Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor of the sympathetic nervous system and the most common extracranial tumor of childhood. By sequencing transcriptomes of low- and high-risk neuroblastomas, we ...detected differentially expressed annotated and nonannotated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). We identified a lncRNA neuroblastoma associated transcript-1 (NBAT-1) as a biomarker significantly predicting clinical outcome of neuroblastoma. CpG methylation and a high-risk neuroblastoma associated SNP on chromosome 6p22 functionally contribute to NBAT-1 differential expression. Loss of NBAT-1 increases cellular proliferation and invasion. It controls these processes via epigenetic silencing of target genes. NBAT-1 loss affects neuronal differentiation through activation of the neuronal-specific transcription factor NRSF/REST. Thus, loss of NBAT-1 contributes to aggressive neuroblastoma by increasing proliferation and impairing differentiation of neuronal precursors.
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•Characterization of long noncoding RNA transcriptome of neuroblastoma tumors•NBAT-1 is a biomarker for predicting the clinical outcome of the neuroblastomas•NBAT-1 epigenetically regulates cell proliferation and migration pathways•NBAT-1 is required for neuronal lineage commitment
Pandey et al. identify the long noncoding RNA NBAT-1 as a prognostic biomarker in neuroblastoma through transcriptome sequencing. NBAT-1 loss increases proliferation and impairs differentiation of neuronal precursors leading to more aggressive disease.
Despite improvement in our understanding of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) role in cancer, efforts to find clinically relevant cancer-associated lncRNAs are still lacking. Here, using nascent RNA ...capture sequencing, we identify 1145 temporally expressed S-phase-enriched lncRNAs. Among these, 570 lncRNAs show significant differential expression in at least one tumor type across TCGA data sets. Systematic clinical investigation of 14 Pan-Cancer data sets identified 633 independent prognostic markers. Silencing of the top differentially expressed and clinically relevant S-phase-enriched lncRNAs in several cancer models affects crucial cancer cell hallmarks. Mechanistic investigations on SCAT7 in multiple cancer types reveal that it interacts with hnRNPK/YBX1 complex and affects cancer cell hallmarks through the regulation of FGF/FGFR and its downstream PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways. We also implement a LNA-antisense oligo-based strategy to treat cancer cell line and patient-derived tumor (PDX) xenografts. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive list of lncRNA-based oncogenic drivers with potential prognostic value.
Asparaginase is an essential drug in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy and is frequently given for months to obtain continuous asparagine depletion. We randomly assigned patients ...to continuous versus intermittent pegylated-asparaginase (PEG-asp) treatment, hypothesizing there would be decreased toxicity with unchanged efficacy.
Children (median age, 4.2 years) treated for non-high-risk ALL according to the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ALL2008 protocol received five intramuscular PEG-asp injections (1,000 IU/m
) every two weeks and were then randomly assigned to additional three doses (6-week intervals experimental arm, n = 309) versus 10 doses (2-week intervals standard arm, n = 316). The primary end point was noninferior (6% margin) disease-free survival. Toxicity reduction was a secondary end point. Occurrence of asparaginase-associated hypersensitivity, pancreatitis, osteonecrosis, and thromboembolism were prospectively registered.
After a median follow-up of 4.1 years, the 5-year disease-free survival was 92.2% (95% CI, 88.6 to 95.8) and 90.8% (95% CI, 87.0 to 94.6) in the experimental and standard arms, respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of any first asparaginase-associated toxicity (hypersensitivity n = 13; osteonecrosis n = 29; pancreatitis n = 24; thromboembolism n = 17) was 9.3% in the experimental arm and 18.1% in the standard arm (
= .001). Asparaginase-associated toxicity reduction was confirmed in sex- and risk-group-adjusted Cox regression analysis stratified by age (≥ 10 and < 10 years; hazard ratio, 0.48;
= .001). The experimental arm had the lowest incidences of all four toxicities, reaching significance for pancreatitis (6-month risk, 5.8%
1.3%;
= .002).
The excellent cure rates and reduced toxicity risk support the use of intermittent PEG-asp therapy after the first 10 weeks in future childhood ALL trials that apply prolonged PEG-asp therapy.
