Pharmacokinetic (Pk) Activity of Cabazitaxel (Cbz) in Patients (Pts) with Renal Impairment (Ri)

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The Nrf2 transcription factor is a positive regulator of myeloid differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia cells

1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D) is a powerful differentiation agent, which has potential for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but induces severe hypercalcemia at pharmacologically active doses. We have previously shown that carnosic acid (CA), the polyphenolic antioxidant from rosemary plant, markedly potentiates differentiation induced by low concentrations of 1,25D in human AML cell lines. Here, we demonstrated similar enhanced differentiation responses to the 1,25D/CA combination in primary leukemic cells derived from patients with AML, and determined the role of the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (Nrf2/ARE) pathway in these effects using U937 human monoblastic leukemia cells as the model. CA strongly transactivated the ARE-luciferase reporter gene, induced the ARE-responsive genes, NADP(H)-quinone oxidoreductase and the γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase heavy subunit, and elevated cellular glutathione levels. Interestingly, 1,25D potentiated the effects of CA on these activities. Stable transfection of wild-type (wt) Nrf2 resulted in the enhancement, while transfection of dominant-negative (dn) Nrf2 produced suppression of differentiation induced by the 1,25D/CA combination and, surprisingly, by 1,25D alone. These opposite effects were associated with a corresponding increase or decrease in vitamin D receptor and retinoid X receptor-α protein levels, and in vitamin D responsive element transactivation. Cells transfected with wtNrf2 and dnNrf2 also displayed opposing changes in the levels of the AP-1 family proteins (c-Jun and ATF2) and AP-1 transcriptional activity. Pretreatment with AP-1 decoy oligodeoxynucleotide markedly attenuated the differentiation in wtNrf2-transfected cells, suggesting that the pro-differentiation action of Nrf2 is mediated by functional AP-1. Our findings suggest that the Nrf2/ARE pathway plays an important part in the cooperative induction of myeloid leukemia cell differentiation by 1,25D and a plant polyphenol

Colonization of the live biotherapeutic product VE303 and modulation of the microbiota and metabolites in healthy volunteers

Manipulation of the gut microbiota via fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown clinical promise in diseases such as recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). However, the variable nature of this approach makes it challenging to describe the relationship between fecal strain colonization, corresponding microbiota changes, and clinical efficacy. Live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) consisting of defined consortia of clonal bacterial isolates have been proposed as an alternative therapeutic class because of their promising preclinical results and safety profile. We describe VE303, an LBP comprising 8 commensal Clostridia strains under development for rCDI, and its early clinical development in healthy volunteers (HVs). In a phase 1a/b study in HVs, VE303 is determined to be safe and well-tolerated at all doses tested. VE303 strains optimally colonize HVs if dosed over multiple days after vancomycin pretreatment. VE303 promotes the establishment of a microbiota community known to provide colonization resistance