Citations

Background: Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of reproductive-aged women and is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk. While BRCA1/2 mutations are established risk factors for ovarian cancer, their association with endometriosis remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and clinical features of endometriosis within a large cohort of BRCA mutation carriers. Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted using data from a multi-center longitudinal cohort of women with pathogenic BRCA variants. Reproductive history and related factors were collected through self-reported questionnaires and compared. Results: Among 16,950 BRCA carriers, the prevalence of endometriosis was 2.4%. Compared to BRCA carriers without endometriosis, those with endometriosis were more likely to carry a BRCA2 mutation, have post-secondary education, and experience earlier menarche. BRCA carriers with endometriosis had a lower ovarian cancer prevalence than those without (10% vs. 15%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This is the first study of this scale to report the prevalence of endometriosis among BRCA mutation carriers, which was lower than previously reported in the general population. The association between endometriosis and ovarian cancer does not appear to be generalizable to this population. Further prospective studies are warranted to clarify this association among BRCA mutation carriers.

Abstract Introduction FD Ibr+Ven is approved as first-line (1L) treatment (tx) for CLL/SLL in 78 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, plus Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Clinical trials with up to 5.5 years (yrs) of follow-up have demonstrated progression-free and overall survival benefits of 1L FD Ibr+Ven in pts with CLL/SLL (Wierda WG, ASH 2024; Jacobs R, EHA 2024). Despite established clinical benefits, there is a lack of RW evidence on the effectiveness and tolerability of FD Ibr+Ven outside of clinical trial settings. Here we present pooled data from REALITY-WW and REALITY-2 to understand the usage, factors for therapy decision, clinical response, and safety of FD Ibr+Ven in routine clinical practice. Methods REALITY-WW and REALITY-2 are prospective observational cohort studies. REALITY-WW is an international study; REALITY-2 is conducted in Germany. Both included previously untreated pts with CLL/SLL from hospitals and medical institutions where Ibr+Ven was routinely used. The decision to start FD Ibr+Ven was made prior to and independent of pt enrollment. Pts aged ≥18 yrs with a confirmed diagnosis of CLL/SLL requiring 1L tx per iwCLL 2018 criteria received 3 cycles of Ibr, followed by 12 cycles of FD Ibr+Ven orally (Ibr, 420 mg/d; Ven, 5-week ramp-up to 400 mg/d). Primary end point was overall response rate (ORR) per iwCLL 2018 criteria. Secondary end points and outcomes of interest included tx-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) risk, and factors associated with physician decision to initiate FD Ibr+Ven in routine clinical practice. Results At data cutoff (REALITY-WW: May 2025; REALITY-2: March 2025), 129 pts from both studies received FD Ibr+Ven (REALITY-WW, 81; REALITY-2, 48). The median (range) time on study was 6.4 (0.1-19.0) months (mo). Median (range) age was 65.0 (37.0-87.0) yrs, with 46.5% of pts aged &lt;65 yrs and 53.5% of pts aged ≥65 yrs; 62.8% were male. Median (range) time from diagnosis to FD Ibr+Ven initiation was 38.1 mo (0.1-238.0) and median (range) duration of tx was 6.0 mo (0.1-15.9) for Ibr and 3.2 mo (0.1-8.4) for Ven. A Cumulative Illness Rating Scale score of &gt;6 was observed in 12.6% of pts, with a higher score in pts aged ≥65 vs &lt;65 yrs (18.0% vs 6.9%). TP53 mutations were seen in 7.4% of pts; 52.8% had an unmutated IGHV status. ORR was assessed in the 44 pts with ≥ 1 post-baseline assessment in REALITY-WW. Of these, 39 showed a response by the end of 6 tx cycles (3 cycles of Ibr + 3 cycles of FD Ibr+Ven) and 5 had stable disease. ORR at 6 mo per iwCLL 2018 criteria (partial response [PR] with lymphocytosis [PR-L] or better) was 88.6% (95% CI, 79.3-98.0), including complete responses in 29.5%, PR in 34.1%, and PR-L in 25.0% pts. Among 129 treated pts, TEAEs were reported in 61.2%; diarrhea was the most common TEAE (14.0%). Serious TEAEs and grade 3/4 TEAEs were reported in 12.4% and 8.5% of pts, respectively. The most common grade 3/4 TEAE was myocardial infarction (1.6%). Dose reduction was observed in 13.2% (Ibr) and 2.3% (Ven) of pts, mainly due to tx-associated TEAE/toxicity/TLS. Rates of TEAEs leading to discontinuation, dose reduction, and interruption of ≥1 study tx were 4.7%, 10.9%, and 20.9%, respectively. At baseline (n=129), 18.6%, 45.0%, and 14.7% of pts had high, intermediate, and low TLS risk, respectively, while 20.2% were not assessed and 1.6% had missing data. After the 3-cycle Ibr lead-in, the distribution shifted to 9.3%, 24.8%, and 24.0%, respectively, with 14.7% not assessed and 27.1% missing. There were no TEAEs of TLS and no hospitalizations due to TLS. Seven pts (6 aged ≥65 yrs and 1 &lt;65 yrs) were hospitalized prophylactically for TLS. Prophylactic hospitalization was observed in 8.5% (11/129) of pts with high or medium TLS risk and impaired renal function for whom the Ven ramp-up was initiated; no pts were hospitalized due to laboratory/clinical TLS during the Ven ramp-up period. Physician questionnaire responses (n=126) indicated the most common factors associated with decision to initiate FD Ibr+Ven were administration route advantage (91.3%), overall health status (87.3%), anticipated superior efficacy of tx (84.1%), and general risk factors such as high tumor burden/genetic risk factors (81.0%). Conclusions Overall findings suggest that FD Ibr+Ven is an effective and safe tx for pts with CLL/SLL in a RW population, including those aged ≥65 yrs. Data with longer follow-up will be presented at the meeting.

