Impactof
MET
amplification (amp) on telisotuzumab vedotin (Teliso-V) efficacy and safety in 2L+ non-squamous (NSQ)
EGFR
wild-type (WT) NSCLC with c-Met protein ov
8524 Background: Teliso-V is a c-Met–directed antibody-drug conjugate comprising telisotuzumab and the microtubule polymerization inhibitor monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload. In the Ph2 LUMINOSITY study (NCT03539536), Teliso-V showed durable responses and manageable safety (Camidge et al, JCO 2024;42:3000-11) resulting in its accelerated approval in locally advanced/metastatic NSQ NSCLC with high c-Met protein OE (3+, ≥50%), as determined by an FDA-approved test. MET amp is a negative prognostic risk factor in advanced NSCLC, frequently associated with recurrent disease. High levels of MET amp and c-Met OE are hallmarks of MET -addicted tumors. Here, we analyzed the effects of MET amp on clinical responses to Teliso-V in LUMINOSITY. Methods: MET amp was evaluated by FISH and ctDNA in baseline samples from 108 NSQ EGFR WT NSCLC pts with c-Met OE (3+, ≥25%). MET amp by FISH was defined as having focal MET amp (MET/CEP7 ≥2.0) with MET gene copy number (GCN) ≥4. MET amp (focal) by ctDNA was defined as having plasma MET GCN ≥4 with no co-amplification in CDK6 and EGFR. c-Met OE by Immunohistochemistry (IHC; SP44) was defined as 3+ tissue staining intensity in ≥25% tumor cells (high c-Met OE: 3+, ≥50%; intermediate [int] c-Met OE: 3+, 25% to 49%). Exploratory analysis of tumor response was assessed in 76 efficacy evaluable pts with c-Met OE and MET amp assay results. Results: MET amp was detected in 34% (37/108) of pts with c-Met OE (3+, ≥25%) and was enriched by c-Met levels: 22% (11/50) in pts with Int c-Met OE (3+, 25% to 49%) and 45% (26/58) in pts with high c-Met OE (3+, ≥50%). The effects of MET amp on tumor response in LUMINOSITY are shown in Table 1. The majority of c-Met OE pts (79%) with PFS ≥10 mo (n=14) had GCN ≥10 and/or c-Met IHC 3+ ≥50%. No new safety signals were reported in pts with c-Met OE and MET amp. Conclusions: MET amp is more common in pts with high c-Met OE in this retrospective subgroup analysis. Tumor activity with Teliso-V was observed regardless of MET amp status. The impact of MET amp in pts with c-Met OE will be further evaluated in ongoing Phase 3 study (NCT04928846). Teliso-V efficacy in NSQ EGFR -WT NSCLC pts with c-Met OE with or without MET amp in LUMINOSITY. Total c-Met OE(3+, ≥25%) Total c-Met OE(3+, ≥25%) Intermediate c-Met OE(3+, ≥25%-49%) Intermediate c-Met OE(3+, ≥25%-49%) High c-Met OE(3+, ≥50%) High c-Met OE(3+, ≥50%) MET amp(N) No (N=53) Yes (N=23) No (N=30) Yes (N=7) No (N=23) Yes (N=16) ORR %(95% CI) 28 (18.0, 41.6) 39 (22.2, 59.2) 23 (11.8, 40.9) 57 (25, 84.2) 35 (18.8, 55.1) 31 (14.2, 55.6) PFS,median, mo(95% CI) 5.26 (3.71, 8.11) 8.02 (4.47, 14.65) 5.32 (2.69, 8.11) 7.52 (4.47, NA) 4.17 (3.25, 8.87) 8.02 (3.06, 25.92) OS,median, mo(95% CI) 14.5 (8.18, 17.38) 13.86 (6.54, 22.24) 14.03 (3.65, 17.02) 9.79 (6.54, NA) 16.26 (5.59, 36.44) 13.86 (3.06, 30.29)
Senescence‐Driven
IL
‐
17A
Inflammatory Circuit Promotes Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (
EMT)
and P
ABSTRACT Cataract is a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing with population aging. The majority are age‐related cataracts (ARC), clinically classified into nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSC) by opacity location. Mechanisms of cataractogenesis remain incompletely understood. While cortical and nuclear cataracts are largely attributed to crystallin aggregation, such protein‐centric mechanisms fail to explain the early onset and axial location of PSC. Morphologically, PSC resembles posterior capsule opacification (PCO), a secondary cataract driven by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells (LECs), suggesting LEC‐EMT may also contribute to PSC. Using clinically stratified human lens samples, we confirmed EMT marker expression across PSC subtypes. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that LECs, the lens's sole metabolically active cells, in age‐related PSC (ARC‐PSC), compared with age‐related nuclear cataract (ANC) and clear lenses, exhibit elevated EMT signatures tightly linked to senescence‐associated inflammatory signaling. Aqueous humor (AqH) profiling demonstrated a pro‐inflammatory milieu across PSC subtypes, with IL‐17A uniquely elevated in ARC‐PSC, consistent with transcriptomic findings. Integrated analyses support a model in which senescence functions as an upstream driver, whereby senescent LECs release SASP factors, including IL‐17A, that activate NF‐κB signaling to amplify inflammation, reinforce senescence, and drive EMT. In vitro, senolysis and IL‐17A blockade disrupted this loop, attenuating senescence‐ and EMT‐associated phenotypes. Collectively, our study demonstrates that senescent LECs sustain an IL‐17A–NF‐κB circuit that drives EMT and accelerates ARC‐PSC progression, positioning ARC‐PSC as a unique human context to study senescence‐induced epithelial remodeling in aging tissues.
