MAT2A inhibitor AG-270/S095033 in patients with advanced malignancies: a phase I trial.

Homozygous MTAP deletion occurs in ~15% of cancers, making them vulnerable to decreases in the concentration of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). AG-270/S095033 is an oral, potent, reversible inhibitor of methionine adenosyltransferase 2 A (MAT2A), the enzyme primarily responsible for the synthesis of SAM. We report results from the first-in-human, phase 1 trial of AG-270/S095033 as monotherapy in patients with advanced malignancies (ClinicalTrials.

Comprehensive scoping review of palliative care development in Africa: recent advances and persistent gaps.

Worldwide 56·8 million people need palliative care (PC), and Africa shows the highest demand. This study updates the 2017 review of African PC development, using a scoping review methodology based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The review was conducted across PUBMED, CINAHL, Embase, government websites, and the African PC Association Atlas, from 2017 to 2023, charting its progress using the new WHO framework for PC Development, which, in addition to Services, Education, Medicines, and Policies, two new dimensions were incorporated: Research and Empowerment of people and Communities.

Neutralizing GDF-15 can overcome anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 resistance in solid tumours.

Cancer immunotherapies with antibodies blocking immune checkpoint molecules are clinically active across multiple cancer entities and have markedly improved cancer treatment. Yet, response rates are still limited, and tumour progression commonly occurs. Soluble and cell-bound factors in the tumour microenvironment negatively affect cancer immunity.

Generation of chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting p95HER2 in solid tumors.

The redirection of T lymphocytes against tumor-associated or tumor-specific antigens, using bispecific antibodies or chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), has shown therapeutic success against certain hematological malignancies. However, this strategy has not been effective against solid tumors. Here, we describe the development of CAR T cells targeting p95HER2, a tumor-specific antigen found in HER2-amplified solid tumors.

Development of a prognostic model to predict 90-day mortality in hospitalised cancer patients (PROMISE tool): a prospective observational study.

Background: Prognostic factors for ambulatory oncology patients have been described, including Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), tumor stage and malnutrition. However, there is no firm evidence on which variables best predict mortality in hospitalized patients receiving active systemic treatment. Our main goal was to develop a predictive model for 90-day mortality upon admission.

Implementing the WHO Indicators for Assessing Palliative Care Development in Three Countries: A Do-It-Yourself Approach.

Context: Palliative care is an essential health service, with over 56.8 million people needing it yearly, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The World Health Assembly has recognized palliative care as an ethical responsibility and called for comprehensive primary health care.

Plasma ctDNA as a Treatment Response Biomarker in Metastatic Cancers: Evaluation by the RECIST Working Group.

Early indicators of metastatic cancer response to therapy are important for evaluating new drugs and stopping ineffective treatment. The RECIST guidelines based on repeat cancer imaging are widely adopted in clinical trials, are used to identify active regimens that may change practice, and contribute to regulatory approvals. However, these criteria do not provide insight before 6 to 12 weeks of treatment and typically require that patients have measurable disease.

The ESMO Tumour-Agnostic Classifier and Screener (ETAC-S): a tool for assessing tumour-agnostic potential of molecularly guided therapies and for steering drug development.

Background: Advances in precision oncology led to approval of tumour-agnostic molecularly guided treatment options (MGTOs). The minimum requirements for claiming tumour-agnostic potential remain elusive.

Methods: The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Precision Medicine Working Group (PMWG) coordinated a project to optimise tumour-agnostic drug development.

Combined Transcriptome and Circulating Tumor DNA Longitudinal Biomarker Analysis Associates With Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Solid Tumors Treated With Pembrolizumab.

Purpose: Immune gene expression signatures are emerging as potential biomarkers for immunotherapy (IO). VIGex is a 12-gene expression classifier developed in both nCounter (Nanostring) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) assays and analytically validated across laboratories. VIGex classifies tumor samples into hot, intermediate-cold (I-Cold), and cold subgroups.

From static snapshots to dynamic panoramas: the evolution and future vision of palliative care atlas in cross-national perspectives.

Palliative care is essential to global health services as it improves the quality of life of patients, their families and caregivers. The ATLANTES Global Observatory of Palliative Care (University of Navarra) was created a decade ago to promote a positive attitude towards patients with advanced illness in society and medicine. To do so, and over the past 15 years, ATLANTES has mapped palliative care data worldwide using public health, macro and comparative perspectives in different atlases.

Safety and clinical activity of JNJ-78306358, a human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) x CD3 bispecific antibody, for the treatment of advanced stage solid tumors.

Background: JNJ-78306358 is a bispecific antibody that redirects T cells to kill human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G)-expressing tumor cells. This dose escalation study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity of JNJ-78306358 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods: Adult patients with metastatic/unresectable solid tumors with high prevalence of HLA-G expression were enrolled.

ENDOLUNG trial. A phase 1/2 study of the Akt/mTOR inhibitor and autophagy inducer Ibrilatazar (ABTL0812) in combination with paclitaxel/carboplatin in patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer.

Background: Carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP) have been the standard of care for advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer (EC) for many years. However, this chemotherapy combination shows limited efficacy and recurrences often occur in less than 12 months. ABTL0812 is a novel drug that selectively kill cancer cells by cytotoxic autophagy and has shown anticancer efficacy in preclinical models of EC in combination with CP.

Report on palliative sedation medication usage: a survey of palliative care experts in Eight European countries.

Background: The practice of palliative sedation continues to raise ethical questions among people, which in turn leads to its varied acceptance and practice across regions. As part of the Palliative Sedation European Union (EU) project, the aim of the present study was to determine the perceptions of palliative care experts regarding the practice of palliative sedation in eight European countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Hungary, and Romania).

Methods: A specifically designed survey, including questions on the most frequently used medications for palliative sedation, their availability per countries and settings, and the barriers and facilitators to the appropriate practice of palliative sedation was sent to expert clinicians involved and knowledgeable in palliative care in the indicated countries.

Cancer Core Europe: Leveraging Institutional Synergies to Advance Oncology Research and Care Globally.

Cancer Core Europe brings together the expertise, resources, and interests of seven leading cancer institutes committed to leveraging collective innovation and collaboration in precision oncology. Through targeted efforts addressing key medical challenges in cancer and partnerships with multiple stakeholders, the consortium seeks to advance cancer research and enhance equitable patient care.

Palliative care progress in Benin: a situation analysis using the WHO development indicators.

Context: Palliative care (PC) in most African countries remains under-assessed. Benin has piloted the implementation of a set of indicators proposed by the WHO to measure PC development.

Objectives: To examine the current status of PC in Benin.