Latest Developments in Targeted Biological Therapies in the Management of Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: The objective of this review paper was to summarize targeted molecular therapy options for spinal chordoma and chondrosarcoma, and to provide an update on the relevant clinical trials open for recruitment.

Methods: A systematic review of the current literature was performed, according to PRISMA guidelines, to summarize the latest developments in non-surgical molecular treatment options for low grade malignant primary spinal tumours.

What is the Optimal Management of Metastatic Spine Patients With Intermediate Spinal Instability Neoplastic Scores: To Operate or Not to Operate?

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objective: In patients with extradural metastatic spine disease, we sought to systematically review the outcomes and complications of patients with intermediate Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) lesions undergoing radiation therapy, percutaneous interventions, minimally invasive surgeries, or open spinal surgeries.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials were queried for studies that reported on SINS intermediate patients who underwent: 1) radiotherapy, 2) percutaneous intervention, 3) minimally invasive, or 4) open surgery.

Role of Posterior Carbon Fiber Implants in Spine Tumor Surgery.

Study Design: Narrative Review.

Objective: The management of spinal tumors requires a multi-disciplinary approach including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Surgical approaches typically require posterior segmental instrumentation to maintain long-term spinal stability.

Infections Due to Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii With Focus on Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis for Tissue Specificity, Pathogenesis, Bacteriologic Workup, and Treatment.

Objective.—: To report the isolation and significance of C kroppenstedtii, features of patients with GLM, pathologic findings and mechanism, bacteriologic workup, and optimal treatment.

Design.

Empathy Unmasked: Patient Perception of Physician Empathy in an Oncologic Emergency Setting. A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Personal Protective Equipment Wear versus Unmasked Video Communication.

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine emerged as an important option that supports and facilitates clinical practice, however, its usefulness in emergency settings that treat patients with cancer is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate patient perception of physician empathy in an emergency oncology setting, comparing video interaction to an in-person with personal protective equipment (PPE) approach.

Methods: In this single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, survey-based randomized controlled trial, patients were randomized 1:1 for the concluding conversation done in-person which included either interacting with physicians wearing PPE or video interaction with physicians without PPE (virtual).

Key considerations for combination therapy in Alzheimer's clinical trials: Perspectives from an expert advisory board convened by the Alzheimer's drug discovery foundation.

There is growing consensus in the Alzheimer's community that combination therapy will be needed to maximize therapeutic benefits through the course of the disease. However, combination therapy raises complex questions and decisions for study sponsors, from preclinical research through clinical trial design to regulatory, statistical, and operational considerations. In January 2024, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened an expert advisory board to discuss the key considerations in each of these areas.

Content and quality of consumer websites providing information about human papillomavirus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: An environmental scan.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the content and quality of websites for consumers providing information about human papillomavirus (HPV) risks in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: We conducted an environmental scan of websites for patients and the general public with information about HPV and SLE. We searched Google from inception to June 2023, using the terms "HPV" and "lupus".

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Multiple Myeloma Previously Treated With Lenalidomide and an Anti-CD38 Monoclonal Antibody.

Background: This analysis explored real-world characteristics, treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) previously treated with lenalidomide and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and requiring subsequent treatment.

Materials And Methods: The PREAMBLE and Connect MM prospective registries of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), and the US nationwide Flatiron Health electronic health record-derived de-identified database were analysed. MM-specific treatment patterns (prior/index therapies) and outcomes (progression-free survival [PFS]/overall survival [OS]) were assessed.

Left-Right Brain-Wide Asymmetry of Neuroanatomy in the Mouse Brain.

Left-right asymmetry of the human brain is widespread through its anatomy and function. However, limited microscopic understanding of it exists, particularly for anatomical asymmetry where there are few well-established animal models. In humans, most brain regions show subtle, population-average regional asymmetries in thickness or surface area, alongside a macro-scale twisting called the cerebral petalia in which the right hemisphere protrudes past the left.

Impact of comorbidities on the mortality benefits of lung cancer screening: a post-hoc analysis of PLCO and NLST trials.

Hypothesis: To evaluate how comorbidities affect mortality benefits of lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed-tomography (LDCT).

Methods: We developed a comorbidity index (PLCO-ci) using LCS-eligible participants' data from the Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) trial (training set) and the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) (validation set). PLCO-ci predicts 5-year non-lung cancer (LC) mortality using a regularized Cox model; with performance evaluated by the area under the ROC curve (ROC).

Integrating CTLA-4/PD-1 blockade into cervical cancer management: Results of COMPASSION-16.

Although there is anti-tumor efficacy of dual CTLA-4/PD-1 blockade in advanced/recurrent cervical cancer, it is unclear whether combination with chemotherapy is synergistic. In COMPASSION-16, Wu et al. demonstrated improved survival outcomes of cadolinimab plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone for first-line systemic therapy for advanced/recurrent cervical cancer, suggesting a potential role of bispecific CTLA-4/PD-1 inhibitors in the frontline setting.

