Citations

Abstract Objective Epilepsy duration is a modifiable risk factor in the outcome of definitive epilepsy surgery; however, an analogous effect in palliative procedures has not been shown. We reviewed the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Database data for an association between epilepsy duration and seizure reduction in palliative procedures. Methods Patients enrolled between January 2018 and April 2025 who underwent their first epilepsy surgery with palliative intent with 6 months of follow‐up were included. Procedures included neuromodulation, corpus callosotomy, hemispherotomy, lesionectomy, and lobectomy where surgical intent was not seizure freedom. Outcomes of seizure freedom, 90% seizure reduction, and 50% seizure reduction were considered at 6–12 months and >12 months from surgery. Duration from epilepsy onset to surgery was compared for patients above and below each outcome threshold at each time point. Logistic regression analysis for the association between epilepsy duration and seizure reduction adjusted for potential confounders including procedure type, etiology, and other clinical factors. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the overall cohort and subgroups of patients with each procedure. Results A total of 588 patients were included. Initial univariate analysis suggested that epilepsy duration at time of surgery was significantly associated with seizure freedom and 90% seizure reduction at both 6–12 months and >12 months. After adjusting for confounders, only seizure freedom at >12 months was significantly associated with duration of epilepsy. When individual procedures were considered, only lobectomy was sensitive to duration of epilepsy in multivariate analysis, with significant impacts on >50% and >90% seizure reduction at >12 months. Lesional epilepsy predicted seizure freedom at >12 months. Neuromodulation and corpus callosotomy were less likely to achieve seizure reduction than other procedures. Significance We did not find an association between early epilepsy surgery and seizure reduction. This reflects the heterogeneity of our population, including different types of surgical procedures and lesional and nonlesional epilepsies.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating cancer with a dismal prognosis. Current treatment includes temozolomide (TMZ), which is more effective in about 50% of GBMs that have O 6 - methylguanine DNA methyltransferase ( MGMT ) promoter methylation. MGMT is a DNA repair protein that reverses TMZ-induced DNA damage. EGFR is a prime oncogene in GBM. Here, we report that EGFR inhibition induced the down-regulation of MGMT in GBM cells, revealing a previously unidentified link between EGFR signaling and response to TMZ. EGFR inhibition led to activation of two transcription factors, activator protein-1 (AP-1), which repressed MGMT transcription, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), which up-regulated MGMT transcription. EGFR inhibition also induced AP-1–mediated transcription of miR-616. miR-616 inhibited both MGMT translation and NF-κB activation. Thus, the overall effect of EGFR inhibition was down-regulation of MGMT expression. In addition, we provided an explanation for the prior failure of clinical trials that used concomitant EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and TMZ. TMZ up-regulated MGMT, and concomitant treatment with EGFR TKIs and TMZ failed to down-regulate MGMT. However, pretreatment with EGFR TKIs followed by TMZ efficiently down-regulated MGMT and enhanced TMZ sensitivity in experimental models. Posttreatment tumor tissues from two clinical trials were used to validate these findings. We demonstrated that EGFR inhibitors induced down-regulation of MGMT in posttreatment resected tumor tissues from patients with GBM and the failure of EGFR inhibition to down-regulate MGMT if TMZ was used concomitantly. These data support using EGFR TKIs before TMZ treatment as a therapeutic approach in MGMT unmethylated GBM.

