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ImportanceSystematic data on the association between anticancer therapies and thromboembolic events (TEEs) in patients with COVID-19 are lacking.ObjectiveTo assess the association between anticancer therapy exposure within 3 months prior to COVID-19 and TEEs following COVID-19 diagnosis in patients with cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis registry-based retrospective cohort study included patients who were hospitalized and had active cancer and laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data were accrued from March 2020 to December 2021 and analyzed from December 2021 to October 2022.ExposureTreatments of interest (TOIs) (endocrine therapy, vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors/tyrosine kinase inhibitors [VEGFis/TKIs], immunomodulators [IMiDs], immune checkpoint inhibitors [ICIs], chemotherapy) vs reference (no systemic therapy) in 3 months prior to COVID-19.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMain outcomes were (1) venous thromboembolism (VTE) and (2) arterial thromboembolism (ATE). Secondary outcome was severity of COVID-19 (rates of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, 30-day all-cause mortality following TEEs in TOI vs reference group) at 30-day follow-up.ResultsOf 4988 hospitalized patients with cancer (median [IQR] age, 69 [59-78] years; 2608 [52%] male), 1869 had received 1 or more TOIs. Incidence of VTE was higher in all TOI groups: endocrine therapy, 7%; VEGFis/TKIs, 10%; IMiDs, 8%; ICIs, 12%; and chemotherapy, 10%, compared with patients not receiving systemic therapies (6%). In multivariable log-binomial regression analyses, relative risk of VTE (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04-1.69) but not ATE (aRR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.56-1.16) was significantly higher in those exposed to all TOIs pooled together vs those with no exposure. Among individual drugs, ICIs were significantly associated with VTE (aRR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01-2.07). Also noted were significant associations between VTE and active and progressing cancer (aRR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.01-2.03), history of VTE (aRR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.38-4.04), and high-risk site of cancer (aRR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.14-1.75). Black patients had a higher risk of TEEs (aRR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03-1.50) than White patients. Patients with TEEs had high intensive care unit admission (46%) and mechanical ventilation (31%) rates. Relative risk of death in patients with TEEs was higher in those exposed to TOIs vs not (aRR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.91-1.38) and was significantly associated with poor performance status (aRR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.30-2.40) and active/progressing cancer (aRR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.13-2.13).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, relative risk of developing VTE was high among patients receiving TOIs and varied by the type of therapy, underlying risk factors, and demographics, such as race and ethnicity. These findings highlight the need for close monitoring and perhaps personalized thromboprophylaxis to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19–related thromboembolism in patients with cancer.

Abstract Sensing of extracellular metabolites controls CD8+ T cell function. Their accumulation can occur through export by specialized molecules, such as the release channel Pannexin-1 (Panx1). Here, we report that T cell-specific Panx1 is needed for efficient CD8+ T cell responses to viral infection and cancer. Panx1 favors both the expansion of effector CD8+ T cells and the survival of memory CD8+ T cells. Our data suggests that, while memory CD8+ T cells require Panx1 for mitochondrial function, Panx1 promotes the glycolytic pathway in effector CD8+ T cells. Panx1 promotes memory CD8+ T cell survival together with the eATP sensor P2RX7. However, Panx1 induces effector CD8+ T cells independently of eATP. Rather, we found an unexpected link between Panx1, lactate export and the activation of effector CD8+ T cells. Therefore, Panx1 regulates effector and memory CD8+ T cells through export of distinct metabolites and by engaging different intracellular pathways.

