Citations

Abstract The sparse vascularity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a mystery: What prevents this aggressive malignancy from undergoing neoangiogenesis to counteract hypoxia and better support growth? An incidental finding from prior work on paracrine communication between malignant PDAC cells and fibroblasts revealed that inhibition of the Hedgehog (HH) pathway partially relieved angiosuppression, increasing tumor vascularity through unknown mechanisms. Initial efforts to study this phenotype were hindered by difficulties replicating the complex interactions of multiple cell types in vitro. Here we identify a cascade of paracrine signals between multiple cell types that act sequentially to suppress angiogenesis in PDAC. Malignant epithelial cells promote HH signaling in fibroblasts, leading to inhibition of noncanonical WNT signaling in fibroblasts and epithelial cells, thereby limiting VEGFR2-dependent activation of endothelial hypersprouting. This cascade was elucidated using human and murine PDAC explant models, which effectively retain the complex cellular interactions of native tumor tissues. Significance: We present a key mechanism of tumor angiosuppression, a process that sculpts the physiologic, cellular, and metabolic environment of PDAC. We further present a computational and experimental framework for the dissection of complex signaling cascades that propagate among multiple cell types in the tissue environment. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 201

Abstract Aims MicroRNAs play a role in pathogenic mechanisms leading to heart failure. We measured a panel of 754 miRNAs in the myocardial tissue and in the serum of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction due to dilatative idiopathic cardiomyopathy (DCM, N = 10) or ischaemic cardiomyopathy (N = 3), referred to left ventricular assist device implant. We aim to identify circulating miRNAs with high tissue co-expression, significantly associated to echocardiographic and haemodynamic measures. Methods and results We have measured a panel of 754 miRNAs in the myocardial tissue [left ventricular (LV) apex] and in the serum obtained at the same time in a well selected study population of end-stage heart failure with reduced ejection fraction due to either DCM or ischaemic cardiomyopathy, referred to continuous flow left ventricular assist device implant. We observed moderate agreement for miR-30d, miR-126-3p, and miR-483-3p. MiR-30d was correlated to LV systolic as well as diastolic volumes (r = 0.78, P = 0.001 and r = 0.80, P = 0.005, respectively), while miR-126-3p was associated to mPAP and PCWP (r = −0.79, P = 0.007 and r = −0.80, P = 0.005, respectively). Finally, serum miR-483-3p had an association with right ventricular end diastolic diameter (r = −0.73, P = 0.02) and central venous pressure (CVP) (r − 0.68 p 0.03). Conclusions In patients with DCM, few miRNAs are co-expressed in serum and tissue: They are related to LV remodelling (miR-30d), post-capillary pulmonary artery pressure (miR-126-3p), and right ventricular remodelling/filling pressures (miR-483-3p). Further studies are needed to confirm their role in diagnosis, prognosis or as therapeutic targets in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Abstract Disclosure: B. Clarke: Advisory Board Member; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Takeda, Entera-Bio, Extend-Bio, Amolyt. Consulting Fee; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Takeda, Entera-Bio, Extend-Bio, Amolyt. Grant Recipient; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Takeda. Research Investigator; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Takeda. Other; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Takeda, Entera-Bio, Extend-Bio, Amolyt. A.A. Khan: Advisory Board Member; Self; Amgen Inc, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ascendis Pharma, Takeda, Ultragenyx. Consulting Fee; Self; Amgen Inc, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amolyt, Ascendis Pharma, Ultragenyx. Grant Recipient; Self; Amolyt. Research Investigator; Self; Radius Health, Inc, Takeda, Ultragenyx, Amolyt, Ascendis Pharma, Chugai. Speaker; Self; Amgen Inc. Other; Self; Amgen