Citations

Abstract Purpose: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with a decreased risk of recurrence in human papillomavirus–associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The composition and spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor-infiltrating immune cells are not well characterized. Experimental Design: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary and lymph node (LN) tumor tissues from 10 progressors (cases) and 10 matched nonprogressors (controls) were interrogated by imaging mass cytometry. Immune, stromal, and tumor cells were quantified from selected regions of interest using machine learning. Nearest neighbors, cell–cell interactions, and niche analyses were performed. Results: In primary regions of interest, immune cell, lymphocyte, T cell, CD8+ T cell, and innate cell prevalence was significantly greater in controls. High prevalence of immune cells, lymphocytes, innate cells, and CD4+ T cells in primary tissues was significantly associated with increased time to event (TTE). Although primary and LN prevalence of T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and tumor cells were significantly correlated, differences in LNs were neither significant nor associated with TTE. Average distances between T cells and the nearest B cells and between lymphocytes and the nearest tumor cells were decreased in control primary tissues. Interactions between B and T cells were less organized in primary tissues from cases. A niche predominantly comprising lymphocytes was associated with longer TTE. Conclusions: In human papillomavirus–associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, immune cell subset prevalence in primary tumors differs with outcome and is associated with TTE. Interactions between B cells and both T-cell subsets are associated with longer TTE, underscoring the importance of active intratumoral immune responses in outcomes.

121 Background: In the Phase 3 VISION trial, treatment with the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 ( 177 Lu-PSMA-617) + protocol-permitted standard of care (SoC) significantly improved median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS; 8.7 vs 3.4 months [mo]) and overall survival (OS; 15.3 vs 11.3 mo) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) vs SoC alone. However, it is unclear how the addition of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) affected 177 Lu-PSMA-617 treatment outcomes. Here we compared the efficacy and safety of 177 Lu-PSMA-617 in patients treated with vs without concomitant ARPIs. Methods: In VISION, adult patients with PSMA-positive mCRPC previously treated with ≥1 prior ARPI and 1–2 taxane chemotherapy regimens were randomized 2:1 to receive 177 Lu-PSMA-617 (7.4 GBq Q6W, 4–6 cycles) + SoC (which included ARPIs) vs SoC alone. In this secondary analysis, we assessed baseline characteristics, OS, rPFS, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate, duration of PSA response, PSA-PFS, and safety among patients in the intervention arm who were treated with vs without concomitant ARPIs. Results: In total, 289 patients were treated with concomitant ARPIs and 262 patients were not (N=551). Imbalances between the groups were observed in some baseline characteristics: patients treated with concomitant ARPIs were younger, had lower ECOG performance scores, lower mean PSA and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and fewer prior taxane chemotherapy regimens. Baseline mean standardized [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake values and mean hemoglobin levels were well-balanced. A statistically significant difference in median OS was observed in patients treated with concomitant ARPIs vs those without (17.8 vs 12.4 mo; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58–0.89; nominal P=0.001). No statistically significant between-group differences were observed for rPFS, PSA response rate, duration of PSA response or PSA-PFS. The proportion of adverse events reported was similar in patients with or without concurrent ARPI, except for the number of adverse events leading to interruption of best supportive care/SoC, which was higher in patients treated with concurrent ARPIs. Conclusions: OS was significantly different in patients treated with concomitant ARPIs vs those without, while other efficacy endpoints were not. No new safety signals were observed for 177 Lu-PSMA-617 with concomitant ARPI. These findings may be confounded by varied exposure to ARPIs, or differing patient characteristics; patients who received concomitant ARPIs may represent a more favorable treatment population than those who did not. These findings should be considered as hypothesis-generating, and a multivariate analysis has been planned to ascertain the influence of these potential biases. Clinical trial information: NCT03511664 .

