A number of studies in various species have demonstrated that natural vocalizations generally produce stronger neural responses than do their time-reversed versions. The majority of neurons in the ...primary auditory cortex (A1) of marmoset monkeys responds more strongly to natural marmoset vocalizations than to the time-reversed vocalizations. However, it was unclear whether such differences in neural responses were simply due to the difference between the acoustic structures of natural and time-reversed vocalizations or whether they also resulted from the difference in behavioral relevance of both types of the stimuli. To address this issue, we have compared neural responses to natural and time-reversed marmoset twitter calls in A1 of cats with those obtained from A1 of marmosets using identical stimuli. It was found that the preference for natural marmoset twitter calls demonstrated in marmoset A1 was absent in cat A1. While both cortices responded approximately equally to time-reversed twitter calls, marmoset A1 responded much more strongly to natural twitter calls than did cat A1. This differential representation of marmoset vocalizations in two cortices suggests that experience-dependent and possibly species-specific mechanisms are involved in cortical processing of communication sounds.
The PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimera) ARV-825 recruits bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins to the E3 ubiquitin ligase cereblon, leading to degradation of BET proteins, including BRD4. ...Although the BET-protein inhibitor (BETi) OTX015 caused accumulation of BRD4, treatment with equimolar concentrations of ARV-825 caused sustained and profound depletion (>90%) of BRD4 and induced significantly more apoptosis in cultured and patient-derived (PD) CD34+ post-MPN sAML cells, while relatively sparing the CD34+ normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. RNA-Seq, Reverse Phase Protein Array and mass cytometry 'CyTOF' analyses demonstrated that ARV-825 caused greater perturbations in messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions than OTX015 in sAML cells. Specifically, compared with OTX015, ARV-825 treatment caused more robust and sustained depletion of c-Myc, CDK4/6, JAK2, p-STAT3/5, PIM1 and Bcl-xL, while increasing the levels of p21 and p27. Compared with OTX015, PROTAC ARV-771 treatment caused greater reduction in leukemia burden and further improved survival of NSG mice engrafted with luciferase-expressing HEL92.1.7 cells. Co-treatment with ARV-825 and JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib was synergistically lethal against established and PD CD34+ sAML cells. Notably, ARV-825 induced high levels of apoptosis in the in vitro generated ruxolitinib-persister or ruxolitinib-resistant sAML cells. These findings strongly support the in vivo testing of the BRD4-PROTAC based combinations against post-MPN sAML.
Background
The revised 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) classification (ELN‐2017) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) divides patients into 3 prognostic risk categories, with additional factors such as ...the fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)–internal tandem duplication (ITD) allele ratio (AR) considered for risk stratification. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the prognostic usefulness of ELN‐2017 in comparison with ELN‐2010 in younger patients with AML has not been validated to date.
Methods
The authors performed a retrospective study on patients aged <60 years who received idarubicin plus cytarabine (IA)–based induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed AML.
Results
According to ELN‐2017 criteria, the number of patients in the favorable (Fav), intermediate (Int), and adverse (Adv) risk categories was 192 patients (27%), 331 patients (46%), and 192 patients (27%), respectively. Overall survival probabilities at 5 years in the Fav, Int, and Adv groups were 57%, 37%, and 18%, respectively. In comparison, the 5‐year overall survival probabilities in the Fav (169 patients), intermediate (IR)‐1 (80 patients), IR‐2 (306 patients), and Adv (160 patients) ELN‐2010 categories were 59%, 32%, 40%, and 14%, respectively. Although ELN‐2010 historically distinguishes prognosis into IR‐1 and IR‐2 categories in younger patients, this difference was nullified in the current study cohort. When comparing patients with a low FLT3‐ITD AR with those with a high FLT3‐ITD AR, no significant differences in survival were noted among patients with nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1)‐mutated AML (P = .28) or wild‐type NPM1 (P = .35), and in those treated with IA alone (P = .79) or those treated with IA and a FLT3 inhibitor (P = .10).
Conclusions
The ELN‐2017 more accurately distinguishes prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed AML. The lack of prognostic significance for the FLT3‐ITD AR needs further evaluation in different treatment settings.
The 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN‐2017) classification system more accurately distinguishes prognosis compared with the ELN‐2010 in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia. The prognostic significance of the fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)–internal tandem duplication allele ratio is controversial and needs further evaluation in different treatment settings.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms with myelofibrosis (MPN-MF) demonstrate constitutive activation of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling that responds to ...treatment with the JAK1 and 2 kinase inhibitor (JAKi) ruxolitinib. However, MPN-MF often progresses (~20%) to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), where standard induction chemotherapy or ruxolitinib is relatively ineffective, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In the present studies, we demonstrate that treatment with BET (bromodomain and extraterminal) protein inhibitor (BETi), for example, JQ1, inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of cultured and primary, patient-derived (PD), post-MPN sAML blast progenitor cells. Reverse-phase protein array, mass-cytometry and Western analyses revealed that BETi treatment attenuated the protein expressions of c-MYC, p-STAT5, Bcl-xL, CDK4/6, PIM1 and IL-7R, whereas it concomitantly induced the levels of HEXIM1, p21 and BIM in the sAML cells. Co-treatment with BETi and ruxolitinib synergistically induced apoptosis of cultured and PD sAML cells, as well as significantly improved survival of immune-depleted mice engrafted with human sAML cells. Although BETi or heat shock protein 90 inhibitor (HSP90i) alone exerted lethal activity, cotreatment with BETi and HSP90i was synergistically lethal against the ruxolitinib-persister or ruxolitinib-resistant sAML cells. Collectively, these findings further support in vivo testing of BETi-based combinations with JAKi and HSP90i against post-MPN sAML cells.
