Citations

Abstract Background: [212Pb]VMT-a-NET is a novel, next generation alpha therapy agent for advanced somatostatin receptor 2 positive (SSTR2+) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Here, we present safety and efficacy update from the dose-finding phase 1/2a clinical trial (NCT05636618). Methods: Adults with well-differentiated unresectable or metastatic NETs, who were peptide receptor radionuclide therapy-naïve, showed progressive disease after at least one prior line of systemic therapy and demonstrated SSTR2-expression on PET images were treated with up to four cycles of study therapy at the assigned dose level. Participants were followed for dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation up to 42 days after the first dose. Efficacy was evaluated by investigators according to RECIST criteria v1.1. Results: As of 10-Dec-2025 (data cut-off [DCO]) a total of 56 participants were enrolled into Cohorts 1, 2 and 3, and received at least 1 dose of [212Pb]VMT-a-NET (n=2 in Cohort 1, n=46 in Cohort 2, and n=8 in Cohort 3 at a dose level of 2.5 mCi, 5 mCi, and 6 mCi, respectively). For data analysis purposes, participants were categorized into two different groups: a safety group and an efficacy group. The safety group included all participants treated by the DCO (n=56), while the efficacy group included only the Cohort 1 participants (n=2) and the first half of participants treated in Cohort 2 (n=23). Among all participants treated with at least 1 dose of [212Pb]VMT-a-NET (n=56), no DLTs, no grade 5 adverse events (AEs), no treatment-related discontinuations, no serious renal complications, no dysphagia and no clinically significant treatment-related myelosuppression were observed. Median follow-up time for all patients treated was 40 weeks (range: 6-97). Among the 25 participants followed for efficacy (n=2 in Cohort 1 and n=23 in Cohort 2), 19 out of 25 were with no progression as of the DCO. Median follow-up time for participants included in the efficacy group was 49 weeks (range: 6-97). Investigator-assessed RECIST v1.1 objective responses were observed in 9 out of 23 participants (39%) enrolled in the first half of Cohort 2 (8 confirmed). The 2 patients enrolled in Cohort 1 at 2.5 mCi still have stable disease after 2 years of follow up. Updated safety outcomes for all participants along with updated efficacy findings for participants in Cohorts 1 and 2 with sufficient maturity will be presented during the congress. Conclusions: Treatment with [212Pb]VMT-α-NET continues to be well-tolerated among all patients treated (n=56), and to show promising efficacy at the dose levels of 2.5 mCi and 5 mCi. The study is ongoing with Cohort 3 (6 mCi) currently open for enrollment. Citation Format: Thorvardur R. Halfdanarson, Richard L. Wahl, Vineeth Sukrithan, Brandon R. Mancini, Seyed A. Mosallaie, Savitha Balaraman, Gregory S. Sibley, Jason Starr, Lowell B. Anthony, Chih Y. Liao, Samuel H. Mehr, Jared Weiss, Robert A. Ramirez, Lucia Baratto, Wenjing Yang, Alaa Hanna, Stephen M. Keefe, Markus Puhlmann, Vikas Prasad. [212Pb]VMT-a-NET in advanced SSTR2+ neuroendocrine tumors: safety and preliminary efficacy results from dose-finding cohorts 1,2 and 3 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT088.

OBJECTIVE Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) are rare cerebrovascular anomalies. Tentorial dAVFs (TDAVFs) have more aggressive features, making them prone to symptomatic presentations and hemorrhage. TDAVFs are heterogenous and require tailored surgical approaches. Presented is a multicenter analysis of TDAVF surgical outcomes. METHODS The Consortium for Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Outcomes Research (CONDOR) consortium compiled data on dAVFs from 16 international centers from 1990 to 2021 retrospectively. Microsurgical treatment success was defined as angiographically confirmed complete obliteration of the fistula or discontinuation of cortical venous drainage (CVD) in high-grade TDAVFs. TDAVF subtypes and tailored surgical approaches were reviewed. RESULTS Of 1360 patients in CONDOR, 161 had TDAVFs and 27% (44/161) of these patients underwent surgical management, with the majority (52% [23/44]) receiving surgery as a salvage treatment following failed embolization. The mean age (SD) of this cohort was 56 (15) years, and 68% (30/44) were male. In total, 91% (40/44) of surgically treated patients presented with aggressive symptoms: 64% (28/44) presented with hemorrhage and 27% (12/44) with nonhemorrhagic neurological deficit (NHND). The median (IQR) duration from symptom onset to diagnosis was 1 (1–4) day. The median time (IQR) between diagnosis and surgery was 15 (3–80) days. Surgical approaches varied across the cohort, with the retrosigmoid being the most common (44% [18/41]), followed by the midline suboccipital (24% [10/41]) and occipital (15% [6/41]) approaches. Perioperative complications occurred in 11% (5/44) of cases, as well as permanent neurological deficits in 2% (1/44). Surgical success was achieved in 90% of patients (38/42). During the mean 3-year follow-up, 2 patients experienced a recurrence of their fistula including representation of CVD (2/38 [5%]) and 1 patient had a new NHND (1/43 [2%]). Shorter symptom duration was significantly associated with success (15.6 vs 181.5 days, p = 0.001). Primary versus salvage microsurgery showed no difference in outcomes. Both patients with recurrent fistula were effectively treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery. CONCLUSIONS Resection is safe and durable for the treatment of TDAVF not otherwise amenable to embolization. It can achieve a high degree of success with a low rate of perioperative complications and permanent neurological deficits, benefits far exceeding the risks associated with TDAVF natural history or management with less effective modalities.