109 Background: C and Lu are associated with overall survival benefit and approved for pts with mCRPC after prior treatment with docetaxel and an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI). However, in real-world settings, administering Lu requires coordination across specialties and resources [PMID: 36637862], which could delay its administration. Herein, we sought to compare the time from medication order to administering the first dose of C versus Lu. Methods: This study used pt level data from the nationwide Flatiron Health electronic health record (EHR)-derived de-identified database. Inclusion criteria: availability of the date of the first order of single-agent C or Lu and the date of first administration of the drugs. The time between the first medication order to the administration of single-agent C or Lu was measured. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the median days between medication order to administration between these 2 agents and a stratified analysis by practice type and insurance was performed. Results: Of 2,329 orders, 2,045 orders were for C between 1/1/2013 and 1/26/2024, while 284 were for Lu between 8/1/2013 and 12/6/2023. The time from medication order to administration was significantly longer with Lu (median 22 days, IQR 12-43) compared to C (median 7 days, IQR 3-14, p < 0.001). Time from medication order to administration of C and Lu by practice type and insurance is summarized (Table). At the time of the first order, pts in Lu cohort, compared to C cohort, were significantly older (median age 74 vs. 72, p < 0.001), more likely to be treated at an academic practice (27% vs. 15%, p < 0.001), and more likely to be covered by a commercial health plan (80% vs. 73%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results show that it takes significantly longer to administer Lu compared to C across different practice types and most insurance plans. These results could inform healthcare policies aimed at improving access to Lu and guide treatment selection in the clinic. Time from medication order to administration of C and Lu by practice type and insurance. Category Subtype (number of orders for C/number of orders for Lu) CN = 2045 LuN = 284 p-value Practice type, mean (range) (days) Academic (315/77) 1.3 (0 – 59) 9.2 (0 – 55) < 0.001 Community (1730/207) 13 (0 – 243) 44 (1 – 282) < 0.001 Insurance, mean (range) (days) Commercial (1494/226) 11 (0 – 163) 32 (0 – 215) < 0.001 Medicare/other government programs (266/46) 10 (0 – 120) 46 (0 – 282) < 0.001 Medicaid (32/2) 9 (0 – 76) 28 (0 – 55) 0.8 Others (72/6) 12 (0 – 42) 21 (0 – 41) 0.2 Unknown (181/4) 14 (0 – 243) 76 (39 – 91) < 0.001

104 Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) intensification [ADT + androgen receptor-pathway inhibitor (ARPIs) +/- docetaxel] has been shown to improve survival outcomes in pts with mHSPC and is recommended as standard of care by all major guidelines. However, prior studies have shown underutilization of ADT intensification [PMID: 39191549]. There are limited updated and large-scale studies on the use of ADT intensification, beyond January 2023. In this study, we aimed to assess the treatment patterns of ADT intensification in real-world pts with mHSPC in the US, including data on those treated since January 2023. Methods: This retrospective study utilized the nationwide Flatiron Health Electronic Health Record (EHR) derived de-identified database. Eligibility: Pts diagnosed with mHSPC and availability of treatment information (ADT and/or line of therapy in mHSPC). The data cut-off date was 5/31/2024. Treatment patterns were summarized using frequency and percentages. All analysis was done using R version 4.2.3. Results: Among 24,105 pts with metastatic prostate cancer in the database, a total of 14,084 were eligible and included. The median age at metastatic diagnosis was 72 years (IQR 65 – 79), and 60% were White non-Hispanic. In the overall cohort (1/1/2013–5/15/2024), 56.8% received ADT monotherapy, and 37.7% received ADT intensification. Table summarizes the treatment patterns by year, highlightinga consistent increase in adoption of intensified ADT regimens, and a decline in use of ADT monotherapy. Notably, since January 2023, 76.8% pts with mHSPC received ADT intensification while only 17.3% of pts received ADT monotherapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first and largest study to evaluate the current use of ADT intensification. These data indicate a notable improvement in the adoption of level 1 evidence (ADT intensification) in the treatment of pts with mHSPC. These encouraging data emphasize the benefits of continued efforts to promote guideline-concordant care and provide the current treatment landscape to design clinical trials. Treatment patterns by year in pts with mHSPC. Treatment 2013–2017n = 5,263(%) 2018n = 1,313 (%) 2019n = 1,407(%) 2020n = 1,353(%) 2021n = 1,483(%) 2022n = 1,556(%) 2023n = 1,459(%) 2024n = 250(%) ADT monotherapy 4,095 (77.8) 856 (65.2) 819 (58.2) 664 (49) 698 (47.1) 569 (36.6) 291 (20) 5 (2) ADT + ARPI 155 (2.9) 238 (18) 354 (25.1) 452 (33) 555 (37.4) 695 (44.7) 842 (58) 154 (61.6) ADT + Docetaxel 709 (13.5) 156 (12) 175 (12.4) 156 (12) 134 (9.0) 117 (7.5) 78 (5.3) 19 (7.6) Triplet(ADT + ARPI + Docetaxel) 6 (0.1) 2 (0.2) 1 (0.1) 2 (0.1) 9 (0.6) 82 (5.2) 166 (11.1) 53 (21.2) Other therapies 298 (5.7) 61 (4.6) 58 (4.1) 79 (5.8) 87 (5.9) 93 (6) 82 (5.6) 19 (7.6)