Inc, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ascendis Pharma, Takeda, Ultragenyx. M.R. Rubin: Research Investigator; Self; Chugai Pharma. P.E. Schwarz: Stock Owner; Self; Novo Nordisk, Genmab. T.J. Vokes: Consulting Fee; Self; Takeda, Ascendis Pharma. Research Investigator; Self; Ascendis Pharma, Radius Health, Inc. D.M. Shoback: Research Investigator; Self; Bone Health Tech. C. Gagnon: Advisory Board Member; Self; Novo Nordisk. Grant Recipient; Self; Shire, Takeda, Ascendis Pharma. Research Investigator; Self; Novo Nordisk. Other; Self; Amgen Inc. A. Palermo: Consulting Fee; Self; Theramex, Bruno, Farmaceutici, Amgen Inc. Grant Recipient; Self; Amgen Inc. Research Investigator; Self; Amgen Inc, Shire, Ascendis Pharma. Speaker; Self; UCB, Amgen Inc. L.G. Abbott: Advisory Board Member; Self; Ascendis. Research Investigator; Self; Takeda, Shire, Ascendis Pharma. Speaker; Self; Abbott Laboratories, Clarus. Other; Self; Ascendis. L.C. Hofbauer: Advisory Board Member; Self; Amgen Inc, UCB. Other; Self; Amgen Inc, UCB. L. Kohlmeier: Advisory Board Member; Self; Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ascendis Pharma. Research Investigator; Self; Ascendis Pharma. Speaker; Self; Amgen Inc, Radius Health, Inc, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ascendis Pharma. Other; Self; Amgen Inc, Radius Health, Inc, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ascendis Pharma, MediMaps. F. Cetani: None. S. Phil: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. X. An: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. A.R. Smith: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. B. Lai: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. J. Le: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. J. Ukena: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. C. Sibley: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. A. Shu: Employee; Self; Ascendis Pharma. L. Rejnmark: Advisory Board Member; Self; Takeda, Amolyt. Research Investigator; Self; Takeda, Kyowa Kirin International, Ascendis Pharma, Calcilytix Therapeutics. Other; Self; Calcilytix Therapeutics. Objective: Evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of TransCon PTH as a potential hormone replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism. Methods: PaTHway is a phase 3 trial of TransCon PTH with a placebo (PBO)-controlled 26-week blinded period and a 156-week open-label extension (OLE) period. Results through Week 52 (26 weeks blinded + 26 weeks OLE) are reported. Three-component efficacy endpoint: normal serum calcium (8.3-10.6 mg/dL) and independence from conventional therapy (≤600 mg/day of elemental calcium and no active vitamin D). Other endpoints: Hypoparathyroidism Patient Experience Scale (HPES); 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36); bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); bone turnover markers (BTM) procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx). Safety was assessed by 24-hour urine calcium and reported treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results: Of the 82 participants given study drug, 79 completed blinded treatment and entered the OLE, and 78 (59 TransCon PTH/TransCon PTH, 19 PBO/TransCon PTH) completed Week 52. Overall at Week 52, 81% (63/78) met the efficacy endpoint, 95% (74/78) achieved independence from conventional therapy, and none required active vitamin D. Mean albumin-adjusted serum calcium was within the normal range at all time points in the OLE (8.9 mg/dL at Week 52). Mean Week 52 HPES scores showed sustained improvement from baseline in disease-related symptoms and the impact of hypoparathyroidism on physical functioning and daily life. Mean Week 52 SF-36 physical functioning scores also remained above baseline. In the TransCon PTH/TransCon PTH group, mean BMD corrected Z-scores trended toward norms from baseline to Weeks 26 and 52:1.5, 0.7, 0.7 at the lumbar spine (L1-L4); 0.8, 0.3, 0.3 at femoral neck; 0.9, 0.5, 0.4 at total hip; and 0.3, 0.3, 0.3 at distal 1/3 radius; P1NP peaked at Week 26 and CTx at Week 12. Smaller incremental changes were seen in BMD and BTM from Weeks 26 to 52 than baseline to Week 26. In the PBO/TransCon PTH group, changes in BMD and BTM from Week 26 to 52 resembled