Citations

Study Design. Retrospective analysis of a prospective registry. Objective. We utilized the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) registry to investigate the “July Effect” at QOD spondylolisthesis module sites with residency trainees. Summary of Background Data. There is a paucity of investigation on the long-term outcomes following surgeries involving new trainees utilizing high-quality, prospectively collected data. Methods. This was an analysis of 608 patients who underwent single-segment surgery for grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis at 12 high-enrolling sites. Surgeries were classified as occurring in July or not in July (non-July). Outcomes collected included estimated blood loss, length of stay, operative time, discharge disposition, complications, reoperation and readmission rates, and patient-reported outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], Numeric Rating Scale [NRS] Back Pain, NRS Leg Pain, EuroQol-5D [EQ-5D] and the North American Spine Society [NASS] Satisfaction Questionnaire). Propensity score-matched analyses were utilized to compare postoperative outcomes and complication rates between the July and non-July groups. Results. Three hundred seventy-one surgeries occurred at centers with a residency training program with 21 (5.7%) taking place in July. In propensity score-matched analyses, July surgeries were associated with longer operative times ( average treatment effect = 22.4 minutes longer, 95% confidence interval 0.9–449.0, P = 0.041). Otherwise, July surgeries were not associated with significantly different outcomes for the remaining perioperative parameters (estimated blood loss, length of stay, discharge disposition, postoperative complications), overall reoperation rates, 3-month readmission rates, and 24-month ODI, NRS back pain, NRS leg pain, EQ-5D, and NASS satisfaction score (P > 0.05, all comparisons). Conclusion. Although July surgeries were associated with longer operative times, there were no associations with other clinical outcomes compared to non-July surgeries following lumbar spondylolisthesis surgery. These findings may be due to the increased attending supervision and intraoperative education during the beginning of the academic year. There is no evidence that the influx of new trainees in July significantly affects long-term patient-centered outcomes. Level of Evidence: 3

The NCCN Guidelines for Central Nervous System (CNS) Cancers focus on management of adult CNS cancers ranging from noninvasive and surgically curable pilocytic astrocytomas to metastatic brain disease. The involvement of an interdisciplinary team, including neurosurgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, neurologists, and neuroradiologists, is a key factor in the appropriate management of CNS cancers. Integrated histopathologic and molecular characterization of brain tumors such as gliomas should be standard practice. This article describes NCCN Guidelines recommendations for WHO grade I, II, III, and IV gliomas. Treatment of brain metastases, the most common intracranial tumors in adults, is also described.