Preliminary Safety and Efficacy of Navitoclax Plus Ruxolitinib in Janus Kinase Inhibitor‐Naïve Patients With Myelofibrosis From the Multicenter, Open‐Label, Phase 2 Study (REFINE)
ABSTRACT Myelofibrosis is characterized by perturbation of the JAK/STAT pathway and upregulation of anti‐apoptotic factors leading to myeloproliferation, bone marrow fibrosis (BMF), extramedullary hematopoiesis, splenomegaly, and cytopenias. Navitoclax, a potent oral B‐cell lymphoma (BCL)‐X L /BCL‐2 inhibitor, promotes apoptosis of malignant myelofibrosis cells. Herein, we present results of Cohort 3 of the Phase 2 REFINE study (NCT03222609), which evaluated efficacy and safety of navitoclax plus ruxolitinib in JAKi‐naïve patients with myelofibrosis. JAKi‐naïve patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis (≥ 18 years with splenomegaly, DIPSS intermediate‐2 and high‐risk myelofibrosis, and ECOG 0–2) and platelet count > 100 × 10 9 /L were enrolled and treated with navitoclax 100 mg once daily (QD) or 200 mg QD according to platelet count (≤ 150 × 10 9 /L or > 150 × 10 9 /L, respectively). Ruxolitinib was given twice daily (dose per label). Primary endpoint: spleen volume reduction of ≥ 35% (SVR 35 ) at week 24. Secondary endpoints: ≥ 50% reduction in total symptom score (TSS 50 ) at week 24, change in grade of BMF, anemia response, and safety. Thirty‐two patients received ≥ 1 dose of navitoclax plus ruxolitinib. Median (range) duration of follow‐up was 44 months (5–58). 63% (20/32) of patients achieved SVR 35 at week 24; median (range) time to first SVR 35 was 12 weeks (11─48). Of 24 evaluable patients, 21% achieved ≥ 50% reduction in driver gene variant allele frequency (VAF). Of 27 evaluable patients, 11 (41%) achieved TSS 50 at week 24; median (range) time to first TSS 50 of 3 weeks (0─16). BMF improved from baseline by ≥ 1 grade in 13/27 patients (48%) at any time on study. Anemia response rates were 38% (5/13) for transfusion‐independent and 100% (2/2) for transfusion‐dependent patients. No bleeding events or deaths were attributed to navitoclax. These findings suggest navitoclax plus ruxolitinib has a tolerable safety profile and provides clinically meaningful improvements for JAKi‐naïve patients with myelofibrosis. Trial Registration NCT03222609.
Twice‐daily administration improves the effectiveness of 0.01% atropine for controlling myopia in slowing axial elongation and refractive progression
Abstract Purpose It remains unclear whether increasing the frequency of administration of 0.01% atropine improves its effectiveness in slowing axial elongation or refractive progression. This study compared twice‐daily 0.01% atropine administration and traditional once‐nightly administration. Methods A hybrid design was adopted incorporating both retrospective and prospective elements, with participants observed for 1 year. The control group (received saline eye drops) and once‐daily 0.01% atropine group (Atropine‐1 group) were derived from two previous trials, while the twice‐daily 0.01% atropine group (Atropine‐2 group) was enrolled prospectively. A total of 163 participants were included in the intention‐to‐treat set, with 51, 70 and 42 participants in the control, Atropine‐1 and Atropine‐2 groups, respectively. The primary outcome was the change in axial length (AL), and the secondary outcome was the change in cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER). Results Compared with the control group (0.48 ± 0.22 mm), both Atropine‐1 (0.26 ± 0.17 mm) and Atropine‐2 (0.15 ± 0.18 mm) groups showed significantly reduced AL elongation ( p < 0.001). Notably, Atropine‐2 significantly improved slowing of AL elongation compared with Atropine‐1 ( p = 0.008). The result of the secondary outcome (adjusted SER change) was consistent. Atropine‐2 was significantly more effective in slowing SER progression (−0.15 ± 0.37 D) than Atropine‐1 (−0.41 ± 0.50 D) ( p = 0.02). Based on a multivariable model, age was identified as the key covariate to perform subgroup analyses. In the younger subgroup (8–10 years), AL elongation was significantly reduced in the Atropine‐2 group (0.16 ± 0.17 mm) compared with the Atropine‐1 group (0.36 ± 0.22 mm; p = 0.002). In the older subgroup (10–12 years), there was no significant difference in progression. Consistent results were observed in the sensitivity analyses based on the per‐protocol set. Conclusion Twice‐daily administration of 0.01% atropine was more effective than once daily in slowing AL elongation and SER progression in children 8 to 10 years of age. Further investigation with extended follow‐up is warranted to substantiate this finding.
