Citations

Abstract Objective The validity of progression-free survival (PFS) as a surrogate for overall survival (OS) in the antibody-drug conjugate (ADCs) era remains uncertain. We evaluated the association between treatment effects on PFS and OS in randomized trials of ADCs for metastatic breast cancer (mBC) and explored the surrogate threshold effect (STE). Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for published randomized controlled phase II–IV trials evaluating ADCs in mBC and reporting hazard ratios (HRs) for both PFS and OS. A meta-epidemiological approach was used. The primary metric was the ratio of hazard ratios (rHR = HR_PFS/ HR_OS), with rHR < 1 indicating a larger effect on PFS. Trial-level associations were assessed using weighted linear regression (R²) and Spearman’s correlation. Results Twenty-one trials (n = 21; 18 phase III) evaluating nine ADCs were included. The pooled rHR was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73–0.86), indicating a larger relative effect on PFS than OS. Numerically, the largest discrepancies were observed in triple-negative disease (rHR 0.72) and trials allowing crossover (rHR 0.71). Concordant statistical significance between endpoints occurred in 76% of the trials, whereas 24% showed a significant PFS benefit without OS improvement. The trial-level association between PFS and OS was moderate (R² = 0.62; ρ = 0.67). Conclusion Treatment effects on PFS consistently exceeded those on OS, although effect directions were highly concordant between endpoints. These findings provide an exploratory framework to contextualize the relationship between PFS and OS in ADC trials, requiring further validation in diverse clinical settings.

Abstract Objectives To systematically evaluate the certainty of evidence for treatment strategies across age groups and mood phases in bipolar disorder, and develop an open access web platform to facilitate shared decision making. Design Living umbrella review, evaluation, analysis, and communication hub (U-REACH) project. Data sources PubMed, PsycInfo, and Cochrane library databases, from inception to 19 November 2024. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Systematic reviews with network or pairwise meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials of pharmacological, nutraceutical, psychosocial, brain stimulation, or circadian rhythm based treatments, administered as monotherapy (without concurrent interventions), augmentation treatment (interventions added to an ongoing treatment regimen), or combination treatment (simultaneous initiation of two different interventions), examining any age group, bipolar disorder phase (ie, acute bipolar depression, mania or mixed episodes, or maintenance), treatment, control, or outcome. Results 77 studies met the inclusion criteria (21 network meta-analyses and 56 pairwise meta-analyses), including 116 unique pharmacological (n=74), brain stimulation (n=18), nutraceutical (n=13), psychosocial (n=8), and circadian rhythm based (n=3) treatments as monotherapy, augmentation, or combination therapy, along with five control interventions. These studies covered 133 unique outcomes (45 efficacy outcomes and 88 safety outcomes) resulting in 2510 meta-analyses with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) ratings of the certainty of the evidence as high (n=236), moderate (n=827), low (n=986), and very low (n=461). A communication hub, the Evidence Based Interventions for Bipolar Disorder (EBI-BD) platform, was developed and the full results are freely available ( https://ebibd-database.org ), including the preference based tool (12 interventions and 17 safety outcomes). Interventions effective across outcomes varied by phases. For bipolar depression, effective interventions in adults were cariprazine, divalproex or valproate, fluoxetine, ketamine (augmentation), lamotrigine, lumateperone, lurasidone, olanzapine, olanzapine with fluoxetine, and quetiapine, whereas effective interventions in children and adolescents were lurasidone and olanzapine with fluoxetine. For mania episodes, effective interventions in adults were aripiprazole, asenapine, carbamazepine, cariprazine, divalproex or valproate, haloperidol, lithium, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine (also augmentation), risperidone (also as augmentation), tamoxifen, and ziprasidone, whereas effective interventions in children and adolescents were aripiprazole, asenapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. For maintenance, interventions effective across outcomes in adults were aripiprazole (also the long acting injectable formulation), asenapine, divalproex or valproate, lithium, olanzapine, group psychoeducation (augmentation), quetiapine, and risperidone long acting injectable formulation. Interventions effective across phases were aripiprazole (also as augmentation and as a long acting injectable formulation), asenapine, cariprazine, cognitive behavioural therapy (augmentation), divalproex or valproate, lamotrigine, lithium, olanzapine (also as augmentation), paliperidone, quetiapine (also as augmentation), and risperidone (also as augmentation and the long acting injectable formulation) (adults). Treatment effects by neuroscience based nomenclature classes are also reported. Conclusions The EBI-BD tool can help clinicians make evidence based, personalised treatment decisions for bipolar disorder. This resource can inform clinical guidelines and provides a foundation for continuously improving bipolar disorder care as new evidence emerges. Trial registration Open Science Framework https://osf.io/pjmvn/ Readers’ note This is a living systematic review and may be updated in the next two years if additional evidence emerges.

