Adoptive T cellular immunotherapies have emerged as relevant approaches for treating cancer patients who have relapsed or become refractory (R/R) to traditional cancer treatments. Chimeric antigen ...receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has improved survival in various hematological malignancies. However, significant limitations still impede the widespread adoption of these therapies in most cancers. To advance in this field, six research groups have created the "NEXT Generation CART MAD Consortium" (NEXT CART) in Madrid's Community, which aims to develop novel cell-based immunotherapies for R/R and poor prognosis cancers. At NEXT CART, various basic and translational research groups and hospitals in Madrid concur to share and synergize their basic expertise in immunotherapy, gene therapy, and immunological synapse, and clinical expertise in pediatric and adult oncology. NEXT CART goal is to develop new cell engineering approaches and treatments for R/R adult and pediatric neoplasms to evaluate in multicenter clinical trials. Here, we discuss the current limitations of T cell-based therapies and introduce our perspective on future developments. Advancement opportunities include developing allogeneic products, optimizing CAR signaling domains, combining cellular immunotherapies, multi-targeting strategies, and improving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)/T cell receptor (TCR) therapy. Furthermore, basic studies aim to identify novel tumor targets, tumor molecules in the tumor microenvironment that impact CAR efficacy, and strategies to enhance the efficiency of the immunological synapse between immune and tumor cells. Our perspective of current cellular immunotherapy underscores the potential of these treatments while acknowledging the existing hurdles that demand innovative solutions to develop their potential for cancer treatment fully.
Adding maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab provided a significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer in the randomized, double-blind ...PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644). We analyzed PFS by clinical risk and biomarker status.
Patients received olaparib 300 mg twice daily for up to 24 months plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for up to 15 months in total, or placebo plus bevacizumab. This post hoc exploratory analysis evaluated PFS in patients classified as higher risk (stage III with upfront surgery and residual disease or neoadjuvant chemotherapy; stage IV) or lower risk (stage III with upfront surgery and no residual disease), and by biomarker status.
Of 806 randomized patients, 74% were higher risk and 26% were lower risk. After a median 22.9 months of follow-up, PFS favored olaparib plus bevacizumab versus placebo plus bevacizumab in higher-risk patients (hazard ratio HR 0.60; 95% confidence interval CI 0.49–0.74) and lower-risk patients (0.46; 0.30–0.72). Olaparib plus bevacizumab provided a substantial PFS benefit versus bevacizumab alone in the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive subgroup (higher risk: HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.28–0.54 and lower risk: 0.15; 0.07–0.30), with 24-month PFS rates in lower-risk patients of 90% versus 43%, respectively (Kaplan–Meier estimates).
In PAOLA-1, maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab provided a substantial PFS benefit in HRD-positive patients with a reduction of risk of progression or death of 61% in the higher-risk group and of 85% in the lower-risk group compared with bevacizumab alone.
•Patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer were classified by clinical risk and according to biomarker status.•Higher risk: stage III with upfront surgery and residual disease or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or stage IV.•Lower risk: stage III with upfront surgery and no residual disease.•Olaparib plus bevacizumab provided a progression-free survival benefit over bevacizumab in higher- and lower-risk patients.•A substantial benefit was seen in higher- and lower-risk HRD-positive patients.
Cebollada and co‐workers review on page 10 how the combination of plasmonic and magnetic functionalities gives rise to magnetoplasmonic systems, where both the magneto‐optical and plasmonic ...properties can be engineered. For example, the effect of the magnetic field on the optical properties of these systems can be increased under plasmon excitation. Additionally, in these systems, the wavelength of the propagating surface plasmons can be externally controlled under the application of a magnetic field.
To report updated long-term efficacy and safety from the double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study (NCT02655016).
Patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer ...with complete or partial response (CR or PR) to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy received niraparib or placebo once daily (2:1 ratio). Stratification factors were best response to first-line chemotherapy regimen (CR/PR), receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (yes/no), and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) status (deficient HRd/proficient HRp or not determined). Updated (ad hoc) progression-free survival (PFS) data (as of November 17, 2021) by investigator assessment (INV) are reported.