FT538, iPSC-derived NK cells, enhance AML cell killing when combined with chemotherapy.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived natural killer (NK) cells offer an opportunity for a standardized, off-the-shelf treatment with the potential to treat a wider population of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients than the current standard of care. FT538 iPSC-NKs express a high-affinity, noncleavable CD16 to maximize antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity, a CD38 knockout to improve metabolic fitness, and an IL-15/IL-15 receptor fusion preventing the need for cytokine administration, the main source of adverse effects in NK cell-based therapies. Here, we sought to evaluate the potential of FT538 iPSC-NKs as a therapy for AML through their effect on AML cell lines and primary AML cells.

Predictive Value of FDG Uptake on PET for Future Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Mediated Colitis: A Case Series.

: Immune-mediated colitis (IMC) is a common immune-related adverse event during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. This case series and review aimed to highlight atypical cases of IMC and explore the potential of PET/CT to predict imminent ICI colitis. : Through a descriptive, retrospective study at a tertiary cancer center, we identified adult patients receiving ICIs for any cancer between 2010 and 2022 who also underwent PET/CT for routine cancer surveillance during this time.

Sitravatinib in combination with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a phase 1 trial.

We conducted a phase I trial to determine the optimal dose of triplet therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sitravatinib plus nivolumab plus ipilimumab in 22 previously untreated patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 1-year survival probability, and sitravatinib pharmacokinetics.

Lead time trajectory of blood-based protein biomarkers for detection of pancreatic cancer based on repeat testing.

In the current study, we assessed whether repeated measurements of a panel of protein biomarkers with relevance to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) improves lead time performance for earlier detection over a single timepoint measurement. Specifically, CA125, CEA, LRG1, REG3A, THBS2, TIMP1, TNRFSF1A as well as CA19-9 were assayed in serially collected pre-diagnostic plasma from 242 PDAC cases and 242 age- and sex-matched non-case control participants in the PLCO cohort. We compared performance estimates of a parametric empirical Bayes (PEB) algorithm, which incorporates participant biomarker history, to that of a single-threshold (ST) method.

Confined cell migration along extracellular matrix space in vivo.

Collective migration of cancer cells is often interpreted using concepts derived from the physics of active matter, but the experimental evidence is mostly restricted to observations made in vitro. Here, we study collective invasion of metastatic cancer cells injected into the mouse deep dermis using intravital multiphoton microscopy combined with a skin window technique and three-dimensional quantitative image analysis. We observe a multicellular but low-cohesive migration mode characterized by rotational patterns which self-organize into antiparallel persistent tracks with orientational nematic order.

ERK activation dynamics in maturing oocyte controls embryonic nuclear divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ERK activity oscillates between sustained activation during oocyte formation and transient inactivation during oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. Consequences of ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation and in early embryogenesis are unknown. We show, in Caenorhabditis elegans, that ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation (metaphase I oocytes) results in embryos with abnormalities in nuclear divisions leading to embryonic death.

Phase 1 Trial of TTI-101, a First-in-Class Oral Inhibitor of STAT3 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors.

Purpose: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that is essential for the survival and immune sequestration of cancer cells. We conducted a phase 1 study of TTI‑101, a first-in-class, selective small-molecule inhibitor of STAT3, in patients with advanced metastatic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients were treated with TTI-101 orally twice daily in 28-day cycles at 4 dose levels (DLs): 3.

Temporal Trends of Subsequent CNS Malignancies Among Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

Purpose: It is not known whether temporal changes in childhood cancer therapy have reduced risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) of the central nervous system (CNS), a frequently fatal late effect of cancer therapy.

Methods: Five-year survivors of primary childhood cancers diagnosed between 1970-1999 in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study with a subsequent CNS SMN were identified. Cumulative incidence rates and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were compared among survivors diagnosed between 1970-1979 (N = 6223), 1980-1989 (N = 9680), and 1990-1999 (N = 8999).

Ezrin Polarization as a Diagnostic Marker for Circulating Tumor Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with no precise method for early detection. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) expressing the dynamic polarity of the cytoskeletal membrane protein, ezrin, have been proposed to play a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis. This study investigated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of polarized circulating tumor cells (p-CTCs) in HCC patients.

Smoking as a Marker of Comorbid Vulnerability Among Persons with Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Who Engage in Hazardous Drinking.

Persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to those without evince high rates of hazardous drinking, or patterns of alcohol consumption that increase the risk for harmful consequences. One potential marker of vulnerability for PTSD-hazardous drinking comorbidity may be smoking behavior. Individuals with PTSD have a higher prevalence of smoking and smoke at higher rates.

Frontline immunotherapeutic combination strategies in adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: reducing chemotherapy intensity and toxicity and harnessing efficacy.

Using immunotherapeutic agents like inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO), blinatumomab, or chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T)-cell therapy in frontline adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) therapy is promising. These agents are mostly well tolerated and have different toxicity profiles than conventional chemotherapy, enabling their combination with chemotherapy. Additionally, they have often been shown to overcome the traditional adverse ALL risk features.