TPS3182 Background: MTAP deletion in solid tumors causes intracellular accumulation of methylthioadenosine (MTA) which partially inhibits activity of the key methylating enzyme, protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) and creates synthetic lethal dependencies on PRMT5 and methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A), the rate limiting step in the synthesis of PRMT5 substrate, S-adenosyl methionine. PRMT5 and MAT2A are essential to transcription modulation, gene splicing, and DNA damage response. IDE892 is an MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor designed to exploit this vulnerability in MTAPdel tumors. Preclinical studies report robust antitumor activity with IDE892 monotherapy in MTAPdel xenograft models and an enhanced response when combined with IDE397 (an allosteric MAT2A inhibitor). IDE892-001 is a Phase 1 study evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and preliminary antitumor activity of IDE892 alone and in combination with IDE397. Methods: IDE892-001 is an ongoing, open-label, multicenter four-part study: IDE892 monotherapy dose escalation (Part 1), monotherapy dose expansion in MTAPdel NSCLC (Part 2), IDE892 + IDE397 dose escalation (Part 3), and combination expansion in MTAPdel NSCLC (Part 4). Adults with advanced or metastatic MTAPdel solid tumors including lung, urothelial, gastrointestinal cancers (including pancreatic and biliary tract cancers) and mesothelioma are eligible following disease progression on standard therapies. Key exclusion criteria include symptomatic brain metastases, cardiac disease, active severe infection, and prior treatment with a PRMT5 or MAT2A inhibitor. Part 1 uses a Bayesian optimal interval design to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended doses for expansion (RDE). Part 3 uses a modified toxicity probability interval design to evaluate escalating combinations of IDE892 and IDE397. Oral treatment is given QD in 21-day cycles until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Serial blood samples are collected for PD analyses. Imaging will be performed every 6 weeks through week 24, then every 9–12 weeks. Efficacy endpoints will be assessed by RECIST v1.1. Primary objectives for dose-escalation cohorts (Parts 1 and 3) are safety and tolerability, including determination of MTD/RDE. In expansion cohorts (Parts 2 and 4), co-primary objectives include safety and preliminary antitumor activity (objective response rate and duration of response). Secondary endpoints for all parts include PK of IDE892 alone and in combination with IDE397. Exploratory assessments include progression free survival, changes in circulating and tumor-based markers of PRMT5 pathway modulation, molecular predictors of response, exposure–response relationships, and metabolite characterization. Clinical trial information: NCT07277413 .

Abstract Objective Despite being safe and effective, surgery for pediatric epilepsy is underutilized. Social determinants of health (SDoH) are important to consider when examining this treatment gap. This study examined the potential systemic inequities at three different stages in the journey toward epilepsy surgery across the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium (PERC). Methods Any youth in the PERC prospective surgery database (≤18 years) was eligible and included if sociodemographic factors were also available. We examined if there were differences in disparity factors in: (1) referral to Phase I evaluation, (2) offering of surgery, and (3) completion of surgery. Results Of 1309 patients, the majority were male (53%, p = .04), White (82.2%, p < .001), not Hispanic or Latino (84.3%, p < .001), and privately insured (56.3%, p < .001). Of the youth who were offered surgical treatment ( n = 1103, 84.3%), there were no significant differences in race/ethnicity or sex. Those with a structural lesion were more likely to be offered surgery, and historically marginalized youth were more likely to have a lesion. Of patients who completed surgery ( n = 927, 84.0%), White patients were 1.88 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–3.04) more likely than Black patients to complete surgery ( p = .01). Significance Youth who began surgery evaluation are not representative of the demographics of those with epilepsy in the United States, with greater representation of White, non‐Hispanic male individuals. In addition, youth who began surgery evaluation disproportionally have private insurance. At the next stage of offering surgery, there were no differences based on SDoH. However, there is evidence that underrepresented youth that were magnetic resonance negative were less likely to be referred for surgical workup and that Black youth were less likely to undergo surgery. Therefore, efforts to provide equitable opportunity for all youth with refractory epilepsy should be concentrated at the referral for surgery evaluation point of care; however, additional efforts are also needed at later stages.

Abstract The tumor landscape of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is refractory to conventional photon radiotherapy (RT) because of a fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes chronic hypoxia and reduced immune surveillance. The radiobiological factors unique to carbon ion RT (CIRT), such as high linear energy transfer and less dependence on oxygen, make it well-suited to overcome the PDAC TME. In this study, we utilized clonal syngeneic KPC pancreatic tumor cell lines and tumors to examine this postulate and to identify underlying factors that affect the response of PDAC to CIRT. Although KPC cell lines exhibited radiobiological effectiveness greater than 3, subcutaneous tumors in the mouse hind leg showed lower radiobiological effectiveness—1.3 based on quintupling time—at a linear energy transfer between 70 and 80 keV/μm. Four days after CIRT, we observed widespread transcriptomic changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting increased infiltration of antitumor immune cells and elevated expression of antitumor T-cell cytokines, MHC class I molecules, and co-stimulatory signals. Fewer immunologic changes were observed following photon irradiation. By 7 days after CIRT, tumor-supportive transcriptomic programs characterized by protumor cytokines, M2 macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts emerged, promoting resistance and limiting the durability of tumor growth delay. These findings suggest that CIRT may offer a favorable platform compared with conventional photon RT for combining with immunotherapies. Furthermore, these data highlight the risk of using in vitro survival data alone in treatment planning and indicate that underlying TME factors affect the response of PDAC in vivo.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the long‐term safety and clinical effect of INO‐3107 immunotherapy in adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Methods RRP‐002 was a retrospective, observational extension study that followed patients enrolled in the 52‐week RRP‐001 study. Patients with moderate to severe juvenile or adult‐onset RRP who had undergone ≥ 2 surgical interventions in the year preceding dosing were eligible for enrollment in RRP‐001. Participants underwent surgical debulking within 14 days prior to initial dosing and then received INO‐3107 on Day 0, Weeks 3, 6, and 9. Efficacy assessments during RRP‐002 follow‐up were the frequency of surgical interventions and alternative medication use. The safety evaluation included reported serious adverse events (SAEs). Results Twenty‐eight (28) of 32 participants from the 52‐week RRP‐001 study were enrolled in RRP‐002. The median follow‐up time for RRP‐002 was 1.8 years (range: 1.2–2.4 years) for a total median assessment time of 2.8 years (range: 1.0–3.5 years). There were no SAEs or long‐term safety concerns identified. The mean number of surgeries was reduced from 4.1 in the pre‐treatment period to 1.7 in the first year post‐INO‐3107 treatment (Year 1) to 0.9 in the second year (Year 2). The complete response rate (0 surgeries per year) increased from 28% (9/32) in Year 1 to 50% (14/28) in Year 2. Conclusion INO‐3107 is well tolerated and provides a continued clinical effect against HPV‐6 and 11 RRP that results in further reduction of the surgical burden observed in Year 1. These data support the role of INO‐3107 immunotherapy for adult patients with RRP. Level of Evidence: III.

