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Importance The clinical effects of risankizumab (a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the p19 subunit of IL-23) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis are unknown. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of risankizumab when administered as an induction and a maintenance therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis. Design, Setting, and Participants Two phase 3 randomized clinical trials were conducted. The induction trial was conducted at 261 clinical centers (in 41 countries) and enrolled 977 patients from November 5, 2020, to August 4, 2022 (final follow-up on May 16, 2023). The maintenance trial was conducted at 238 clinical centers (in 37 countries) and enrolled 754 patients from August 28, 2018, to March 30, 2022 (final follow-up on April 11, 2023). Eligible patients had moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis; a history of intolerance or inadequate response to 1 or more conventional therapies, advanced therapies, or both types of therapies; and no prior exposure to risankizumab. Interventions For the induction trial, patients were randomized 2:1 to receive 1200 mg of risankizumab or placebo administered intravenously at weeks 0, 4, and 8. For the maintenance trial, patients with a clinical response (determined using the adapted Mayo score) after intravenous treatment with risankizumab were randomized 1:1:1 to receive subcutaneous treatment with 180 mg or 360 mg of risankizumab or placebo (no longer receiving risankizumab) every 8 weeks for 52 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was clinical remission (stool frequency score ≤1 and not greater than baseline, rectal bleeding score of 0, and endoscopic subscore ≤1 without friability) at week 12 for the induction trial and at week 52 for the maintenance trial. Results Among the 975 patients analyzed in the induction trial (aged 42.1 [SD, 13.8] years; 586/973 [60.1%] were male; and 677 [69.6%] were White), the clinical remission rates at week 12 were 132/650 (20.3%) for 1200 mg of risankizumab and 20/325 (6.2%) for placebo (adjusted between-group difference, 14.0% [95% CI, 10.0%-18.0%], P < .001). Among the 548 patients analyzed in the maintenance trial (aged 40.9 [SD, 14.0] years; 313 [57.1%] were male; and 407 [74.3%] were White), the clinical remission rates at week 52 were 72/179 (40.2%) for 180 mg of risankizumab, 70/186 (37.6%) for 360 mg of risankizumab, and 46/183 (25.1%) for placebo (adjusted between-group difference for 180 mg of risankizumab vs placebo, 16.3% [97.5% CI, 6.1%-26.6%], P < .001; adjusted between-group difference for 360 mg of risankizumab vs placebo, 14.2% [97.5% CI, 4.0%-24.5%], P = .002). No new safety risks were detected in the treatment groups. Conclusion and Relevance Compared with placebo, risankizumab improved clinical remission rates in an induction trial and in a maintenance trial for patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Further study is needed to identify benefits beyond the 52-week follow-up. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT03398148 and NCT03398135

Postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC) represent an urgent public health challenge and are estimated to affect more than 60 million individuals globally. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that dysregulated immune reactions may be linked with PASC symptoms, most investigations have primarily centered around blood-based studies, with few focusing on samples derived from affected tissues. Furthermore, clinical studies alone often provide correlative insights rather than causal mechanisms. Thus, it is essential to compare clinical samples with relevant animal models and conduct functional experiments to understand the etiology of PASC. In this study, we comprehensively compared bronchoalveolar lavage fluid single-cell RNA sequencing data derived from clinical PASC samples and a mouse model of PASC. This revealed a pro-fibrotic monocyte-derived macrophage response in respiratory PASC, as well as abnormal interactions between pulmonary macrophages and respiratory resident T cells, in both humans and mice. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) emerged as a key node mediating the immune anomalies in respiratory PASC. Neutralizing IFN-γ after the resolution of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection reduced lung inflammation and tissue fibrosis in mice. Together, our study underscores the importance of performing comparative analysis to understand the cause of PASC and suggests that the IFN-γ signaling axis might represent a therapeutic target.

AbstractA 3D‐printed array of hollow microneedles (HMNs) is designed and fabricated using a high‐resolution stereolithography 3D printer and assembled with a 3D‐printed reservoir that incorporates a Luer lock mechanism, ensuring standard and secure connection to syringes. The proof‐of‐concept needle designs consist of half‐eccentric and concentric conical tip shapes, each arrayed with two different interspacing values. After the geometrical features of the devices are characterized, the devices are tested ex vivo in porcine skin to evaluate the impact of tip shape and interspacing on the depth of penetration and the efficacy of the devices in delivering fluids (such as tattoo ink) into the dermis. Overall, the 3D‐printed HMNs can deliver fluids into the target layer of skin. Refinement of the design is ongoing with the ultimate aim to provide alternatives for intradermal drug delivery and diagnostic imaging, such as superficial lymphography.

