Publications by authors named "Elizabeth MacIntyre"

Alterations inactivating the tumor suppressor gene PTEN drive the development of solid and hematological cancers, such as T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), whereby PTEN loss defines poor-prognosis patients. We investigated the metabolic rewiring induced by PTEN loss in T-ALL, aiming at identifying novel metabolic vulnerabilities. We showed that the enzyme ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is strictly required for the transformation of thymic immature progenitors and for the growth of human T-ALL, which remain dependent on ACLY activity even upon transformation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The accurate diagnosis of haematolymphoid malignancies is crucial for effective cancer care, but major obstacles to diagnosis exist in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This article explores the global applicability of current haematolymphoid classification systems, which are predominantly derived from data generated in high-income countries (HICs). Although disproportionately burdened with poor cancer outcomes, LMICs are generally faced with limited diagnostic resources, suboptimal access to therapeutics, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) and thymoma are two rare primary tumors of the thymus deriving either from T-cell precursors or from thymic epithelial cells, respectively. Some thymoma subtypes (AB, B1, and B2) display numerous reactive terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive (TdT) T-cell precursors masking epithelial tumor cells. Therefore, the differential diagnosis between T-LBL and TdT T-lymphocyte-rich thymoma could be challenging, especially in the case of needle biopsy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Value-based laboratory medicine focuses on improving patient outcomes by enhancing the clinical utility of diagnostic tests while optimizing resources and reducing costs.
  • Key elements include the organization of diagnostics, translating lab data into meaningful clinical information, and addressing ethical considerations such as patient empowerment and big data analysis.
  • The paper summarizes insights from the EFLM Strategic Conference and highlights the importance of education, technological advancements, and future regulations in shaping the profession.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study refines the prediction of outcomes in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify genetic mutations associated with risk levels.
  • A classifier developed through whole-exome sequencing categorized patients into low-risk and high-risk groups based on specific mutations, revealing significant differences in their 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR).
  • Integrating this genetic stratification with clinical factors like white blood cell counts and minimal residual disease enhances prognosis and identifies potential patients for targeted therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Obinutuzumab (O) and rituximab (R) were compared in a long-term study (LyMa-101) for treating newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients, focusing on outcomes like measurable residual disease (MRD), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
  • - Results showed that the O group had a higher rate of MRD negativity (83.1% vs 63.4%) and better long-term outcomes, with 5-year PFS at 82.8% and OS at 86.4%, compared to 66.6% and 71.4% for the R group, respectively.
  • - The study concluded that using
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A comprehensive analysis of 97 BCP-LBL cases revealed a mutational profile closely resembling that of BCP-ALL, though with a higher frequency of mutations in epigenetic modifiers in BCP-LBL.
  • * The study found that most molecular subtypes from BCP-ALL are also present in BCP-LBL, suggesting that next-generation sequencing can help identify genetic subtypes in BCP-LBL, potentially
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates genomic imbalances in 317 newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis, focusing on clinical features and outcomes.* -
  • The majority of patients (approximately 96%) showed at least one genomic imbalance, with del(9)(p21) being the most common, followed by other significant deletions involving various chromosomal regions.* -
  • The research identified specific genomic patterns related to age and subclassifications of T-ALL, and established a threshold of 15 imbalances for defining high- and low-risk relapse groups, highlighting the importance of genomic complexity in predicting survival outcomes.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The outcome of older patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has improved by the introduction of immunochemotherapy, followed by rituximab (R)-maintenance. Assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) represents a promising tool for individualized treatment decisions and was a prospectively planned part of the European MCL Elderly trial. We investigated how MRD status influenced the efficacy of R-maintenance and how MRD can enable tailored consolidation strategies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To assess the impact of PHF6 alterations on clinical outcome and therapeutical actionability in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Experimental Design: We described PHF6 alterations in an adult cohort of T-ALL from the French trial Group for Research on Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (GRAALL)-2003/2005 and retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes between PHF6-altered (PHF6ALT) and wild-type patients. We also used EPIC and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data of patient samples to analyze the epigenetic landscape of PHF6ALT T-ALLs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The prognostic value of F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) at baseline or the predictive value of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection appear as potential tools to improve mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients' management. The LyMa-101, a phase 2 trial of the LYSA group (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT02896582) reported induction therapy with obinutuzumab, a CD20 monoclonal antibody.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are trying to understand how certain immune cells, called lymphocytes, develop in our bodies.
  • They found that there are different paths these cells can take, and new types of cells called multi-lymphoid progenitors (MLPs) form before becoming either NK, ILC, T cells, or B cells.
  • The way these cells grow and develop is really different depending on the kind of immune cell they will become, and the scientists discovered new important steps and controls in this process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study evaluated the effectiveness and costs of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in treating various hematological cancers in both pediatric and adult patients, collecting data from 26 laboratories with differing practices.
  • - Results showed that NGS influenced treatment management for 73.4% of cases, particularly providing prognostic information and aiding treatment adaptations, though about 18.9% of prescriptions had no immediate impact on therapy.
  • - The average cost for NGS samples was 191 €, with variations based on the type of panel used, highlighting the need for clear discussions about precision medicine's effects on patient care and financial implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The reintegration of excised signal joints resulting from human V(D)J recombination was described as a potent source of genomic instability in human lymphoid cancers. However, such molecular events have not been recurrently reported in clinical patient lymphoma/leukemia samples. Using a specifically designed NGS-capture pipeline, we here demonstrated the reintegration of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) in 20/1533 (1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Changes in lymphocyte production patterns occurring across human ontogeny remain poorly defined. In this study, we demonstrate that human lymphopoiesis is supported by three waves of embryonic, fetal, and postnatal multi-lymphoid progenitors (MLPs) differing in CD7 and CD10 expression and their output of CD127 early lymphoid progenitors (ELPs). In addition, our results reveal that, like the fetal-to-adult switch in erythropoiesis, transition to postnatal life coincides with a shift from multilineage to B lineage-biased lymphopoiesis and an increase in production of CD127 ELPs, which persists until puberty.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (EICNHL) was established 25 years ago with the goal to facilitate clinical trials and research collaborations in the field both within Europe and worldwide. Since its inception, much progress has been made whereby major improvements in outcomes have been achieved. In this Review, we describe the different diagnostic entities of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children and young adults describing key features of each entity and outlining clinical achievements made in the context of the EICNHL framework.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Scientists found that certain changes in genes can cause cancer, specifically in a type called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).
  • They discovered that a specific mutation in a gene (TAL1) signals which patients might have a worse outcome, regardless of other gene activity.
  • Mebendazole, a medicine, can help treat T-ALL by breaking down a protein linked to the mutation, showing that new treatments could be developed targeting these genetic issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The background to this debate is now well-known: an EU policy decision to tighten controls on the devices and diagnostics sector led to the adoption of a regulation in 2017 with a schedule for implementation over coming years - a timetable extended still further by last-minute legislation in early 2022, to provide the sector and regulators with more time to adapt to the changes. Discussions among experts organised in April by the European Alliance for Personalized Medicine (EAPM) exposed continuing challenges that cannot be fully resolved by the recent deferral of implementation deadlines. One salient problem is that there is little awareness of the Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) across Europe, and only limited awareness of the different structures of national systems involved in implementing IVDR, with consequent risks for patient and consumer access to diagnostics (IVDs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF