Publications by authors named "Danai Dima"

: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) has become a key treatment option for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but factors impairing T-cell fitness may diminish efficacy. Our exploratory analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of prior treatment with a selinexor-containing regimen on CAR-T outcomes for RRMM patients. : Data for this retrospective cohort study were sourced from electronic medical records at two US academic centers.

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Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) are two chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapies approved for use in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Initially approved for late line MM (>4 prior lines), these were recently approved for use in MM with 1-2 prior lines of therapy in April 2024. As their use outside of the pivotal clinical trials continues to expand, it is important to critically evaluate the safety and efficacy of these therapies.

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Purpose: Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), two B-cell maturation antigen-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We compare safety, efficacy, and survival among patients with RRMM treated with standard-of-care (SOC) ide-cel or cilta-cel.

Methods: Data were from a retrospective chart review of patients with RRMM leukapheresed by December 31, 2022, with the intent to receive SOC ide-cel or cilta-cel at 19 institutions.

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Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), the asymptomatic precursors to multiple myeloma, affect up to 5% of the population over the age of 40. Bone involvement, a myeloma-defining event, represents a major source of morbidity for patients. Key goals for the management of myeloma precursor conditions include (1) identifying patients at the highest risk for progression to MM with bone involvement and (2) differentiating precursor states from active myeloma requiring treatment.

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Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex hematological malignancy of clonal plasma cells driven by alterations to the chromosomal material leading to uncontrolled proliferation in the bone marrow. Ethnic and racial disparities persist in the prevalence, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of MM. These disparities are multifaceted and intersect with various factors, including demographics, geography, socioeconomic status, genetics, and access to healthcare.

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Article Synopsis
  • CAR T-cell therapy shows strong initial results for treating relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, but most patients eventually relapse, often within 5 months.
  • In a study of 139 patients who relapsed after CAR T-cell therapy, different salvage therapies were analyzed, revealing that bispecific antibodies, like talquetamab and teclistamab, had the best overall and complete response rates.
  • The presence of extramedullary disease at relapse was linked to poorer outcomes, but bispecific antibodies improved survival rates, suggesting they should be the standard treatment for patients relapsing after CAR T-cell therapy.
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Past studies described occasional patients with myeloid neoplasms (MN) and coexistent large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL) or T-cell clonopathy of unknown significance (TCUS), which may represent expansion of myeloid clonal hematopoiesis (CH) as triggers or targets of clonal cytotoxic T cell reactions. We retrospectively analyzed 349 LGLL/TCUS patients, 672 MN patients, and 1443 CH individuals to establish the incidence, genetic landscape, and clinical phenotypes of CH in LGLL. We identified 8% of cases overlapping with MN, while CH was found in an additional 19% of cases (CH + /LGLL) of which TET2 (23%) and DNMT3A (14%) were the most common.

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Background: Telomere length (TL) has been linked to cognitive function, decline and dementia. This study aimed to explore whether both measured TL and genetic disposition for TL predict dimensions of cognitive performance in a longitudinal sample of older UK adults.

Methods: We analysed data from PROTECT study participants aged ≥50 years without a dementia diagnosis, who had completed longitudinal cognitive testing.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) CAR-T therapy was approved in 2022 for treating patients with multiple myeloma who have not responded to other treatments.
  • Out of 255 patients, 236 received the therapy, and many of them didn't qualify for earlier trials, but the results were still positive.
  • Most patients experienced some side effects, but many showed good responses to the treatment, with a significant percentage remaining cancer-free after one year.
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  • Clinical trials on CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma usually exclude patients with AL amyloidosis, leading to a lack of data on its effectiveness for this group.
  • A study reviewed eight patients with both RRMM and AL amyloidosis who underwent standard CAR T-cell therapy, revealing that 75% experienced cytokine release syndrome and low-grade cytopenias were common.
  • The therapy resulted in rapid and significant responses, with a median time to best response of 43 days and a 62.5% rate of achieving a very good partial response or better, indicating that CAR T-cell therapy is feasible and effective for these patients.
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Introduction: Previous studies have shown associations between cognitive function and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in older adults. Few studies have considered the extent to which a genetic predisposition for higher CRP levels contributes to this association.

Methods: Data was analyzed from 7,817 UK participants aged >50 years as part of the PROTECT study, within which adults without dementia completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Results showed that the median relapse-free survival (RFS) was longer for the IO group compared to the TT group, but most patients were alive at the end of the study; however, more patients in the IO group faced severe treatment-related side effects.
  • * The findings suggest that while both therapies can lead to prolonged RFS, TT might have lower tolerance in practice, and there’s a need for further analysis to assess the overall survival benefits over a longer period.
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  • Daratumumab treatment for light chain (AL) amyloidosis can lead to early refractoriness, leaving patients with fewer options if they relapse or respond poorly.
  • This study assessed the effectiveness of venetoclax therapy in AL patients with t(11;14) who had previously failed daratumumab, involving 31 subjects.
  • Results showed a 97% overall hematologic response to venetoclax, with strong organ responses in patients with cardiac (74%) and renal (46%) involvement, indicating promising potential for venetoclax as a salvage therapy after daratumumab failure.
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  • Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow that leads to symptoms like anemia, renal issues, and fatigue, but currently available treatments often have limited long-term success and frequent relapses occur.* -
  • The development of drug resistance in myeloma cells complicates treatment, making ongoing research into new therapeutic targets and strategies essential for improving patient outcomes.* -
  • This article reviews new and emerging treatment options for MM, organized by specific molecular targets like BCMA and CD38, as well as treatments such as immunomodulatory drugs and NK cell therapy.*
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Current treatment guidelines of myeloma cast nephropathy (MCN) recommend the institution of plasma cell-directed therapy and consideration of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), with the goal of rapid reduction of the serum free light chain (sFLC). However, the role of TPE continues to remain a subject of debate. The goal of this retrospective bi-institutional study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of TPE in combination with systemic therapy.

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BCMA-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies, including idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), have transformed the treatment landscape for relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), offering remarkable efficacy with hallmark toxicity risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). The FDA mandates a 4-week monitoring period at the treatment center as part of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to monitor and manage these toxicities, which, while prudent, may add unnecessary challenges related to access and socioeconomic disparities. We sought to assess CRS and ICANS onset and duration, as well as causes of non-relapse mortality (NRM) in real-world BCMA CAR T recipients in order to better inform future changes to the monitoring guidelines for CAR T recipients.

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Idecabtagene vicleucel (Ide-cel) has demonstrated excellent efficacy and durable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). However, the outcomes with ide-cel in patients with extramedullary disease (EMD) remain incompletely characterized. We included patients with RRMM treated with ide-cel between May 2021 and April 2023 across 11 US academic institutions.

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Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) has shown impressive efficacy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). This study aimed to investigate the impact of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) on the survival outcomes of RRMM patients treated with standard of care (SOC) ide-cel. Data were collected retrospectively from 11 institutions in the U.

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The presence of extramedullary disease (EMD) has been associated with poor outcomes in patients with relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Herein, we report the outcomes of RRMM patients who were treated with standard-of-care (SOC) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and had active extraosseous EMD before the infusion. Data were retrospectively collected from patients at three US institutions with the intent to receive SOC CAR T.

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Article Synopsis
  • LGL leukemia is a type of cancer where certain white blood cells called T-cells and natural killer cells grow too much in the blood, often because of too many signals telling them to grow.
  • People with LGL leukemia can get really sick from infections because their blood has too few other important cells, making their immune system weak.
  • Current treatments aren’t working great for everyone, so doctors are working on new ways to treat this disease by understanding its causes and finding better medicines.
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