LBA7005 Background: Despite recent advances, there remains a need for novel therapies for pts with R/R DLBCL. BV, an anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate, has shown efficacy and safety when combined with lenalidomide (len) and with rituximab (R) in heavily pretreated populations (Bartlett 2022; Ward 2022). The double-blind, global phase 3 ECHELON-3 study (NCT04404283) compared BV with R+len (R2) vs R2 in pts with R/R DLBCL who are ineligible for HSCT or CAR T-cell therapy. Here, we present results from the interim analysis (IA) for overall survival (OS). Methods: Pts with R/R DLBCL received BV+R2 or placebo+R2 (randomized 1:1). Pts received BV (1.2 mg/kg) or placebo q3w, R (375 mg/m2) q3w, and len (20 mg) qd. The primary endpoint was OS in the intent-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and complete response (CR) rate. The preplanned IA was performed at 134 OS events with a prespecified efficacy boundary of 2-sided P=0.0232. Results: 230 pts were randomized: 112 to BV+R2 and 118 to R2; all but 2 pts (both in R2 arm) received ≥1 dose of study drug. Median age was 71 yrs (range, 21-89), 56.5% were male, and 10.9% had an ECOG of 2. Median prior lines of therapy was 3 (range, 2-8); 29% had prior CAR T-cell therapy and 68% were CD30- (<1% CD30 tumor expression). At median follow-up of 16.4 months (mos) (range, 0.1-31.5) (cut-off: January 22, 2024), median OS was 13.8 mos (95% CI: 10.3-18.8) with BV+R2 vs 8.5 mos (95% CI: 5.4-11.7) with R2 (HR 0.629; 95% CI: 0.445-0.891; P=0.0085); OS benefit was consistent across key subgroups. Median PFS was 4.2 mos (95% CI: 2.9-7.1) with BV+R2 vs 2.6 mos (95% CI: 1.4-3.1) with R2 (HR 0.527; 95% CI: 0.380-0.729; P<0.0001). ORR was 64.3% (95% CI: 54.7-73.1) with BV+R2 vs 41.5% with R2 (95% CI: 32.5-51.0; P=0.0006); CR rate was 40.2% vs 18.6%, respectively. In CD30+ vs CD30- subgroups, ORR/CR was 72.2%/38.9% vs 60.5%/40.8% with BV+R2, respectively, and 50.0%/26.3% vs 37.5%/15.0% with R2, respectively. Efficacy analysis including cell of origin will be presented. The safety profile of BV+R2 was tolerable vs R2: Grade (Gr) ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were 88% vs 77%, serious TEAEs were 60% vs 50%, and Gr 5 TEAEs were 12% vs 8%, respectively. Most common TEAEs were neutropenia (46% vs 32%), anemia (29% vs 27%), and diarrhea (31% vs 23%). Rates of peripheral neuropathy for BV+R2 vs R2 were 31% vs 24% (all Gr) and 6% vs 2% (Gr 3). Median treatment duration was 3.6 mos with BV+R2 vs 2.0 mos with R2. Conclusions: Treatment with BV+R2 triplet, compared to R2, demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in all key efficacy outcomes including OS in high-risk subgroups, with manageable safety. This triplet regimen represents a novel treatment option for pts with heavily pretreated R/R DLBCL. Clinical trial information: NCT04404283 .

Abstract Background: In breast cancer, the spatial relationship between immune and tumor cells is increasingly recognized as critical in determining the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). This study investigated how the distribution of immune cells, particularly CD8+ T cells, relative to tumor cells affects treatment outcomes. Methods: Biopsies from 104 breast cancer patients were examined, both pre- and post-NAT, using multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). This study focused on the density and distribution of CD8+ T cells, CD68+ macrophages, FoxP3+ regulatory T cells, and other immune markers. Results: The spatial proximity of CD8+ T cells within 20 µm of cancer cells (N20-CD8+T) was strongly correlated with improved clinical outcomes across diverse tumor subtypes and NAT regimens. A significant post-NAT decrease in CD4+, CD68+, and FoxP3+ cells highlights notable shifts in the tumor immune landscape. A noteworthy finding was the positive correlation between CXCL9 expression and N20-CD8+T cells, suggesting a mechanism for immune cell recruitment and interaction within the tumor microenvironment. These results highlight the complex interplay among NAT, immune cell modifications, and patient outcomes. Conclusions: This study revealed that the proximity of N20-CD8+ T cells to tumor cells is consistently associated with favorable NAT outcomes, transcending tumor subtypes, and treatment differences. This highlights the potential of immune cell dynamics, especially CD8+ T cells, as predictive biomarkers for therapeutic responses in breast cancer, underscoring their vital role in tumor immunity.