Abstract This study examined in vitro glenohumeral instability under two simulated biomechanical models of rotator cuff tear: 1) tendon-defect model and 2) muscle-unloaded model. The results indicated that rotator cuff tear significantly increased the joint instability. Significant difference also existed between the two tested models. The tendon-defect model underestimated the joint instability in most simulated shoulder positions.

Abstract The stress environment of the extracellular matrix of the supraspinatus tendon, including the stress distribution and concentration, was evaluated by using a finite element model. Stress riser was found around the insertion at the articular side of the tendon. Compressive and shear stresses were observed at the articular side which corresponded to the region associated with fibrocartilaginous matrix. This area corresponded well with the critical zone of potential tear observed clinically.

Abstract A methodology was developed for potential determination of the material properties of inhomogeneous and anisotropic biomembranes. Mathematical estimations and computer simulations were performed to determine the effect of load and displacement errors on the property values. The results indicated that the material properties were particularly sensitive to displacement errors. The determination of non-dominant components requires more accurate experimental measurements.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is a leading cause of heart failure characterized by extensive remodeling of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). While initially adaptive, ECM deposition following ischemic injury eventually turns maladaptive, promoting adverse cardiac remodeling. The strong link between the extent of fibrosis and adverse clinical outcomes has led to growing interest in ECM-targeted therapies to prevent or reverse maladaptive cardiac remodeling in ICM; yet, the precise composition of the ECM in ICM remains poorly defined. In this study, we employed sequential protein extraction enabled by the photocleavable surfactant Azo to enrich ECM proteins from left ventricular tissues of patients with end-stage ICM and nonfailing donor hearts. High-resolution mass spectrometry–based quantitative proteomics identified and quantified over 6,000 unique protein groups, including 315 ECM proteins. We discovered significant upregulation of key ECM components, particularly glycoproteins, proteoglycans, collagens, and ECM regulators. Notably, LOXL1 , FBLN1 , and VCAN were among the most differentially expressed. Functional enrichment analyses revealed enhanced TGFB signaling, integrin-mediated adhesion, and complement activation in ICM tissues, suggesting a feedback loop driving continued ECM deposition in the end-stage failing heart. Together, our findings provide a comprehensive proteomic landscape of ECM alterations in the end-stage ICM myocardium and identify promising molecular targets for therapeutic intervention.