31 Background: T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domains (TIGIT) inhibitor in combination with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody has shown antitumor activity in solid tumors. AdvanTIG-105 (NCT04047862) is a phase 1/1b open-label study designed to assess the safety and preliminary antitumor activity of OCI, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody (mAb), + TIS, an anti-PD-1 mAb, in pts with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. In the dose-escalation part, OCI + TIS was well tolerated with preliminary antitumor activity observed, and the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of OCI 900 mg intravenously (IV) every three weeks (Q3W) + TIS 200 mg IV Q3W was established. We report results from the dose-expansion part (GC/GEJC Cohort 9) of the AdvanTIG-105 study. Methods: Eligible pts had histologically/cytologically confirmed stage IV GC/GEJC. Pts were excluded if they had squamous cell, undifferentiated or other histological types of GC, had GC/GEJC with positive HER2 expression, or if they had received any prior therapy for metastatic disease. Pts received either the RP2D of OCI + TIS with oxaliplatin + capecitabine Q3W for 6 cycles (C), followed by maintenance therapy with the RP2D of OCI + TIS, + capecitabine Q3W, or the RP2D of OCI + TIS with cisplatin + 5-fluorouracil Q3W for 6 C. Treatment continued until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DoR), disease control rate (DCR) per RECIST v1.1, and safety. Results: As of September 29, 2022, 60 pts with a median age of 61.5 years (range 35-82) were enrolled; 59 were efficacy evaluable. Median study follow-up was 31.1 weeks (range 1.4-78.4). ORR was 50.8% (95% CI: 37.5, 64.1); DCR was 84.7% (95% CI: 73.0, 92.8) with a median DoR of 8.1 months (95% CI: 4.5, not evaluable [NE]). Median PFS was 8.2 months (95% CI: 5.8, NE). In a subgroup analysis, ORR in pts with PD-L1 tumor area positivity (TAP) score ≥5% (n=27) was 59.3% (95% CI: 38.8, 77.6), and 50.0% (95% CI: 30.7, 69.4) in pts with PD-L1 TAP <5% (n=28). All 60 pts reported ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE), the most common being anemia (43.3%) and platelet count decreased (41.7%). In total, 43 pts (71.7%) had ≥grade 3 TEAEs and 28 (46.7%) had serious adverse events. TEAEs leading to discontinuation of TIS and OCI occurred in 5 (8.3%) pts. TEAEs led to death in 2 (3.3%) pts; one event (neutropenic sepsis) was related to chemo, while the other (pulmonary embolism) was not treatment related. Conclusions: OCI 900 mg + TIS 200 mg + chemo was generally well tolerated and showed encouraging antitumor activity in pts with stage IV GC/GEJC. Clinical trial information: NCT04047862 .

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a hypoxic tumor resistant to radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel oxygen therapeutic, dodecafluoropentane emulsion (DDFPe), in chemoradiation treatment of GBM. Experimental Design: In this multicenter phase Ib/II dose-escalation study, patients were administered DDFPe via intravenous infusion (0.05, 0.10, or 0.17 mL/kg) while breathing supplemental oxygen prior to each 2 Gy fraction of radiotherapy (30 fractions over 6 weeks). Patients also received standard-of-care chemotherapy [temozolomide (TMZ)]. Serial MRI scans were taken to monitor disease response. Adverse events were recorded and graded. TOLD (tissue oxygenation level–dependent) contrast MRI was obtained to validate modulation of tumor hypoxia. Results: Eleven patients were enrolled. DDFPe combined with radiotherapy and TMZ was well tolerated in most patients. Two patients developed delayed grade 3 radiation necrosis during dose escalation, one each at 0.1 and 0.17 mL/kg of DDFPe. Subsequent patients were treated at the 0.1 mL/kg dose level. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a median overall survival of 19.4 months and a median progression-free survival of 9.6 months, which compares favorably to historical controls. Among 6 patients evaluable for TOLD MRI, a statistically significant reduction in tumor T1 was observed after DDFPe treatment. Conclusions: This trial, although small, showed that the use of DDFPe as a radiosensitizer in patients with GBM was generally safe and may provide a survival benefit. This is also the first time than TOLD MRI has shown reversal of tumor hypoxia in a clinical trial in patients. The recommended dose for phase II evaluation is 0.1 mL/kg DDFPe. Trial Registration: NCT02189109 Significance: This study shows that DDFPe can be safely administered to patients, and it is the first-in-human study to show reversal of hypoxia in GBM as measured by TOLD MRI. This strategy is being used in a larger phase II/III trial which will hopefully show a survival benefit by adding DDFPe during the course of fractionated radiation and concurrent chemotherapy.

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that ferroptosis may be important in the progression of OA. Angelica Sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), a traditional Chinese medicine, possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. However, it is unclear whether ASP can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis by suppressing ferroptosis. Methods Collection of postoperative joint cartilage from patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA), detection of ferroptosis-related markers including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and ferritin heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) expression, as well as glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and investigation of the correlation between ferroptosis and osteoarthritis. Chondrocytes were isolated and cultured, stimulated separately with IL-1β or erastin, rescued by ASP and ferroptosis inhibitors, and changes in cell viability and ferroptosis were detected. A destabilization of the medial meniscus surgical model (DMM) model was established in mice, and ASP was administered orally at different dosages to evaluate its therapeutic effect and level of ferroptosis. Results First, the expression of GPX4, FTH1 and reduced GSH was lower while the MDA level was up-regulated in cartilage of the OA group as compared to the control group. Moreover, chondrocyte ferroptosis induced by Erastin or IL-1β was rescued by the application of ASP or ferroptosis inhibitors in vitro. Further, the anti-ferroptotic effect of ASP was related to enhanced nuclear transfer of Nrf2 and decreased activation of NF-κB as indicated by down-regulated expression of p-p65. Next, the in vivo experiments showed that ASP alleviated the cartilage damage of mice joints induced by DMM. Conclusions In summary, ASP can attenuate chondrocyte ferroptosis through the Nrf2/NF-κB pathway in the progression of OA, suggesting that ASP may a potential inhibitor of ferroptosis for the treatment of OA.

Abstract Background Hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia; whether the association is causal or due to a shared pathology is unknown. We estimated the association of brain β-amyloid with hearing, hypothesizing no association. As a positive control, we quantified the association of hearing loss with neurocognitive test performance. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities-Positron Emission Tomography study data. Amyloid was measured using global cortical and temporal lobe standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) calculated from florbetapir-positron emission tomography scans. Composite global and domain-specific cognitive scores were created from 10 neurocognitive tests. Hearing was measured using an average of better-ear air conduction thresholds (0.5–4 kHz). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression estimated mean differences in hearing by amyloid and mean differences in cognitive scores by hearing, stratified by race. Results In 252 dementia-free adults (72–92 years, 37% Black race, and 61% female participants), cortical or temporal lobe SUVR was not associated with hearing (models adjusted for age, sex, education, and APOE ε4). Each 10 dB HL increase in hearing loss was associated with a 0.134 standard deviation lower mean global cognitive factor score (95% CI: −0.248, −0.019), after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular factors. Observed hearing-cognition associations were stronger in Black versus White participants. Conclusions Amyloid is not associated with hearing, suggesting that pathways linking hearing and cognition are independent of this pathognomonic Alzheimer’s-related brain change. This is the first study to show that the impact of hearing loss on cognition may be stronger in Black versus White adults.

Background and Purpose Recent introduction of photon counting detector (PCD) computed tomography (CT) scanners into clinical practice further improve CT angiography (CTA) depiction of orbital arterial vasculature compared to conventional energy integrating detector (EID) CT scanners. PCD-CTA of the orbit can provide a detailed arterial roadmap of the orbit which can de diagnostic on its own or serve as a helpful planning adjunct for both diagnostic and therapeutic catheter-based angiography of the orbit. Methods For this review, EID and PCD-CT imaging was obtained in 28 volunteers. The volume CT dose index was closely matched. A dual-energy scanning protocol was used on EID-CT. An ultra-high-resolution (UHR) scan mode was used on PCD-CT. Images were reconstructed at 0.6 mm slice thickness using a closely matched medium-sharp standard resolution (SR) kernel. High-resolution (HR) images with the sharpest quantitative kernel were also reconstructed on PCD-CT at the thinnest slice thickness of 0.2 mm. A denoising algorithm was applied to the HR image series. Results The imaging description of the orbital vascular anatomy presented in this work was derived from these patients’ PCD-CTA images in combination with review of the literature. We found that orbital arterial anatomy is much better depicted with PCD-CTA, and this work can serve primarily as an imaging atlas of the normal orbital vascular anatomy. Conclusion With recent advances in technology, arterial anatomy of the orbit is much better depicted with PCD-CTA as opposed to EID-CTA. Current orbital PCD-CTA technology approaches the necessary resolution threshold for reliable evaluation of central retinal artery occlusion.