Introduction: Iberdomide (IBER; CC-220) is a potent, novel cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase modulator (CELMoD) agent under investigation in a phase 1/2 dose-escalation study for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) (CC-220-MM-001; NCT02773030). IBER modulates CRBN to induce ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of Ikaros/Aiolos, resulting in antimyeloma and immunomodulatory activity. Compared with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs); IBER binds to CRBN with 20-fold higher affinity and is more efficient at degrading Ikaros/Aiolos. Additionally, IBER can overcome IMiD drug resistance. Here, we compare the preclinical activity of IBER versus IMiD drugs + proteasome inhibitors (PIs), and assess the pharmacodynamic (PD) activity of IBER in patients treated with IBER + dexamethasone (DEX), IBER + DEX + bortezomib (BORT), and IBER + DEX + carfilzomib (CFZ). Methods: MM cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy volunteers were analyzed. Cell lines treated with PIs (BORT and CFZ) were pulsed with drug for 1 h, and then treated with clinically relevant concentrations of lenalidomide (LEN; 1 μM), pomalidomide (POM; 300 nM), or IBER (20 nM). Biomarker data for PD analyses were obtained from blood samples of patients enrolled in the IBER + DEX, IBER + DEX + BORT, and IBER + DEX + CFZ cohorts of the CC-220-MM-001 study. Degradation of Ikaros/Aiolos in peripheral blood was analyzed on Cycle (C) 1 Day (D) 1, pre-dose, and post IBER/IBER + PI dose by flow cytometry. Immune profiling was evaluated by flow cytometry from peripheral blood at C1D1, C2D15, C4D1, and C4D15. Results : Proteasome inhibition in cell lines after 1 h pulse of PI was maintained after washout. However, substrate degradation by IBER was affected only minimally by combination with PIs, and was more potent than by LEN or POM. These results correlate with synergistic antiproliferative activity and more potent tumoricidal activity in cell lines treated with IBER + PI than IMiD + PI combinations. Furthermore, ex vivo treatment of PBMCs with IBER + PIs minimally affected cytokine induction by IBER. Analysis of patient samples from the CC-220-MM-001 study confirmed preclinical observations showing minimal inhibition of IBER PD with the addition of PIs to the treatment regimen. In patient T cells, Ikaros and Aiolos protein levels decreased by > 50% and > 70%, respectively, with IBER + DEX, and by > 30% and > 45% (at lower IBER doses) with IBER + DEX + BORT or IBER + DEX + CFX. In all cohorts, the nadir of substrate expression was determined to be 6 h. After repeated dosing (mid-C1) patients treated with IBER + PIs showed > 70% decreases in both Ikaros and Aiolos expression. Furthermore, immune profiling of patients showed that the addition of PIs to the IBER treatment regimen did not inhibit immune-stimulatory activity of IBER, including induction of NK and T cell proliferation. Conclusions: Preclinically, IBER induced substrate degradation in the presence of PIs, and treatment with IBER + PIs resulted in substantially increased tumoricidal activity. Deeper substrate degradation and increased apoptosis were also observed when PIs were combined with IBER versus IMiD drugs. Clinically, IBER led to rapid decreases in substrate levels, even in the presence of PIs, and levels were reduced further with repeated dosing, suggesting that concurrent administration of PIs minimally affects proteasomal degradation of substrates mediated by IBER. Furthermore, increases in NK and T cell proliferation in IBER-treated patients were consistent whether or not they also received a PI, further confirming that IBER has immune-stimulatory activity in combination with PIs. These data support continued clinical development of IBER in combination with PIs for the treatment of MM. Disclosures Amatangelo: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Bjorklund:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Kang:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Mukhopadhyay:Bristol Myers Squibb: Other: Contract scientist, Research & Early Development. Jiménez Nuñez:CITRE, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Current Employment. Wong:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Pierceall:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lonial:Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Genentech: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Takeda: Consultancy, Other: Personal fees, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Personal fees; Abbvie: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy, Honoraria; JUNO Therapeutics: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Onyx: Honoraria. van de Donk:Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Popat:GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Jagannath:BMS, Janssen, Karyopharm, Legend Biotech, Sanofi, Takeda: Consultancy. Zonder:Caelum: Consultancy; Intellia: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Alnylam: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Oncopeptide: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Personal fees; Prothena: Consultancy; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Personal fees. Minnema:Celgene: Other: travel support, Research Funding; Servier: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Speakers Bureau. Oriol:GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Larsen:Janssen Oncology: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Badros:Amgen: Consultancy; University of Maryland: Current Employment. Rodriguez-Otero:Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Medscape: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company); Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Sonneveld:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Skyline Dx: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Nguyen:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hong:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Sorrell:Children's Oncology Group: Other: Non-member; Previous Study Chair AAML08B1; Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Thakurta:Oxford University: Other: visiting professor; Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

Somatic variants in TET2 and DNMT3A are founding mutations in hematological malignancies that both affect the epigenetic regulation of DNA methylation. Although the proteins antagonistically regulate the epigenetic mark of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC), where DNMT3A catalyzes addition of 5-mC while TET2 oxidizes 5-mC as a first step in DNA demethylation, mutations in both genes appear in a similar spectrum of human hematopoietic malignancies. Mutations in both genes often co-occur with activating mutations in oncogenic tyrosine kinases (OTKs) such as FLT3ITD, BCR-ABL1, JAK2V617F, MPLW515L or mutations affecting related signaling pathways such as NRASG12D and CALRdel52. Moreover, while the mutations exert divergent effect on primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells, they lead to similar disease phenotypes, suggesting the roles of these mutations in hematopoietic malignancies may relate to mechanisms outside of DNA methylation. OTK-positive malignant cells accumulate high numbers of spontaneous and drug-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in comparison to normal cells, but they manage to survive because of their enhanced/altered ability to repair these breaks. DSBs, the most lethal DNA lesions, are repaired by two major mechanisms, BRCA1/2-dependent homologous recombination (HR) and DNA-PK -mediated non-homologous end-joining (D-NHEJ). Both HR and D-NHEJ repair DSBs in proliferating cells, while D-NHEJ plays a major role in quiescent cells. PARP1 -dependent alternative NHEJ (Alt-NHEJ) serves as back-up in both proliferating and quiescent cells. The existence of these redundant pathways creates the opportunity to employ a phenomenon called "synthetic lethality", which was originally applied to eliminate cancer cells with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 by PARP inhibitor (PARPi). Our previous report [M. Nieborowska-Skorska et al., Gene expression and mutation-guided synthetic lethality eradicates proliferating and quiescent leukemia cells. J Clin Invest 127, 2392-2406 (2017)] suggested that certain leukemias are sensitive to PARPi-triggered synthetic lethality. Here we show that TET2 and DNMT3A mutations exert divergent roles in regulating DNA repair activities in leukemia cells expressing OTKs. Malignant TET2-deficient cells display downregulation of BRCA1 and LIG4 resulting in reduced activity of HR and D-NHEJ, respectively, and rely on Alt-NHEJ to protect them from the toxic effects of replication stress and drug-induced DSBs. Conversely, DNMT3A-deficient cells favor HR/D-NHEJ owing to downregulation of PARP1 and reduction of Alt-NHEJ. Consequently, malignant TET2-deficient cells are sensitive to PARPi treatment in vitro and in vivo, whereas DNMT3A-deficient cells were resistant. Disruption of TET2 dioxygenase activity and/or TET2 - Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) binding ability were responsible for DNA repair defects and sensitivity to PARPi associated with TET2 deficiency. Moreover, mutation or deletion of WT1 mimicked the effect of TET2 mutation on DSB repair activity and sensitivity to PARPi. Our findings reveal that TET2 and WT1 mutations may serve as biomarkers of synthetic lethality triggered by PARPi, which should be explored therapeutically. Disclosures Valent: Allcyte GmbH: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria; Cellgene: Honoraria, Research Funding. Tallman:Abbvie: Research Funding; Cellerant: Research Funding; Orsenix: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; BioSight: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Research Funding; Rafael: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Bioline rx: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi-Sankyo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; KAHR: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Delta Fly Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncolyze: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; UpToDate: Patents & Royalties. Martinelli:Roche: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Daichii Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding. Vassiliou:Kymab Ltd - Monoclonal antibody company. Currently not working in myeloid cancers or clonal haematopoiesis.: Consultancy.

