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Abstract Background Allogeneic (off the shelf) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy addresses the logistical challenges, availability (including insufficient T-cell yields from low baseline absolute lymphocyte count), and variable product quality of autologous CAR T therapy. ALLO-501A is a genetically modified anti-CD19 AlloCAR T™ cell product that uses TALEN ® gene editing to disrupt the T-cell receptor alpha constant gene (TRAC) and the CD52 gene to reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and permit the use of ALLO-647, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody (mAb), for selective and transitory host lymphodepletion (LD). Here we present an update on the preliminary safety, efficacy, and correlative data. ALLO-501A uses Cellectis technologies. Methods ALPHA2 (NCT04416984) is a single-arm, open-label, Phase 1/2 trial of ALLO-501A in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL including [R/R] diffuse LBCL [DLBCL], transformed follicular lymphoma [tFL], marginal zone lymphoma [tMZL], primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma [PMBCL], follicular lymphoma grade 3B [FL3B]) who received ≥2 prior lines of therapy (including an anthracycline and anti-CD20 mAb), have an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Subjects with donor specific antibodies are excluded. Following LD with ALLO-647, fludarabine 30 mg/m 2/d x 3d (F), and cyclophosphamide 300 or 500 mg/m 2/d x 3d (C), either a single (40 [DL1] or 120 [DL2] x 10 6 viable CAR T cells) or consolidation dose of ALLO-501A (DL2) are given. For consolidation dose, pts with ≥stable disease (SD) at day 28 receive consolidation with second ALLO-647 (no chemo) for LD and ALLO-501A (DL2) cell infusion. Results As of July 9, 2021, 20 pts were enrolled; 15 pts were treated with ALLO-501A (12 evaluable and 3 pending D28 assessment); 3 pts pending treatment; 2 pts withdrew due to adverse event (AE)/progressing disease (PD) prior to dosing. Patients were heavily pretreated with advanced-stage disease (Stage III: 4 [22.2%], Stage IV: 8 [44.4%]), median number of prior treatments was 3 with a high of 7. Three pts (16.7%) had primary refractory disease. Safety profile was manageable in both single dose and consolidation cohorts. Events of interest in the single dose cohort have been previously reported (ASCO 2021). In the consolidation cohort (13 enrolled, 9 pts dosed thus far), no cytokine release syndrome (CRS), no GvHD, no immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), no dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), no dose reductions, no Grade (Gr) 3+ infections and no related serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred, and infusion-related reactions were Gr 1. Among all treated, cytopenias were the most common AE and occurred in 72% of pts. Of the 12 evaluable pts (6 each treated in the single dose and consolidation dose cohort), both the overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) were 50% (95% CI: 21.1, 78.9). In the consolidation cohort, both ORR and CR rate were 66.7% (95% CI: 22.3, 95.7) with 3/3 partial responses (PRs) converting to CR after consolidation; 1 pt had CR at days 28 and 56 post consolidation and 2 pts had PD at month 1 and did not receive consolidation. In single dose cohort, 2 pts have ongoing CR at 9 and 12+ months. CAR T expansion was greater in pts who achieved a CR with a geometric mean area under the curve (AUC) at D1-28 of 206,990 copies/ug*days (n=6; GSD 4.94) compared to pts who did not achieve a CR with AUC at D1-28 of 3,571 copies/ug*days (n=3; GSD 2.41). Pts who received the consolidation dose continued to have CAR T expansion after the 2 nd CAR T infusion with geometric mean AUC from D30-56 of 92,893 copies/ug*days (n=4; GSD 5.42). Conclusions ALLO-501A with consolidation dosing demonstrated comparable safety and an improved efficacy profile compared to single dosing with all 4 pts who received consolidation remaining in CR. Persistence of CAR T at D28 and expansion after consolidation dose was observed in addition to the observed deepening of responses in pts whose initial response was PR. Additional follow up is needed to determine whether consolidation also improves the durability of response. Consolidation was well tolerated and given the generally favorable overall safety profile, ALLO-501A may have the potential to be given in the outpatient setting. Enrollment is ongoing. Updated efficacy and follow-up will be presented at the meeting. Currently, an ALLO-501A Phase 2 trial is planned. Disclosures Locke: Cowen: Consultancy; Umoja: Consultancy, Other; Wugen: Consultancy, Other; Takeda: Consultancy, Other; Novartis: Consultancy, Other, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Calibr: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Cellular Biomedicine Group: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding; Legend Biotech: Consultancy, Other; Iovance Biotherapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role; EcoR1: Consultancy; Allogene Therapeutics: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Role, Research Funding; Emerging Therapy Solutions: Consultancy; Gerson Lehrman Group: Consultancy; Moffitt Cancer Center: Patents & Royalties: field of cellular immunotherapy. Neelapu: Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Medica/Kuur, Incyte, Precision Biosciences, Legend Biotech, Adicet Bio, Calibr, Unum Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio: Honoraria; Kite, a Gilead Company, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Celgene, Pfizer, Allogene, Kuur, Incyte, Precision BioSciences, Legend, Adicet Bio, Calibr, and Unum Therapeutics: Other: personal fees; Kite, a Gilead Company, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Poseida, Cellectis, Celgene, Karus Therapeutics, Unum Therapeutics (Cogent Biosciences), Allogene, Precision BioSciences, Acerta and Adicet Bio: Research Funding; Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related to cell therapy: Patents & Royalties. Hamadani: Janssen, Incyte, ADC Therapeutics, Omeros, Morphosys, Kite: Consultancy; Sanofi, Genzyme, AstraZeneca, BeiGene: Speakers Bureau; Takeda, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma: Research Funding. Frank: Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding. Popplewell: Novartis: Other: Travel; Pfizer: Other: Travel; Hoffman La Roche: Other: Food. Abramson: Bluebird Bio: Consultancy; Kymera: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy; Astra-Zeneca: Consultancy; Allogene Therapeutics: Consultancy; Seagen Inc.: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy; C4 Therapeutics: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; EMD Serono: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy. Munoz: Pharmacyclics/Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Gilead/Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Juno/Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Alexion: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Fosunkite: Consultancy; Innovent: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Debiopharm: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy; Merck: Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Research Funding; Targeted Oncology: Honoraria; OncView: Honoraria; Physicians' Education Resource: Honoraria; Roche: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Verastem: Speakers Bureau; Acrotech/Aurobindo: Speakers Bureau. Shin: Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Loomis-Navale: Allogene: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Miklos: Pharmacyclics, Amgen, Kite, a Gilead Company, Novartis, Roche, Genentech, Becton Dickinson, Isoplexis, Miltenyi, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Biosciences, Adicet, Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company, Amgen, Atara, Wugen, Celgene, Novartis, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Bioscience, Adicet, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Takeda, Adaptive Biotechnologies and Miltenyi Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies, Novartis, Juno/Celgene-BMS, Kite, a Gilead Company, Pharmacyclics-AbbVie, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, AlloGene, Precision Bioscience, Miltenyi Biotech, Adicet, Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Patents & Royalties. OffLabel Disclosure: Discussion of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide in combination with ALLO-647 as conditioning regimen prior to administration of ALLO-501A in patients with R/R LBCL.