Diagnosis, treatment, response monitoring, and outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have made enormous progress during the past decades. Because AML is a rare type of childhood cancer, ...with an incidence of approximately seven occurrences per 1 million children annually, national and international collaborative efforts have evolved. This overview describes these efforts and includes a summary of the history and contributions of each of the main collaborative pediatric AML groups worldwide. The focus is on translational and clinical research, which includes past, current, and future clinical trials. Separate sections concern acute promyelocytic leukemia, myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome, and relapsed AML. A plethora of novel antileukemic agents that have emerged, including new classes of drugs, are summarized as well. Finally, an important aspect of the treatment of pediatric AML--supportive care--and late effects are discussed. The future is bright, with a wide range of emerging innovative therapies and with more and more international collaboration that ultimately aim to cure all children with AML, with fewer adverse effects and without late effects.
Truncation of asparaginase treatment due to asparaginase-related toxicities or silent inactivation (SI) is common and may increase relapse risk in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We investigated ...relapse risk following suboptimal asparaginase exposure among 1401 children aged 1 to 17 years, diagnosed with ALL between July 2008 and February 2016, treated according to the Nordic Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO) ALL2008 protocol (including extended asparaginase exposure 1000 IU/m2 intramuscularly weeks 5-33). Patients were included with delayed entry at their last administered asparaginase treatment, or detection of SI, and followed until relapse, death, secondary malignancy, or end of follow-up (median, 5.71 years; interquartile range, 4.02-7.64). In a multiple Cox model comparing patients with (n = 358) and without (n = 1043) truncated asparaginase treatment due to clinical toxicity, the adjusted relapse-specific hazard ratio (HR; aHR) was 1.33 (95% confidence interval CI, 0.86-2.06; P = .20). In a substudy including only patients with information on enzyme activity (n = 1115), the 7-year cumulative incidence of relapse for the 301 patients with truncation of asparaginase treatment or SI (157 hypersensitivity, 53 pancreatitis, 14 thrombosis, 31 other, 46 SI) was 11.1% (95% CI, 6.9-15.4) vs 6.7% (95% CI, 4.7-8.6) for the 814 remaining patients. The relapse-specific aHR was 1.69 (95% CI, 1.05-2.74, P=.03). The unadjusted bone marrow relapse-specific HR was 1.83 (95% CI, 1.07-3.14, P=.03) and 1.86 (95% CI, 0.90- 3.87, P=.095) for any central nervous system relapse. These results emphasize the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring and appropriate adjustment of asparaginase therapy when feasible. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03987542.
•Suboptimal asparaginase exposure leads to an increased risk of relapse in non–high-risk ALL patients.•Therapeutic drug monitoring should be used to identify patients with no asparaginase enzyme activity to ensure treatment efficacy.
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Summary Background Adjustment of mercaptopurine and methotrexate maintenance therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia by leucocyte count is confounded by natural variations. Cytotoxicity is primarily ...mediated by DNA-incorporated thioguanine nucleotides (DNA-TGN). The aim of this study was to establish whether DNA-TGN concentrations in blood leucocytes during maintenance therapy are associated with relapse-free survival. Methods In this substudy of the NOPHO ALL2008 phase 3 trial done in 23 hospitals in seven European countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden), we analysed data from centralised and blinded analyses of 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate metabolites in blood samples from patients with non-high-risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Eligible patients were aged 1·0–17·9 years; had been diagnosed with non-high-risk precursor B-cell or T-cell leukaemia; had been treated according to the Nordic Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ALL2008 protocol; and had reached maintenance therapy in first remission. Maintenance therapy was (mercaptopurine 75 mg/m2 once per day and methotrexate 20 mg/m2 once per week, targeted to a leucocyte count of 1·5–3·0 × 109 cells per L). We measured DNA-TGN and erythrocyte concentrations of TGN nucleotides, methylated mercaptopurine metabolites, and methotrexate polyglutamates. The primary objective was the association of DNA-TGN concentrations and 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate metabolites with relapse-free survival. The secondary endpoint was the assessment of DNA-TGN concentration and 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate metabolites during maintenance therapy phase 2. Findings Between Nov 26, 2008 and June 14, 2016, 1509 patients from the NOPHO ALL2008 study were assessed for eligibility in the DNA-TGN substudy, of which 918 (89%) of 1026 eligible patients had at least one DNA-TGN measurement and were included in the analyses. Median follow-up was 4·6 years (IQR 3·1–6·1). Relapse-free survival was significantly associated with DNA-TGN concentration (adjusted hazard ratio 0·81 per 100 fmol/μg DNA increase, 95% CI 0·67–0·98; p=0·029). In patients with at least five blood samples, erythrocyte concentrations of TGN, methylated mercaptopurine metabolites, and methotrexate polyglutamates were associated with DNA-TGN concentration (all p<0·0001). Interpretation Our results suggest the need for intervention trials to identify clinically applicable strategies for individualised drug dosing to increase DNA-TGN concentration, and randomised studies to investigate whether such strategies improve cure rates compared with current dose adjustments based on white blood cell counts. Funding Danish Cancer Society, Childhood Cancer Foundation (Denmark), Childhood Cancer Foundation (Sweden), Nordic Cancer Union, Otto Christensen Foundation, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, and Novo Nordic Foundation.