Abstract Purpose: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces frequent and durable responses in metastatic deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer, yet substantial molecular heterogeneity and resistance remain. We sought to identify candidate tumor- and immune-related biomarkers associated with clinical outcomes following anti–PD-1 therapy. Experimental Design: Consecutive patients with metastatic dMMR colorectal cancer (N = 39) treated with anti–PD-1 therapy underwent tumor profiling using a validated immune-enhanced exome and transcriptome platform. Microsatellite instability (MSI) burden was quantified as the percentage of unstable microsatellite loci using MSIsensor-pro. Associations with objective response were evaluated, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Higher MSI burden was associated with improved objective response (P = 0.018) and survival. The dichotomized MSI level (Q2–4 vs. Q1) was associated with longer PFS [hazard ratio (HR), 0.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06–0.56; P = 0.003] and OS (HR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.07–0.58; P = 0.003), with similar results when modeled continuously. MSI burden correlated with neoantigen clonality but not burden (R = 0.53, P = 0.01). Responders exhibited significantly greater T-cell receptor repertoire diversity; both T- and B-cell receptor diversities were associated with survival. Although human leukocyte antigen (HLA) A, HLA-B, and HLA-C expression was not prognostic, the HLA-B*07:02 allele was associated with the best overall response. In contrast, overexpression of immune exhaustion–related genes and cytotoxic T-cell and natural killer cell exhaustion phenotypes were associated with ICB resistance and poorer prognosis. Conclusions: Integrated exome/transcriptome profiling with MSI quantification identified MSI burden and adaptive immune repertoire diversity as potential correlates of response and survival following ICB. These findings suggest a mechanistic link among genomic instability, antigen recognition diversity, and immunotherapy benefit.

Cognitive impairment in sepsis survivors is a growing clinical challenge as the number of sepsis cases rise and acute mortality rates fall. It is estimated that up to 70% of sepsis patients experience cognitive dysfunction and many report persistent dysfunction post‐sepsis. Cognitive impairment is a broad term that refers to sepsis‐associated brain dysfunction or encephalopathy (SABD or SAE, respectively). While many contributors, such as inflammation, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, and extended microglial activation are implicated in SABD/SAE development, much is still unknown regarding the underlying mechanistic causes of persistent cognitive defects in sepsis survivors. Here, we employed cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to model surgical sepsis in mice, after which mice were subjected to multiple memory function assays for up to 2 months post‐sepsis. Furthermore, single‐cell RNA sequencing and validation studies were performed with murine hippocampi to query alterations in the brain microenvironment. Our study shows that CLP mice exhibited decreased spontaneous alternation at 4 weeks and decreases in both short‐ and long‐term recognition (at 6 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively) accompanied by substantially altered cell type makeup of the hippocampus, including hippocampal neuron and pericyte loss. Finally, transcriptional alterations in the macrophage populations implicate aberrant activation in CLP survivors. In conclusion, post‐sepsis mice exhibit reduced memory capacity and altered hippocampal cell composition and transcriptional profiles. This study and associated data set will be valuable for further investigation of the underlying pathophysiology of SABD/SAE and elucidation of potential therapeutic candidates.

PURPOSE Since 2012, several states have implemented mandatory paid sick leave (PSL) policies. PSL can provide patients time and income continuity to undergo screening and/or timely diagnostic workup for new cancer-related symptoms and complete lengthy and expensive cancer treatment courses. This study aimed to examine the association between mandatory PSL policies and cancer stage at diagnosis and overall survival (OS). METHODS Adults age 18-64 years diagnosed with cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program registries between 2010 and 2019. Difference-in-differences (DID) analyses were used to compare absolute changes in stage I and stage IV diagnoses and 1-year OS before and after policy implementation in states that enacted mandatory PSL relative to states that did not enact such policies. RESULTS A total of 1,052,307 patients with cancer were included. In adjusted DID analyses, there were a 0.83 (95% CI = –1.49 to –0.16, P = .014) PP decrease in stage IV diagnoses and a 0.63 (95% CI = 0.10 to 1.17, P = .021) PP increase in 1-year OS associated with implementation of mandatory PSL policies. In exploratory analyses, males and individuals with lung cancer experienced the greatest shifts in policy-associated changes in stage at diagnosis and OS. CONCLUSION PSL policy implementation is associated with decreased late-stage diagnoses and improved OS in patients with cancer. Policies that improve opportunities to receive medical care may facilitate earlier cancer detection and ultimately contribute to better patient outcomes.

