Pharmacodynamic activity of BMS-986156, a glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor-related protein agonist, alone or in combination with nivolumab in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Background: The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer treatment options and triggered development of new complementary immunotherapeutic strategies, including T-cell co-stimulatory molecules, such as glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor-related protein (GITR). BMS-986156 is a fully agonistic human immunoglobulin G subclass 1 monoclonal antibody targeting GITR. We recently presented the clinical data for BMS-986156 with or without nivolumab, which demonstrated no compelling evidence of clinical activity in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Identification of three Asian otter species (, , and ) using a novel noninvasive PCR-RFLP analysis.

Four species of otters occur in tropical Asia, and all face multiple threats to their survival. Studies of distribution and population trends of these otter species in Asia, where they occur sympatrically, are complicated by their elusive nature and difficulties with reliable identification of species in field surveys. In Malaysia, only three species, the smooth-coated otter, Asian small-clawed otter, and hairy-nosed otter have been reliably reported as residents.

Safety, Tolerability, and Potential Clinical Activity of a Glucocorticoid-Induced TNF Receptor-Related Protein Agonist Alone or in Combination With Nivolumab for Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors: A Phase 1/2a Dose-Escalation and Cohort-Expansion Clinical Trial.

Importance: Multiple immunostimulatory agonist antibodies have been clinically tested in solid tumors to evaluate the role of targeting glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-related protein in anticancer treatments.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and activity of the fully human glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor-related protein agonist IgG1 monoclonal antibody BMS-986156 with or without nivolumab in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This global, open-label, phase 1/2a study of BMS-986156 with or without nivolumab enrolled 292 patients 18 years or older with advanced solid tumors and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1 or less.

Is Malaysia's banded langur, Presbytis femoralis femoralis, actually Presbytis neglectus neglectus? Taxonomic revision with new insights on the radiation history of the Presbytis species group in Southeast Asia.

The disjunct distribution of Presbytis femoralis subspecies across Sumatra (P. f. percura), southern (P.

Mitogenomic phylogeny of the common long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis fascicularis).

Background: Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are an important model species in biomedical research and reliable knowledge about their evolutionary history is essential for biomedical inferences. Ten subspecies have been recognized, of which most are restricted to small islands of Southeast Asia. In contrast, the common long-tailed macaque (M.

Continental monophyly and molecular divergence of Peninsular Malaysia's Macaca fascicularis fascicularis.

The phylogenetic relationships of long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis fascicularis) populations distributed in Peninsular Malaysia in relation to other regions remain unknown. The aim of this study was to reveal the phylogeography and population genetics of Peninsular Malaysia's M. f.

A new subspecies identification and population study of the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) in Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand based on fecal DNA method.

Three species of otter can be found throughout Malay Peninsula: Aonyx cinereus, Lutra sumatrana, and Lutrogale perspicillata. In this study, we focused on the A. cinereus population that ranges from the southern and the east coast to the northern regions of Malay Peninsula up to southern Thailand to review the relationships between the populations based on the mitochondrial D-loop region.

The role of transplantation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: the impact of rituximab plus chemotherapy in first-line and relapsed settings.

Rituximab has improved the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but a high proportion of patients with advanced disease will relapse or will fail to achieve a remission with front-line treatment. Salvage chemotherapy, followed by high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, remains the best treatment option for such patients, especially those who retain chemosensitivity. Allogeneic transplantation is under investigation in this setting, often as a treatment for relapse after autologous transplantation.

Outcomes of patients with myeloid malignancies treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from matched unrelated donors compared with one human leukocyte antigen mismatched related donors using HLA typing at 10 loci.

Most candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donor. Some patients may have a related donor with whom they are mismatched at 1 antigen/allele. It is not known whether such a match is preferable to a matched unrelated donor (MUD).

Hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants is the complex result of BK virus infection, preparative regimen intensity and donor type.

Background: Hemorrhagic cystitis is a common cause of morbidity after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, frequently associated with BK virus infection. We hypothesized that patients with positive BK viruria before unrelated or mismatched related donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have a higher incidence of hemorrhagic cystitis.

