Publications by authors named "Maria Sulis"

ALL cures require many MRD therapies. This strategy should drive experiments and trials in metastatic bone sarcomas.

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  • Defining prognostic factors for T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL) is complex, as shown in the AALL1231 trial that included children and young adults with T acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T-LL, comparing standard therapy with the addition of bortezomib.
  • In the trial, 41% of patients provided bone marrow samples to measure minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment, revealing that those with MRD levels below 0.1% had a significantly better event-free survival rate (89%) compared to those with MRD at or above 0.1% (64%).
  • Cox regression analysis indicated that having MRD levels at or above 0.1%
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  • There is a lack of evidence regarding the emetogenicity (the ability to cause vomiting) of intravenous pegaspargase in pediatric patients, which prevented its classification in clinical guidelines.
  • A retrospective study reviewed records of 44 pediatric patients treated with IV pegaspargase from 2011 to 2020, focusing on those who did not vomit after treatment.
  • The findings showed that all 13 patients who received anti-nausea medications had a complete response, leading to the recommendation of classifying IV pegaspargase as moderately emetogenic.
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Purpose: Patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) have limited therapeutic options. Clinical use of genomic profiling provides an opportunity to identify targetable alterations to inform therapy.

Experimental Design: We describe a cohort of 14 pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory T-ALL enrolled on the Leukemia Precision-based Therapy (LEAP) Consortium trial (NCT02670525) and a patient with T-LBL, discovering alterations in platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRA) in 3 of these patients.

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A 5-month-old infant with bone findings on x-ray presented an apparent contradiction including findings of both diffusely dense bones and rickets in the context of a history and laboratory investigation that suggested leukemia. Next generation gene panel sequencing revealed a TCIRG1 mutation which is consistent with autosomal recessive osteopetrosis. The paradoxical x-ray findings underscore a recently elucidated mechanism for the pathogenesis of a TCIRG mutation.

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The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in children is reviewed and critically evaluated in this evidence-based review. Specific criteria were used for searching the published literature, grading the quality and strength of evidence, and assigning the strength of treatment recommendations. Genomic characterization and response to therapy have been critical in the risk stratification of pediatric AML.

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  • The study aimed to enhance the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL) by testing the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and reducing the use of prophylactic cranial radiation (CRT) in newly diagnosed patients.
  • In a clinical trial involving over 800 patients, a modified chemotherapy regimen was used, comparing outcomes between patients who received bortezomib and those who did not, with the goal of assessing event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS).
  • Results indicated that bortezomib significantly improved EFS and OS for T-LL patients, while allowing a dramatic reduction in CRT usage
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is commonly dysregulated in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The TACL2014-001 phase I trial of the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus in combination with cyclophosphamide and etoposide was performed in children and adolescents with relapsed/refractory ALL. Temsirolimus was administered intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 8 with cyclophosphamide 440 mg/m2 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 IV daily on days 1-5.

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Effective reinduction regimens are needed for children with relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as outcomes remain poor. Therapeutic options are limited in this heavily pretreated patient population, many of whom have reached lifetime recommended doses of anthracycline chemotherapy. The development of effective non-anthracycline-based salvage regimens is crucial to these patients who are at significant risk of life-threatening cardiotoxicity.

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Unlabelled: Early T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy associated with early relapse and poor prognosis that is genetically, immunophenotypically, and transcriptionally distinct from more mature T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) tumors. Here, we leveraged global metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling of primary ETP- and T-ALL leukemia samples to identify specific metabolic circuitries differentially active in this high-risk leukemia group. ETP-ALLs showed increased biosynthesis of phospholipids and sphingolipids and were specifically sensitive to inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway.

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The spectrum of germline predisposition in pediatric cancer continues to be realized. Here we report 751 solid tumor patients who underwent prospective matched tumor-normal DNA sequencing and downstream clinical use (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01775072).