Objective Previous studies indicate that eosinophils are recruited into the allograft following orthotopic liver transplantation and protect from ischaemia reperfusion (IR) injury. In the current studies, we aim to explore whether their protective function could outlast during liver repair. Design Eosinophil-deficient mice and adoptive transfer of bone marrow-derived eosinophils (bmEos) were employed to investigate the effects of eosinophils on tissue repair and regeneration after hepatic IR injury. Aside from exogenous cytokine or neutralising antibody treatments, mechanistic studies made use of a panel of mouse models of eosinophil-specific IL-4/IL-13-deletion, cell-specific IL-4rα-deletion in liver macrophages and hepatocytes and macrophage-specific deletion of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (hb-egf). Result We observed that eosinophils persisted over a week following hepatic IR injury. Their peak accumulation coincided with that of hepatocyte proliferation. Functional studies showed that eosinophil deficiency was associated with a dramatic delay in liver repair, which was normalised by the adoptive transfer of bmEos. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that eosinophil-derived IL-4, but not IL-13, was critically involved in the reparative function of these cells. The data further revealed a selective role of macrophage-dependent IL-4 signalling in liver regeneration. Eosinophil-derived IL-4 stimulated macrophages to produce HB-EGF. Moreover, macrophage-specific hb-egf deletion impaired hepatocyte regeneration after IR injury. Conclusion Together, these studies uncovered an indispensable role of eosinophils in liver repair after acute injury and identified a novel crosstalk between eosinophils and macrophages through the IL-4/HB-EGF axis.

Abstract Background: Germline Pathogenic Variants (PVs) in ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, and PALB2 are known to increase breast cancer (BCa) risk, but the effect of these PVs on tumor biology is not well-understood. Ki-67 is an established prognostic marker in hormone receptor (HR) positive breast cancer but the distribution of Ki-67 in breast cancer associated with germline PVs is not known. Methods: The study included patients with loco-regional (Stage I-III) HR-positive (ER+ or PR+), HER2-negative invasive ductal or lobular breast cancer evaluated at Mayo Clinic for curative intent treatment between 2012 and 2021. PV carrier status was ascertained in more than two-thirds of cases from germline whole exome sequencing (Regeneron) of patients who participated in a prospective registry at Mayo Clinic. Additional PV carriers were identified through a review of the results of clinical germline genetic testing in electronic medical records aided by natural language processing. Clinically performed Ki-67 values were abstracted from electronic medical records and analyzed as continuous and categorical variables (low: &lt; 20% vs. high: ≥20%). Throughout the timeline of the study, a consistent method for assessment of Ki-67 was utilized at Mayo Clinic, Rochester: Immunohistochemical staining of the Ki-67 antigen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue was performed using MIB-1 clone, the scanned slides were reviewed by a technologist and traced areas further analyzed for Ki-67 using Aperio Software. Patients who received neoadjuvant therapy prior to the assessment of Ki-67, with metastatic disease at diagnosis, with PVs in two or more genes of interest, or unknown germline PV or Ki-67 status were excluded from the analysis. Multiple primary tumors in the same patient diagnosed within one year of each other were analyzed independently. The control (non-carrier) group included randomly selected patients from the prospective registry who tested negative for PVs in the five genes over the same time period. Ki-67 values were compared between germline PV carriers and non-carriers in a multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for sex, race, age at diagnosis, stage at presentation, and histology of the tumor. Results: A total of 113 HR+/HER2- tumors from 111 PV carriers (ATM: 27, BRCA1: 24, BRCA2: 28, CHEK2: 22, and PALB2:12) along with 431 HR+/HER2- tumors from 422 randomly selected non-carriers were evaluated. The majority (&gt;95%) of patients were non-Hispanic White. Germline PV carriers in each gene were diagnosed at a significantly younger age (P&lt; 0.05) compared to non-carriers. The median Ki-67 value was 12 (Range: 1 to 93) for non-carriers, 16 (Range: 0 to 79) for ATM, 31 (Range: 4 to 86) for BRCA1, 30 (Range: 6 to 80) for BRCA2, 13 (Range: 1 to 38) for CHEK2, and 20 (Range: 3 to 46) for PALB2 PV carriers. In multivariable analysis, compared to non-carriers, we observed significantly higher odds of a high Ki67 value (≥20%) for tumors arising from germline PV carriers in BRCA1 (Odds Ratio (OR): 7.3, 95%CI: 2.3 – 23.3, p&lt; 0.001), BRCA2 (OR: 3.0, 95%CI: 1.2 – 7.4, p=0.02) and PALB2 (OR: 3.9, 95%CI: 1.1 – 14.5, p=0.04). No such relationship was observed with either ATM (OR: 1.1, 95%CI: 0.4 – 2.9, p=0.81) or CHEK2 (OR: 0.8, 95%CI: 0.3 – 2.2, p=0.63). Conclusion: This study reveals that HR+/HER2- tumors in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 PV carriers have a significantly higher Ki-67 expression compared to non-carriers. These findings have implications for understanding prognosis and endocrine response PV with HR+ breast cancer. Further exploration of the relationships between Ki67 and germline PV status is necessary to personalize systemic therapy options in germline PV carriers. Acknowledgments: Thank you to Regeneron Genetics Center. The study was funded in part by the NIH Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer [P50CA116201] to Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Department of Oncology Small Grants Program, and the Paul Calabresi Program at Mayo Clinic Citation Format: Robert Scheel, Grace Choong, Tara Rao, Nicholas Boddicker, Chunling Hu, Jie Na, Vinod Kaggal, Sean Murphy, Karthik Giridhar, Saba Yasir, Matthew Goetz, Fergus Couch, Siddhartha Yadav. Ki-67 Expression in Breast Cancer associated with ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2 and PALB2 Pathogenic Variants [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-08-07.