Design And Methods: To test this hypothesis, we prospectively studied 209 patients (median age 49 years, range 19-71) with hematologic malignancies who received bone marrow (n=78), peripheral blood (n=108) or umbilical cord blood (n=23) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after myeloablative (n=110) or reduced intensity conditioning (n=99).

Immune-mediated pancytopenia induced by oxaliplatin: a case report.

Background: Drug-induced immune pancytopenia is considered an uncommon disorder.

Case Report: A 76-year-old woman with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma received 15 cycles of FOLFOX-6 (oxaliplatin/folinic acid/fluorouracil) with a complete response. Upon disease progression, she was restarted on FOLFOX; during the seventh cycle of treatment, 1 hour after completing her oxaliplatin infusion, she presented oral bleeding, petechiae and generalized hematomas.

Resolved hepatitis B virus infection is not associated with worse outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Serologic evidence of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been associated with reactivation of hepatitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but the true impact of this finding is unknown. We conducted a retrospective matched-control analysis of the outcomes of 76 patients with positive HBV core antibody (HBcAb) and negative HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) at the time of allo-HSCT for hematologic or solid malignancies. Control patients (matched controls), with negative serology for HBV and other viral hepatitides, were matched by age, diagnosis, disease risk, intensity of conditioning regimen, and donor type.

Moderate renal function impairment does not affect outcomes of reduced-intensity conditioning with fludarabine and melphalan for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) after reduced-intensity allogeneic transplants is likely to be influenced by abnormalities in renal function. We studied 141 patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) (n = 131) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (n = 10) who underwent allogeneic transplantation with fludarabine (Flu)/melphalan (Mel)-based regimens and hypothesized that moderate to mild renal function impairment increases NRM in this setting. Flu dose consisted of 25-30 mg/m(2) for 4 days and Mel dose was 100-180 mg/m(2).

Donor-recipient mismatches in MHC class I chain-related gene A in unrelated donor transplantation lead to increased incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease.

The polymorphic products of major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) genes are important in solid organ transplantation rejection. MICA expression is limited to gut epithelium and may play a role in triggering acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). A total of 236 recipients of unrelated donor transplantation were studied.

Impact of hepatitis C virus seropositivity on survival after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies.

Background: Because hepatitis C virus infection causes hepatic and immunological dysfunction, we hypothesized that seropositivity for this virus could be associated with increased non-relapse mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Design And Methods: We performed a case-control study of the outcomes of patients who were hepatitis C virus seropositive at the time of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (N=31). Patients positive for hepatitis C virus were considered candidates for stem cell transplantation only if they had no significant evidence of hepatic dysfunction.

Leukemia burden delays lymphocyte and platelet recovery after allo-SCT for AML.

Lymphocyte and platelet recovery may influence outcomes of allo-SCT for treatment of AML. It is not clear, however, if this impact is independent of patient and transplant characteristics. To investigate this question, we evaluated the influence of pre- or post transplant factors on day +30 absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and the speed of platelet engraftment.

Phase I/II study of gemtuzumab ozogamicin added to fludarabine, melphalan and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for high-risk CD33 positive myeloid leukemias and myelodysplastic syndrome.

We investigated the hypothesis that gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), an anti-CD33 immunotoxin would improve the efficacy of fludarabine/melphalan as a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in a phase I/II trial. Toxicity was defined as grades III-IV organ damage, engraftment failure or death within 30 days. 'Response' was engraftment and remission (CR) on day +30.

Efficacy of prophylactic transfusions using single donor apheresis platelets versus pooled platelet concentrates in AML/MDS patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Superiority of single-donor apheresis platelets (SDAP) over pooled platelet concentrates (PPC) transfusions is largely assumed, but unproven. We hypothesized that prophylactic SDAP and PPC transfusions are clinically equivalent after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). We studied all transfusions administered to 33 patients with AML/MDS during the first 100 days after busulfan-based, myeloablative HSCT.

Microbial contamination of hematopoietic progenitor cell products: clinical outcome.

We reviewed the results of routine microbiological assays of 3078 infused hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) products for autologous and allogeneic transplantation between January 2001 and December 2005. Thirty-seven (1.2%) contaminated products were found.