Background SEA-CD40 is an investigational, non-fucosylated, humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that activates CD40, an immune-activating tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member. SEA-CD40 exhibits enhanced binding to activating FcγRIIIa, possibly enabling greater immune stimulation than other CD40 agonists. A first-in-human phase 1 trial was conducted to examine safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of SEA-CD40 monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma. Methods SEA-CD40 was administered intravenously to patients with solid tumors or lymphoma in 21-day cycles with standard 3+3 dose escalation at 0.6, 3, 10, 30, 45, and 60 µg/kg. An intensified dosing regimen was also studied. The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the safety and tolerability and identify the maximum tolerated dose of SEA-CD40. Secondary objectives included evaluation of the pharmacokinetic parameters, antitherapeutic antibodies, pharmacodynamic effects and biomarker response, and antitumor activity. Results A total of 67 patients received SEA-CD40 including 56 patients with solid tumors and 11 patients with lymphoma. A manageable safety profile was observed, with predominant adverse events of infusion/hypersensitivity reactions (IHRs) reported in 73% of patients. IHRs were primarily ≤grade 2 with an incidence associated with infusion rate. To mitigate IHRs, a standardized infusion approach was implemented with routine premedication and a slowed infusion rate. SEA-CD40 infusion resulted in potent immune activation, illustrated by dose dependent cytokine induction with associated activation and trafficking of innate and adaptive immune cells. Results suggested that doses of 10–30 µg/kg may result in optimal immune activation. SEA-CD40 monotherapy exhibited evidence of antitumor activity, with a partial response in a patient with basal cell carcinoma and a complete response in a patient with follicular lymphoma. Conclusions SEA-CD40 was tolerable as monotherapy and induced potent dose dependent immune cell activation and trafficking consistent with immune activation. Evidence of monotherapy antitumor activity was observed in patients with solid tumors and lymphoma. Further evaluation of SEA-CD40 is warranted, potentially as a component of a combination regimen. Trial registration number NCT02376699.

Background The analgesic effectiveness of contemporary motor-sparing nerve blocks used in combination for analgesia in total knee arthroplasty is unclear. This network meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of adding single-injection or continuous adductor canal block (ACB) with or without infiltration of the interspace between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee (iPACK) to intraoperative local infiltration analgesia (LIA), compared to LIA alone, after total knee arthroplasty. Methods Randomized trials examining the addition of single-injection or continuous ACB with or without single-injection block at the iPACK to LIA for total knee arthroplasty were considered. The two primary outcomes were area-under-the-curve pain scores over 24 to 48 h and postoperative function at greater than 24 h. Secondary outcomes included rest pain scores at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h; opioid consumption (from 0 to 24 h and from 25 to 48 h); and incidence of nausea/vomiting. Network meta-analysis was conducted using a frequentist approach. Results A total of 27 studies (2,317 patients) investigating the addition of (1) single-injection ACB, (2) continuous ACB, (3) single-injection ACB and single-injection block at the iPACK, and (4) continuous ACB and single-injection block at the iPACK to LIA, as compared to LIA alone, were included. For area-under-the-curve 24- to 48-h pain, the addition of continuous ACB with single-injection block at the iPACK displayed the highest P -score probability (89%) of being most effective for pain control. The addition of continuous ACB without single-injection block at the iPACK displayed the highest P -score probability (87%) of being most effective for postoperative function. Conclusions The results suggest that continuous ACB, but not single-injection ACB and/or single-injection block at the iPACK, provides statistically superior analgesia when added to LIA for total knee arthroplasty compared to LIA alone. However, the magnitude of these additional analgesic benefits is clinically questionable. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New