Allopurinol can be used in maintenance therapy (MT) for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to mitigate hepatic toxicity in patients with skewed 6- mercaptopurine metabolism. Allopurinol ...increases the erythrocyte levels of thioguanine nucleotides (e-TGN), which is the proposed main mediator of the antileukemic effect and decreases methyl mercaptopurine (e-MeMP) levels, associated with hepatotoxicity. We investigated the effects of allopurinol in thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) wild-type patients without previous clinical signs of skewed 6MP metabolism. Fifty-one patients from Sweden and Finland were enrolled in this prospective beforeafter trial during ALL MT. Mean e-TGN increased from 280 nmol/mmol Hb after 12 weeks of standard MT to 440 after 12 weeks of MT with addition of allopurinol 50 mg/m2 (p.
To evaluate the early treatment response in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using a response-guided induction strategy that includes idarubicin in the first course.
All Nordic children ...with AML younger than 15 years (n = 151) were treated on the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO) AML 2004 protocol. After the first course of idarubicin, cytarabine, etoposide, and 6-thioguanin, patients with good response were allowed hematologic recovery before the second course, whereas patients with a poor (≥ 15% blasts) or intermediate (5% to 14.9% blasts) were recommended to proceed immediately with therapy. Patients not in remission after the second course received fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Poor responders received allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) as consolidation.
Seventy-four percent of patients had good response, 17% had intermediate response, and 7% had poor response after the first course. The overall remission frequency was 97.4%, with 92% in remission after the second course. The rate of induction death was 1.3%. Patients with an intermediate response had a lower event-free survival of 35% compared with good (61%) and poor responders (82%).
The NOPHO-AML 2004 induction strategy gives an excellent remission rate with low toxic mortality in an unselected population. Outcome is worse in patients with intermediate response but may be improved by intensifying consolidation in this group using SCT.
Analysis of chromosomal aberrations is used to determine the prognosis of neuroblastomas (NBs) and to aid treatment decisions. MYCN amplification (MNA) alone is an incomplete poor prognostic factor, ...and chromosome 11q status has recently been included in risk classification. We analyzed 165 NB tumors using high-density SNP microarrays and specifically compared the high-risk groups defined by MNA (n = 37) and 11q-deletion (n = 21). Median patient age at diagnosis was 21 months for MNA tumors and 42 months for 11q-deletion tumors, and median survival time after diagnosis was 16 months for MNA and 40 months for 11q deletion. Overall survival (at 8 years) was ~35% in both groups. MNA and 11q deletion were almost mutually exclusive; only one case harbored both aberrations. The numbers of segmental aberrations differed significantly; the MNA group had a median of four aberrations, whereas the 11q-deletion group had 12. The high frequency of chromosomal breaks in the 11q-deletion group is suggestive of a chromosomal instability phenotype gene located in 11q; one such gene, H2AFX, is located in 11q23.3 (within the 11q-deletion region). Furthermore, in the groups with segmental aberrations without MNA or 11q deletion, the tumors with 17q gain have worse prognosis than those with segmental aberrations without 17q gain, which have a favorable outcome. This study has implications for therapy in different risk groups and stresses that genome-wide microarray analyses should be included in clinical management to fully evaluate risk, aid diagnosis, and guide treatment.
Hyperleukocytosis (HL) in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with severe complications and inferior outcome. We report results on HL patients included in the NOPHO-DBH AML 2012 ...study. We recommended immediate start of full dose chemotherapy (etoposide ETO monotherapy for 5 days as part of the first course), avoiding leukapheresis (LA) and prephase chemotherapy (PCT). Of 714 included patients, 122 (17.1%) had HL, and 111 were treated according to the recommendations with ETO upfront without preceding LA or PCT. The first dose was applied the same day as the AML diagnosis or the day after in 94%. ETO was administered via peripheral veins in 37% of patients without major complications. After initiation of ETO the remaining WBC on days 2-5 was 69%, 36%, 17% and 8% of the pre-treatment level. On day 3, 81% had a WBC.
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