Abstract Rationale Multiple studies have demonstrated an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in heterozygous carriers of the AAT (alpha-1 antitrypsin) Z allele. However, it is not known if MZ subjects with COPD are phenotypically different from noncarriers (MM genotype) with COPD. Objectives To assess if MZ subjects with COPD have different clinical features compared with MM subjects with COPD. Methods Genotypes of SERPINA1were ascertained by using whole-genome sequencing data in three independent studies. We compared outcomes between MM subjects with COPD and MZ subjects with COPD in each study and combined the results in a meta-analysis. We performed longitudinal and survival analyses to compare outcomes in MM and MZ subjects with COPD over time. Measurements and Main Results We included 290 MZ subjects with COPD and 6,184 MM subjects with COPD across the three studies. MZ subjects had a lower FEV1% predicted and greater quantitative emphysema on chest computed tomography scans compared with MM subjects. In a meta-analysis, the FEV1was 3.9% lower (95% confidence interval [CI], −6.55% to −1.26%) and emphysema (the percentage of lung attenuation areas <−950 HU) was 4.14% greater (95% CI, 1.44% to 6.84%) in MZ subjects. We found one gene, PGF(placental growth factor), to be differentially expressed in lung tissue from one study between MZ subjects and MM subjects. Conclusions Carriers of the AAT Z allele (those who were MZ heterozygous) with COPD had lower lung function and more emphysema than MM subjects with COPD. Taken with the subtle differences in gene expression between the two groups, our findings suggest that MZ subjects represent an endotype of COPD.

Sexual dimorphism in functional pain suggests the need of developing sex-specific therapies.

AbstractObjectiveEctopic Cushing′s syndrome (ECS) induced by medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is rare, and data on clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome are limited.DesignRetrospective cohort study in three German and one Swiss referral centres.PatientsEleven patients with MTC and occurrence of ECS and 22 matched MTC patients without ECS were included.MeasurementsThe primary endpoint of this study was the overall survival (OS) in MTC patients with ECS versus 1:2 matched MTC patients without ECS.ResultsThe median age at diagnosis of ECS was 59 years (range: 35–81) and the median time between initial diagnosis of MTC and diagnosis of ECS was 29 months (range: 0–193). Median serum morning cortisol was 49 µg/dl (range: 17–141, normal range: 6.2–18). Eight (73%) patients received treatment for ECS. Treatment of ECS consisted of bilateral adrenalectomy (BADX) in four (36%) patients and adrenostatic treatment in eight (73%) patients. One patient received treatment with multityrosine kinase inhibitor (MKI) to control hypercortisolism. All patients experienced complete resolution of symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and biochemical control of hypercortisolism. Patients with ECS showed a shorter median OS of 87 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 64–111) than matched controls (190 months, 95% CI: 95–285). Of the nine deaths, four were related to progressive disease (PD). Four patients showed PD as well as complications and comorbidities of hypercortisolism before death.ConclusionThis study shows that ECS occurs in advanced stage MTC and is associated with a poor prognosis. Adrenostatic treatment and BADX were effective systemic treatment options in patients with MTC and ECS to control their hypercortisolism. MKI treatment achieved complete remission of hypercortisolism and sustained tumour control in one treated case.