those in the TransCon PTH/TransCon PTH group from baseline to Week 26. Mean 24-hour urine calcium excretion decreased from 376 mg/day at baseline to 195 mg/day at Week 52. Most TEAEs were mild or moderate and none led to discontinuation of the study drug or trial. Conclusions: At Week 52 of the PaTHway trial, TransCon PTH showed a similar sustained efficacy, safety, and tolerability profile to that of Week 26, demonstrating its potential as a hormone replacement therapy for adults with hypoparathyroidism. Indices of skeletal dynamics trended toward age- and sex-matched norms in the TransCon/TransCon PTH group. TransCon PTH treatment in the PBO/TransCon PTH group showed rapid improvement in all outcomes in the first 26 weeks of the OLE consistent with the pattern in the TransCon PTH group during the blinded period. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Background and Aims: Normal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are associated with better long-term outcome. However, second-line therapies are currently recommended only when ALP levels remain above 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (×ULN) after 12-month UDCA. We assessed whether, in patients considered good responders to UDCA, normal ALP levels were associated with significant survival gains. Approach and Results: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1047 patients with PBC who attained an adequate response to UDCA according to Paris-2 criteria. Time to liver-related complications, liver transplantation, or death was assessed using adjusted restricted mean survival time (RMST) analysis. The overall incidence rate of events was 17.0 (95% CI: 13.7–21.1) per 1000 out of 4763.2 patient-years. On the whole population, normal serum ALP values (but not normal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), or aspartate aminotransferase (AST); or total bilirubin < 0.6 ×ULN) were associated with a significant absolute complication-free survival gain at 10 years (mean 7.6 months, 95% CI: 2.7 - 12.6 mo.; p = 0.003). In subgroup analysis, this association was significant in patients with a liver stiffness measurement ≥ 10 kPa and/or age ≤ 62 years, with a 10-year absolute complication-free survival gain of 52.8 months (95% CI: 45.7–59.9, p < 0.001) when these 2 conditions were met. Conclusions: PBC patients with an adequate response to UDCA and persistent ALP elevation between 1.1 and 1.5 ×ULN, particularly those with advanced fibrosis and/or who are sufficiently young, remain at risk of poor outcome. Further therapeutic efforts should be considered for these patients.

(1) Background: The “snake-eyes” sign represents a unique finding characterized by bilateral hyperintense symmetric, circular, or ovoid foci on T2-weighted MRI sequences in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. There are conflicting opinions as some authors affirm that it does not affect the prognosis of cervical myelopathy while other papers emphasize the opposite, stating how the “snake-eyes” sign constitutes an irreversible lesion and a predictor of poor prognosis. This systematic review evaluates the correlation between the “snake-eyes” sign and the prognosis of cervical myelopathy after surgery including anterior and/or posterior approaches; (2) Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA statement and a total of seven papers were included; (3) Results: A total of 419 patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 55.72 ± 14.38 years. After surgery, 26.01% of patients experienced a significant clinical improvement, while in 61.81%, there was no significant improvement. In particular, 144 of 196 patients (73.5%) treated through an anterior approach and 114 of 223 (51.1%) that underwent a posterior approach, did not present a significant improvement. Furthermore, in 12.17% of patients, the postoperative outcome was not reported, leading to a high risk of bias in the assessment of the prognostic significance of the “snake-eyes” appearance; (4) Conclusions: The “snake-eyes” sign is usually considered as an unfavorable predictive marker for myelopathic surgical patients, but the pathophysiology is still unclear, and the results have not yet reached unified levels of evidence.