Background: Rural communities face worsening surgical access because of hospital closures and workforce shortages. Although osteopathic physicians have historically practiced in rural settings, their contribution to the contemporary rural surgical workforce remains poorly defined. Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of 74,404 US attending surgeons across seven specialties using the 2023 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Doctors and Clinicians database. Practice addresses were linked to 2020 Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes, Area Deprivation Index quintiles, and census tract population density. Rural practice (mean Rural-Urban Commuting Area score ≥4) was modeled using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for specialty, graduation cohort, sex, Census division, and state urbanization, with state-clustered standard errors. Results: Rural practice was more common among DO than MD surgeons (18.3% vs 9.7%; risk difference, 8.6 percentage points; 95% CI, 7.6–9.6). Across all specialties, DO surgeons practiced in more socioeconomically deprived communities. After adjustment, DO surgeons had twice the odds of rural practice compared with MD surgeons (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.85–2.28). Rural areas had 13.8 surgeons per 100,000 residents versus 23.6 per 100,000 in metropolitan areas. Surgeons graduating in 2010 or later had approximately half the odds of rural practice compared with those graduating in 1979 or earlier (adjusted OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.42–0.56). Conclusions: Osteopathic surgeons disproportionately practice in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, identifying an important workforce component for maintaining rural surgical access. The declining likelihood of rural practice among more recent training cohorts raises concerns regarding the future rural surgical workforce.

Background Randomized trials have shown equivocal outcomes between a direct aspiration as first-pass technique (ADAPT) and stent retriever (SR) stroke thrombectomy, yet whether specific patient subgroups benefit differentially from one technique over the other remains unknown. Methods In this retrospective multicenter cohort study, patients with large vessel occlusion were included, and those who underwent ADAPT versus SR first-pass thrombectomy (either as standalone or combined with aspiration) were compared. The primary outcome was a composite of first-pass effect (FPE, modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2c or better with one attempt) with no symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). A causal forest model was used to estimate the conditional average treatment effect (CATE) for each patient, with larger CATEs indicating that ADAPT is expected to be more advantageous. Patients were stratified by CATEs, and outcomes were compared between treatment groups. Results Among 6700 included patients, ADAPT (n=3695, 55%) was associated with a higher rate of FPE with no sICH (39.9% vs 26.9%; adjusted OR (aOR) 2.07, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.41, P<0.001). The causal forest identified significant treatment effect heterogeneity (interaction P<0.001), where ADAPT was more advantageous in more recent years and among patients with M1 occlusions presenting in earlier time windows. Low-CATE patients showed no statistically significant difference between techniques (aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.45, P=0.70), while medium- and high-CATE patients demonstrated progressively larger ADAPT advantages (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.67 to 2.55, and aOR 2.99, 95% CI 2.24 to 3.98, respectively, both P<0.001). Conclusions ADAPT may be superior to SR for a majority of patients, particularly in recent years, and among patients with M1 occlusions presenting in earlier time windows.

Abstract Prediction errors (PEs) drive perceptual learning by updating internal models of the sensory environment, yet it remains unclear how attention reshapes their representation across distributed thalamocortical circuits. Using intracranial stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) from 17 patients performing a roving auditory oddball task under attended and unattended conditions, we quantified PE encoding using mutual information and co-information to capture redundant and synergistic PE representations. Attention modulated PE encoding in both the thalamus and the temporal cortex, but with distinct informational dynamics. Thalamic encoding showed a stable reduction of PE information during distraction, consistent with state-dependent thalamocortical gating. In contrast, the temporal cortex expressed two opposing learning trajectories during attended listening that converged once attention was diverted, revealing distinct cortical learning regimes rather than a uniform attentional effect. Attention further reorganized the informational content of cortical PE representations by altering the balance between redundant and synergistic information. A biologically constrained neural network showed that attention-dependent changes in inhibition and long-range connectivity reproduced these dynamics through Hebbian learning. Together, these findings suggest that attention regulates predictive learning not simply by changing the strength of PE responses, but by reshaping how distributed thalamocortical circuits represent and integrate sensory evidence over time.