Preclinical models have shown that blocking PD-1/PD-L1 pathways enhances antileukemic responses. Azacitidine upregulates PD-1 and IFNγ signaling. We therefore conducted this single-arm trial, in ...which patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were treated with azacitidine 75 mg/m
days 1 to 7 intravenously or subcutaneously with nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 14, every 4 to 6 weeks. For the seventy patients who were treated, the median age was 70 years (range, 22-90) and the median number of prior therapies received was 2 (range, 1-7). The overall response rate (ORR) was 33%, including 15 (22%) complete remission/complete remission with insufficient recovery of counts, 1 partial response, and 7 patients with hematologic improvement maintained >6 months. Six patients (9%) had stable disease >6 months. The ORR was 58% and 22%, in hypomethylating agent (HMA)-naïve (
= 25) and HMA-pretreated (
= 45) patients, respectively. Grade 3 to 4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 8 (11%) patients. Pretherapy bone marrow and peripheral blood CD3 and CD8 were significantly predictive for response on flow cytometry. CTLA4 was significantly upregulated on CD4
Teff in nonresponders after 2 and 4 doses of nivolumab. Azacitidine and nivolumab therapy produced an encouraging response rate and overall survival in patients with R/R AML, particularly in HMA-naïve and salvage 1 patients. Pretherapy bone marrow aspirate and peripheral blood CD3 percentage may be biomarkers for patient selection. SIGNIFICANCE: Azacitidine in combination with nivolumab appeared to be a safe and effective therapy in patients with AML who were salvage 1, prior hypomethylator-naïve, or had increased pretherapy CD3
bone marrow infiltrate by flow cytometry or IHC. Bone marrow CD3 and CD8 are relatively simple assays that should be incorporated to select patients in future trials.
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TP53 mutations are associated with poor outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The prognostic impact of mutant TP53 (TP53mut) variant allelic frequency (VAF) is not well established, nor is how ...this information might guide optimal frontline therapy. We retrospectively analyzed 202 patients with newly diagnosed TP53-mutated AML who underwent first-line therapy with either a cytarabine- or hypomethylating agent (HMA)–based regimen. By multivariate analysis, TP53mut VAF >40% was independently associated with a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (P = .003) and worse relapse-free survival (P = .001) and overall survival (OS; P = .003). The impact of TP53mut VAF on clinical outcomes was driven by patients treated with a cytarabine-based regimen (median OS, 4.7 vs 7.3 months for VAF >40% vs ≤40%; P = .006), whereas VAF did not significantly affect OS in patients treated with HMA. The addition of venetoclax to HMA did not significantly affect OS compared with HMA without venetoclax, both in the entire TP53-mutated population and in patients stratified by TP53mut VAF. Among patients with TP53mut VAF ≤40%, OS was superior in those treated with higher-dose cytarabine, whereas OS was similarly poor for patients with TP53mut VAF >40% regardless of therapy. The best long-term outcomes were observed in those with 1 TP53 mutation with VAF ≤40% who received a frontline cytarabine-based regimen (2-year OS, 38% vs 6% for all others; P < .001). In summary, TP53mut VAF provides important prognostic information that may be considered when selecting frontline therapy for patients with newly diagnosed TP53-mutated AML.
•TP53mut VAF >40% was independently associated with higher rates of relapse and worse relapse-free survival and OS.•Treatment with a cytarabine-based regimen preferentially benefited patients with 1 TP53 mutation with VAF ≤40%.
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The application of next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has enhanced our understanding of the genetic landscape in acquired aplastic anemia (AA). Parallel progress has been in addressing aspects ...underlying immune dysregulation in disease pathogenesis. Novel insights into the molecular and biologic mechanisms have led to a shift in the paradigm of AA, from a solely autoimmune pathogenic concept toward its recognition as a multifaceted pathophysiology characterized by cytogenetic abnormalities, recurrent somatic mutations, telomere attrition, and immune dysregulation. The detection of recurrent driver mutations disrupting myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML)‐associated genes has suggested a pathophysiologic link between clonal hematopoiesis in AA and the later development of these clonal disorders. Further, certain AA‐related somatic genetic alterations may have clinical implications on treatment response, disease progression, and survival following immunosuppressive therapy. Going forward, wider validation of these genetic abnormalities will allow for their incorporation into a more informative risk stratification system that does not rely solely on clinical factors.
Decitabine may open the chromatin structure of leukemia cells making them accessible to the calicheamicin epitope of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). A total of 110 patients (median age 70 years; range ...27-89 years) were treated with decitabine and GO in a trial designed on model-based futility to accommodate subject heterogeneity: group 1: relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with complete remission duration (CRD) <1 year (N=28, 25%); group 2: relapsed/refractory AML with CRD ⩾1 year (N=5, 5%); group 3: untreated AML unfit for intensive chemotherapy or untreated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or untreated myelofibrosis (MF; N=57, 52%); and group 4: AML evolving from MDS or relapsed/refractory MDS or MF (N=20, 18%). Treatment consisted of decitabine 20 mg/m(2) daily for 5 days and GO 3 mg/m(2) on day 5. Post-induction therapy included five cycles of decitabine+GO followed by decitabine alone. Complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete count recovery was achieved in 39 (35%) patients; group 1= 5/28 (17%), group 2=3/5 (60%), group 3=24/57 (42%) and group 4=7/20 (35%). The 8-week mortality in groups 3 and 4 was 16% and 10%, respectively. Common drug-related adverse events included nausea, mucositis and hemorrhage. Decitabine and GO improved the response rate but not overall survival compared with historical outcomes in untreated AML ⩾60 years.
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