AbstractObjectiveTo the knowledge of the authors, no data about the reproducibility and accuracy of 3‐dimensional surface imaging of the face using a whole‐body scanner are available. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to assess the reproducibility of facial scans acquired using a whole‐body imaging device.Material and MethodsThis investigation investigated 220 3‐D scans of a total of 22 healthy volunteers (with a mean age of 29.36 years). Two consecutive 3‐D images using a Vectra WB360 of the volunteers were obtained utilizing a whole‐body imaging device. Predefined distances in the face were performed in each scan and compared. Furthermore, surface deviation between two consecutively captured scans was assessed.ResultsThe distance with the smallest statistical significance was found to be at the nose with p = 0.998, while the biggest statistical significance was found in the midface with p = 0.658. The area with the biggest surface deviation between the superimposed scans was the neck with a root mean square (RMS) of 1.62 ± 1.71, and the area with the smallest surface deviation was the forehead with a RMS of 0.17 ± 0.05.ConclusionThe whole‐body imaging device investigated in this study can be utilized to capture the face and provides enough accuracy to compare scans. Even though not directly investigated, it can be hypothesized that the error caused by repositioning the patient between a baseline and a follow‐up scan will not be too big to consider measurements performed with the whole‐body imaging device as impractical.

Background: Persistence or recurrence of stenosis is a complication of initial coarctation repair. This study aims to report short-term outcomes of surgical management of recurrent coarctation and initial repair analysis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 51 patients undergoing recoarctation surgical repair between 2008 and 2019 using antegrade cerebral perfusion technique. Results: Surgical correction included prosthetic patch aortoplasty in 23 (45%), resection with wide end-to-end anastomosis in 15 (29%) and a tube interposition graft in 13 (25%) patients. Median age at initial correction and reintervention were 12 month and 9 years. Median interval from primary repair to reintervention was 60 months. Initial repair analysis revealed 33% of patients had initial correction in the neonatal period, 72,5% of patients were done via a left thoracotomy approach and 63% of patients had end-to-end anastomosis at initial surgery. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that surgical repair of recurrent coarctation of the aorta using antegrade cerebral perfusion technique can be performed safely and with excellent results.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), the unexpected death due to acquired or genetic cardiovascular disease, follows distinct 24-hour patterns in occurrence. These 24-hour patterns likely reflect daily changes in arrhythmogenic triggers and the myocardial substrate caused by day/night rhythms in behavior, the environment, and endogenous circadian mechanisms. To better address fundamental questions regarding the circadian mechanisms, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a workshop, Understanding Circadian Mechanisms of Sudden Cardiac Death. We present a 2-part report of findings from this workshop. Part 1 summarizes the workshop and serves to identify research gaps and opportunities in the areas of basic and translational research. Among the gaps was the lack of standardization in animal studies for reporting environmental conditions (eg, timing of experiments relative to the light dark cycle or animal housing temperatures) that can impair rigor and reproducibility. Workshop participants also pointed to uncertainty regarding the importance of maintaining normal circadian rhythmic synchrony and the potential pathological impact of desynchrony on SCD risk. One related question raised was whether circadian mechanisms can be targeted to reduce SCD risk. Finally, the experts underscored the need for studies aimed at determining the physiological importance of circadian clocks in the many different cell types important to normal heart function and SCD. Addressing these gaps could lead to new therapeutic approaches/molecular targets that can mitigate the risk of SCD not only at certain times but over the entire 24-hour period.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the sudden, unexpected death due to abrupt loss of heart function secondary to cardiovascular disease. In certain populations living with cardiovascular disease, SCD follows a distinct 24-hour pattern in occurrence, suggesting day/night rhythms in behavior, the environment, and endogenous circadian rhythms result in daily spans of increased vulnerability. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a workshop, Understanding Circadian Mechanisms of Sudden Cardiac Death to identify fundamental questions regarding the role of the circadian rhythms in SCD. Part 2 summarizes research gaps and opportunities in the areas of population and clinical research identified in the workshop. Established research supports a complex interaction between circadian rhythms and physiological responses that increase the risk for SCD. Moreover, these physiological responses themselves are influenced by several biological variables, including the type of cardiovascular disease, sex, age, and genetics, as well as environmental factors. The emergence of new noninvasive biotechnological tools that continuously measure key cardiovascular variables, as well as the identification of biomarkers to assess circadian rhythms, hold promise for generating large-scale human data sets that will delineate which subsets of individuals are most vulnerable to SCD. Additionally, these data will improve our understanding of how people who suffer from circadian disruptions develop cardiovascular diseases that increase the risk for SCD. Emerging strategies to identify new biomarkers that can quantify circadian health (eg, environmental, behavioral, and internal misalignment) may lead to new interventions and therapeutic targets to prevent the progression of cardiovascular diseases that cause SCD.