Abstract Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition marked by episodic airway narrowing, with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) a common trigger. Up to 70% of athletes experience EIB-related symptoms, yet current management relies on reactive treatment rather than early physiological monitoring. This study presents a proof-of-concept multimodal wearable platform integrating impedance pneumography (IPG), electrocardiography (ECG), and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensing to detect early physiological signatures of EIB. Candidate biomarkers include elevated heart rate, increased respiratory rate, and reduced thoracic impedance amplitude. Real-time embedded algorithms perform on-device feature extraction and threshold-based decision logic without cloud dependence, while IMU data provide posture context for signal interpretation. The system was evaluated through subsystem validation and a resistive-breathing protocol simulating bronchoconstriction. Results demonstrate reliable detection of characteristic cardiorespiratory changes, establishing the feasibility of real-time wearable detection of early EIB markers and supporting future large-cohort validation and form-factor refinement.

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of responsive thalamic stimulation as adjunctive therapy for drug‐resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) with generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCSs). Methods NAUTILUS is a prospective, multicenter, single‐blind, randomized sham‐controlled pivotal trial. Patients were ≥12 years of age with drug‐resistant IGE and ≥2 GTCSs over a 3‐month baseline. Bilateral depth leads were targeted to the centromedian thalamus. One month later, patients were randomized to Active (responsive stimulation, n = 44) or Sham (no stimulation, n = 43). The effectiveness evaluation period (EEP) began 3 months postimplant through 1 year. After a second GTCS in the EEP, patients transitioned to open‐label active stimulation. The primary safety endpoint was the serious adverse device‐related event (SADE) rate at 84 days postimplant. The primary effectiveness endpoint was time‐to‐second‐GTCS during the EEP. Additional endpoints included median percent change in days with any generalized seizure, GTCS frequency, and responder rate (RR). Results Eighty‐seven patients were implanted across 23 US centers. The SADE rate was significantly below the performance goal (6.9%, p < .0001), with no adverse effects on cognition, mood, or sleep. The prespecified primary effectiveness endpoint was not significant. However, a post hoc mixed‐effects model considering all EEP days demonstrated greater GTCS reduction in the originally randomized Active group (61%) compared to patients originally randomized to Sham (49%, p = .030). Eighteen‐month outcomes included 76.8% median GTCS reduction, 62.5% RR, 40% GTCS‐free at that timepoint, and 77.8% median reduction in days with any generalized seizure. More than 90% of patients and 86% of physicians reported improvement on Global Impression of Change scales. Significance NAUTILUS is the first randomized controlled neuromodulation trial in IGE. Responsive thalamic stimulation provided a clinically meaningful and durable reduction in seizures with an acceptable safety profile, offering a much‐needed option for drug‐resistant IGE.

639 Background: Large cohort studies have shown a survival benefit with the use of GLP1 receptor agonists (GLP1 RA) in cancer patients. The impact of GLP1 RA usage in breast cancer (BC) and the different subtypes is unknown. To investigate the potential influence of GLP1 RA usage on BC survival, a study was conducted on a large institutional database. Methods: A de-identified institutional database identified newly diagnosed Stage I, II, and III BC patients from 2005 to present and use of GLP1 RA. The study compared survival rates for BC patients with and without GLP1 RA and further stratified by BC subtype [ER+HER2-, HER2+, ER-PR-HER2-(triple negative BC (TNBC))], BMI, and age. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate overall survival. This study analyzed de-identified data accessed through Mayo Clinic Platform Discover. Per 45 CFR 46.102, this activity did not require IRB review. Data was extracted using an established privacy-preserving protocol and de-identified via expert determination under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Raw EHR data and other unreported data cannot be shared due to de-identification parameters. Results: 88015 BC patients were identified, of which 3919 (4.5%) received GLP1 RA. The 5-year survival rate was 98.5% with vs 85.5% without GLP1 RA (p-value <0.0001). The survival benefit persisted for different BMI’s and ages: BMI >30 (98.4% vs 85.1%), >25 (98.4% vs 85.4%), and age <50 (99.5% vs 89.3%) and >50 (98.1% vs 84.8%) [all p<0.0001]. 21770 patients with ER+ disease were identified, of which 1412 (6.5%) received GLP1 RA. The 5-year survival rate was 99.0% vs 87.7% (p-value <0.0001). The survival benefit persisted by BMI and age: BMI >30 (99.0% vs 86.2%), >25 (98.9% vs 87.1%) and age <50 (99.6% vs 90.5%) and >50 (98.7% vs 87.2%) [all p<0.0001]. 3599 patients with HER2+ disease were identified, of which 202 (5.6%) received GLP1 RA. The 5-year survival rate was 99.3% vs 80.1% (p-value <0.0001). The survival benefit persisted by stratification: BMI >30 (100.0% vs 80.0%, p-value <0.0004), and <25 (97.7% vs 76.2%, p-value <0.019), and age <50 (100% vs 87.0%, p-value <0.043) and > 50 (99.0% vs 77.2%, p-value <0.0002). 8389 patients with TNBC disease were identified, of which 360 (4.3%) received GLP1 RA. The 5-year survival rate was 91.0% vs 71.9% (p-value <0.0001). The survival benefit persisted by stratification: BMI >30 (96.4% vs 72.9%, p-value <0.0001), >25 (93.2% vs 71.8%, p-value <0.0001), and age <50 (96.0% vs 73.0%, p-value <0.0028) and >50 (88.9% vs 71.8%, p-value <0.0001). For those TNBC patients who received GLP1 RA, having a BMI >30 conferred a protective effect with a 5-year survival rate was 97.9 vs 89.8% (p-value <0.0014). Conclusions: The study suggests that GLP1-RA improves 5-year survival rates of patients with BC and this applies to all subtypes of BC. These results suggest that further study of the impact of GLP1-RA on BC patients is warranted.

