. 2021), but this approach has been limited to tumor resections given the need for large amounts of tissue. Here we present three clinical trials that leverage a novel approach using limited tissue from a single core needle biopsy (CNB) (20 gauge or larger). A sequential ex vivo treatment strategy is used, eliminating the need for a separate control arm and addressing challenges with tumor heterogeneity, particularly in CNBs where tissue is limiting. Using a specialized instrument, CNBs are cut into live tumor fragments (LTFs) which are viable in culture and retain the native tumor microenvironment, enabling cytokine profiling in response to ICI treatment ex vivo. Methods: ELEPHAS-01 (NCT05478538), ELEPHAS-02 (NCT05520099) and ELEPHAS-04 (NCT06349642) are observational prospective clinical trials initiated to characterize the accuracy of this approach for predicting ICI response. Over 750 patients that are being considered for standard of care (SOC) ICI therapy in the metastatic/relapse or neoadjuvant setting will be enrolled (Table). Fresh live CNBs are collected prior to treatment start and processed within 24 hrs enabling prediction of results within 72 hrs of receipt. LTFs are treated using a strategy where control (IgG) and SOC ICI treatments are performed sequentially on the same tissue in a single well. Changes in the cytokine secretion rates are then compared between ICI and control to characterize immunotherapy response. Additionally, tissue viability and tumor content measurements are used to assess tissue quality. Clinical response is measured using pathologic response in patients receiving neoadjuvant ICI therapy, while RECIST v1.1 is used in all other patients. The primary objective of these trials is to determine the platform’s ex vivo accuracy (e.g., sensitivity, specificity) for predicting clinical response to ICIs and comparing it to the accuracy of PD-L1, dMMR/MSI-H and TMB. Clinical trial information: NCT06349642 , NCT05478538 , NCT05520099 . ELEPHAS-01 (Lung) ELEPHAS-02 (Hoosier) ELEPHAS-04 (Mayo) Setting Metastatic & recurrent Metastatic & recurrent Metastatic, recurrent & neoadjuvant Tumor type Lung Bladder, kidney, colorectal, head and neck, lung, melanoma, endometrial Metastatic/recurrent: lung, skin, esophageal, cervical, endometrial, colon, liver, kidney, bladder Neoadjuvant: breast–TNBC, lung Enrollment as of 1/27/2025 26 44 20 Est. total enrollment 216 216 324 Clinical endpoints RECIST v1.1 RECIST v1.1 RECIST v1.1 & Pathologic response at surgery