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Fever in a neutropenic pediatric oncology patient requires prompt assessment due to the risk of infectious complications. The appropriate management of fever in non-neutropenic patients, however, is not well-established. We describe the rate of bacteremia in a cohort of non-neutropenic pediatric oncology patients with fever at a large institution.

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  • Vincristine is an important drug used to treat pediatric cancers, but it can cause serious nerve damage, leading to sensory, motor, and autonomic neuropathy.
  • Five patients had to stop taking vincristine due to severe neurotoxicity while being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, resulting in loss of mobility and other serious side effects, like vision loss.
  • Despite earlier studies suggesting bad outcomes for those who stop vincristine during treatment, all five patients managed to achieve and maintain complete remission after discontinuation.
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Multi-agent combination chemotherapy can be curative in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Still, patients with primary refractory disease or with relapsed leukemia have a very poor prognosis. Here we integrate an in-depth dissection of the mutational landscape across diagnostic and relapsed pediatric and adult ALL samples with genome-wide CRISPR screen analysis of gene-drug interactions across seven ALL chemotherapy drugs.

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Despite a remarkable increase in the genomic profiling of cancer, integration of genomic discoveries into clinical care has lagged behind. We report the feasibility of rapid identification of targetable mutations in 153 pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory or high-risk leukemias enrolled on a prospective clinical trial conducted by the LEAP Consortium. Eighteen percent of patients had a high confidence Tier 1 or 2 recommendation.

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Mutations in the gene CBL were first identified in adults with various myeloid malignancies. Some patients with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) were also noted to harbor mutations in CBL, but were found to have generally less aggressive disease courses compared to other forms of Ras pathway-mutant JMML. Importantly, and in contrast to most reports in adults, the majority of CBL mutations in JMML patients are germline with acquired uniparental disomy occurring in affected marrow cells.

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Background/objectives: While outcomes for pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) are favorable, there are few widely accepted prognostic factors, limiting the ability to risk stratify therapy.

Design/methods: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Protocols 05-001 and 11-001 enrolled pediatric patients with newly diagnosed B- or T-ALL from 2005 to 2011 and from 2012 to 2015, respectively. Protocol therapy was nearly identical for patients with T-ALL (N = 123), who were all initially assigned to the high-risk arm.

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  • The NSD family of histone methyltransferases is linked to severe cancers like acute leukemia, making them promising drug targets but challenging due to their autoinhibited structure.
  • Researchers utilized a fragment-based screening approach to create the first effective small-molecule inhibitors for NSD1, revealing an important structural change that allows for drug targeting.
  • The lead compound, BT5, shows effective results in leukemia cells by inhibiting specific histone modifications and reducing tumor growth, paving the way for advancements in drug development against NSD-related cancers.
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Panobinostat demonstrates activity against pediatric cancers in vitro. A phase I trial in children with refractory hematologic malignancies was conducted. The trial evaluated two schedules of oral panobinostat using 3 + 3 dose escalations in 28-day cycles.

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Ponatinib has proven to be effective in adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukaemias, but data in paediatrics are scarce. Among paediatric patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (n = 9) or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (n = 12) treated with varying doses of ponatinib in 13 centres, 71% showed a decrease in disease burden after a median of three months. Ponatinib was well tolerated, with grade 3 toxicities occurring in 29% of patients.

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Purpose: Treatment failure from drug resistance is the primary reason for relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Improving outcomes by targeting mechanisms of drug resistance is a potential solution.

Patients And Methods: We report results investigating the epigenetic modulators decitabine and vorinostat with vincristine, dexamethasone, mitoxantrone, and PEG-asparaginase for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL (B-ALL).

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  • The integration of tumor-normal genomic testing in cancer care helps detect both somatic mutations for treatment decisions and germline variants that may indicate cancer risk in families.
  • A case study of a 3-year-old boy with relapsed leukemia revealed a specific genetic variant linked to multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A (MEN2A), which was also found in his father and three siblings.
  • The father's subsequent evaluation resulted in a diagnosis of metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma, underscoring the importance of genetic testing for early detection and management of hereditary cancer risks.
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