536 Background: Folate receptor alpha (FRα) is overexpressed in ~80% of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). We previously demonstrated that patients (pts) with breast cancer naturally mount immune responses to FRα. In prior Phase I and II studies, a GM-CSF-adjuvanted FRα peptide vaccine (FRPV) was safe and induced durable FRα-specific T-cell immunity in 83–90% of pts with breast and ovarian cancer. Methods: Eligible pts were women ≥18 years with TNBC (ER/PR ≤10%) with 1+ of the following: stage ≥T1c disease, node-positivity, or residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Pts were randomized 2:1 to receive FRPV or placebo (GM-CSF alone) every 28 days for cycles 2-7 and then every six months for 7 booster doses, with cycle 1 consisting of cyclophosphamide 50mg orally twice daily for days 1-7 and 15-21 (in both arms). Randomization was stratified by chemotherapy setting (adjuvant only vs neoadjuvant) and stage (I/II vs III). FRα expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The study was designed to detect (at 30 months after the last pt enrolled) a disease-free survival (DFS) difference of 14% assuming a 3.5-year DFS rate of 70% in the control group and with 78% power. Results: 280 pts were enrolled (median age 52). The majority had stage I or II tumors (n = 219, 78%). There were numerically more node-positive tumors in the vaccine arm, 78 (41%) vs 27 (32%), p = 0.15. Median follow-up was 3.5 years, and 33 (FRPV: 25, placebo: 8) DFS events were observed; 3.5-year DFS rate was 88% with FRPV and 90% with placebo (HR 1.42, 95% CI 0.64–3.15; p = 0.39). Overall survival (OS) also did not differ by arm (HR 2.48, 95% CI 0.55–11.20; p = 0.22). Among node-positive pts (n = 105), DFS did not differ between arms (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.34–2.66; p = 0.92). However, a numerical DFS event rate improvement (14% for vaccine vs. 26% for placebo) was observed in 61 patients with stage III disease (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.16–1.68; p = 0.26). DFS did not differ by chemotherapy setting or by receipt of anthracycline, capecitabine, and/or an immune checkpoint inhibitor. FRPV was well tolerated, with predominantly grade 1–2 adverse events (AEs) and no vaccine-related grade ≥4 AEs. FRα expression was available from tumor in 230 pts, with 72% expressing > 0. Overall, DFS was not significantly associated with FRα expression (0 vs > 0; HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.21–1.44; p = 0.21), and no significant differences in DFS by FRα expression were observed between treatment arms. Conclusions: FRPV following oral cyclophosphamide was safe, with no vaccine-related high-grade AEs. While no significant improvement in DFS or OS was observed overall, a numeric trend toward improved DFS was observed in pts with stage III TNBC. This finding is hypothesis-generating and supports further evaluation of FRα-targeted vaccination in higher-risk TNBC. Immune correlative analyses are ongoing to better define vaccine immunogenicity and its relationship to clinical outcomes. Clinical trial information: W81XWH-15-1-0293.