Summary: The development of clinical practice guidelines is an evolving field. In response to the need for consistent, evidence-based medical practice, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society identified the need to update the Society's guideline development process. The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Guidelines Committee created an action plan with the goal of improving transparency and rigor for future guidelines and bringing existing guidelines to current standards. This article provides an overview of the new American Clinical Neurophysiology Society standards for the creation of clinical guidance documents, including clinical guidelines, technical standards, and consensus statements. This process is rooted in the importance of clinical guidance documents and their significance in the context of current behests for updated standards for practicing clinical neurophysiology. The need and rationale for updating the guideline development process from its prior state were described. The updated American Clinical Neurophysiology Society categories for clinical guidance and recommendations were defined and compared. Finally, the new process is summarized, focusing on methodologies, authorship, and conflicts of interest.

Abstract Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a debilitating chronic disease of the airway caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Here we describe the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity from a Phase 1/2 trial of INO-3107, a DNA immunotherapy designed to elicit T-cell responses against HPV-6 and HPV-11, in adults with RRP (NCT04398433). Thirty-two eligible patients with HPV-6 and/or HPV-11 RRP, who required ≥2 surgical interventions in the year preceding dosing, were administered 4 doses of INO-3107 by intramuscular (IM) injection followed by electroporation (EP). The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability. Efficacy and immunology endpoints included the frequency of surgical interventions in the year following the first dose of INO-3107 and assessment of immune responses. The majority (26/32; 81%) of patients experienced a reduction in the number of surgeries in the year following initiation of treatment with INO-3107, when compared with the year prior. Peripheral blood assessments revealed HPV-6 and HPV-11 antigen-specific T-cell induction, inclusive of cytolytic CD8+ T-cells. RNA sequencing identified the presence of an inflammatory response in patient papillomas after treatment with INO-3107, inclusive of cytolytic CD8+ T-cell signatures. T-cell receptor sequencing revealed emergent T-cell clones in the blood and assessment of airway tissue confirmed trafficking of these clones to papillomas, which was associated with clinical benefit. Treatment was well tolerated, with 13/32 (41%) patients reporting a treatment-related adverse event (AE), all of which were low-grade. INO-3107 provides clinical benefit to adults with HPV-6 and/or HPV-11 associated RRP, is well tolerated, and generates an antigen-specific immune response against HPV. Importantly, treatment-induced peripheral T-cell responses traffick to airway tissue and are associated with clinical response, consistent with the proposed mechanism of action.

Summary: The Pitanguy ligament is a crucial structure in nasal tip support and in maintaining the integrity of the soft-tissue envelope of the nose. In this cadaveric study, the authors dissected out the Pitanguy ligament on a series of fresh human cadaver specimens to elucidate the structure of the ligament and its fate in open rhinoplasty. The Pitanguy ligament can act as a tethering force to the nasal tip when reshaping the nasal tip. Release of the Pitanguy ligament alleviated downward tension on the nasal tip, and tip shaping to a more appropriate position demonstrated that this ligament was displaced from its ideal position. In patients seeking rhinoplasty, this structure may require release and reconstruction to successfully alter tip position and avoid supratip deformity.