In 733 randomised patients (niraparib, 487; placebo, 246), median PFS follow-up was 3.5years. Median INV-PFS was 24.5 versus 11.2months (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.40–0.68) in the HRd population and 13.8 versus 8.2months (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.56–0.79) in the overall population for niraparib and placebo, respectively. In the HRp population, median INV-PFS was 8.4 versus 5.4months (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.49–0.87), respectively. Results were concordant with the primary analysis. Niraparib-treated patients were more likely to be free of progression or death at 4years than placebo-treated patients (HRd, 38% versus 17%; overall, 24% versus 14%). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events in niraparib patients were thrombocytopenia (39.7%), anaemia (31.6%), and neutropenia (21.3%). Myelodysplastic syndromes/acute myeloid leukaemia incidence rate (1.2%) was the same for niraparib- and placebo-treated patients. Overall survival remained immature.
Niraparib maintained clinically significant improvements in PFS with 3.5years of follow-up in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer at high risk of progression irrespective of HRD status. No new safety signals were identified.
•Updated long-term efficacy and safety data from PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study.•Niraparib first-line maintenance therapy extended progression-free survival (PFS).•Durable PFS benefit observed in overall population and across biomarker subgroups.•The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events in niraparib patients were haematologic.•No new safety signals were identified.
Recent data have demonstrated substantial efficacy with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors as treatment and/or maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ...ovarian cancer (EOC). Here, we review efficacy and safety results from four recent Phase III trials in newly diagnosed EOC: SOLO1 (olaparib), PAOLA-1 (olaparib in combination with bevacizumab), PRIMA (niraparib), and VELIA (veliparib). The implications of these data for current clinical practice and areas for future research are discussed, including ongoing studies of targeted agents in the newly diagnosed setting. Data from SOLO1, PAOLA-1, PRIMA, and VELIA confirm the benefit of PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib, veliparib) for women with newly diagnosed EOC. The greatest benefit was seen in patients with a
and/or
mutation or in the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-test positive subgroup. These four well-conducted studies have generated practice-changing data. However, deciding how to apply these results in clinical practice is challenging, and substantial differences in trial design impede cross-trial comparisons. Recent PARP inhibitor approvals (olaparib, niraparib) in the newly diagnosed EOC setting have provided new maintenance treatment options for a broader patient population. The results of these studies call for personalized medicine based on biomarker profile and other factors, including tolerability, cost considerations, and physician and patient preference. Important areas for future research include appropriate use of both BRCA mutation and HRD testing to inform magnitude of PARP inhibitor benefit as well as exploring further options for patients who are HRD-test negative and for those who become PARP inhibitor resistant.
Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological cancers. Current therapeutic strategies allow temporary control of the disease, but most patients develop resistance to treatment. Moreover, ...although successful in a range of solid tumors, immunotherapy has yielded only modest results in ovarian cancer. Emerging evidence underscores the relevance of the components of innate and adaptive immunity in ovarian cancer progression and response to treatment. Particularly, over the last decade, the complement system, a pillar of innate immunity, has emerged as a major regulator of the tumor microenvironment in cancer immunity. Tumor-associated complement activation may support chronic inflammation, promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment, induce angiogenesis, and activate cancer-related signaling pathways. Recent insights suggest an important role of complement effectors, such as C1q or anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a, and their receptors C3aR and C5aR1 in ovarian cancer progression. Nevertheless, the implication of these factors in different clinical contexts is still poorly understood. Detailed knowledge of the interplay between ovarian cancer cells and complement is required to develop new immunotherapy combinations and biomarkers. In this context, we discuss the possibility of targeting complement to overcome some of the hurdles encountered in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is still the most lethal gynecological cancer. Germline alterations in breast cancer 1 (gBRCA1) and breast cancer 2 (gBRCA2) genes have been identified in up to 18% of ...women diagnosed with EOC, and somatic mutations are found in an additional 7%. Testing of BRCA at the primary diagnosis of patients with EOC is recommended due to the implications in the genomic counseling of the patients and their families, as well as for the therapeutic implications. Indeed, the introduction of poly-(ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) has changed the natural history of patients harboring a mutation in BRCA, and has resulted in a new era in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer harboring a BRCA mutation.
We report that the effect of an external magnetic field on the propagation of surface plasmons can be effectively modified through the coupling between localized (LSP) and propagating (SPP) surface ...plasmons. When these plasmon modes do not interact, the main effect of the magnetic field is a modification of the wavevector of the SPP mode, leaving the LSP virtually unaffected. Once both modes start to interact, there is a strong variation of the magnetic field induced modification of the SPP dispersion curve and, simultaneously, the LSP mode becomes sensitive to the magnetic field.