Objective: To assess patient radiation exposure as reflected by cumulative air kerma (CAK) and dose area product (DAP) during fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR). Background: Patient radiation exposure during FB-EVAR has been reported inconsistently. Methods: Data from 2,111 patients enrolled in 10 physician-sponsored investigational device exemption studies (2012-2022) were analyzed from the United States Aortic Research Consortium database. Procedures were performed using seven fixed imaging systems (A to G). Patients were classified into three groups by imaging era: 2012-2015 (Group 1), 2016-2018 (Group 2), and 2019-2022 (Group 3). Primary endpoints were CAK and DAP risk factors, assessed using linear mixed-effect models. Secondary endpoints were diagnostic reference levels (DRL) for FB-EVAR. Results: Of the 2,111 patients (71% males; mean 74±9 years years-old) treated by FB-EVAR; 263 (12%) were in Group 1, 541 (26%) in Group 2, and 1,307 (62%) in Group 3. Use of ≥4 vessel stent-graft designs increased from 69% (Group 1) to 79% (Group 3) ( P <0.001). Median CAK decreased from 3,644 mGy (Group 1) to 1,753 mGy (Group 3), and DAP from 441 Gy.cm² to 208 Gy.cm² ( P <0.001). Higher BMI, iliac branch device (IBD) use, and longer fluoroscopy time (FT) were associated with increased CAK and DAP, while experienced operators and systems D, F, and G were protective ( P <0.05). DRLs for Group 3 were 2,800 mGy (CAK) and 340 Gy.cm² (DAP). Conclusions: Radiation exposure during FB-EVAR significantly decreased over time. Higher BMI, IBD use, and FT were linked to increased exposure, while experienced operator and System D, F or G were protective. Trial registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: NCT02043691 NCT00583817 NCT00483249 NCT01937949 NCT02050113 NCT02323581 NCT01874197 NCT01654133 NCT02266719.

Cardiac amyloidosis is an underdiagnosed cause of infiltrative cardiomyopathy, leading to heart failure across the spectrum of ejection fractions. Although there are approved disease-modulating therapies for the transthyretin subtype (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy [ATTR-CM]), the role of heart failure medications remains uncertain and challenging in clinical practice. Their effects on clinical outcomes, such as mortality and hospitalization, are unknown for ATTR-CM. This review aims to explore the use of these medications in ATTR-CM, considering the disease’s stage and patient-specific issues, such as fluid homeostasis, autonomic dysfunction, conduction disorders, low and fixed stroke volumes, and decreased functional capacity. As our understanding of this condition deepens, it is important to reassess the impact of contemporary heart failure medication in ATTR-CM. Finally, the relevance of guideline recommendations for heart failure drugs based on left ventricular ejection fraction should be reconsidered in the context of ATTR-CM.

AimsKikuchi‐Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare disease that typically manifests with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy. Little is known about the risk factors associated with recurrence and their correlation with clinicopathologic features.Methods and ResultsWe analysed 112 patients with KFD, predominantly female (61/112, 54.5%), with an average age of 29.4 years. The incidence was higher in males up to the age of 20 and higher in females from their 30s onwards. Of the 70 patients with follow‐up data, 23% experienced recurrence. Recurrence was associated with lower C4 levels (P = 0.038) and higher antinuclear antibody (ANA) rates (P = 0.007) compared to transient disease. The mean duration of symptoms was 71.5 days. Lymph node histology in 98 cases (excluding 14 needle biopsy specimens) was classified into three patterns: proliferative (n = 75, 77%), necrotizing (n = 22, 22%), and xanthomatous (n = 1, 1%). The necrotizing pattern associated with significantly enlarged lymph nodes (P = 0.047) and a longer symptom duration (P = 0.009) than the proliferating pattern. The number of CD4‐positive lymphocytes was significantly lower in the necrotizing type than in the proliferative type (P < 0.001).ConclusionThese results indicated that low C4 levels and positive ANA were associated with KFD recurrence. Although the aetiology of KFD remains elusive, given that some cases develop autoimmune disease, the results suggest that patients with recurrent KFD represent an intermediate status between those with transient KFD and those with overt autoimmune disease. The comprehensive clinicopathological findings of this study may be useful for elucidating its pathogenesis and predicting the clinical course.