ATG9 inhibits
Rickettsia
binding to the host cell surface by blocking the rOmpB-XRCC6/KU70 interaction
Abstract With aging, somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) can give rise to clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a premalignant state associated with diverse age-related diseases. Here we report the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide analysis of CHIP to date (N = 1,018,305), including individuals of African (N = 85,978), Admixed American (N = 191,371), East Asian (N = 13,532), European (N = 694,015), and South Asian (N = 13,193) ancestry. Multi-ancestry meta-analyses identified 72 genome-wide significant loci, including 44 novel associations implicating genes such as AFF1 , ATF7IP , ATP8B4 , BCL2 , CEBPA , CYRIA , DNM2 , ELF1 , NKX2-3 , PIK3CB , PRDM16 , RPN1 , TERC , and TRIM4 . Notably, variants at MECOM and PHF20L1 showed opposite allelic effects between DNMT3A - and non- DNMT3A -driven CHIP, highlighting driver-specific germline influences. Implicated loci converge on pathways regulating telomere maintenance, cell-cycle control, hematopoietic transcription, DNA damage response and immune signaling. These findings support a model in which germline variation both expands the HSPC pool and biases clonal selection in a driver-dependent manner, providing a mechanistic basis for inter-individual heterogeneity in CHIP. Phenome-wide association analyses further linked CHIP to hematologic, neoplastic, and circulatory traits, with enrichment across hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell types. Together, this work expands the genomic and phenomic landscape of CHIP and reveals germline–somatic interactions that shape clonal evolution during aging.
Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)
1
Abstract Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death, yet its genetic determinants are not fully elucidated. We report a multi-ethnic genome-wide association study of CAD involving nearly a quarter of a million cases, incorporating the largest cohorts to date of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics from the Million Veteran Program with existing studies including CARDIoGRAMplusC4D, UK Biobank, and Biobank Japan. We verify substantial and nearly equivalent heritability of CAD across multiple ancestral groups, discover 107 novel loci including the first nine on the X-chromosome, identify the first eight genome-wide significant loci among Blacks and Hispanics, and demonstrate that two common haplotypes are largely responsible for the risk stratification at the well-known 9p21 locus in most populations except those of African origin where both haplotypes are virtually absent. We identify 15 loci for angiographically derived burden of coronary atherosclerosis, which robustly overlap with the strongest and earliest loci reported to date for clinical CAD. Phenome-wide association analyses of novel loci and externally validated polygenic risk scores (PRS) augment signals from the insulin resistance cluster of risk factors and consequences, extend previously established pleiotropic associations of loci with traditional risk factors to include smoking and family history, and confirm a substantially reduced transferability of existing PRS to Blacks. Downstream integrative genomic analyses reinforce the critical role of endothelial, fibroblast, and smooth muscle cells within the coronary vessel wall in CAD susceptibility. Our study highlights the value of a multi-ethnic design in efficiently characterizing the genetic architecture of CAD across all human populations.
Genetic Architecture of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in the Million Veteran Program
Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cause of cardiovascular mortality; however, its genetic determinants remain incompletely defined. In total, 10 previously identified risk loci explain a small fraction of AAA heritability. Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study in the Million Veteran Program testing ≈18 million DNA sequence variants with AAA (7642 cases and 172 172 controls) in veterans of European ancestry with independent replication in up to 4972 cases and 99 858 controls. We then used mendelian randomization to examine the causal effects of blood pressure on AAA. We examined the association of AAA risk variants with aneurysms in the lower extremity, cerebral, and iliac arterial beds, and derived a genome-wide polygenic risk score (PRS) to identify a subset of the population at greater risk for disease. Results: Through a genome-wide association study, we identified 14 novel loci, bringing the total number of known significant AAA loci to 24. In our mendelian randomization analysis, we demonstrate that a genetic increase of 10 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.24–1.66]; P =1.6×10 −6 ), as opposed to systolic blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.97–1.15]; P =0.2), likely has a causal relationship with AAA development. We observed that 19 of 24 AAA risk variants associate with aneurysms in at least 1 other vascular territory. A 29-variant PRS was strongly associated with AAA (odds ratio PRS , 1.26 [95% CI, 1.18–1.36]; P PRS =2.7×10 −11 per SD increase in PRS), independent of family history and smoking risk factors (odds ratio PRS+family history+smoking , 1.24 [95% CI, 1.14–1.35]; P PRS =1.27×10 −6 ). Using this PRS, we identified a subset of the population with AAA prevalence greater than that observed in screening trials informing current guidelines. Conclusions: We identify novel AAA genetic associations with therapeutic implications and identify a subset of the population at significantly increased genetic risk of AAA independent of family history. Our data suggest that extending current screening guidelines to include testing to identify those with high polygenic AAA risk, once the cost of genotyping becomes comparable with that of screening ultrasound, would significantly increase the yield of current screening at reasonable cost.