ABSTRACT Conventional therapy for hypoparathyroidism consisting of active vitamin D and calcium aims to alleviate hypocalcemia but fails to restore normal parathyroid hormone (PTH) physiology. PTH replacement therapy is the ideal physiologic treatment for hypoparathyroidism. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, 26-week, phase 3 PaTHway trial assessed the efficacy and safety of PTH replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism individuals with the investigational drug TransCon PTH (palopegteriparatide). Participants (n = 84) were randomized 3:1 to once-daily TransCon PTH (initially 18 μg/d) or placebo, both co-administered with conventional therapy. The study drug and conventional therapy were titrated according to a dosing algorithm guided by serum calcium. The composite primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of participants at week 26 who achieved normal albumin-adjusted serum calcium levels (8.3–10.6 mg/dL), independence from conventional therapy (requiring no active vitamin D and ≤600 mg/d of calcium), and no increase in study drug over 4 weeks before week 26. Other outcomes of interest included health-related quality of life measured by the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), hypoparathyroidism-related symptoms, functioning, and well-being measured by the Hypoparathyroidism Patient Experience Scale (HPES), and urinary calcium excretion. At week 26, 79% (48/61) of participants treated with TransCon PTH versus 5% (1/21) wiplacebo met the composite primary efficacy endpoint (p &lt; 0.0001). TransCon PTH treatment demonstrated a significant improvement in all key secondary endpoint HPES domain scores (all p &lt; 0.01) and the SF-36 Physical Functioning subscale score (p = 0.0347) compared with placebo. Additionally, 93% (57/61) of participants treated with TransCon PTH achieved independence from conventional therapy. TransCon PTH treatment normalized mean 24-hour urine calcium. Overall, 82% (50/61) treated with TransCon PTH and 100% (21/21) wiplacebo experienced adverse events; most were mild (46%) or moderate (46%). No study drug-related withdrawals occurred. In conclusion, TransCon PTH maintained normocalcemia while permitting independence from conventional therapy and was well-tolerated in individuals with hypoparathyroidism. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). Abstract TransCon PTH is an investigational once-daily prodrug providing sustained release of active PTH designed to maintain stable PTH levels in the physiological range for 24 hours/day. The PaTHway trial met all primary and key secondary endpoints with statistically significant differences from placebo. Most adverse events (AEs) were mild/moderate. Injection-site reactions and headaches were the most common treatment-related AEs.

ABSTRACT In this narrative review, we present data gathered over four decades (1980–2020) on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and genetics of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). PHPT is typically a disease of postmenopausal women, but its prevalence and incidence vary globally and depend on a number of factors, the most important being the availability to measure serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels for screening. In the Western world, the change in presentation to asymptomatic PHPT is likely to occur, over time also, in Eastern regions. The selection of the population to be screened will, of course, affect the epidemiological data (ie, general practice as opposed to tertiary center). Parathyroid hormone has a pivotal role in regulating calcium homeostasis; small changes in extracellular Ca++ concentrations are detected by parathyroid cells, which express calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs). Clonally dysregulated overgrowth of one or more parathyroid glands together with reduced expression of CaSRs is the most important pathophysiologic basis of PHPT. The spectrum of skeletal disease reflects different degrees of dysregulated bone remodeling. Intestinal calcium hyperabsorption together with increased bone resorption lead to increased filtered load of calcium that, in addition to other metabolic factors, predispose to the appearance of calcium-containing kidney stones. A genetic basis of PHPT can be identified in about 10% of all cases. These may occur as a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (MEN1–MEN4), or the hyperparathyroidism jaw-tumor syndrome, or it may be caused by nonsyndromic isolated endocrinopathy, such as familial isolated PHPT and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism. DNA testing may have value in: confirming the clinical diagnosis in a proband; eg, by distinguishing PHPT from familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH). Mutation-specific carrier testing can be performed on a proband's relatives and identify where the proband is a mutation carrier, ruling out phenocopies that may confound the diagnosis; and potentially prevention via prenatal/preimplantation diagnosis. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). Abstract The prevalence and incidence of PHPT vary around the world and depend on a number of factors, the most important being availability of serum calcium (and parathyroid hormone) measurement for screening, which in the Western world has shifted its presentation to an asymptomatic disorder. Clonally dysregulated overgrowth of one or more parathyroid glands together with reduced expression of CaSRs is the most important pathophysiologic basis of PHPT, which may also occur as a part of inherited syndromes or as a nonsyndromic isolated endocrinopathy in 10% of cases. Genetic testing has roles in establishing the clinical diagnosis, although its value requires assessments using GRADE(176) methodology, which is recommended for future consideration.