Abstract Background Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG) are used for gastric drainage, decompression, and feeding. Recent innovations enable bumper and balloon‐type tube placement via transabdominal approach under guidance of fluoroscopy or sonography. Method This is a single‐center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the outcomes of balloon and bumper gastrostomy tube placement under guide of fluoroscopy and ultrasound. The total sample size was 470 consecutive patients. The eligibility criteria included all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent a balloon or bumper‐type gastrostomy tube insertion for nutrition support in both the interventional radiology unit and at the bedside between 2017 and 2022. Result This study revealed no significant differences between the two types of tubes in terms of time to tube replacement or requiring a gastrostomy tube. There was a positive correlation between the time that a patient has a gastrostomy tube and major complications ( P = 0.005) and a positive correlation between number of tubes replaced and minor complications ( P < 0.001). Both types of tubes were associated with low rates of complications. However, patients with a balloon tube were more likely to experience gastric‐tube–related hospitalization/ED visits and require a >24‐h hospital stay postoperation. Conclusion These findings can help healthcare providers make informed decisions when selecting the appropriate type of tube for their patients to have more durability with less complication.

Abstract Despite recent approval of monoclonal antibodies that reduce amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, the development of disease-modifying strategies targeting the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is urgently needed. We demonstrate that mitochondrial complex I (mtCI) represents a druggable target, where its weak inhibition activates neuroprotective signaling, benefiting AD mouse models with Aβ and p-Tau pathologies. Rational design and structure‒activity relationship studies yielded novel mtCI inhibitors profiled in a drug discovery funnel designed to address their safety, selectivity, and efficacy. The new lead compound C458 is highly protective against Aβ toxicity, has favorable pharmacokinetics, and has minimal off-target effects. C458 exhibited excellent brain penetrance, activating neuroprotective pathways with a single dose. Preclinical studies in APP/PS1 mice were conducted via functional tests, metabolic assessment, in vivo 31 P- NMR spectroscopy, blood cytokine panels, ex vivo electrophysiology, and Western blotting. Chronic oral administration improved long-term potentiation, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant signaling, and cellular energetics. These studies provide further evidence that the restoration of mitochondrial function and brain energetics in response to mild energetic stress represents a promising disease- modifying strategy for AD.

ABSTRACT Atraumatic and precise drug delivery to arteries and veins remains an unmet need in interventional medicine, with significant implications for managing vascular diseases and long-term patient outcomes. Conventional endovascular methods, such as drug-coated balloons and drug-eluting stents, often damage vessel endothelium and compromise wall integrity, leading to reduced therapeutic efficacy and severe complications including restenosis and thrombosis. To address these limitations, we introduce EndoBot, an untethered soft millirobot designed for atraumatic vessel navigation and localized drug delivery under physiological blood flow. EndoBot achieves this through magnetically actuated corkscrew propulsion and mechanically adaptive surface crawling, exerting low radial pressure (< 1 kPa) to preserve endothelial integrity. We validated its performance in phantom vessels, ex vivo human umbilical veins under normothermic perfusion, and in vivo rat inferior vena cava under fluoroscopic guidance using a human-scale magnetic manipulation platform. Despite dynamic vessel contractions and compressions along non-uniform cross-sections, mechanically adaptive locomotion strategy ensures safe navigation and protects the inner endothelial lining. EndoBot is deployable and retrievable via clinical vascular sheaths and remains stable even under supra-physiological blood flow conditions (> 155 cm/s). Extensive blood compatibility tests demonstrated minimal hemolysis (<0.01%), low platelet activation on the robot surface, and no increased coagulation tendency. For drug delivery, a hydrophobic transfer coating enables EndoBot to gently deposit a stable, flow-resistant drug layer onto the vessel wall without fragmentation. This novel platform enables safer and more effective targeted endovascular drug delivery, paving the way for transformative approaches to address early-stage vascular pathologies and deliver more effective preventive interventions.