Integrative single-cell analysis de-constructs the heterogeneity of human reprogramming and uncovers its stage-specific GRNs.

Abstract The cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolic pathway regulates immune responses and inflammation. The effect of the COX pathway on innate pulmonary inflammation induced by protease-containing fungal allergens, such as Alternaria alternata, is not fully defined. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that COX inhibition augments Alternaria-induced pulmonary group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) responses and IL-33 release. Mice were treated with the COX inhibitors indomethacin, flurbiprofen, or vehicle and challenged intranasally with Alternaria extract for four consecutive days to induce innate lung inflammation. We found that indomethacin and flurbiprofen significantly increased the numbers of ILC2 and IL-5 and IL-13 expression by ILC2 in the lung. Indomethacin also increased ILC2 proliferation, the percentages of eosinophils, and mucus production in the lung. Both indomethacin and flurbiprofen augmented the release of IL-33 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after Alternaria challenge, suggesting that more IL-33 was available for ILC2 activation and that a COX product(s) inhibited IL-33 release. This is supported by the in vitro finding that the COX product PGE2 and the PGI2 analogs cicaprost decreased Alternaria extract–induced IL-33 release by human bronchial epithelial cells. Although contrasting effects of PGD2, PGE2, and PGI2 on ILC2 responses have been previously reported, the overall effect of the COX pathway on ILC2 function is inhibitory in Alternaria-induced innate airway inflammation.

Abstract Background Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are stimulated by IL‐33 to increase IL‐5 and IL‐13 production and airway inflammation. While sex hormones regulate airway inflammation, it remained unclear whether estrogen signaling through estrogen receptor‐α (ER‐α, Esr1 ) or ER‐β ( Esr2 ) increased ILC2‐mediated airway inflammation. We hypothesize that estrogen signaling increases allergen‐induced IL‐33 release, ILC2 cytokine production, and airway inflammation. Methods Female Esr1 ‐/‐ , Esr2 ‐/‐ , wild‐type (WT), and IL33 fl/fl eGFP mice were challenged with Alternaria extract (Alt Ext) or vehicle for 4 days. In select experiments, mice were administered tamoxifen or vehicle pellets for 21 days prior to challenge. Lung ILC2, IL‐5 and IL‐13 production, and BAL inflammatory cells were measured on day 5 of Alt Ext challenge model. Bone marrow from WT and Esr1 ‐/‐ female mice was transferred (1:1 ratio) into WT female recipients for 6 weeks followed by Alt Ext challenge. hBE33 cells and normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) were pretreated with 17β‐estradiol (E2), propyl‐pyrazole‐triol (PPT, ER‐α agonist), or diarylpropionitrile (DPN, ER‐β agonist) before allergen challenge to determine IL‐33 gene expression and release, extracellular ATP release, DUOX‐1 production, and necrosis. Results Alt Ext challenged Esr1 ‐/‐ , but not Esr2 ‐/‐ , mice had decreased IL‐5 and IL‐13 production, BAL eosinophils, and IL‐33 release compared to WT mice. Tamoxifen decreased IL‐5 and IL‐13 production and BAL eosinophils. IL‐33eGFP + epithelial cells were decreased in Alt Ext challenged Esr1 ‐/‐ mice compared to WT mice. 17β‐E2 or PPT, but not DPN, increased IL‐33 gene expression, release, and DUOX‐1 production in hBE33 or NHBE cells. Conclusion Estrogen receptor ‐α signaling increased IL‐33 release and ILC2‐mediated airway inflammation.