Background: Histological changes induced by gluten in the duodenal mucosa of patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are poorly defined. Objectives: To evaluate the structural and inflammatory features of NCGS compared to controls and coeliac disease (CeD) with milder enteropathy (Marsh I-II). Methods: Well-oriented biopsies of 262 control cases with normal gastroscopy and histologic findings, 261 CeD, and 175 NCGS biopsies from 9 contributing countries were examined. Villus height (VH, in μm), crypt depth (CrD, in μm), villus-to-crypt ratios (VCR), IELs (intraepithelial lymphocytes/100 enterocytes), and other relevant histological, serologic, and demographic parameters were quantified. Results: The median VH in NCGS was significantly shorter (600, IQR: 400–705) than controls (900, IQR: 667–1112) (p < 0.001). NCGS patients with Marsh I-II had similar VH and VCR to CeD [465 µm (IQR: 390–620) vs. 427 µm (IQR: 348–569, p = 0·176)]. The VCR in NCGS with Marsh 0 was lower than controls (p < 0.001). The median IEL in NCGS with Marsh 0 was higher than controls (23.0 vs. 13.7, p < 0.001). To distinguish Marsh 0 NCGS from controls, an IEL cut-off of 14 showed 79% sensitivity and 55% specificity. IEL densities in Marsh I-II NCGS and CeD groups were similar. Conclusion: NCGS duodenal mucosa exhibits distinctive changes consistent with an intestinal response to luminal antigens, even at the Marsh 0 stage of villus architecture.

PURPOSE Antitumor activity in preclinical models and a phase I study of patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DD-LPS) was observed with selinexor. We evaluated the clinical benefit of selinexor in patients with previously treated DD-LPS whose sarcoma progressed on approved agents. METHODS SEAL was a phase II-III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients age 12 years or older with advanced DD-LPS who had received two-five lines of therapy were randomly assigned (2:1) to selinexor (60 mg) or placebo twice weekly in 6-week cycles (crossover permitted). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Patients who received at least one dose of study treatment were included for safety analysis (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02606461 ). RESULTS Two hundred eighty-five patients were enrolled (selinexor, n = 188; placebo, n = 97). PFS was significantly longer with selinexor versus placebo: hazard ratio (HR) 0.70 (95% CI, 0.52 to 0.95; one-sided P = .011; medians 2.8 v 2.1 months), as was time to next treatment: HR 0.50 (95% CI, 0.37 to 0.66; one-sided P < .0001; medians 5.8 v 3.2 months). With crossover, no difference was observed in overall survival. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events of any grade versus grade 3 or 4 with selinexor were nausea (151 [80.7%] v 11 [5.9]), decreased appetite (113 [60.4%] v 14 [7.5%]), and fatigue (96 [51.3%] v 12 [6.4%]). Four (2.1%) and three (3.1%) patients died in the selinexor and placebo arms, respectively. Exploratory RNA sequencing analysis identified that the absence of CALB1 expression was associated with longer PFS with selinexor compared with placebo (median 6.9 v 2.2 months; HR, 0.19; P = .001). CONCLUSION Patients with advanced, refractory DD-LPS showed improved PFS and time to next treatment with selinexor compared with placebo. Supportive care and dose reductions mitigated side effects of selinexor. Prospective validation of CALB1 expression as a predictive biomarker for selinexor in DD-LPS is warranted.