Citations

AbstractBackgroundA bridging nerve autograft is the gold standard for the repair of segmental nerve injury that cannot be repaired directly. However, limited availability and donor site morbidity remain major disadvantages of autografts. Here, a nerve allograft decellularized with elastase was compared with an autograft regarding functional motor outcome in a rat sciatic segmental nerve defect model. Furthermore, the effect of storage on this allograft was studied.MethodsSixty‐six Lewis rats (250–300 g) underwent a 10‐mm sciatic nerve reconstruction using either a cold‐ (n = 22) or frozen‐stored (n = 22) decellularized nerve allograft or an autograft (n = 22). Sprague–Dawley rats (300–350 g) served as full major histocompatibility complex‐mismatched donors. Functional motor outcome was evaluated after 12 and 16 weeks. Ankle angle, compound muscle action potential (CMAP), isometric tetanic force, wet muscle weight, and histomorphometry were tested bilaterally.ResultsFor CMAP and isometric tetanic force, no significant differences were observed between groups. In contrast, for ankle angle, histomorphometry and muscle weight, the cold‐stored allograft performed comparable to the autograft, while the frozen‐stored allograft performed significantly inferior to the autograft. At week 16, ankle angle was 88.0 ± 3.1% in the cold‐stored group, 77.4 ± 3.6% in the frozen‐stored group, and 74.1 ± 3.1% in the autograft group (P < .001); At week 16, the muscle weight showed a recovery up to 71.1 ± 4.8% in the autograft group, 67.0 ± 6.6% in the cold‐stored group, and 64.7 ± 3.7% in the frozen‐stored group (P < .05).ConclusionsA nerve allograft decellularized with elastase, if stored under the right conditions, results in comparable functional motor outcomes as the gold standard, the autograft.

AbstractBackground: Numerous neuropsychological tests and test versions are used in Parkinson's disease research, but their relative capacity to detect mild cognitive deficits and their comparability across studies are unknown. The objective of this study was to identify neuropsychological tests that consistently detect cognitive decline in PD across studies.Methods: Data from 30 normed neuropsychological tests across 20 international studies in up to 2908 nondemented PD patients were analyzed. A subset of 17 tests was administered to up to 1247 healthy controls. A 2‐step meta‐analytic approach using standardized scores compared performance in PD with normative data.Results: Pooled estimates of the differences between PD and site‐specific healthy controls identified significant cognitive deficits in PD patients on 14 test scores across 5 commonly assessed cognitive domains (attention or working memory, executive, language, memory, and visuospatial abilities), but healthy control performance was statistically above average on 7 of these tests. Analyses based on published norms only, as opposed to direct assessment of healthy controls, showed high between‐study variability that could not be accounted for and led to inconclusive results.Conclusions: Normed neuropsychological tests across multiple cognitive domains consistently detect cognitive deficits in PD when compared with site‐specific healthy control performance, but relative PD performance was significantly affected by the inclusion and type of healthy controls versus the use of published norms only. Additional research is needed to identify a cognitive battery that can be administered in multisite international studies and that is sensitive to cognitive decline, responsive to therapeutic interventions, and superior to individual cognitive tests. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

The TP53 tumor-suppressor gene is mutated in >50% of human tumors and Li-Fraumeni patients with germ line inactivation are predisposed to developing cancer. Here, we generated tp53 deleted zebrafish that spontaneously develop malignant peripheral nerve-sheath tumors, angiosarcomas, germ cell tumors, and an aggressive Natural Killer cell-like leukemia for which no animal model has been developed. Because the tp53 deletion was generated in syngeneic zebrafish, engraftment of fluorescent-labeled tumors could be dynamically visualized over time. Importantly, engrafted tumors shared gene expression signatures with predicted cells of origin in human tissue. Finally, we showed that tp53del/del enhanced invasion and metastasis in kRASG12D-induced embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), but did not alter the overall frequency of cancer stem cells, suggesting novel pro-metastatic roles for TP53 loss-of-function in human muscle tumors. In summary, we have developed a Li-Fraumeni zebrafish model that is amenable to large-scale transplantation and direct visualization of tumor growth in live animals.