Abstract With the rapid advancements in large language model technology and the emergence of bioinformatics‐specific language models (BioLMs), there is a growing need for a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape, computational characteristics, and diverse applications. This survey aims to address this need by providing a thorough review of BioLMs, focusing on their evolution, classification, and distinguishing features, alongside a detailed examination of training methodologies, datasets, and evaluation frameworks. We explore the wide‐ranging applications of BioLMs in critical areas such as disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and vaccine development, highlighting their impact and transformative potential in bioinformatics. We identify key challenges and limitations inherent in BioLMs, including data privacy and security concerns, interpretability issues, biases in training data and model outputs, and domain adaptation complexities. Finally, we highlight emerging trends and future directions, offering valuable insights to guide researchers and clinicians toward advancing BioLMs for increasingly sophisticated biological and clinical applications.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality is increasing globally, partly due to the growing prevalence of nonviral liver diseases. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with HCC development. Leveraging GWAS summary statistics and linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSR), we investigated disease co‐development with hepatitis C virus‐negative (HCV‐negative) HCC to provide unique insights into HCC etiology and prioritize relationships for further causal inquiry. We utilized the LDSR statistical framework to estimate the genetic correlation and heritability between HCV‐negative HCC with 901 epidemiologic, behavioral, and clinical traits from the United Kingdom Biobank (UKBB). First, we set the threshold for observed scale heritability of each trait at 0.02 to ensure reliable inferences with adequate study power. Next, we observed significant positive genetic correlations between HCV‐negative HCC and blood‐based biomarkers of liver injury (ALT, GGT) and allostatic load (including glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and total albumin). We also identified a positive genetic correlation between HCV‐negative HCC and diseases associated with metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), including diabetes, hypertension, chronic ischemic heart disease, and others. Taken together, our results help to identify polygenic and pleiotropic signals related to different phenotypic traits associated with HCC and support further exploration of the predictive power of blood‐based biomarkers identified in this study for inferring HCC development among HCV‐negative individuals.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma in never-smokers is a major public health burden, especially among East Asian women. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are promising for risk stratification but are primarily developed in European-ancestry populations. We aimed to develop and validate single- and multi-ancestry PRSs for East Asian never-smokers to improve lung adenocarcinoma risk prediction. Methods PRSs were developed using genome-wide association study summary statistics from East Asian (8002 cases; 20 782 controls) and European (2058 cases; 5575 controls) populations. Single-ancestry models included a PRS with 25 single nucleotide variants (PRS-25), PRS clumping and thresholding (CT), and LDpred2; multi-ancestry models included LDpred2 plus European PRS-128, PRS-CSx, and clumping and thresholding, super learning, empirical Bayes (CT-SLEB). Performance was evaluated in independent East Asian data from the Female Lung Cancer Consortium and externally validated in the Nanjing Lung Cancer Cohort. We assessed predictive accuracy via area under the curve operating procedure (AUC), with 10-year and (ages 30-80 years) absolute risks estimates. Results The best multi-ancestry PRS, using East Asian and European data via CT-SLEB, outperformed the best East Asian-only (LDpred2; AUC = 0.629, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.618 to 0.641), achieving an AUC of 0.640 (95% CI = 0.629 to 0.653) and odds ratio of 1.71 (95% CI = 1.61 to 1.82) per standard deviation increase. Nanjing Lung Cancer Cohort validation confirmed robust performance (AUC = 0.649, 95% CI = 0.623 to 0.676). The top 20% PRS group had a 3.92-fold higher lung adenocarcinoma risk than the bottom 20%. Further, the top 5% PRS group reached a 6.69% lifetime absolute risk. Notably, this group reached the average population 10-year lung adenocarcinoma risk at age 50 years (0.42%) by age 41 years, 9 years earlier. Conclusions Multi-ancestry PRS approaches enhance lung adenocarcinoma risk stratification in East Asian never-smokers, with consistent external validation, suggesting future clinical utility.