Abstract Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an unusual, but increasingly recognized, cause of acute coronary syndrome. It is a potentially fatal disorder that predominantly (>90% of cases) affects women, who are about 20 years younger (age 45–52 years) than those presenting with an acute coronary syndrome due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and is the commonest cause of myocardial infarction associated with pregnancy. With the advent of improved coronary artery imaging modalities, including invasive coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS), and optical coherence tomography (OCT), spontaneous coronary artery dissection is being increasingly diagnosed. It is typically due to a spontaneous bleed in the tunica media of an epicardial coronary artery, with or without an intimal tear, that results in an intramural haematoma; the latter, in turn causing a separation or dissection of the lamellae formed by the layers of smooth muscle cells of the tunica media, which can propagate longitudinally. Although coronary artery dissection can be due to atherosclerotic disease that may, in fact, present spontaneously, or to trauma, or guidewire-induced intimal injury, the understanding that the entity now known as spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an idiopathic disorder that is not associated with atherosclerosis or trauma, and is not iatrogenic, is one that has emerged only relatively recently (last 10–15 years). This raises the question, what is the provenance of spontaneous coronary artery dissection as it is now defined and understood? Here, this issue is addressed by a detailed consideration of the medical literature from 1800.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Multicenter analyses describing the epidemiology of AKI in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) are scarce. Here, we describe the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes associated with AKI in a contemporary multicenter CICU population. Methods The Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) is a collaboration of CICUs in North America coordinated by the TIMI Study Group (Boston, MA). We evaluated patient and hospital-level outcomes as a function of creatinine-only Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI stage within the CCCTN registry. Logistic regression was used to assess associations with in-hospital mortality. Results Among 21 603 admissions, the overall prevalence of AKI was 23.7%, which was composed of KDIGO stage 1: 12.7%, stage 2: 1.7%, and stage 3: 9.2%. A higher prevalence and severity of AKI were seen in patients with baseline kidney disease, hypertension, or diabetes and in admissions with heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest ( P < .001 for all). There was a stepwise increase in hospital mortality across AKI stages (stage 1: 23%, stage 2: 39%, stage 3: 42%; P < .0001). The increased risk of death associated with progressive AKI stage persisted after multivariate adjustment (adjusted OR: stage 1: 2.1, stage 2: 3.7, stage 3: 3.4). Conclusions AKI occurs in 1 in 4 admissions to the CICU, and a higher AKI stage is incrementally associated with in-hospital mortality, highlighting a need to develop strategies to mitigate AKI and its complications.

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces complex secondary pathophysiological cascades, including microvascular disruption, glial activation, and chronic neuroinflammation. These vascular changes are dynamic and spatially heterogeneous across acute, subacute, and chronic phases. However, limitations in in vivo imaging resolution have impeded precise, longitudinal evaluation of spinal microcirculation. Objective To quantify post-SCI alterations in spinal cord vessel density, flow speed, and morphology over time using ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM), and to correlate these changes with chronic astrocytic reactivity assessed by GFAP expression. Methods Eleven Sprague-Dawley rats underwent T9–T11 laminectomy; nine received a standardized 200 kdyn contusion using the Infinite Horizons Impactor and were assigned to acute (24h), subacute (7d), and chronic (21d) groups (n = 3/group), while two served as uninjured controls. ULM was performed using a Vevo 3100 high-frequency ultrasound system with a 40 MHz transducer following intravenous Definity® microbubble injection. Vessel density (VD) and flow speed (FS) were quantified at the lesion epicenter and adjacent rostral/caudal regions. Arterial and venous compartments were distinguished by flow direction. Histological sections were stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and %Area was quantified across phases. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test evaluated between-group differences; Pearson correlation identified phase-specific relationships between vascular metrics and chronic GFAP expression. Results ULM provided super-resolved imaging of spinal microvasculature at 5–10 µm resolution. Venous VD significantly declined from 0.92 ± 0.18 (acute) to 0.42 ± 0.23 (subacute) and 0.11 ± 0.07 (chronic, p < 0.001), particularly in dorsal regions. Arterial VD remained stable across timepoints (p > 0.05), while FS demonstrated transient reductions in both arterial and venous systems during the subacute phase. Chronic venous FS partially recovered by Day 21. GFAP-positive area increased significantly in the chronic group (3.3 ± 0.87%) compared to acute (1.52 ± 0.42%) and subacute (1.40 ± 0.05%) (p < 0.05), indicating delayed astrocyte reactivity. Correlation analysis revealed significant inverse associations between chronic GFAP %Area and early ventral venous density (r = − 1.0, p < 0.05), as well as positive correlations with chronic ventral arterial FS (r = 1.0, p < 0.01), suggesting early microvascular deficits may predict long-term gliosis. Conclusion This study demonstrates the feasibility and power of ULM to quantify dynamic microvascular remodeling in SCI with unprecedented resolution. Venous rarefaction precedes chronic astrocytosis, while arterial flow speed partially recovers over time. These findings highlight key spatiotemporal biomarkers of injury progression and support the use of ULM as a noninvasive platform for monitoring SCI pathophysiology and guiding therapeutic timing.