TPS8584 Background: The first-line standard of care for the majority of patients (pts) with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is platinum-based chemotherapy with etoposide, but survival outcomes remain poor (median OS, < 1 year) despite initial response rates ranging from 50-70%. Atezolizumab (atezo), an anti–PD-L1 mAb, prevents the binding of PD-L1 with its receptors PD-1 and B7.1 and restores anticancer T-cell activity. Tolerable safety with promising durability of response has been shown with atezo in pts with ES-SCLC: confirmed ORR was 6% (n = 1/17 [partial response]; DOR of 7 mo) by RECIST v1.1 and 24% by immune-related response criteria (irRC; n = 4/17, with 2 pts on atezo for ≥ 12 mo). Preliminary data also indicate the potential synergy between atezo and platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC, whereby durable responses may translate into improved survival over atezo alone. IMpower133 (NCT02763579), a global, Phase I/III, randomized, multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of 1L atezo + carboplatin + etoposide compared with placebo + carboplatin + etoposide in treatment-naive pts with ES-SCLC. Methods: Pts with measurable (RECIST v1.1) ES-SCLC, who have ECOG PS 0-1 and no prior systemic anticancer treatment, are eligible for the study. Exclusion criteria include untreated CNS metastases and history of autoimmune disease. The study requires submission of tumor tissue, but pts will be enrolled regardless of biomarker status. Pts will be stratified by sex, ECOG PS and presence of treated brain metastases. Eligible pts will be randomized 1:1 to receive four 21-day cycles of atezo (1200 mg IV) or placebo in combination with carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/mL/min IV, d 1) and etoposide (100 mg/m2 IV, d 1-3), followed by maintenance therapy with atezo or placebo until PD per RECIST v1.1. Pts can continue with treatment until persistent radiographic PD, symptomatic deterioration or unacceptable toxicity. Co-primary endpoints are investigator-assessed PFS per RECIST v1.1 and OS. Secondary efficacy endpoints include investigator-assessed ORR and DOR. Safety and tolerability will also be assessed. Approximately 400 pts will be enrolled. Clinical trial information: NCT02763579.

7003 Background: Gilteritinib, a highly selective FLT3/AXL inhibitor, has displayed antileukemic activity in FLT3 mutation-positive (FLT3mut+) relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML in the CHRYSALIS Phase I/II study (NCT02014558), specifically at doses ≥80 mg/d. This exploratory analysis assessed molecular response to gilteritinib in a CHRYSALIS subpopulation. Methods: Molecular response was assessed from bone marrow aspirates obtained at baseline and at ≥1 additional time point from FLT3mut+ patients (≥18 y) treated with 120 or 200 mg/d gilteritinib. These doses were identified due to their ability to induce consistent, potent FLT3 inhibition and high clinical response rates. FLT3-ITD and total FLT3 were quantified by NGS to assess molecular response. A Cox regression model of overall survival (OS) by Kaplan-Meier estimation established a FLT3-ITD:total FLT3 ratio (ITD signal ratio) of 10−2as the threshold for improved survival. Results: Of 147 FLT3-ITDmut+ patients who received gilteritinib 120 or 200 mg/d, 80 were included in this analysis. Composite response rate for these 80 patients was 55%. During response, 20 patients (25%) had an ITD signal ratio of ≤10−2. Of these 20 patients, 18 had a ratio of ≤10−3 (major molecular response [MMR]) and 13 had a ratio of ≤10−4 (minimal residual disease [MRD] negative). Median time to achieve minimum signal ratio was 54 days. Elimination of morphologic leukemia was observed in 80% of patients with ITD signal ratios <10−2. Patients who had a signal ratio ≤10−2, MMR, or were MRD negative had significantly longer median OS than those who did not (Table). Conclusions: Molecular responses to gilteritinib in FLT3-ITDmut+ R/R AML correlated with clinical response and improved OS. This is the first demonstration of molecular response to a FLT3 inhibitor in AML. These data suggest ITD signal ratio may predict durable clinical benefit of gilteritinib. Clinical trial information: NCT02014558. [Table: see text]